Escapism is like Fight Club. You don’t remind people that it’s happening. That drifting to a happier, safer place is involuntary, but vital. In the right way, and in the right quantities, it keeps us sane. It’s not fluffy, it’s important. But, even though it might not seem it, escapism and real-world engagement don’t have to be a binary. This isn’t how **Metallica** frontman James Hetfield sees it. He caused perhaps more of a ruckus online than he was expecting for comments he made to the crowd at the band’s Sphere show in Las Vegas over the weekend. If you missed it, he said: > “I just gotta say, Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bullshit, OK. No bulls**t. We’re here to forget about all the outside s**t, OK? Metallica’s agenda is love, energy and heavy music, baby!” The perception is that he was implicitly making a jab at **Macklemore** , who now infamously was removed from Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour after calling for a Free Palestine on-stage. Sheeran’s tepid, politically neutered response – “I want my music and shows to be about unity, not division; about humanity, not politics” - also went down like a wet lettuce. Unsurprisingly, Hetfield’s words are doing the same. I’ve already written before about how the argument about keeping politics out of music is not just boring but overly limits and sanitises music as an art form. The difference with Hetfield’s statement is that I semi-understand it. He, and Sheeran, _almost_ get it, and the seemingly good intentions he has, get buried under the need to tacitly point a finger at someone else. Music is a beautiful outlet for escapism. Perhaps, in some ways, it’s intrinsically escapist. Part of its joy is that it’s a sonic landscape which transports us into a heightened existence, that feels brighter, less mundane, and lights our neural pathways up because it just feels that good. The craving for escapism is also why I believe an appetite has grown for concept albums and for bands who weave lore through their music that fans can lose themselves in unpicking for hours (hello Sleep Token, my beloveds.) Album Review: Metallica, Lou Reed - LuluLulu is the second greatest record ever made in the history of the human ear drum. Number One: Metal Machine Music.Drowned in SoundDiS Archive Right now, there’s more we need to escape than ever. Music might have us floating away from the mundanity of moving from bed to the bus to our desk and back again, but it can also be a way of us putting down our fears for the future for a few hours and wrapping ourselves up in a more joyful moment, one that’s happening to us right now. Crucially, escapism helps us recharge. We cannot, and ideally should not, marinate in our pain all the time. Recharging is political because rest is political, and its own form of resistance. After all, nobody can dismantle systems of oppression if they don’t have the energy. The artists who offer escapism while knowing that escapism is political in itself know this well. In fact, it might be one of the easiest and least contentious ways in which they can be vaguely political, even if they might not otherwise consider themselves as such, or if their politics just happens to be kept separate from the music they’re making. I often think of the Kerrang! cover interview I did with Olli Appleyard of **Static Dress**(yes, them again, don’t mind me), who explained his theory that music should be “about two things”, spreading awareness or providing escapism. Although he himself is politically engaged, Static Dress – coincidentally, another band for whom storytelling is a major cornerstone of their music - fall into the latter camp. That topic came up in a similar way in my newest K! cover with Bonnie Fraser, frontwoman of pop-rock band Stand Atlantic, who are also not especially political but whose upcoming album **GODBREATH** has a firm escapist slant as a way of counteracting the world’s rampant history. The difference between artists like them and Metallica is that the former are escapist in a manner that is very conscious of the outside world. They say, ‘We see what’s going on, and we see you, and we’re going to give you something joyous in a world that wants you miserable.’ By contrast, Metallica feel like they’re pulling the shutters down. There’s a slight wilful ignorance to them taking their fans off to Never Never Land that maybe feels slightly tone deaf to the moment. As rich white men, they can look away with more ease than certain other groups could. Not everyone has that luxury. Then again, there is some type of privilege to escapism. If your life is in danger, and there’s bombs dropping overhead, or your stomach’s rumbling keeps you stuck in the present moment, mental escape is harder. Not everyone can escape by spending hundreds of pounds on an arena concert, and some lack even the means for a cheaper local show. Even at a concert, something can remind you of the evil, stinking parts of society, whether a stranger touches you without your consent or the security scans and searches the people of colour in the room with far more thoroughness for reasons nobody said aloud. Escapism’s not always divorced from the real world, either. Nothing is created in a vacuum. Dress up and go to a sing-along production of, say The Rocky Horror Show, and you’re still engaging with ideas about the real world, about gender and sexuality, transgression and freedom. When we escape, we’re still participating in society, albeit in a safer environment. There’s no opting out of that unless you move to a remote island. Last year, when I interviewed Shirley Manson of **Garbage** – who is as much of a gem as she sounds, and is one of the greatest humans I’ve ever encountered – for DIY, she told me she believed that all music is political. Politics is about life, she made out, and so is music. I’ve thought about it frequently, intrigued by her argument even if I’m not sure I necessarily fully agreed, but maybe this is what she meant. If escapist music is political, then perhaps all music is. Sorry to point it out, James Hetfield, but when you said Metallica’s agenda is “love, energy and heavy music” (a good agenda, by the way), you might have done politics by accident. But that’s okay. ### And in other news... * The people of Digbeth - a historically artistic but increasingly gentrified area of Birmingham - threw a bloc party on Sunday (11th October) to protest the demolition of various music venues, including XOYO, Mama Roux's, Club Colette, The Night Owl and Luna Springs (three of which I've visited myself), in order to expand the railway. Save Our Scene have been involved, and are encouraging people to write to West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker and the local MP Shabana Mahmood to object to the proposals, which could be implemented as soon as 2030. * HMV in Oxford Street has announced its closure in March 2027, just three years after reopening, which it blames on landlords doubling their rent and expensive renovation works. They've added that they're searching for a new location in the West End, and hopefully, it can live on as physical sales continue to boom. * A new peer-reviewed paper by three academics cautioning against 'festival gigantism' has recommended that audience numbers at the UK'S biggest festivals should be capped, saying 'mega' events' continual growth will harm the environment. Set to be published in the journal _Event Management_ , the paper also calls for these 'mega festivals' to consider 'degrowth', through "reducing absolute audience capacity", and for carbon budgets to become a “condition of licensing”, as well as mandatory travel demand management policies. * The Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) has launched an independent online reporting portal, providing a secure, confidential means for workers in music, film, TV and theatre sectors to raise whistleblowing concerns. They can report anything that relates to the CIISA Standards, including but not limited to harassment, discrimination and victimisation. * The Race Equality In Music Event Licensing (REMEL) project has found that Black music events are “cancelled, restricted or shut down” at higher rates than white-led events, at a cost of up to £141 million a year. It mentioned that the Black and South Asian music sector “still faces deep systemic and institutional barriers that limit even more success” and certain music genres were “assumed to be a risk despite evidence to the contrary”, including afrobeat, dancehall, R&B and hip-hop. * RAYE has spoken out against ticket touting after the pre-sale for her Royal Albert Hall show was "overwhelmed" by scalpers using AI bots. The problem was so severe that she and her team will “manually review” the sign-ups to identify real fans. Letting this continue benefits very few people - surely if it's moved up the agenda, it's an easy win for Andy Burnham. Especially as capping the resale price of tickets is already in the Labour agenda, and a change to the law was announced by the previous PM. ### Music job? Music job, anybody? War Child are looking for a new Live Music Lead for a 6-month fixed term contract, helping to put on some of their fundraising live music events. It pays £50,000 pa, and you can apply here. ### Read this next: Gene Simmons & The Last Gasp of an Old OrderAn old world is dying, a new world is waiting to be born. What we see in politics, we sometimes see in music too…Drowned in SoundEmma Wilkes

I was dreading the rumour coming true that Marilyn Manson would be opening for Slipknot at their first ever UK stadium show next year. I could see the black mark forming against the name of a band I’ve loved for years, who I’ve seen live several times, who I’ve taken with me as I transitioned from a teenager to an adult. What I didn’t expect was just how many people shared my level of rage. As a reminder of the allegations against Marilyn Manson - which he has denied - this is a great resource. As is this 9 minute instagram reel. It's also worth noting that a lawsuit from his former assistant Ashley Walters alleging physical, emotional and psychological abuse will go to trial in November 2027, just five months after he steps on stage with Slipknot. Although he was dropped by his label and management in 2021, he rebounded in the years that followed. Signing to Nuclear Blast, he’s since released two more albums and headlined Wembley Arena last November. Notably, the Brighton date on Manson's recent tour did not going ahead following an intervention from Green MP Sian Berry. The comment sections of Slipknot’s Instagram post announcing the show was overwhelmingly negative. Multiple friends posted denouncing Manson and declaring that they would not be attending the Wembley show. It made the headlines in the BBC and The Independent. Altogether, it adds up to a picture of disaster, on a scale far larger than I anticipated. I expected Slipknot’s fanbase to be split down the middle, as there seems to be an attitude that time and ‘laying low’ can wash away sins. Instead, there was far more unity and rage. I am pleased. When allegations of abuse result in such impunity, the assumption that’s there to make is that beyond certain pockets of the internet, wider society does not care about violence against women, not in a time where rape is so poorly convicted it’s practically decriminalised. Not when other stories, such as Kanye West collaborating with Chris Brown last weekend, each with their own heap of allegations and infractions, performing together, seemingly fly under the radar, and both can sell out huge rooms. We aren’t desensitised and neither should we be, no matter your gender. That rage extends far beyond musical circles, given what’s played out in the news this week regarding the Cornell 7. A former student of the university is suing the college and seven members of the Chi Pi fraternity, alleging she was drugged and gang-raped for hours in Ithaca, New York, in October 2024, and that the university failed to both protect her or adequately punish the alleged perpetrators. According to the plaintiff’s legal team – known only as Jane Doe – only two were expelled and the remaining students were handed temporary suspensions, essay-writing assignments and workshop attendance. My social media feeds have been filled with infographics, slogans and stories, pulling me into a hivemind of dismay and disgust, the sort that turns your stomach and leaves it upside down in its cavity for hours. It’s a follow-up episode to the sort of revulsion collectively felt in the aftermath of the Epstein files. Watching it, and feeling it, has been overwhelming. The other day, I wrote two news stories about songs released by women related to sexual trauma back-to-back (one of which was the brilliant PISS track ‘blocking a scene you can’t remember’), and everything felt heavy. Nauseating, and heavy. It’s been a horrendous year for women in the news. I can’t be the only one feeling this exhausted. I think of the Petrol Girls song ‘Sick & Tired’ – “ _I'm sick of serving, sick of smiling/Tired of being held up while he gets applauded/I'm tired of competition between women/I'm sick of having the same conversation/Tired of manoeuvring male fragility.”_ But what now? How do we turn the car around? How quickly can we turn the car around? How drastic do we have to be when it feels like the patriarchy doesn’t just have to be dismantled but burned down? To the men reading this – we need you too. Challenging this toxic system is in your interest too, and I’d encourage you to learn about why, and to apply that to extend a listening ear to the women around you. Ask us questions. Ask the system questions. Cross the road when there’s a lone woman walking in front of you at night. Call out your mates and cut them off if necessary. Above all, just let us have our anger. Far too often, someone wants to take it away, to undermine us, to spin it into hatred of men and deny us the space to be able to share our own fears and experiences. Some people would rather talk about the false allegations than the real ones. Some people only want to talk about violence against women in the context of demeaning another marginalised group, like immigrants or trans people, and they’ve certainly been quiet in the last week. And so, in that spirit, here’s the angriest thing I have to say. Sometimes, in times like this, it feels like ‘misogyny’ is too soft a word to use. By loading its sentiment into a word instead of a sentence we can forget the bluntness of its meaning. Maybe the phrase to reach for, when the occasion is stark and extreme enough to call for it, is not ‘You’re a misogynist’ but ‘You hate women.’ Call it for what it is. Until society change, this rage will not boil away. ### And in other news... * The Skinny has been saved from closure, thanks to a new partnership between publisher Radge Media CIC and Scottish arts charity Outer Spaces. Hell yeah! Music journalism really is too good to lose. * _The Times_ has reported that the "single biggest beneficiary" of the grassroots levy is... the taxman. The Treasury's lined its coffers with over £1million that should have been used to help grassroots music, and the LIVE Trust has now called for the government to stop charging VAT on the levy. Come on, Andy Burnham - easy win, surely? * The venue Heaven in Charing Cross, central London, has been given asset of community value (ACV) status once again to protect it from redevelopment in the next five years, owing to its legacy among the LGBTQ+ community. If the owner wanted to sell up, the community would have six months to buy it. (Fun fact, gigs at Heaven are great if you want to be in bed early after. Due to the club nights, curfew's always very early - I once went to a gig that finished, to the envy of my friends, at HALF PAST NINE.) * A federal judge has rejected Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s attempt to dismiss a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit accusing the companies of permitting high-volume brokers to evade ticket limits with the aim of reselling on the secondary market. This means the FTC and seven states can now proceed with further allegations under the etter Online Ticket Sales Act, the FTC Act and state consumer-protection laws.

Today marks 26 years since we flicked our website on and published a test review of a record by Ween. Our publication and community has changed a little since then, and evolved into what it is today. Here are a few things I’ve learnt over the years: 26 - Building a community is about getting out of people’s way but acting like a pub landlord when you need to. 25 - Sigh-Fi, Throbtronica, Historical Reenactment Rock… inventing genre names is fun. 24 - If you’re a working class kid with no connections, at every step people will doubt you. Don’t let that become your self-talk. You’ve got this. 23 - Naming a website in your teens and it still feeling like a great name is more luck than skill. Trust your intuition in the rhythm of the words and the sensory feeling of it. 22 - Passion for music is one of the most infectious things. 21 - A lesson from this week: If you tweet Liam Gallagher to see if fans attending their 2027 tour will contribute £1 per ticket, which collectively adds up to an estimated £1.5m, to support grassroots music, he will send a sweary response that seems to confirm they are in fact doing their bit. If you've not heard me wanging on about the levy on our podcast, read a bit about it on the Live Trust website. 20 - No matter if you’ve published over 34,000 articles, people will always bring up the rare few negative ones about awful records like the 0/10 of Beady Eye’s second and final album. 19 - If hundreds of people contribute over the years, you will lose people. Never forget them. RIP Rochelle, Dan, Sophie, and Scott. 18 - For every great human you meet in music, you’ll meet three toxic a-holes (they'll 99.9% be men). 17 - Learn to accept that getting 50-100 emails an hour from PRs and bands and solo artists from all over the world is not something you or anyone will ever get atop of. To everyone I never replied to, I am sorry. 16 - Lead by example. However, sometimes you’ll need to explain your critique of capitalism in a Jessie J review was not opening a door to dunk on artists. 15 - If you start doing things too early, like podcasting in 2005, you’ll spend a lot of time explaining what it is and how to access your 'on demand mp3 file that’s a bit like a radio show but with lots more chat'. 14 - Gush. Write and publish things that are uniquely something you can do. One day artists like Hayley Williams will post a thank you when you do go a bit over the top. 13 - Local music columns will be far more impactful for building an audience than interviewing mega stars. 12 - Democracy doesn’t make for a great album of the year list. 11 - When people tell you _not_ to describe yourself as an “online fanzine” because it sounds amateur, ignore them. Or just don’t describe what you do until a term like “blog” is finally invented. 10 - Spend far more time on figuring out what and who you’re for, rather than dwelling on what you’re against. 9 - When people tell you to tone it down and be more apolitical, ignore them. Do the partnership with Love Music Hate Racism. Record the podcast about boycotts. Live your values and you’ll find your people. Or they'll find you. Eventually. 8 - If you send an email asking thousands of people to help get an album into the charts by a band you’ve written about since their first demo, put them on at your club night, and given glowing reviews to for years, people will moan. Especially if it’s Bloc Party. 7 - If media outlets are reporting someone’s dead, don’t just re-report it. Double check FFS! 6 - Allowing reviewers to publish directly to the website unedited for the first few years will cause issues. And lore. 5 - Editing a website full of contributors with a lot of different tastes and opinions will mean a lot of your favourite records get luke warm reviews and some records you think are terrible will get the gushing ones. Learn to accept it but realise the outside world still sees everything a media outlet publishes as the editor’s opinion for some baffling reason. 4 - In the rear view mirror your few regrets will be more in focus than your everyday successes. Perspectives can shift. 3 - Learn to pepper everything with music recommendations like a politician going back to their talking points. 2 - Believe in music journalism, even when and especially when the AI slop machine arrives. 1 - Music will save you again and again (and again). * * * Thank you to everyone for reading, engaging, sharing, and supporting our work over the last 26 years. Special thanks to everyone who has contributed to DiS over the years and to our current team who are busy working on the first edition of our new print magazine SHOWNOTES, which is coming in November, as well as our new network of podcasts (more on those here). One bit of exciting housekeeping is that today our old .com website now sends you to our home for the last few years on Drowned in Sound dot org. The entire site archive has been moved across. You can browse the archive here and please let us know if you find any issues. We have intentionally stripped back all the images and coding

Being a 365 touring girl is not the way Charli xcx wants to live her life. Upon confirming the dates for the UK and US legs of the tour supporting her new album _Music, Fashion, Film_ , fans in the comments lined up to express – with differing levels of politeness – the disappointment they felt that she wasn’t playing nearer for them. In the UK and Europe, she’s only playing six shows next January, in Dublin, Glasgow, Manchester, London, Paris and Amsterdam. Interestingly, for that run, she’s never on stage two nights in a row. “I know there’s a lot of frustration in the comments about the fact that I am not doing lots of dates. I am really sorry if you feel disappointed but I have to honor my truth as an artist: touring is really emotionally and physically hard for me,” Charli admitted in the Instagram comments later. “I am not looking for sympathy and I have a huge amount of respect for artists who can handle it at an intense, lengthy and high octane level, but I am just not one of those human beings and I never have been,” she continued. “I’m sorry if you feel I am letting you down; I really am. Perhaps one day I will be built for the kind of touring you expect from me but right now I am not. If you’re coming to a show I hope you have fun and enjoy it, and I will try my best to stay in a healthy and positive mindset and enjoy it too.” She’s not been the only one to speak up about the toll touring can take either. Harry Styles cited that preserving his wellbeing was a factor in him pivoting towards residency shows for his Together, Together touring cycle: “I think there's something in this that allows me to stay in my life while I'm doing it,” he reasoned, “and therefore allows me to take care of myself better, which I think makes me better at doing the thing.” He also wanted to make life easier for his touring crew, who now had families back home. The transparency, of course, is admirable. It’s crucial, even, especially if the general public has only a fuzzy perception of exactly what the life of a touring artist looks like, which can mean that misinformation and parasocial hysteria creeps in. There’s no one universal picture, but it goes without saying that the 22-23 hours of the day when an artist isn’t performing aren’t exactly all cushy. At the same time, the conversation is being led of late by the biggest touring artists in the world. While their emotional and physical difficulties are, of course, extremely real, they make these points from a place of privilege. They’ll be sleeping in hotel rooms instead of vans or floors, they’ll have a greater level of comfort and artists of that level may also be able to bring their partners or families with them. To some extent, they can buy back some bandwidth, if finances are less of a problem and it means they can space out shows some more. Not every artist can play residencies like Styles, or like Ariana Grande, who also recently played a residency at The O2, and the other drawback is they shift the costs from artist to fan, given they have to travel further (and rack up greater emissions) and potentially find overnight accommodation. Charli’s perspective does, however, represent a tip-of-the-iceberg situation. If she’s struggling at the astronomical level she’s at, then what about the artists further down the pecking order? What about the crew members, managers, merch sellers and other members of a touring party who will feel these struggles just as acutely? Travelling is draining, it’s harder to stay healthy – and flying is also particularly taxing for the voice – and the conditions are far from luxurious. “At this small level, it’s a blessing when you find a decent meal,” explains Linda Battilani of Halflives. “I get genuinely excited knowing there’s catering or a decent buyout sum to get something proper to eat without spending our own money, or just having a clean and warm shower. It means accepting living as if you literally are a homeless person sometimes, because you’d do everything just to play your shows. It has happened more than once that we’d come back from a 3-week tour where more than one of us lost a few kilograms. of the time, it’s hard to even break even, and it’s very easy to end a tour in the red.” Music might be loud, it doesn’t mean your head will go quiet. Life rolls on in the background, and I’ve seen musicians in various capacities discuss the strangeness of processing everything from bereavement to their own recent suicide attempt while still having to tour. It becomes even more testing during festival season, with hours-long drives and border checks separating shows, with limited time to set up and play. For some artists, all of that is compounded by the added complications that can come with disability, chronic illness, neurodivergence or all of the above. “As a late-diagnosed autistic person with the dynamic duo of depression and anxiety under their belt, a lot of my struggles with touring are intrinsically linked with said conditions,” explains Conjurer’s Dani Nightingale, who spoke to us last year around the release of the band’s album Unself. “Things like a diminished social battery, the stress of travel, the overwhelm of a gig environment, the pressure of performing, and the unique situation of unpredictability being the only predictable thing about tour can all contribute to unpleasant and damaging occurrences such as meltdowns or shutdowns. “That said, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume that most people would struggle with these things, regardless of neurotype,” they continue. “Even if you’re nomadic, falling asleep in one country and waking up in a completely different one can throw you for a loop when it happens day after day. Even if you love the hustle and bustle of it all, it’s not the holiday that a lot of people think it is; it’s essentially another job, commonly underpaid or unpaid, for longer than usual hours and often in suboptimal conditions.” For a small-to-medium touring artist, the demands are even more relentless. There have been times I’ve seen certain bands’ touring schedules and wondered how they’d survive it. Worse still, thanks to soaring costs, merch cuts and everything in between, these tours are money sinks. On a recent episode of music business podcast The Money Trench, booking agent Alex Bruford estimated that a tour to audiences of even 1,000-2,000 a night could make a loss of £30,000. As with any profession, the less you earn, the harder you work. “It’s so hard physically, financially and mentally. Less shows means better performances so I get why she’s doing it,” says Nina Saedi, frontwoman of prog-doom band Lowen. “If there was more support for musicians and the arts by the government and we had a more European model in places like the UK and America for smaller artists then the live scene would be so different - and a lot more profitable for everyone involved.” Fortunately, a couple of major artists have stepped in to help. Olivia Rodrigo is known for providing free therapy to her whole touring party, while Radiohead’s Philip Selway is supporting a new project called the Pay It Forward Fund, set up by Tamsin Embleton and the Music Industry Therapist Collective, to provide mental health support for musicians and crews on smaller tours. “You’re expected to get your head down and get on with it, but it can mean times when you’re not necessarily looking after yourself physically and you can feel very isolated,” Selway wrote in The Guardian last week. “There’s an emotional and geographical displacement in moving from place to place and living on top of each other. There’s the sound check, the gig, meeting people afterwards, anxiety that some people guiding you may not have your best interests at heart. You can feel really vulnerable, and there’s no way of getting off that roundabout until you get home. It’s difficult to talk about because nobody wants to rock the boat, and other people might be going through the same thing, so you don’t want to burden them.” These initiatives, of course, can be invaluable, especially in an industry where almost a third of those involved in it report experiencing poor mental wellbeing, which is especially acute for those at the start of their careers). Chiefly, however, this is a systemic problem. With the current precarity and poor financial return of the music industry, this is a system where we all lose, whether on stage, backstage or watching the stage. Talk might be valuable, but it cannot resurface the foundations of an industry that has been broken for a long, long time. It’s the love of the game that keeps artists piling into their van time after time. “Being in a band like ours and doing it on a pot noodle sized budget is unglamorous – there’s nothing rock ‘n’ roll about ‘rock ‘n’ roll’,” says Matt Sutton of industrial band Tayne. “It can feel like a grind for sure when you’ve got such small fees coming in to barely pay the logistics of it all. You really have to love it to do it, which I absolutely do. It’s one of the craziest adventures I’ve ever experienced.” “Much has been said about performing live being like a drug, an unbeatable high, and it’s absolutely true in all the best and worst ways,” Nightingale adds. “It’s a rush like no other but it comes at a cost, sometimes against our better judgement and at the expense of our health. The balancing act of following your dreams, going out on the road for weeks or months on end, trying to break through and make ends meet, all while keeping on top of your commitments and relationships back home is a damn tricky one that can have devastating consequences. People succumbing to addiction, having partners leave them, burning out, falling out of love with something you’ve spent your whole life chasing, and the financial issues that can come with all of that is enough to put any sane person off this lifestyle. Yet we risk it all anyway.” Some of this might be part of the territory, but the resounding feeling must be that there has to be a better way for people to do what they love. Enjoy this? Please consider upgrading to support our independent journalism Learn more

Eight days before Deftones came to London, I could have been found crying in a pub in Vauxhall. What had started as a cute Valentines week date in the Tate Britain devolved into a post-mortem of a relationship that hadn’t yet expired but was deteriorating at a breathless pace. I thought briefly I was going to get dumped in a bus stop, where we were standing and talking to escape the rain, before deciding the pub over the road was a better place to shelter. The man in question – we’ll call him Paul – was floating away from me, to the point that he wouldn’t even touch me. He was emotionally unavailable; I was a hypervigilant, raw nerve of a person and we set each other’s trip wires off. I cried all of my makeup off on the Tube to Kentish Town, where I was reviewing a gig that night, reapplied it and then cried it all off again. I still hate Vauxhall. Safe to say, in the week of Deftones’ show at The O2, I felt like my heart had been stamped on. Paul had stopped short of actually breaking up with me – in fact, I’d break up with him a few weeks later – and the whole thing became horribly drawn out. Instead of severing ties with a neat, clean axe chop, it’s like he was sawing at it, creating a slow, painful splinter. But, as Friday drew closer, I vowed to put my pain down, just for a while. I didn’t want it to tarnish my first experience of Deftones live. I was going to dress up, and I was going to feel better. Gigs are where I find my centre. Often, they’re a means of connecting with yourself, especially when music forms such a major part of who you are. The Lorna Shore gig I went to a couple of weeks prior to this incident had done that for me, arriving at the tail end of an equally horrific week of worrying for Paul’s mental health, thanks to the rather toxic work environment he was in (was he just burnt out or losing interest? Both.) At Alexandra Palace, pummelled by heaviness, I remembered what feeling normal was like. I hoped Deftones would be a sanctuary in a similar way. And it was. After wolfing down some pre-gig chicken paitan at the Marugame Udon in The O2 (very underrated, in my opinion), I followed the curved path to the entrance and took in the sight of all the young women and girls who had dressed up for tonight like I had. Maybe they were trying to empower themselves too. Maybe tonight was so important to them that it just had to be dressed up for. Collectively, we were declaring Deftones ours, in whatever way that meant to us, and taking up space in a way we might not have always felt we could. It’s one of the reasons I felt that I was seeing them live for the first time at the best possible moment. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

Today is a big day for DiS, we're officially entering our magazine era. Yes, you read that right, we're gearing up to print 50,000 copies of **SHOWNOTES** , which is a new quarterly magazine that celebrates live music. It will be available for free at 500+ music venues across the UK from November 1st 2026. Before revealing more about the mag, I want to kick off this newsletter by saying a massive thank you to Mark Davyd, Bev Whitrick, Toni Coe-Brooker, and all of the team at Music Venue Trust for their support to launch this new magazine and believing in our vision. If you're not familiar with Music Venue Trust, they're the charity that aims to protect, secure and improve UK Grassroots Music Venues. The magazine shares their mission and through our infectious passion for artists in essays, columns, and recommendations, the aim of this new title is to get more people to go to more gigs. Launching a new print magazine, amid stories about music publications shuttering at a rate matched only by the closures of grassroots venues and bands cancelling tours, may seem like a surprising move but for anyone who has been locked in to the Drowned in Sound podcast, you'll know I've long thought **magazines are due to have their vinyl moment**. People are sick of screens and feeds curated by corporate algorithms, so a zine you can hold in your hands made by fellow music obsessives is an antidote to the world we've found ourselves in. As the publisher of this new title, I'm thrilled to announce that SHOWNOTES is edited by award-winning writer, author, and editor Hannah Ewens (Rolling Stone, Vice, Vogue, etc). Designing the magazine and joining the Drowned in Sound team as its new creative director is Raissa Pardini, the go-to poster designer for bands from Rolling Stones and Blur to Bikini Kill, whose other clients include Apple, Adobe, Kim Kardashian’s Skims, Nadia Lee Cohen, and the Lost Music Venues exhibition currently on display at the V&A in London. SHOWNOTES Founding Editor Hannah Ewens says: > “ _Our small editorial team - which I’m really proud to say is all-female, and includes Edinburgh-based Arusa Qureshi, who specialises in hip-hop and R &B, and rock and post-punk specialist Kate Jeffrie, who runs her own print music magazine, Negativland - has done a great job of shaping the first issue in just a few weeks. Music journalism can feel static and drained of life, especially after years of rolling staff cuts and publications folding. The concept of a magazine that uses something as visceral and immediate as the live experience as the lens through which to understand and celebrate music is a perfect antidote to that. _ > _“I believe that the dominance of short-form video and filmed content, at the expense of quality writing and print, doesn’t serve artists or fans. Being able to sit with beautifully written, intimate profiles, esoteric long-form thinking, and curious investigations still matters. SHOWNOTES will be something fans can leave with after a gig, relive the excitement through at home, and use to start planning their next show. On a personal note, I’m obsessed with print, and being able to commission my weird ideas and some of my favourite writers and photographers is a pleasure I feel blessed to indulge in again_.” I also contributed a quote to the launch press release, which says:__ > _“For 26 years Drowned in Sound has shared our infectious passion for music. We’re really grateful that Music Venue Trust believes in our vision to make a magazine for fangirls who race to the barrier and (BBC Radio) 6 Music dads dancing in the back row of the Barrowlands. SHOWNOTES is a magazine for every music lover and, in a time of media apocalypse, where finding trusted human voices is harder than ever. Whether you’re a trad folkster or operatic metaller or both or neither, having glimpsed the first issue and knowing the plans going forward, you will find something in the magazine to pique your curiosity._ > _“My hope is that the editorial and recommendations will inspire fans to discover their local scenes and take day trips around the UK to check out genres of music outside of their algo-bubble. Our mission is to get more people to go to more gigs and, beyond just recommending shows, we have some projects beyond the magazine up our sleeves…”_ **SHOWNOTES** will be available for free from November 1st across the UK. Read the full press release and learn more at http://drownedinsound.org/shownotes * * * For partnerships and sponsorship opportunities please contact Salli Greaves, _partners@drownedinsound.org_ For interviews and media enquiries, contact: _media@musicvenuetrust.com_

Hello hello, and thank you for having me in your inbox once again. We've got some exciting things cooking behind the scenes, but to keep you fed while you're waiting, I've taken a trawl through the music news. Here's the digest from the last couple of weeks... ## Macklemore and music's big Palestine tussle I never expected to see Macklemore, Pink, Ed Sheeran, Paloma Faith and Boy George all piling into one specific conversation, but the news cycle is stranger than fiction at the best of times. It's snowballed into one of this year's most important stories in terms of solidarity and activism, but it's also a story that just couldn't have been made up. Here's what unfolded... **Fri 4th September:** It all started when Macklemore was opening for Ed Sheeran at the MetLife stadium in New Jersey. To introduce his pro-Palestine song 'Hind's Hall' - referencing a building renamed by student activists at Columbia University in honour of the six-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who was killed in Gaza - Macklemore made a speech calling to "free Palestine, Cuba, Congo, Sudan and Iran and all the people of America who live in fear because of this terrorist organisation ICE". This prompted the Israeli-American Council to declare he should be removed from the tour. **Sat 5th September** : It's worth mentioning that the following night, the rapper did address his “Jewish brothers and sisters”, saying that “criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you." He added: "My message is for peace: love for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality. So I say Free Palestine, I say Free Lebanon, I say Free Cuba, I say Free Congo, Free Sudan, I say Free all people in America living in fear of this terrorist organization, ICE. None of us will be free until we are all free." **Sun 6th September:** P!nk tacitly criticised Macklemore, resharing a post from the organisation StopAntisemitism that read: "Awful. Jewish fans bought tickets to see Ed Sheeran sing last night in NJ, not to be ambushed by Macklemore’s anti-Israel propaganda.” **Monday 7th September:** Boy George, who recently released an AI-assisted pro-Israel song called 'We Will Dance Again', added on X/Twitter: "It’s important to note that slogans such as ‘Free Palestine’ offer the appearance of moral courage without requiring much political knowledge.” The frontman of Culture Club turned Culture Warrior also lambasted Paloma Faith for sharing the video with the caption "My hero", lambasting "her stupid virtuous squealing of delight about Mackle-bore when she is about as political as a soggy tuna sandwich." (Have some evidence to the contrary below.) Macklemore, meanwhile, remained defiant. Sharing a clip of his speech online, he wrote: “Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial.” **Monday 14th September:** Nonetheless, Macklemore was removed from the tour at the beginning of the week. He then shared a lengthy statement in which he claimed that after Robert Kraft — the owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium — forced Sheeran's hand, saying Macklemore had to be dropped or the shows couldn’t go ahead. The shock sent the story rocketing to the top of the news cycle, and Macklemore's statement has now racked up over 8 million likes on Instagram. **Tuesday 15th September** : Kraft, who once won an award from Benjamin Netanyahu, responded to this by saying that he "agreed with Macklemore" and welcomed the opportunity to "discuss the facts", but began his statement by proclaiming that “Gillette Stadium has a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech" and Macklemore's actions would "cross that line". “This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf. Their pain and loss are real. But that advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas, a United States and globally (including Canada, European Union, United Kingdom, and Japan) designated terrorist organisation whose horrific actions have caused immeasurable suffering for Palestinians and Israelis alike," he said later. Read his statement in full here. Meanwhile, the Gillette Stadium seems not to have a policy about not letting domestic abusers play, given Chris Brown played on his co-headline tour with Usher not long ago. Sheeran also sang at Kraft's wedding in 2022, and in a subsequent interview called him "super sweet". Elsewhere, Macklemore was removed from a show at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, which hosted Kanye West - with his litany of antisemitic incidents in the past - mere months ago. Then, Ed Sheeran gave his own statement on the situation, and the Internet was not amused. "I am appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine," he wrote. "The suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy. There are too many wars across the world causing immeasurable pain, none of which should be tolerated." He continued: "There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics - my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds." It was a choice moment to claim neutrality. When times are so fraught, stepping back and looking away feels irresponsible, if not ignorant and even careless. It's also inaccurate to claim Sheeran has been apolitical since day dot, when he'd previously bigged up Jeremy Corbyn and has spoken out against: * The damage of Brexit for touring musicians * The full scale invasion of Ukraine * The lack of justice for those affected by the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire * The rise of the far right in the UK with Love Music Hate Racism (as recently as 2019) * The threat to equality in the US. In 2021, Sheeran joined Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Lorde, and more than 300 other artists in signing an open letter calling on the US Senate to pass the Equality Act. * The defunding of music education, writing a letter to Keir Starmer in March 2025. As a result of Macklemore's removal by the venue owners/promoters, the remaining support acts on the tour - Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham - pulled out one by one. Then, backing band Beoga, who join Sheeran for songs like 'Galway Girl' and 'Nancy Mulligan', also dropped out. **Wednesday 16th September:** Macklemore kept his head high and donated his fee for the show, $1million (£750,000) to Palestinian organisations. Sheeran then asked Kraft to match the donation, and the billionaire doubled it, giving $2million (£1.5million). However, it's currently unclear where those donations are going. For context, given Kraft is worth between $13-15 billion, it's the equivalent of someone with $10k of savings donating about $1.33. Looking at the data from recent reports, let's hope this aid gets to the people who need it and isn't destroyed. Looking at United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports, their latest information published on September 8th 2026 includes lines like: > Also that day, a humanitarian warehouse in Deir al Balah was destroyed by a nearby strike, which damaged more than US$770,000 worth of UNICEF nutrition supplies intended to support more than 40,500 children, as well as 4,900 pregnant and breastfeeding women. The New Arab also reported on September 9th that: > A humanitarian protocol agreed under US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan on 10 October 2025 stipulated that at least 600 aid trucks should enter Gaza every day. > Gaza’s Government Media Office said on Tuesday that Israel was allowing in only about 35% of required food supplies, accusing it of practising “silent starvation”. > It said 69,387 aid and food trucks had entered Gaza over the 330 days since the ceasefire agreement was signed, compared with 198,000 that should have entered under the agreement. **Thursday 17th September:** Educator and presenter Ms Rachel agreed to match Macklemore's $1m donation to Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, then encouraged more celebs and wealthy people to follow her lead. YouGov released a poll that showed people on the right of politics - who wang on about free speech - think artists should shut up?! **Saturday 19th September:** The tour is resuming in Philadelphia tonight. Although Billy Bragg encouraged Sheeran to cancel the shows, they're still going ahead, mainly because cancelling would leave him and his promoters liable for huge costs. Meanwhile, fans who have tried to resell their tickets have found themselves struggling to find buyers. Will it be a career ender, likely no, but did it have to end this way? Also no. It's evidence that the mood has changed, that responsibility and social awareness matters, and crucially, that there's no use washing the politics out of music anymore. Music can be an escape, of course, but it's also a vital, accessible means of finding solace and engaging with the wider world. And, at the same time, stream 'Thrift Shop'. * * * ### Check out EarthSonic's report into the environmental impact of streaming It's easy to assume streaming your music instead of buying physical editions is the greener way to listen. A new report by EarthSonic aims to dispel these myths, highlighting the 'invisible' costs to the environment that don't seem to have been fully grasped in the public consciousness. Check it out, and discover just how much CO2 is generated through one hour of streaming: Report: Music streaming and its environmental impact — EarthSonicA report conducted by EarthSonic in 2026 looking at the environmental impact of music streaming.EarthSonic ### We investigate the far-right's favourite rapper - and it got Tommy Robinson in a tizzy This week's podcast is the second part of our investigation into the AI-generated far-right rapper Danny Bones, who is soundtracking the black shirt protests in Dover. You know it's made an impact when Stephen Yaxley-Lennon aka Tommy Robinson's found a clip and had a whinge... PodcastsTune into our podcast for hopeful, future-facing conversations with extraordinary musicians, cultural innovators, and organisers reshaping the music ecosystem.Drowned in SoundDiS Support ### And in other news... * Reading Festival has not had the best run of publicity after this year's end-of-summer blowout. For one, they've attracted derision for scrapping the BBC Introducing stage for a new stage that platformed a remarkable amount of nepo babies - Violet Grohl, Villanelle's Gene Gallagher, Cruz Beckham and the Breakers and Moses Martin's (son of Chris) new band People I've Met - ahead of talent that needed the exposure more. There's also been footage of the appalling state of the campsites doing the rounds, with tents strewn everywhere. (By contrast, look here at how clean the punters at my beloved 2000trees left the fields in July.) * Jason Isbell is among the musicians who have filed a class action lawsuit in Massachusetts against Suno, alleging that the company uses musicians’ identities without their permission to generate music in their styles through AI. Although Suno claims otherwise, the lawsuit alleges that the software does actually allow prompting by musicians’ name, but also has built ways around its own filters which are meant to stop users from recreating music based on name alone. * The 100 Club's celebrating 50 years of its legendary Punk Special gigs with two very special shows later this month, from oft-mentioned DiS favourites Sprints and Maruja headlining. Best of all, ticket prices are frozen at the glorious 1976 price of £1.50. * If you can party in the Tate Modern (as part of their Tate Lates series), why not St Paul's Cathedral? That could soon be a reality thanks to a deal signed with nightclub Fabric to bring music events to the historic building. The first event will take place on 29th October. * The legendary venue The White Hotel in Salford is reportedly reopening under new ownership after it closes in January 2027. It's taking the name BASTION and will be operated by the same team that runs the music studio and events space The Bag Factory. * The new music campaign Nothing But Love is preparing for its launch party at Camden's Jazz Cafe next month with Skunk Anansie icon Skin curating and hosting a night of live music and DJ sets. Featuring performances from Rachel Chinouriri, Constance Power, Ruti and surprise guests, It's all going down on Saturday 3rd October and first release tickets cost just £10. * The Scottish government are piloting a system of providing basic income for artists, which they call the Scottish Artists Minimum Income. It follows a similar scheme that was announced for rollout in Ireland earlier this year. England's turn when? * In a wacky bit of irony, Muse have had to change their social media handles to Musetheband, because Meta's new AI tool has now taken the handle Muse. It all feels a bit... Muse. * A new fundraising gig for Gaza is taking place at London's Troxy on October 24. Sleaford Mods are headlining, with Baxter Dury, Joe Armon-Jones and Sinead Ashiokai also on the bill. * It's rare to see artists take action on the scale that Jane Remover did at M3F Fest. They threatened to drop off the bill in protest of the festival platforming the Israeli band Temper City, who have alleged ties to the IDF, and when no action was taken, they followed through. * Superstruct - the festival company that has faced boycotts over its ties to KKR - has published a new code to support freedom of expression. It's adamant in defending artists who are very political on stage, but shouldn't this just be the default regardless? * Exactly a year after Together For Palestine at Wembley Arena, another edition of the event is happening in New York. Given the intense, fast-moving affairs described above, it couldn't be more timely. ## I won an award! I had a surprise email on Wednesday night, which informed me I'd been nominated for an International Music Journalism Award (IMJA), which is awarded every year at Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg. I was nominated in the category of Best Work of Music Journalism Text (English), for my Drowned In Sound essay _Deftones is for the girls_ , which I wrote in February. And, it's with awe and disbelief that I can tell you... I WON!! (Thank you endlessly Sean for nominating me). Deftones is for the girlsTo get into arenas, heavy acts have to get women on their side. And who does that better than Chino and co?Drowned in SoundEmma Wilkes

