Over 50 Artists, Businesses and Execs signed an Anti-Brexit letter, created by Music4EU to the government, calling for an alternative to Brexit.
Signatories include Annie Lennox, Jamie Cullum, Alan McGee, Paloma Faith and The Lightening Seeds.
Sammy Andrews of Music4EU said: “Rarely do so many factions within the music industry unite on any subject, but Music4EU’s signatory list so far is a clear indication of the level of concern over the current mess, and how widely it impacts every corner of this sector. Brexit is an unmitigated disaster for Britain’s world-leading music industry.”
The Anti-Brexit letter reads as follows;
We, the signatories of this letter, represent artists, producers, managers, businesses, and platforms from across the Music Industry in the UK and are writing to express our real concerns over Brexit and the current direction of the UK’s proposed departure from the EU.
Brexit represents a significant threat to the UK’s Music Industry. Leaving the EU’s customs union, single market, VAT area and regulatory framework (in whole or part) could devastate our global market leadership, and damage our freedom to trade, tour and to promote our artists and our works.
The music industry contributes £4.5 billion to the UK economy, and our world-beating artists helped to create exports of over £2.5 billion, which is growing fast in a global digital music business. Live music is at the heart of every artist’s business and contributed around £1bn to the UK economy, and freedom of movement is core to an artist’s ability to tour and promote their art.
The EU’s proposed reforms to the Digital Single Market, many of which were submitted by the UK, are intended help consumers and technology businesses grow the market yet further, and the proposals for the EU Copyright Directive are designed to help protect the value of our industry’s output on major technology platforms. The UK music industry could be at a significant disadvantage to our peers in the countries remaining in the EU without these protections.
According to a survey conducted by UK Music on the Music Industry’s views on Brexit, only 2% thought Brexit would have a positive impact on their chances of work.
In the Post-Brexit UK, there is a clear risk that reaching consumers and fans will be more expensive, and international markets will be harder to access. Live events will run the danger of being delayed or even canceled, which would undermine the financial and cultural benefits that this vibrant sector brings to UK PLC.
No-one voted for this situation, whether they voted Leave or Remain. It is critical to find a way out of this mess, and therefore we ask you to examine alternative options to maintain our current influence and freedom to trade.
Those who signed the letter are;
Alan McGee
Alistair Norbury
Amy Bee Sting- Oh My God! It’s The Church
Andy Edwards
Annie Lennox
Association of Independent Music (AIM)
Band Of Skulls
Beach Riot
Beggars Group
Ben Robinson – From The Fields – Blue Dot / Kendal Calling
Bill Ryder-Jones
Billy Bragg
Blood Red Shoes
Boomtown Festival
British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors (BASCA)
British Sea Power
Broadwick Live
Cannibal Hymns
Carl Barat – The Libertines
Carwyn Ellis – Pretenders
Chris Carey – Media Insight Consulting and FastForward
Chrissie Hynde
Cliff Fluet
Cll Jon Tolley – Banquet Records
Coda
Craig Jennings – Raw Power
Danielle Perry – Miss Perry Presents Ltd
Danny Goffey – Supergrass
Dave Rowntree – Blur
David Arnold
David Manders – Liquid management
Ed Harcourt
Ellie Giles – Step Music Management
Emma Greengrass
Emmy The Great
Enter Shikari
Featured Artist Coalition (FAC)
Fleet River Management
Fran Healy – Travis
Get Cape Wear Cape Fly
Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM)
Jamie Cullum
John Giddings – Solo Agency
Jonathan Wood – Ooosh! Tours Ltd
Kevin Fleming – Warp Records
Kilimanjaro Live
Laurence Bell – Domino Recording Company
Lightning Seeds
Marillion
Mark Davyd
Mick Patterson
Music Managers Forum (MMF)
Music Producers Guild (MPG)
Musicians Union (MU)
Nadine Shah
Nick Mason – Pink Floyd
Nitin Sawhney
Paloma Faith
Peggy Seeger
Peter Quicke – Ninja Tune
Public Service Broadcasting
Ralph Lawson – 20/20 vision recordings
Red Grape music
Reverend And The Makers
Ros Earls – 104db management
Sammy Andrews – Deviate Digital
Simon Esplen
Solo Agency
Stephen Budd
Stephen Taverner – East City Management
Stuart Camp – Grumpy Old Management
The Subways
Tigercub
Let me know what you think?