It’s crucial we get our world- beating rock back on a roll
ICAN remember a time when the “suits” were terrified of rock’n’roll. When the British establishment quaked in its very boots at the sight of long- haired musicians and zany comedians. When Mick Jagger was sentenced to prison for possession of soft drugs and the shock and awe of the Sex Pistols instilled fear in politicians.
Of course, things are different now. Even the most staid MP understands the importance of British music and culture to the UK economy.
In 2018, music earned the country an astonishing £ 5.2billion, plus £ 2.7billion in exports. It’s not just about money. The enjoyment and comfort that music and television has brought people in these challenging times is indisputable.
MUSIC streaming figures have gone up and up as people have looked for solace and positivity – or maybe just an excuse to dance around the living room. From Bowie to Blur, from the Stones to Stormzy, music is one of the things that’s kept us going through these long months.
I’ve been using lockdown to go through my archives. It’s an incredible collection of music memorabilia amassed during 40 years in the music industry, with the view to staging an exhibition and capturing the spirit of British rock’n’roll.
I want to do this because it’s a precious part of our heritage and also because, as a country, this is an appropriate moment to pat ourselves on the back.
Let’s remind ourselves that we have changed the world with our music and our culture and continue to do so.
The roots of all this go back to post- war Britain when young people had to deal with tough times and the teenager was born. They picked up guitars or cameras, they wrote and created, and forged the modern cultural world. Suburban kids imported the blues and turned it into something of their own.
Fantastic bands like The Who, The Kinks, The Animals – and four lads from Liverpool with the unlikely name The Beatles – led what became known in the US as the “British Invasion”.
Nothing short of pioneers, they changed the way we listened, looked and dressed.
Now, if you flick on the TV and radio across the globe it doesn’t take long to hear something from the UK, from the 1960s through to contemporary artists like Adele. Britain should be incredibly proud of this achievement and we’ve got to protect it at all costs.
Sadly, concert halls arenas are eerily empty waiting for fans to return.
It’s great that the Government has stepped in with financial help and support, but keeping these state- of- the- art venues alive is a costly business.
The live industry needs all the support it can get – and not just the big venues. Local clubs where fledgling bands play first are also desperately struggling.
Behind the scenes there are also hundreds of thousands of and now, people working in the live sector worrying about their livelihoods who need help too.
And theatres have the same problem, as Andrew Lloyd Webber eloquently emphasised in recent weeks. These beautiful buildings are an incredibly valuable part of our cultural history but are in danger of being inhabited by nothing but ghosts.
The success of our shows and concerts brings additional economic benefits in the form of tourism. Look at the visitors taking selfies on the famous Abbey Road crossing, or exploring the reinvigorated Denmark Street in Soho, where a brand new venue – the biggest to open in central London since the 1940s – is planned for 2021.
AFTER the hard times we’ve been through, fans are itching to get out and enjoy wonderful events like British Summer Time in Hyde Park and the Glastonbury Festival, and it’s also the surrounding hotels and restaurants which benefit massively.
While we wait for the doors to open again it’s a chance to ponder the greatest ever gigs in the UK. Was it the extraordinary Amy Winehouse show at Brixton Academy in 2007 or the free Rolling Stones concert in Hyde Park in 1969?
Perhaps it was Bob Marley’s first major gig in London at the Lyceum or The Clash at the Rainbow or the famous Sex Pistols gig on the Thames outside the House of Parliament.
Then there’s The Who Live at Leeds and Black Sabbath at the Birmingham Odeon – and let’s not forget all those amazing Glastonbury performances.
Yes, the days of the UK churning out cars and buses for the world might be gone.
But now the country has an even more valuable, influential and long- lasting contribution.
British music and culture is a world- beater. Let’s shout about it from the rooftops – and help it back to full health.
‘ Fans are itching to get out and enjoy wonderful music events’