More accurately, Emma Wilkes' essay for Drowned in Sound just won a journalism award! Yesterday, at The International Music Journalism Awards, which takes place at Reeperbahn Festival, the winner for the Best Work Of Music Journalism Text was... "Deftones is for the Girls" by Emma Wilkes (Drowned In Sound) In the year since Emma became our newsletter editor, she's published a great piece every week. This one was a bit different and I couldn't resist submitting it to the awards. It's such a brilliant essay, bringing together Emma's unique perspective as both a feminist deconstructing misogyny in metal and as someone who is "Drowned in Sound years old" seeing Deftones for the first time, surrounded by more women than the heavy shows she usually covers for publications like _Kerrang!_. The piece goes deep but also has Emma's personality and wit, like the pay-off on this paragraph: > One of the significant things about Deftones is that they have always gone beyond metal’s basic aggressive tropes. The aggression is still present, conveyed in their mountainous riff work and low tunings, but it’s often suffused with something softer. Sometimes it’s with elements of shoegaze or the sultry tones of their influences like Prince or Sade, maybe it simply pours through in a gentle melody or the mere coolness of Moreno’s sensitive tenor. There’s something more sensitive about it, both in melody and lyrics. He’s mysterious and abstract but with a burning emotional core. And, infamously, he’s often quite horny. It's a generous piece of writing too, shouting out the book _Under My Thumb: Songs That Hate Women & The Women Who Love Them_ edited by Rhian E. Jones and Eli Davies (order it from your local Bookshop here), and a range of artists including Lorna Shore, Babymetal, Halestorm, and Spiritbox. If you missed the piece when we published it or fancy a re-read, here's **Deftones is for the girls** by the now award-winning music journalist Emma Wilkes. Deftones is for the girlsTo get into arenas, heavy acts have to get women on their side. And who does that better than Chino and co?Drowned in SoundEmma Wilkes The judges chose Emma's piece over a shortlist that included articles from The Atlantic and The New Yorker, and Eliza McLamb's viral Substack essay about fake fans. * Spencer Kornhaber: How Lizzo Became One of Pop Culture's Great Flops - The Atlantic * Eliza Mclamb: Fake Fans - Substack * Kelefa Sanneh: How Music Criticism Lost its Edge - New Yorker * Alexander Vladimirov: Let the Underground Club Scene Go Under - Times Movement Learn more about the awards and see the full list of winners. This award-winning essay was only possible because of many of you who support this newsletter with your subscriptions and allow us to commission articles like this. If you'd like to become a supporter, you can contribute for as little as £2.50 per month. Learn more Subscribers can browse the archive of Emma's articles here: Emma Wilkes - Drowned in SoundDrowned in SoundNewsletter

After being in London, I sneezed and – if you’ll excuse the disgusting imagery for just one second - what came out was black. I hadn’t even been on the Central Line. Instead, I’d been at Victoria Park for my first time at All Points East for its Outbreak edition headlined by Deftones, with IDLES, Amyl and the Sniffers, JPEGMAFIA, Salem and more on the bill. Like virtually every other park or grassy scrap of land across the country, the definition of ‘green space’ has been stretched after a cavalcade of heatwaves and a dearth of rain. What should be green is now a feeble yellow and brown. I could have been walking on the beach. Choking clouds of dust were kicked up by almost 40,000 people trudging from stage to stage. Some people who’d thought ahead – or knew of just how dusty All Points East can be – were wearing bandanas. Some wore Covid-style face masks, adding an eerie tone to an otherwise joyous day. It underlined a pattern I’d witnessed ever since the May Bank Holiday weekend, when the punters of Slam Dunk wilted in unseasonable heat that built into the first ever May heatwave. As I mentioned in this newsletter previously, Glastonbury chose a good year for a fallow year, as if it had taken place as normal, it would have unfolded in temperatures of up to 37 degrees during a red alert for extreme heat. That weekend, I was at Outbreak Festival in Manchester, but the heat remained so oppressive even inside that one friend soaked through three t-shirts with sweat. He ended up spending around £100 at the merch desk buying new ones. I also experienced camping at a festival in a heatwave. 2000trees was a beautiful occasion this year, but every morning I was woken by the glare of the sun burning through my tent. It was impossible to sleep in past about 8am. At one point, an already intense day of reviewing bands became a little much and I needed a lie down, but after some rehydration and halloumi fries, I was okay. I considered myself lucky, at least, that I’ve built up a tolerance to the heat that some people don’t have. This is just a collage of my own experiences this summer. I’ve spared a thought for the punters of Boomtown, who also battled punishing heat and dust during the heatwave earlier this month. By contrast, Creamfields has been battered so severely by rain and thunderstorms that DJs had their sets cancelled due to the resulting power cuts. Further afield, the picture becomes gloomier. The most striking of them all was in the US, when the artist Poppy was unable to come on stage at Upheaval Festival in Michigan due to the unsafe air quality caused by smoke from the Canadian wildfires over the border. Her band played on without her in gas masks. I’ve discovered this summer that it’s possible to doomscroll with the weather forecast. In the two weeks in the run-up to a festival, I’m watching the weather reports, clicking multiple times a day, willing the temperatures to go down or at least not go up anymore. What does summer fun even mean when climate anxiety blights it like this? Will we be holding our breaths for three months at a time now, hoping reservoirs don’t run dry and food can still be put on the table? Peter Saville's take on the No Music On A Dead Planet merch. The idea that there is no music on a dead planet has come to be more than a slogan. For me now, it no longer just means that if the planet dies, and humanity dies, music dies with it. It means that when climate disaster hits, and it’s hitting now, music feels it as much as the rest of us. It’s bans on camping stoves at festivals, emptier crowds – as I saw at one festival – by the time the headliner arrives because the fans can’t hack the heat anymore, even down to cancellations and disruptions for those events affected by high winds or thunderstorms. In fact, in 2024 alone, 1 in 10 outdoor music festivals that were cancelled that year cited extreme weather as their reason for not going ahead. I am not, and would never encourage doomerism. Pessimism is dangerous, and I endorse the idea that to claim that we are already doomed as a planet is as dangerous as climate denialism as both, technically, perpetrate misinformation. At this point, however, ignorance is not an option. Just as music holds up a mirror to our world, festival season has held up a mirror to the climate crisis. It lays it out so plainly that it’s impossible to look away from. Conversely, music can also be a frontier for climate-based innovation. Look at Forwards Festival in Bristol, which took place this weekend, and whose two stages have been driven by a zero-emission compact hydrogen power plant. Neatly, it's located in the same city where local legends Massive Attack put out their Act 1.5 gig and produced the lowest carbon emissions ever recorded for an event of that type and scale. Further afield in Winchester, Boomtown Fair also had a hydrogen-powered stage this year, aptly named HYDRO XL. Music can always gives us hope. When it comes to the climate, that is no different. On the flipside, it stops us from ignoring the gravity of an already grievous situation, quietly, but poignantly. If music is the thing that radicalises you to fight for the climate, that can only be a good thing. * * * ## THIS WEEK'S PODCAST Last week we caught up with Steven from **Blood Red Shoes** about their forthcoming album. This week is quite different to anything we've done before but overlaps with so many of the themes of the nearly 100 episodes of the podcast. It's a story involving AI, rap, Spotify, algorithms, social media, the far right, and the power of journalism. DiS founder Sean Adams caught up with Harriet Williamson from Novara and Effie Webb from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism to find out more about their reporting into Danny Bones, a creation of The Node Project who have amassed 5 million plays on YouTube. Listen on Apple | Pocket Casts | Podcast Addict | or wherever you get your podcasts. ### Read Their Reporting Danny Bones: the men behind far-right AI rapper revealedDanny Bones turns far-right talking points into viral content while the people controlling him have remained hiddenTBIJEffie WebbSharon Osbourne Is a Far-Right AI Slop FanThe talent contest judge and reality TV star’s official instagram account has shown support for AI musician Danny Bones and promised to attend Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom march next month. Harriet Williamson and Simon Childs report.Novara Media SPONSORED Drowned in Sound is proud to be partnered with ****Qobuz**** , the pioneering high quality music streaming platform. Each week, we create a companion playlist for our podcast. This week the journalists behind the investigation into the AI rapper beloved by the far right share some of the tunes which make them proud to be British. 30 Day Free Trial of Qobuz ### IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK * A Russian stadium has refused to host Kanye West, meaning yet more concerts cancelled for the disgraced rapper. Incidentally, the two planned October gigs in St Petersburg would have been the first major concerts to take place in Russia since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. * New research from the Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator has revealed that ticketing fees, resale upcharges and 'junk' fees cost music fans $11.3 billion. This is a combination of a price tag of $6.8 billion in excess fees charged by online platforms and $4.5 billion in inflated prices by scalpers. * A new government report has identified just how deep the damage of Brexit on EU touring goes. Between 2022 and 2024, the UK is estimated to have lost 2,490 full-time equivalent jobs within the touring sectors, while the EU has lost 17,010. Smaller and mid-size touring operations have been the worst affected, and reduced touring activity has strangulated opportunities for cultural exchange, audience development and future export growth. ### Dolly Parton, we will always love you Country icon and doer of all good things Dolly Parton died this week at the age of 80, leaving behind a rhinestone-encrusted legacy that shines brighter than most people's ever will. She gave us Jolene, 9 to 5 and I Will Always Love You, but she also gave children in poverty a free book every month until they started school, funding for Covid-19 vaccines and love and hope to marginalised communities. She was pro-trans, pro-queer, anti-racist and pro-people, giving so much money to charity that it kept her away from billionaire lists. We should all be more Dolly Parton.

A quote from DJ Pete Tong has been haunting me for weeks. He declared that modern listening habits are tantamount to “just watching the best scenes from a movie.” This quote came in response to a survey conducted by National Rail into people’s music listening habits, which, it turns out, are narrower and more comfort-based than a lot of music fans would hope. Of the 2,000 respondents, the average listener plays their favourite track 343 times a year and rotates between just six artists. They even unearthed a rather disheartening statistic: **41 per cent of fans have not listened to an album in full in the last year** and 8 per cent have never spun one from start to finish at all. “The way we interact with music has fundamentally shifted, and it’s easy to let an algorithm do all the thinking for you, or rely on that one playlist of favourite songs, keeping you stuck replaying the same safe tracks,” Tong added. This survey and Tong's response buried itself so deeply in my psyche because at least, to some extent, I know I’m part of the problem. Funnily enough, when it comes to music, a lot of us are quite literally like records stuck on repeat. When I’ve played music through Spotify or YouTube, I have been known to bounce between a heavy rotation of songs conveniently listed on the sidebar or at the end of a playlist, songs phasing in and out as time passes. This pick-and-mix like approach brings its joys, of course. It’s a form of panning for dopamine, especially as what I choose tends to be fresher discoveries. More intense are my ADHD song hyperfixations, where I’ll play one song constantly, either for the emotions it induces or because one particular section scratches my brain. The problem is I fear it inhibits me. There’s a universe of music that it stops me touching, because it takes away my need to have to search, make a decision, or exert any extra effort. I have to switch gears in my brain when I want to transition from this quick dash from song to song to artist to artist to locking into the full experience of an album. It’s even stopped me going deeper into a certain artist’s back catalogue. Frankly, I don’t want that anymore. Depending on the circumstance, my brain can become more distractible than I’d like when I’m trying to explore an album I’ve not listened to. Sometimes, a few songs in, I develop a craving to listen to one really specific song and end up cutting my own flow off to listen it before picking up where I left off. The unfamiliarity and unpredictability of a new album asks more of you, in terms of both time and energy. Often, they need breaking in like Doc Martens for the depth of its experience to fully reveal itself to you. It’s a nourishing act, a slower, more satiating type of gratification, but one that requires more effort. The algorithm rushes in to take one more decision off our overloaded plates, but in the moment, we’re not focused on what it costs us. We don’t always notice how it narrows our worlds, especially if we outsource that decision making because life has drained us enough in other ways. It’s not surprising in this economic climate, when wages have been outpaced by living costs and there’s greater pressure to simply survive. Naturally, it squeezes our mental capacity too, but this is intertwined with online information overload, social media overstimulation, and the sanding away of already fragile attention spans thanks to short-form video and the endless micro-decisions that come with scrolling into oblivion. The attention economy matters. The less capacity we have to deeply think, for our minds to wander, and to absorb more complex ideas and art, the easier we close ourselves off to the world’s knotty issues and raging crises. We cannot solve problems we don’t have the capacity to dissect, but we also get cut off from the long-form art and culture that imbues our lives with so much meaning. If you needed more of a jolt out of these habits, Johann Hari’s brilliant book Stolen Focus is an essential read about why the decline in attention spans is such a vital issue. Fortunately, algorithmic dominance is falling out of fashion anyway. Offline is in and brainrot is out, partly a result of AI slop clogging news feeds, partly a result of declining mental health. A piece I read in The Guardian on the rise of offline activity clubs was especially encouraging, while an Ofcom report earlier this year confirmed that fewer adults are posting, sharing and commenting on social media, and that two-thirds of adults feel they spend too much time online. I see my efforts to alter my listening habits as synonymous with my battle to distance myself from social media where possible. They have the same effects, both positive and negative. A few hours offline can have the same restorative, calming power as immersing myself in an album on the train or in my bedroom. Sometimes song-based listening feels like stuffing myself with sweets where an album feels like a nourishing meal, which is exactly how too much online time versus an offline afternoon feels. So, how do we make change? As I’ve been learning, environment matters more than willpower. (Don’t rely on willpower unless you want to convince yourself you can never change your ways at all. It’s fickle.) Train yourself with albums again in quiet, peaceful environments with maybe only a menial task to do as you listen – I weirdly favour sticking one on when putting my laundry away. See also – the supermarket, the bus, the drive, a walk. If you have the means, invest in what you’re listening to, by buying some CDs, a record player, even a second-hand iPod. If you’ve put money behind it, you’ll want to engage with it and get every pound’s worth. Even a subscription to a better quality streaming service like Qobuz – who pride themselves on discovery and human curation – counts. I’ve also found making a specific list of albums to explore helps narrow down the decision making when the occasion calls. On mine currently are the likes of Nothing’s Dance On The Blacktop, The Prodigy’s The Fat Of The Land and _Songs To Scream At The Sun_ by Have Heart. Trawl through magazines and support print media at the same time. Then, you get to feel doubly like a good arts-supporting citizen. The best part is that the choice feels more like yours. No technological wizardry can hold you in place. Explore, and enjoy. * * * If you have déjà vu, this thought has been stuck on repeat since this recent newsletter about the National Rail report. * * * ### **And in other news...** * Women's Aid and the End Violence Against Women coalition have urged the organisers of Thirty Seconds To Mars' arena shows in London and Manchester next year to cancel them. This comes in the wake of a litany of allegations of criminal sexual misconduct against vocalist Jared Leto, which allegedly took place between 2002 and 2016. (He has denied all the allegations.) * We're still waiting for the government to properly put plans into action to ban ticket touting, but in the meantime they've linked up with O2 for a new campaign against ticket fraud**.** They're encouraging gig goers to always use official ticketing websites, such as Twickets, and to take caution over last minute tickets for sale on social media. * Spotify will begin labeling AI artists on its platform in response to the demand of fans for better transparency around AI-generated music. They will also not be included in personal recommendations. SPONSORED Drowned in Sound is proud to be partnered with ****Qobuz**** , the pioneering high quality music streaming platform. Each week, we create a companion playlist for our podcast. School's out for summer and the DiS team are sharing their tunes of the year and this week it's the turn of podcast co-host Helena Wadia. Listen to all of our playlists here. Get a 30 day free trial of Qobuz

When I was growing up, I read a lot of Hunter S. Thompson essay collections. I adored his essays about being on the political campaign trail. Bouncing from village community centres to big city diners. From playgrounds to the long meandering bus rides, democracy felt alive and constantly in motion. Some of the writing felt like an abstract reality show about an office of staff and their great hope for the future of America, moving from place to place. I liked hearing about the shared goals of a team, even if some of Hunter's extrapolations of their visions were ideologically demonic. Amidst the cartoonish deconstructions of right wing bigots and his everyday way of speaking about overcoming injustice, there was something about his "gonzo"-style and first person POV writing that really excited me. The way he captured moments of history was less like a fly on the wall and more like cackling at a fly trapped under a brandy glass. I lapped it up and he had me locked in to some failed 70s senate races as if my life depended on the result, feeling his indignant rage thundering onto the page, with his oscillating sense of power being won or never grasped due to incompetence or being too darn nice. Often the very concept of power itself was being mocked, tarred and feathered before he'd even finished his opening paragraph. There was an air of possibility, hope muddled with fear, in the way his writing was lurching toward the deadline of an election day. It was exciting hearing about the rousing speeches and the workloads and miles travelled and the drinks imbibed. Days seemed endless, Mondays blurring into Thursdays with speeches that felt like people were leaving it all out on the field. Or being posh city folk being jeered by local farmers. Something about that collective endeavour and the eyes on the prize way of operating really appealed. It made me wonder what my adult self would be like, would I be in the throes of a project like that or (in)venting a new kind of journalism... By the time I turned 21, I was on the campaign trail of another kind, working with artists on their debut singles (Bat for Lashes, Emmy the Great, Kaiser Chiefs, The Koreans, Komakino, etc) and then starting to release debut albums (like Jeniferever, Youthmovies, thisGIRL, Redjetson, and Brett Anderson's first solo record). Back then, in the mid-2000s, the music industry was very different. CD singles sold in their thousands which helped both finesse your marketing savvy and built connections with retailers. CD albums had a great margin, you'd manufacture them for about £1, sell them for £8-12, spend about £1-2 per sale on marketing/pr/small print ads, and somewhere amongst it all cover the recording costs and advance to the artist and your staff. Our releases like Martha Wainwright's debut album would go on to sell over 80,000 copies, helping to not just fund the label but keep the Drowned in Sound website alive. I was in my element, I knew how to find music that I adored and slip it to people in the media who became supporters and shared their passion for the records to their audiences. Slowly at first and then rapidly the artists would grow an audience and fandoms were born. Momentum would build over months, and eventually we'd start to see the fruits of our labour in terms of sales meaning our distributor needed us to make more stock to get into the warehouse. ### Something Changed In early 2008, my friends who worked at Last FM and SoundCloud invited me to a room above an east London boozer. I sat alongside about 30 people and listened to a chap called Daniel Ek talk about how he was going to end piracy with a new streaming service called Spotify. What he was building sounded a lot like Napster's legal streaming service. Being the annoying person I can sometimes be, I asked some pointed questions about his own passion for music. Bafflingly, he could barely answer my questions about the music he liked or the careers he hoped to change. He was so in the weeds of the data and "the solution" that it seemed alien to him to even consider talking about the records he loved (to this day, despite a huge comms team, we know little about his taste or if he even likes music). To say it was a radicalising moment would be over-egging it but I definitely felt something crumble and buckle inside of me that I've never straightened out. Ek wasn't wrong about the problem. Around this time, our CD sales began to plummet, partly because of how easy it had become to transfer someone MP3s of an album or swap hard drives with a friend. And then the economic crash hit (also ending the funding that helped us fund the launch of TheQuietus, ThrashHits and TheLipster), and I very reluctantly put our defiantly independent label on pause. In the 2010s I've dabbled in helping the artists I manage release their records through my 360⁰/CCCLX label but so much has changed that everything I once knew had become pretty much obsolete. For a while, it was still possible to engage with humans that had audiences, be that playlisters or publications or radio DJs or record shops. I even grew my own footing as a playlist maker and could help nudge algo-daddy to uplift tunes by acts I loved and music I was working with. Now, it feels as if you're shouting into a void, being told to repeatedly insert coin(s) to continue. The blogs and playlist makers and even some radio stations, have a pay to submit music set up. There's some remaining independent media outlets whose inboxes are deluged, so releasing music is a heartbreaking game of researching people and sending follow ups that never get a reply (I feel their inbox straining and know the pain). Or paying out £1000s for pluggers/PRs to do it on your behalf, who often don't get much more luck. From what I can tell from everyone I speak to, releasing music in 2026 is mostly data entry followed by figuring out what advert will convert social audiences into streaming a song, before you run out of money... only to get a pittance back in streaming income (fair to say, that is not a game we've been playing). Whilst the intermediaries have changed, two things remained true: * Music fans are the centre of everything * Getting fans to join a mailing list so you can keep in touch with them is crucial - even more so now that algorithms and the attention economy is so broken that you need to debase yourself or endlessly post in order to cut through (the only caveat is that inboxes are now bulging under the weight of newsletters like this one) ### As We Once Were Today sees the release of the third album by producer and multi-instrumentalist, The Anchoress entitled _As We Once Were_. As We Once Were, by The Anchoress14 track albumThe Anchoressricheychthonic Alongside keeping DiS going, I've worked with Catherine since her first EP. As a manager I mostly get out of her way, stepping in when needed for meetings or graphic design or shooting social videos or conspiring. She's sold over 20,000 physical records so far, recouped her first record deal (pretty much unheard of in our business) and found fans in the likes of Robert Smith and Elton John, as well as won plaudits and picked up a tonne of press acclaim. And without bags of marketing spend, she's done that through hard graft and focussing on one fan at a time. Bandcamp has been so central to her story. As an early adopter of the platform, the way fans get a notification when a pre-order or new release comes out has been key to sustaining her career. So it's not an accident that her album is released today, which is Bandcamp Friday, where they take no fees. And on Sunday, she'll be doing a special listening party that fans around the world can join (feel free to pop along). On Monday, we will celebrate the launch of the album at Rough Trade on London's legendary Denmark Street. Alongside a signing and a playback of the album, we'll be in conversation and share some confessions from this campaign, reflecting on how much has changed since her album 5 years ago and my first forays into the industry over two decades ago. Tickets are available for free on Dice if you wanna join us. The album is streaming around the world (even just saving it to your library would be a big help for battling the corporate algorithm deluged in AI slop) and is available from all good record shops. Stream or Buy: As We Once Were by The Anchoress Anyway, don't just take my word for it being worth a listen (or adding a copy to your collection), here's some of the praise the record has had so far:

"I nearly passed out on stage," musician and photographer Joel Arthur is saying of a show he played at Sheffield's Corporation during a heatwave in September 2023. "I made sure to drink so much water, but you get to a point where you're nearly drowning yourself. No matter what, you're basically cooking yourself alive." For music fans, few weeks would have been worse timing for a heatwave than this one. As ever, the last full week of June is jammed full of shows. The road to Wembley Stadium will turn rainbow-coloured and sequinned for Harry Styles' continued _Together, Together_ residency (fun fact: these shows will be raising huge sums for the grassroots levy with £1 coming from each of the million or so tickets!). The stadium is adapting slightly by allowing fans to bring their own water bottles in to fill up at free water points. They're also selling half price water at the bars and offering free suncream stations. “We also ask all guests coming to Wembley Stadium this week to stay hydrated, take regular breaks in shaded areas, wear sun cream, use the free water fountains available on all levels of the stadium including the pitch area, and dress accordingly. Wear loose, breathable clothing and consider head covering or hat,” a stadium spokesperson told IQ_._ Meanwhile, the Music Venue Trust is uniting grassroots venues across the country for the inaugural Everywhere At Once festival that we've discussed in recent newsletters. ## Sign up for Drowned in Sound For 25 years our publication and podcast has recommended music. We now also spark conversations and create resources to help music fans discover their collective power. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Ordinarily this week would be Glastonbury week. but looking at the weather forecast, it's more than a small mercy that it's a fallow year... The definition of sweatbox is being rewritten as we speak. Temperature records for June have been smashed in the UK, only to be broken the next day - now reaching a provisional high of 36.4C. Amber and red extreme heat warnings have been issued and train companies have advised against all but essential travel. Most ironically of all, an event about how to adapt to extreme heat has been cancelled due to... extreme heat. I'm surprised more events aren't being cancelled, like they might be in the event of storms or snow. The only UK events I've seen cancelled have been at Banquet Records at Kingston-upon-Thames, particularly in light of warnings about unnecessary travel. Looking at various news sources, even in Europe where the temperatures are even hotter than here, there are very few events this weekend that have been postponed. Defqon.1 in Netherlands is off, and according to The Guardian some events aren't happening in France where the temperature is likely to be over 42C, which is dangerously several degrees above our 37C body temperature. The Berliner reports that there are some mitigations, rather than cancellations, in Berlin this weekend where it's forecast to be 40C: > The Waldbühne has also changed its regulations; for Saturday evening’s season-ending concert of the Berlin Philharmonic, everyone is allowed to bring in two 0,5l drinks, food in transparent packaging and pocket umbrellas to protect from the sun, among other things. The organizers have increased the planned number of medical staff on site and will arrange water dispensers. Similarly, for Friday’s Bruno Mars concert, you can bring non-alcoholic beverages of up to 1 litre as well as handheld fans. Most of the time, it seems venues are ploughing on with the show, likely because it is the only option. "It's very difficult to cancel shows," Arthur - who plays in the band Broken; Narrative - continues, "even if you planned ahead and you didn't think it was going to be that hot. It's so difficult to cancel because every show costs. Every penny counts. Sometimes you have to risk the heat exhaustion. Schools are closing across the UK and public places might close but shows will still go ahead because we can't afford to not play." There's also always the risk that bands playing festivals could be facing what is essentially a very hot workplace. Only last summer, I saw an artist who usually performs barefoot yell for some shoes to be brought because the stage was burning the soles of her feet. "My hands were so sweaty I dropped my sticks at least twice," says Alannagh Doherty, drummer of Venus Grrrls, of a festival show she played in 2022. "My bandmates also couldn’t see their pedalboards because the sun was directly on them with zero protection. I was also blind for a good bit of the gig as the sun hits the stage perfectly and I couldn’t see anything." There'll be countless others working at festivals or in venues who have to press on with work too - touring crew, stewards, other members of staff - in potentially unsafe conditions. Then, there are the fans who have spent money and have been thinking ahead to the experience potentially for months. Many are bound to still make the trek out even if they're drenched in sweat by the time they've made it inside or have risked passing out, but for those with underlying health conditions made worse by the heat, it might mean travelling to a show is a complete non-starter. Inevitably, there'll be losses for the venue too if more people stay away whether because it's dangerous for them or simply too unpleasant, amounting to reduced takings at the bar and merch table. Does it have to be like this? Absolutely not. The problem is that legally and societally, whether out of fear or ignorance, we refuse to adapt or rethink as the earth continues heating up. If this week is going to prove anything, it is how necessary those are. It's a fundamental worker's rights issue, not to mention an issue that could prompt those in government to take the climate crisis as seriously as it deserves to be. As many people will have discovered this week, there is no maximum temperature threshold for working conditions in the UK. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) recommended introducing one around the time of the May heatwave, but nonetheless employers are required, under more vague terms, to properly manage risks to health and safety and extreme heat is technically a hazard. Shockingly, according to the Heat Strike campaign, unions have been campaigning for this as far back as 2008. One of their demands is to make it illegal to work in temperatures of over 30 degrees, or 27 degrees for strenuous work. "The most important legal measures are ones that recognise that extreme heat is a serious public health concern and workplace safety concern as well," explains climate activist Tori Tsui, who previously appeared on the _Drowned In Sound_ podcast. "I think it requires us to have some pretty strong protections for workers who may be exposed to high temperatures or legally enforce heat action plans and cancel events that are taking place in areas without ventilation. I think there should be minimum standards for cooling and ventilation in public buildings and in housing and public transport with really clear, defined duties that local authorities and employees can enact in order to protect the general public during heat waves." The performers' union Equity has joined TUC in campaigning for this too. Equity have also laid out a list of guidelines for those working in theatres, which could also apply to performers in live music venues: limiting rehearsal times to cooler parts of the day, turning off lighting rigs when they're not in use, minimising strenuous choreography. It's also imperative for there to be changes to insurance policies too so there isn't a loss to the artists who do wish to cancel. If they can cancel for other types of extreme weather, especially when it affects public transport and limits fans' access to gigs, then they should be compensated if heat makes playing live unsafe too. As it stands, artists would forfeit their fee if they cancelled due to heat of their own volition, even if this is in the interest of protecting fans as much as themselves. In short, it's time to adapt, and to adapt fast. "The increase in frequency and of intensity of heat waves show that climate adaptation can't really be an afterthought anymore," continues Tsui. "Reducing emissions is super, super essential. When the government fails to prioritise climate adaptation, it leaves so many people vulnerable, not just those who are already predisposed to suffering at the hands of extreme heat." The World Health Organisation has more info on the science of why being __this hot__ is bad and what to do about it. ### Artists call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty On a related note, over 200 artists worldwide, including Jane Fonda, Brian Eno, Robert Smith, and Susan Sarandon, have signed an open letter which stresses the need for a global Fossil Fuel Treaty. The treaty will move to “end fossil fuel expansion, phase out existing production in an equitable manner, and invest in a just and sustainable future” and Tsui, who was quoted above, has also been involved in bringing it to life. Other long-time supporters include Emma Watson, Mark Ruffalo, Massive Attack, and Coldplay. Andy Burnham, our potential future PM, has signed it too. If this means we could expect more decisive action from his possible premiership, that would be extremely welcome. ### Welcome back Barfly! Camden's legendary 200-cap venue Barfly is officially back in business, celebrating its re-opening on Monday night with a gig from none other than an artist who might well be one of the patron saints of venues, Frank Turner. The original venue opened in 1996 before shuttering in 2016 due to financial pressures and Camden Assembly operated in its place on Chalk Farm Road ever since. It's re-opening under new ownership, helmed by Dan Ickowitz-Seidler and Richard Buck of Propaganda Independent Venues, as well as local resident Chris McCormack. I never got to go to the original Barfly before it closed and I only went to one gig when it was known as the Camden Assembly. I'm curious to see what will happen. Will I end up there more often? Will it shift the centre of gravity among small venues in London away from East and back to North? Regardless, venues existing and thriving will always be a beneficial thing. ### StubHub gets told to cough up Ticket resale site StubHub has been fined £900,000 and ordered to refund 51,000 customers for implementing "drip pricing", which involves them not showing full prices of tickets at the time of booking and only revealing hidden service and delivery fees just before the transaction is completed. Emma Cochrane, the executive director of consumer protection at the Competition and Markets Authority, said: “Hitting customers with hidden fees is illegal. It’s not fair to draw people in with what looks like a good deal, only for them to find the real price is higher when they get to the checkout due to extra charges that can’t be avoided.” “Our message to businesses is simple: be transparent on costs or risk CMA action. Going to a live gig or sports game is an event many people save for – and our action today means thousands of fans will get back money taken unfairly through hidden fees.” Adam Webb of the FanFair Alliance added: "These fines levied against StubHub UK for drip pricing should be welcomed. "However, such illegal practices are only the tip of the iceberg. Over recent years, FanFair Alliance has repeatedly reported far more serious offences to the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA), where ticket touting websites including StubHub UK and viagogo have facilitated large-scale fraud and systematic breaches of consumer protection laws. "Regulators should not turn a blind eye to these wider issues. Today's developments only highlight the urgent need for a root and branch investigation into the anti-consumer practices of offshore ticket resale websites, and for the UK Government to fast-track their long-promised ban on ticket touting." * * * Right, that's all for this week. Public transport infrastructure allowing, I'm now heading up to Manchester for hardcore festival Outbreak. Yes, I'll stay hydrated and will be slathering on the sunscreen. Keep an eye out for my reporting on that here or over at Kerrang! Bye for now, Emma

