Musicians and Music Industry (Covid-19)

I thank Claire Baker for securing this evening’s debate, and I thank Tom Arthur and the cross-party group on music for their work and their support for the industry.

I am convener of the Education and Skills Committee, and our report on music tuition really highlighted what music brings to us. It is not about a number on a balance sheet; it is about the reaction and the wellbeing that it brings to people—the joy of working and being with people, and of performing with them. What it means to us in our interactions as human beings is almost immeasurable. For me, it can mean taking part in a little session with folk musicians in my local pub—or, indeed, going to see Ms McNeill and her band playing there—right through to the big-venue events such as Celtic Connections and the other festivals in Scotland that we know about.

There is a lot of interest in tonight’s debate, so I will just talk about one area. In doing so, I wish to highlight one of Scotland’s best up-and-coming folk performers, Iona Fyfe.

Like Claire Baker, I have been reminiscing about what we would normally be doing at this time of year. Last year, I was delighted to speak at the first Scots language awards, with Iona Fyfe and Steve Byrne from Malinky providing the music for the evening. It was a fantastic experience. In fact, it was Iona’s first appearance after spending a long time recovering from major surgery to her knee following a fall. Her plight, and the impact that the fall had on her, highlight the precarious nature of work for some of our musicians. She was not able to work for six months before Covid hit, and the awards ceremony was her first appearance after recovering—but then we almost immediately went into a situation where she was unable to work again. That meant that her earnings did not reflect her earnings potential under normal circumstances, so it was very difficult for her to access any of the support and grants that were in place, or any of the support that would normally have been there for her, had she been performing throughout that time.

The precarious nature of employment in the music industry, which affects venues and the people who perform music, highlights just how difficult things are. The fair work agenda that the Scottish Government has pursued has gone a great way towards doing away with unpaid shifts for young people, for example, as we seek to move away from zero-hours contracts and so on. Unfortunately, the music industry has many of those practices within it.

If we really value music in our lives, after Covid we will have to look at the longer-term problems with employment arrangements that leave people badly underpaid for what they do—indeed, people can be asked to perform for free. We must also look at the fact that musicians are not rewarded properly in the context of licences and streaming systems, given what they bring.

The Musicians Union has highlighted that 47 per cent of musicians have been forced to look for other work, 70 per cent are unable to take on more than a quarter of their usual work and 36 per cent have no income whatever from music—and tuition is a huge part of musicians’ income.

I, too, congratulate Claire Baker on securing the debate, and Tom Arthur from the cross-party group on music for supporting it. I am well aware of the terrible toll that the pandemic has taken on the music industry and I draw members’ attention to the evidence gathered by the Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee inquiry into the effect of Covid on culture and tourism.

Today, I want to speak from personal perspective, or more precisely, from the experience of my daughter, Eleanor, who is a 23-year-old musician. She graduated two years ago with a first-class degree in actor musicianship and her career got off to a good start. Last year, she was the onstage musician at the Lyceum and Citizens’ Theatre production of “The Duchess of Malfi”. She is also a singer-songwriter with her own band. At the time that the pandemic broke out, she was living in Glasgow and had several different income streams to support her art: she had several residencies in Glasgow music venues, playing blues and rock, she taught young musicians at the weekend at a rock school and, to top that up, like many young musicians, during the day, she worked in hospitality, in a coffee bar. All that disappeared—literally overnight—with lockdown. It has never come back and her experience is typical.

Eleanor was more fortunate than some in that her employer put her on furlough and she has the safety net of her family. However, like many young people, she is fiercely independent and wants to make her own way in the world. For many of her musician friends, whose income came from playing five or six nights a week, there was no furlough. That is why emergency funds for self-employed people are so important. I support Claire Baker’s comments on the need for the UK Government to do more to help freelancers who miss out. Creative Scotland’s hardship fund for creative freelancers has helped many musicians and they have reported back that it is very easy to access. However, it is, of course, oversubscribed, although it opened again. I encourage everyone in Government to ensure that everyone who needs help gets it.

