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Frank Turner, now recognized as one of the UK’s most prolific live performers, first discovered a sense of belonging in grassroots music venues during his teenage years. These small, intimate spaces played a pivotal role in shaping his musical journey, and he continues to use his influence to support and protect the venues that nurtured him.
On a warm summer evening in a modest north London pub, Turner performed to a small crowd of around twenty people, showcasing the same energy and passion he displays in massive arenas like London’s Alexandra Palace, where he recently performed in front of 10,000 fans. For Turner, these intimate gigs remain essential, reflecting his ongoing commitment to grassroots music scenes. “I didn’t like Brit pop and I didn’t like football,” he recalls of his youth, “I liked bands like Black Flag and Sonic Youth, and didn’t really know anybody else who did. Then I figured out there were venues near where I grew up – The Joiners Arms in Southampton and The Railway Inn in Winchester. You could see bands, but more than that, you could meet other people who shared your outlook. I made friends and I felt less alienated. I found my people.”
Turner’s early experiences performing and watching bands in small venues instilled in him not only a love of music but also a deep respect for the connection between artists and audiences. “It was a forum to connect with others,” he explains. He learned the nuances of performing live—everything from soundchecks to engaging with the crowd—and developed his own voice on stage. Over the course of his career, Turner has played more than 3,000 shows, fostering a close-knit community centered on compassion and unity. His song *Be More Kind* has become an anthem, encapsulating the spirit of the community at his gigs.
However, Turner is concerned for the future of these vital spaces, which are increasingly at risk. In 2023 alone, 125 grassroots music venues have closed due to soaring business rates, rent hikes, residential developments, and the overall cost of living crisis. He highlights the crippling financial pressures venue operators face: “From my conversations with people who run venues, business rates are crushingly expensive. Just existing as a small business in a city location is insanely costly before you’ve even sold a ticket.” Efforts from organizations like the Music Venue Trust, which advocates for a levy funneling a portion of stadium or arena ticket sales back into grassroots venues, are steps toward addressing the crisis. Although the scheme is voluntary, Turner personally contributed £1 from every ticket sold during his last tour, acknowledging it as “more of a symbol than a solution, but it’s something.”
Turner warns that without these spaces, the music industry risks becoming homogenized and controlled by powerful commercial interests. “In a world with no independent venues, it’s not that no one will play the O2. It’s just that who plays the O2 will be entirely dictated by Simon Cowell and the like… If that was the entirety of the menu, it would be boring.” He also expresses concern that younger generations, shaped by social media platforms like TikTok and large-scale arena shows, may overlook the unique experiences offered by small, affordable gigs. “People should know there’s a venue five minutes away where you can pay a tenner, see a band who’ll sweat on you, and then talk to them afterwards. That’s how you make friends. That’s how you find community.”
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, when venues were forced to close and income dried up, Turner stayed connected to fans by streaming weekly shows from his living room. These sessions raised funds to support struggling venues, helping keep 26 afloat with roughly £15,000 each. “Some of those venues later told me: ‘It kept the wolf from the door, it covered us for a couple of months.’ That mattered.” Turner credits the Music Venue Trust, led by Mark Davyd, for raising awareness of the difficulties faced by independent venues. Though he welcomes government recognition of these issues, he remains ambivalent about public funding for the sector. “My experience was that the independent live music sector was proudly non-subsidised, which I thought was cool. If you’re making anti-establishment art, it doesn’t make much sense to do that with a government grant.” At the same time, he criticizes the disparity in arts funding: “It’s a national scandal, the millions that get given to opera. If they spent 10% of that on grassroots music, all our problems would be solved.”
For Frank Turner, small venues are far more than just performance spaces. They represent a crucial social hub, a springboard for emerging artists, and a place where genuine community thrives. “I’ll keep fighting for them,” he says, “because they’re not just where music lives. They’re where community lives. And without them, we all lose.”
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