James Blake's comments about not being able to trust music journalists seem not just surprising but pretty tone-deaf for someone who has been lauded by the music press for his sophisticated electronic jams beneath that pitch-perfect soaring falsetto. Before I get into it, read what he had to say if you missed it: Some of those other points about AI and big money using bot-like tactics to create fake fan accounts and boost vanity metrics (something I discussed on a recent podcast with TheDrum) aren't far off the mark and I would agree but I'm too distracted by that first line: **not being able to trust reviews? Paid off by labels?!** Where are the receipts for these claims? It's not something that I recognise having run DiS for 25 years, releasing records on my independent label and managing artists who've been critically acclaimed. Judging by the response from my record reviewing peers online, James Blake has not just kicked a hornet's nest but scored the sort of own goal that wakes you up at night gnawing on your foot... Blake's comments are worth exploring a little deeper... ### Re-ee-wi _ii_ nd! There was a time when no-one knew who James Blake was. He was in his bedroom geeking out with synths and software, but unlike thousands of other lads sweating over Pro Tools he then released _CMYK_ to a sea of "OMG this is era-defining" critical acclaim. There were blogs dedicated to sharing his every demo and remix, linked to by online communities like ours. Crowds of people were getting _very_ excited about this new, talented, prescient young chap who made music that met a moment. Songs that had the glow of the digital era but with the heart of an 80s movie made by Amblin or Lucasfilm. This digital landscape that some dubbed as part of the emerging "dubstep" movement was topped by Blake's soaring falsetto. This new flavour [emo] electronic music felt cool and new and ours. It was clear from the best new band features and the love for his music online that many felt he was a new Beck, D'Angelo or possibly even Prince, but with the bedroom charm of The Streets. A once in a generation talent. What was clear to me was that outside of the tracks I was into, he was also making this gently euphoric music that wsa perfect for a mass of people working in open plan offices wearing £200+ headphones. Rather than functional music, his tunes felt part of the culture of our new reality - almost as if they had the same half-lit twilight that emanates from the edges of our keyboard keys. Then there were the hearts-drawn-in-condensation ballads that sounded particularly great in headphones on night buses. They were also perfect for that Spotify playlist sent to a love interest, with just the right amount of croon. Then came his debut album, and reviewers poured praise on his defiantly modern male but opposite of stale, lilies-at-dawn-scented take on RnB and his haunting cover of 'Limit To My Love'. From The Wire to Pitchfork, Consequence of Sound to the Telegraph, there was a ridiculous amount of top marks, must-buy, album of the year contender, flavoured reviews. ### Like A Map With No Ocean Since the release of his debut album, more adoration followed, including being the runner-up in the BBC Sound of 2011 (voted for mostly by critics and broadcasters) and the BRITs Critics Choice, in which he somehow lost out to Jessie J. Then came the Mercury Prize nomination and even those hard-to-please hip-crits at Pitchfork proclaiming his debut the 12th best album of the year. He rode this wave of praise onto the radio airwaves and prestigious festival bills. High profile mainstream media coverage followed, as did 15 years of solid, name-droppable albums. Then came his algorithm-pleasing career of collabs, co-writes and "featuring" production credits on critically celebrated records by everyone from Dave and Beyonce to ***ye and Bon Iver. Brand deals beckoned, advertisers rushed to pay him hideous sums to use his music, and lucrative catwalk performances followed. Life was good in James Blake's hood until [play:needle_scratch.mp3] in recent years, he left his major label home and quickly realised just how shielded he was from the reality of being a musician in the 21st century. No longer buoyed by the big bucks and savvy of teams of people at a global megacorp, he started to realise that he had to, like, think about the economics of music and post online. _Yuck!_ He also discovered how little access he had to contact his fans who had bought tickets for his shows or streamed his music, and somehow he had to cut through the algorithms on social media and had to, like, post. _YUCK!_ If only there were some established, trusted, global media outlets and bedroom run creator projects, run by people who love music, read by audiences who adore music... ### Through The High Wiiiire He's a talented lad, from a musical family, and I'm absolutely sure that without a syllable of media coverage he would still have magically had the career he's had. 100%. No diggity, no doubt. Wink-wink. Cheeky smirk. Nose laugh. 🫠 (Ok, we get it, you're being sarcastic - Ed) I'm not deluded. The media does not have the power that it once did, but at the time Blake was coming through, his career surely benefitted from the praise and trusted human recommendations from music critics the world over. Let's not forget that to be "a critic" does not mean you are a demolition crew, deconstructing or destroying a piece of art, but thinking about it, critically, and using your words on the page or in a TikTok script or on the radio to convey what it is about the music that resonates with you or to whom it might be their new favourite song/album/band/synth-lugging-troubadour. You're using critical thinking and your decades of nerding out and listening to a vast array of music to help map out the sonic places that are worth exploring and maybe not signposting the areas best avoided... in your opinion! That said, I took it upon myself to read the recent James Blake coverage and revisited his seventh studio album _Trying Times,_ which was released earlier this year. Had he been dogpiled by angry critics? No! Quite the opposite. Once again, music critics pulled out the superlatives for a record that sounds very James Blake. Those pitch-bent backing vocals. The aircon-chilled plumes of synths and skittering drums floating towards a crescendo that usually comes a little after you anticipated it. There are the crate-digger-approved samples from a cool array of places (although why you'd sample Dizzee Rascal not long after his charge for domestic abuse, is a choice....). There's his trademark (though not protected from AI) soaring vocals and grainy textures atop bass that removes the need for laxatives. It's all so very James Blakian. And it's kinda nostalgically satisfying to hear an artist so defined in their work and sonic landscape - even if the meditative and luscious production moments hide this inkling I have that many of his genteel melodies are almost instantly forgettable. ### Back To Blake's Instagram Stories Following kickback from pretty much every music journalist I follow online about this smear on our profession presented without any evidence (to be fair, he is not a journalist or writing a Wikipedia entry that requires citations), he eventually posted a caveat like Homer Simpson disappearing into a hedge. That's a bit of an eye roll after the declarative first point of his first post, isn't it? Not all journalists? (Please don't NOT ALL MENS!!! us, James) Which reviews can't people trust and why? The ones on bloggers and playlisters that get a few quid from SubmitHub to spend time listening to hours of music in order to find something to post about whilst offering feedback to everything they hear? Or the coverage in fancy fashion magazines with 200 pages of adverts and 100 pages of editorial, whose publishers may charge the artist for the photo shoot that they can then use as part of their campaign? Or the publications that offer a package where they'll turn the magazine cover into a billboard or poster campaign across the streets of major cities? Outside of advertorials, these are some of the only examples I've caught wind of that involve any financial back and forth between labels and the media in all my years working in music. Never for reviews. Without any clarification about who music fans can and can't trust, this is a plague on all our houses. * * * ### A Quick Open Letter To Mr Blake James, I'm sure you understand the role media has played in your career and you admit how much it has changed. If you look around, you will also see there's a big push back against the slop era we're living through. Even magazines are popping up again (we're even launching one this autumn) and it feels as if the alg0-free print medium is likely to have a similar moment to what vinyl has had in the past decade. If you genuinely feel bad for mispeaking and truly want to mend some bridges that are currently aflame, why not encourage your fans to follow some independent publications, radio and creators that you know people can trust? Maybe add a links page to your website? Or how about starting a trend of artists with big followings amplifying publications' social media posts about music? You could simply signal-boost music recommendations with some reposts? Going a step further, maybe take out some adverts to directly support us and promote your latest tour or album or Patreon-like fan experiment? If I were you, I'd take out a paid subscription to some magazines and music newsletters. Not only would it be £100-200 well spent to support media outlets but it would get a regularly delivered sense of the passion and pride most publications take in building a trusted relationship with our audiences. You would also find a pile of trusted reviews, recommending some music you might not hear otherwise. * * * Until we hit pause on our main website in 2019, we used to get a big arena audience of music lovers on DiS every single day, and over 2 million people on the site across the year (3 million when major artists linked to our coverage). People like you, the music fan, reading this now, who've followed us for years, are the people that artists like Blake have been a beneficiary of reaching either because you loved his music or maybe recommended it to a friend or just supported the labels and festivals and outlets that cover him. That's how ecosystems works. It would be overstating it to say the 50+ passionate music titles like DiS that exist around the world are the sole reason for his success (his great music did most of the heavy lifting, obvs!), but we're a cog in the system that has led to his hugely successful career that keeps him in those wide-leg designer trousers. It's sad (in a slightly melancholic but never fully miserable kinda way... like with many of his songs) to see James Blake become a shadow of the man we thought he was (and the man Jameela Jamil often tells us he is amongst her many brilliant appearances on podcasts reminding us that together we can, collectively, overcome inequalities and that a better world is possible). ### A privileged and successful artist turned into the Principal Skinner meme. James Blake's swipe at the profession of music journalism is quite the thing. I don't mean to take it personally, it's just that I've spent the last quarter century building a publication on passion and goodwill, and I know so many brilliant people who keep their zines and blogs and pods going through hard work alongside their day jobs. We are fans too, we're just lucky enough to sometimes get early access to records and to interview some of the artists we adore. However, I'm not saying no-one would ever take label money for kind reviews but the the vast majority of us have an ethical code and we care about trust. We care about our readers and the artists we cover. We also care about the truth, and this malign comment about our profession will not just damage our reputation but it will eat away at the acclaim of all of the artists our publications celebrate. If anything, it might stop humans trusting their fellow human to recommend them music, and we'll just be left with the acts who have the biggest ad budgets or most please the algorithm (if we're kinda at this point alreadyx). Not to write a sentence that sounds like AI but... Blake's post and his not-quite-retraction wasn't just clunky, it felt fresh from Ricky Gervais' punching-down playbook. Or even a bit like one of those posh-af hate-raking clickbait headlines from a broadsheet columnist moaning about Net Zero during a deathly heatwave. Hate on the haters, sure (Halsey is doing a great job of that this week and Anthony Fantano is perhaps not bathing himself in glory in how he has reacted), but James Blake's career has been blessed by great press. He has received the level of media coverage that would make most musicians blush. Most artists would be more cautious with their words and perhaps even grateful that these titles that bestow praise on them, throw them in their album of the year lists and plaster them onto their magazine covers continue to exist despite the harsh economic reality. At a time when The Guardian, The Sunday Times and The New York Times as well as NPR and Pitchfork are cutting back on reviews and music journalism is being defunded everywhere you look, it is the exact time that our profession needs to be defended by those whose careers have benefitted from it. We hope to see more artists and the industry speaking up for our craft as few have done so in response to Blake's post this week which has now gone semi-viral. To be very honest, we might cover how hard it is for artists and venues to keep afloat, but independent media is now pretty much a not-for-profit hobby for the vast majority of people behind the media brands you've come to trust for their recommendations and commentary. Same goes for content creators and podcasters. Then again, is James Blake admitting he paid for these glowing reviews from Dork and DIY and the Guardian and Irish Times? Because I'm sure the journalists and editors of these titles would be very surprised to hear that. Cite your evidence, reveal your sources, James, name names, we're all ears. You can come on our podcast if you like. We won't bite (too hard).

Drowned in Sound is launching a new print magazine for live music fans in partnership with Music Venue Trust. We’re looking for the founding team to help us bring the magazine to life. If you or someone you know could be our founding editor, deputy editor, production coordinator, editorial assistant, or partnerships & advertising assistant, we look forward to hearing from you. Apply Here We can’t wait to get started on this project which is backed by a grant from Music Venue Trust. Their support ensures we can make the mag free in 500+ grassroots venues across the UK, which we hope to launch as soon as this Autumn. As I explored on season two of our podcast about the future of the music press, there’s something really powerful about print magazines, especially in a time of algorithmic feeds, a deluge of AI slop, and the music biz running ads offshore social media platforms that are ineffective to grow audiences for artists and events. Here's a quick overview of the roles. There's lots more info at thesounding.org/jobs ## NOW HIRING ### FOUNDING EDITOR Lead the editorial vision of a new quarterly print magazine for live music fans. As Founding Editor, you'll shape the magazine's editorial voice, commission its defining stories, and build a network of contributors that reflects the energy, diversity and depth of the UK's live music community. ### DEPUTY EDITOR As Deputy Editor, you'll turn the editorial vision into a finished publication by managing production, commissioning and editing content, coordinating contributors, and ensuring every issue reaches print on time, on budget and to the highest standard. ### PRODUCTION COORDINATOR As Production Coordinator, you'll be the operational anchor of the publication - making sure every piece of content is correctly cleared, credited, and delivered, while overseeing distribution to hundreds of grassroots venues nationwide. ### EDITORIAL ASSISTANT As Editorial Assistant, you'll work across the editorial and production process - helping coordinate contributors, manage copy flow, and keep each issue moving smoothly from commission to print. ### PARTNERSHIPS & ADVERTISING ASSISTANT You'll work closely with the Publisher to identify sponsors and advertisers, open conversations, and keep the commercial pipeline active and organised as the magazine prepares to scale. * * * **These roles are now open.** Make sure you're on the drownedinsound.org mailing list to find out about future roles and freelance opportunities once the team are onboarded. We look forward to your applications and we will do our best to respond to all enquiries sent to jobs@thesounding.org but please note we are a very small team and may not be able to get back to everyone. Apply now at thesounding.org/jobs If you know someone who would love one of these roles, please forward this email or send them this Instagram post.

Happy Bulletproof weekend to those who celebrate! The inaugural edition of the Peace and Justice's new festival is underway right now across EartH in east London, as well as the Shacklewell Arms (today) and The Jago (tomorrow). I'm down on site working on a full write-up of the event, but ahead of the party continuing this evening I caught up with Annie Dorrett of Brighton noise-punks **CLT DRP** and **Cody Frost,** the latter of whom is headlining the second stage at The Jago tomorrow evening. ## CLT DRP: "I am personally finding the industry very exhausting at the moment" **You dropped ‘What Is She For?’ (** Bandcamp**) quite recently. Why was that song the one you wanted to lead your new chapter with?** The single felt like a nice blend of our 'new sound' as well as the past albums, we thought we'd ease in with something with a mix as well as a song that felt socially relevant at present. **It deals with “the endless requirements you have to meet as a DIY AFAB-fronted band”. What sort of pressures do gender expectations bring for you?** There's loads of pressure to uphold gender ideals which is stressful enough in our everyday lives, as you can see with the recent documentary _Manosphere_ by Louis Theroux or the ever evolving attack on trans rights at the moment. Those are just a few examples of the gender binary causing more damage than positives. There's also just the historically draining expectations on women and AFAB folks in the industry to be skinny / desirable / digestible / punk enough that you're bold, but not punk enough that you challenge too much. Obviously those tropes are changing but they are so ingrained into our society that it's very hard not to internalise it all of the time. I am personally finding the industry very exhausting at the moment. Sometimes you only have so much fight to offer before you burn out, there's so much riding on the individual image these days, it feels darker than normal. **The use of the phrase “What is a woman?” felt quite significant when that’s obviously a TERF dogwhistle. Why did that come into those lyrics? Was it an exercise of reclamation?** Yes it was an intentional usage of the TERF dog whistle. Gender is a made up social construct and nobody really has a linear idea of what a woman is or what she's for. I despise the question even being asked because it's frankly ignorant and ridiculous. Women aren't FOR anything and we are inherently intersectional, simple as that. I feel as though the more cis folk question gender and the complexities of it the more gender fluid and trans folks will be able to feel like they can experiment freely with their identity, which will hopefully and eventually lead to a less binary society. Indigenous folks have been practicing 'two-spirit' gender fluidity that dates back thousands of years - this isn't some new ideology at all and that information isn't spoken about enough when discussing trans and non-binary rights. **What does it mean to you to get to play in a space like Bulletproof that’s so focused on celebrating independent music, resistance and community building?** It means a great deal - independent music, acts of resistance, and community are the heart of good music, what more could you really want in a festival? **How do you think the community building aspect of music can help build unity and resistance in the real world? What does that mean to you?** I am honestly still figuring that out, but mostly everything comes back to the community. Music helps build foundation for community, community builds strength in cities and combats loneliness. It helps culture thrive and creates space for resistance and support. Our world is so caught up in individualistic thinking that we need as much community practice as possible for the future, that's how we survive the scary stuff. **You’ve already said your next body of work is a very diverse collection of music. What might we hear from you that’s different from what you’ve done before?** All of it still feels very 'CLT DRP' in terms of having bold music and abrasive sounds but it's just pushing those boundaries all a little further. The electronic bits are much more electronic and the heavy bits are much more heavy, almost a bit nu-metal at times. Hopefully we get it out at some point soon, and you'll love it when we do. * * * ## CODY FROST: "Too many working class people go unheard in this industry" **How's your 2026 been treating you so far? What have you been up to so far?** It's definitely looking good now the sun is finally out. I've been writing the next project demos and tattooing a lot, but we're mainly rehearsing for festivals this week! **You previously said that it was music that gave you your political awakening - who inspired that and what did you learn from them?** The first band that really connected with me on a political level was Enter Shikari, they have a strong focus on unity and that really impacted me from a young age, but those general circles of musicians really inspired me to vote for the first time, but before that I was listening to system of a down, rage against the machine and really anything that pushed against the grain in that way. I knew from a very young age that I was different and it developed into me realising that I have ADHD and that I'm queer, and whether I wanted to accept it or not, being that way was always bound to be political. **What have been your favourite examples of your music doing this for other people? What does that mean to you?** I think I always struggled to communicate, and I feel like music is the best way for me to do it, it's nice that I've finally found like minded people. Music has a way of connecting on another level, sometimes even if you can't talk. I think my music is delivered in a way that's not always obviously political but was always going to be, whether I intended it to be or not. Too many working class people go unheard in this industry and I want to change that, and I think people wanna see people that have more in common with themselves these days, and I've had so many people that felt connected with it because it sounds very ADHD hahah. **Your EP deals with rising technofascism - how do you feel like it's manifesting itself? Do you think AI has a role to play too?** I think AI is the worst thing that has happened to the internet. We're gonna struggle to see real information at some point and it's getting closer, it feeds into everything that is happening right now. I hope it becomes cringe for everyone (it is already for a lot of younger people), but we're at a really depressing stage already with how real it is, I feel like it sucks the fun out of trying, and also obviously awful for the planet. This timeline is actually terrible, but I think it's prime time for people to document their experiences in a physical form in some way, even if you just write about your work day. I feel like the past few years have changed everyone in some way and we need to communicate and connect more, I was writing about it in 2023-4 and it's wild how fast things got worse. I thought people would be more mad by now. **What does it mean to you to get to play in a space like Bulletproof that's so focused on celebrating independent music, resistance and community building?** I'm extremely excited to play Bulletproof, I've wanted to play more queer led shows and I feel like this is something that is super important right now, not only are we supporting a good cause; but I think just getting to connect with other queer people is always a fun time, there is a spark in the alt queer scene that I have always felt a part of and every show like this makes me feel affirmed and seen, and as always it's a pleasure to be supporting independent artists, they are hardworking and deserve more credit. **How do you think the community building aspect of music can help build unity and resistance in the real world? What does that mean to you, especially when you recently released an EP about the toxicity and trauma of growing up online?** Right now I think it's more valuable than ever to build community and I have always found that through music. I don't know where I'd be without it to be honest, art feels like one of the only ways to cut through in the sea of bullshit we wade through online. I think gen Z witnessed the birth of the internet and will ultimately witness its death, paywalls are becoming more prevalent. Which makes it even more inaccessible. But the older end of gen Z also got to experience a life without a full time screen, and we're really at the precipice of a life changing forever, I thought things had started to improve around 2019 but then I think covid really set us back in many ways, it was a slow decline after 2021 and then it snowballed. I think I am traumatised, not just by the internet, but it definitely has a strong part to play. **You are raising funds for the Trans Legal Clinic at the show. For readers who aren't aware of what they do, why do they matter so much as a charity right now?** I think being openly queer right now is an act of protest, I think it always has been, but right now I really feel like we need to look after our trans siblings, the government is doing their best to make life difficult for minority communities right now, and as a queer person myself; it feels good knowing that we have charities that are specific to the trans community, they built this and it's our job to lift them up. The charity centers around raising money for Trans Legal Clinic, they fund housing for trans housing and homelessness, and help trans people pay for legal help for things such as; gender based violence, discrimination in the work place, education, healthcare and public services and also help with gender recognition and healthcare. An extremely valuable service considering the current political climate, and also considering that 25% of trans individuals have experienced homelessness. Learn more about Bulletproof Festival here. * * * ### Two huge losses to the UK's grassroots network... As much as we're celebrating grassroots venues at Bulletproof this week, it would be remiss not to take a moment for two huge losses in the UK. The closure of the legendary The White Hotel in Salford, Manchester has sent huge shockwaves across the music landscape as they confirmed they would be shutting due to redevelopment pressures and flooding issues. "Basically, it's a swamp," co-founders Austin Collings and Ben Ward told The Guardian. They will close in January 2027, saying they wished to "go out on our own terms, long before we became a museum." Raves, Brecht and re-enacting Diana’s funeral: the White Hotel bows out as the north’s bravest music venue​After 10 years of avant-garde mayhem, the rough-diamond Salford venue is set to close. Its founders look back on their artistic free-for-all and explain how its spirit will continueThe GuardianGuardian staff reporter The Six Six Bar in Cambridge is also closing. In their statement announcing their closure, they said that "the reality is the costs of operating grassroots venues have become relentless", adding that they required roughly four sold-out shows every single week just to survive. In this economy, they had very little room for error. "But this is not a collapse, and we are not being forced out," they added. "We had funding ready to continue but we have decided now is the right time to move on. This is a conscious decision to evolve, move forward and build something new from everything this venue taught us. We leave proud, grateful and on our own terms." ### ... and there's a new exhibition about that very thing An exhibition about lost music venues at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London - where the Music Venue Trust launched their annual report - opened last weekend. It commemorates the cultural contributions and legacies left by music venues that sadly no longer operate, which shuttered between the 1980s and 2010s. It runs until October 2027 and chances are, I'll probably go and have a wander when I'm in London for Bulletproof. Lost Music Venues - Display at V&A South Kensington · V&AFeaturing around 50 ‘lost’ performance spaces from the 1980s to 2010s, this display celebrates music venues as centres of creativity, shining a light on both their cultural contribution and the challenges they face as a sector. This talk will be held on Zoom, and ticket holders will receive a link to view live on the morning of the event. The talk will also be recorded, and available to view for ticketholders after the event.Victoria and Albert Museum ### Rest in Power Kanya King Kanya King: Mobo Awards founder dies at 57Sir Idris Elba, Alesha Dixon and Stormzy remember King after her death from cancer at the age of 57.BBC NewsAlex Taylor

"I could be saving these bands so much money," quips Gareth from indie-leg-ends Los Campesinos! during his chat with Helena Wadia and I about the economics of being a band in 2026. We natter about merch, the joy of his touring family, Spotify, touring, class, privilege and why thinks someone should check in Ed Sheeran... Part 2 of the pod-chat is now live wherever you get your podcasts. 🎧 Apple Podcasts | Other Platforms SPONSORED Los Campesinos! A selection of DiS podcast new co-host Helena's favourite ****Los Camp!**** songs to soundtrack our latest episode of the DiS Podcast with lead singer ****Gareth David****. Get a free trial of Qobuz

_By Emma Wilkes with additional reporting and infographics by Sean Adams_ Live Nation has created a "climate of fear" in the UK live music industry, according to the House of Commons Business and Trade Committee. They published a report on Sunday (24th May) indicating that Live Nation - the world's largest live entertainment company - meets the threshold for market dominance across multiple areas of the UK live music supply chain. The committee's now calling for another investigation into Live Nation's business practices to take place before the end of the year. Liam Byrne MP, Chair, House of Commons Business and Trade Committee said: > "What particularly alarmed the Committee was not just the scale of Live Nation's market position across promotion, venues, and ticketing, but the climate of fear we encountered during this inquiry. * * * * * * Yes, Live Nation directly controls 58% of UK primary ticket sales, rising to 66% once its affiliates are included._¹_ Both figures exceed the 25% share of supply test (the trigger for CMA competition investigations) and the 40% level above which UK competition law begins to recognise market dominance. Which?'s analysis _²_ of Pollstar data adds a third angle that adds more context to the sales: Live Nation itself promotes shows representing 53% of the total value of all UK tickets sold, with second-placed SJM Concerts at 23% of ticket revenues. ### A Climate of Fear (and Loathing?) It's also rather telling that among the 45 submissions given when the Committee called for written evidence, a "significant proportion" requested to submit anonymously or confidentially for fear of repercussions. "This in itself raises concerns about Live Nation's dominant and controlling market position," the report stated. The dominance isn't only about ticketing. Live Nation operates the UK's second largest indoor arena, the AO Arena in Manchester (23,000 capacity), alongside having a stake in 18 mid-size venues through Academy Music Group: the entire O2 Academy chain across Brixton, Shepherd's Bush, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Birmingham and beyond, plus the smaller Academy 2 rooms inside several of them. Most of these buildings aren't owned outright; the operation runs through long-term contracts and integrated services. However, at a Live Nation-promoted show, the ticket is sold by Ticketmaster (a Live Nation subsidiary), the resale options run through Ticketmaster Fan-to-Fan, and the customer data is retained by Ticketmaster even if the original ticket was bought through a competitor. They make no secret of this. Live Nation's Executive President, Touring International Music, Phil Bowdery, appeared before the Committee on 24 June 2025 and confessed: "We are vertically integrated, as are most of our competitors."⁴ (Vertical integration, in this context, means one company owning multiple stages of the same supply chain: promotion, venue, ticketing, resale, customer data.) Dean James, co-founder of the MAMA Group - one of the UK's largest live music companies before its sale - put the logic plainly: "If you don't play their venues, you don't play their festivals."³ And as we'll explain a sec, they have a major role in festivals too. * * * * * * ### Vertical Insanity?! The Committee's verdict on what this means at the checkout is direct. "The scale and scope of Live Nation's vertical integration, and their control of ticket sales, appear to have created an ecosystem that squeezes out competition," the report states, before adding "the upshot is that fans get a raw deal with high prices and few alternatives." None of this was built quickly. There was a slow creep... In April 2005, before it even formally existed as a standalone company, Live Nation predecessor Clear Channel acquired Mean Fiddler Music Group via a 50.1% stake in Hamsard Ltd, securing what would later be renamed Festival Republic, and with it Reading, Leeds and the festivals that came with them.⁵ Later that year, the LN was spun out of Clear Channel Entertainment. The last meaningful competition scrutiny in the UK came in 2010, when the Competition Commission reviewed and approved the Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger. In the years since, Live Nation has added Academy Music Group, MAMA & Co. (who owned venues like the Barfly, The Forum in Kentish Town, and The Ritz in Manchester), Cuffe & Taylor (who promote events), Boomtown Festival and DF Concerts. From what we could find on companies house, their interest in Festival Republic (previously known as Mean Fiddler Group) has also now grown to 75% or more, and through it Live Nation (under the new guise of UK Festival Holdings Limited) now controls Reading, Leeds, Latitude, Wireless, The Great Escape, and iconic metal festival Download.⁶ To see that in order, here's a timeline we made earlier... * * * * * * The Association of Independent Festivals research revealed that there are 592 music festivals in the UK. However, of the four with a capacity above 80,000, Live Nation owns three. The fourth is Glastonbury, independently owned by the Eavis family, though Melvin Benn of Festival Republic holds a director position there. By combined capacity, Live Nation's festival portfolio stands at around 880,000 attendees. AEG, its nearest rival, totals 230,000 with events like BST in Hyde Park and All Points East (note: they also own The O2, The Eventim Apollo, and some other venues). The 148 festivals that are part of the Association of Independent Festivals collectively outstrip both in terms of combined total of attendees, but that figure is the sum of 148 separate organisations rather than the holdings of two US-based corporations.¹⁵ * * * * * * Reacting to the House of Commons Business and Trade Committee's report on Instagram, John Rostron the CEO of Association of Independent Festivals surmised: > "There is still a long way to go. Now is the time for others to come forward. We will enjoy a long summer of independent, creative, vibrant music festivals whilst we also continue to gather evidence, data and all we need to prepare for work that is coming this Autumn. Together we can bring about the changes for a fairer, more equitable, more nourishing and more independent live music ecosystem." Of course, Live Nation isn't the only corporate force reshaping the festival sector. Superstruct Entertainment, founded by James Barton (who previously ran electronic music at Live Nation and founded Creamfields) and now backed by private equity firms KKR (notably the focus of last summer's protests that we reported on in this newsletter) and CVC Capital Partners, owns somewhere between 15 and 20 UK festivals including Boardmasters, Field Day and Kendal Calling.¹⁶ The rise of these new private equity firms and the potential break up of Live Nation and their affiliates is something to keep an eye on. The role of private equity in music was something Sean discussed when he appeared on this podcast with Tori Tsui: The Collective Power of Music w/ Sean AdamsOn this episode of CounterPunch Radio, host Tori Tsui talks to Sean Adams, founder of Drowned in Sound. Tori and Sean talk about Spotify, AI, militarism,CounterPunch.orgCounterPunch Radio ### Big business is big... so why does this all matter? According to this submission to the committee, in 2025, for the first time, Swansea failed to secure any major tours despite viable venues and demand, with shows instead routed through Bristol and Cardiff, where Live Nation owns and promotes venues. We're sure they will argue there was "reasons" for this. However, it will be interesting if the CMA finds similar stories in other cities. ### What next? Back in February 2025, Live Nation subsidiary Ticketmaster initially refused to attend a Committee evidence session, reportedly this was due to the then-ongoing Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation, but they later accepted the invitation. At the hearing, Andrew Parsons, Managing Director and Regional Vice President of Ticketmaster UK and Ireland, refuted the suggestion that Live Nation dominated the market. "That is not something I recognise," he said. "It is an incredibly competitive market within the UK."⁴ Following the committee's damning new report published over the bank holiday weekend, Live Nation UK had a similar line when they spoke to The Independent, suggesting that the document "misrepresents the UK live music industry by relying on inaccurate data and unsupported conclusions."⁹ DiS did a lot of digging and will be curious to see which data is incorrect. Let's hope we don't start getting into "alternative facts" territory... The CMA, meanwhile, says it is "giving active and careful consideration to undertaking markets work in this area."¹⁰ * * * * * * ### This isn't only a UK story, and it isn't a new one. In 1994, Pearl Jam filed a Department of Justice antitrust complaint arguing that Ticketmaster's exclusive venue contracts made it impossible to tour without them. The DOJ investigated for 14 months and dropped the case.¹¹ As the timeline we've compiled suggests, the problem Pearl Jam identified 32 years ago didn't go away... Much like in the UK, Live Nation got its merger with Ticketmaster approved in 2010. It was later found to have violated the conditions of that decree, but kept expanding for another decade before the Taylor Swift Eras Tour presale collapse in 2022 finally turned ticketing into a mass political event in the US.¹² * * * * * * As you can see from the timeline, after all these years, things are moving quickly stateside. The US Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation in May 2024, joined by 30 states and the District of Columbia.¹³ The DOJ then settled in March 2026 without forcing a Ticketmaster breakup. Thirty-three states and DC rejected that settlement as insufficient and pressed on to trial. On 15 April 2026, five weeks before the UK Committee published its report, a federal jury in the US found Live Nation guilty of illegal monopolisation and found Ticketmaster had overcharged consumers by $1.72 per ticket across 22 states. The states are now seeking the full separation of Ticketmaster from Live Nation, and the divestiture of Live Nation's amphitheatres.¹⁴ * * * * * * What the US states pursued through the courts, the UK Business and Trade Committee is now asking the Competition and Markets Authority to examine. The CMA has the powers, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 explicitly includes the ability to break up a business. The question is whether it uses them. ## Sign up for Drowned in Sound For 25 years our publication and podcast has recommended music. We now also spark conversations and create resources to help music fans discover their collective power. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. _DiS will keep tracking this as the CMA decides whether to act in this newsletter and on our podcast._ Can we fix ticketing by fixing one company?How do you solve a problem like Live Nation? The concert giant faced an antitrust lawsuit this week which it has since settled - but how did we get here?Drowned in SoundEmma Wilkes * * * SPONSORED Los Campesinos! A selection of our favourite ****Los Camp!**** songs to soundtrack our latest episode of the DiS Podcast with lead singer ****Gareth David****. Compiled by our new podcast co-host Helena Wadia. Try Qoboz for Free * * * ## **RIP to Nightshift magazine** After 35 years in operation, free local music magazine Nightshift - based near me in Oxford - has published its final issue just days before founder Ronan Munro's 60th birthday. "It's got harder and harder... delivery days are an absolute ordeal nowadays, financially it's always been up against it, and there's always that nagging feeling you're not really making a difference," Munro told the BBC. Although a crowdfunder launched in 2021 to save Nightshift after the pandemic threatened its future reached its target in just four days, Munro issued a clarion call for the UK's music scene when he said how much more difficult the climate has become since. Indeed, despite the strength of Oxford's music scene in the past, it struggles to remain on major tour circuits. "We get so many venues closing down, struggle to get people out to see new music when there's loads of tribute bands packing out big venues," he said. "It gets a little bit demoralising, so I've been thinking about it for a while and in June I turn 60 and I thought that's a good time to do it. "I don't want to be the weird old guy trying to tell people what to listen to". Nightshift will get a proper send-off with a show at The Bullingdon this Sunday (31st May). ## Keep your eye out for the launch of Fair Play magazine Fair Play, the organisation championing working class creatives across a monthly newsletter and podcast, is gearing up to launch in print. Founded by musician Ynes, they've been counting down the days one by one till the magazine launches and fortunately. the pre-order sold out. All profits will go to charity and if you're based in or near Coventry, do hit up their launch event at The Tin on 12th June. Find out more about Fair Play here * * * ## References 1. UK Business and Trade Committee, Competition and market functioning in the UK live music industry, May 2026 2. Which? analysis of Pollstar data, cited in Committee report, May 2026 3. Dean James, co-founder of MAMA Group, quoted in Music Business Worldwide, May 2026 4. Parliamentary transcript, Business and Trade Committee evidence sessions, 2025 5. Companies House / Wikipedia, Hamsard Ltd PSC filings; Mean Fiddler Music Group acquisition, April 2005 6. Companies House filings, both dated 16 April 2025. PSC02: Festival Republic Limited (02948536) — Person with Significant Control is UK Festival Holdings Limited (05646353), holding 75%+ shares, 75%+ voting rights, right to appoint or remove majority of board. PSC05: UK Festival Holdings Limited (05646353) — controlling entity confirmed as Live Nation (Music) UK Limited. Full ownership chain: Live Nation (Music) UK Ltd → UK Festival Holdings Ltd → Festival Republic Ltd. 7. Music Venue Trust Annual Report 2025, published 20 January 2026 (also reported by The Guardian, BBC, The Standard, The Independent) 8. [reference removed] 9. Live Nation UK statement, The Independent, 24 May 2026 10. CMA written evidence submission to the Business and Trade Committee, document LMI0023, para 3.6; reaffirmed by CMA spokesperson in press coverage, 24 May 2026 11. Rolling Stone; DOJ case closure, 5 July 1995 12. DOJ consent decree, January 2010; DOJ/Music Business Worldwide, December 2019 (consent decree extension) 13. DOJ press release, 23 May 2024 14. US states v. Live Nation, federal jury verdict, Southern District of New York, 15 April 2026 15. Association of Independent Festivals, Festival Forecast 2025, June 2025. The 592 figure is AIF's first full count of the UK festival sector, combining 360 greenfield festivals and 232 single or multi-venue urban events. Includes events ranging from micro-festivals (under 1,000 capacity) to major camping festivals. No single official registry exists; counts vary between industry bodies. 16. CVC Capital Partners press release on the Superstruct acquisition, 28 October 2024; IQ Magazine on KKR acquisition, June 2024. UK festival count is approximate; ownership structures range from outright control to operational partnerships and partial stakes.

Last autumn, Maruja offered one of 2025's most electric breakout moments, vaulting between explosive fury, simmering tension and spiritual serenity on their expansive debut album _Pain To Power_. Their message, of peace, connection and resistance, has been as vital as their chameleonic sound in which riffs collide with the leaping melodies of a saxophone. It's one of the most unique recipes around in modern guitar music. Vocalist-guitarist Harry Wilkinson and saxophonist Joe Carroll called us from on tour in Porto, Portugal, to discuss the story so far, their fans' tattoos and the state of, well, everything... **Hey guys! What's it been like to digest the success of Pain To Power since it came out in September?** **Joe:** "Doing the shows definitely helps us realise how much of a deep impact it's having on people. The amount of people getting tattoos is blowing our heads off. Yesterday, this guy came up to me and Harry when we were outside, and he was like, 'Can you write down these lyrics from Look Down On Us?' Harry wrote them down. He's like, 'I'm gonna get it tattooed on my body in Harry's handwriting.' We're like, 'Fucking hell.' We walked into the venue with him, and then he was like, "Say hi to my mate.' He lifted up his shirt, and he had the Pain To Power logo on his arm It's just like, "'What on earth is going on?'" **Harry:** "It's kind of dystopian seeing it all online, but it doesn't really feel real until you actually speak with people and get on the ground, play the shows, and see the impact that it has when we play the live shows. You see people singing every word, or bawling their eyes out, or throwing themselves headfirst into each other. It's a very like grounding thing to see at the live shows." **What do you think people have been connecting with the most on it?** **Harry:** "The album traverses through a lot of topics - addiction, mental health. obviously a quite strong political theme as well. I think that all of those topics are so prevalent in everybody's lives at the moment that it's hard to just pick one, really, because they're all kind of like a symptom of one another. There's a lot of anxiety stemming from the political state of the world and the economic state of the world, and that fuels people's addictions, and they all kind of go hand in hand with each other, because that's people's coping mechanisms. "There's certain songs where I've seen people crying, and I've just held their hand as I'm doing the verse, and done the verse to them, and you can see how much it means to them. That's the biggest gift that we can give anybody - from us turning our pain into power, to then seeing that reflected in other people at the shows, is it's a very humbling thing." **What do you think an artist's role should be in such dystopian times as these?** **Joe:** "I heard Westside Cowboy talk about this really well recently, and they were saying that you've got to be aware of the context that you're making music in nowadays. You can't just be 'We're not a political band' and not touch on anything that's going on. When you go to a concert, you're there for emotional expression, purging your emotions and all those sorts of things. It's very much a part of the collective consciousness at the moment." **You end your shows on the line: "We wish you peace, prosperity and unity in these times of global oppression. Together we are stronger, please raise a fist for solidarity." Why is championing that sense of peace so important to you? It's a different way of meeting the anger of the current moment.** **Harry:** "A lot of the time you can't really control what happens in the world, but you can control how you react to it. I find that you can't really do anything in the world as well, unless you've kind of sorted yourself out a bit. Before [we play] 'The Invisible Man', we ask everybody to give each other a hug, because it's about mental health, specifically about a lot of friends that I've lost to mental health, and that's because they had no peace. They use drugs to find to escape to find spirituality and they lost themselves on the way and never really returned. "This is no culture that is looking after its people's well-being, and if a culture isn't looking after its people's well-being, then what is the point of it? That's really what a government should be doing. Preaching for peace thing comes from a place of spiritual unrest that hangs in the cultural zeitgeist, and seeing all the war in all different places. We have a really bad economy, an uprising of fascism and a homelessness crisis, a failing NHS, and we're still one of the countries that are blessed comparatively to, Iran or Sudan or Ukraine, etc. etc. There's so many countries that are in such turmoil that it's really hard not to talk about peace, because I think generally most people just want to get on, and it's only really down to a few that have this insatiable thirst for power and money, and that is really kind of affecting the rest of us, but it takes peace and organization to actually bring that into fruition." ## Sign up for Drowned in Sound For 25 years our publication and podcast has recommended music. We now also spark conversations and create resources to help music fans discover their collective power. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **London's grassroots venues have afforded you a home away from home, particularly the Brixton Windmill. What makes the grassroots scene in the capital so special?** **Joe:** "We have a saying in the band - if a fish stinks, it stinks from the head. The Windmill doesn't stink, because it's headed up by a guy called Tim and his whole philosophy behind the Windmill, even though it's got this gravitas now, is that he champions bands in such a way, and he puts the money behind it. When we first did our show there, we played in a bill with four bands, and I think we got £200 and that is unheard of. The vast majority of support slots, you get £50 and that's been the standard for the last 30 years, but he makes sure all the bands are paid properly. That way of thinking is so rare nowadays, not going through a promoter. It's a real community that it's now got international acclaim, and it's just stemmed from one dude having the kind of right idea and a good taste of music. "We come from Manchester, where there are promotion companies that are literally just stealing from bands, stealing from artists coming up. There are two promoters who have both single-handedly killed the Manchester scene just by taking advantage of artists that are coming up, charging loads for tickets, taking all the money, and then artists aren't able to feed back into their own craft, and they're not able to buy that next instrument or take the time of work. It's really sad and we the detrimental effect that has on musicians that are coming up, and then they can't sustain themselves, and it creates this whole elitist thing for artists that are coming up, and like it's only artists that are able to afford to sustain themselves because of their parents' money or support from a really stable family that allows them to make music, "Having independent venues that are all about community gives people community in their own lives. It's a way you can really experience emotion and purge your own personal emotions. The sense of community in grassroots venues is just unlike anything else, really, and we owe everything to all the grassroots venues we've played throughout the years." **How does it feel to not just be headlining Bulletproof's inaugural edition, but to be its first ever headliners?** **Harry:** "It's a great privilege. It's a testament to our hard work as well, and it also shows that the message is going to the right people in the right places. What the festival stands for is reflective of our values as well; they're the spaces we want to be in. It's difficult not to kind of touch on on politics and stuff like that in the music, when really that's this huge collective shadow that hangs over everywhere, and especially with the rise of fascism and stuff, to be able to play a festival and headline the first day in line with such a morally kind of appetizing thing. It cements the fact that we're on the right path. "The artist's job, as you were asking before, in my opinion is to reflect the ever changing face of culture, in whichever capacity that may be, and I believe that that's what we do in our band. Yet, to have that recognition and to be in the right place at the right time to help inspire people who are like-minded and open-minded, that's such a huge monumental thing for us. We want to try and help change the narrative of the cultural zeitgeist. We want to remind people that they're not alone. We want to try and bring the left and the centre closer together, you know. We want to try and talk about things that are really important. "Every show before we play 'Look Down On Us' we say they try to blame the immigrants, but we know it's the billionaires not paying enough taxes, and then everybody screams. The right have used fear and hate to contour a lot of broken people, a lot of rejected people from society, and because obviously they have billionaire donors, they're able to take over social media, take over news platforms, newspapers. Then it's really up to artists and people on the left to try and do what they can to try and balance it out a little bit, because it's a very unfair battle at the moment. If we can try and help sway that narrative, then we feel like we're doing our job, and that gives us a lot of gratitude. This festival is a testament of that." **_Maruja headline Bulletproof Festival at EartH in Hackney, east London, on Thursday 4th June. Sprints and Pussy Riot: Riot Days are headlining on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th respectively, with the line-up featuring the likes of CQ Wrestling, YAKKIE, CLT DRP, Alien Chicks, SNAYX, King No-One, Jools and more._** SPONSORED Listen to all the acts playing Bulletproof Festival with this week's DiS playlist powered by Qobuz - your neatly packaged starter pack to the line-up. Browse our playlist archive. TRY QOBUZ FOR FREE 🎟️ If you fancy seeing these acts and joining us at Bulletproof, final tickets are available here. ### Related reads Five new artists, one cool thing in commonEmma Wilkes recommends 5 emerging names you need to see live + our weekly music news round up.Drowned in SoundEmma WilkesJeremy Corbyn on grassroots musicJeremy Corbyn has gone from Leader of the Opposition to a champion of grassroots music - and now, his Peace & Justice project is launching a festival. We ask - how did he come to speak up for a cause few other MPs have?Drowned in SoundEmma Wilkes

