Senior Parliamentarians from the All-Party Parliamentary Group
(APPG) on Music will host the next stage of their inquiry
into the barriers facing UK artists touring the EU by taking
evidence from legendary promoter Harvey Goldsmith.
Harvey Goldsmith CBE has produced some of the world's best-known
shows (including Live Aid) and has worked with some of the
biggest names in the industry including The Rolling Stones, The
Who, Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, Sheryl Crow and Shania
Twain.
He will join a panel of industry experts that include Mark
Pemberton OBE (Chief Executive Association of British
Orchestras), Craig Stanley (Chair, LIVE Touring Group), as well
Anita Debaere (Director, PEARLE* - Live Performance Europe) and
Silke Lalvani (Head of Public Affairs, PEARLE* - Live Performance
Europe).
The panel will address the added costs and red tape that the
music industry faces when working and touring in the
EU. They will also discuss the threat this poses to the
music industry’s talent pipeline.
The MPs have already written to Prime Minister about the problems facing
artists and crews touring Europe. A range of artists have sounded
the alarm including Elton John, who described the situation as a
“looming catastrophe”.
The first evidence session on November 22, 2021, heard from
Everything Everything’s Jeremy Pritchard, manager Paul Crockford,
and Fiona McDonnell, Head of Artistic Planning at the Academy of
Ancient Music. They raised the challenges that musicians and
music workers are facing with visas, carnets and other
bureaucratic barriers to working in EU member states.
The MPs intend to publish the full report later this year.
