How Grassroots Music Venues Launch Careers

Many an aspiring musician will have dreamed of stepping out onto a stage at Wembley and performing to a sell-out crowd. But getting there requires first performing in smaller venues. In some cases, a career can be launched in front of an audience smaller than the band!

The Role of Grassroots Music Venues

The right grassroots music venue can provide an emerging artist with a playground. Here, a performer can try out new songs, get a feel for interactions with a crowd, and learn to cope with the nerves that accompany public performance.

In some cases, smaller music venues provide a kind of intimacy that can’t be replicated at scale. That’s why so many larger artists elect to come back to their roots, and play gigs in a smaller setting – even if those gigs are not quite as lucrative as the ones hosted in larger venues.

In many cases, the audience at a small music venue will be more appreciative and forgiving of new and inexperienced artists. These people don’t just want to be entertained. They want to hear something new and exciting, and they won’t mind minor technical hiccups along the way. As such, this is exactly the right environment for inexperienced new artists to cut their teeth in.

Community and Networking

A local venue can not only provide a place for artists to interact with an audience – it can also provide room for artists to interact with one another. A successful local artist might reach out to another in a neighbouring town, and both performers might unite for evenings at venues in both locations.

There’s also an opportunity for other professionals in the industry to keep an ear to the ground. A local music studio might be on the lookout for session musicians, for example. If a venue has a reputation for bringing together great local musicians, then others involved in music will surely be drawn in.

Finally, a local venue can provide a great way for a local artist to build a fan base. It’ll provide ‘home turf’ for that artist, and a regular way to connect with an audience.

Challenges and Opportunities

Of course, life for a small venue can be difficult, especially given the ever-changing nature of the way that music fans consume music.

Competition from larger venues might put pressure on audiences. Financial pressure might also come in other forms. Musicians themselves might struggle to fund their developing careers, which is where the right financial guidance comes in.

Conclusion

Without smaller music venues, popular artists like Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift would have never made their way to bigger things. If you’d like to see the next big thing on their way up and help them get there, then you’ll want to make yourself present at your local venues!