MINISTERS have ploughed £750,000 of taxpayers money into a new initiative to support the post-Covid recovery of Scotland’s live music industry through the staging of over 300 live concerts.
The money is being used to support Scotland on Tour, a series of gigs over 12 months with more than 120 artists performing at more than 100 venues in 25 of Scotland’s local authority areas.
It has been created and managed by Ayrshire-based music agency Active Events which said it will support the creation of hundreds of concerts and performances at much-loved arts centres, town halls and community venues and "bolstering Scotland’s incredible live music scene".
The organisers say the focus is on increasing the number of opportunities to showcase and enjoy live music, while "bringing exciting acts to the doorstep of city, towns, villages and rural communities".
A survey by the Music Venue Trust charity in December found that 54 Scottish music venues had reported a 27.2% drop in attendance rates.
Future income from ticket sales also declined by 29%, as gig goers’ confidence was shattered by a series of government announcements on the Omicron variant.
Active Events, which earn £90,000 for managing the budget, hoped that there would be as many as 350concerts staged across the country.
The £90,000 is being spent on administration which includes, ticketing, marketing and website development, legal fees, accountancy and wages for three members of staff including one full time project manager, one producer and one part time production manager.
A steering group overseeing the initiative includes the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Highlands and Island Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise.
New gigs through the new initiative will be staged in 25 of Scotland’s local authority areas, from Dumfries and Galloway to the Orkney Islands, with the aim to boost Scotland’s live music scene and help to aid the recovery of the country's creative supply chain.
The year-long Scotland on Tour bill includes both emerging and established artists, with the likes of Callum Beattie, Scottish traditional music favourites Duncan Chisholm & Hamish Napier and singer songwriter Roseanne Reid involved.
The first show will take place on April 6 when Eilidh Shaw and Ross Martin perform at The View in Oban, followed by a show on April 7 that will see Brownbear take to the stage at An Tobar on the Isle of Mull.
Tickets for these and a raft of other shows are on sale now at www.scotlandontour.com.
Director of Active Events Lisa Whytock said: “This new initiative is a bold vision for recovery for Scotland’s live music industry and an opportunity for artists, promoters and technical crews to thrive once again. The backlog of postponed and cancelled shows over the last two years has made it very difficult for artists to book new concerts and this is where Scotland on Tour comes in, providing much-needed opportunities for exciting acts to showcase their music.
“Gig goers will also have the chance to see the best of Scottish music right on their doorstep. This will be particularly beneficial to underused venues and rural performance spaces where we will be breathing life back into these fantastic settings.”
Culture minister Neil Gray said: “We’re delighted to support the live music industry with £750,000 to fund the year-long Scotland on Tour initiative to boost the sector’s post-Covid recovery.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for performers and promoters to get back in front of live audiences and for people to back our creative communities by supporting the hundreds of gigs that will take place in venues right across Scotland.”
Matt Hickman of the Brownbear, one of the bands that will be taking part added: “I’m really looking forward to getting back out on tour. It’s been a long time coming! It’s great to see support for regional venues and areas that are often left off the touring circuit. This kind of support is essential to those areas especially after the last few years.”
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