‘Fatima’s next job could be in cyber’: The gloomy reality of the music industry in the UK

Unpredictable earnings, high costs of music equipment, and touring barriers are some of the challenges musicians in the UK face at the moment. The impacts of the pandemic, combined with Brexit's red tape and the cost-of-living crisis, have pushed the emerging scene of British music towards what seems to be a long period of uncertainty.

According to the latest investigation by the charity Help Musicians, almost half of the performers in the UK are seriously concerned they will be forced to leave the industry.

The figures show that nine in 10 surveyed artists struggle to afford music-related equipment. Additionally, nine out of 10 are worried about being able to afford food and pay rent over the next six months.

In a press release about the cost-of-working crisis, James Ainscough, Chief Executive of Help Musicians, said: "It is hard to imagine any point since the Second World War when it has been tougher to be a professional musician – put simply, the current environment is brutal."

Help Musicians estimates that by the end of 2022, they will have spent a total of £8m to support artists in different areas of their work.

Musician and producer going by the stage name of Su, I Think (they/them), explained how they've had to pick up a few extra shifts to cover all their monthly expenses. They said: "With the current living crisis, I am starting to see a lot of my peers trickling into other careers, and it's quite sad and scary. You know, it's like those posters 'Fatima is going to cyber' encouraging artists to reroute their careers. I see that happening to people around me, and it can be depressing."

Working overtime can be a temporary solution for some performers, but in most cases, the exhaustion of 50 hours weekly shifts heavily impacts one's creative process. Overcoming the economic pressure caused by the cost of living crisis is an unsurmountable task for artists who are still drowning in debt dating back to the pandemic.

Alexander Sokolow, who runs The Cavendish Arms, a small venue in London, and is a musician himself, explained that he had noted a significant rise in the cost of instruments which can result in a lack of accessibility to adequate music equipment for emerging performers.

Sokolow added: "One thing that makes it totally impossible to travel to play shows is the cost of petrol. Brexit has also affected touring because the cost of travelling to Europe is much higher and is complicated to mitigate financially."

The rising fuel costs are a calamity affecting musicians across the board, from emerging to established ones. Among recognised names, Little Simz, winner of the 2022 Brit Award for Best New Artist, had to cancel her US tour in April 2022 due to financial difficulties.

For many emerging performers, grassroots venues play a central role in the launch of their careers. The high touring costs emphasise the importance of such spaces providing artists with a local platform and a place to develop their performing skills. However, the cost of living crisis and the skyrocketing energy bills threaten their survival.

The Music Venue Trust (MVT) is a central player in saving endangered venues. The charity's recent initiative 'Own Our Venues' has attracted investments and endorsement from key figures in the industry, such as Ed Sheeran, Jason Iley MBE, Chairman and CEO of Sony Music UK and Ireland, Tony Harlow, CEO of Warner Music UK and many others.

Iley told the MVT: "Everyone can remember where they were and who they were with when they saw their favourite artist for the first time. These venues are where it all starts and are the jumping off point for artists who go from local venues to headlining festivals and having long and successful careers."

Jamie Northop is the owner of Alexander's Live, a music venue in Chester that opened in 1991 with a 150-capacity. When interviewed for this article, he discussed the many reasons that make it hard to operate. In addition to the noticeable slump in ticket sales, the rising energy bills are one of the main concerns.

He said: "Our electricity has recently risen by 600%. Our energy supplier, Scottish Power, is unresponsive to us when we contact them with regard to the government support that has been announced and how we might receive this."

Alexander's Live is one of the recipients of the £5000 grants distributed by the MVT to support small-scale projects and staff training within grassroots venues. Besides the help provided by the MVT, no support from the government is available. Northop added: "I think the government should be intervening to ensure fair energy prices across the board and put a windfall tax on any energy company claiming huge profits, which should, in hand also, go back into reducing what electricity bills businesses are faced with at the moment."

Although different institutions and charities provide financial support, musicians and venue owners have mentioned that it can be difficult to qualify for those grants and access the available funding schemes.