Apple Music’s Matt Wilkinson: ‘We need grassroots venues so rising artists can have their start’

If there’s anyone who knows the importance of grassroots venues to London’s music ecosystem, it’s Apple Music DJ Matt Wilkinson.

The industry tastemaker firmly embedded himself in the London scene as a former new music editor at NME before bringing you the best emerging acts around over the airwaves on his daily radio show.

And by night, you’ll often find him at one of the capital’s many gig spots unearthing the next Fontaines DC, Charlie XCX or Lola Young.

‘We have such an incredible influx of culture coming in and one of the obvious funnels out is music and performing arts’, Matt tells Metro.

‘You get different people heading to London – some of them not through choice, some of them because it’s London and because it’s got this history.  When you throw it all together, you just need small venues to be able to give these artists their start.

‘It’s impossible for an artist to make good music and suddenly go from playing to nobody to selling out Brixton Academy in front of 5,000 people.  You need those middle ground venues where you can play to 50 people, then 100 people, then 250, then a 1,000, then 2,000.  It’s important to have that kind of stepping stone or that ladder that small venues provide.

‘They’re the lifeblood.  Not just of London music but the city itself.  It’s not just music venues, but comedy venues, theatres, and independent cinemas.’

This week, Metro along with the London Mayor’s Office, TfL, MVT, the Featured Artist Coalition and London Creates Music, launched the London Creates MUSIC campaign at the Outernet in Denmark Street highlighting the importance of London’s grassroots music venues and its musical heritage.

The map will be screened for a month at the Outernet London, the largest digital exhibition space in Europe.

The focal point is a captivating alternative Tube map guiding readers through the city’s many live venues, artists you need to see in 2025, record shops, historic locations, and independent labels.

Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden, Skin from Skunk Anansie, Billy Bragg, Charlie Steen from Shame and Prima Queen are among the acts who have backed the campaign and given their views on the importance of a thriving grassroots scene.

Almost 330,000 performances were held at 179 grassroots music venues in London attended by around 4.3million people last year, according to the Music Venue Trust (MVT).

But the trust’s founder, Mark Davyd, warned the costs of running these venues has ‘absolutely exploded’ over the last five years.

The nighttime economy suffered a further blow on Wednesday after The Leadmill in Sheffield lost its fight against eviction, prompting Liam Gallagher to brand the decision ‘scandalous’.

Matt says councils, the government, and larger venues need to be working together to help smaller venues and preserve the city’s grassroots heritage.

He said: ‘Without smaller venues, you’re not going to be able to grow artists to a point where they can actually go and play the O2 or Brixton Academy, or Hammersmith, or the Forum.  Everybody needs to pull together because it’s really tough.

‘We read about a venue a month having to do a Crowdfunder – basically having to beg to survive.  The future is definitely in a turbulent place thanks to everything that’s happened over the past five years, and probably longer.

‘Now is the point when people need to come together. It almost feels the onus is on music fans to help save venues, which is wrong. It should be the music industry that leads the way.’

Another facet of the campaign is to guide fans on their own musical journey across the capital – reconnecting memories visiting the likes of The Lexington and the Water Rats and making new ones at upcoming shows.

One of Matt’s stand out gig memories was the last show at the Astoria – the iconic live venue on Charing Cross Road that closed its doors in 2009.  Organised by Sam Duckworth from Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly, the event was a riotous affair.

Matt added: ‘After the show, they opened the backstage bit you don’t often get to see as a fan.  Someone came on stage and said “everything’s got to go because they’re knocking the place down”.

‘People were ripping old school telephones out of the wall, taking them as mementos.  I’ve got crazy memories like that. ‘

Catch The Matt Wilkinson Show on Apple Music every Monday through Friday from 12pm.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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