May feels like the moment where the starting gun is properly fired on festival season. The calendar is bulging this weekend - Sean's at Dot To Dot in Bristol, I'm at Slam Dunk in Hatfield and there's plenty of other big stuff too, from Radio One Big Weekend in Sunderland to Derbyshire's Bearded Theory. In just a few weeks' time, there'll be an exciting new addition to festival season unfolding in east London. We've been hyping up Bulletproof Festival ever since we spoke to Jeremy Corbyn about the Peace & Justice Project's Music For The Many Campaign and the event's inception in September, and now, it's almost here. It'll be taking place from 4th-6th June across EartH Hackney and a second stage rotating across The Shacklewell Arms, The Jago and The Victoria, headlined by Maruja (Thursday 4th), Sprints (Friday 5th) and Pussy Riot: Riot Days (Saturday 6th). There's an absolute feast of exciting new artists on show across the three days, and I thought I'd point you in the direction of some that have stuck out to me. Even if you're not planning on coming down, you can still get some new names in your ears. I've also caught all of these names live at one point or another. 🎟️ If you fancy seeing these acts and joining us at Bulletproof, final tickets are available here. ## Sign up for Drowned in Sound For 25 years our publication and podcast has recommended music. We now also spark conversations and create resources to help music fans discover their collective power. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ## Hongza Armed with a big pedalboard and a bottomless well of emotion, London shoegaze newcomer Hongza writes a swirling soundtrack to coming of age. Freshly signed to new label Killabop, he has the potential to court a broad church of admirers, from the emos to the indie diehards. This'll be the chilled tonic you need on the final day of a festival. ## Sunday Best Sunday Best write explosive, galvanising post-hardcore fueled by a determination to wave the flag for anyone who's ever been made to feel othered. They're merely two years into their existence, but they've already honed their live show into an unpredictable, dynamic powder keg of energy. They had the stamp of approval from Decolonise Fest not long after they formed and Bulletproof is where it gets even bigger. ## Speit Among a riff-heavy line-up, Speit strikes a different slant with a cooler, softer tone but just as much sharpness. His astute spoken word storytelling champions resistance and freedom from a deeply personal place, thanks to his Palestinian and Irish roots. In a way, he represents what Bulletproof is all about. ## Jools Feral, furious, sensual, stylish, wracked with grief - Jools can be and do seemingly anything. Punk to the core but blending inflections of hip-hop and shoegaze, the sextet's explorations of identity, religious guilt and sexual harassment are intense but life-affirming. Live, they're a shapeshifting force with a chaotic edge but with unbridled emotion. (During one live show, they made me cry three times. I don't cry at much.). ## Yakkie Yakkie are the epitome of punk, fighting the system with bared teeth and hopeful hearts. With big, mean riffs taking cues from '90s grunge and metal just as much as their punk forebears, they've tackled everything from femicide to chronic illness to resisting internalised oppression. It certainly helps that live, they're as furious as they are fun. There's a ton more to check out ahead of Bulletproof too, which we compiled in this handy Qobuz playlist: SPONSORED Listen to all the acts playing Bulletproof Festival with this week's DiS playlist powered by Qobuz - your neatly packaged starter pack to the line-up. Browse our playlist archive. TRY QOBUZ FOR FREE * * * ## Three Podcasts To Bookmark For Later ### What links Dua Lipa, Addison, Rae, Taylor Swift, and consent? This Week's Drowned in Sound Podcast rummages through three big stories involving copyright, ICE, deep fakes and trademarks, to clarify the double standards of the AI era. This episode aims to make these complex topics easy to understand so that fans and the industry alike can make sense of stuff (hopefully it answers some of the questions people are often too embarrassed to ask) but also begin to work out how we can organise to take on the Broligarchs. Who better to join journalist Helena Wadia and our founder Sean Adams than an academic who specialises in intellectual property, hosts a podcast about copyright, and literally wrote the book _Copyright in the Music Industry A Practical Guide to Exploiting and Enforcing Rights_ (grab your copy here). Hayleigh returns to the podcast for a second time after helping us make sense of AI back in series one. AI & Consent Special with Addison Rae, Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift featuring Dr Hayleigh BosherPodcast Episode · Drowned in Sound · May 20 · 1h 3mApple Podcasts ### Check out Sean's interview with Tori Tsui Sean's appeared on CounterPunch Radio for a conversation with Tori Tsui, who appeared on the Drowned In Sound podcast in November to discuss how music fans could save the planet and her work with Billie Eilish and Brian Eno. On this follow-up conversation, they get into things like Spotify, AI, militarism, capitalism, independent music, and how we can harness music’s power for social change. The Collective Power of Music w/ Sean AdamsOn this episode of CounterPunch Radio, host Tori Tsui talks to Sean Adams, founder of Drowned in Sound. Tori and Sean talk about Spotify, AI, militarism,CounterPunch.orgCounterPunch Radio ### Mohammed Usrof talks art, ecocide and occupation on Sounds Like Change This week's episode of Sounds Like Change (part of our new podcast network) gets straight to the heart of the interconnectedness of the problems we face in what we've often referred to as the polycrisis. Palestinian researcher Mohammed Usrof sits down on Sounds Like Change this week to energy sovereignty, the Palestinian Institute for Climate Strategy (PICS), manifesto for ecological justice, and why art cannot be neutral. He maintains that we cannot separate ecology from occupation, climate from colonialism, politics from imagination, and why should we? Sounds Like ChangeMusic Podcast · Updated Biweekly · What if music isn’t just entertainment but a tool for healing and social change? Sounds Like Change, hosted by music and social change expert and organiser Ariana Alexander-Sefre, brings together art…Apple Podcasts * * * ## Two News Headlines ### The taxman's taking advantage of the grassroots levy The grassroots levy's been in the spotlight again this week as the Government's been accused of “swelling the coffers of the Treasury” by raising VAT money from LIVE Trust’s £1 voluntary contribution. However, some of the £6million raised so far has not been going where it was supposed to, taken directly by the treasury through “stealth” VAT charges, amounting to £1.2million according to _The Telegraph_. I wholeheartedly agree with Mumford & Sons' Ben Lovett when he said the policy "is about as circular and upside down as this sentence sounds.” This was not what the levy was designed for - this money should very obviously be going to the artists and organisations that genuinely need it, not the Treasury's bank account. A government spokesman said: “We support charities and grassroots sectors with over £6.7bn a year in tax reliefs, additional support for venues via business rates and the £30m Music Growth Package. “VAT is applied to the full amount paid for a ticket, and the £1 contribution forms part of that price. Excluding it from VAT could create inconsistencies across the tax system, which would increase complexity, blur the boundary between ticket prices and donations, and risk opening up scope for avoidance.” ### Suno assumes control of Songkick user data This happened a couple of weeks ago, but since I only just became aware of it, I thought I'd flag it now. Songkick, a platform used for finding concerts in your area, is now formally under ownership by AI music generator Suno. As of the beginning of this month, they have formally assumed control of Songkick user data after the sale went through late last year. Music Business Worldwide reports that Songkick is currently recruiting a General Manager, whose job description said the platform had “a well-established artist and venue data layer” and “a massive untapped opportunity to reimagine what live music discovery experiences look like when powered by AI.” I had a Songkick account for a while, but I've deleted it as a result of the takeover. The question was rightfully asked at the time of the sale why a platform spewing AI slop would want to stick its hands in a handy tool for fans looking to find gigs in their area, and there still seems to be no logical answer besides profit. Surely, the human-to-human experience of live music has no business being muddied with AI especially when it's invaded so many other tech problems. In short, the verdict on this is: absolutely no thanks. * * * ## TO DO ### Take part in the University of Bath's music inclusivity study As we mentioned, Sean's got Dr Hayleigh Bosher on the podcast this week, who is involved with a study at the University of Bath examining the inclusivity of live music spaces. Anyone over 18 can fill this in, and they're particularly interested in the experiences of anyone who is neurodivergent or has a neurodevelopmental difference. Take the study here ### Related reads Jeremy Corbyn on grassroots musicJeremy Corbyn has gone from Leader of the Opposition to a champion of grassroots music - and now, his Peace & Justice project is launching a festival. We ask - how did he come to speak up for a cause few other MPs have?Drowned in SoundEmma WilkesDrowned In Sound partners with Jeremy Corbyn’s new festival BulletproofMaruja, Sprints, and many more are playing a new festival in London celebrating community in music and independent venuesDrowned in SoundEmma Wilkes

Before we get into this week's newsletter we wanted to let you know we've just published an 🚨 emergency podcast 🚨 in response to the King's Speech which revealed that Keir Starmer's Labour government have not put a stop to profiteering from tickets by touts. We caught up with a spokesperson from __Which?__ who recently wrote an urgent letter to the PM with a letter co-signed by the industry to find out what a "draft bill" means and what happens next to protect music fans... Listen on Apple Podcasts On 31st March, I went to a show and the only memento of it I have is the hoodie I bought at the end. Coincidentally, I’m wearing it now. I have no photos or videos of it. Neither did anyone else in attendance. Maybe this should be the new normal. The gig in question was part of a fan event hosted by the post-hardcore band Static Dress (who I’ve written about previously in the newsletter) at a disused cinema. My phone was locked away in a pouch on the steps outside before I went in. This was a building where the big screen was prized over the small one, even after it was no longer being used for film screenings. After all, part of the ritual of watching a film involves turning your phone off just before the opening credits roll. It’s for piracy reasons, of course, but it has experiential benefits. It’s to let the rest of the world melt away so you can be consumed by the story. I did watch a film that night, funnily enough. The event began with a screening of a short film directed by the band’s vocalist, Olli Appleyard, that led to the announcement of their forthcoming album _Injury Episode_. (It made me cry.) The band played a set afterwards, and that was where the dynamic changed. The energy was totally different. People sang louder, danced harder, moshed more. The connection was deeper with no filter between the fans, the band and each other. Nothing was lost by the lack of glowing screens in the room, and in fact, it made the experience feel more potent. This might be what the future of gig-going looks like, particularly when research by events company Eventbrite revealed that the number of phone-free events increased by 567 per cent across the globe last year. Offline joy is real and everyone wants a piece, sick of the mind-numbing, brain-rotting monotony of social media and all the mental health ill effects, least of all its decline to a platform designed more for advertising and influencing than genuine connection. The effect on the experience is profound. The absence of a phone in a space like a gig puts you in a paradoxical state of overlapping awareness and unawareness. Without a small screen narrowing your vision to a thin tunnel filled with emojis and numbers, you experience the world through a wider lens. You notice more. All that exists is what’s in front of you. You’re blissfully unaware of the hive of activity in the online world. The wheels of life turn slower, you’re calmer, and you hold a sense of quiet power knowing the fast-moving current of the internet didn’t wash you away with it. You chose to opt out instead of feeling controlled. It’s escapist, almost, and that’s how live music should feel. You, submerged in music, locked into a collective experience with people just like you. Right there, in front of you, are the people who soundtrack your life, in the flesh, in multiple dimensions. It’s better than anything on a small screen. A friend of mine who was at the event said online afterwards that she wanted to see more phone-free gigs. So do I. Chances are, the artists do too. Appleyard himself made this clear during an appearance on _The Downbeat Podcast_ in 2023, where, in a segment where artists build their dream festival, he said his dream event would implement a ban on phones (and, as a straight-edge person, alcohol). Meanwhile, Svalbard vocalist-guitarist Serena Cherry wrote in a column for Metal Hammer last year that being filmed when she’s performing can be flattering but also adds “a different kind of pressure” to what she does that can also make her more self-conscious. > “Suddenly, the audience I am standing in front of isn’t the only audience I’m performing to anymore. The occasion now also belongs to social media and its unforgiving comments section. As a musician, you want to lose yourself in performing, but it’s hard to be carefree when there are cameras recording your every move.” Incidentally, sometimes seeing a mass of phones in a crowd is genuinely irritating. I’ve observed the most chronically online fanbases tend to be most prone to this, sometimes blocking each other’s views. Done too indiscreetly or for too long at a time, it becomes disrespectful to fellow gig goers and to the artist. It dilutes the experience and for very little benefit – fleeting, online clout, or a blurry memento. Perhaps not every band can get away with banning phones, not when online videos can potentially help those at the very beginning of their careers. Not every band can take the measures of say, Ghost, who mandated their fans to lock their phones away in Yondr pouches on their arena tour last year. (Incidentally, a phone ban also means that no aspect of a gig’s production can be seen in advance by those going to a tour beyond the first date). There are, however, ways to do it more cheaply. Even handing fans a sticker to put over their phone cameras on their way in can be effective and also avoids the dilemma of not being able to access your phone in the event of an emergency. Nonetheless, phone ban or no phone ban, there’s always something to be gained simply by choosing not to remove your phone from your back at all. Try it and observe the difference. Enjoy music how it is best enjoyed, in the present moment, with no distractions. ### Everywhere At Once shares its line-up We recently mentioned the new nationwide festival of grassroots venues, Everywhere At Once, and the event has now shared its inaugural line-up. There's some huge names taking part, such as Becky Hill, who's playing the Marrs Bar in her hometown of Worcester (which, funnily enough, is also where I was born and lived till I was 14). Across one weekend in June, 26th to 28th, in over 400 venues, there will be 1,200 gigs with over 2000 acts performing, such as Rizzle Kicks, Tinie Tempah, The Lathums, The Divine Comedy, Master Peace, Jodie Harsh, Toddla T, Brooke Combe, VLURE, Royston Club, Miki Berenyi Trio, Tom A Smith, Vigilantes and more. Plus lots of local acts, obvs. Alongside spotlighting the country's grassroots venues, the nationwide event will also be raising money for War Child, Nordoff and Robbins, Help Musicians UK, and Teenage Cancer Trust. Supported by The National Lottery, the festival is delivered by Music Venue Trust, Save Our Scene and the Association of Independent Promoters, reaffirming a shared commitment to grassroots music and the communities it serves. Everywhere At Once fills the gap in the festival calendar left by Glastonbury's fallow year and tickets are on sale now: everywherefest.com Everywhere At Once: The UK’s Biggest FestivalMusic Venue Trust and The National Lottery announce Everywhere At Once: The UK’s Biggest Festival Music Venue Trust (MVT) and The National Lottery today announce Everywhere At Once – the festival on your doorstep. Taking place on what would have been the Glastonbury Festival weekend of June 26 to 28, [...]Music Venue TrustMusic Venue Trust ### Look at this magazine pop-up in Selfridges! Here's some good news for fans of the print resurgence: Selfridges' Club Culture season is celebrating magazines and independent publishers. The six-week pop-up has got titles such as _Huck, Little White Lies_ and _Sight & Sound_ on display. As someone with two giant boxes of magazines dating back 10 years in my bedroom, I'm quite a fan. Huck Magazine and Little White Lies are at Selfridges London. Alongside 200+ titles curated by magCulture, the Clerkenwell institution has taken over a corner of the Accessories Hall as part of… | TCO LondonHuck Magazine and Little White Lies are at Selfridges London. Alongside 200+ titles curated by magCulture, the Clerkenwell institution has taken over a corner of the Accessories Hall as part of Selfridges’ Club Culture season, celebrating the clubs, communities and independent publishers reshaping print right now. A six-week pop-up that brings magazine culture into the department store, all in one place, just by the Art Block. Have a browse and pick up a copy.LinkedInTCO London ### Is Israel on thin ice at Eurovision? Israel's continued inclusion at Eurovision has put a dark cloud over the contest for several years now, particularly given the behaviour of their delegation in 2024 and, more recently, five countries dropping out over the EBU’s refusal to exclude them given what a UN Committee describes as a genocide in Palestine (which Israel denies). A boycott has also begun gathering pace, especially with the backing of No Music For Genocide campaign. A New York Times investigation now claims that Israel carried out a state-backed influence campaign in Eurovision dating as far back as 2018. It also makes the claim that the Israeli government used the song contest as a way to “burnish the country’s flagging reputation and rally international support”, and had spent at least $1million (£730,000) on marketing for Eurovision. Some of this funding reportedly came from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s "hasbara" office - a euphemism for overseas propaganda. It breaches a fundamental principle of Eurovision, that governments are not supposed to interfere with voting. Israel’s national broadcaster Kan has also received a formal warning from Eurovision organisers after it encouraged viewers to “vote 10 times” in a promotional video featuring its contestant, Norman Bettan. The accusations of Israel effectively attempting to artwash its reputation seem now to have an even more solid foundation. How much longer do they even have before there's a breaking point that goes even beyond the geopolitical backdrop of the controversy? Culture really is a battleground, and any attempts to de-politicise it are truly futile. ### ... but in more wholesome news... In the same week as this year's Eurovision, three well-known recent alumni have teamed up for raise money for Music Without Borders. Käärijä from Finland (2023, Joost from the Netherlands (2024) and Tommy Cash from Estonia (2025) have formed a Eurovision boyband and released an EP, also titled Boyband. The revenue from its lead single 'I Miss Us' will be donated in full to help support children in Palestine and those affected by conflict around the world. ### Related reads April 2026’s Tracks of the Month: a bumper specialApril showered us with great new music from Massive Attack, Kate Nash, unpeople, Sofia Isella and lots more.Drowned in SoundEmma WilkesUK Prime Minister Responds To Music FansWhat the letter did and - crucially - didn’t say about fixing ticket touting.Drowned in SoundSean AdamsHave we dehumanised music?Is engaging with music on a deeper level the key to fighting AI music?Drowned in SoundEmma Wilkes

On Friday, as the dust settled on the local elections the UK's Prime Minister was busy writing a letter to music fans. You may have missed the letter from the PM to you, the music fan, which was published by the NME, so here's what he did and - crucially - didn't say. > “To all live music fans, > “I grew up with music all around me. I listened to it at home. I played the flute, piano, recorder and violin. And I also know there is nothing quite like the atmosphere and feeling of watching live music. > “Even now as Prime Minister, to wind down at the end of a long day I will put music on with the family. So I know firsthand how important it is to the people of this country – one that is the birthplace of current superstars from your industry like Olivia Dean, Adele, Ed Sheeran, and Dua Lipa – that they are able to afford the escape of going to a live event such as a concert or a gig at the end of a long week. Hang on, not to be pedantic but I thought this was to all live music fans, and suddenly the letter switches to address the "industry"? However, it's great to see a shoutout to the British-Albanian pop phenomenon, book club mogul, and good egg Dua Lipa. Posted by Everyone Hates Elon Notably, Dua was also one of the artists who wrote to the PM to make good on his Labour manifesto pledge back in November, before they finally announced the results of their consultation and that some action was going to take place a few days later. > “And our creative industries are booming. I’ve made them one of the eight sectors of our Modern Industrial Strategy so that we can keep backing you with big commitments from government. You are an engine for economic renewal across our country, bringing billions into the British economy, creating jobs and opportunity. > “I have made a commitment to put fans first, and working with the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy I will make sure this happens as quickly as possible. Here's where it starts to feel like the PM is on autopilot, repeating wording from their manifesto and their press release in November promising to put a cap on ticket resell prices, which would effectively end the rip off of ticket touts. In this next bit, see if you can find a commitment as to when this will happen. For context, the recent letter from Which? that we wrote about last week was about getting this commitment into the King's Speech, which takes place this week: > “We will crackdown on ruthless ticket touts preying on music fans by selling tickets for exorbitant and unaffordable prices, stopping them from seeing their favourite artists. Let me get that straight. > “We will protect fans so they can keep more of their hard-earned cash, by making it illegal for tickets to live events to be resold for more than their original cost. > “And I want to make it clear Uh-oh, the dreaded phrase to hear a politician use. > ...that I welcome British artists coming out in defence of their fans, who spend this hard-earned cash day in day out to follow them to venues around the country. > “If we are going to crack down on unscrupulous ticket touts and really put fans first, we must work with groups and people across the sector – including fans, performers and campaigners – as well as parliamentarians to ensure we get it right the first time and make the lasting change you want and deserve. > “And that is what we will do. We will make progress on the legislation to protect fans and create a policy that will stand the test of time. This is the first step to stamping touts out for good.” "Make progress" - what does that mean? When? How? DiScuss this letter on the DiS forums _Letter source:_ NME * * * SPONSORED Get to know our new podcast co-host Helena Wadia on this week's DiS playlist powered by Qobuz. ****Explore new music**** in rich Hi-Res lossless quality with Qobuz, and click this link to access a 30-day free trial. Learn more Starmer's letter comes hot on the heels of the Fan-Led Review of Live and Electronic Music, which involved over 4000 music fans having their say and small groups of passionate music fans meeting with members of the Culture Media and Sport committee (full disclosure: that included me at an event with 20 or so others that took place at Ministry of Sound and it was such an interesting few hours). To help you digest the 100-page report and 50 fantastic recommendations, on this week's podcast Helena Wadia and myself explored the bits of the report which really stood out to us and how we would love to see gig-going evolve. The Labour government have less than two months to respond to this report and we would really urge you to get your MP, mayor, councillors, and other representatives to read the fan-led review and hopefully act on it. 🎧 If you're not already subscribed, you can listen for to our podcast for music fans for free on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

I have a suspicion that most people’s first encounter with AI-generated music might have been unintentional. It’s buried somewhere between songs on a pre-made playlist, or it comes up on autoplay when you’ve got to the bottom of an album’s track list. Perhaps the artist has an odd name (what kind of a name is Bleeding Verse or Breaking Rust?). Perhaps you notice something strange about a song’s sound: mechanical, cold, generic, uncanny, production value beyond an artist’s means. More than one person has told me it made them feel violated. That’s even if you notice, given a study found that 97 per cent of people were unable to tell the difference between human-created and AI music. The noticing, or lack thereof, is a crucial detail. Perhaps it’s the most significant tool we have in the pushback against the slop that is made to pass for music. We cannot defeat an enemy we cannot or do not see. AI music is shallow and one-dimensional. There is no story behind these songs. Oftentimes, when there is no human at the helm (some music, of course, will be fully AI-generated, some only partially), there is no context, no biography. There’s a brick wall instead of a window into someone’s life or their psyche. If you dig deeper into what you hear, this could be an easy giveaway that what you’re listening to is soulless slop. Without this, it might be harder to determine. We need to stay curious about the music we listen to. Music is at its best when it’s an outlet for connection, and when it incites questions. Who is this person whose voice blasts through my headphones? Where are they in the world? How and why do they write like they do? Searching for the answers in whatever means deepens that connection, whether it’s a cursory Google or, ideally, through reading interviews in music media, or listening to a podcast. There’s a tiny shard of someone’s soul there that they’re sharing with you, even when they don’t know you – engaging with it on a deeper level, even just briefly, might be the most enriching, respectful way of receiving that gift. There’s an argument to be made that as consumption of music has evolved, our connection to it has eroded. In the days before the Internet, interacting with music in a tactile way was normal; there’s a joy to examining the artwork, reading liner notes, buying physical magazines. It adds an extra dimension to listening; it makes music into an experience. There’s a reason vinyl has enjoyed such a resurgence (see below!). Music was scarcer because vinyl is more expensive, purchases were careful, with a higher opportunity cost to buying something you might not be fond of. Because you want value for money, you invest more in terms of time, energy and emotion in what you listen to, even if it’s a little dense or weird or asks you to listen multiple times to truly appreciate it. The vinyl resurgence was the reverse swing of the pendulum in the streaming era, in which the connection to music began to be severed. Albums were broken up into pieces and the song was favoured over the body of work, especially as playlist culture began to abound. Listening could be more passive, with songs divorced from their albums and context, no longer part of a complete journey, or experience. In that context, it means that sometimes, people are unable to recall what exactly they’ve just listened to. In fact, through this, streaming services have created – incidentally or not – the ideal conditions for AI ‘slopification’. If people don’t notice or care what they listen to, if they’re switched off or running on autopilot, it’s easier to feed them AI-generated music. The picture is mixed when it comes to the general public’s stance: a survey by the music and entertainment insight company Luminate found that a third of people feel indifferent about AI music, but it’s becoming more unpopular especially among Gen Z and Gen Alpha listeners. Nonetheless, there’s enough concern among listeners to arouse the suspicion that AI music wouldn’t be the average music listener’s first choice, whether they engage with their music deeply or not. The AI bubble is troublingly huge. Self-disclosed AI artists such as Xania Monet (the project of Mississippi poet Telisha "Nikki" Jones, who feeds her words into Gen AI tool Suno) (Suno is also often the most popular music app in the App Store?!), have already landed in the Billboard Charts. Around 44 per cent of music that gets added to the streaming service Deezer is AI-generated. Fortunately, however, there’s comfort to be taken in the fact it makes up less than 3 per cent of streams on the platform. In the fight against AI music, it means there’s a great deal of leverage. There’s still, however, room to create more. Deepening your engagement with music is beneficial in multiple ways, not just to combat AI slop – a deeper appreciation of any form of art is rewarding full stop. If you ever Google the actors you see on TV trying to remember what else they’ve been in that you’ve seen, bring that to music. Ask questions of it. Explore. Read interviews (and keep music media’s heart beating while you’re at it). Most importantly, stay curious. * * * On the subject of curiosity, here's the aforementioned growth of vinyl over the last decade visualised both in terms of revenue in the US and numbers sold in the UK. Vinyl Sales in USA ## A Billion-Dollar Comeback Stateside U.S. vinyl record revenue grew more than four-fold in a decade. $225M $246M $268M $322M $427M $679M $800M $906M $954M $1.04B 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 +362% Revenue growth over the decade — from $224.9 million in 2016 to $1.04 billion in 2025 Source: RIAA U.S. Music Revenue Database. Figures represent total U.S. wholesale vinyl record revenues as reported by RIAA member companies. UK Vinyl Sales ## UK Vinyl: From 2.1m to 7.6m Records Sold Per Year Vinyl sales in the UK have grown more than three-and-a-half times since 2015. 2.1M 3.2M 4.1M 4.2M 4.3M 5.5M 5.3M 5.5M 6.0M 6.7M 7.6M 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 ▾ 2021 saw a brief dip to 5.3 million — the only year-on-year decline in the decade — likely reflecting supply chain disruption during the pandemic recovery. +262% Units sold growth from 2015 to 2025 — from 2.1 million to 7.6 million records Source: Official Charts / BPI. Figures represent UK vinyl albums and singles combined. 2020 figure pending full BPI confirmation. * * * In fact, through this, streaming services have created – incidentally or not – the ideal conditions for AI ‘slopification’. If people don’t notice or care what they listen to, if they’re switched off or running on autopilot, it’s easier to feed them AI-generated music. The picture is mixed when it comes to the general public’s stance: a ## DiS pod digs into the Government's inaction on ticket touts The delight at the news that the government were committing to banning ticket touting seems to have run dry, upon news that the policy was missing from this year's King's Speech. The failure to act - and for Starmer's wobbly premiership to at least score an easy goal - comes at a critical moment, amid festival season approaching and ticket touts targeting this month's Radio 1 Big Weekend in particular. In fact, this failure to act could mean resellers pocket £24million from UK fans this summer. On the podcast, Sean and Helena Wadia sat down with Kat Cereda from consumer group Which? to explain why they had written an open letter - signed by companies as varied as Live Nation, Ticketmaster and the Music Venue Trust - to Starmer asking him to ensure fans wouldn't be fleeced this summer. They also expand upon what the consequences would be if the policy wasn't in the King's Speech, and whether this means the Government will evade true accountability. ### Listen on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts ### PodcastsTune into our podcast for hopeful, future-facing conversations with extraordinary musicians, cultural innovators, and organisers reshaping the music ecosystem.Drowned in SoundDiS Support ## Meet the poet fighting for justice - and resting as a form of resistance - on Sounds Like Change Have you checked out the newest addition to the Drowned In Sound Podcast Network? Hosted by social change expert Ariana Alexander-Sefre, Sounds Like Change features conversations with artists, thinkers and changemakers as we unpick how music shapes our personal health and culture and drives wider social change. The guest on the latest episode is the poet, activist and youth worker Shareefa Energy, who also co-produced the Palestine Action documentary _To Kill A War Machine_ and has had work featured on BBC The One Show, Channel 4 and ITV. Within the episode, she delves into everything from activist burnout, rest as resistance, and why joy might be the most radical act of all. ## Scenes from the Met Gala - or rather, the 'Hunger Games Ball'? The Met Gala represents an annual parade of opulence and luxury, but in a time of such political upheaval, I've noticed the sight of some of the globe's richest people parading their wealth turns people's stomach. This reached a fever pitch at this year's event, which took place yesterday. The event had already been subjected to a boycott after Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez-Bezos became this year's sponsors and co-hosts. Protests erupted across New York, where the event takes place. The city's mayor Zohran Mamdani was also among those boycotting the event, encouraging people to focus on affordability over high-profile fundraising events. One activist group Everyone Hates Elon (10/10 for the name) even placed almost 300 miniature bottles of fake urine throughout the Met museum, representing allegations by workers at Amazon about not being able to have toilet breaks (or that their toilet breaks are timed). The event has been nicknamed 'the Hunger Games Ball' for a few years now, owing to similarities between its lavish displays of fashion and the films' Victory Tour, but it now feels more pronounced than ever. ## Happy local elections week! This week on the forecast: drizzle, grey skies, and a big political storm by Friday morning. The local elections are taking place on Thursday 7th May, and if there are elections in your area, this could be a huge chance to express how you truly feel about both local democracy and the Government's overall performance. Get down to your local polling station, even to vote tactically, and make a difference. Not sure who is best placed to stop Farage in your area? Have a gander at StopReformUK.vote

_We're testing out a new monthly feature based on your feedback for more music recommendations. Let us know what you think of this and at the very least we'll give it another go in May._ One of the nicest problems to have in modern times is there's so much music and not enough time to drink it all in. The last month or so, the release calendar was rammed, and to top it all off, Massive Attack made their return. So, to spare ourselves some valuable brain space - instead of having one track of the week, we compiled a bunch of them. There's also some fun live sessions in here if you fancy watching some great live music from your sofa over the weekend. SPONSORED Listen to our April Tracks of the Month with this week's DiS playlist powered by ****Qobuz**** , our music streaming platform of choice. TRY QOBUZ FOR FREE ### The Anchoress - 'I Had A Baby Not A Lobotomy' (featuring Gwenno) I learned from a friend who's just had a baby about the baffling paradox of procreating being socially encouraged but pregnancy being stigmatised, even amounting to a sense of erasure. Strangely, there aren't many songs about it. The Anchoress is changing that, with a sharp, synth-soaked rebuke of the truly eye-widening comments people made when she had a baby - "_Guess Europe's out of the equation How are you liking your vacation?_ " Prepare yourself not just for undiluted honesty but for a hook that will simply not escape your head - I for one am singing it to myself constantly. ### American Football & Brendan Yates - 'No Feeling' Some music you could sink into like a warm bath, and for the emo and post-rock minded among you, American Football have always done that beautifully. They channel a twilit, almost shoegaze-like atmosphere into their latest single, featuring Brendan Yates from Turnstile shapeshifting into quite a different vocalist from how he is in his day job. This is one for the soporific end of the day, when the sun's set and life is quiet. ### Massive Attack & Tom Waits - 'Boots On The Ground' As the world shifts into a frightening, unrecognisable form, the stage was clearly being set for a new single from Massive Attack for the first time in a decade (and Waits' first new song in 15) - dropping just days after Robert Del Naja was arrested for declaring his support for Palestine Action. Laden with woody, clinking percussion, Waits' trademark gravelly tone sounds weary and wisened as he sings a dirge for modern America peppered with vulgarities and a thick sediment of disgust. _"Mould your world, a soldier’s just clay/How much does every soldier weigh?/Cut you off at the ankles and they throw that away,"_ he sings. It's best experienced along with its accompanying visuals created by Massive Attack and US artist thefinaleye, which "portrays a momentous American epoch that is yet to be named, and comes in the aftermath of the largest public protests in American history - focused on opposition to ICE raids, the militarisation of domestic forces, and state authoritarianism." ### Kate Nash - 'Famine' One of music's most visible and powerful voices right now is bowing her head towards both her own history as someone with dual English and Irish citizenship and the lineage of protest she belongs to. Kate Nash covered Sinead O'Connor's 'Famine' at her recent show at London's Roundhouse and has now released it as a single, in which she's added some of her own lyrics and plays the tin whistle for the first time. It's a contemplative moment of reflection on colonialism and its role in the erasing of history and obscuring of knowledge, to which Nash adds a more personal slant through her own words. Listen, think and learn. The joy of witnessing Kate Nash standing in her powerOr, the Kate Nash-assisted guide to why the woes of touring post-Brexit are in Parliament againDrowned in SoundEmma Wilkes ### unpeople - 'clouds' I spoke about unpeople on the podcast at the tail end of last year as one of my tips for 2026, and if you want to find the future of British rock music, you're looking right at it. The song might be titled 'clouds', but it sounds like pure sunshine - albeit, the sort the shines when the sky's still dark from the rain. There's such an ebullient energy to the chunky riffs unpeople have, but there's a moodier streak as they offload the overwhelm of other people trying to pull them in different directions artistically. Keep listening, and you'll hear that they have an unexpected sting in their tail too. ### Sofia Isella - 'The Chicken Is Naked & Afraid' Here's the best song sampling chicken noises you'll hear today. In all seriousness, Sofia Isella's newest single is a characteristically dark, sinuous number snaking through the gaps between genres, dripping with wryness and razor-sharp lines on the psyche of fragile masculinity. Already with a handful of EPs to her name, she's developed such a distinct lyrical voice, one which is poetic, frank and even occasionally funny. If you like what you hear, her new EP _Something is a shell is out now_. ### Olivia Rodrigo - 'drop dead' With a reverence and adoration of the music that made her and a keenness to speak out about what matters, Olivia Rodrigo deserves the Drowned In Sound seal of approval. That, and she can make pop music reformed rock purists like this girl here loves. Maturing into a fuzzier, candyfloss-coloured shade of pop-rock, she dives headfirst into a state of sugary infatuation, and although it's a clear evolution, it still feels entirely hers. ### Static Dress - '...hospice' After Static Dress' recent single 'human props' was TOTW in January, I couldn't resist showing you one of the follow-up singles. On '...hospice', the Leeds quartet are aiming for the stars - and to ruin your make-up - with some gorgeous balladry to warm your cold emo heart. While it certainly incites the urge to wave a lighter in the air, the song also asks that you think deeply, its lyrics confronting not just the spectre of mortality but the music industry's preoccupation with youth. Keep the tissues on stand-by. ### Bonus mention: Mannequin Pussy, Tiny Desk Not a new song, but it's so incredible that it just had to be included. Mannequin Pussy’s Tiny Desk session isn’t just a sublime demonstration of how special they are live, but it brings to the forefront a different side of the band altogether. Backed by a string section, it peels back the layers of aggression to get to their soft centre, with a couple of gentler, left-field setlist choices including ‘Split Me Open’ and one of my personal favourites, ‘I Don’t Know You’. (I’ve never heard it live but if I did I think I’d end up in a ball on the floor crying). Of course, despite this difference in tone, their music still bleeds catharsis. "Your rage is a part of you and you have to honour it. Give it the space to breathe," vocalist Missy Dabice says, before she leads the audience in a huge collective scream. ### Related reads Albums falling from the sky?Emma Wilkes ponders why a surprise album invites us to listen differently…Drowned in SoundEmma WilkesThank God for the angry women in my headphonesEmma Wilkes asks: Is music one of the only realms where women can rage freely?Drowned in SoundEmma WilkesAn Important Day for Music FansThe fan-led review of live and electronic music underscores so many of the issues that we’ve written about in this newsletter and discussed on our podcast.Drowned in SoundSean Adams

Before the UK's 2024 general election, Labour's manifesto promised to "put fans back at the heart of events" by ending - or seriously curtailing - ticket touting. Then, following a consultation, in November 2025, the government made a big announcement. Action seemed imminent. It seemed so very close. In fact, you might remember that I excitedly recorded a podcast with Adam Webb from the FanFair Alliance who have been campaigning for laws around "secondary ticketing" - as it's politely known - for many years. So here we are in April 2026. Nearly two years since Labour were elected in a loveless landslide. And yet, there's _still_ no legislation despite their manifesto pledge on something as hugely popular as protecting music fans from profiteering. And both the Music Fans' Voice survey that 8000+ of you filled in and the Fan-Led Review of Live Music, double-underlined in thick red pen just have fans feel about touts. Not only is there no action since November but various sources suggest rumblings that the Ticketing Bill may not even appear in the King's Speech on 13th May 2026. Somewhat stunned but hardly surprised, I've recorded podcast this week to kick off season six of the pod about a letter written by consumer rights experts **Which?** , which was co-signed by pretty much every live music industry trade body and the big live music organisations, from Music Venue Trust to Live Nation. I've popped the letter to the PM at the end of this email if you fancy a read. It's an urgent and really revealing conversation for every music fan trying to get their head around this mess we're in... Here's a quick taste of the podcast: Listen on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts While we wait for "Sir" Keir to make good on his promise, the touts are doing very well. How well? Here's some statistics: * Ticket resellers are on track to pocket an estimated **£24 million from fans this summer alone.** * A Harry Styles ticket with a £200 face value was listed for **£3,622.** * An Ariana Grande ticket at £135 face value listed for **£2,835.** * A BTS ticket at £450 face value listed for **£4,872.** That's a 312% markup. * And one ticket we discuss on this week's podcast was available on Viagogo for a whopping **£114,666.** None of this money goes back to the artists, the venues, or anyone in the music ecosystem. It flows to bots, sometimes to international criminal operations, and regularly to people from Dubai to Delaware. The government's own analysis says a price cap would save fans **£112 million a year.** 91% of over 8,000 music fans surveyed said resale above face value should be outlawed. The Culture, Media and Sport Committee's independent fan-led review of live music, published a few weeks ago, echoes the call to the government: act without delay. The window is closing. If the bill is not in the King's Speech, there is no parliamentary timetable, no accountability, and no guarantee it ever happens. ## **This week on the Drowned in Sound podcast** I sat down with Which? spokesperson Kat Cereda and my new co-host Helena Wadia (of the brilliant Media Storm podcast but previously at NME, Line of Best Fit and other places raving about the music she loves) to dig into the letter, the numbers, Which?'s previous campaigns around music fans being fleeced, and to reveal what fans can actually do. The UK government promised to end ticket touting. So why hasn’t it?Podcast Episode · Drowned in Sound · April 28 · 34mApple Podcasts Listen on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts And if you feel strongly about this, tag your MP on this clip on our Insta. Share the episode. Repost the Which? letter (see below). Don't know who your MP is? This website is super handy, just pop in your postcode and then forward them this email with a polite note. TL;DR? The touts and the big corporate platforms they operate on are counting on fans feeling hopeless. They're hoping we don't bother nudging those in power who promised to protect us to act. Let's prove them wrong. * * * _Drowned in Sound has been championing independent music and empowering music fans for 25 years. If someone forwarded you this email, you can sign up at_ drownedinsound.org Secondary ticketing market could con fans out of £24m this summer - Which?Which? calls the government to bring forward a Bill in the next King’s Speech to ban the resale of tickets above face valueWhich?Hannah Downes SPONSORED Listen to the songs that shaped Drowned in Sound founder Sean Adams, and his political awakenings with last week's DiS playlist powered by Qobuz. ****Explore new music**** in rich Hi-Res lossless quality with Qobuz, and click this link to access a 30-day free trial. Learn more

