Grassroots music venue 'aims to counter closures'

The Church is being adapted to host live bands

A new space for grassroots bands in Derby will aim to counter venue closures across the UK, a music promoter has said.

Leon White said four bands would perform at the opening night at The Church in St Peter's Churchyard on 4 April.

He said the venue would provide a space for acts to make the jump towards playing in front of slightly larger crowds, in an effort to boost the city's indie music scene.

Mr White told the BBC: "This provides a space for a band who is taking that next step from a 100-capacity venue to something that's a 400-plus venue without having to go elsewhere."

Leon White said he hoped the new venue would give Derby "a little bit of a boost"

The aim will be for the venue, which has been used as a nightclub for several years, to put on a monthly event to showcase new talent.

Mr White said The Church would provide capacity for between 250 and 450 people.

The new site comes amid a backdrop of grassroots music venue closures across the country.

Latest figures from the Music Venue Trust (MVT) show there was a loss of 125 grassroots music venues (GMVs) in 2023.

The trust said in 2024, the trend continued but at a "lesser rate" in part due to MVT's Emergency Response Service, which received "more cases than ever before" in the charity's history.

As of July 2024, there were 810 GMVs across the country.

The Church will have capacity for between 250 and 450 people

Mr White said following the Covid-19 pandemic, the music industry across the country - including Derby - saw a "massive decline in ticket sales".

He added this was exacerbated by a big drop in people buying tickets ahead of the gig, which means an increased chance of cancellation.

"There's a massive indie scene bursting out of cities across the UK - but they're struggling to get out there," he said.

"My role is to try and push those musicians, to try and give them a platform to be heard and what a better way to do it than to get a brand new place open to boost the music scene in Derby."

Mr White said he would work alongside similar venues to promote music in the city.

"We want to show that confidence in the city and in the scene that there is more opportunity [for bands] with another venue," he added.

"We're hoping to give Derby a little bit of boost and the music industry in general... this is about keeping people in Derby watching bands and those from other cities like Nottingham and Sheffield to come to the city."