One rather wonderful night in October 2023 I had the opportunity to say a few words about the absolutely superb grassroots music venue The Snug, on the occasion of it being taken into permanent protected ownership by the national trust of music venues, Music Venue Properties. I was, as I have been so often in my long and lacking-in-lustre career, merely the warm up act.
Here, published for the first time I think, is my slightly rambling and over-emotional speech in full, followed by some kind words, and some really quite remarkably prescient statements of intent, from the headline act. All of us there on that night should perhaps have paid more attention to some of his statements, which, watching back now, sound more like a purposeful manifesto than some throwaway remarks.
Tomorrow that main attraction becomes the Prime Minister of the UK and the country has potentially its most music supportive ever leader. Will that prove to be the case? Taking the top job puts a lot of things on your desk. Some of them will seem a lot more urgent and a lot more pressing than the needs of the music community, or the needs of the inhabitants of Atherton. But I would argue that, in a very real way, the country feels like it does right now precisely because the ten previous occupants of 10 Downing Street, stretching back across 47 years, forgot exactly how much people might actually care about those things.
I hope Andy Burnham remembers what taking ownership of this venue felt like for the people gathered in that room on that night, and he should, because he was one of our first investors. I’d like to encourage him to perhaps put his personal Music Venue Properties share certificate somewhere on the walls of Downing Street so that he sees it every day. Because it is a reminder that positive change is possible, that small changes can mean so much, and that there are real opportunities to deliver those small changes. Available, deliverable, and achievable for communities right across the country, right now.
Give us the support we need and we can do it.
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