The day Donald Trump was re-elected, I asked myself what I would do if abortion was ever banned in the UK. Chances are, because I’m positive I don’t want children, I would get sterilised. I don’t want to undergo such an invasive procedure, but that to me would be far preferable to the hormone-addled tornado of pregnancy for nine months and a painful childbirth, all for a baby I wouldn’t want to keep. (It would also be inadvisable with another health condition that I have). I should not be asking myself this question. I wonder how many other women and uterus havers have done the same. In the 18 months since, existing as a woman has become even more frightening, even just in the last few months. Some of the news cycle's biggest talking points have been deeply rooted in misogyny - the Epstein files, Louis Theroux's manosphere documentary, most recently the revelation by CNN that an academy for men to learn how to sexually violate women had clocked up 62 million visits. We are furious. We are scared. To say both feel like understatements. Decades of struggle to assert ourselves and be considered equal and we still must endure this. At least the women releasing their fury into our speakers and headphones understand this. They might be separated from us by stages and platforms and fame but they are still us. Thank God for them for saying what we’re thinking and teaching us that it’s not just okay, but it’s vital, to take up space and unleash the anger, the largest and most energetic of all emotions, building up in our systems. Sometimes this anger is personal – I’m a woman who likes guitars, of _course_ I’ve raged to Alanis Morrissette’s ‘You Oughta Know’ when men have let me down. Nowadays, that anger is channeled into music that will soundtrack protests, boycotts and displays of solidarity as we fight back against the erosion of rights and the far-right’s imposition in our politics. I never used to like classifying this as ‘female rage’. Anyone facing this would be angry, so why must it be gendered? Perhaps it was after I saw a male journalist use it and the significance of it altered, almost like it was patronizing. Once I realised this, my stance softened. We deserve to be able to say we feel rage specific to our experience as we move through a world not designed for us. If anything, 'feminine rage' is the less used but better term, one I like to think is more inclusive as it relates to gender expression instead of sex. It also happens to be the stuff of great music. We’re going to get a cascade of songs about the collective incandescence we as women feel about the world, whether relating to misogyny or other equally heinous matters. A few weeks ago, for example, I nominated Lambrini Girls’ ‘Cult Of Celebrity’, about the Epstein files, as Track Of The Week. Sprints’ new single ‘Trickle Down’ was tantamount to a glance into a ravine – _“They’re calling it free speech, it’s free hate, racism disguised as nationalism… oh and did I forget that we're destroying the environment and the fucking world is gonna end?”_ There'll be new names pushing through from the underground whose political songwriting is already resonating with listeners. YAKKIE's debut album _Kill The Cop Inside Your Head_ is stacked with anthems of resistance tackling femicide, whitewashed liberal feminism and internalised oppression with a golden streak of hope. In a darker contrast, Canadian punks PISS' 'live under oak street bridge' session is soul-shaking in its aggression, interspersed with samples including Andrea Dworkin speaking about the violent misogyny of pornography. _"I wanted a way out of my body/To disguise the scent that drew them out_ ," howls vocalist Taylor Zantingh in a tone of wild desperation. There’s even more where they came from. Both of those bands are destined to be looked back on as vital voices soundtracking this period. See also, Mannequin Pussy, Canadian ‘riot-gazers’ Softcult (who play a shoegaze-inflected take on riot grrrl), doom-punks Witch Fever, Die Spitz, Sofia Isella, Amyl and the Sniffers (‘Knifey’ might be the most devastating feminist song I know). Hayley Williams’ musical output is more political than it ever has been. Sometimes their rage is political, sometimes there are softer, more personal moments, but these are women who are unafraid to engage with the world around them and call out its wrongs for what they are. Why does this matter if it’s ‘just music’? Firstly, it’s solace. It reminds us we’re not crazy. Secondly, it’s a reminder that music is freedom, free from the constraints of judgment and tone policing, where women don’t have to seek permission to be as angry as they feel. Perhaps it’s one of the only outlets we have where women can be angry and not be patronised for it or gaslit about it. Under patriarchy, an emotion as loud and powerful as anger is not a woman’s domain, and our anger still isn’t taken seriously. A 2025 article from the New Statesman__ examining the progressive streak among young women in the UK notes that “there is still a prevailing sense that whatever young women are thinking and feeling, it doesn’t matter very much.” It outlines the unhappiness this group feels towards their country, revealing that they are the most pessimistic about the economy and are more likely to say their country is treating them unfairly compared to previous generations. They feel less connected to their country and are more likely than their male counterparts to think the UK is racist. It’s said that young women are “radicalising”, but are we really? We want economic security, our rights to be protected, not eroded - or pitted against those of trans people - climate justice, racial justice, accessibility and fairness. All in all, we don’t want to function within a broken system that doesn’t actually serve us. Radical? Not exactly. I see this being treated with hand-wringing instead of concern. In fact, I even suspect there’s an undertone of fear to it from people who don’t want to see the systems we live in toppled. In fact, Rowan Pelling’s piece in The Telegraph tries to posit that “angry leftie women” present a concern as much as radicalised men do – “It seems that for every male who’s found his mentor in Andrew Tate or the late Charlie Kirk, there’s a young woman who’s been radicalised by Greta Thunberg and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.” Comparing one of the most powerful climate activists (and a tremendous advocate for Palestine) to a man peddling extreme misogynist ideology is painfully invalid when the former’s perspective is not only hardly that outlandish but is founded in actual science. Though Pelling writes that she does have some sympathy post-Epstein files and the murder of Sarah Everard in 2021, there’s derision instead of sympathy for women. “If an increasing number of educated young women feel hopeless about the world’s future, hostile towards men, intend to spurn relationships (let alone marriage), declare themselves non-binary and don’t want to have children… then we’re all up Faeces Creek without a paddle.” Half of the items on this list wouldn’t exactly cause society to collapse, not least when it’s so retrograde to consider marriage and children as obligations to society rather than individual choices. But if you see hopelessness and anger, why aren’t you asking why those sentiments exist in the first place? Why don’t you treat the dossier of evidence we have with the consideration it deserves? Amid the existing pain of the modern struggle the women of my generation has, there’s a difficulty just to be listened to. There’s a rush to protect male emotions when we speak of our bad experiences with them than to consider the extent of our own injury. Lambrini Girls vocalist Phoebe Lunny put it best in her brilliant A View From The Bridge video: “It’s 2026 and women are still having to scream at the top of their lungs. One out of three women have been sexually assaulted or will be sexually assaulted in their lifetimes, and we’re all focusing and centering the men still." Songs understand us even when the wider world doesn't. At shows, we're stood shoulder to shoulder with people who have experienced what we've experienced and believe what we believe. Those spaces offer us a means of feeling sane, not to mention a vital means of community building. They bring connection and joy, and perhaps most importantly of all, catharsis. That feeling was exemplified by Mannequin Pussy's recent Tiny Desk session for NPR, in which vocalist Missy Dabice emphasised the necessity of feeling and releasing anger - especially when she led the NPR office in a cathartic primal scream. "Your rage is a part of you and you have to honor it. Give it the space to breathe," she said. She hears us. If only the rest of society would catch up. ## Related reads Why we need to talk about speaking outSpeaking out, reasonably and responsibly, must be made safer. Until then, it needs to be done carefully.Drowned in SoundNina CresswellMisogyny in Music: The NumbersFollowing Eliza Hatch’s appearance on the podcast this week to discuss misogyny in music, we illustrate the scale of the issue in numbersDrowned in SoundEmma Wilkes

_We're going to experiment with a few more newsletters than usual this week, partly to break things up a bit. Let us know if it's too much or a good idea or whatevs.. To kick things off, here's a little round up of some news stories we thought might be of interest from Eurovision boycotts to a must-see video message by Phoebe Lunny from Lambrini Girls._ ### It's squeaky bum time for Live Nation There's been another twist in the Live Nation court saga after a federal jury in New York City found on Wednesday that Live Nation has been illegally operating as a monopoly and overcharging fans. The US Department of Justice's legal counsel said the firm's practices had squeezed out competition and pushed up ticket prices, while also making customer service worse. Previously, the DoJ lawyer David E. Dahlquist suggested in his argument that Ticketmaster’s technology is “held together by duct tape” because the lack of competition meant that Live Nation was unconcerned with making the site efficient enough to work smoothly. This likely increases the chances of Live Nation and Ticketmaster, which merged in 2010, being forcibly split up. In addition, they could also potentially be compelled to divest parts of the business. "The jury's verdict is not the last word on this matter," Live Nation said in response and emphasised that other pending motions that could alter the outcome of the case, it said. Throughout the trial, they have argued that it was not a monopoly and that competition in the ticketing market was fiercer than ever. Can we fix ticketing by fixing one company?How do you solve a problem like Live Nation? The concert giant faced an antitrust lawsuit this week which it has since settled - but how did we get here?Drowned in SoundEmma Wilkes ### The fight to save Battery Studios is on Once again, more cultural infrastructure has been placed at risk by corporate greed. The Willesden, London-based Battery Studios is facing the threat of demolition and redevelopment into flats, prompting the creation of a petition to save it. The owners have pointed out that recording studios and creative spaces are “being lost at an alarming rate” across the country and that demolishing and rebuilding spaces “carries a far greater carbon cost than preserving and modernising existing structures”. The statement says: > “Importantly, there is strong precedent for protecting studios and creative spaces like this. Allowing this demolition would go against that progress and send the wrong message about how we value our cultural assets. We urge the council to reject this proposal and instead support the preservation and continued use of Battery Studios as a world-class creative facility.” A wealth of hugely significant albums have been recorded there, such as Iron Maiden‘s _Killers_(1981) and _The Number of the Beast_ (1982), Talk Talk‘s _The Colour Of Spring_ (1986), The Cars‘ _Heartbeat City’_(1984) and Skunk Anansie's _Paranoid & Sunburnt_ (1995). Sign the PetitionSave Battery Studios – Protect the Future of UK MusicChange.org ### No Music For Genocide turns its hand to a Eurovision boycott campaign Credit: No Music For Genocide Israel's continued inclusion in Eurovision in the last few years has cast a huge shadow over the last few editions of the annual singing competition, and this year's event is already on track to become the most politically-charged yet - ironic for a competition that constantly tries to wash its hands of politics but never truly does so. Five countries - Spain, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia - are refusing to participate and Spain has now declared it won't broadcast the contest at all. Given Spain is one of 'The Big Five', this is hugely significant. While previous boycott campaigns have taken place in the last couple of years, 2026 is the year it gets even bigger. No Music For Genocide, who organised the campaign for artists to geo-block their music in Israel, is leading a huge campaign backed by the BDS movement encouraging fans not to get involved with Eurovision this year. They have issued an open letter calling for Israel to be banned from the contest, questioning why it hasn't faced the treatment as Russia, who was banned for invading Ukraine in 2022. The letter has been signed by artists including Brian Eno, Massive Attack, Paloma Faith, Paul Weller, Hot Chip, Of Monsters and Men, IDLES, Primal Scream, Sigur Rós, Young Fathers, Mogwai, Black Country New Road, Erika de Casier, Nadine Shah, Dry Cleaning, Ólafur Arnalds, David Holmes, Nemahsis, Macklemore, Roger Waters, Peter Gabriel, Salute, Vacations, Smerz, Mechatok and Olof Dreijer from The Knife, as well as a number of former Eurovision finalists. > "While many of us in the industry make light of Eurovision or doubt our own power as cultural producers, genocidal Israel’s leaders speak openly about the contest’s geopolitical value. > "NMFG stands with and amplifies the incredible grassroots organizing efforts across Europe to boycott Eurovision until Israel is banned. From PACBI to direct actionists, from Film Workers For Palestine in Hollywood to striking dockworkers in Italy and Morocco, people of conscience around the globe are fighting complicity in every industry for a free Palestine and a freer world”. Sign the No Music For Genocide open letter ### Shambala Festival begins an innovative employee-owned model Is Shambala technically the John Lewis of music festivals now? Not through poshness, of course, but through a change in its business structure meaning it will now be the UK's first employee-owned music festival. “All of us at Shambala have an emotional stake in what we have built over 25 years; now everyone has an ownership stake too,” said co-founder and MD, Chris Johnson. “We would be nothing without our people, and they deserve to carry on the Shambala legacy as beneficiaries. “Shambala stands for independence and, in an increasingly commercialised festival scene, we simply could not sell to venture capitalists or the big promotion companies,” Johnson adds. “While exploring alternative paths, we fell in love with the Employee Ownership model.” Shambala returns to Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens, Northampton, from 27th-30th August. ### Sean weighs in on the fan-led review of live music The Fan-Led Review Of Music was released on Friday, which gathers the thoughts of over 4,000 fans and a series of roundtable discussions about live and electronic music. It includes The Fans' Charter, which contains about 50 recommendations that the government, the industry, and and local authorities should implement. These include measures such as ending ticket touting, improving late night transport and being more transparent about stage times (the debate over which I wrote about last year). You can expect plenty more content digging into the recommendations soon, particularly on the podcast, over the coming weeks. Read the Fan-Led Review of Live & Electronic Music An Important Day for Music FansThe fan-led review of live and electronic music underscores so many of the issues that we’ve written about in this newsletter and discussed on our podcast.Drowned in SoundSean Adams SPONSORED Political Awakenings As a companion to the latest Drowned in Sound podcast introducing our new podcast series Sounds Like Change, we shared a taste of the pilot episode with DiS founder Sean Adams. So for this week's playlist he's shared some of the music that shaped him. ****Explore new music**** in rich Hi-Res lossless quality with Qobuz, and click this link to access a 30-day free trial. Learn more ### The most important video you might see all week? Sometimes it feels like I talk about Lambrini Girls every five seconds in conversations about music that matters right now (Sean can verify this). And now, I'm doing it again. Vocalist and guitarist Phoebe Lunny has just taken part in the Instagram video series A View From A Bridge, where participants share a story on a bridge while holding a red corded phone to their ear. She tells the story of the time she was unexpectedly arrested for attempting to spread the word about an abusive musician in her local scene and the consequences of essentially being punished for trying to do the right thing. “What I think it’s a really good example of is how even laws which are there in place to protect women can be exploited and used for a man’s benefit,” Lunny said. “And I think this is also part of the hugely misogynistic rhetoric which is used by the manosphere, and how they are constantly whining and victimising themselves about the system being stacked up against them, and it’s women’s fault.” “Which is bulls**t, because the system is there to aid and to protect dangerous men, and what I think you see a lot, especially after that Louis Theroux documentary came out, is guys online actively condemning this misogynistic viewpoint, which is amazing and we need that, but if they could put the same amount of passion into actually advocating for women, instead of being like, ‘I’m not like him!’ – what if you actually did something about it? Instead of just letting women be the ones who have to f**king deal with it.” Watch Phoebe Lunny's A View From A Bridge here Why we need to talk about speaking outSpeaking out, reasonably and responsibly, must be made safer. Until then, it needs to be done carefully.Drowned in SoundNina Cresswell

A new report was released today that I would urge every music fan to read. It's the result of a survey of over 4,000 music fans in the UK and a series of roundtable discussions about live and electronic music. It also summarises a lot of other research and discussions with various groups who live and breathe music. Lord Brennan, enthusing about seeing Joni Mitchell and Bob Marley, sets the tone in his opening remarks: > "This review has listened intently to the voice of fans. It is a call to all involved in music to turn the volume dial up to 11 in their favour." What really struck me was the ways in which the report and the fans' charter focusses on the public good of music. Perhaps it's just me feeling repulsed by the corporate for-profit music industry for far too long, but I felt a bit emotional reading this bit: > Part of the appeal of live and electronic music is the collective experience. Whether it’s attending events with friends, family, or by themselves, fans describe gigs, concerts and club nights as shared moments that stay with them. Many find a sense of community, forming friendships that last for years. Time and again, fans told us that live and electronic music helps address loneliness, with venues of all sizes offering spaces in which fans feel they belong, can participate, and express themselves freely. This collective experience is a key driver in cultural citizenship, where fans can develop a sense of pride and place-based identity, allowing them to feel at home and connected to where they live. These shared, in-person spaces are also part of the UK’s wider social infrastructure at a time when participation in many other community activities is in decline. I was probably moved by it because it's really not the sort of thing I see people in power say or publish about music. It's echoed later in the report too: > Fans see live and electronic music as a social experience which forges connections and a sense of belonging. Some fans spoke about being able to attend gigs alone while still feeling welcome and part of the community, highlighting the important role that live and electronic music plays in connecting people. The report is just shy of 100 pages long but lots of it is very spaced out and it'll likely only take you 15-20 mins to read with a nice cuppa. The Fans' Charter is much shorter, with about 50 recommendations that the government, the industry, and and local authorities should implement, from ending ticket touting to improving late night transport and simple things like the live industry sharing timings so fans can plan their night out accordingly. I'd much rather you read it and let me know what your takeaways are or questions about it might be, as I'm planning a series of podcasts to go deeper into this report in coming weeks. You'll find it to read/bookmark/add to your reminders here: Read The Fan-Led Review of Live & Electronic Music One of the most important points is right at the start of the report: > This independent fan-led review of live and electronic music must be considered in full by the government, the music industry, local authorities and other relevant stakeholders to inform their ongoing work to support a thriving live and electronic music ecosystem. We expect the government to respond to Lord Brennan’s report and recommendations within the usual two months, in line with the convention for select committee report publications. If you have 2 mins, please could you look up your MP and email them a link to the report to ensure that they read it. You can use this website to find out who they are: TheyWorkForYouMaking it easy to keep an eye on the UK’s parliaments. Discover who represents you, how they’ve voted and what they’ve said in debates.TheyWorkForYou There are also local elections coming up, so why not ask the candidates what they plan to do to improve live and electronic music in your area? You can find your local candidates by popping your postcode into this website: Who Can I Vote For?We build digital tools to support everyone’s participation in UK democracy.Democracy Club logo ### Related Bits From DiS The joys of the 10pm finishGig-goers love a 10pm finish - but should all gigs have one? Sometimes, it’s not always practical…Drowned in SoundEmma WilkesDefunding Ticket ToutsFairer ticketing coming to the UK?Drowned in SoundSean AdamsMusic Venue Trust Calls Out Live NationThe state of grassroots music in the spotlight + track of the week + news Aphex newsDrowned in SoundEmma Wilkes£125,000 for MusiciansNot a musician? In the words of Karen O... WAIT!Drowned in SoundSean Adams A few months ago, we published a podcast featuring Lord Brennan recorded live at Sŵn Festival in Cardiff. It was special panel arranged as part of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s Fan-Led Review into Live Music and Electronic Music. Speakers included Sam Duckworth (aka Get Cape,.Wear Cape. Fly), Dr Lucy Bennett, Lecturer at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture who co-founded the Fan Studies Network; Cathy Long the CEO of Aposto who worked with 64 football clubs at the Premier League (spearheading safety and fan experience), The FSA and co-author of the Accessible Stadia Guide; and Julian Jenkins a seasoned sports executive and entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in the global sports industry. Listen Here

When people on my timeline come together and rejoice, it’s usually for one of two reasons. One of these can usually be boiled down into the category of ‘wins for the left, losses for the right’, i.e. the Greens winning the Gorton and Denton by-election. The other, the more common of the two, is music. Shiny new tour packages, festival line-ups, all the glorious stuff acting as anchors in the dark seas of gloom through which we swim. On Friday, I was both a participant and an observer in one of these collective moments of joy. If this virtual town square was a real one, there’d be confetti floating through the air and people dancing and clinking their drinks. Enter Shikari had just dropped a new album, _Lose Your Self,_ without warning. Everyone was plugged in and listening together, bonding in the excitement of it all, dancing in their kitchens and living rooms as the weekend beckoned. For full disclosure, I knew this was coming. I’d had word of it from their publicist, keeping it a closely guarded secret while I attempted to secure some coverage. It wasn’t a surprise to me but I still enjoyed the _freudenfreude_ of everyone else getting to experience what I had. What I hadn’t envisioned was just how potent and colourful this shared happiness would be. A new Enter Shikari album was never going to pass by in a flash. Even as they storm arenas and top the album charts, as they did with 2023’s _A Kiss For The Whole World,_ they retain a unique ‘heroes of the people’ type status few bands have at their size. They’re a cornerstone of a British emo’s coming-of-age but one you never outgrow, a band you could share with your friends who know nothing about rock music at all, a group of men you could invite to sit with you in your back garden for some falafel or a beer. Their reputation for thrilling, rowdy live shows with laser-filled production is unmatched (their 2024 Wembley Arena show is one of my favourite gigs of all time). On top of that, they’re one of British music’s most forthright political voices, writing about climate change and Palestine before it was common for artists (there’s a reference to the use of white phosphorus in Gaza as far back as 2011’s third album _A Flash Flood Of Colour.)_ Something about the euphoria surrounding _Lose Your Self_ felt different, in a way a conventional album rollout couldn’t have matched. The unexpectedness of it transformed its release into a _moment._ There was no getting lost in the noise of New Music Friday, no sense of competition with every other new release out that week. It could exist on its own terms. It’s remembered more clearly. Though over 12 years has passed since Beyonce dropped her self-titled fifth album – an expansive, critically lauded artistic statement in which every track had a music video – on a random Friday in _December_ of all months, it’s still held up as the pinnacle of earth-shaking moves in music. We remember U2’s 2014 album _Songs Of Innocence_ for the same reasons, albeit less pleasantly given it was foisted on every iTunes user with no notice. “We had put a bottle of milk in people’s fridge that they hadn’t asked for,” Bono quipped later in his 2022 memoir Surrender_._ “It was a serious overreach.” Crucially, a surprise drop like this invites us to listen differently. The album can be treated like the album it was supposed to be, an uninterrupted sonic journey that undulates and shapeshifts and changes in pace and crucially leaves us in a different place than we were when we found it. Without any singles, every song is on an equal footing and can be treated with equal importance. There’s no jarring transition from a song you’ve played for months into one you’re only hearing for the first time. Nothing gets heard out of its context; the album is its own context. This is, of course, the best way to hear any album for the first time but _Lose Your Self_ doesn’t feel like an album that wants to be put on shuffle – especially not when its final three songs form an elegant trilogy that it would feel sacrilegious to tear up and separate. The beautiful pay-off of it all in the final part – listen for yourself, if you haven’t already – certifies that easily. <p>Your browser does not support iframes.</p> Get a 30 day free trial to listen on Qobuz Perhaps the surprise drop is a pro ‘album as art’ move. Equally, it’s the anti-commercialist one. It’s a deviation from the repeatedly trodden path of throwing a single a month into the ether and hoping people connect with it as much as, or more than, any other single that’s been released that week. I’ve spoken to enough artists to know that feeding an album to the fans like crumbs to the ducks sometimes sets their teeth on edge, as does playing into the hands of streamers’ fragmented playlist culture. It spits in the face of chart positions. It brings what artists do back in line with their original intentions for embroiling themselves in the music industry in the first place, which is not to get muddied in the business of it all but is to create. It’s the anti-gimmick gimmick, which might explain why it’s endured far more than the more out-the-box album release campaigns of the past that have prevented the artists who think they can quit the album game from ever following through. Ultimately, not only is it simple, but at its core, it’s celebratory of the album as a format. Incidentally, the methodology of a surprise drop that divorces art from the confines of business plans very much chimes in with what _Lose Your Self_ is about, a commentary on individualism, capitalism and AI and the chokehold each of them have on both our thought processes and progress as a society. “ _When I was a young boy, I dreamed of maximizing shareholder value_ ,” is one such wisecrack. Of course it’s not meant to be chopped into pieces. Whether intentionally or not, it wants to cure both your pessimism and your brain rot. Can you really change the world if you can’t concentrate on a 41-minute album? Not everyone can do this, of course. Your average local band couldn’t, and if everyone did it, it would dull the concept’s meaning and impact. Those that do offer us a welcome jolt, to engage with music differently, to think about our consumption of it, and to partake in the fulfilling act of hitting play and letting the music take you wherever it wishes. * * * ## DiS wants to hear about your stories with gig security Have you ever had a bad experience with security at a gig? Drowned In Sound is looking to hear from you. We're surveying our readership for a future newsletter. You don't have to go into extensive detail about your experience if you don't wish - just ticking some boxes for us is more than enough. Your responses will be anonymous. Drowned in Sound: Gig Security surveyFor a forthcoming piece, we’re trying to gauge how many music fans have had bad experiences with security at gigs and what nature those experiences have taken. This survey will be completely anonymous. If you would like to follow up on your answers, feel free to email emma@drownedinsound.org.Google Docs ## The grassroots levy funds beds for musicians Ever wondered where that extra pound on your gig tickets might go? One such project is the Music Venue Trust's new Stay The Night, Feel At Home initiative, which aims to build accommodation for artists in underused parts of venues to save them splashing out on hotel rooms. Norwich venue Voodoo Daddy's has been the first to benefit and the scheme has also helped 21 young people who were involved in building it gain qualifications in skills such as carpentry, painting, decorating and health and safety. "It's a game changer for us, it puts us on the international scene, it puts us on the A-list of touring around the nation," venue manager Ben Street told the BBC_._ "To be able to offer that means it's the difference between not being able to take on a show because the costs on both sides are too much and actually saying 'Let's go ahead and do it.'" Indeed, Street has already been able to book two bands from the US because the venue now has the advantage of free accommodation. What a win. On that note, if you've ever wondered if the big gig you're going to is supporting the grassroots levy, the LIVE Trust have put up a guide to the April shows contributing here. Among the artists who are participating or have participated are 5 Seconds of Summer, Rick Astley and Olivia Dean. ## Robert Del Naja stands up to proscription of Palestine Action > BREAKING: Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja unlawfully arrested under the Terrorism Act. > > He was amongst hundreds of protestors arrested for holding signs which say "I oppose genocide - I support Palestine Action". > > The ban is unlawful, and so are these arrests. pic.twitter.com/FOgvC0z7x2 > > — Defend Our Juries (@DefendOurJuries) April 11, 2026 Massive Attack have spent decades standing with the people of Palestine, participating in a cultural boycott of Israel as far back as 1999. Just under a year ago, they were rallying against the sponsorship of Co-Op Live by Barclays over their alleged ties to Israel. Now, Robert Del Naja has taken that stance to a point where he's potentially put his own career on the line. He was one of 212 people arrested in London at the weekend on suspicion for supporting a proscribed organisation, taken away by police by holding a sign reading "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action." "Being a musician, obviously, there was a lot of trepidation around how we might not be able to travel and get visas," he told the Press Association. "But I thought 'this is ridiculous' and then the police making that U-turn to arrest people again, I thought that is even more ridiculous. "So I'm going to hold a sign today. "If I get arrested, I feel very confident that if I stand up in court with the right guidance and say 'this was an unlawful arrest and, therefore, I don't accept it'." You can read Robert Del Naja's statement in full on his Instagram. * * * __Reminder:__****Drowned in Sound**** is a founder-owned, proudly independent publication and podcast with an insightful, funny, and kind online community. Become a paid subscriber to support our work and access all our articles and exclusive content.

In February, Drowned In Sound announced our partnership with Bulletproof, the new London-based festival of grassroots music helmed by Jeremy Corbyn's Music For The Many project. If you hadn't seen, the festival will be taking place from 4th-6th June 2026 across several grassroots venues in east London - the main stage will be hosted at EartH in Hackney, with the rest of the line-up rotating across The Shacklewell Arms, The Victoria and The Jago. **Maruja, Sprints** and**Pussy Riot: Riot Days** have all been confirmed as headliners, joined by names such as **CQ Wrestling, SNAYX, Yakkie, CLT DRP, Jools** and many more. With just over two months to go until the festival kicks off, we're thrilled to share with you the next batch of acts for Bulletproof's inaugural edition. Headlining the second stage on Saturday 6th June, sponsored by the Music Venue Trust supporting lager Fight Back, will be **Cody Frost**. They are joined by **Blossom Calderone** - who you may have seen playing cello and keys if you've ever seen English Teacher live - as well as **King No-One** , **Hex Girlfriend, Las Chanchas, Sunday Best, Grey Flx** and**Bugeye.** Tickets are on sale now - you can grab yours here. SPONSORED Listen to all the acts playing Bulletproof Festival with this week's DiS playlist powered by Qobuz - your neatly packaged starter pack to the line-up. Browse our playlist archive. TRY QOBUZ FOR FREE "We are so excited to make these additions and cannot wait for these incredible artists to take to the stage at grassroots music venues across the festival site in June!" said Bulletproof's lead organiser Samuel Sweek. "The response to Bulletproof has been phenomenal and shows the absolutely massive appetite for live music in Britain, as well as for action to protect independent music venues, which is exactly what our campaign demands. "We’re looking forward to announcing even more names very soon, alongside our programme of speakers and other events going on across the three days Bulletproof runs. We’ve got some more surprises in store too!" Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn added: "The government must act now to protect our grassroots music venues and independent creative spaces. > "Bulletproof will bring people together through music, film and discussion to demand action, as well as to build resistance against the rise of the far-right, attacks on our right to protest and the injustices overseen and indeed implemented by successive governments." The other acts announced for Bulletproof so far are as follows: ### Thursday * **Maruja** * **CQ Wrestling** * **Soapbox** * **Yard** * **Yakkie** * **Dead Air** * **Gabby Rivers** * **Speit** * **Deva St. John** ### Friday * **Sprints** * **CLT DRP** * **Alien Chicks** * **Gender Crisis** * **Ellis D** * **Paradise Fell.** * **Currls** * **Comforts** * **Moskito** * **Chuck SJ** * **Isabella Strange** ### Saturday * **Pussy Riot: Riot Days** * **SNAYX** * **Jools** * **The Oozes** * **Hongza** * **Room Service** * **Frances Mistry** * **Generation Feral** * **Softtop** ## Related read Jeremy Corbyn on grassroots musicJeremy Corbyn has gone from Leader of the Opposition to a champion of grassroots music - and now, his Peace & Justice project is launching a festival. We ask - how did he come to speak up for a cause few other MPs have?Drowned in SoundEmma Wilkes

Choose print. Choose analogue - not the aesthetic, not the conspicuous consumption, but the genuinely analogue. Switch off, relax and absorb what’s in front of you. No Wi-Fi connection required. Choose print. Choose human creation. Reject the slop served on a platter by the screen in favour of received wisdom. Choose print. Choose mind expansion. Plant the seeds of a new specialist subject. Choose print. Choose brain training. Steal back your attention span inch by inch and then take a mile. Build it article by article. Print is cheaper than selling your intelligence and buying it back. Choose print. Choose slow. Resist the undercurrent of rolling news and drink in your information like it’s piping hot. Feel calm. Choose print. Choose the experience. The flap of pages, the smell of freshly cut paper, the gloss, the tactile slipping of the cover between your hands. Choose print. Choose the in-between moments. Waiting rooms, the rambling train journey, the extended loo break. (We all do it). Choose print. Choose creativity. Slip a few pounds into the purse of a few writerly someones with ‘unrealistic dreams’. Stop those dreams from drying up in a world that doesn’t want them to survive. Choose print. Choose human connection. Shapeshift into the mind of somebody else. Digest their experiences. Bond with a stranger. Watch your empathy stretch. Buy a magazine. Choose print. Iconic British culture magazine THE FACE to cease operations · News ⟋ RAA final run of covers will be released in the coming weeks.Resident AdvisorMichael Lawson ## Track of the Week 'Cult of Celebrity' by Lambrini Girls At some point or another, someone was going to unleash their fury about the nauseating contents of the Epstein files in song. And who better than Lambrini Girls? In their first new single since their brilliant debut album _Who Let The Dogs Out?,_ they're holding a dagger to the throats of the one per cent, dripping with sarcasm as they unpack the Faustian bargain the regulars on Epstein island made. Amid the mockery, there's icy moments of truth: "_They can be as young as you want, just don't get caught_." And, as ever, their riff-work beautifully toes the line between catchy and spiky. Listen and rage. ## We need to talk about Ye Anyone else feel queasy when Ye's live return across three nights of Wireless Festival in London was announced? The controversial rapper hasn't performed on UK shores for over a decade, and in that time, his behaviour and cultural status have changed rapidly. In the last few years, Ye has zigzagged from making profoundly antisemitic comments - even releasing merch branded with swastikas more than once - to atoning and seemingly swinging back the other way just as quickly. Though, last we heard, he took out an advert in the Wall Street Journal to more formally apologise and admit he "lost touch with reality", citing a bipolar disorder type 1 diagnosis and a “four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed [his] life". Regardless of this, and of how connected his mental health and spates of hatred could be, the damage has already been done. Ye has suffered few consequences for his actions and now gets the biggest platform he's had in years in the UK. As the Jewish Leadership Council's statement to The Guardian outlines, it's also taking place in a particularly volatile time when it comes to antisemitism. There might even be the potential for disaster - if he even makes it into the country. “It is deeply irresponsible for Wireless festival to be headlining Kanye West. The UK Jewish community is facing record levels of antisemitism, including a terrorist attack in Manchester, the attack on ambulances in Golders Green and foiled plots which would have killed many more," they said. DiScuss Kanye in this DiS thread “West has repeatedly used his platform to spread antisemitism and pro-Nazi messaging. His most recent apology must be considered in the context that he went on to sell swastika T-shirts and release a song called Heil Hitler after apologising previously. Any venue or festival should reconsider before providing their platform to Kanye West to spread his antisemitism.” London Mayor Sadiq Khan has also condemned the booking. "“We are clear that the past comments and actions of this artist are offensive and wrong, and are simply not reflective of London’s values," he said. Then again, hardly anyone seems to be discussing this legal case, which was due to goto court back in January... Kanye West’s ex-assistant in hiding after filing sexual assault claims, lawyer saysThe rapper, now known as Ye, has denied all her claims and says they are “fantasy fiction”.BBC NewsKanye West Ordered to Pay $76K in Legal Fees After Judge Rejects “Frivolous” Dismissal Attempt | Law CommentaryA California judge has ordered Kanye West to pay more than $76,000 in legal fees to a former employee after ruling that his early attempt to throw out her lawsuit was frivolous. The decision marks another setback for the musician, who faces allegations of antisemitism, sexual harassment, and retaliation from…Read More »Camila Curcio ## Moth Club - 1, unaffordable housing developments - 0 London gig-goers will know what a special spot MOTH Club is, with its gold lame backdrop, sharp eye for new talent and quirky school disco-like club nights. Despite facing threats from proposals to build flats adjacent to the venue, the venue's been given a giant shot of hope after one of these proposals was rejected by Hackney Council. The flats' proximity to MOTH Club was one of the main reasons the proposal was rejected, especially since the proposal “fails to demonstrate that the new residential use would not result in unreasonable restrictions being placed on the [venue]”. The proposed development also didn't provide enough affordable housing and was too inaccessible for disabled residents and the site also had “a strong possibility of containing remains of archaeological importance”. This is brilliant news, and by far the right decision by Hackney Council. Still, as Moth Club pointed out in their official statement, they're not out of the woods yet. There's still one more pending proposal for flats near them that they're waiting on, and as such, your support is still as urgent as ever. ## Sean's on the Music Venue Trust's podcast Much like bees, we rather like cross-pollination. Sean had a get-together with the Music Venue Trust's Toni for a brilliant deep-dive into the role of independent music media in shaping grassroots culture on their podcast, The Last Safe Space. (You might also notice that their sponsor, Fightback Lager, is also a sponsor of Bulletproof, the new independent music festival taking place in London who we are media partners with). ## Sheffield comes together to save The Lughole The Lughole in Neepsend, Sheffield has ended up at crisis point over a business rates bill they've been trying to contest. In fact, the situation reached fever pitch when bailiffs stormed into the community-owned venue mid-gig to demand an immediate payment or risk equipment being seized. The Lughole opened in 2022 in what used to be a joinery and workshop and as such had to have the purpose of their building reclassified to a music and events space for business rates purposes. The decision was backdated to November 2020, making four years of business rates payable at once, even for years before the venue had opened and the building was being renovated. An attempt to challenge the decision was unsuccessful. Repaying the debt gutted the venue of their cash reserves, but a crowdfunding campaign ended up proving wildly successful. They hit their target within four hours and have now surpassed it, with the extra money now going "towards much needed repairs and updates to the venue including essential PA upgrades". "Their community stepped up, acted fast, and made sure a vital venue could keep its doors open," remarked the Music Venue Trust. * * * p.s. for anyone wondering why there was no DiS podcast this week, Sean is unwell and it may be another week off next week. You can catch up with clips from our recent episodes on the Drowned in Sound YouTube channel. Subscribe to DiS Podcast

