iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

Eleven venues days, one very surprised boat captain, and this year, for the first time, a room full of venue operators who left making plans instead of just holding on. Wrote about it. Link below, subscribe if you want the next one in your inbox. markdavyd.substack.com/p/things-can...

markdavyd.substack.com

Things Can Only Get Better

Somewhere between an empty bottle of Blue Curaçao and the eleventh Venues Day, something small but extraordinary has happened to grassroots live music.

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Arts Council England just proved, with receipts, that cultural tax relief works. Theatres get it. Orchestras get it. Museums get it. Grassroots music venues do not. The same review recommends they should. Page 67. New piece: markdavyd.substack.com/p/party-fears-two Please do subscribe

markdavyd.substack.com

Party Fears Two

Arts Council England has just proven, with receipts, that cultural tax relief works. You'll never guess who didn't get an invitation.

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

In this week's Substack I get into what the Grassroots Levy can actually do to reduce costs, unlock investment and deliver affordable touring in a Grassroots Sector that works for everyone. This week's piece is here: markdavyd.substack.com/p/the-power-...

markdavyd.substack.com

The Power is Yours

How cutting venue energy bills secures jobs, supports artists, and strengthens the circuit

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Rachel Lowe @rachellowe.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

@mrjamesob.bsky.social Just listened to yesterday’s show & natural/unnatural deaths. You need to add live music venues being destroyed by planning laws. i think you’d find a chat with @markdavyd.bsky.social at @musicvenuetrust.bsky.social v interesting & he’d be a great guest. There’s lots happening

mixmag.net

The UK lost a grassroots music venue every fortnight in 2024, report finds

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 13/07/2025

This week in my Substack I am celebrating (yes I honestly am!) the fantastic week of music the UK is experiencing. markdavyd.substack.com/p/good-news-...

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

UK Government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan is the most comprehensive attempt yet to think about how music fits into the future shape of the British economy. It provides us with a serious platform to work with Read the full article at my latest Substack: markdavyd.substack.com/p/the-quiet-...

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 01/06/2025

Read my latest Substack: lnkd.in/dbvN2427 There's a whole world movement going on that I didn't know about and it's a radical opportunity not just for music, but for culture, sports, all the community facilities we all care deeply about but are at risk.

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

‘What you can’t do is give up the benefits of Brexit’ - Richard Tice, Reform. I have news Dickie-baby.

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 18/05/2025

Read my latest Substack: markdavyd.substack.com/p/access-den... Why are grassroots music venues treated differently to theatres, arts centres, cinemas when it comes to licensing and access for young people? More than that… why are they treated differently to arenas and stadiums?

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 11/05/2025

Read my latest Substack. Positive change is achievable, dont let them convince you otherwise. markdavyd.substack.com/p/take-back-...

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

Culture is not a luxury — it’s an engine for economic recovery. In my latest Substack piece, I propose how funding local arts and venues can drive real economic change from the ground up. Read “Trickle-Up Economics” now on Substack. open.substack.com/pub/markdavy...

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

We give tax reliefs to Batman. What about a sound engineer in Hull? My latest Substack lays out a joint performing arts proposal for a tax relief called PACSTR which would promote local careers in the creative industries. Read: open.substack.com/pub/markdavy...

open.substack.com

Trickle-Up Economics

We Gave Tax Relief to Batman. How About a Lighting Engineer from Hull?

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

Latest Substack from me, with some thoughts on the Music Fans' Voice. The main thing that comes across is how well informed fans are and how much they care. The fans’ voice has been ignored for too long. Read more: markdavyd.substack.com/p/the-beatin...

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

Sorry not to reply to your email, I was in a cave.

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

“Please don’t respect the peace and quiet of our neighbours; they don’t respect our town’s culture”

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neeneemc49.bsky.social @neeneemc49.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

I just subscribed. I’d encourage other fans of up & coming bands to help support grassroots venues to continue 👍

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

Become part of the @musicvenuetrust.bsky.social Supporters Circle! bit.ly/MVTsupporters

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Massive thank you to Mumford and Sons, their management team (especially Izzy), their agency WME, the promoters SJM, Live Nation, and the arenas on this tour for their support for the LIVE Trust. www.nme.com/news/music/m...

nme.com

Mumford & Sons to donate £1 from every ticket sold on UK tour to Live Trust’s grassroots venues fund

Mumford & Sons have announced that they will be donating money from ticket sales to help support grassroots music venues across the UK.

