I thoroughly enjoy having a close connection to my fans and the opportunity to entertain and interact at close quarters gives me the best buzz. They almost become a part of the performance and I get to rave with them. It’s a blessing.

As an artist who spent many years developing my art in small venues across the UK, it’s such a pleasure to be named the ambassador of Independent Venue Week 2020. At a time where independent venues continue to provide a vital platform in every artists career, yet still struggle to keep their doors open, it’s more important than ever for every artist, no matter what size, to continue our support and be vocal about their vitality.

Massive venues can be a bit impersonal and removed from the audience you are wanting to connect to…there is often a big space between the stage and the audience (sometimes bigger than a small venue in itself) that can have bored security and technical people in which takes a while to get used to.

Independent venues are where every band starts and where music fans get to see emerging talent. Without them bands would not get a chance for their all-important first hometown gigs and subsequent tours. These venues and bands need our support and the best way you can do that is by having a night out. Lots of venues are closing – we definitely need to stick together and stop this happening.

We remain committed to Independent Venue Week and to highlighting the importance of grassroots venues to local communities and emerging artists across the country. Grassroots venues are critical to the health of the music industry, an invaluable circuit for new talent, making the connection between musicians and audiences everywhere.

“Working with IVW has opened a door for us to talk to local grassroots venues about the issues faced by people with a learning disability and then work with those venues to combat those issues first-hand. Our partnership with IVW has helped our members feel empowered to embrace their local music scene”