In this week's Drowned in Sound newsletter: * **Track Of The Week** is sure to satisfy fans of both electronica and punk * Find out about the legal case that's improving **accessibility at major festivals** * Missy Dabice from **Mannequin Pussy** asks Spotify to chat * Plus news on Trump getting involved with Live Nation, Milton Keynes council doing something great, and a rally against the far right. * But first, Emma examines whether the handful of new arenas in the UK could succeed or fail, or if we really need them * * * ## Arenageddon: Are all these new venues necessary? As much as I love live music with every fibre of my being, something is making me cynical. In the last couple of weeks, there's been a run of news stories about a new crop of arenas being constructed across the country. First, there was some movement on long-delayed arena The Sage in Gateshead (not to be confused with The Glasshouse, which used to be called the Sage), followed last week by confirmation of the opening programme for the new British Airways ARC venue in west London at the Olympia, which opens in June. Several new arenas are slated to open in the next few years across the UK, following the trend set by the now-frequently visited Co-Op Live in Manchester almost two years ago (once it ironed out its many kinks in its ill-fated first weeks of operation.) A glossy event took place last month to unveil the forthcoming Aviva Arena in Bristol, which is opening in 2028 in the same year as another new arena in Cardiff Bay. In some ways, development of all these arenas could seem like a harbinger of good things – more jobs, more money flowing around local economies, and of course, more gigs. These are all valid benefits. Greater access to larger gigs is certainly a bonus, especially for younger families who are likelier to give their kids their first concert in a larger arena with seats than in a club venue. It’s indicative of the capital behind live music events being greater than ever, and as we already know, megagigs can get a certain type of business person to have vivid visions of overflowing bank accounts. The numbers back it up: in 2025, The O2 had its busiest year ever, hosting 239 gigs. AEG’s UK touring and festivals arm AEG Presents posted turnover of around £340 million in its latest financial year. When it comes to how _necessary_ some of these venues are, the mileage may vary. Building an arena in Bristol has been floated for years, and knowing how rich the music culture is there, it’s rather surprising to think that it doesn’t have its own arena. Instead, gig-goers in that area of the country have usually had to schlep over the Severn Bridge to the arena in Cardiff, if a tour makes it there. More arenas could help pull music’s centre of gravity away from London. By contrast, the redeeming purpose of the 3,800-capacity British Airways ARC is a little less obvious. At a punt, it’s locationally filling the hole the famed Earl’s Court left when it closed in 2014. While west London’s not buzzing with gigs as much as, say, north or especially east, did we need another corporate-sponsored venue when the capital does just fine with similar-sized spots like the Roundhouse, Troxy, or Brixton Academy? The other question is one of being fit for purpose, or whether these developments are conducive to moving with the times. With the way live music is drifting, these arenas could well be standing empty for longer than intended. The cost of putting on large-scale events has already exploded in recent years, and that effect will continue, especially as soaring property taxes could double some arenas' bills. The knock-on effects from the war in Iran could be profound, adding to these ballooning prices - it's not cheap to power these huge halls. It’s one reason cited for the biggest artists pivoting away from large scale touring towards residencies in one or two particular venues, a decision taken in recent times by artists such as Harry Styles and Ariana Grande. Not every artist will choose this route, but it does diminish the hope of, say, bringing Sabrina Carpenter to Gateshead or Chappell Roan to Sunderland, especially when UK tours have been curtailed and arena tours might only encompass 3-6 dates, or just take in Manchester and London. Will these arenas have packed live music programmes or a line-up mostly of comedians and Disney On Ice? The other potential downfall is if these new arenas continue to tip the balance of the live music industry in the wrong direction with regard to the interplay between large-scale corporate events and the grassroots sector. Already we have a climate where megagigs flourish and the grassroots sector has struggled, and what would be the point of allowing the former while the talent pipeline is suffocated? In 2023, Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd cautioned that no arenas should be allowed to open until the £1 grassroots levy became normalised, understanding that it was pointless if the top should bloom while the roots withered. This is, of course, still a theory. Davyd's warning was given three years ago and the dial has started to move. There’s more hope in his messaging than there ever has been this side of the pandemic, to the point where this year’s annual report was the “least worst” issued since lockdown. By 2028, the landscape might be a better one in which a flourishing grassroots sector and a booming arena sector can support each other on equal terms. Of course, that remains to be seen, and the game can change far more and in different ways than we could ever foresee. Music Venue Trust Calls Out Live NationThe state of grassroots music in the spotlight + track of the week + news Aphex newsDrowned in SoundEmma Wilkes I’m never going to write off arena shows. I’ve been to two – Biffy Clyro and Deftones – already this year; I’d be a hypocrite to do so. Maybe by the time these arenas open, my cynicism could evaporate if we have a better climate to keep filling them, both with artists and punters. A less hostile environment for culture is something I could never be cynical about. * * * ### Related Watch On the DiS podcast, Sean recently met Jack from The Ticket Bank, who aim to get more people who are on benefits into live shows * * * ### Track Of The Week ## 'What Is She For?' by CLT DRP CLT DRP's music could come stamped with a guarantee that you've never heard riffs quite like these before. Wonkier, techier and more idiosyncratic than punk but with a more organic feel than electronic music, theirs is a thought-provoking, groove-inducing Frankenstein of sounds. Equally unique is Annie Dorrett's vocals, delivered first in a mocking purr, and then they sing-speaks their lines almost like in a play. Equally compelling is this song's message, which centers around resisting the constraints and expectations of conforming to traditional gender roles. It's a laundry list of nagging microaggressions - '_Token checklist/Feels more like sport'_ , '_Just stop yelling/It might work out_.' It goes beyond the binary too. Something about a non-binary vocalist singing _'What is a woman/What is she for?' -_ a notorious TERF dogwhistle _-_ feels, consciously or not, like an especially delicious declaration of defiance. If you like what you've heard, CLT DRP will also be performing at Bulletproof, the new London festival, we are partnering with, in June. Drowned In Sound partners with Jeremy Corbyn’s new festival BulletproofMaruja, Sprints, and many more are playing a new festival in London celebrating community in music and independent venuesDrowned in SoundEmma Wilkes * * * ## Milton Keynes Council backs its grassroots music venues It might be roundly mocked for its strange American roads, but Milton Keynes does have a decent pull when it comes to grassroots venues. The local council has now stepped up and recognised the cultural power of its live music establishments, offering £40,000. Perhaps the best known grassroots venue is the Crauford Arms, who'll be using support to fund a programme of live showcases for local talent. Also receiving money are MK11, who are putting on a series of free entry gigs; Unit Nine, who are using it to power their FUTURE SOUNDS events, and The Stables. It's a great move affirming the value of local live music, and we hope to see more councils doing the same. * * * ## Donald Trump gets his hands in the Live Nation case It's transpired that Donald Trump had a hand in getting a settlement in the Live Nation antitrust lawsuit. He reportedly pushed the US Department of Justice to reach a settlement with the concert giant which made the headlines earlier this month - not that everyone necessarily agrees. Over 30 US states have refused to sign up to the settlement agreement, believing that it does not go far enough to address monopoly concerns or lower prices. As I outlined a couple of weeks ago, helpful reforms to Live Nation's structure have taken place, but the effect remains unknown. Who knows would could have happened if the lawsuit had continued - could we have seen the break-up of Live Nation and Ticketmaster? And if Kid Rock's still not pleased either, that says rather a lot. Can we fix ticketing by fixing one company?How do you solve a problem like Live Nation? The concert giant faced an antitrust lawsuit this week which it has since settled - but how did we get here?Drowned in SoundEmma Wilkes * * * ## Missy Dabice asks Spotify for a chat What do you do when a streaming service churning out AI slop puts your band on a billboard? Mannequin Pussy's Missy Dabice handled it beautifully. As excited as she was to see her name - and uncensored band name - on a billboard celebrating women in punk on Spotify, she eloquently and gracefully took the opportunity to hold the streamer accountable and invited them to open up a dialogue. "In the spirit of multiple things being true, I wouldn’t be the kind of ~woman in punk~ I am without also having something to say," she wrote on Instagram. "Spotify - while I have your attention and in a few weeks where I’m told I’ve been invited into your house for a roundtable talk- I’d love to start having a real conversation with whoever I can at the company about what you plan to do about AI fraud on the platform, the proliferation of how non artists can take advantage of the lack of regulation on the platform and how they are contributing to the increased potential that music streaming sites such as yours are targets of cultural grifting. "Just over the weekend a man in NC plead guilty to defrauding streaming services of over $10 million in royalties after he flooded the sites with thousands of slop songs and was able to amass 600,000 daily streams by using automated bots to artificially inflate the streams to over a BILLION PLAYS. "How do we continue to make the service better for working artists and how do we continue to champion working artists beyond a billboard? I look forward to our conversation. This, plus many other areas of concern I have, is too big an issue for an IG caption but trust I’m looking forward to our conversation with questions and an open mind." SPONSORED Artists Calling Out AI: On this week's podcast companion playlist powered by Qobuz, we feature artists who have spoken up or spoken out about the impact AI is having on music. TRY QOBUZ FOR FREE * * * ## Legal action brings big wins for disabled festivalgoers It's not just the US Department Of Justice levelling action against Live Nation - did you know that our Equality and Human Rights Commission did the same? This took place following media reports of accessibility issues at Wireless 2022 and Download 2023, which are operated by the Live Nation-owned promoter Festival Republic. Fans had reported problems being able to see the stage, a lack of accessible toilets, and having their disabilities questioned by event staff. The EHRC then used its enforcement powers to enter a legally-binding Section 23 agreement with Live Nation and ensure it improved accessibility at its festivals. The measures Live Nation took include improved accessibility guides for its festivals, compulsory organisation-wide disability awareness and inclusion training, introducing sensory calm spaces and distributing post-event surveys to fans for feedback. * * * ## Get ready for Together Against The Far Right I've seen this protest all over my feed for the last few months, and if that translates into huge numbers, we're in for something extremely promising. The Together Against The Far Right march takes place in central London this weekend, starting at Park Lane at 12pm. Music is going to play a large role, with names like Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Fontaines DC, Paloma Faith, Paul Weller, Charlotte Church, Brian Eno and many other good eggs getting involved. Find out more about the Together Alliance here

The next time someone dares to resurrect the fatigued ‘rock is dead’ debate, watch who’s saying it. The same goes for those who moan that artists should stay out of politics. Funnily enough, Gene Simmons - an older, wealthier white man - belongs to both camps. The guitarist from KISS has flip-flopped on his opinions on Trump and then accepted a Kennedy Center award from him, and now, he's trying to whitewash it all with apoliticism. "Basically, shut the _[f-bomb]_ up. Do your art and shut up. Nobody is interested in your opinions, that includes me, who I vote for, and who I like. Who do you think you are?" he told TMZ. “People in America work hard for a living, and they don’t want to be lectured to by people who live in mansions and drive Rolls-Royces. It’s time for everyone in the entertainment industry to shut their pie-hole and just do your art, nobody cares what you think - I don’t.” If he thinks people don't want political music, then chances are, he’s probably never seen the lines outside the stadiums Bruce Springsteen packs out. To call for a musical landscape devoid of politics is to sterilise it, dilute its relevance and deprive people of a mirror to see their own anger at the world in. It would deny people solace and community building, or the chance to access political ideas in a digestible way. (For example, I only know about the Armenian genocide through the music of System Of A Down. I like to imagine there’s teenagers out there learning about Palestine through hearing their favourite artists talk about it now). Almost every time he speaks, Simmons reveals that he seems to inhabit a world that no longer exists. KISS and their peers were founded in a period where rock ‘n’ roll was synonymous with hedonism, excess, glamour, phallocentric sexuality and a sort of empty rebellion. They wanted to rock ‘n’ roll all night and party every day, of course. It was a world founded on machismo, of guitar solos played with masturbatory virtuosity (and drum solos - the bloated, self-indulgent drum solo I heard them play during their headline performance at Download 2022 made me lose the will to live). Women were pushed to the sidelines, to the barriers, and into bunks in tour buses. The rock music of the 2020s is more conscientious and diverse, with greater varieties of stories and experiences, oftentimes burning with rage at the very real phenomena of existing under oppressive conditions favouring nobody but those with extreme wealth. If rock is dead, Simmons and those who think like him are admitting they don’t know where to look and they likely haven’t tried. The same goes for those like Noel Gallagher who claim there are “no bands anymore”. Well, of course, apart from nephew Gene's new band Villanelle, who opened for them on tour and claim to be "bringing back" a genre that never died to start with. Incidentally, the version of reality Gallagher and brother Liam preserved in amber and brought back to life across last summer’s history-making stadium run is a faded, nostalgic one that couldn’t be replicated now. Have you ever heard a woman claim rock is dead? Have you noticed the line of people wanting music and politics to remain in separate bubbles is full of white faces? The people espousing both ideologies aren’t quite as likely to have had their existences politicised by the forces of institutionalized racism, heteronormativity, patriarchy, et cetera. They are the people who benefit most from those systems (even if those systems also harm them along the way). Woven in those statements is an implication that things were better in the past, or at least, that the changes that have occurred in the music since should not have taken place. Perhaps there’s a whiff of small-c conservatism about it. MAGA is founded on returning to retrograde ideals; the ‘again’ does a lot of heavy lifting. The irony is that two years ago, Gallagher even complained that Glastonbury had become “a bit woke”, adding in an interview with The Sun of all newspapers: “I don’t like it in music, little f--king idiots waving flags around and making political statements and bands taking the stage and saying, ‘Hey guys, isn’t war terrible, yeah? Let’s all boo war. F-ck the Tories man,’ and all that.” Culture and politics cannot exist in a vacuum. They are realms which take part in an interplay of feeding and exchanging. The same longing for the golden old days fuels not just the stalest opinions put forward in music but the sentiment behind voting for Reform UK Ltd, propelling a longing to turn the car around, away from a strange, leftist dawn towards maintaining historical power structures. They know they’re losing, so they’re clinging on harder. It’s easy to think that societally, we’re screeching towards a cliff edge. Perhaps it’s just a means to cope amid increasingly bleak and poisonous news cycles, but I once heard it said that what is unfolding right now is the last gasp of an old order that is slowly being overridden. Look at the scores of men using archaic ideals about male superiority to prop up their self-esteem, the sort Louis Theroux put on screen in _Inside The Manosphere._(Of course, this is not a fringe movement; in the patriarchy, misogyny has always been mainstream). The roots of the rhetoric about the danger immigrant men allegedly pose to women (fact check: 90 per cent of women are sexually assaulted by men they know) were in a horrific scandal that unfolded between 13 and 18 years ago, exhumed by that well-known defender of women’s rights, Elon Musk. In the face of overwhelming queer presence in the mainstream, so-called ‘gender criticals’ make trans people into scapegoats, threatening the erasure of rights for both them _and_ the women they claim they speak for. (Who wins if you have to show ID to use public loos? I’d rather pee in the street.) There’s never a good moment to encourage the erasure of politics from music but now would hardly be the time. It’s what made Matty Healy’s speech last year about suddenly choosing apoliticism at Glastonbury - one of the most political stages the UK has - so disappointing. “I want you to know it’s a conscious decision, we don’t want our legacy to be one of politics. We want it to be that of love and friendship,” he started, “I’m not trying to be too earnest, but you can go out into the world, and there’s loads of politics everywhere. I think we don’t need more politics. We need more love and friendship.” Not all of us can just step away and wash our hands like this. We cannot afford to pretend societal problems are not there when our rights are being attacked one by one, marginalised group by marginalised group. Some people just don’t want to get uncomfortable. Nonetheless, I wonder if this isn’t a straight line towards oblivion but a cycle. Progress, struggle, pushback, struggle, progress again. If there wasn’t progress, Simmons and Gallagher (and to some extents Healy who has by called out for various other things, including by former label mate Rina Sawayama) wouldn’t sound _so_ tone deaf. I want to believe, and I feel in my core, that music will never snuff out the politics coursing through it. There’s too much anger, too much inspiration to be taken from that anger, for that to happen. It’s where I find people demanding change, hungering for it, building collectivism in music spaces - and perhaps engaging in art is its own form of rebellion when one of the first sign of fascism is a stifling of intelligent, real, human-made art and culture. To the apolitical, privileged blokes in their ivory towers - don’t you dare take that away from me. * * * ### Related Bits & Bobs Misogyny in Music: The NumbersFollowing Eliza Hatch’s appearance on the podcast this week to discuss misogyny in music, we illustrate the scale of the issue in numbersDrowned in SoundEmma WilkesRock’s not dead - it’s resilientIf you claim rock is dead in 2025, you’re going to look very, very silly.…Drowned in SoundEmma WilkesThe joy of witnessing Kate Nash standing in her powerOr, the Kate Nash-assisted guide to why the woes of touring post-Brexit are in Parliament againDrowned in SoundEmma Wilkes

Artists can now apply for the UK Artist Touring (UKAT) fund to cover shortfalls in their upcoming tours. As music fans, this is how _your money_ is being spent if you've contributed £1 to the grassroots levy when buying a ticket to a contributing show that's over 5000 capacity. With that in mind, we wanted to go quite deep about how fans' money is being spent on this week's podcast because - as regular listeners will know - I have a lot of questions about how our cash is spent on solutions to a myriad of issues, especially in live music. We'd love it if you could forward this to the musicians in your life who might find this of interest as they only have until 23:59pm on Sunday 22nd March 2026 to apply for upto £7000. Mostly, we think this week's podcast is a really honest and open listen about the crisis in live music. The clarity and humanising of the mess things are in comes from the wonderful Roxanne de Bastion - whose devastatingly beautiful music is full of wit, science, and humanity - sharing what it's _really like_ out on the road right now. If you tune in to the pod, you'll also meet David Martin, the CEO of the Featured Artist Coalition, who explains more about the UKAT fund (run in association with Music Managers Forum & Musicians’ Union) (Naomi Pohl from MU was the first guest on our podcast, 3 years ago) and what the thousands of pounds can and can't be used for. One thing I'm kicking myself for not asking is whether the money will be used for tours promoted by Live Nation. As Emma discussed last week, the live music behemoth that also owns Ticketmaster, are really dragging their feet with supporting the voluntary levy. It's this £1 on stadium and arena gigs by everyone from Harry Styles and Katy Perry to Iron Maiden and Biffy Clyro that feeds into the Live Trust, that went into this support for grassroots music. With this in mind, I will be curious to see who is awarded the funding... SPONSORED ****Grassroots Levy Supporting Artists**** : On this week's podcast companion playlist, we celebrate some of the artists whose shows have contributed £1 per ticket to support the UK's Grassroots Levy to help artists, promoters and venues not just survive but thrive. TRY QOBUZ FOR FREE Aside from this UKAT fund, the rest of the half a million from phase one of Live Trust's funding has gone toward the following initatives: * Micro & Very Small Festivals Development Programme delivered by the Association of Independent Festivals * Independent Promoters Grassroots Bursary Scheme delivered by the Association of Independent Promoters * Music Venue Support delivered by Music Venue Trust * Volume Control Enhanced delivered by Oh Yeah Centre, Belfast * Music Futures delivered by Production Futures * Developing Scotland's Emerging Live Sector delivered by Wide Events ### Listen To The Podcast If you're not already subscribed to our podcast speaking to musicians and campaigners who illuminating solutions for fixing music and society, you can search for "Drowned in Sound" on Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We also post video clips from episodes on our social channels and YouTube. PodcastsTune into our podcast for hopeful, future-facing conversations with extraordinary musicians, cultural innovators, and organisers reshaping the music ecosystem.Drowned in SoundDiS Support ### Apply for UKAT Funding FAC announces the UK Artist Touring Fund — Featured Artists CoalitionThe FAC has established a UK Artist Touring (UKAT) Fund to ensure revenues allocated for grassroots artists from a new ticket contribution on large-capacity live events can be effectively and transparently distributed.Featured Artists CoalitionHelena Coma

It’s safe to say the ticketing system works for almost nobody. Buying gig tickets is a thing to be endured, eroding both your patience and bank balance. As the issue has become more fraught, I’ve even known people say they were using up days of their annual leave to sit in virtual queues and battle janky technology in pursuit of breathing the same air as their favourite artist. (Who even is free at 10am on a Friday? And who decided that was a good time for tickets to go on sale anyway?) Worse still, the process is making a bigger hole in their bank accounts than ever. It’s an industry wide problem, but in court recently, the US Department of Justice asked a pivotal question. Could the blame lay at the door of one company – or rather, two conjoined ones? Ticketmaster’s long been the whipping boy for frustrated gig-goers, but its market power is as great as it is because it and promoters Live Nation have been part of the same company for a decade and a half. Indeed, Live Nation have now faced allegations of wielding and abusing monopoly power. It raises the question of whether fans get a raw deal buying tickets because of the structure of the ticketing market, and whether they are being exploited. But how did they end up in court - and what could the trial mean for music fans? ### **Who are Live Nation and what do they do?** Live Nation is so large and prolific that they’re practically inescapable. You’ve probably been to multiple shows promoted by Live Nation, even in grassroots venues, and you’ve also paid into their bank account whenever you’ve been to an O2 Academy venue as they own 51 per cent of parent company Academy Music Group. They’re in the pockets of major festivals such as Wireless, Latitude and Download, as well as summer gig series such as Live At The Piece Hall in Halifax. Last year, it organised over 55,000 concerts worldwide and it also holds stakes in 460 venues. ****Promoter - a person or company that organises, markets and manages live music events**** ### **Why do gig goers have a bone to pick with them?** It all started with the Swifties, multiple groups of whom clubbed together to sue Ticketmaster after the company’s haphazard sale of tickets to Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras’ tour in 2022. Many fans complained of lengthy wait times in the virtual queue, website outages and extremely inflated prices on resale sites even before the sale started. The first class action lawsuit filed by Swifties at Los Angeles County District Court alleged the violation of two state laws - the California Cartwright Act and the California Unfair Competition Law. (The main complainant later dropped the suit). A second class action lawsuit filed at federal level made similar accusations and also claimed that Ticketmaster “intentionally and purposefully misled millions of fans into believing it would prevent bots and scalpers from participating in the presales”. The controversy led to a hearing in the Senate in 2023, paving the way for the US Department of Justice to file an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation in May 2024. The fiasco ended up being used as evidence in the trial. ### **How did Live Nation end up in court?** The Department of Justice accused Live Nation of being a monopoly and abusing its dominance over the ticketing market with the aim of stifling competition and consequently maintaining unnecessarily high pricing and surcharges for fans. In an anti-trust hearing in Manhattan, it also faced accusations of mandating that artists use its concert promotion services if they want to perform at Live Nation-owned venues, as well as keeping its alleged monopoly power through threats and exclusive years-long contracts with major concert venues. ****Antitrust lawsuit - a form of legal action taken to challenge business activity that unfairly limits competition or harms consumers**** Going into the trial, there was talk that the most severe consequence possible was for Live Nation and Ticketmaster to be split up. The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) had also called for this to happen, claiming they wildly exceeded “market dominance” of gigs. According to their data, Live Nation controls 66.4 per cent of the market – a huge margin over the threshold for market dominance at 40 per cent. Lawyer David E. Dahlquist, working for the Justice Department’s antitrust division, suggested in his argument that Ticketmaster’s technology is “held together by duct tape” because a lack of competition meant that Live Nation was unconcerned with making the site efficient enough to work smoothly. Live Nation rejected those claims and said it didn’t hold monopoly power. Its lawyer David Marriott argued that it makes minimal profits, has never made threats and operates in a marketplace which is “more competitive than ever it has been before.” “Live Nation and Ticketmaster are all about bringing joy to people’s lives,” said Marriott. “And doing it lawfully and doing it legitimately.” Live Nation had also disputed the data from the AIF, having told _NME_ that the AIF’s figures “overstated our ticket sales by 368 per cent, so any inferences drawn from this data about our market share aren’t credible and are likely to be misleading”. SPONSORED Drowned in Sound is proud to be partnered with ****Qobuz**** , the pioneering high quality music streaming platform. Every week, we curate playlists on Qobuz featuring our favourite records and artists, and as a companion to the DiS podcast. ****Listen to our latest playlist**** and start your 30-day free trial. TRY QOBUZ FOR FREE ### **What happened as a result of the trial – and what does it mean for music fans?** In a surprise move, Live Nation and the Department of Justice have tentatively reached a settlement. Live Nation says they will now allow businesses to sell tickets via multiple vendors and artists can now hire other promoters while performing in its venues. They are also set to pay $280 million (£209 million) in damages to the nearly 40 states that were parties to the antitrust lawsuit. Live Nation and Ticketmaster continue to operate as the same company. The other interesting consequence of the settlement relates to the fact that Live Nation controls around 78 per cent of “major amphitheatres” in the US. More than 10 of these will now have to be divested, giving the country more independent venues and lessening Live Nation’s market power. However, lawyers for some of the states involved declined the settlement and want to continue pursuing the case against the company. Tentatively speaking, this holds a fair degree of promise for live music fans. By the logic of basic economics, increased competition should drive down prices and improve technological innovation, with the knowledge that consumers could go somewhere else keeping companies on their toes. This is true regardless of the exact level of the market that Live Nation controls. An anonymous source told _Politico_: > “This will revolutionize the ticketing marketplace. These are innovative technological solutions to a very difficult problem with prying open the marketplace.” The Department of Justice also said that they believed the trial will enact change. > "We're very excited about this settlement, because it basically opens up markets for other competitors, which will allow for competition that previously didn't exist in primary ticketing and in the live entertainment space," said the senior Justice Department official. "And what you're going to see there is that competition is going to have a direct impact on prices coming down. It'll also give consumers more options and not feel like they just have to go through Live Nation or Ticketmaster." There’s also good news relating to those irritating service fees that get lumped onto the basket total at the checkout. At Live Nation’s venues, Ticketmaster now can only charge a maximum of 15 per cent of the value of the ticket as a service fee. Of course, we are speaking theoretically at this point. Brian Berry, executive director of the Ticket Policy Forum, who spoke at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on live concert and event fees, argued that the new measures didn't go far enough. In a statement, he said: > "It appears the DOJ has once again failed to protect live event fans and market competition with a settlement that will equate to less than a speed bump for the Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly. The only winners are Live Nation shareholders and the company's lobbyists. > ""Live Nation doesn't win on technology or service, but rather through fear costing fans and competitors untold millions each year." He added that the fight against Live Nation's supposed monopoly is not over, as "we are confident many state attorneys general will stay the course to hold this market manipulator accountable." Meanwhile, in the UK... ### **What hand do Live Nation have in the progress of the grassroots levy?** As we reported in January, the grassroots levy might well live or die in its current form based on Live Nation’s actions. While the Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd praised its rivals like Kilimanjaro and AEG for cooperating, he condemned their lack of action thus far. > “These companies are delivering... Live Nation, you know, and the whole industry knows, you are not,” he said at the launch of the Music Venue Trust’s Annual Report. “If the voluntary levy fails, it will not be the fault of the companies who have already embraced it, or of Music Venue Trust, or of the government, or of any will to do it on behalf of individuals, artists, managers, agents, audiences or anyone else. > “It will be a direct consequence of the overwhelmingly dominant force in the arena and stadium market deciding not to deliver a voluntary levy. That’s your choice, Live Nation, and everyone in the industry hopes you make the right one." There has, as we have previously noted in this newsletter, been some incremental progress. Tickets to Harry Styles’ ‘Together, Together’ residency at Wembley Stadium, which is being promoted by Live Nation, carry the £1 levy. The same can be said of levy pioneers Enter Shikari’s arena tour in November – notably, the first time they implemented it on their 2024 tour, they were working with AEG, not Live Nation. We put the question to Live Nation about what more they are willing to do about implementing the levy more widely. At the time of publishing, they have not yet responded. __Reminder:__****Drowned in Sound**** is a founder-owned, proudly independent publication and podcast with an insightful, funny, and kind online community. Become a paid subscriber to access all our articles and exclusive content. For less than the price of a coffee, you can support our work for a month. Related read Music Venue Trust Calls Out Live NationThe state of grassroots music in the spotlight + track of the week + news Aphex newsDrowned in SoundEmma WilkesDefunding Ticket ToutsFairer ticketing coming to the UK?Drowned in SoundSean Adams

Like clockwork, some moments in the cultural calendar trigger the tedious "anti-woke" discourse. After Last Night of the Proms fury, comes Poppy rage (usually because someone took their jacket off), then its being angry about radio edits of 'Fairytale of New York', and then sometimes, if they have enough anger left, it's the annual politicians, Talk TV hosts, and Telegraph/Mail/Express columnists being strategically hypersensitive about a pop music awards show. __Reminder:__****Drowned in Sound**** is a founder-owned, proudly independent publication and podcast with an insightful, funny, and kind online community. Become a paid subscriber to access all our articles and exclusive content. For the price of one of the 4 coffees I drank whilst writing this, you can support our work for a month. Last year, the BRITs ire was focused on Sabrina Carpenter's suggestive gestures. A few years ago it was something to do with Sam Smith's outfit, and before that it was the end of gendered award categories. Yes, there was a moment, back when the UK's Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries was still a member of the Conservative party (before she inevitably joined Reform UK LTD) when the BRITs is "going woke" discourse was all about demise of the Best Female Artist and just having Best Artist. (Best Male Artist was also merged into one prize, but that didn't get much attention at the time). Back then, if you were on the platform formerly known as Twitter, you'd either have seen grievance farmers worried about how the awards were either "rigged for women" or see a clip of someone on GB News getting very upset about the organisers changing things to be inclusive of non-binary artists. Because inclusion is bad, for _reasons_. To be clear, you have not misread that: ahead the 2022 awards, the smooshing together of the BRITs' male and female categories was denounced as "woke garbage" (hi, Piers!). Other culture warriors were very very _very_ worried in 2023 when women and girls didn't get a look in the shortlist of 5 artists (notably, it's now 10 acts), whilst some members of the so-called manosphere got upset one year about the sidelining of men... Meanwhile, most of us just wondered what the opposite of being awake to injustice is whilst feeling a bit old when we hadn't heard "of" Tate Mcrae. And yet this year,**Olivia Dean** won four awards. **Charli XCX** won five last year. **Raye** won a record six the year before. Then there were the incredible performances at this year's awards shindig, including **Dua Lipa** being joining Mark Ronson and an incredible performance from **ROSALÍA** with the most special of special guest: **BJÖRK**! Can you hear that? Me either. The pearl-clutchers - whose Tommy Robinson endorsed candidate lost to a lovely seeming Green party plumber in last week's by-election that took place not far from this year's BRITs - are _oh-so_ silent. Maybe world war three was a bit of a distraction from the annual ragebait. Or maybe they're waiting for someone to tell them which pop star they should be furious about for 6-12 hours and file an Ofcom complaint against. Anyway, I love a good stat and have been learning how to visualise data, so I spent my Sunday having a proper dig into the numbers. Predictably, the data tells a completely different story to the one the culture warriors were fearful of. What the numbers show isn't some diversity programme run amok, nor POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE MAD(!!!!!) but a decades-long correction after decades of inequality (or at least an odd misrepresentation of things, especially when the Spice Girls don't win best group). ICYMI, Emma Wilkes wrote a long read a few weeks ago about why women keep winning, but there's still a lot of work to do but some of this data does how some progress. Let's hope it's not a blip. 💡 If any of the infographics in this email loos sub-optimal, please read this on our website Note: if you prefer reading online, you can always click the title of our newsletters to read in your browser rather than inbox ### Before we get into it, here are 3 great BRITs 2026 performances ARE WOMEN WINNING? | DROWNED IN SOUND WHO PERFORMED 2026 BRIT Awards main ceremony performers by gender 4 Female 5 Male 1 Mixed Female Male Mixed Main ceremony acts Harry StylesOpening solo set Olivia DeanSolo performance · 4 wins on the night Wolf AliceBand set · 1 woman, 3 men Alex WarrenSolo set RosalíaMain stage performance · with Björk SombrSolo performance HUNTR/XK-pop group · first ever K-pop performance at the BRITs RAYESolo performance Mark RonsonOutstanding Contribution tribute · with Dua Lipa, Ghostface Killah & the Dap Kings Robbie WilliamsOzzy Osbourne tribute Despite 5 male headline acts to 4 female, women dominated the standout moments. **Björk joined Rosalía** for one of the night's most striking sets. HUNTR/X made history as the first K-pop group to perform at the BRITs. This year's performers are part of a shift in who takes the stage at the annual televised celebration of the UK music industry... ARE WOMEN WINNING? | DROWNED IN SOUND PERFORMERS OVER TIME Female representation on the BRITs stage · 1985–2026 Female Mixed Male Era averages — acts by gender 1985–89 38% 1990s 37% 2000s 39% 2010s 41% 2020s 54% Recent years 2022 Adele · Little Simz · Holly Humberstone · Anne-Marie 33% 2023 Lizzo · Wet Leg · Cat Burns · Becky Hill · Ella Henderson · Sam Smith & Kim Petras 54% 2024 Dua Lipa · Kylie Minogue · Ellie Goulding · Tate McRae · Raye · Becky Hill 70% 2025 Sabrina Carpenter · JADE · The Last Dinner Party · Lola Young · Jorja Smith 56% 2026 Olivia Dean · Rosalía · HUNTR/X · RAYE · Wolf Alice 50% 2026's 50% female-involved lineup is above the 40-year average of ~39% — but it's the **2020s as a whole** that mark the real shift. Women have shared or dominated the BRITs stage for five consecutive years. That's new. ### What actually happened in 2026 Women won _a lot._ The full picture is little more nuanced than simple headlines suggests but in short: the competitive awards skewed female whilst the honorary awards skewed male. The genre breakdown is more uneven still. ARE WOMEN WINNING? | DROWNED IN SOUND WHO WON WHAT All 18 awards by gender of winner — 2026 7 Women 6 Men 4 Mixed Woman Man Mixed Collab Competitive awards Olivia DeanArtist of the Year · Album of the Year · Best Pop Act Sam Fender & Olivia DeanSong of the Year (public vote) Wolf AliceGroup of the Year Lola YoungBreakthrough Artist Jacob AlonCritics' Choice Sam FenderBest Alt / Rock Act DaveBest Hip-Hop / Rap / Grime SaultBest R&B Act Fred again.., Skepta & PlaqueBoyMaxBest Dance Act International awards RosalíaInternational Artist of the Year GeeseInternational Group of the Year Rose & Bruno MarsInternational Song of the Year (public vote) Honorary awards PinkPantheressProducer of the Year Noel GallagherSongwriter of the Year Mark RonsonOutstanding Contribution to Music Ozzy OsbourneLifetime Achievement The competitive solo awards lean heavily towards women — but groups and legacy categories tell a different story. Women have won British Group of the Year just **3 times in 50 years** : Little Mix in 2021, Wolf Alice in 2022, Wolf Alice again in 2026. And **3 of the 4 honorary awards** went to men. ### It wasn't always like this The Album of the Year award has been running since 1977. For most of that time, it was essentially a men-only club. The graphic below shows every winner across 46 years (excluding 78-81 when the awards didn't happen). The three eras tell the whole story. ARE WOMEN WINNING? | DROWNED IN SOUND ALBUM OF THE YEAR Gender of every winner — 1977 to 2026 Woman / woman-fronted Man / male act Mixed group 1977 – 1999 ▼ 3 women in 22 years 1977 The Beatles 78–81 No ceremony 1982 Adam & the Ants 1983 Barbra Streisand 1984 Michael Jackson 1985 Sade 1986 Phil Collins 1987 Dire Straits 1988 Sting 1989 Fairground Attraction 1990 Fine Young Cannibals 1991 George Michael 1992 Seal 1993 Annie Lennox 1994 Stereo MC's 1995 Blur 1996 Oasis 1997 Manic Street Preachers 1998 The Verve 1999 Manic Street Preachers 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 Female winners 1983Barbra Streisand 1985Sade 1989Fairground Attraction 1993Annie Lennox 2000 – 2013 ▼ 7 years, no women 2000 Travis 2001 Coldplay 2002 Dido 2003 Coldplay 2004 The Darkness 2005 Keane 2006 Coldplay 2007 Arctic Monkeys 2008 Arctic Monkeys ▲ 4 women in 5 years 2009 Duffy 2010 Florence + the Machine 2011 Mumford & Sons 2012 Adele 2013 Emeli Sandé 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 Female winners 2002Dido 2009Duffy 2010Florence + the Machine 2012Adele 2013Emeli Sandé 2014 – 2026 ▼ 1 woman in 7 years 2014 Arctic Monkeys 2015 Ed Sheeran 2016 Adele 2017 David Bowie 2018 Stormzy 2019 The 1975 2020 Dave ▲ 5 women in 6 years 2021 Dua Lipa 2022 Adele 2023 Harry Styles 2024 Raye 2025 Charli XCX 2026 Olivia Dean 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Female winners 2016Adele 2021Dua Lipa 2022Adele 2024Raye 2025Charli XCX 2026Olivia Dean 3 women winners in the first 22 years (1977–1999) 3 in a row Raye, Charli XCX, Olivia Dean — the longest consecutive streak by women in the award's history **This is not an accident.** The same award. The same criteria. The same industry. What changed is who gets to vote — and who gets to make music worth voting for. ### Who decided Culture warriors rant and rave but what they won't tell you is that the awards haven't changed because of a quota system. They've evolved the pool of who votes. The Voting Academy, that's the 1,200ish industry figures who decide most categories, looks dramatically different to how it did in 2016. ARE WOMEN WINNING? | DROWNED IN SOUND WHO DECIDES How the BRITs voting works in 2026 Industry: 16 categories Fans: 2 ~1,200 industry members WhatsApp The Voting Academy Around **1,200 industry figures** choose nominees and winners for most awards: labels, managers, producers, publishers, media, retailers, live music figures, DSPs. Overseen by Civica Election Services. Artist of the Year Album of the Year Group Breakthrough Pop Alt / Rock Hip-Hop R&B Dance Int'l Artist Int'l Group Critics' Choice The Public Vote Only **2 categories** decided by fans via WhatsApp voting: Song of the Year Int'l Song of the Year Who are those 1,200 voters? WHO VOTES The BRIT Voting Academy, then and now Male Female Non-binary White Non-white Gender 2016 ~70% ~30% 2026 46% 47% 6% did not disclose · 1% non-binary Ethnicity 2016 ~85% ~15% 2026 69% 26% 5% did not disclose Age · 2026 9% Under 25 61% 25–44 18% 45–54 11% 55+ A decade ago, **7 in 10 voters were male**. Today the academy is near gender parity. That same period saw 4 of 5 Artist of the Year winners be women. The culture war crowd calls this "woke." The data calls it correlation. ### Before victory's declared None of this is a clean win. The nomination breakdown by genre shows how uneven representation actually is. Pop is all women. Hip-Hop is 80% men. International solo acts are 80% women; International groups are 60% men. The revolution, such as it is, has very specific borders. ARE WOMEN WINNING? | DROWNED IN SOUND WHO GOT NOMINATED 2026 All nominees by gender, across every category Women Men Mixed British categories Artist of the Year 7 3 Album of the Year 2 2 1 Pop Act 5 R&B Act 3 1 1 Alt / Rock Act 1 2 2 Dance Act 2 3 Hip-Hop / Rap / Grime 1 4 Breakthrough 2 3 International & Group International Artist 8 2 International Group 1 3 1 British Group 2 2 1 Critics' Choice 2 1 **Pop is 100% women. Hip-Hop is 80% men.** International Artist is 80% women — International Group is 60% men. The genre silos and the solo/collective split tell a more complicated story than the headline numbers. ### What the culture war ignores entirely All of this culture-war noise focuses on the most visible categories i.e. the ones with famous names and red-carpet moments. Behind the scenes, the picture is almost entirely different. Of the 49 times the Producer of the Year award has been given, 48 went to men. One woman, **PinkPantheress** , this year, has ever won it. ARE WOMEN WINNING? | DROWNED IN SOUND 1 female Producer of the Year In **49 years** of the award **PinkPantheress** won Producer of the Year at the 2026 BRITs — the first woman ever to do so. Before her, the only woman ever nominated as a solo producer was Kate Bush in 1990. The Grammy equivalent has also never been won by a woman. At 24, PinkPantheress is also the youngest ever winner of the award. Male winner Female winner No award given 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Each dot = one ceremony. Grey = award not given that year. Pink = female winner. The biggest culture-war claims are about the most visible categories. **Behind the scenes, the industry remains overwhelmingly male.** One female producer winner in 49 years isn't a sign of reverse discrimination — it's a sign of how much further there is to go. TL;DR - The right-wing outrage about women winning BRITs isn't protecting women when it sparks outrage. And women will keep winning, regardless. ### Read Emma Wilkes' full investigation BRITS and Grammys galore! But are women winning when they’re not winning?British women like Olivia Dean and Lola Young keep winning awards, however, it doesn’t equate to a better music industry for all women…Drowned in SoundEmma Wilkes ### Related Read ‘We’re going into a dark place’: Brit awards artists voice alarm over Reform UK’s riseCMAT, Wolf Alice, Wet Leg, Self Esteem and Loyle Carner say musicians should not shy away from politics – with several warning of ‘scary times’ as the far right gains groundThe GuardianRobyn Vinter