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Excellent to see a new organisation emerge in Australia to support Grassroots Music Venues. Give them a follow here: @ausmusicvf.bsky.social

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

A new Substack from me... open.substack.com/pub/markdavy...

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

A sad day to recommend a comprehensive article that’s a thoroughly good read about the opportunity presented by the grassroots levy. It sits as a difficult reminder that the solution exists but will come too late for some venues. Excellent piece from Mark Sutherland variety.com/2025/music/g...

variety.com

A Lifeline for Indie Venues: Can a New Tax on Arena and Stadium Concert Tickets Save the U.K.’s Grassroots Circuit?

With U.K. independent music venues closing at an alarming rate, a new steers £1 from each arena and stadium concert ticket to indies. Can it work?

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caroline-b.bsky.social @caroline-b.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

@marcrileydj.bsky.social have you seen/shared this yet? All your listeners need to fill it in. Thank you! (Du Blonde & House of All sessions superb, looking forward to catching up on RD later 😁)

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mapmove @theredcase.com · 09/02/2025

Wise words……get involved

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Mx Darkfloor @darkfloor.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Have your say!

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Marc Cooling @mcooling.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

If you’re passionate about grass roots live music, please complete this 💚

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Fold @fold.fm · 09/02/2025

This is worthwhile. We’re taking it now.

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Sean | Drowned in Sound @drownedinsound.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Wrote a little something to add some context for anyone unsure why this is important www.drownedinsound.org/15-minutes-t...

drownedinsound.org

15 Minutes To Shape The Future of Live Music in the UK

An incredibly important moment for music fans to have their say

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

It's your first Survey Sunday! TAKE THE SURVEY: musicfansvoice.uk The Music Fans' Voice survey launched earlier this week and a huge number of live music fans have already taken part... but thousands more are needed. And that includes you.

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

A new Substack from me on the Music Fans' Voice Survey. With your help it can reach tens of thousands of music fans. So please join us and let's make that happen: open.substack.com/pub/markdavy...

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

TAKE PART! 1. Take the Music Fans Voice Survey HERE: musicfansvoice.uk 2. Copy this post & post to your own socials with the link 3. Tag friends, ask them to take the survey and carry on the chain @automatom.bsky.social @paulkindred.bsky.social @bandonthewall.bsky.social @nikbarbosa.bsky.social

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Without any hint of irony or self-awareness, a clip from a BBC article describing the problems Canada will need to overcome from losing its trading agreement with the USA. But Brexit? We mustn’t talk about such things. It’s ’the will’ of 27% of the people, 9 years ago, on 1 day.

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

New common sense consumer protection law: If a service company builds up a significant amount of credit on your account by deliberate misuse of the direct debit system, they pay you interest on your money they are holding. Start from any more than £100 of credit held for more than a quarter.

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

Despite all its deep faults, in the UK if the PM tells lies about why he needs to use emergency powers to behave like a king, there are democratic structures which would prevent that. Trump is openly admitting he’s lying about the reasons for tariffs. In the USA, no one can do anything about it.

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Britain is now back in exactly the same economic place it was in 55 years ago which led to a political consensus in the 1970s to join the Common Market.

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Definitely the thing to fight back with in a ball game. Would be the wrong approach to fight back with a tricycle or a small piece of fruit.

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Somebody explain to me how opening a third runway at Heathrow helps ‘the vibrancy of our High Streets’. Repeating the same mistakes as the last 50 years of economic policy. Nothing but pain for SMEs, huge subsidies & investment for big business. It doesn’t produce growth people can see or feel.

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Mark Davyd @markdavyd.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

This is disgraceful. Taking someone else’s work, giving it to a machine, and letting it steal everything from it without paying the original creators? There should be a law against it! “Hello… is that Alanis Morrissette? About that ironic thing…”

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Sean | Drowned in Sound @drownedinsound.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

At a time when music journalism is under pressure, I helped set up a new thing: The Association of Music Editors If you edit a music section, blog, magazine, podcast, newsletter, or any other kind of music media outlet, drop me a note to join our alliance. 🧵

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David Robson @davidotley.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

In the same way that @musicvenuetrust.bsky.social have been campaigning - successfully it seems - for large arenas and stadia music venues to pay a levy to support grassroots music venues, we need a similar transfer of revenue from streaming giants to cinemas.

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