Music stars explain why independent venues are 'massively important'

Musicians have been telling Newsbeat how independent music venues are "massively important".

Hundreds of venues around the UK are the testing grounds for some of Britain's biggest names.

Through gigs around the country, Independent Venue Week aims to give a "nod to the people that own, run and work in them".

As the week gets under way, here's what some acts who have played a fair share of "small, sweaty clubs" had to say.

Declan McKenna

"It's a very exciting week.

"For local communities to have venues that aren't in the interests of anything other than a community is so important - not only for the local economy but for local bands and up and coming artists.

"It's important to have these small places to grow and learn from.

"Starting small and aiming for something even grander is the way forward for anyone."

The Amazons

"We're not going to start a band in our garage then move to academy-sized venues.

"You need to cut your teeth in all these little places.

Reading's Oakford Social Club has hosted a lot of Amazons gigs

"You need venues where it's a man and his dog, like in Sunderland the first time we played... and the second. It's a lovely place though.

"They're places that give everyone a chance. That's the main thing."

Naughty Boy

"You don't know what you're going to find and where you're going to find it.

"I met Emeli Sande for the first time at a showcase in London - it was a really small venue.

"I just worked with Chipmunk at the time - he invited me to see someone else and Emeli was performing there and going back to Scotland the next day.

"We would not have met if there hadn't been a junction for us to meet.

"Open mic nights and showcasing - those are things we need to advocate more."

The Big Moon

"They're massively important.

"So much about the character of a city is the small independent places because otherwise you have academies that sell the same beer and have the same furniture.

The Big Moon played a lot of shows at The Windmill in Brixton when they started out

"We really needed to practise and they let us. We hadn't figured anything out yet, we'd only practised in a room.

"You need those small places to learn your craft - you can do a million rehearsals but every gig is so different."

You Me At Six

"Hopefully there's other talent that's going to come through these venues and get to the same ranks we have - even maybe higher.

"You need to go and play some shows and play terribly. There's so much history in some of these venues.

The Boiler Room in Guildford was one of the places You Me At Six used to play in

"What you get is a small, sweaty club that fits about 100 or 200 people.

"That's what really creates an atmosphere - is playing small, sweaty close shows where you can get up close seeing a band actually perform."

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