The girls treated it like prom: tops draping off shoulders, legs in fishnets, teetering around in platform boots. I saw them everywhere in The O2 last Friday night and I felt seen, because I was one of them. I was treating it like a capital-E event too, in an outfit too unseasonable for February – leather jacket, shorts, Docs, a smaller, tighter top than my usual boxy band shirts. Part of it was because I’d been having a grim week (correction, a grim month) and wanted to dress up and let loose, but above all, it was because tonight felt important. This was my first time seeing Deftones live. This was an event where it felt like there was a cultural phenomenon happening right in front of you, close enough for you to reach out and touch. There’s something about the late-career Deftones surge that can restore your faith in culture and in humanity again, that in a time of AI slop and writing for the algorithm, authenticity and uniqueness always prevails. My generation, Gen Z, has driven this massively. It’s filtered into a new generation of artists who have felt enlightened by their contrast between heaviness and lightness, the singularity of their sound, their forward-thinking fusion of metal with notes from other genres. The fans have powered it too. In a reader Q&A with _The Guardian_ last year, someone asking vocalist Chino Moreno a question mentioned that the branch of HMV where he worked sells at least five copies of their landmark 1997 release _Around The Fur_ a week to teenagers, more than, say, _Nevermind_ or _Rumours_. It shows that, as time's passed, it's earned the status of classic - and the teenagers are learning well. And of course, they want to take in the five members of Deftones in the flesh and they want to absorb the riffs thundering from the amps in real time. They want to hear those songs as a three-dimensional experience. All around me in the The O2 were young people likely also seeing this band for the first time live. So many of them were women of my age or younger, wanting to connect with a higher sort of culture by engaging with music that’s deemed classic. As the punters swanned out into the cold in the direction of North Greenwich station, the phrase rang in my head. _Deftones is for the girls._ The obvious disclaimer: yes, technically every band is for everyone. I say this not meaning to be exclusionary but to consider who is being _inclusionary._ I don’t know if Moreno and his bandmates have ever thought about the gender demographics of their gigs or if they’ve changed at all. Nonetheless, there’s something I greatly value in a historically rather hyper-masculinised genre about seeing so many women of my generation at a metal event. It doesn’t happen by accident. In my job as a rock and metal writer for the likes of _Kerrang!_ and _Revolver,_ I've been to a lot of these shows, and gender wise, at some of them I'm outnumbered.__ One of the significant things about Deftones is that they have always gone beyond metal’s basic aggressive tropes. The aggression is still present, conveyed in their mountainous riff work and low tunings, but it’s often suffused with something softer. Sometimes it’s with elements of shoegaze or the sultry tones of their influences like Prince or Sade, maybe it simply pours through in a gentle melody or the mere coolness of Moreno’s sensitive tenor. There’s something more sensitive about it, both in melody and lyrics. He’s mysterious and abstract but with a burning emotional core. And, infamously, he’s often quite horny. As a woman, there’s a lot of space in here for me. There’s a grinding, sexual energy about ‘My Own Summer (Shove It)’ that could translate to ‘bad bitch energy’, if you like. The ethereal ‘Sextape’ is both more awestruck and more lovestruck than its title implies. And of course, there’s plenty of jagged edges along the way. It’s not to say women don’t like aggressive music, but there’s a difference between violence that feels universal and violence that feels gendered, or hypermasculinised. As we've all learned in recent times, violent feelings about the world, at the system or at the unfairness of life does not equate to violence against a specific group of people. Slipknot gigs are pretty egalitarian. They don't hate women; they hate everyone, misanthropy as opposed to misogyny. I don’t think Deftones necessarily do this on purpose; it’s just who they are. Neither have they always been without flaws. The band themselves have admitted to retroactively feeling squirmy over the cover of _Around The Fur_ _,_ featuring a photo taken by skate photographer Rick Kosick where the camera practically stares down the cleavage of the woman, Lisa Hughes, who is the artwork’s subject. Contrary to rumour, Hughes was not a groupie, neither did she not consent to the photo. “I found those articles, you know, about like [me allegedly] being a groupie and this and that. I was like, maybe I should just start a little page just about myself, and so people know that I’m Lisa." she told Jenkem in January 2026. "I’m just this awesome chick from Auburn, and I like to have fun. And there’s no groupie action going on here. Just me having a kick-ass time, you know." Despite the strange, discomforting nature of the artwork, it's certainly not the most grossly sexualised image of a woman in metal artwork that I’ve seen. Of course, it's filtered through the male gaze, but it's not necessarily titillating. Hughes isn't posing, as such. I’m much more repulsed by, say, the woman on the cover of Bullet For My Valentine’s _The Poison_. Not just a sexualised woman, but a sexualised _dead_ woman. Speaking of dead women, a female corpse also appears in ‘Digital Bath’, a song that depicts the murder of a woman an electrified bathtub. It’s a chilling yet melodic centerpiece on 2000’s _White Pony,_ insidiously delivered but sounding so lush that its meaning isn’t immediately obvious. It's entirely obvious that the meaning might not penetrate straight away to anyone listening and the real meaning unfolds when you dig deeper. The lack of overtness might be why it's evaded great levels of criticism. Still, this isn’t enough to deter the women flooding into The O2. To some degree, there's a lot of gender-related cognitive dissonance we can deal with when it comes to the media we love, but that's another essay (_Under My Thumb: Songs That Hate Women & The Women Who Love Them_, edited by Rhian E. Jones and Eli Davies is a great read if this is an area of interest). Nonetheless, there’s a lot worse. Perhaps this is a low bar, but there’s never the sense that their music is trying to exclude me or tell me ‘This is not for you’. Quite the opposite. I was reminded of this exclusionary feeling when I was listening to deathcore band Whitechapel, who I’d never been intensely familiar with, in preparation for a live review. They’re still playing live material from their 2007 debut _The Somatic Defilement,_ a concept album about Jack the Ripper which describes the rape and murder of his victims in detail that’s nauseatingly graphic. (One song they play is called ‘Devirginisation Studies’, which says a lot). Never is it applauded, but something about relying on violence against women for shock value, as if it’s the stuff of horror films, is quite disturbing to me. It’s aged poorly, and they could distance themselves from it, but the fact they still play it live doesn’t feel like a suitable decision to be making in 2026. The crowd still offered a hero’s welcome nonetheless. Maybe they hadn’t Googled the lyrics. I still ended up wondering, ‘Were you playing to _any_ women back in 2007?’ In 2026, the gender balance in metal is finally seesawing to a more egalitarian point – metal is girlypop, didn’t you know? – and maybe the shifts occurring have also brought bands with large female fanbases back into the zeitgeist, or kept them there. The girls helped bring Deftones all new acclaim three decades deep into the career, especially as their incredible influence has now become tangible. On that note, between seeing those two bands, I’ve now begun developing a theory. Anecdotally, I’ve noticed the gender balance at arena shows for rock and metal gigs tends to be much more even than at smaller shows. I noticed it even when I was 19 at my first Slipknot show. Even the presence of a woman on stage at a sticky-floored club show doesn’t guarantee there’ll be more women in the audience. I’m wondering if, to get beyond a certain size in metal, you have to get the girls on your side. I thought about this earlier this month, while watching New Jersey symphonic deathcore band Lorna Shore – who Whitechapel were supporting - pack out London’s 10,000-capacity Alexandra Palace. It’s rare for bands of that extremity to play rooms so big, but they’ve done so by deepening the genre’s emotional reach, adding lush strings and conceptual, emotional narratives to the music. For example, their most recent album, last year’s _I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me,_ dealt with frontman Will Ramos' estrangement from his father and his family's history of dementia. And, lo and behold, Lorna Shore have more women in their crowds than most bands of their ilk can dream of. I see this with other metal heavyweights too. Sleep Token have hooked in plenty of women, touched by the turbulent depths anonymous frontman Vessel’s lyrics go to, and they’re becoming one of the defining artists of their generation. Ironically, I’ve noticed that many of their most vehement detractors are male, with some suggesting online they find his emotional sensitivity threatening to their own fragile masculinity. Then, we get – finally! – the slew of women-led bands breaking the glass ceiling getting into arenas. Look at Babymetal, Halestorm, and Spiritbox, the latter of whom has now earned three Grammy nominations and has just announced a UK and Europe headline tour with a bill full of bands featuring women (take a bow, Jinjer and Dying Wish). Consciously or not, Deftones have had this knowledge all along. They've chosen the right time to ascend into the form of their lives, tighter, sharper and even more life-affirming than ever. They are a supernova again. I am thankful for them, for as I dashed back into The O2 as the opening chords of 'Be Quiet & Drive' built the tension under a sea of blue light - all to drop into a jaw-dropping detonation. I punched the sky. I'm not sure the opening of any gig has left me so overwhelmed with euphoria. I’ll be back to watch them headline Outbreak London on 23rd August. I expect I’ll find the girls on the barrier.

**In this week's newsletter:** * **We look back on work we've published from writers and musicians in Ukraine after the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion** * **Fancy some barbed indie-punk as Track Of The Week?** * **Getdown Services reveal the true cost of merch cuts** * **Find out about the Leadmill's continued battle for survival** * **The Music Venue Trust pivots into the festival sphere** On 24th February 2022, Vladimir Putin launched the devastating invasion of Ukraine. What he presumed would be an effortless operation has proven anything but, thanks to the defiance and rapid mobilisation of the Ukrainian troops. Despite repeated talks in recent months to try and bring the conflict to an end, no resolution has been reached, drawing out the violence across an even longer period. In this time, around two million people are thought to have died across the Ukrainian and Russian forces and 6.9 million people have fled Ukraine as refugees. Globally, the universal response has been to meet the bloodlust of war with solidarity. For the music community, this has been no different. We've been there documenting this solidarity, and the ways in which music has been a tool of resistance and solace for the people of Ukraine ever since war broke out. To commemorate this, we've rounded those pieces up below. If you're interested in any further reading, I also highly recommend _Rebel Sounds: Music Of Resistanc_ e by Joe Mulhall, which is a thorough and enlightening dive into protest music across the world but whose last chapter pointedly focuses on music from Ukraine in this time period. ## How Gloomy Artists In Southern Ukraine Are Responding To The War (2024) In times of crisis, dark music can be a beautiful way of meeting the moment head on. Ukrainian journalist and musician Kseniia Yanus dug into what surviving the occupation has been like for the artists of the Ukrainian industrial and dark folk scenes. How Gloomy Artists In Southern Ukraine Are Responding To The WarUkrainian journalist and musician Kseniia Yanus meets industrial & dark folk artists who continue to create music despite the challenges of war.Drowned in SoundKseniia Yanus ## Noise Revolutionary: The Ukrainian Artist Building Instruments From Electronic Waste (2025) The first of our essays in collaboration with the nonprofit media outlet Neformat told the story of a local artist who went from drumming to building synths by transforming electronic waste into futuristic-sounding music machines. Noise Revolutionary: The Ukrainian Artist Building Instruments From Electronic WasteHow one Ukrainian artist turns plastic squeakers into haunting landscapes that sound like stars being born 260 light-years away.Drowned in SoundNEFORMAT Ukraine ## How One Ukrainian Is Reinventing Noise (2025) While living through war, Konstantin Poveda set about building his own synthesiser brand. This is his extraordinary story - and why he wants to see more modular artists come to prominence. How One Ukrainian Is Reinventing NoiseKonstantin Poveda: I Want to See Modular Artists in Rock and Hip-Hop SceneDrowned in SoundNEFORMAT Ukraine ## Meet The Duo Keeping Kyiv Dancing (2025) Even with war planes circling overhead, the dancefloor offers an escape. A pair of Ukrainian musicians started a club to help their fellow citizens unplug from a world of terror and keep the joy flowing - and it was all inspired by Peggy Gou. Meet The Duo Keeping Kyiv DancingHow Peggy Gou inspired this Ukrainian duo to start a club to disconnect from the war. To enjoy life - not just to survive.Drowned in SoundNEFORMAT Ukraine * * * ## Track Of The Week 'Scratches' by Lava La Rue Lush yet spiky, the latest track from Lava La Rue squeezes itself beautifully in the pocket between indie and punk. The brightness in its riffs is contrasted by La Rue's ghostly vocals, bending their voice into tones they've not yet explored. It's music to dance to, rant to, and expel the angst to, and everything in between. And, if you like what you hear, their new EP Do You Know Everything is just around the corner, expected to land later in the spring. SPONSORED Our favourite albums of the year is presented in partnership with ****Qobuz**** - the service for music enthusiasts featuring high quality sound so that we can rediscover music. ****Listen to tracks from our Best Of January and February 2026 playlist**** and start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz. TRY QOBUZ FOR FREE * * * ## Promoter David Littlefair is on the podcast Sean spoke to David Littlefair to discuss the grassroots pledge he's made with Marrapalooza, the DIY festival in Newcastle's Ouseburn Valley - redirecting ad spend away from Meta, refusing to book artists based on follower counts, and putting money back into the local scene instead of offshore platforms. They also dig into why 85 per cent of Arts Council music funding goes to opera and classical music, how Spotify has spent fifteen years extracting hundreds of millions from British artists, and why the grassroots levy risks being offshored by Instagram ads. ### Listen on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts. PodcastsTune into our podcast for hopeful, future-facing conversations with extraordinary musicians, cultural innovators, and organisers reshaping the music ecosystem.Drowned in SoundDiS Support * * * ## In the latest episode of wins for women... I absolutely loved hearing the news that PinkPantheress has become the first woman to win the Producer Of The Year award at the BRITs, which will take place this weekend in Manchester. At 24, she's also the youngest winner of the award, which has been handed out since 1977. History is going to treat her kindly, judging from the number of people a little better acquainted with her than me who tell me she's a singular voice of her generation. I suspect the memory I have of cramming into an overflowing tent at a jungle-like temperature with sweat dripping off the walls to see her at Reading 2022 is going to age like wine. * * * ### Book More Women enters a new era Credit: Book More Women A year after Book More Women confirmed that there'd been a drop in the number of women booked for US multi-genre festivals in 2025, they're jumping into their next chapter. Hoping to move beyond presenting data to making even more tangible change, they're now relaunching as a fiscally sponsored project of Fractured Atlas. They're aiming to provide support to organisers wanting to improve the gender balance on their line-ups, as well as opportunities to "underserved" artists and offering resources in the form of workshops. A podcast is also on the way, exploring industry systems, power, and access in music. BRITS and Grammys galore! But are women winning when they’re not winning?British women like Olivia Dean and Lola Young keep winning awards, however, it doesn’t equate to a better music industry for all women…Drowned in SoundEmma Wilkes Find out more about Book More Women here * * * ## Getdown Services get down about merch cuts We all hate merch cuts - especially the artists for whom slinging t-shirts is a lifeline. A post from Getdown Services outlining the effect merch cuts will have on them when they tour with Viagra Boys next month very much hits that home, outlining the reality artists have to face when swerving around these cuts (i.e. by selling merch at pop ups in pubs) has. The band confirmed that they have been unable to avoid the 25 per cent merch cut, revealing they had to put their prices up to compensate. "The obvious solution is to put our prices up and I’m afraid that’s what we’re going to have to do. These gigs are costing us too much money to risk not making some back on merch," they wrote on Instagram. "What we’re doing is trying to push anyone who wanted a t shirt to buy online instead." "Hopefully one day someone from one of these venues explains to us why they do this but until then we’ll be dipping the till behind the bar to get the 25% commission that we’ve decided we deserve," they joked. "Basically, if you fancied a t shirt It would be cheaper for you and also help us out if you bought one online." Solidarity! And, if you wish, you can grab a shirt from them from Bandcamp or below. Buy a Getdown Servies shirt here * * * ## A new future for Sheffield's Leadmill? Though beloved Sheffield venue the Leadmill lost its battle against eviction and closed in June after 45 years of operation, they're not going away quietly. (The site now operates as Electric Studios). They've launched a crowdfunder to reopen a second incarnation of the venue in a new location, with every penny donated going towards securing a site, fitting it out and then opening it. “This campaign is about safeguarding independent culture,” said a spokesperson. “If The Leadmill has ever been part of someone’s story – a first gig, a favourite night out – this is a chance to help ensure it exists for the next generation.” Donate to The Leadmill's venue relocation fund * * * ## Music Venue Trust fill a Glastonbury-sized gap with a festival for everyone Glastonbury's on a fallow year this year, but fear not - there'll be exciting music events right down your road. This is what the Music Venue Trust is bringing to life this summer, with the new Everywhere At Once Festival, which will reach over 500 music venues across the weekend of 26th-28th June. Over 1200 performances will take place up and down the country across three days with the aim of aiding investment into grassroots music venues. CEO Mark Davyd said: > _"This is a hugely significant moment for the grassroots music sector. Seeing hundreds of venues come together across one weekend shows the true strength and scale of the network that underpins live music in the UK. Thanks to the support from The National Lottery, Everywhere At Once can pair visibility with meaningful, practical support, putting real investment directly into venues while amplifying their collective voice. Together, this sends a clear message: live music doesn’t just happen in major cities or festival fields - it happens on our high streets, in our towns, and in the spaces communities rely on. This is what solidarity looks like in action, and it sets a powerful benchmark for what we can achieve when venues move forward together."_ ### Related reading 6 festival line-ups getting it right in 2026Amid trends for homogeneity and nostalgia, there’s lots to look forward to when festival season hits. We round up the line-ups leading the way in 2026…Drowned in SoundEmma Wilkes

Eyes down, everybody. We're playing the annual round of British festival line-up bingo. The Kooks? Courteeners? Kasabian? Lottery Winners? Kaiser Chiefs? They'll all be circling the UK's cider-soaked fields, as much as a constant of the British summer as heatwaves, strawberries and cream, and sunburnt, topless blokes going on a jog. Festival line-up season should feel like an exciting roll of the dice as opposed to a predictable game of bingo. They could, and should, be a mirror held up to the current musical climate, bringing what's fresh, challenging and current to an audience making summer memories to cherish. It's hardly like we're short of talent, especially in this current point in time. We're hardly short of opportunities either. This is, after all, the era of 'peak megagig', with big shiny pound signs in the eyes of every local council looking to rake in some more cash. In some ways, the climate looks troubling. Chances are, you're likelier to see a band with 'The' or 'Club' (Two Door, Bombay Bicycle, Red Rum, Royston etc...) in the name higher up on a poster than women or non-binary people (save for The Last Dinner Party, who fit both categories). There's a worrying trend of festivals leaning for safety, homogeneity and in particular nostalgia when it comes to making calls to booking agents and nostalgia just happens to be a giant, reliable cash cow. It's been leaned upon in a time where survival is perilous, costs have soared and _over 200 festivals had disappeared between the years of 2019 and 2024_. Some were killed off by Covid, others by concerns about weather, and the rising cost of living, as ever, remains a huge culprit. Nonetheless, being reliable and safe does not a good festival poster make, neither is it necessarily guaranteed to hook fans in if they believe they have seen it all before. Pockets of discourse and disappointment have popped up in enough corners of the internet for it to now become a subject of concern. There's also an aspect of responsibility, especially for bigger festivals, to platform rising talent, or at least try and lock down names which are more current. Progress in the way of diversity also seems slow. The promoters Not Bad For A Girl published an open letter to the music industry last week criticising the "regression" in line-ups across electronic music events, pointing out that some line-ups have _fewer than 10 per cent female and non-binary artists_. _TRNSMT were also put on blast last year_ for failing to book any female headliners for the ninth year in a row. NOT BAD FOR A GIRLNOT BAD FOR A GIRL is a home-grown, ethically-sourced collective of women and non-binary babes who just want to have fun. The _systematic 'pipeline problem_' of women being held back from headline positions by misogyny is getting harder to justify in an era where Olivia Dean has sold out The O2 six times over, Billie Eilish is making concert films and British women in particular have been doing the heavy lifting during awards season. (Primavera's top billing of Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Charli xcx last year feels utopian in comparison). Have we reached peak megagig?Stadium shows and park festivals are enjoying a boom - but how long can it last? And what about the grassroots?Drowned in SoundEmma Wilkes I could sit here and bitch and moan, but I'm not about to tell you that you're better off sunbathing in the garden this summer. There's more than enough going on over the summer to make your credit card cry at least once. I, for one, will likely be spending multiple weekends this summer in fields, small venues and the odd car park (Outbreak Manchester, I love you dearly), and these events are what I dream about as the leaves turn orange, the air turns cold and the seasons reset again. We could be pessimists and look at what is going wrong, but it's equally vital to spotlight who's doing it right. Here are a few examples of festivals who are properly delivering at the moment, who others ought to be taking notes from: ### Bearded Theory I've never been to Bearded Theory as it takes place on a weekend I'm usually not available, but this year's line-up really does read as a who's who of the great modern guitar music wave that's swept through the industry. And, hurrah, they know and they get that women are powering this as well. (Sprints! Lambrini Girls! NewDad!) There's a cracking mix of the heritage and the current, and a stacked crop of headliners in the form of Pixies, Garbage and Skunk Anansie. **When: 20th-24th May Where: Catton Park, Derbyshire ** ### ArcTanGent See, women can and do headline festivals! ArcTanGent have put not one but two on top this year, with Chelsea Wolfe headlining its first night and Julie Christmas joining Swedish post-metal titans Cult Of Luna - one of the best bands I've ever seen, after catching them at ArcTanGent in 2022 - for a 10th anniversary celebration of their landmark album _Mariner_. Every year's line-up is a grab bag of experimental gems, with a beautiful sense of community. My picks this year would be Svalbard's final show (bring the tissues), Neptune Prize-nominated Overhead, The Albatross, Maruja, Conjurer, Nothing, Chat Pile, Pupil Slicer, Meatdripper and the live return of Jamie Lenman. Also, between this and sister festival 2000trees, they have both the best food and an infamously fun silent disco. **When: 19th - 22nd August Where: Fernhill Farm, Bristol ** How Neurodivergent Musicians Process Music DifferentlyAcknowledging the unself: Conjurer’s Dani Nightingale on metal and autismDrowned in SoundEmma Wilkes ### **End Of The Road** End Of The Road's 20th anniversary is a bombastic celebration of music set to bring summer to a triumphant end. Pulp are headlining, promising “an unusual performance”, with CMAT, Kurt Vile and the Violators and a mystery headliner taking pride of place at the top of the poster. Also hugely worth checking out are Folk Bitch Trio, Model/Actriz, recent podcast guests PVA, M(h)aol and YHWH Nailgun. **When: 3rd - 6th September Where: Larmer Tree Gardens, Dorset** ### All Points East Park festivals tend to offer a more accurate snapshot of who's raising pulses in music at a particular moment. All Points East this year have curated what could be their most varied line-ups yet. Lorde tops the bill on its first day with PinkPantheress, Neptune Prize-nominated Rose Gray, 2hollis and more in tow, while Tyler, the Creator crosses genres across a two-day takeover with everyone from Baby Keem to... Turnstile. Its team-up with Outbreak features an epic crossover of Deftones, Amyl and the Sniffers, IDLES, Interpol, Deafheaven and more (did they look inside my iTunes library?), while the following week is catnip for the alt kids with Twenty One Pilots and the likes of Kid Kapichi, Nova Twins and PVRIS. **When: 22nd-30th August, selected dates Where: Victoria Park, east London** ### **Marrapalooza** Based in the North East, Marrapalooza combines fantastic line-ups and equally fantastic principles. They choose reinvesting in their local scene over playing into algo-daddy's hands, refusing to share Spotify links or to book bands based on their social media presence, and communicating with fans via their mailing lists rather than through Meta platforms. Line-up wise, they know their stuff, with Los Campesinos!, Jasmine.4.t and The Chisel standing as a greatly diverse batch of headliners. And, if that sounds appealing, their promoter David Littlefair is appearing on the podcast with Sean next week. **When: 5th-7th June Where: Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle and Northumbria University** ### Bulletproof Don't mind us if we plug this brilliant new festival whose line-up we helped announce the other week. Embodying the spirit of community and resistance, this new three-day event from Jeremy Corbyn's Peace & Justice Project is a celebration of both the UK's grassroots venues and the rich array of politically conscious music we have right now to unite people. Headlined by Maruja, Sprints and Pussy Riot: Riot Days, this is set to be a vital new addition to the festival calendar. **When: 4th-6th June Where: EartH, The Victoria, The Shacklewell Arms and The Jago, East London** Drowned In Sound partners with Jeremy Corbyn’s new festival BulletproofMaruja, Sprints, and many more are playing a new festival in London celebrating community in music and independent venuesDrowned in SoundEmma Wilkes

__Reminder:__****Drowned in Sound**** is a founder-owned, proudly independent publication and podcast with an insightful, funny, and kind online community. Become a paid subscriber to access all our articles and exclusive content. Thanks for all your feedback on our recent newsletters, we're still experimenting with the format and trying out a little bit of a shorter version this week, with a longer piece about festivals on the way... In this edition we have a pounding track of the week, some news to share, and an important survey for anyone reading this who works in music, but first... ### New Podcast: When Boycotts Work Each week on the Drowned in Sound podcast, we explore how the music industry could be fairer - talking to artists, organizers, and changemakers who are building solutions, not just pointing out problems. Recent guests include alt-popster Girli on safer spaces, we spoke to Kelly Lee Owens about why more gigs and clubs have to happen outside of the major cities, the need for a food bank for culture with The Ticket Bank, and this week it's the turn of a DiS-championed artist on what it feels like to step into your power... and win. Last May, electronic artist **Gazelle Twin** withdrew from her Kings Place residency over the venue's decision to host an arms industry conference. Days later, after 1,200+ people signed an open letter, Kings Place cancelled the military event. On our pod, Elizabeth Bernholz (Gazelle Twin) talks about the Kings Place boycott, creating _Pastoral_ - the Brexit-adjacent album Drowned in Sound gave 10/10 - why she performed unmasked for the first time on _Black Dog_ after fourteen years behind a façade, and why Ireland's basic income for musicians could transform the industry. From "jaded, frustrated and largely insulted" by the music industry in 2009 to successfully organizing policy change in 2025, this is a conversation about resilience, solidarity, patriotism, and the power of saying no. Subscribe for free on **Apple****|****Podbean****|****Pocket Casts****|****Podcast Addict** or search for "Drowned in Sound" wherever you get your podcasts. As part of our partnership with ****Qobuz**** - the service for music enthusiasts featuring high quality sound so that we can rediscover music - we create a companion playlist for each episode of our podcast. Listen to this week's playlist, featuring a selection box of Gazelle Twin tunes alongside, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Fever Ray, Bjork, the theme to Terminator 2, and lots more. Start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz: Get a 30-day free trial ### Track of the Week ## 'Hive Mind' by Knocked Loose and Denzel Curry I'm feeling efficient today, finding a TOTW spanning multiple genres. I also love a scene-shaking crossover of worlds as much as the next girl. This, of course, is an epic one, in which Denzel Curry - opener of mosh pits even on his un-metal songs - is given a firm embrace into the hardcore scene by current heroes of heavy Knocked Loose. Though they make good on enhancing their skull-crushing sound, they're striking a different lyrical tone here, kicking back against trend-baiters and conformists in a fashion that feels both larger-than-life and incredibly fun. At one point, there's a sudden swerve into trap beats that comes across like a joking nudge in the arm before they dive into the abyss again. Spin it, celebrate and two-step in the living room. * * * ### So... I wrote a book... I had a very surreal morning last week finally getting to reveal a secret I'd been keeping since the summer. If you'll indulge me for just a second... I WROTE A BOOK! Queens Of Rock tells the story of rock music through the arcs of ten incredible women of the genre, from the 1960s right up to present day. It's the fourth instalment of Gemini Gift Books' _Queens Of..._ series, following Annie Zaleski's _Queens Of Disco_ , Kiana Fitzgerald's _Queens Of R &B_, and the forthcoming _Queens Of Country_ (by Holly Smith) and _Queens Of Soul_(by Britt Julious). Queens Of Rock is out on 8th October 2026 and you can pre-order it via the Gemini Gift Books website or Waterstones. It also means you could potentially sort a Christmas present for someone very, very early and do your December self a little favour. * * * ### Two surveys on mental health in music Urgent research is underway to examine the scale of how widespread mental health issues in the music industry are. This is where you can help out, whether you're working in music or not. First. there's the Our Music, Our Minds, Our Future survey from Music Minds Matter, which is the largest scientific mental health research project in the UK. Anyone who works in music in any role or genre can take the survey, which only lasts 15 minutes and will pay £500 to four randomly selected entrants. Secondly, my good friend Jeordie Shenton from the brilliant mental health charity Tonic Music is conducting a survey into substance abuse among musicians as part of his PhD at the University of Portsmouth. He needs both working musicians and members of the general public to take part and the survey should only take 5-8 minutes, which you can undertake here. The largest scientific mental health research project ever conducted in music in the UKOur Music, Our Minds, Our Future is aiming to be the biggest, most important and scientifically robust survey ever conducted across the UK music industryOur Music, Our Minds, Our FutureResearch: Substance Use Amongst Working Musicians - BAPAMA new study by researcher Jeordie Shenton at the University of Portsmouth investigates substance use amongst working musicians.BAPAMBAPAM ### Join the Trans Mission at Wembley Arena I _love_ everything about the concept of this event, which is being staged at Wembley Arena as a night of joy and solidarity with the trans community amid the poisonous campaign of hatred waged against them. There's a stacked line-up set to perform, comprising trans voices and allies alike including Adam Lambert, Bimini, Imogen Heap, Rose Gray, Kae Tempest, Romy and Christine and the Queens, plus many more. The event takes place on Wednesday 11th March and raises money for Not A Phase and the Good Law Project and you can grab your tickets below. Buy your tickets for Trans Mission here

_Emma Wilkes: In this week's newsletter we have a powerful track of the week, a great music book recommendation, plus some news. Before all that, I ponder why, considering how women are treated and, for all we get wrong in the UK, like indulging Nigel Farage and scapegoating immigrants and trans people instead of billionaires, culturally we - women especially - remain a powerhouse._ * * * Even in a reeking, misogynistic world, women can thrive in pop music. Right now, it looks like they own it. Whether it's making speeches at their shows or when picking up awards, we see women with agency and authority, getting a stage to reconstruct their own world, putting across a point and sparking joy and creating community as they do it. Chappell. Sabrina. Charli. Olivia. They've all made their own place in pop culture's history books already. In the UK, we're holding our own. The Grammys earlier this month affirmed this, starting with Olivia Dean's triumph in the coveted category of Best New Artist - the first British artist to win since Dua Lipa in 2019 - continuing a streak of amazing victories (How often do you see an artist sell out The O2 _six times over_ on their second album?). Then there's Lola Young, who beat a crowded field consisting of Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Chappell Roan to win Best Pop Solo Performance for 'Messy'. FKA twigs capped off a sterling year to win Best Dance/Electronic Album for her widely celebrated _EUSEXUA_. Raye won the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change award for 'Ice Cream Man', an unflinching exploration of the effects of sexual harassment. There was also a sense of shock that PinkPantheress didn't win in either of her two categories after 'Illegal' became one of the most virulent songs of the year and Wet Leg were in the same position for their two nominations for their album _Moisturizer_ and its single 'Mangetout'. All of these are things to be celebrated. For all we get wrong in this country, like indulging Nigel Farage and scapegoating immigrants and trans people instead of billionaires, culturally we remain a powerhouse. This will be put on show again when the BRITs take place in Manchester at the end of the month, in which Dean and Young have racked up the most nominations, with multiple nods for RAYE, Lily Allen and Skye Newman. At least that's how it looks if you don't glance beneath the surface of the iceberg. We've peeled back the varnish-like layers of girlboss feminism to not just look at the shininess on top and call it done, because the trickle down effect can only go so far. These are wins for women, but only for some women. Not every woman in music gets to thrive as much as these lucky few do. In fact, the infrastructure put in place to support the Olivia Deans and Lola Youngs of the future is in a shaky position. As per Vick Bain's analysis of 150 feminist grassroots music initiatives operating the past decade in the new journal article entitled “Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves” Sister Organizations: Feminist Grassroots Initiatives in a Misogynistic Music Economy”, over a third of initiatives now no longer exist because of a lack of funding or burnout. Among these are Cactus City, a safe space studio for women and gender non-conforming people (who I once applied to intern with) which went on pause in November 2023, and Safe Gigs For Women, which closed in November 2025 after ten years of operation. "Things do seem to be getting better in certain areas," Bain acknowledges. "And these wins are great for the artists personally as well as modelling success for others. But there is still huge systemic discrimination across the industry, the figures for inclusion are nowhere near 50/50 so these wins can mask the reality for most women. "The percentages of funds supporting women in music are shockingly low, with a 6-7 per cent success rate, and the work we are doing in these organisations is just not properly supported. The work the industry is doing is nowhere near what is needed." Women might be winning Grammys, but they've risen to the top of an industry in which almost three-quarters of musicians have considered giving up on their dreams due to unsafe or unfair working conditions, as reported in Youth Music's 'Just The Way It Is' survey, which we discuss on this week's edition of the Drowned in Sound podcast with the alt-pop musician **Girli**. PodcastsTune into our podcast for hopeful, future-facing conversations with extraordinary musicians, cultural innovators, and organisers reshaping the music ecosystem.Drowned in SoundDiS Support Youth Music's survey revealed that a staggering 90% report being paid unfairly for their work and just under a third of women say they have been sexually harassed while working as musicians. Even a deep, detailed, multi-year report into misogyny in music, which warned of "endemic" misogyny and "urgent action" needed to tackle it, was rejected by the Government last year. An independent organisation designed to handle complaints, CIISA (Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority) is still not fully live. This is fundamentally a structural issue. It's enabled by an intersecting network of working models that disadvantage ordinary working people in the music industry - low or no pay, discrimination and harassment, barriers to reporting and a work culture that is inherently informal and exploitative. This is particularly true when the vast majority of music industry workers are freelancers and don't receive the protections that traditionally employed people have. When women are winning at the top, we might forget for a second what hurdles they had to clamber over on the way up. We see them succeed and think a broken system can look vaguely functional. We don't always get to hear the stories of those still in small rooms, whose names we might never know. We don't get to find out just how many were ground down to a nub and chose to quit instead of pushing themselves beyond breaking point. When bigger names from Raye to Victoria Canal tell the stories of the abuse they suffered, we see the tip of the iceberg. The fact that Youth Music's survey found. It's an all too familiar pattern. Increasing wins at the top, diminishing returns at the bottom. We see it with live music as megagigs dominate while grassroots venues struggle. Execs in suits flaunt their hefty paychecks while most musicians can only dream of making minimum wage. We're nowhere close to a music industry that works for the majority, and until then, only a select few really get to triumph. * * * ### Track Of The Week ## 'Slap On The Wrist' by Girli This is one of the bluntest (yet catchiest) reflections I've heard of my own lived experience fearing violence from men, not to mention the all too frequent impunity wrongdoers experience. Girli beautifully puts across the contrast between the fear we as women and femme presenting people carry around on a daily basis, the burden placed on us instead of the perpetrators, just because it's more convenient than having to overturn a system that enables this. If you like what you hear, Girli is on our podcast this week talking about her activism and the need for better safeguarding in the music industry. You'll also notice the video for this song offers a great crossover of worlds between her and previous podcast guest Eliza Hatch of CheerUpLuv, depicting recreations of testimonies from women detailing where they experienced sexual harassment - at home, while on a run, in a shop. The inconvenient truth is it happens anywhere and everywhere. 'Slap On The Wrist' also appears on this week's playlist titled 'Believe Women', a compilation of some of the greatest songs of women's survival and resistance. Sean remarked that it could also be titled 'Educate Men'. If you've read or listened to this as a man, I implore you -_listen and learn_. SPONSORED As part of our partnership with ****Qobuz**** - the service for music enthusiasts featuring high quality sound so that we can rediscover music - we create a companion playlist for each episode of our podcast. Listen to this week's playlist, which is a 101 Part Time Jobs special with tunes from Peaches, The National, and kicking things off is our track of the week Start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz: Get a 30-day free trial * * * ### I'm in the new issue of Crack Magazine! At the top of the year, I predicted that human curation and print media would swing back into fashion. I've done a bit of both in the new edition of Crack, in which I'm making my debut by offering some heavy music recommendations in this month's edition of The Filter. The Oscar-winning artist and composer Daniel Blumberg, who scored _The Brutalist_ , is on the cover - you can pick up your copy here. * * * ### Need something new to read? Hoping to read more in 2026? I'm a regular devourer of music books and I've got just the recommendation for you. I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of Keith Jopling's fantastic new book _Body Of Work,_ an insightful, joyful deep dive into the history of the album, why it's endured into 2026 and what the future might hold for a format that's outlasted the gloomy predictions of its naysayers for years. If you lean more towards reading music books about modern times as opposed to the more nostalgic sort, this will 100 per cent be up your alley. In fact, as an appendix, he lists one album for every year of the 21st century that he considers essential. You might have also heard Keith on his podcast The Art Of Longevity, in which he sits down with artists to unpack what it is that's meant they're built to last. Body Of Work is out now via Repeater - you can buy your copy here. * * * ### Kid Rock and Drowned In Sound finally agree on something Kid Rock - a prolific Trump supporter who even performed at his second inauguration - would probably disagree with us on a lot of things. However, after he testified before Congress last week on the issues affecting the live music industry and criticised the Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly, it appears we are aligned on something. Junk fees, soaring prices and scalping will impact fans across partisan lines, making it the great unifier in a deeply divided political climate. Truly, other than a handful of corporations, nobody is winning under the current market conditions - not fans and certainly not artists either. “The economic foundation that supported artists in the past is crumbling. Piracy is threatening their livelihood. Secondary ticketing is driving up prices for the fans with absolutely no benefit to the artist,” Kid Rock said. “Needless to say, that experiment has failed miserably. Independent venues have been crushed. Artists have lost leverage. Fans are paying more than ever and getting blamed for it.” The country-rock artist also presented a handful of solutions - allowing artists to control who sells their tickets and how; capping resale prices (as the UK promised to do late last year) and enforcing the Bots Act to penalise those acting in bad faith. Defunding Ticket ToutsFairer ticketing coming to the UK?Drowned in SoundSean Adams * * * ### Artists revolt against Wasserman Amid the constantly nauseating headlines coming out about the Epstein files, artists have been taking a stand against Casey Wasserman, the CEO giving his name to one of music's largest talent agencies (for musicians, that means their booking agent). Wasserman's name has appeared in the files, the publication of which revealed flirtatious emails sent to Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003. Although Wasserman has said he "deeply regrets" the emails and denies having any connections to Epstein himself, artists on the agency have spoken out against him. The first was Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast, who asked to have her and her band's name removed from Wasserman's website and called for him to step down and for the business's name to be changed. > “We are tired of being asked to treat proximity to something horrific as an unfortunate situation we should simply move past – especially when the person involved still holds all the power," she said in a statement on Instagram. And we are tired of watching harm minimized or brushed off as ‘a long time ago,’ while the impact of that harm is still very real, especially for women and survivors of sexual assault.” Chappell Roan has now confirmed that she has left the agency, but did not directly cite the connections to Epstein as her reasons. Wednesday have also cut ties with them, while Beach Bunny, Salute and some of its agents have also threatened to resign. Water From Your Eyes and Alison Krauss have also released statements condemning Wasserman. Many of the artists represented by Wasserman (who traditionally represented sports stars) were represented by independent agencies Coda and Windish before those orgs parted with and were folded into Paradigm, which was then bought by Wasserman. * * * ### The future is bulletproof! If you didn't catch our announcement earlier in this week, Drowned In Sound is partnering with the Peace & Justice Project's new festival Bulletproof, which takes place on 4th-6th June 2026 across three independent venues in East London. It's set to be a huge celebration of community, political action and grassroots music with a stacked line-up led by Maruja, Sprints and Pussy Riot: Riot Days. Tickets are now on sale, which you can buy here, and check out the rest of the announcement below. Drowned In Sound partners with Jeremy Corbyn’s new festival BulletproofMaruja, Sprints, and many more are playing a new festival in London celebrating community in music and independent venuesDrowned in SoundEmma Wilkes * * * ### Read our guest newsletter with Anagricel Duran Amid the heaviest news cycle in quite some time, Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show met the moment brilliantly with its joyous celebration of Latin American culture. My friend Anagricel Duran, a brilliant music writer who I worked with at _NME_ , wrote us a similarly celebratory guest essay about such a landmark moment for Latin American representation, and what it meant to her as the descendent of immigrants from the Dominican Republic. > "I am still crying while typing this up and will probably continue to cry every time I watch this performance because, for me personally, this is the first time I have seen my culture on what is essentially the US’ biggest stage and got to see it represented truthfully." Go and give this a read if you're looking for a slice of hope today - and editors, go commission her. “Seguimos Aquí”: Thank you Bad Bunny for making me cryICE, America and a Halftime show that refused to be silentDrowned in SoundAnagricel Duran