I also the welcome the awards to grass-roots music venues. We took a lot of evidence on the challenges that those venues face. I understand that, as Claire Baker said, some of them have said that they will still have to close.

It is more than simply a lack of income. It takes years of practice and hard work to be able to play to a professional standard. Having that taken away overnight is a bitter blow. Performers often draw their mental energy from playing for an audience, so the impact on their mental health is significant. There are some great examples of self-help. I urge members interested in the issue to go to the next stage, a social media platform started in Scotland by musicians who are interviewed about their experience of the pandemic and then play sets outdoors with professional recording and filming equipment. It also has its own crowdfunding campaign and can be found on Facebook and Instagram.

It is often said that the pandemic would have been unbearable if it had happened 25 years ago, before the internet was able to connect us. For musicians, the internet also has a downside. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, many musicians made money from record sales and live gigs were used to publicise their records. That model has now been turned on its head and most musicians, even quite successful ones, are—not to put too fine a point on it—being ripped off by global streaming and downloading services. One example was posted on social media this summer by the acclaimed traditional folk musician Steve Byrne, who co-wrote the Malinky song, “Pad the Road Wi Me”. It was downloaded 17,737 times on Spotify and for that, Steve was paid the handsome sum of £2.09. That is why I refuse to use streaming services—iTunes is only marginally better than Spotify, with the artists getting 10 per cent of the sale. Back in 2008, a CD-single sold for £3.99, and the songwriter could expect to receive 12 per cent of that. In that example, Steve Byrne would have got about £8,000—that is not a fortune, but it is a great deal better than £2.09.

The Scottish Parliament does not have any control over big tech, but it is time that those who do have that control tackle the exploitation of musicians. Our lockdown would be unbearable without music and musicians. They might not be classified as essential workers, but the work of musicians is hugely important the wellbeing of us all. I back the calls for continued support from the Government. Once again, I congratulate Claire Baker on securing debate and thank her for doing so.

I remind members that I am a member of the Musicians Union and previously worked in music.

I sincerely thank Claire Baker for securing the debate so that we could have it this side of Christmas. I also thank colleagues on the cross-party group on music for their work in preparing the motion. In particular, I thank the secretariat and David Francis, who co-ordinated the drafting to ensure that the motion captured as many views as possible.

When I was working full time in music and out on the road 120 days and 130 nights a year, I never thought that I would have the privilege of being a member of the Scottish Parliament. When I became a candidate and was then elected, I promised myself that I would make time to be a voice for musicians.

I have been speaking to musician colleagues and friends and I really feel for them, so I decided to use my time in the debate not to share my views, but to enable musicians—many of whom I know but some of whom I do not know—to speak for themselves. I put out a call for views on social media yesterday and I said that I would try to share as many views as possible in the chamber.

These are the words of musicians in Scotland, right now:

“My music career is basically on hold until the vaccine has been distributed ... luckily I picked up a delivery driver job after seeing a notice in a window, which basically saved me as it allowed me to be able to pay for my monthly bills.”

“Scotland relies on tourism and destination weddings to create jobs and wealth. How will that be affected if there are no hotels, no entertainers and no tech crew?”

“The lockdown on music affects musicians, DJs, events staff, not only financially but also mentally—not only the people who work at these events, but the people who attend and live for their friends and family get-togethers. They have nothing to look forward to as there is no end game here.”

“In terms of providing a challenging and rewarding environment where bands can hone their skills and go on to achieve wonderful results and no small amount of international recognition, Scotland punches far above its weight. The visible side, the most obviously successful side of this, is rightly lauded, but the grass-roots side that always allowed these acts to grow into what they became is always taken for granted and now it’s suffering and in very real danger of being permanently diminished”.

“We personally—and our whole industry—are at crisis point. This year has been a nightmare. The vast majority of musicians’ income these days comes from live touring, since streaming fees are nominal and online merch sales are not enough to live on.”

“The majority of our friends in the industry are facing significant financial trouble: many are facing bankruptcy; many have families to support. The impact of having our industry ripped out from underneath us is impacting our mental health too—so many people who work in live music are extremely depressed. Everyone is scared for the future.”

