Jeremy Corbyn threw a fundraiser in support of grassroots music venues last night. The evening was held at Moth Club in Hackney and featured a lineup of independent artists. Corbyn’s Peace and Justice Project (a putative new party, in our opinion) is campaigning for large venues like Wembley and the O2 to pay a tax that would support smaller independent venues.
Some very loud metal was played by bands including Saint Agnes and Gender Crisis, a “half-trans, post-hardcore band”. Corbyn was supposed to give a speech to the ear-plugged crowd, but texted at nine o’clock to say he was stuck in the Commons voting on the Rwanda bill.
While post-hardcore grunge isn’t the ex-Labour leader’s favourite (he’s a fan of classical), he says contemporary music is always playing in his office. “My Peace & Justice Project team receive so many tracks from artists who understand the importance of our campaign to protect grassroots music venues and want to support us,” he told us after the event.
Corbyn criticised the Tories for their focus on “sowing division through so-called culture wars issues” and said Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer is not doing enough to protect our indie venues. At the moment, over a third of grassroots venues across the UK are operating at a loss, while two close down a week. Corbyn added that a prospective Labour government doesn't seem to have a plan to keep those venues afloat either.
“With this government or the next, every single MP or parliamentary candidate will have a grassroots music venue in their constituency that is in dire need of their support,” he said. “They simply must fight for their futures.”
