A small Brighton music venue is set to become community owned through a national initiative designed to protect grassroots performance spaces from closure, redevelopment and unsustainable rent increases.
The 60-capacity Pipeline, located in Little East Street, will become the tenth property acquired by Music Venue Properties, an organisation described as the “National Trust for music venues”.
The £7 million initiative has attracted investment from figures including DJ and producer Fatboy Slim, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Squeeze frontman Glenn Tilbrook.
Music Venue Properties raises money through investors and community shares before purchasing venue freeholds. The buildings are then leased back to operators under arrangements intended to provide greater security, stability and understanding than may be available from conventional commercial landlords.
Fatboy Slim, whose real name is Norman Cook, said small venues remain essential places where performers learn their craft, build confidence and create lasting memories.
He said venues such as Pipeline were the “lifeblood of the music industry”, but acknowledged that many were finding it increasingly difficult to survive within the current economic climate.
Cook performed at the venue in June as part of the Everywhere at Once festival, playing a sold-out show to its 60-person audience.
Protecting the foundations of the music industry
For NADJ, the scheme highlights the importance of protecting the spaces where DJs, musicians, technicians, promoters and event professionals develop their skills.
Grassroots venues are not simply places where established artists perform. They provide opportunities for emerging DJs to gain practical experience, develop audiences, test new ideas and build professional networks.
They also support a much wider supply chain, including sound and lighting technicians, equipment suppliers, security teams, photographers, promoters and hospitality workers.
Pipeline operator Thomas Evrenos said the acquisition provided reassurance that the venue would have a landlord who understood its purpose and its importance to musicians.
He added that a substantial rent increase could otherwise have forced him to give up running the venue.
Music Venue Properties already owns sites including The Booking Hall in Dover, The Snug in Atherton and The Joiners in Southampton. Its tenth acquisition reportedly makes it the country’s largest landlord dedicated specifically to music venues.
A sector still under pressure
The acquisition comes against a difficult backdrop for the UK’s grassroots music sector.
Figures from the Music Venue Trust indicate that more than half of grassroots venues made no profit during the previous year. Thirty venues closed, while approximately 6,000 jobs were lost across the sector.
However, audience demand remains strong. Attendance at grassroots concerts reportedly increased by 13%, with around 21 million people attending performances by emerging artists.
This contrast suggests the problem is not necessarily a lack of public interest, but the growing cost and financial risk involved in operating small venues.
NADJ welcomes initiatives that recognise grassroots venues as valuable cultural and community assets. Protecting these spaces helps preserve the routes through which future DJs, performers and music professionals can gain experience, develop careers and contribute to the UK’s wider creative economy.
Avtar Thethy
Fabio Capozzi
Alastair Craig
Dave Mills