“My freelance friends and colleagues, on whom all the Scottish orchestras depend, are in a terrible situation and I am very aware of the widening gap in circumstances between them having little or no income—a situation that will not improve any time soon.”

“I haven’t gigged since March. I was lucky I had three years of accounts, so the SEIS payments have helped me a bit.”

“It’s a serious kick in the teeth to every musician that has spent their teenage years learning and perfecting their instrument and providing night-on-night entertainment to the citizens of our society, keeping them upbeat, laughing, giving people something to look forward to, a place to go for the evening.”

“I have lost nearly £121,000 in fees and am now firing through my own savings that are running really low due to it, and I feel annoyed as that money was for my kids’ future and to go towards their further education.”

“The total inability of the opportunity to make music is driving young freelance professional artists into really challenging positions for mental health and their future in the profession.”

I have read out about 500 words of the more than 5,000 that I received in the space of 12 hours—and more are coming in. I will look for opportunities to share those views in future debates and through other media. I am grateful to members for listening and I hope that all members will reflect on what they heard. I know that the cabinet secretary is deeply committed to the music sector and I encourage the Scottish Government and UK Government to strain every sinew and to look at every possibility to ensure that they provide maximum support to all musicians in Scotland.

I thank Claire Baker for bringing to the chamber today’s debate, which is on an important issue that, until now, has perhaps not had the attention that it deserves. At the outset, I declare an interest, of a kind, as I am a currently not very active tenor in Back Gaelic choir.

Scotland has a distinctive and diverse musical scene. Not altogether surprisingly, I believe that nowhere is that truer than in my constituency, the Western Isles. Whether it is traditional music, pipes, or singing for worship, music and song are part of the fabric of life in the islands, and those traditions spill over into the band scene, too.

As others have said, Covid-19 and the restrictions that have accompanied it have had a huge impact on music and the music industry. Festivals have ceased, venues are struggling, and musicians are quitting the industry. Music production and events companies are seeing demand for business staples, such as wedding films, public address system hire, studio recording and live performance, dry up and, crucially, dry up all at the same time.

In terms of large events, the Royal National Mòd—the highlight of any Gael’s year—had to move to online only. The Hebridean Celtic festival in my constituency, the Eilean Dorcha festival in Uist, as well as the fèisean movement, which was founded in Barra, have also had to move to online-only events. Not only is that a huge cultural loss, as others have pointed out, it is also an economic loss. For example, the HebCelt festival draws in around 18,000 people to the islands every year, with a net boost to the local economy of more than £2 million.

It is also worth focusing on how the pandemic has affected music in schools. We are all aware of the benefits to young people of taking part in music in terms of creativity and other skills. Although schools have returned, there is a ban on singing, piping and playing wind and brass instruments. The ban is in place for an understandable reason, but it is worth acknowledging that it is having a real impact on young musicians, as well as their teachers, who can no longer teach face to face in schools.

Teachers are witnessing promising senior pupils give up playing altogether. I have heard that attributed, in part, to the video submission method that tutors are being encouraged to use—for understandable reasons—which can be complicated, and is perhaps not appealing to anyone other than the most dedicated pupils. I do not pretend that there is not a reason for those restrictions but, given that Covid will be with us for some time, perhaps we need to think about new ways of bringing those musical activities back into the classroom where it is possible to do so, and start planning for that. We must avoid losing a generation of musicians.

Making money as a musician was tough before the pandemic, but Covid has made it virtually impossible for all but the biggest names. For bands, not being able to tour or do live performances is having dire finance consequences, which need to be recognised. Those consequences are most acute for smaller bands, whose income relies much more on live events and merchandise than on streaming, for all the reasons that Joan McAlpine, Andy Wightman and other members have made clear. For all bands and artists, exposure and getting their name out there is a huge function of playing live.

I cannot end without giving a name check to Peat & Diesel, the local phenomenon from the Isle of Lewis. I hope that, if another Peat & Diesel were to come along right now, it would get the platform to make it. To ensure that it does, we must start planning now for what Scotland does when live music makes its widely longed-for and happy return.

