Eric Clapton, Skepta, Dua Lipa and more back plea to support UK live music industry

Over 1,500 artist have signed a plea to ensure the UK live music industry receives adequate support in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Liam Gallagher, Skepta, Sir Paul Mcartney are among others who share national concerns for the state of the industry during this extended period of lockdown. With thousands of small businesses and music venues under threat of closure, the live music industry is currently facing one of its greatest challenges to date.

The plea comes in the form of an open letter, a part of which reading "With no end to social distancing in sight or financial support from government yet agreed, the future for concerts and festivals and the hundreds of thousands of people who work in them looks bleak."

Figures published by Media Insight Consulting show that the UK music industry contributed £4.5bn to the national economy in 2019 whilst supporting over 210,000 jobs. Despite such a valuable contribution, many feel that the government has not shown enough support, especially after it was revealed that there is no Music Representative in the Government's Cultural Task Force; a team of experts in various fields set up to best prepare for rebuilding the arts sector over the coming months. With an evident lack of both administrative and financial support from the government, the future of the industry is a growing concern.