_Guest post: New York-based music journalist Anagricel Duran on why Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance meant so much to her and her fellow Latines._ On September 28th, 2025, it was announced that Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny would headline the NFL’s Super Bowl LX Halftime Show. Amid an already tense political climate and with a controversial figure currently leading the so-called “free world”, the decision to feature a global Latin artist at the country’s biggest sporting event drew swift backlash. Bad Bunny - born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio – became a target of criticism from conservative commentators and media figures, prompting Turning Point USA to announce its own “All-American Halftime Show” in protest. However, Bad Bunny’s performance this past Sunday (February 8th) was not simply another pop culture moment but a historic celebration of Latine identity and culture on one of the world’s biggest stages, marking a massive milestone for representation in mainstream American culture. Since June 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations have _significantly escalated under the Trump Administration_. This was marked by increased detention, National Guard deployment in various states and high-profile raids. Most notably, “ _Operation Metro Surge_” in Minnesota in early December, which allowed thousands of federal agents to arrest immigrants in the state. These agents have gone on to kill two civilians – _Renée Good_ and _Alex Pretti_ – and have continued to racially profile people and arrest not only undocumented immigrants, but also refugees and others with legal statuses, tribal citizens and permanent residents. These raids have been met with public protest, responses by advocacy organizations and opposition from local officers. With ICE raids being one of the constant focal points of our daily news in the US, Benito’s performance served as a break from all of the heartbreak. A little background on me for one second: I am a first-generation American, born and raised in Queens, New York, to two hardworking and dedicated immigrants from the Dominican Republic. My love for music was passed down from my father, who would blast all the bachata, merengue, salsa and perico ripiado from his childhood as well as music from who he considered to be “the greats” - Queen, The Eagles, Boyz II Men, Simply Red, Whitney Houston and more. I was elated to see how excited Puerto Ricans and other Latines were prepping for this moment by hosting watch parties, meeting up at local bars or even certain Brooklyn music venues to be united for this moment. Sports fans or not, everyone in this community needed a moment to feel celebrated and represented, especially during a time where it is not safe to speak your native language or for some people just live a normal life due to the constant threat of being taken by ICE. The opening scene of the performance was powerful. A shot of a man dressed in white wearing a traditional Pava hat holding a guitar infront of a sugar cane plantation who says: “Qué rico es ser latino,” which translates to “How wonderful it is to be Latino.” That phrase alone was something that the community needed to hear. There was so much symbolism within every detail. I won't get into all of them but my fellow colleague, Tatiana Tenreyro (music journalist and editor in chief of _Antics magazine_) wrote a lovely essay _decoding Bad Bunny’s performance for the _LA Times__. However, here are a few that stood out to me personally: The sugar cane fields were a nod to all the enslaved people from the Caribbean Islands who were forced to harvest the plants after Europeans made their way across the Atlantic. Growing up, my grandfather and uncles would bring home sugar cane in DR and peel and cut it up into pieces as a treat for me and my siblings. The sweet nectar of our roots and ancestors. A traditional tiered cake**** during the wedding scene right before Lady Gaga is revealed as a guest singer for a salsa rendition of ‘Die With A Smile’, is something that I’ve seen in various photos from my mother’s childhood photos. A pair of children dancing salsa together before panning over to another child laying across three chairs assembled as a makeshift bed, something I and many of my fellow Latinx people have experienced during times when you wanted to go home as a kid but your parents wanted to keep dancing and celebrating into the early hours of the morning. “Baila sin miedo!,” Bentio says which translates to “dance without fear,” something my elders would say to me after grabbing me to join them in a salsa or bachata dance as a way to learn rhythm and our traditional dance even thought I’d be shy and embarrassed from the cheers and encouragement. A set built to resemble a Bodega – our version of an off-license/corner shop and a place where my father began to work when he arrived to New York in the 80s. A cameo made by María Antonia “Toñita” Cay, the owner of the famous Caribbean social club in Williamsburg, Brooklyn which is one of the last standing authentic Puerto Rican social clubs where the Puerto Rican and Latine community are nurtured and celebrated. But of course, the most powerful moment of all, is when Bentio declares “God Bless America” and proceeds to name every single country that makes up the Americas before flashing an American football with the words “Together, we are America” and proceeding to say “Segumos Aquí” meaning “We are here” front of a screen that read “The only thing more powerful than hate is love,” a quote from his speech at this year's Grammys where he won the golden gramophone for _Best Muscia Urbana Album_ and made history as the _first artist to win Album of the Year with an entirely Spanish-language_ for ‘DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS’. Yes, I sobbed and honestly, I am still crying while typing this up and will probably continue to cry every time I watch this performance because, for me personally, this is the first time I have seen my culture on what is essentially the US’ biggest stage and got to see it represented truthfully. Moments that seemed very mundane and normal – ie, sleeping on chairs at a family party, dancing salsa with my elders, eating sugar cane and having fresh coconut water – on the big screen so that everyone could see the unity and community we as Latines are fortunate to be a part of. ESPN reporter John Sutcliffe said it best: While reporting on the grounds, Sutcliffe – with tears of pride and happiness – shared “Honestly, it was very emotional - the message that [Bad] Bunny sent. Whether you like his music or not, it was done with love, with culture, with affection, you know? In a world where suddenly everyone seems to be fighting, it's worth recognizing that Lady Gaga was there, that Ricky Martin also showed up. “And wherever you are today - Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile - wherever you may be: it's okay to have a tear in your eye and feel proud that Benito sang in Spanish at the most important party in America. Long live Bad Bunny!" > "HAY QUE SENTIRSE ORGULLOSO, BENITO LE CANTÓ EN ESPAÑOL A LA FIESTA MÁS IMPORTANTE DE LOS AMERICANOS" 🥺 > > John Sutcliffe se puso emotivo por el mensaje de Bad Bunny en su show durante el halftime del Super Bowl LX. > > Disfruta del Super Bowl x ESPN y #DisneyPlus Premium. 📺 pic.twitter.com/x8hZWhzPCD > > — ESPN.com.mx (@ESPNmx) February 9, 2026 Of course, the performance wasn’t praised by everyone. It triggered backlash from MAGA figures such as _Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly_and Trump’s 2024 campaign manager. Trump himself took to social media to blast the performance sharing that it was “one of the worst, EVER! It makes no sense,” as well as complaining that “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A.” _Drowned In Sound_ ’s very own Sean Adams actually fact checked Trump’s comments, revealing that approximately one in five Americans (60 million) understood the lyrics of Bad Bunny's halftime show, thanks to the dominance of Spanish as the second most spoken language in the US. Globally, one in twelve people (650 million) understood it as Spanish ranks fourth in number of native speakers (520 million), but is second (or third, depending on the statistics) in total number of speakers, behind only English and Mandarin. Also, very interesting that Trump would be commenting on the well-being of children…. Very interesting. All in all, Benito’s performance has made history as the most-watched halftime with over 135 million viewers and as the first solo male Latine artist to headline and perform almost entirely in Spanish. His message was very clear, unity and love will always overpower hate. God bless America. _Anagricel Duran is a freelance music, entertainment and culture journalist based in New York City. Her work has been featured in publications such as_ _NME_ _,__CREEM_ _,__MARVIN_ _,__Grammys.com_ _,__Something About Rocks_ _and more. She also publishes her writing via her newsletter,__The Soft Chaos_ _._

Music can and should be a form of community and resistance. It's connection, it's catharsis, and particularly in a time where creativity has been demonised (or replaced with AI slop), it's rebellion. The sad truth is it's also become an outlet for callous major corporations to artwash their reputations. Look at the US army pouring money into SXSW. Barclays partnered with major festivals in the hopes the consumer looks away from its investments in and financial services provided to companies arming Israel . Festival conglomerate Superstruct faced boycotts over its ties to KKR, a firm that has invested in Israeli tech and data firms and was reportedly connected to weapons manufacturers and defence contractors. See also, Spotify's Daniel Ek funding AI war drones or their recent spate of running ICE adverts to recruit more bootlickers for the Trump regime and spread terror across America. It creates a climate in which artists become disadvantaged simply for doing the right thing, whether facing censorship or a financial black hole from boycotting festivals whose values they don't align with. But what if there was another way? What if music was to reject blood pressure-raising ticket prices and over-corporate environments and choose independence, affordability and political action instead? This is where the brand new Bulletproof Festival comes in, created by the Peace & Justice Project's Music For The Many project. It's been created as a direct response to these existing issues, offering a supportive, politically driven platform for artists to unite people and use their platforms to call for change. On top of this, it's also championing grassroots venues, connecting artists and fans with the rooms that serve as the lifeblood of the UK's touring circuit. ## FREE 7-DAY TRIAL Unlock full access to Drowned in Sound - including in-depth essays, articles from the archive, and behind-the-scenes reporting - with our ****free 7-day trial****. FREE ALL-ACCESS PASS “The very creation of Bulletproof Festival is in itself a challenge to the status quo," said festival organiser Samuel Sweek. "We are showing that communities hold more power than corporations, and that we do not have to believe the lie that sponsorship from the profiteers of war is key to the survival of music festivals. "Our movement has taken down festival sponsorship giants such as Barclays and moved the framing of the debate on the ticket levy to save grassroots music venues. These were phenomenal and unprecedented victories, but there is more to do, and there must always be more to do. "Bulletproof Festival is just the beginning and will serve as the prototype for a new era for the music industry, touring, nurturing the creativity of up-and-coming talent, and ensuring live music is affordable and accessible for all. "This is a revolution and we are proud to be the insurgents.” The Venn diagram between Bulletproof's values and those of Drowned In Sound is essentially one circle. It's how I came to interview Jeremy Corbyn at the launch event in September - and how we have come to jump on board as the festival's media partners. I, for one, could not be more excited. Bulletproof takes place from Thursday 4th to Saturday 6th June across**EartH, The Shacklewell Arms, The Victoria and the Jago** in east London. The event will be headlined by **Maruja**(Thursday),**Sprints** (Friday) and **Pussy Riot: Riot Days -** a powerful fusion of theatre, live music and literature inspired by the memoir of Pussy Riot's Maria Alyokhina****(Saturday). You'll also be able to catch the following: ### Thursday * **CQ Wrestling** * **Soapbox** * **Yard** * **Yakkie** * **Dead Air** * **Gabby Rivers** * **Speit** * **Deva St. John** ### Friday * **CLT DRP** * **Alien Chicks** * **Gender Crisis** * **Ellis D** * **Paradise Fell.** * **Currls** * **Comforts** * **Moskito** * **Chuck SJ** * **Isabella Strange** ### Saturday * **Snayx** * **Jools** * **The Oozes** * **Hongza** * **Room Service** * **Frances Mistry** * **Generation Feral** * **Softtop** The Peace & Justice Project's Jeremy Corbyn added: “We are proud to finally launch the Bulletproof line-up – this is the result of over a year of planning, discussions, research and hard work. "We are delighted that Maruja, SPRINTS and Pussy Riot have agreed to join the inaugural Bulletproof line-up. Each act has a proven track record in speaking out against oppression, and toured the world and grown their support in every continent. It is beyond commendable that, at great cost, these artists have never strayed from the path of fighting tyranny and standing up for what is right. "There have been efforts across the global music industry, and beyond, to suppress and demonise any artist who has spoken up for basic humanity and against the British government’s role in Israeli war crimes, including Kneecap and Bob Vylan. This disturbing pattern must be stopped – and the Bulletproof Festival is celebrating the spirit of resistance that ended apartheid in South Africa and continues to highlight the genocides in Gaza, Sudan and other places.” Tickets are on sale from **Wednesday (11th February) at 11am** - you can buy yours here. ### Related read Jeremy Corbyn on grassroots musicJeremy Corbyn has gone from Leader of the Opposition to a champion of grassroots music - and now, his Peace & Justice project is launching a festival. We ask - how did he come to speak up for a cause few other MPs have?Drowned in SoundEmma Wilkes

<p>This week's podcast, and a few of the recent episodes, have been a bit different. Not because the format has changed or there's been a big mindset shift, but because what my guests have been doing <em>hits differen</em>t when the world is as bleak as it is.</p><p>Both last week and this week's conversations - with Jack from The Ticket Bank and with Music Declare Emergency's Ella Harris - explore how they've decided the old ways don't work and have created a system break. Or maybe the start of a whole new paradigm.</p><p>Ella is one third of the brilliant electro-trio <strong>PVA</strong>, who have released an early contender for album of the year - if you like the idea of speak-singing (more of that in this week's playlist at the end of this newsletter) over dark deconstructed Massive Attack grooves, those 'I Feel Love' kick drums, and big Soulwax/Robyn-y singles, then join me on their neon dance-floor. <em>No More Like This</em> is getting a lot of love in <a href="https://community.drownedinsound.com/t/dis-users-january-2026-album-of-the-month/93056?u=sean" rel="noreferrer">our community's January album of the month poll</a>. </p><p>The record was my album of January and this track 'Send' hits my Nine Inch Nails and Factory Floor throbbing boxes.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tnx6kg4dg0U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen title="PVA - Send"></iframe></figure><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://pvaareok.bandcamp.com/album/no-more-like-this"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">No More Like This, by PVA</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">10 track album</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://www.drownedinsound.org/content/images/icon/a3423577196_3.jpg" alt="" /><span class="kg-bookmark-author">PVA</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">simo_72</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://www.drownedinsound.org/content/images/thumbnail/a3423577196_5.jpg" alt="" /></div></a></figure><p>Whilst we touched on the fantastic album, our conversation was mostly about the joy of nature and her role at Music Declares Emergency. That's the org who run the hugely successful <strong>No Music On A Dead Planet</strong> campaign, which through the support of acts like Billie Eilish and Brian Eno, has reached over 500 million music fans worldwide.</p><blockquote class="kg-blockquote-alt">"Hope is something you can do. And you can build in yourself and build in your community."<br />- Ella Harris</blockquote><p>Their new campaign could not be more up my street. Not only does Hope Over Fear have really cool merch but the sales will help to fund action hubs in grassroots venues - physical spaces where music fans can organize around climate action (and maybe more) in real life, not just online.</p><ul><li>Listen on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/drowned-in-sound/id1037405920?ref=drownedinsound.org" rel="noreferrer">Apple Podcasts</a> or <a href="http://drownedinsound.org/podcasts" rel="noreferrer">wherever you get yours</a></li><li><a href="https://youtu.be/Ob24CNMSTfQ?si=t7RQhXc8wjl6xPYt" rel="noreferrer">Watch the podcast on YouTube</a></li><li><a href="https://www.musicdeclares.net/gb/hope-over-fear" rel="noreferrer">Grab your Hope Over Fear merch</a></li></ul><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><a href="https://www.drownedinsound.org/playlists/"><img src="https://www.drownedinsound.org/content/images/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-02-at-16.09.49-1-1.png" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy" width="1065" height="267" srcset="https://www.drownedinsound.org/content/images/size/w600/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-02-at-16.09.49-1-1.png 600w, https://www.drownedinsound.org/content/images/size/w1000/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-02-at-16.09.49-1-1.png 1000w, https://www.drownedinsound.org/content/images/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-02-at-16.09.49-1-1.png 1065w" /></a><figcaption><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Click to learn more about this week's playlist and get a 30-day free trial of Qobuz</span></figcaption></figure><hr /><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-pink kg-cta-minimal "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p dir="ltr"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">If you're enjoying our independent journalism, free podcasts, playlists, online resources, and everything else we do, please consider upgrading to support our work and unlock member benefits.</span></p> </div> <a href="#/portal/account/plans" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#FFFFFF"> Learn more </a> </div> </div> </div>

<p>Kate Nash is in the most heroic form of her career right now. Between <a href="https://open.qobuz.com/track/335278296" rel="noreferrer">standing up for trans rights</a> and shouting about grassroots venues from the top deck of a bright red bus, she's become a proud spokesperson for the beleaguered artists holding up the music industry and not getting their fair payout while the suits in offices rake in their bonuses. I think it's punk as hell. If you know me, you'll know that's one of the highest compliments I can give. </p><p>Though she's made headlines in a louder, bolder way in the last couple of years by revealing she'd <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwygdzn4dw4o" rel="noreferrer">turned to OnlyF*ns to subsidise the losses</a> from her <em>9 Sad Symphonies </em>tour, using her platform is nothing new, speaking up has always been a part of her artistry. She's <a href="https://www.femalefirst.co.uk/music/musicnews/Kate+Nash-102914.html" rel="noreferrer">donated instruments to schools</a>, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-14501631" rel="noreferrer">assisted in the clean-ups after the 2011 riots</a>, campaigned for more <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/european-union-festival-lineups-keychange-initiative-kate-nash-eu-a9046531.html" rel="noreferrer">equal gender balances on festival bills</a> and even set about providing better <a href="https://americansongwriter.com/kate-nash-on-glow-cancelation-new-music-and-the-failure-of-the-music-industry-to-respond-to-metoo/" rel="noreferrer">sex education to the music industry through Keychain</a>. </p><p>Now, she's appeared as part of a parliamentary select committee for the <a href="https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9530/state-of-play-performing-arts-touring-in-the-eu/" rel="noreferrer">State Of Play inquiry</a> as part of a session examining performing arts touring in the EU, including the damage that Brexit has enacted on the bank balances of touring musicians. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HY3U9EMvTEY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen title="Kate Nash - Mighty Hoopla Documentary"></iframe></figure><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ryH5cga0yUI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen title="Kate Nash - Foundations"></iframe></figure><p>I was there for the session, where Nash spoke alongside Naomi Pohl of the Musicians' Union (who previously appeared on <a href="https://www.drownedinsound.org/podcasts/" rel="noreferrer">our podcast</a>) and Hanna Madalska-Gayer, Head of Policy and Communications at Association of British Orchestras. </p><p>All three were commanding speakers, conveying the sobering reality of having to drown in paperwork just to get to play in Europe. Bound up in red tape and extra costs, touring in Europe has become significantly less financially viable, with Nash herself admitting she'd lost £26,000 in touring the continent, as well as £13,000 on her last UK tour. </p><p>Nash pointed out:</p><blockquote class="kg-blockquote-alt">"Historically we've been celebrated around the world for our contribution to music. We have fewer opportunities to tour and have opportunities to profit from tours in other countries, I think we're at risk of losing that reputation, that status, that sense of pride in our culture.</blockquote><blockquote class="kg-blockquote-alt">"It will have a knock on effect on the UK economy. The more we limit artists in this sense, the more that we limit UK culture on a global scale."</blockquote><h2 id="what-are-the-main-problems-artists-touring-the-eu-face">What are the main problems artists touring the EU face?</h2><ul><li><strong>Carnets -</strong> You may have heard artists bemoan the bureaucracy of carnets, a customs document that acts like a 'passport for goods' on which artists have to list all their equipment. These are costly, particularly with a security deposit amounting to 30-40 per cent of the value of the items. The introduction of digital carnets also means that if some equipment is broken, an artist has to re-pay for the carnet all over again</li><li><strong>Confusing paperwork</strong> - There is a lack of standardisation in terms of the paperwork required in each EU member state. and a lack of comprehensive information available about it. At worst, innocently missing some necessary paperwork can result in fines. </li><li><strong>The 90/180 day rule</strong> - Spending more than 90 out of every 180 days in the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/travel-to-eu-schengen-area" rel="noreferrer">Schengen area </a>is not allowed without a visa. This is particularly damaging for crew, who might be needed on multiple European tours in a year. In fact, according to Pohl, this rule meant Robbie Williams had to hire a second crew for his European tour and said crew were discouraged from taking holidays in the EU. </li><li><strong>Queues at passport control</strong> - Not only are delays at borders stressful and tiring, they potentially squeeze artists' travel and rehearsal time. At worst, they can mean a band misses a show and loses their fee for the night. It also increases costs by pushing artists to build in extra travel days into their schedule to insulate against lengthy delays. </li></ul><h2 id="how-bad-is-the-state-of-eu-touring">How bad is the state of EU touring?</h2><p>It's bleak. In the <a href="https://musiciansunion.org.uk/news/touring-in-the-eu-post-brexit-key-findings-and-next-steps-from-the-mu-s-recent-survey" rel="noreferrer">Musicians' Union's 2024 survey</a>, 75 per cent of respondents reported a decline in their income from touring Europe and 59 per cent said EU touring was not financially viable. </p><p>Nash also referenced this preventing artists from taking opportunities in the EU, meaning they lose out on opportunities to improve as performers and build their international fanbases. Red tape can affect a tour's entire budget and at worst can involve crew members losing jobs. Nash recalled hearing musicians ask, when looking at all these costs adding up, "What's the point?" </p><p>It also damages the viability of a musician's career full stop. Kate Nash outlined seeing artists selling instruments and possessions to try and stay afloat, as well as taking second jobs. Chances are, she's not the only artist on OF either. </p><p>"I don't think I would be able to have the career that I have if I was starting now," admitted Nash. Later, she asked: "Why is it worse now? It should be better," calling the situation "a massive letdown to this entire country." </p><h2 id="what-can-be-done-about-it">What can be done about it?</h2><ul><li><strong>Renegotiating carnet fees</strong> - The Government might be able to have some control over just how much carnets cost, and the suggestion was made during the meeting that to some extent, they are a money-making exercise</li><li><strong>Clearing the backlog of A1 forms with HMRC</strong> - these are forms confirming someone is still paying National Insurance while working abroad, and more resources are needed to reduce the logjam </li><li><strong>Introducing a touring visa for musicians </strong></li><li><strong>More information available about what paperwork is needed </strong></li></ul><p>"This is a problem that is worth solving," concluded Nash. "Take seriously the people who are making all the money," she added - addressing the industry at large - "if we can profit from our work, we can contribute more and the ecosystem can flourish." </p><h2 id="watch-a-30min-edit-of-kate-nashs-evidence-over-on-our-youtube">Watch A 30min Edit of <strong>Kate Nash's</strong> Evidence Over On <a href="https://youtube.com/@drownedinsound/" rel="noreferrer">Our YouTube</a></h2><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3J-Fr9dNcxs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen title="Kate Nash vs Brexit: What Really Happened to British Musicians After 2020"></iframe></figure><p>I then caught up with the artist after the hearing, where I asked what her message to Live Nation, Spotify and major labels was after she called them out in her address.</p><p>"You better watch out because I am going direct to the government. A lot of artists have been banging their heads against the wall for a long time," she said. You are not necessarily gonna be included in the conversation at this point because you haven't shown any sort of support or that you're willing to do anything to benefit artists, yet you are profiting off of their work. I ain't giving up and I don't wanna talk to you [pointing at industry]. I wanna talk to them [pointing at Parliament]."</p><p>But what can fans do?</p><p>"I would stop buying crazy VIP packages to arena concerts because I think that's a scam and a waste of your money," Nash advised. "But fans are really supportive already. Staying informed, understanding, and being vocal about the fact that the music industry's a broken ecosystem - making the government realize how seriously people take music can be part of positive change."</p>

<hr /><p><strong>In this week's newsletter:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Floor-filling rave punk is the order of the day for Track Of The Week</strong></li><li><strong>Inside the business rates relief pubs and live music venues were granted this week</strong></li><li><strong>Could we see more artists cancel their US tours?</strong></li></ul><p>Imagine a room where everyone's jumping as if they had both a shared mind and a shared soul, where a mosh pit has yawned open and very few people are capturing anything on their phones. It's not as rare as it might seem. It's what I took in when I went to the Amersham Arms in New Cross, south-east London on Tuesday night to see Nova Twins put on a stellar showing for just 300 people. </p><p>It's not that dissimilar to where I was almost four years ago, when my 21-year-old self wandered awkwardly around Birmingham's Moor Street trying to find a bus to take to the Castle and Falcon. I'd never been to a gig by myself - and neither had I sat on a bus to get there, to an area of Birmingham that I'm told is not the nicest. These were only small impediments. I was going to see Nova Twins and nobody could tell me I couldn't. </p><p>At the time, the duo had only released one album, and their traction had begun to properly accelerate. It was one of my earliest experiences of grassroots music, and one of the experiences that's aged the best. Now, they're omnipresent, spreading joy and unity wherever they go and calling for change from even bigger stages - and they're ambassadors for everything good, including Amnesty International, Music Minds Matter and now, Independent Venue Week. </p><p>Independent Venue Week, which is unfolding as we speak across 236 of the UK's grassroots venues, have organised a stacked programme of shows with the aim of showcasing the magic within their walls. For Nova Twins, it was a full circle moment too. This venue was where they played growing up and honing their craft - bassist Georgia South even played a show there on her 18th birthday, in the same room where she had her first legal pint. This was the room that made them. So many artists will have had a space like that, to play around, mess up, have fun and connect with the faces staring back at them. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0xyRwrTidoY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen title="Nova Twins - Monsters (Official Music Video)"></iframe></figure><p>The audiences are special. There's always a joyous fizz in the air at a Nova Twins show, but it struck a different tone in the Amersham Arms compared to their far bigger Kentish Town Forum show in October. They have a friendly fanbase as it is, but the atmosphere was warmer somehow in an intimate pub basement than a chain venue. The sense of togetherness poured through even during support act Ashaine White's set, punters near the back gently cheering her on as she spoke to the crowd, and as she played the moving 'I Sing To Myself' - tenderly capturing the helplessness of watching world tragedy through a screen - the silence and reverence was powerful. I've been in enough corporate chain venues to know this atmosphere is exclusively the preserve of communal, independent spaces. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SrzdDkyy6FI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen title="Ashaine White - I Sing To Myself (Official Video)"></iframe></figure><p>If you're getting gig envy from this, there's still time to get involved - <a href="https://independentvenueweek.com/uk/" rel="noreferrer">click here </a>to see what's going on this week in your local area for Independent Venue Week 2026. </p><hr /><h2 id="jack-from-tickets-for-good-and-the-ticket-bank-is-on-the-podcast">Jack from Tickets For Good and The Ticket Bank is on the podcast</h2><p>A gig is a perfect escape from the strains of daily life - but not everyone has the financial means to drop their worries outside the venue door. This is where two fantastic initiatives come in, with Tickets For Good offering gig tickets to NHS workers, teachers, and carers and the Ticket Bank designed for fans on low incomes. </p><p>Jack explains how the infrastructure works who it serves, and why more artists and venues need to get involved, as well as touring economics, dynamic pricing myths, and the uncomfortable reality that an industry generating billions still prices out the people who need culture most. </p><p>You can subscribe and listen for free on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/drowned-in-sound/id1037405920?ref=drownedinsound.org" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Apple</strong></a><strong> | </strong><a href="https://drownedinsound.podbean.com/?ref=drownedinsound.org" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Podbean</strong></a><strong> | </strong><a href="https://pocketcasts.com/podcast/drowned-in-sound/e12e7730-379f-0133-b632-0d11918ab357?ref=drownedinsound.org" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Pocket Casts</strong></a><strong> | </strong><a href="https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/drowned-in-sound/6005286?ref=drownedinsound.org#" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Podcast Addict</strong></a> | or wherever you get your podcasts.</p><hr /><h3 id="track-of-the-week">Track of the Week</h3><h2 id="aux-romanticiser-by-the-itch">'Aux Romanticiser' by The Itch</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EJs3cXfA9xo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen title="The Itch - Aux Romanticiser (Official)"></iframe></figure><p>Do you fancy a dance this week? I rather warmed to the zany floor-filling energy of this new song by rising Luton dance-punk duo The Itch, which combines the fizzing feeling of late night hedonism with a quirky, nostalgic twist. Lyrically, it speaks irreverently of the giddiness of plugging in the aux cable and becoming your own DJ, subjecting everyone around to your idea of the perfect playlist. It sits somewhere in the cross-section between the sounds of LCD Soundsystem, The Dare and Lynks and if that sounds like your cup of tea, their debut album <em>It's The Hope That Kills You is </em>out on 10th April. </p><hr /><h2 id="music-venues-and-pubs-get-business-rates-helpbut-is-it-enough">Music venues and pubs get business rates help - but is it enough?</h2><p>The changes to business rates outlined by Rachel Reeves in the budget could have spelled the death knell for some pubs and live music venues, but in a bid to avoid widespread closures and job losses, the Treasury has provided a support package worth tens of millions of pounds. Every pub or venue will get 15 per cent off its business rates bill from 1st April and for the next two years, bills will be frozen (in real terms) for the next two years. </p><p>Clearly, the backlash against the policies has translated into positive change, but for some, this U-turn doesn't go far enough. The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) said it was merely "a drop in the ocean" given how many concerns it has that haven't been addressed over things like licensing fees and alcohol duty. </p><blockquote>“This policy position is frankly baffling. Pubs, bars, nightclubs, live music venues and cultural spaces are all part of the same fragile ecosystem, facing the same structural challenges and carrying the same disproportionate tax burdens. To support one part while ignoring the rest is not just short-sighted, it is fundamentally disconnected from how this industry actually operates."</blockquote><p>The Music Venue Trust's statement was more positive, saying it "warmly welcomes today’s government statement on urgent and immediate Business Rate relief." They added that they will explore with their Music Venues Alliance venue members "if the proposed 15% reduction in rates payable, followed by a freeze for 2 years, is sufficient to manage this crisis". </p><hr /><h2 id="the-first-of-many-cancelled-us-tours">The first of many cancelled US tours?</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cHaRiL8Eqkw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen title="Delilah Bon - Not The President (Lyric Video)"></iframe></figure><p>What do you do when one of your biggest touring markets is an authoritarian hellscape? This week marked the first time I'd seen an artist cancel a US tour over the current state of the country, namely feminist 'brat punk' artist Delilah Bon. She explained <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DTxpilZCGn0/" rel="noreferrer">in a video posted to Instagram</a> that she believed the tour could put her, her touring party and her fans' safety at risk, especially those who are undocumented and could thus be targeted in ICE raids. </p><p>It's perfectly understandable, and a horrendous choice to have to make, but this speaks devastating volumes about how evil the US has become if a queer feminist artist cannot come there and provide an hour or so of catharsis, community and hope. I'm wholly expecting more artists to do the same. All the love and solidarity with Delilah. </p><hr /><h2 id="is-a-reckoning-on-the-way-for-live-nation">Is a reckoning on the way for Live Nation?</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/parliamentary-inquiry-real-implications-sx02e/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">A Parliamentary Inquiry with real implications for live music</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">As many of you will know, last year AIF brought evidence to the UK Parliament’s Business and Trade Select Committee. We shared detailed data on Live Nation’s control of concerts above 5,000 capacity in the UK.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://www.drownedinsound.org/content/images/icon/al2o9zrvru7aqj8e1x2rzsrca-1" alt="" /><span class="kg-bookmark-author">LinkedIn</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Association of Independent Festivals</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://www.drownedinsound.org/content/images/thumbnail/1768241119817" alt="" /></div></a></figure><p>The window has just closed for evidence relating to a parliamentary inquiry into competition and market functioning in the UK Live Music Industry. If there's enough strong evidence that goes far enough, it could lead to an investigation by the CMA into whether Live Nation, which holds a monopoly, is abusing its market power. </p><p>The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has brought evidence to the inquiry and is arguing that Live Nation's market dominance "restricts competition, inflates prices, limits access to culture, stifles creativity, and delivers poor outcomes for both industry and audiences."</p><p>If you've felt priced out as a fan by the cost of tickets to larger gigs, some very interesting developments could be on the way. </p><hr /><h3 id="hopeful-story">Hopeful story</h3><h2 id="could-harry-styles-adding-the-grassroots-levy-be-a-game-changer">Could Harry Styles adding the grassroots levy be a game-changer?</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7sxVHYZ_PnA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen title="Harry Styles - Aperture (Official Video)"></iframe></figure><p>As we mentioned last week, Mark Davyd's speech at the launch of the Music Venue Trust's annual report called out Live Nation for dragging their feet when it came to implementing the grassroots levy. Now, however, we might be getting some movement. Harry Styles' eight Wembley Stadium shows taking place in June, which are being promoted by Live Nation, are participating in the grassroots levy. </p><p>If they keep this up with more major shows, given their market power, the levy will have far more chance of success. And, if that wasn't a big enough supply of good news, Styles' shows are also supporting <a href="https://chooselove.org/" rel="noreferrer">humanitarian aid organisation Choose Love</a>, who he has been working with for the last decade. </p><p>Elsewhere, <a href="https://www.kerrang.com/enter-shikari-uk-european-headline-arena-tour-biggest-ever-2026" rel="noreferrer">Enter Shikari's November arena tour</a>, which is also being promoted by Live Nation, will once again carry the grassroots levy. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://www.drownedinsound.org/music-venue-trust-calls-out-live-nation/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Music Venue Trust Calls Out Live Nation</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">The state of grassroots music in the spotlight + track of the week + news Aphex news</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://www.drownedinsound.org/content/images/icon/DiS-waves-600px--2--59.png" alt="" /><span class="kg-bookmark-author">Drowned in Sound</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Emma Wilkes</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://www.drownedinsound.org/content/images/thumbnail/Event.jpg" alt="" /></div></a></figure><hr /><div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-grey kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-has-img "> <div class="kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper"> <div class="kg-cta-sponsor-label"> <span style="white-space:pre-wrap">SPONSORED</span> </div> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://qobuz.com/dis"><img src="https://www.drownedinsound.org/content/images/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-21-at-23.57.19.png" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">As part of our partnership with </span><b><strong style="white-space:pre-wrap">Qobuz</strong></b><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> - the service for music enthusiasts featuring high quality sound so that we can rediscover music - we create a companion playlist for each episode of our podcast. </span><a href="https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/53335869" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Listen to this week's playlist</span></a><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">, which is a 101 Part Time Jobs special with tunes from Peaches, The National, and kicking things off is our track of the week</span></p><p><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz: </span></p> </div> <a href="https://qobuz.com/dis" class="kg-cta-button " style="background-color:#000000;color:#ffffff"> Get a 30-day free trial </a> </div> </div> </div>

The state of grassroots music in the spotlight + track of the week + news Aphex news

A t-shirt slogan, a Welsh village hall, and what’s quietly breaking in live music

We're not even two weeks into 2026 and the news is... newsing hard!

Emma Wilkes reflects on 10 years since we lost Bowie, Prince, and Carrie Fisher. Trump's first election. Brexit.

Why 15-Year-Old Gamers Get Sponsors But Musicians & Music Fans Get Copyright Strikes