The nationwide Everywhere At Once festival will take place on what would have been the Glastonbury Festival weekend of June 26 to 28, featuring more than 2,000 artists across over 400 grassroots venues
Fatboy Slim has declared that grassroots venues are “where music scenes really begin”, following confirmation that he will join the line-up of a nationwide festival championing small live music spaces.
Over 2,000 artists spanning diverse musical genres will take to the stage at more than 400 grassroots venues across the country during the Everywhere At Once festival. Numerous performers will return to the venue that launched their careers.
Singer-songwriter Lucy Spraggan will appear at The Sub Rooms in Stroud, Gloucestershire, while Britpop outfit Gene will deliver performances at intimate venues in Southampton, Newport and Lancaster. DJ and producer D Double E will take over The Brickworks in Nottingham, MC P Money will perform at Suki10c in Birmingham, and Manchester outfit Westside Cowboy will play a homecoming gig at the city’s Low Four.
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Squeeze singer Glenn Tilbrook will perform aboard Theatreship, a non-profit performing arts venue housed within a historic vessel in Canary Wharf’s old docks in London.
The countrywide festival will unfold during what would traditionally be the Glastonbury Festival weekend, from 26 to 28 June. Information regarding Fatboy Slim’s performance, including ticketing arrangements, will be revealed ahead of the festival weekend.
He said: “I’ve been lucky enough to play huge stages all over the world, but grassroots venues are where it all started for me and where music scenes really begin, where artists learn their craft, where communities form, and where people come together purely for the love of it.
“Without grassroots venues, independent promoters and local crowds taking a chance on something new, none of this exists. These spaces are vital for culture and for local communities, so if there’s anything I can do to help shine a light on them and help keep that spirit alive, I’m more than happy to be involved.
“And if you care about music, go out and support your local venues, buy a ticket, discover somebody new, and be part of keeping those scenes alive.”
Squeeze co-founder Tilbrook added: “Fifty years ago, Squeeze started out in the small venues of south-east London. Later this year we will be playing our biggest UK tour, including at the O2 Arena across the Thames from the Theatreship.
“I still go out and play solo shows at grassroots venues, and some of the best nights I’ve ever had playing music have been in tiny rooms packed with people who just love live music.
“These venues don’t just support musicians; they become part of the fabric of local communities. They give people a place to meet, connect and discover something new.
“We need to cherish them; if we lose them, we lose far more than somewhere to see a band. So show your support for your local venue, you never know where the next great artist, or the next great night, might come from.”
He joins previously announced artists including Becky Hill, Tinie Tempah, The Royston Club, The Lathums and Rizzle Kicks. Hill will perform at The Marrs Bar in Worcester, while Tempah will take to the stage at The Brook in Southampton, The Grove in Newcastle and Voodoo Daddys in Norwich. Rizzle Kicks will play Patterns in Brighton.
Spraggan said: “Live music is an ecosystem, from your local small venue all the way up to stadiums. Each night a venue supplies a stage for an artist, that artist is supported by their crew, just as the venue is supported by their staff.
“You can see the network of livelihoods that entwine through the umbrella that is ‘live music’, it’s pretty endless. There is a career for musicians, crew, artists, tour managers from smaller projects all the way to Taylor Swift sized projects, but only if we have the venues to support them.
“Grassroots venues give opportunities to a plethora of people and we, as artists and gig goers, breathe life back into the venues. We are all an important part of the ecosystem.”
The three-day festival, supported by the Music Venue Trust and the National Lottery, seeks to assist venues and independent promoters in championing emerging talent. Tickets are available now.
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