I thank Claire Baker, Tom Arthur and the cross-party group on music for this important motion on what is happening in the industry. The cross-party support that it has received certainly reflects the mood outwith this building in the music industry.

I represent one of the most vibrant cities in Scotland. Glasgow has an incredible music scene and was officially recognised as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization—UNESCO—city of music in 2008. At the time, Scotland was one of only three countries that had had that honour—I was very proud of that. The city is now part of a 47-strong network of cities of music and until the pandemic showcased more than 130 live performances in any given week—more than any other Scottish city, I think.

I do not need to tell members or anyone outside the Parliament that our music scene is world renowned and caters for all tastes—everything from contemporary to classical, country and of course Celtic. Celtic Connections is internationally acclaimed and has grown and thrived over the years, but this year was like no other, as the event had to adapt to the circumstances of the pandemic.

Pauline McNeill mentioned Geoff Ellis of DF Concerts; I thank Geoff for his paper on the art of the possible, which makes interesting reading. I think that the Scottish Government has received a copy.

The “Scottish Music Industry Coronavirus Crisis Impact Business Feedback Report” lays bare the devastating effect of the virus on the industry, saying:

“Music venues have been devastated. Grassroots venues—large and small, for gigs and clubs—are very close to collapse. Some have been able to access bits of support but many have not qualified for various support schemes or have been denied funding, including furlough, due to technicalities. Even those who have been successful accessing some funding are depleting whatever case reserves they had and are very close to going out of business. The situation for music venues is dire. Many will soon—if they have not had to already—lay off all their staff, stop paying suppliers and will not be able to pay their overheads. If music venues go out of business then their salaried staff become unemployed, contractors have less work, suppliers lose valuable clients and the GVA contribution to the local economy is significantly diminished.”

It is a very worrying time. Grass-roots music venues such as the Hug and Pint, the Garage and King Tut’s, to name just a few, have been the springboard for so many up-and-coming musicians. I have sat in King Tut’s on many a Sunday afternoon when my nieces’ band was playing. We would see 20 to 30 young people come through that venue on a Sunday afternoon, playing for the joy of it and learning from one another. It provides a great platform from which up-and-coming musicians can showcase their talent and creativity.

Many venues applied to the grass-roots music venues stabilisation fund—that is quite a mouthful—and some were successful. However, venues are pretty worried and tell me that, if the fund is not renewed or replaced by something else, the industry will not survive. Perhaps the cabinet secretary will talk about that when she sums up the debate.

As members said, not just performers but many other parts of the industry are feeling the impacts of the pandemic. I am thinking about promoters, light engineers, sound engineers and roadies, but that is by no means a comprehensive list; it is just a snapshot of the jobs behind the scenes that ensure that our live music scene thrives. I wish that we could do something as soon as possible to save venues and ensure the survival of the music industry, not just in my constituency in Glasgow but throughout Scotland.

I thank Claire Baker for bringing this important debate to the Parliament and I thank Tom Arthur for his continued work in the CPG on music.

I was interested to hear Sandra White talk about King Tut’s. For people from the west coast of Scotland, King Tut’s is a major venue. Part of the mythology around Oasis is that the band was discovered there—I think that it was Alan McGee who saw them live there and signed them that very night; the band’s history started there, which shows how important such venues are.

I wanted to speak in the debate for exactly the same reason that I wanted to do so in the recent debate brought by the Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee: I love music, and it is an extremely important part of my life. Unlike Tom Arthur and Pauline McNeill, I am not a musician; I just batter away at my guitar in the house. It annoys my wife, but it makes me happy.

Part of the appeal of music is how it makes us feel. During the pandemic, musicians have shown us how important their work is to our mood, how we feel and how we relate to the world. As I have said previously, as a west of Scotland male I often do not express my feelings through words, but I can sing three verses of a standard song. Why would someone possibly say, “I love you” when they could sing three verses of an American classic instead?

