Good news for Bristol comes in the form of Café LD, a café set up by Lianna Lee Davies, the bassist from Bristol rockers Turbowolf. With the struggles of COVID, many musicians have lost vital income and this café is on a mission to aid this crisis by hiring struggling musicians to help them get back on their feet
With the news from UK Music, an organisation who holds the best interests of the UK music industry, who have estimated that working musicians will lose 65% of their income during 2020 it seems that people in the arts are taking action. And with limited options in terms of furlough its no wonder that our workers in the arts are struggling to make ends meet. In comes Davies who had suffered herself during the pandemic and decided to help others who have found themselves in the same boat.
Davies had this to say to the BBC about her experience during these tough times, ‘We couldn’t get furlough or a government self-employment grant, so we slipped through the cracks and lost everything. I just felt that there’s no point in sitting around and waiting for the government to decide on what I can and can’t do, so I took control of the situation for my family and it luckily worked.’’ And luckily, she was able to help others otherwise left out to fend for themselves during the coronavirus.
Since the release of their debut album ‘Turbowolf’ released in 2011, the band has garnered much clout and has grown an impressive fanbase, with respected rock magazine Kerrang hailing their praises and well-received performances. The band opened and played with bands such as The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster and Death From Above 1979, as well as a heavy schedule of festival appearances, most notably the legendary rock mecca, Download Festival. With three albums on their roster and their single ‘Rabbits Foot’ released in 2014 which made BBC Radio one’s rockiest record of the week, the band has more than enough accolades to see this through.
Times may be tough for the creative industries, and with even more financial difficulties on the horizon for many, as long the good fight is being fought by people like Davies, hope can be brought to us all. And if you are ever in Bristol check out the Cafe, they are operating out of The Chatterton Cafe with a vegan menu, offering delivery and takeaway three days a week.
Click here to check out the Café.
