SAY-nominated singer, songwriter, and musician Hamish Hawk will be performing special shows at Colchester’s CODA on August 16th, and Southend’s Chinnery’s on August 18th as part of the United By Music Tour. With 1 grassroots music venue closing each week the tour will see acts including Blossoms, Cat Burns, Metronomy, Bloc Party and Sam Ryder returning to their roots to highlight the importance of these local venues in artists’ careers, as part of the music ecosystem, and as important local cultural hubs.
The United By Music Tour, organised by the charity Music Venue Trust and funded by The National Lottery started in June and is running until late September. Hamish Hawk, alongside other established acts including Sleeper and Newton Faulkner and a host of new acts, are touring the country playing 150 gigs at 130 grassroots music venues across the UK. Every ticket buyer can take a guest with them for free (just by showing a Lottery product) which makes the already cheap tickets even more affordable. See unitedbymusic.live for all tour dates and tickets.
Hamish Hawk says: “I’m so grateful to Music Venue Trust for the opportunity to tour such esteemed grassroots venues. It’s venues like these that allow us to do what we do, and to love what we do, so to be given the chance to return the favour in some small part is an amazing thing. Can’t wait to set off in August!”
In addition to the shows in Essex, Hamish will be performing at:
The Black Prince
Northampton
12-Aug
The Musician
Leicester
13-Aug
Esquires
Bedford
14-Aug
Norwich Arts Centre
Norwich
15-Aug
CODA
Colchester
16-Aug
Chinnery’s
Southend
18-Aug
Wedgewood Rooms
Portsmouth
19-Aug
Cornish Bank
Falmouth
20-Aug
Cavern
Exeter
21-Aug
Sin City
Swansea
22-Aug
Live Rooms
Chester
24-Aug
Bootleg
Blackpool
25-Aug
During Covid, Music Venue Trust managed to prevent the closure of the 900+ venues that they represent. However severe cost of living factors are now resulting in multiple venues closing each month, with the latest stats pointing to 66 venues closing within the last 12 months and this continues at a rate of 1 venue a week.
Every Grassroots Music Venue that closes represents one less place where local communities can access affordable live music, decreased opportunities for new and emerging artists to perform live and fewer opportunities for event professionals to learn their trade.
The United By Music Tour is part of an existing partnership between The National Lottery and Music Venue Trust that aims to ensure live music is accessible to all. This has previously been achieved through previous tours (The Revive Live Tours), which saw the same two-for-one ticket deal for lottery players.