Music is so important, and the mythology of musicians is part of its appeal. Robert Johnson, the master blues guitarist, died young and did not make much money during his time as a musician. He spent his life playing juke joints and street corners, with little commercial success. Some musicians are currently struggling even harder to make a living because of the world and the times that we live in. There was not much documentation of Robert Johnson’s life apart from his recordings of 29 songs. However, it has become the stuff of legends, the main one being that he supposedly sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads so that he could become a master blues guitarist. Presiding Officer, for a number of years I have been hanging about Paisley Cross with my guitar, but I am still pretty garbage at playing it. I am still looking for the devil so that I can sell him my soul and so become a master.

The mythology and ideas that run through music become an important part of everyone’s cultural background. I know about Robert Johnson only because, as a teenager and in my 20s, I hung about with a lot of friends who were in bands, playing guitars and blues music. They taught me about a man who was instrumental in what would become popular music, including blues, rock and rock ’n’ roll. That man died penniless in 1938, but there I was—many years later, in Paisley—knowing about him because of what my friends told me. That is how much music means to people.

The two major music venues in Paisley are the Old Swan inn and the Bungalow bar. I would like to highlight the Bungalow, which recently received £21,000 as part of the £2.2 million Scottish Government grass-roots music venues stabilisation fund. However, as Paisley moves into level 4 we will need to look at what support will be available for such venues in future.

The Bungalow, which is run by a community trust, is an important part of our town’s history, although it is now in a more modern building than previously. As I said in a recent debate, in the 1970s Paisley embraced Glasgow bands and punk music in order to make a bit of money, partly because the operators of the Bungalow bar saw that as a way forward. What do the Skids, the Associates, Orange Juice, Roddy Frame, Buzzcocks, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Aztec Camera have in common? The answer is that they all played the Bungalow bar in Paisley. I am sure that they mention that every time that they talk to anyone, because that will have been one of their major achievements.

A venue such as the Bungalow, which has been hugely important to Paisley’s community, is a major part of its culture. As Neil Findlay said, Scotland’s music is not all about opera and the major chamber orchestras. Things as basic as pub bands and pub music are important to those of us who go out to hear them. We must consider how we will deal with them in future to ensure that we still have such venues when we come out the other side of the pandemic. Otherwise, pub music will become just another musical myth or legend.

I thank all members who have spoken in the debate and who have shared their passion and pride in music and musicians. I thank Claire Baker for securing the debate, and Tom Arthur for his support and for giving voice to musicians.

Scotland has a well-deserved reputation for the strength of its music industry. From traditional music to the most modern makers such as Nova, the winner of this year’s Scottish album of the year, Scotland’s music is recognised throughout the world. It is a way for us to show who we are as individuals and as a country, and for us to reflect on our place in the world.

Listening to music can be a private experience or a communal one, and few things bring people together like the shared experience of live music. We are all aware of the devastating impact that the pandemic has had on the music industry, and particularly on live music. The restrictions have undoubtedly saved lives, but they have been hard to bear for fans who cannot see their favourite artist live and for people who have been unable to meet their friends to make music together.

It has been even harder for those who work in the industry. One effect of the pandemic has been to remind us of the vast ecosystem that supports the music industry. Musicians and performers might be the most recognisable people in the industry, but they rely on a host of professionals, such as sound engineers, lighting engineers, road and stage crew, managers and promoters, as well as those who run and work in venues up and down the country, and many more besides.

Throughout the pandemic, the Scottish Government has sought to ensure that financial support has been available to people in the music industry. We have ensured that a wide range of music industry roles are eligible for Creative Scotland’s hardship fund for creative freelancers, which is currently open for applications. The budget for the fund was originally £5 million, but I have increased that to £8 million so that as many people as possible can receive support. We must do what we can to ensure that people can stay in the industry because, once we lose skills and experience, they will be difficult to replace.

There are many different routes to access assistance. Obviously, people who have received assistance from one set of funds might not be eligible for another set. Clearly, it is welcome that the United Kingdom self-employment income support scheme is back, and is at a better level than it was at previously. The hardship funds that exist are very wide, and I have not had complaints about people not receiving them. If people have had problems, that is likely to be because they have been in receipt of other funds through other routes.

