The new campaign to save small music venues

A major campaign's been launched to help stop small music venues closing.

Around a third of the UK's small gig spaces have closed in the past decade, according to Music Venue Trust.

"These venues are run by passionate people who really want live music to happen in their local town or city, they're not profit making" says CEO Mark Davyd.

The charity's Fightback 2017 campaign will raise money to help venue owners.

Foals played some of their first gigs at The Cellar

The Cellar in Oxford is one of the latest at risk of being shut down, because the landlords want to redevelop it.

"There aren't that many places for up-and-coming artists to try out their material and create a fan base," says Tim Hopkins, who runs the 150-person capacity space.

"This is a stepping stone venue. Without this, you can't go on to play places like the Royal Albert Hall or the big O2 arenas. You need to get it right down here."

Foals, Rob Da Bank and Glass Animals are among more than 12,000 people who've signed a petition against The Cellar's closure.

Glass Animals

"My love for clubbing and nightlife basically came from The Cellar," says Glass Animals' lead singer Dave Bayley.

"It was one of those places you'd go to even if you don't know the band or the DJ, just cos it's always an amazing vibe," he tells Newsbeat.

The venue is owned by a charity, which says it can raise more money for good causes by converting it into a shop.

Tim Hopkins runs The Cellar

According to the Music Venue Trust, the number of small music venues in the UK has fallen from around 700 to 450 in the past decade.

"Planners and developers view grassroots music venues as an easy target," says Mark.

"They're not run by people who are desperately trying to make money, and they don't have the funding to get the legal teams to demand the rights they have in law."

Boardwalk in Sheffield and The Cockpit in Liverpool are some of the recent casualties and The Sound Lounge in Tooting is also at risk.

The Music Venue Trust claims to have helped save 40 UK music venues in the past year through its Emergency Response Team, which helps with things like legal fees.

There are several reasons why venues get threatened with closure, including rent increases and noise complaints.

Some are simply old fashioned, and the owners don't have the money to modernise them, says Mark.

"They are now lagging behind in technology, the sound, the lighting. We want to improve 100 grassroots music venues in the next five years."

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