30 years on since Oasis‘ debut UK tour, it’s been revealed that only six of the venues they played remain open today.
In a new report from the BBC, nine of the 15 venues from Oasis’ 1994 tour for ‘Supersonic’ have now stopped putting on gigs or have closed. This includes the recently shut Moles in Bath, which closed last December after a 45-year run. The remaining venues include London’s 100 Club, Bristol’s Fleece & Firkin and The Tunbridge Wells Forum.
Speaking to the BBC, CEO of the Music Venue Trust (MVT) Mark Davyd shared the challenges the Forum would face booking a small band in our current economic climate. Davyd originally booked Oasis on their joint headline tour with Whiteout, who at that point were the more well-known band.
“On that night 30 years ago, that show – with the door take and the bar – probably made a little bit of money,” Davyd told the BBC. “You could not afford to put on a similar show now featuring two new bands. You will definitely lose money. Even if you sold all 250 tickets, you’d lose money.”
Due to the rise in fees, bills, rent and wages, he added, ticket and drink prices are no longer covering costs.
In January this year, the MVT further reported a “disaster” facing grassroots music venues, with calls increasing for a ticket levy on larger arenas and investment from the wider industry.
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Some of the key findings into their “most challenging year” include the discovery of 125 UK venues abandoning live music, with over half of them shutting entirely. Other pressures that venues reported facing included soaring energy prices, increased rent, supply costs, business rates, licensing issues, noise complaints and the continuing shockwaves of COVID-19.
Since the publication of that report, the MVT slammed the UK Government budget as a “missed opportunity” for not delivering a cut on VAT charged on tickets.
The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) also found that 31 per cent of UK nightclubs closed last year, with an average of two closures per week.
In other news, Liam Gallagher will be touring ‘Definitely Maybe’ in full for its 30th anniversary – find tickets here and see dates below.
JUNE 2024
02 – Sheffield, Utilita Arena
03 – Cardiff, Utilita Arena
06 – London, The O2
07 – London, The O2
10 – London, The O2
15 – Manchester, Co-op Live
16 – Manchester, Co-op Live
19 – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
20 – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
23 – Dublin, 3Arena
24 – Dublin, 3Arena
27 – Manchester, Co-op Live