British musicians sign open letters to preserve live music – variety
2 min read
Ed Sheeran, Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones are among more than 1,500 musicians who have signed an open letter to UK Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Oliver Dowden seeking support for the live music industry. Coronavirus epidemic.
“There is still no agreement on financial distance or financial support from the government, concerts and festivals and the future of the millions of people working in them looks bleak,” the letter said. It called for a resumption of the concert, financial support for ticket sales and a timeline for tax breaks. Citing media insights consultancy research, the letter said the music industry contributed ৪ 4.4 billion (6 .6.6 billion) to the U.S. economy last year and supported 210,000 jobs.
The letter said, “Until these businesses can resume operations, which are expected to be in place by early 2021, the government’s support will be crucial in preventing the indigestion of the people and the demise of the world’s top industries.”
In response, Dowden tweeted: “I understand the deep concern of those working in music and the desire to see specific dates for reopening. I am strongly pushing for these dates and to give you back a clear roadmap. These involve a very difficult decision about the future of social distance, which we know has saved lives. “
An official spokesman said: “We are already providing unprecedented financial support that many music companies and artists have taken advantage of, such as loans and job retention projects, and we look forward to providing additional support to the industry.”
“We acknowledge that this epidemic has created major challenges for the sector and are working closely with them to develop comprehensive guidelines for returning performances and events as soon as possible.”
Other signatories to the letter include Eric Clapton, Dua Lipa, Liam Gallagher, Bob Geldoff, DG Rascal, Coldplay and Sting.
The epidemic triggered live concert cancellations across the United States, including the end of the Glastonbury, All Points East and Road Festival.
