Steve Lamacq hits the road with BBC Radio 6 Music to celebrate 10 years of Independent Venue Week
From January 30th to February 3rd, 2023, BBC Radio 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq will be hitting the road for a series of special shows celebrating a decade of Independent Venue Week. The seven-day celebration will feature performances in some of the UK’s best independent art and music venues by Young Fathers, Suede, The Murder Capital, Sprints and Grove.
Each day of the tour, Lamacq will broadcast from a different UK independent venue. On January 30th, he’ll kick off with a show live from Ramsgate Music Hall. Over the next few days, there’ll be shows from Birmingham’s Hare and Hounds (January 31st), the irreplaceable Norwich Arts Centre (February 1st), the KU in Stockton (February 2nd) and Glasgow’s Stereo (February 3rd). At each stop, the artists will join Lamacq in conversation before a live set.
Looking ahead to the celebrations, Lamacq says: “Independent Venue Week has always played a vital role in helping grassroots venues at a financially perilous time of year. But it’s even more essential now, as venues try and bounce back from the Covid lockdowns and cope with the pressures of the current cost of living situation. But it’s also a great time to get out and see some new and emerging artists before they hit the summer festival stages. There’s a terrific variety of music on offer.”
He continues: “We’ve also lined up some of our own favourite new and established acts for a week of gigs in small independent venues around the country and will be touring the UK, presenting the BBC Radio 6 Music radio show from a different location every day.”
Reflecting the ethos of Independent Venue Week, each set will begin with a short concert from a BBC Music Introducing artist. He’ll then be joined by that day’s main act. On Monday, that’s Irish garage punk outfit Sprints, who will be performing at Ramsgate Music Hall.
In the following days, we’ll be treated to performances by Bristol-based producer DJ Grove, Scottish trio Young Fathers, Irish guitar-wielders The Murder Capital, and returning Britpop deities Suede. You can listen here.
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