Inverness live music venue seeks crowdfunding support to survive
Another top live music venue in Inverness is launching a crowdfunding appeal to fend off the threat of closure amid the pandemic.
Gellions Bar in Bridge Street – the oldest pub in Inverness – is seeking donations of up to £35,000 to tide it through the next few months.
It joins Hootananny in Church Street in asking customers to show support at a time of crisis.
Like Hootananny, Gellions is one of only 30 live music venues from around a thousand in the UK red-listed by the charity Music Venue Trust (MVT) as in “imminent threat of closure”.
The charity, backed by Sir Paul McCartney, says the two venues must be saved for the good of grassroots music in the UK.
Gavin Stevenson, owner of the Gellions, said: “This is a very critical time for us.
“At this point in time we are still trading, but to comply with Covid requirements we can only trade at 25 per cent of previous capacity. We can't have music and we are trading at a fraction of the normal turnover we'd need to survive.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Music Venue Trust for adding us to their red list of venues currently at high risk of closure.
“There are a number of Scottish venues on the list as the Creative Scotland Grassroots Music Venue grants were only designed to get venues through until the end of October.
“At the time those support packages were designed, the Scottish government route map intended live music to return by October.
“Obviously that has not happened so now we are still waiting to see if there will be additional funding for the rest of winter.”
Other entertainment businesses like theatres and nightclubs secured support at a later date and so were given grant funding through until next March.”
MVT hopes an upswell of support on the crowdfunder will help press the case for more Government backing for live music venues.
Mr Stevenson added: “We very much appreciate all the help we're getting from our wonderful customers and the community.
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“Every donation helps no matter how large or small, and contributors get rewards such as T-shirts, masks, snoods, among other gifts, for donating.”
Those who wish to contribute to the Gellions appeal can do so here
