The PRS and British Beer and Pub Association have launched a 10 day nationwide celebration of the role pubs play in live music. The event opened with an exclusive gig from The Lottery Winners at Founder’s Hall pub in Manchester. The band also marked the launch of their new album KOKO at the event.
Pubs Go Live features live music events at pubs up and down the country. It celebrates the impact pubs have had on grassroots music with many of the UK’s biggest artists including Oasis, Ed Sheeran, Wet Leg and The Beatles, beginning their career on the pub gig scene.
Speaking about the importance of pubs for the live music scene, The Lottery Winners’ Thom Rylance explained, “Pubs are where live music really lives. Before the arenas, before the festivals, it starts in the back rooms of boozers, where the crowd is right in front of you and every song has to earn its place. The pub scene is the beating heart of live music. It’s where bands are built, where songs are tested, and where connections are made that last a lifetime. Without it, the whole ecosystem of music falls apart.
“Some of the best gigs you’ll ever see aren’t in stadiums, they’re in pubs. That raw, unfiltered energy, the closeness, the feeling that anything could happen, that’s what makes live music special. Live music in pubs is a lifeline. It keeps communities together, gives new artists a start, and reminds everyone why music is meant to be felt, not just heard.
“Pubs aren’t just places to drink, they’re places where music happens. They give bands a stage before anyone else will, and they give audiences a chance to be part of something real. Playing to nine people in a pub can be just as nerve racking as playing to ninety thousand in a stadium. The intimacy, the eye contact, the lack of a safety net; it all makes you sharper. Those years in the pubs were training for the big stages.
“We cut our teeth in the pubs. Those small rooms teach you everything; how to connect, how to hold an audience, how to handle it when things don’t go your way. You don’t get to the big stages without earning it first. There’s no skipping steps in music. If you want to command a stadium, you’d better be able to handle a tiny pub with nine people staring at you. That’s where the real work happens. Some of our toughest gigs were the smallest ones. No lights, no distance, just you and them. If you can make a pub feel like an arena, you’re ready for anything. Some of those gigs have also been my absolute favourite.”