We have provided £2.2 million for grass-roots music venues. I hear what members say about the importance of that fund. It is a recognition of those venues’ role in nurturing and showcasing artistic talent. The fund has provided support for 72 grass-roots music venues throughout Scotland. Music industry businesses have received support from the culture organisations and venues recovery fund and the performing arts venues relief fund, as well as through the original pivotal enterprise resilience fund and the creative, tourism and hospitality enterprises hardship fund. I have ensured that as many as possible of the support funds have been available for music venues. The support has reached individuals and businesses across Scotland in all parts of the music industry.

We have also supported youth music and music education through a £3 million youth arts funding package, which is delivered by Creative Scotland. Last week, youth arts organisations, including many youth music organisations, received £1 million from the targeted fund. Recipients included Drake Music Scotland, Fèis Rois, the National Youth Choir of Scotland and the Scottish Brass Band Association, which does so much good work all over Scotland, including in my constituency in West Lothian. The funding will support those organisations to expand their work, provide creative opportunities to young people and provide work and income for artists and musicians, and practitioners generally.

During the pandemic, the music industry has done whatever it can to maintain some level of activity and to stay in touch with audiences. The Scottish album of the year award took place at the start of November, and the Nordoff Robbins Scottish music awards and the Scots trad music awards will take place virtually. Many artists have streamed performances, which obviously have been stripped back, and others have continued to write and record new music, although we recognise the challenges that exist in that regard. We have been able to allow recording studios and practice rooms to open, in line with guidance that was published on 30 June.

We know about the resilience of the industry but, as we have heard from many speakers in the debate, there are also vulnerabilities. We know that the support that we have provided cannot replace income that has been lost through the closure of live music venues, but it is an effort to try to support people to survive through this very difficult period.

Just over a week ago, we had the indication of additional funding. We will use the remaining funding that we have in the cultural funds to look at what needs topped up or supported. I have been attacked for not spending all the funding, but I deliberately kept some back because we knew that there would be oversubscription, which we need to address. We will, of course, look at the strategic framework funds that are available and identify what support is still required in a number of areas—not least, events, on which musicians depend. That is our view of what the funds will do.

One of the things that will help the industry most is consideration of what recovery might look like and how we can open up so that artists can perform. The strategic framework allows music venues to open in levels 0 and 1. We obviously have to be careful, particularly at this stage. We have produced guidance that restricts indoor venues to a maximum capacity of 100 people in a seated area. Some venues in level 1 areas are making plans to open; that will be of great interest, and we are keen to see how those concerts go.

We need to identify how we can provide a route back. That is why Scotland’s events recovery fund, which opened on 2 November and is administered by EventScotland, is looking at how we can restart the events sector as restrictions are eased. That addresses the point about initial events not being viable financially in terms of the revenue that is received, but support to allow such events to happen can help in identifying a route back so that communities and the public can regain confidence in hosting and attending events. Grants of up to £35,000 are available, so I ask members to help to publicise that fund, too.

Live music is represented on the independent events industry advisory group, which has been working on a longer-term plan for the return of live events, including live music. The group takes a very constructive approach.

There is much to do. A great deal of concern has been raised in the debate. The concerns are understood but, from the very beginning, when Creative Scotland produced the first freelancer hardship funds, Government’s job has been to take action, make an impact and help venues and musicians to survive. The pandemic has forced much of Scotland’s music to fall silent, but the voices in this Parliament have ensured that the needs of music have been heard. I appreciate the sacrifices that many of our musicians are making at this time.

Music is a central part of Scotland’s life. We have recognised that in the support that we have provided. I am determined to ensure that the voices of musicians and the music that they play will be heard throughout Scottish venues and that we will come through this with a vibrant music scene. As I said, I thank everybody for their passion and pride in our musicians. Some of us have to put the policies into practice, which is what I have been doing, as Scotland’s culture secretary.