Latest news with #MVT
Metro
3 days ago
- Business
- Metro
Plans for UK's tallest skyscraper outside London get the go ahead on second try
Plans to build new tallest skyscraper in Britain outside the capital are going ahead after suffering problems with permissions. The 76-storey, 246m tall Nobu Manchester tower will overtake Renaker's Plot D tower, which will be 213 tall when it finishes, as the tallest regional building and the third-tallest in the UK overall. Standing at the height of 55 double-decker buses stacked on top of each other, it is named after Robert De Niro's luxury hotel and restaurant chain, which will have a branch there along with 452 'luxury' apartments. Developers Salboy say it will also be the tallest residential building in Western Europe. The skycraper secured planning permission in April along with a 23-storey tower at the same site. But a council report found that an administrative error meant developers did not properly consult the Music Venue Trust (MVT), a charity classed as a key body. MVT objected to the plans on the basis they could threaten nearby popular gig venue Rebellion, which feared complaints from new residents. The council said 'key factors such as worst-case noise scenarios, audience attendance numbers and venue operation timings, which include live music and DJ events throughout the week' were not properly considered. MVT said 'further acoustic testing should be undertaken' before going ahead with the development. More Trending Councillors voted to give Nobu Manchester the green-light again after a senior member of the council's planning department ordered more acoustic testing. The flats at Nobu Manchester will be 'luxury residences' while the smaller accompanying tower will include 133 affordable flats, the developers say. Simon Ismail, Salboy boss, said: 'As the location of not just the tallest tower outside London but a large number of high quality affordable homes, Viadux has the potential to become a symbol of this city's aspirations and confidence in itself. Viadux now promises to shape not only Manchester's skyline for years to come, but the city's sense of identity on the global stage.' Salboy, founded in 2014 by BetFred owner Fred Done, is behind a large number of recent high-rise developments in Greater Manchester. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Boy, 4, left with 'horror film' injuries after Bully dog attack MORE: Peak District visitors could face £1 entry fee to 'access incredible landscape' MORE: Baby in hospital after vicious dog attack in Manchester
Metro
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Buffy The Vampire Slayer directly sparked 00s rock band's 'ridiculous' reunion
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Frank Turner has revealed how a Buffy The Vampire Slayer spinoff tempted fate with the Million Dead reunion tour. The 43-year-old folk-punk star is getting his former post hardcore band back together 20 years after their second album Harmony No Harmony and subsequent breakup just months later. Speaking exclusively to Metro, Frank opened up on how fans have James Marsters' character Spike to thank for him getting back with bandmates Ben Dawson, Julia Ruzicka, Cameron Dean and Tom Fowler 'The origin story for it is ridiculous. There is a series of eBooks that are spin off from Buffy the Vampire Slayer called Spike,' he said just days after Buffy's own revival cast its new slayer. 'Our old guitar tech reads them. And there's a scene in one recently where Spike has to go somewhere quickly because he has to get back to London for the Million Dead reunion show. 'Our guitar tech read this, screenshot it and sent it to all of us on an email thread. And so for the first time in at the time 19 years, we were all in communication with each other.' Frank was talking to Metro after we helped launch of the London Grassroots Music Tube Map, alongside the Mayor of London, Transport for London and organisations including the MVT, Featured Artist Coalition, Outernet and Universal Music. 'The Joiners Arms, you can stand there and know that Radiohead, Oasis, and everybody else played there,' he said, reflecting on the importance of independent venues. 'But also [Million Dead] broke up on that stage. It's kind of interesting to me now, 20 years later, to stand there and think about what that means.' Frank stayed friends with drummer Ben over the years – and even formed side project Mingle Harde with him in 2012 – but he 'hadn't heard from Cameron in decades'. A Buffy eBook was the spark they all needed. 'We quickly discovered that we all lived to the UK again, which was news, because various people living overseas, and that turned into a chat which turned into a pint which turned into a rehearsal,' he recalled. 'It's very evocative. It's an interesting thing psychologically… a lot of memories that I had completely forgotten have come back.' December 4 – QMU, Glasgow December 5 – Academy 2, Manchester December 6 – Project House, Leeds December 7 – Tramshed, Cardiff December 11 – Rock City, Nottingham December 12 – Electric, Bristol December 13 – Chalk, Brighton December 14 – Electric Ballroom, London Although 'it took a minute' to settle in the first few rehearsals, but there was a moment where 'suddenly it all clicked'. However, fans should temper expectations and not expect more beyond the Harmony No Harmony reissue and UK tour. 'We're excited for it. I like to think that we're approaching it with the right mindset, as in, we're not making any new music,' Frank clarified. 'We're not making this into a going concern. We're going out to enjoy ourselves, and hopefully for other people to enjoy it too.' There are unannounced plans to also reissue the band's 2003 debut A Song to Ruin, but there will be nothing beyond that. The I Still Believe singer acknowledged he was 'the barrier' stopping Million Dead from doing anything 'for the longest time', but he pointed out his own career is in a very different place two decades on. 