Singer-songwriter and champion of independent artists, Kate Nash, has become the latest musician to be made a patron of the Music Venue Trust (MVT). The move comes just weeks after she performed at the Houses of Parliament in a bid to raise awareness for the struggles faced by grassroots venues up and down the UK. Nash was one of six to be made a patron, with MP Sian Berry also throwing her influence behind the organisation.
Nash announced the news to her fans on Instagram, posting a story and writing, “Proud to be a new MVT Patron. The work I have been doing aligns with theirs. I’m ready to make bigger & better changes to my industry.” Nash and Berry were joined by music industry figures Summer Marshall, Robert Kilpatrick, Neal Thompson, and Colin Newman.
Nash’s appointment comes as grassroots venues are in crisis, struggling to keep their doors open and closing at an alarming rate. According to the MVT 2024 report, a UK venue shuts down every two weeks, and a quarter of all venues face risk the of permanent closure. Even with pledges and donations, experts warn that there needs to be a holistic approach to the issue rather than short-term solutions that focus on immediate survival.
Did you know one-third of Music Venue Alliance members are now not-for-profit? That’s a massive 29% rise in just a year! [image or embed] — Music Venue Trust (@musicvenuetrust.bsky.social) 5 February 2025 at 19:09
The ‘Foundations’ singer has been vocal about these issues, teaming up with Save Our Scene in November. Paraded around London on a converted fire truck, Nash used a megaphone to drum up support for venues and artists alike, as well as visiting the UK headquarters of Live Nation and Spotify to denounce the companies for failing the music industry.
She also made headlines in December when she joined OnlyFans in order to raise funds that would support her tour. Named ‘Butts for Buses’, Nash used the opportunity to grab headlines and make the wider public aware of the costs of being a musician.
Nash’s visit to the Palace of Westminster on January 27 put her in front of the people capable of making a real difference. As the singer said on her Instagram, “This gives me the chance to meet MPs & advocate for live music & artists in the UK.” Her visit coincided with the release of the MVT Annual Report.
The report laid out the grim reality faced by some of the UK’s most iconic venues. Despite contributing £526 million to the UK economy, these spaces remain under significant financial strain, prompting MVT CEO Mark Davyd to call for action: “Venues are still closing, still under extreme and totally unnecessary financial pressures, still failing to be recognised when government designs policy, taxation, and legislation. We need action, not words.”
Sian Berry has also been a voice for change in the fight to protect grassroots venues, doing so as the Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion. She published a letter on her website in which she fought against a planning application that would threaten the closure of local venue, Alphabet. Speaking at the launch of the 2024 report, Berry said: “I have seen firsthand the incredible and tireless work of the Music Venue Trust. As an MP, it’s hugely reassuring to have their insights and expertise.”
Nash and Berry are the latest to join a growing list of high-profile supporters, including Sam Fender, who has pledged £1 from every ticket of his tour to the trust. Sir Paul McCartney is also a supporter, saying, “Throughout my career I’ve been lucky enough to play in venues of all different shapes and sizes, from tiny clubs to massive stadiums all over the world. Without the grassroots clubs, pubs and music venues my career could have been very different.”
Although their efforts have very much been in the same area, the partnership between MVT and Nash, as well as Berry and the four others, will reinvigorate the movement and hopefully bring even more awareness to just how vulnerable these important venues really are.
