'Rule of six' restrictions could doom UK's music industry

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's "rule of six", restricting gatherings in England and Scotland to a maximum of six people as of Monday, could sound the death knell for many live-music venues, according to academics and industry experts who see it as a further blow to an already struggling industry.

Previously, groups of up to 30 people were allowed to meet but the change was made in an attempt to stem a rise in the number of novel coronavirus cases.

Experts from Aston University, Birmingham City University, and Newcastle University said the new rule will present major challenges to operators and businesses across England.

Birmingham Live Music Project, or BLMP, is looking into the effects the lockdown has had on companies that have seen a major reduction in trading income, leading to redundancies and an uncertain future.

Patrycja Rozbicka, project lead for BLMP, said: "We have already previously estimated that with various degrees of restrictions on social gatherings, the capacity of live events across the region dropped to one-third of its pre-COVID capacity. With the newest 'rule of six', we anticipate that the number of live events taking place will drop even more."

BLMP is a collaborative think tank featuring academic experts in music industries and international relations from Aston University, Birmingham City University, and Newcastle University.

Researchers are measuring the impact global events, including Brexit and COVID-19, are having on the music sector during a 12-month period.

"Further, the plans to postpone the trials for large events and conferences by at least a month puts production companies across the region in a position of even greater jeopardy without provision for alternative solutions. That's a minimum of 2,350 full-time jobs linked to music tourism in West Midlands alone," Rozbicka said.

BLMP is in the process of auditing, researching and evaluating the impact of the global pandemic on Birmingham's live music landscape through a new mapping resource combined with extensive surveys of audiences and industry workers in the Birmingham area.

Michael Kill, CEO of the trade body Night Time Industries Association, said there are "concerns around the continual exclusion of night time economy businesses from support within Birmingham and across the UK.

"The government's latest announcement continues to leave many businesses with immensely difficult decisions surrounding their future, and the future of thousands of employees who are facing redundancy," he said.