'I just didn't really see the need. It's different from a lot of reunions in the sense that my quote, unquote 'day job' is more successful than Million Dead was,' he explained. 'With no disrespect to anybody else – I don't need to do it. But at a certain point, that actually turned into a selling point for me. 'Oh, I'm literally doing it for kind of pure reasons'. 'Also, I was just thinking, 'Are we going to have fun?' Yes. 'Are other people going to have fun?' Yes. Well, then why not? Why hold out on adding to the sum total of human happiness?' Everyone involved has their own lives and jobs – some with children and families – which would make a full-time reunion a struggle. 'I don't want to speak on anybody else's behalf. I don't know whether anybody else would be interested in being more,' Frank admitted. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'I'm busy enough as it is, but other people in the band have jobs, they have kids… It's not like being in a band in your 20s, when everyone can drop everything to just show up wherever you need to be.' There will be some changes on-stage too, with the group 'having to tune the guitars down quite a lot' to accommodate Frank's voice/ 'I'm no longer 22, sadly,' he laughed. 'And on the basic level, there's more physicality to it. I've just got a mic and I'm charging around and – well, probably going to be charging around. We'll see how my voice holds up. More Trending 'But it is a more aggressive style of music, which I do like.' He's strived to 'incorporate elements of that' into his work with his backing band the Sleeping Souls, which was evident on 2022's chart topping album FTHC. '[Non Servient is] arguably heavier than anything Million Dead did,' he pointed out. 'But I'm looking forward to [the tour], it's different mindset.' He added: 'I hope people enjoy it.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Iconic actor leaves fans 'in tears' after surprise appearance at Scissor Sisters' London gig MORE: TV fans beg writers to 'come up with something new' as reboots take over MORE: Lead singer of legendary 80s band announces shock departure on live TV
Metro
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
‘We need grassroots venues so rising artists can have their start'
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video If there's anyone who knows the importance of grassroots venues to London's music ecosystem, it's Apple Music DJ Matt Wilkinson. The industry tastemaker firmly embedded himself in the London scene as a former new music editor at NME before bringing you the best emerging acts around over the airwaves on his daily radio show. And by night, you'll often find him at one of the capital's many gig spots unearthing the next Fontaines DC, Charlie XCX or Lola Young. 'We have such an incredible influx of culture coming in and one of the obvious funnels out is music and performing arts', Matt tells Metro. 'You get different people heading to London – some of them not through choice, some of them because it's London and because it's got this history. When you throw it all together, you just need small venues to be able to give these artists their start. 'It's impossible for an artist to make good music and suddenly go from playing to nobody to selling out Brixton Academy in front of 5,000 people. You need those middle ground venues where you can play to 50 people, then 100 people, then 250, then a 1,000, then 2,000. It's important to have that kind of stepping stone or that ladder that small venues provide. 'They're the lifeblood. Not just of London music but the city itself. It's not just music venues, but comedy venues, theatres, and independent cinemas.' Ticketing app DICE has put together a list of their 25 grassroots artists you need to see in London over the next six months. With tickets ranging from free to £27.50, these shows will ensure a great night to suit all tastes and budgets. Click HERE to catch the full list. This week, Metro along with the London Mayor's Office, TfL, MVT, the Featured Artist Coalition and London Creates Music, launched the London Creates MUSIC campaign at the Outernet in Denmark Street highlighting the importance of London's grassroots music venues and its musical heritage. The map will be screened for a month at the Outernet London, the largest digital exhibition space in Europe. The focal point is a captivating alternative Tube map guiding readers through the city's many live venues, artists you need to see in 2025, record shops, historic locations, and independent labels. Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden, Skin from Skunk Anansie, Billy Bragg, Charlie Steen from Shame and Prima Queen are among the acts who have backed the campaign and given their views on the importance of a thriving grassroots scene. Almost 330,000 performances were held at 179 grassroots music venues in London attended by around 4.3million people last year, according to the Music Venue Trust (MVT). But the trust's founder, Mark Davyd, warned the costs of running these venues has 'absolutely exploded' over the last five years. The nighttime economy suffered a further blow on Wednesday after The Leadmill in Sheffield lost its fight against eviction, prompting Liam Gallagher to brand the decision 'scandalous'. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Matt says councils, the government, and larger venues need to be working together to help smaller venues and preserve the city's grassroots heritage. He said: 'Without smaller venues, you're not going to be able to grow artists to a point where they can actually go and play the O2 or Brixton Academy, or Hammersmith, or the Forum. Everybody needs to pull together because it's really tough. 