IRON MAIDEN‘s Bruce Dickinson and SKUNK ANANSIE‘s Skin have backed a city-wide campaign launched by London mayor Sadiq Khan to champion the local grassroots music venues.
Khan and Transport For London (TfL),a local government body responsible for most of the transport network in London, United Kingdom, have joined with music industry and media leaders, including the Music Venue Trust, Featured Artist Coalition, Outernet, the Metro and Universal Music to shine a spotlight on London’s fantastic music venues and artists and the significant impact they have on the capital.
London’s 179 grassroots music venues play a vital role in the capital’s music scene, growing the next generation of talent, boosting the capital’s economy and nightlife. In the last year, the venues have welcomed more than 4.2 million audience members, hosted performances by more than 328,000 artists, employed nearly 7,000 people and contributed £313 million to the economy.
Some of the world’s leading artists have performed in grassroots music venues over the years, with seven of the top 10 biggest selling albums from last year from artists who have made their name and built their fanbase in the capital’s venues. That includes Chappell Roan who performed at the Garage, Charli XCX who performed in a number of east London clubs, COLDPLAY who performed at The Dublin Castle, and Noah Kahan who performed at The Social.
These venues are the place to see a wide range of talent before they break into the mainstream, for an average ticket price of £11. However, these important venues have faced a number of challenges in recent years following the long-lasting impact of the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis. That’s why City Hall has brought together leaders across the capital’s music industry to champion London’s position as a world-leading music city.
The London Creates MUSIC campaign includes the first ever special Grassroots Music Tube Map celebrating all aspects of the capital’s music scene and connecting Londoners and visitors with its grassroots gigs. Transport For London has reimagined the iconic Tube map with a brand-new black background and lines turned into electric cables and named after key parts of the industry.
The map, which is part of TfL’s 25th anniversary celebrations, features:
* The Bakerloo line as songs
* The Central line as genres
* The District line as 25 artists to see in 2025
* The Jubilee line as albums
* The Metropolitan line as independent record labels
* The Northern line as iconic artists
* The Piccadilly line as contemporary artists
* The Victoria line as subcultures
* 25 grassroots venues
* 25 nightclubs
* 25 record shops
The map was today exclusively published in the Metro newspaper and will be screened for a month at the Outernet London, the largest digital exhibition space in Europe. The interactive display of the map will be shown in the Arcade space, which links the HERE nightclub to The Lower Third grassroots music venue on Denmark Street.
An enhanced digital version will be available on the TfL website, VisitLondon and through the social media platforms of those involved.
Ticketing platform DICE has created a listing of 25 grassroots artists to see in 2025 over the next six months, alongside a social media campaign encouraging Londoners and visitors to make the most of London’s music scene. The Metro is also hosting a series of interviews online with artists and venues in partnership with the Featured Artist Coalition (FAC).
Next month the capital will be welcoming SXSW London for the first time ever. The renowned U.S. celebration of the tech and creative industries includes a music program showcasing up and coming talent across more than 20 grassroots music venues.
The mayor is committed to supporting the capital’s music venues and nightlife. He has created an independent Nightlife Taskforce to help examine and address the issues facing life at night, and is encouraging councils to support late-night openings during this spring and summer period to boost our economy and tourism, ahead of a landmark pilot from the Government providing new strategic licensing powers to the mayor.
Dickinson said in a statement: “It might only be only a short distance from the Cart And Horses pub in Stratford, where IRON MAIDEN first started out, to the London Stadium where we’re playing in June, but it’s been a 50-year journey that’s taken MAIDEN there. And it was in Camden at the old Music Machine venue, which went on to become the Camden Palace and is now KOKO, that I first took to the stage with my old band SAMSON, back in 1979. IRON MAIDEN, and thousands of other bands through the years, have taken on the world after starting their journey in London’s clubs and venues. Back then, there were places like the Marquee where music fans could watch legends and pub bands, often on the same bill! It was the premier showcase for U.K. talent in London, for punk, metal and everything that rocked. And today, there are dozens of other venues across the city where young bands can take their first steps on their musical journey. London’s diverse music scene and its grassroots venues are essential to nurture and support new artists, to bring music fans together and create lifelong passions and memories. We need to cherish it, celebrate it and protect it. There’s nothing like it anywhere else in the world so get out there and enjoy it!!”
Skin said: “You don’t get mainstream music without the grassroots and there’s no fast way to becoming a band or an artist. If you want to get on stage and learn you craft, the only way you’re going to get good as a live band is in grassroots venues because they let you be as wild as you want to be. Everyone comes to London to hear music and we have some of the best venues in the world but I think what makes it so vibrant is because we have so much diversity in London. In London you have circles of creativity influencing each other. You have the art world influencing the music world. You have the literary world influencing music world. There’s a lot going on here that can influence music and that’s why London is so vibrant.”
Khan said: “London’s grassroots music scene is renowned around the world. From providing opportunities for talented aspiring artists to develop their trade, to giving Londoners a great night out, our venues are an essential part of our life at night and provide a huge boost to our economy. However, they have faced huge challenges in recent years, which is why we’re joining with partners across the capital to champion all parts of London’s grassroots music scene. This special edition Tube map is a great way to highlight what a huge impact the scene has on our capital, as we continue to do all we can to support venues and build a more prosperous London for everyone.”
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