The owner of one of Dundee’s most storied venues has warned live music in the city could become a thing of the past as the industry struggles to attract people through the door.
Jeff Chan has owned and run Church on Ward Road for almost a decade.
He has seen his night spot through the trials of the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis and the spike in energy prices which has claimed a number of other establishments in 2024.
This includes Conroy’s Basement on Meadowside and Hunter Thompson on Perth Road — the end of which has cost Dundee’s music scene dearly, Jeff said.
In the wake of the popularity in ticket sales for massive headline artists like Oasis and Taylor Swift, Jeff has warned the next acts to come through simply won’t be able, if they do not have small music venues to establish themselves in.
He has joined calls from Music Venue Trust for more support for the industry — including a levy on big acts to contribute a portion of the hundreds of pounds charged per ticket to go towards helping struggling smaller locations.
Future of live music under threat
Without grass-root venues for local bands to play, the chance of the next Oasis, The View or Taylor Swift coming through becomes very unlikely, Jeff said.
“I would be lying if I didn’t say the last year has really been a struggle for us. We fell behind a bit on our financial obligations and our team has worked very hard to rectify this.
“Dundee has lost a number of venues over the past 12 months — Conroy’s Basement, Hunter Thompson, Kings, Pout.
“And people often say ‘oh I wish I’d known’, people really need to be aware just how things are right now for music venues.
“I want to say loudly, support your local venues before you lose them.
“And when you do come to a venue, please buy a drink.
“When people buy tickets for events, often the venue does not get a cut, we make our money from selling drinks. And when people just ask for tap water, it hurts the venue.
“The cost of living crisis has hit us all, and there is a lot more to putting on a show or event which is not covered by the cost of a ticket.”
Church joins calls for stadium tour levy
Church as a venue has had a number of owners and monikers over the years, including as a second iteration of the fabled Doghouse (which gave The View its first big gig), 20 Rocks, Stars and finally Church.
Bands including The Mirror Trap, Snow Patrol, Texas and The View’s Kyle Falconer have all played there over the years, not to mention thousands of unsigned local acts.
In the shake-up of rateable values, Jeff and other venues like his have found themselves being charged an extra £1,000 a month to the council, which has added to crippling costs.
“We need support from local authorities and the Scottish government — especially with rates,” he added.
“Bringing in these rates when they know independent small businesses are struggling, is really doing more damage than good.
“We have been lucky to be able to stay open, especially when a lot of other venues have not survived.
“Engaging with Music Venue Trust has been a big help, they have given advice on energy costs and other expenses so working with them has been great.
“And we are pushing for a levy on arena and stadium tours. So that a small amount of the huge ticket cost paid for bands like Oasis and Taylor Swift can go toward supporting grass-roots venues.
“If you don’t have grass-root venues, you are not going to get new artists. Making sure small venues survive means the next generation gets a chance to build up a fan-base, pick up new listeners and become the next big thing.”
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