'We read about a venue a month having to do a Crowdfunder – basically having to beg to survive. The future is definitely in a turbulent place thanks to everything that's happened over the past five years, and probably longer. 'Now is the point when people need to come together. It almost feels the onus is on music fans to help save venues, which is wrong. It should be the music industry that leads the way.' We've teamed up with SXSW London to give away two pairs of Music Festival Wristbands valid for 2-7 June 2025. Headliners include Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Tems, Brit Award-winning artist Mabel, Crystal Castles's Alice Glass, and East London-based R&B artist NAO, plus emerging talent set to perform at showcase acts around Shoreditch. Click here to find out more about SXSW London's incredible events and how to enter to be in with a chance to win, or simply enter your details using the form below. *T&Cs apply. You have until midnight on Sunday 25th May 2025 to enter. Good luck! * Open to legal residents of Great Britain (excluding Northern Ireland) aged 18 or over. Promotion opens at 06:01 BST on 13 May 2025 and closes at 23:59 BST on 25 May 2025. The promotion is free to enter; however internet access is required. Entrant must visit and when prompted by the form, submit their name, email, telephone number, date of birth and postcode. Acceptance of the terms and conditions (by ticking the relevant checkbox) is necessary to enter the promotion. 1 entry per person. 1 prize available per person. There will be two (2) winners. Each winner will win two (2) Full Week (6 days) Music Festival Wristbands (each such wristband worth £99) granting secondary access to Official SXSW London Music Festival showcases valid from 2 until 7 June 2025. Proof of age and photographic ID is required for entry (18+). The prize, including entry and attendance at SXSW, is subject to and governed by the SXSW's full ticket terms and conditions here. Full T&Cs apply, see here. Another facet of the campaign is to guide fans on their own musical journey across the capital – reconnecting memories visiting the likes of The Lexington and the Water Rats and making new ones at upcoming shows. More Trending One of Matt's stand out gig memories was the last show at the Astoria – the iconic live venue on Charing Cross Road that closed its doors in 2009. Organised by Sam Duckworth from Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly, the event was a riotous affair. Matt added: 'After the show, they opened the backstage bit you don't often get to see as a fan. Someone came on stage and said 'everything's got to go because they're knocking the place down'. 'People were ripping old school telephones out of the wall, taking them as mementos. I've got crazy memories like that. ' Catch The Matt Wilkinson Show on Apple Music every Monday through Friday from 12pm. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Ukrainian man charged with arson over fires at properties linked to Sir Keir Starmer MORE: 10 unmissable Time Out deals — including £9.99 Japanese lunch set and free gift MORE: Neighbours' 'ridiculous' row over a garden tap racks up £250,000 in legal bills
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Live music venues contributed £14m to economy last year but operated on thin profits
The Scottish Government is being urged to enforce rates relief for grassroots music venues, with a report finding they subsidised live music by £14million last year. The Music Venue Trust (MVT), which represents hundreds of grassroots venues in the UK, releases an annual report detailing the conditions of the live scene. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the trust launched its 2024 report at Holyrood on Monday with a special event for politicians, policy makers, venues and key stakeholders featuring a performance from Indoor Foxes and keynote speeches from Michelle Thomson MSP and Claire Baker MSP. A survey of the 70 members of the Music Venues Alliance Scotland, who employ over 2600 people, found that they staged over 14,000 live events comprising over 128,000 individual artist performances given to a total audience of just over 1.6 million live music fans. Read More: Scots singer Amy Macdonald announces major tour including Glasgow Hydro date Sauchiehall Street music festival announced as part of bid to reinvent area 'Record shops don't make a lot of money' – but Assai Records is a success story The total direct value to the Scottish economy from these events was over £45.4 million however, on average, grassroots music venues (33% of which are now registered as not-for-profit entities - a 29% increase in not-for-profit registration since 2023) operated on a profit margin of just 0.48% with 43.8% of them reporting a loss in the last 12 months. The sector as a whole effectively subsidised live music activity in Scotland to the tune of £14m. The report highlights a huge decline in locations on the UK's primary and secondary touring circuits. In the 30 year period between 1994 and 2024 those touring locations have collapsed, with an average tour in 1994 including 22 dates and the equivalent tour in 2024 consisting of only 11 dates. Furthermore, touring in 1994 was spread across a range of 28 different locations across the country. In 2024, just 12 locations, all of them major cities, remained as primary and secondary touring circuit stops, acting as regular hosts to grassroots tours. Only one location in Scotland remains on the national touring circuit, Glasgow, with even Edinburgh struggling to be included on the majority of national tours by new