By Leah Simons
Fatboy Slim, Gene and Westside Cowboy have all been added to the roster, joining a lineup of 400+ other artists such as Rizzle Kicks, Becky Hill and The Royston Club.
The festival, taking place between 26th – 28th June, when Glastonbury would’ve been, is a collaboration between the Music Venue Trust and The National Lottery along with charity Save Our Scene. Pledging to help grassroots venues, it will see over 1200 gigs take place across 500 venues around the UK.
Why it matters.
Rebecca Walker, Live Projects Manager at the Music Venue Trust spoke about just how important the festival is for independent venues.
She said: “The numbers tell you everything you need to know about how serious the situation is. Half of grassroots venues are not making any profit. Nearly a third of operators aren’t paying themselves. These are people keeping their spaces open out of sheer love for live music and their communities, and they’ve been doing it for years without the recognition they deserve.
“What Everywhere at Once does is give the whole network a moment together on a weekend where, three out of four summers a year, people descend on a field in Somerset. This summer, you can walk to your nearest festival stage: 400 venues, 1,200 gigs, one weekend. No single venue could create that impact on its own, but collectively it’s impossible to ignore. For me, that’s the point: it’s not just a festival, it’s a statement about what we stand to lose if audiences stop walking through those doors.”
Retracing steps
And for artists, it gives them a chance to retrace their footsteps and give back to those venues who were so crucial in their legacy.
“It’s been one of the most moving parts of this project,” Rebecca Walker added. “When you speak to artists about the venues they’re returning to, you realise how deep those connections run. These aren’t just gigs to them, they’re the rooms where they first figured out who they were as performers. The nerves, the small crowds, the sound systems that didn’t quite work. That’s where it all started.
“Becky Hill is returning to the space she played when she was 16 – Marrs in Worcester. You have The Lathums and The Royston Club returning to their hometowns to the audiences that gave them their start. And you have giants such as Fatboy Slim taking time out of his global music career to shine a light on the venues that will hopefully launch the next generation of artists.
“Hearing artists talk about coming back to those spaces and wanting to use their profile to shine a light on them, that’s exactly what we hoped for when we put this together. It makes the whole project feel worthwhile.”
What do venues say?
Chester’s own Alexander’s Live and The Live Rooms are both taking part in the festival, with performances from Inspiral Carpets, Trampoline, Eclectic Electric along with a comedy night with sets from Danny McLoughlin and Hayley Ellis.
The Live Rooms music venue, Chester
Kerrie Wolfenden of The Live Rooms said: “We’re really excited to be a part of the ‘Everywhere At Once’ national campaign this year which is celebrating grassroots music venues and the communities that surround us. It feels especially important because the summer is usually focused on festivals, and it can be seen as a quieter time for live music locally. This weekend is giving independent venues like ours the chance to be loud and remind people that live music is always happening on your doorstep, and that local matters”
James Northrop, owner of Alexander’s Live said: “The Everywhere at Once festival is a way for all grassroots music venues to come together and shout about the amazing work we do. It highlights the importance of our grassroots ecosystem, brings our events to the attention of the public and highlights the importance of nurturing grassroots talent. We’re proud to be a part of the festival and hope everyone can come along to our events and get involved!”
It’s a great way to not only enjoy a fantastic breadth of music but also support local venues who need our help more now than ever. Visit Find Your Event – Everywhere at Once to see what’s going on near you!
Listen for ways you can support the grassroot music scene:
Podcast: music journalist Leah Simons explores the ways fans can support their local music venues
