The Music Venue Trust (MVT) is going Stateside with the launch of Music Venues Alliance Austin.
The grassroots venues charity, which has attracted support from artists such as Paul McCartney, recently announced Music Venues Alliance Northern Alliance and has gone a stage further by linking up with the Austin organisation, headed by Rebecca Reynolds.
“Here in Austin, we have been following the work of Music Venue Trust and the Music Venues Alliance in the UK with huge interest," said Reynolds. "The problems they are describing resonated very clearly with us here. Although we have our own unique drivers for what threatens the future of Austin music venues, the core challenges are the same; gentrification, rising rents, a lack of cultural acknowledgement and respect for the work they are doing, and a music industry that needs to start backing these spaces if they are to continue to develop new and emerging talent.
"We found the work of MVT inspiring, and the progress they have made in such a short time amazing.”
Music Venues Alliance Austin aims to pick up the challenge of protecting, securing and improving the city's music venues, and has already signed up 30 venues to the network. Interested music venues in and around Austin are invited to contact Reynolds at rebecca@musicvenuetrust.com
MVT CEO Mark Davyd (pictured) added: “Coming shortly after the announcement of Music Venues Alliance Northern Ireland, we are delighted to welcome our first American alliance of venues to our growing network. We firmly believe there is so much to learn from each other in this sector, and the more we can grow it the more strength we can bring to the arguments we are making about grassroots music venues.
“We’d love to hear from more cities and countries around the world. Ultimately, we’d like to see the work of these venues respected globally by the music industry, government and the cultural sector. Joining together, we believe we can make that happen.”
MVT staged its third annual Venues Day in October and has since published an open letter calling on PRS members to lobby the PRO to stop demanding the tariff live performance minimum fee – currently set at £38 – from grassroots music venues.
