Venues across the U.K. are at risk of closing due to financial reasons, and in an attempt to save small “seed” music spaces, The 1975 frontman Matty Healy is leading a new festival, the Seed Sounds Weekender.
The nationwide festival will take place in September at various “seed” venues including Sheffield’s Grapes pub — where the Arctic Monkeys first debuted — and Rayner’s Hotel in Harrow — where Amy Winehouse performed her first show. Other notable venues include the Buffalo Bar in Cardiff, which hosted an early gig by Adele, and The Castle Hotel in Manchester — a venue that previously hosted The 1975.
“Local venues aren’t just where bands cut their teeth, they’re the foundation of any real culture,” Healy said in a statement. “Without them, you don’t get The Smiths, Amy Winehouse, or The 1975. You get silence.”
According to the British Beer and Pub Association, 370 pubs are expected to close this year, placing the blame on high taxes and bills.
The 1975 first started their career in the early 2010s playing pubs and clubs. This year, the Healy-fronted group headlined Glastonbury Festival. Healy added that “the erosion of funding for seed and grassroots spaces is part of a wider liberal tendency to strip away the socially democratic infrastructure that actually makes art possible.”
“The Seed Sounds Weekender is a vital reminder that music doesn’t start in boardrooms or big arenas; it starts in back rooms, pubs, basements, and independent spaces run on love, grit, and belief in something bigger,” Healy said.
Seed Sounds Weekender, running from September 26 to 27, is dubbed the U.K.’s biggest free live music festival. It will host thousands of free gigs across hundreds of venues in cities and towns across the U.K. Festivalgoers can expect DJs, duos, bands, and more, powered by the live music platform GigPig.
“This is about real artists, real crowds, and real stages,” organizers said in a statement. “Whether you’re discovering your new favourite act or just out for a great night, Seed Sounds Weekender brings live music back to the heart of the high street.”
Grab free tickets here.