and emerging artists. In Scotland, this means swathes of the country have been cut off altogether from the opportunity to see the hottest new acts, resulting in people having to travel further or simply being unable to access new live music at all. The report underlines a decrease in the total number of live music shows (down 8.3% since 2023) accompanied by an even steeper decline in ticket revenues (down 13.5% since 2023). The Scottish Government has committed to giving a 40% rate relief to venues with a capacity of up to 1,500 and the MVT has urged ministers to ensure that is enforced. Mark Davyd, CEO of Music Venue Trust, said, 'The 2024 Annual Report recognises that after 10 years of work by MVT a very broad consensus has been built among politicians, industry, artists and the public that grassroots music venues must be protected, supported, encouraged and nurtured. In 2025 and beyond, we have to see that consensus bring forward positive, practical interventions in the real world. "Venues, despite all the very welcome good intentions and acknowledgements they are receiving for their vital work, are still closing, still under extreme and totally unnecessary financial pressures, still failing to be recognised, as everyone agrees they should and must be, when government designs policy, taxation, and legislation. "It isn't good enough to keep saying how much we all value them, we've got to practically do something about it. We need action not words.' Stina Tweeddale, Scotland Coordinator, Music Venue Trust said 'In Scotland, MSPs have an immediate opportunity to deliver that action. They can act right now to ensure that the commitment that every Grassroots Music Venue under 1500 cap would receive Rate Relief in 2025/26 actually happens. "At the moment a significant number of key venues will be excluded from that relief, against the commitment made by Scottish Government and against the best interests of live music in Scotland.'
The Herald Scotland
23-04-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Music Venues Trust urges action on grassroots music venues
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the trust launched its 2024 report at Holyrood on Monday with a special event for politicians, policy makers, venues and key stakeholders featuring a performance from Indoor Foxes and keynote speeches from Michelle Thomson MSP and Claire Baker MSP. A survey of the 70 members of the Music Venues Alliance Scotland, who employ over 2600 people, found that they staged over 14,000 live events comprising over 128,000 individual artist performances given to a total audience of just over 1.6 million live music fans. Read More: The total direct value to the Scottish economy from these events was over £45.4 million however, on average, grassroots music venues (33% of which are now registered as not-for-profit entities - a 29% increase in not-for-profit registration since 2023) operated on a profit margin of just 0.48% with 43.8% of them reporting a loss in the last 12 months. The sector as a whole effectively subsidised live music activity in Scotland to the tune of £14m. The report highlights a huge decline in locations on the UK's primary and secondary touring circuits. In the 30 year period between 1994 and 2024 those touring locations have collapsed, with an average tour in 1994 including 22 dates and the equivalent tour in 2024 consisting of only 11 dates. Furthermore, touring in 1994 was spread across a range of 28 different locations across the country. In 2024, just 12 locations, all of them major cities, remained as primary and secondary touring circuit stops, acting as regular hosts to grassroots tours. Only one location in Scotland remains on the national touring circuit, Glasgow, with even Edinburgh struggling to be included on the majority of national tours by new and emerging artists. In Scotland, this means swathes of the country have been cut off altogether from the opportunity to see the hottest new acts, resulting in people having to travel further or simply being unable to access new live music at all. The report underlines a decrease in the total number of live music shows (down 8.3% since 2023) accompanied by an even steeper decline in ticket revenues (down 13.5% since 2023). The Scottish Government has committed to giving a 40% rate relief to venues with a capacity of up to 1,500 and the MVT has urged ministers to ensure that is enforced. Mark Davyd, CEO of Music Venue Trust, said, 'The 2024 Annual Report recognises that after 10 years of work by MVT a very broad consensus has been built among politicians, industry, artists and the public that grassroots music venues must be protected, supported, encouraged and nurtured. In 2025 and beyond, we have to see that consensus bring forward positive, practical interventions in the real world. "Venues, despite all the very welcome good intentions and acknowledgements they are receiving for their vital work, are still closing, still under extreme and totally unnecessary financial pressures, still failing to be recognised, as everyone agrees they should and must be, when government designs policy, taxation, and legislation. "It isn't good enough to keep saying how much we all value them, we've got to practically do something about it. We need action not words.' Stina Tweeddale, Scotland Coordinator, Music Venue Trust said 'In Scotland, MSPs have an immediate opportunity to deliver that action. They can act right now to ensure that the commitment that every Grassroots Music Venue under 1500 cap would receive Rate Relief in 2025/26 actually happens. "At the moment a significant number of key venues will be excluded from that relief, against the commitment made by Scottish Government and against the best interests of live music in Scotland.'
