Elbow Confirmed For ‘Passport: Back To Our Roots’ Intimate Gig Series
Elbow’s Guy Garvey said: “This is a simple way of looking after the very roots of British music, and will result in some joyous shows when we can at last see each other again.”
Elbow and Everything Everything are among the first artists to be confirmed for the newly-announced ‘Passport: Back to Our Roots’ intimate gig series.
The bands will each play a one-off show to benefit independent grassroots venues in the UK, with the campaign aiming to raise money for those venues that have been threatened with closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.
‘Passport: Back to Our Roots’ will feature performances by the likes of Elbow (who will play at Manchester’s Night & Day Cafe), Everything Everything (Esquires in Bedford), Public Service Broadcasting (Amersham Arms in London) and The Slow Readers Club (The Trades Club in Hebden Bridge). More artists and venues are likely to be announced soon.
Speaking about their involvement in the ‘Passport’ campaign, Elbow’s Guy Garvey said: “This is a simple way of looking after the very roots of British music, and will result in some powerful, joyous shows when we can at last see each other again. I’m very proud to be involved.”
Dates for these shows have yet to be confirmed, although they are not expected to take place until at least 2021 — or whenever it is safe to perform without social distancing.
Entry to these gigs will be granted via a prize draw, which will run for two weeks from August 17 via Crowdfunder. For a £5 minimum donation to the campaign, music fans will be entered into the draw to win entry to the show of their choice for themselves and a guest.
80% of all money raised will go to the Music Venue Trust, who in turn will distribute half of the amount to the host venue and the other half to their Crisis Fund, which will benefit all UK venues in need of financial support.
The remaining 20% will go to Inner City Music, the charitable organisation that operates Band on the Wall in Manchester, which is responsible for the administration of the project and will cover its overheads.
Last week, the CEO of Live Nation Michael Rapino said that he expects a “robust outdoor summer season” for live music next year.
“Importantly, we remain confident that fans will return to live events when it is safe to do so,” he wrote. “Our strongest indicator of demand is that fans are holding on to their tickets, even when given the option of a refund.”
Vinyl editions of Elbow’s Asleep in the Back, Cast Of Thousands and Leaders Of The Free World vinyl will be out on September 25 and can be pre-ordered here.
