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LCD Soundsystem‘s James Murphy has spoken in support of the campaign to save independent music venues in the US during the coronavirus crisis.
The National Independent Venue Association are spearheading efforts to get the bipartisan Save Our Stages Act passed, which would create a $10 billion small business association fund to help those small venues that are struggling or being threatened with closure due to the effects of the pandemic.
Murphy joined New York Senator Chuck Schumer and a number of New York venue owners for a press conference outside Brooklyn’s Baby’s All Right yesterday (August 19) to speak about the campaign.
Speaking during the press conference (which you can see below at the 15:10 mark), Murphy argued that grassroots venues are “economies in themselves; they’re communities in themselves”.
“This is an infrastructure problem, and it has to be seen as an infrastructure problem that requires funding,” he continued. “I mean, even if all you care about is the bottom line, this city exports creative work. This is what we do as a city. And that work is sponsored and fostered by the independent venue and promoter scene of New York, just like it is in every other [city]. The bigger companies that serve a need as well, don’t serve that need of sticking with artists in the beginning, of serving one, small community, of one, small scene.
Join NIVA live along with James Murphy of LCD Soundsytem and venue owners struggling to survive while Senator Chuck Schumer speaks of his support for the Save Our Stages Act. #SOSAct #RESTARTAmerica
Posted by NIVA – National Independent Venue Association on Tuesday, August 18, 2020
“And those scenes are the things that we now know as the primary music scenes that make America amazing, that make our music scene amazing,” he added. “Punk rock in the city is what I grew up with. It made me want to move here and make music as my life…
“[The Save Our Stages Act] is the least we can do as a group of people who take care of our own. And I don’t mean our own as musicians, I mean our own as citizens. This is as important as roads, as important as cellphone towers. This is how we communicate with each other.”
In the UK, live music crew members spoke to NME last week about their call for the government to urgently provide support to their industry while they are unable to work due to COVID-19 restrictions.
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