Music stars weigh in on UK-EU touring rights row as musicians’ anger mounts over red tape and equipment carnets

As the new post-Brexit era dawned in early January, more and more sectors of the UK Economy began to see what this new reality means for their businesses. Among those up in arms were fishermen, who protested by blocking traffic with their trucks in central London, while other hauliers complained of sleepless nights due to incomprehensible new regulations (one telling the BBC it had been “The most difficult week I've had in this job in 20 years”), even MOJO magazine had its issue delayed thanks to its free covermounted CDs being caught-up in Germany thanks to Brexit import bureaucracy.

Yet, among the most alarming news was that musicians, already hit hard by Covid-19 shutdowns, are now staring at huge obstacles to one of the biggest (and closest) music markets in the world thanks to no ‘visa free’ means of touring the Continent – as well as uncertainty of the rights of EU musicians wishing to come to Britain, with a blizzard of contradictory messages emitting from both sides of the channel.

Now major rock, pop and classical stars such as Sir Elton John, Liam Gallagher and Nicola Benedetti have weighed in, signing a letter published in The Times stating that the live music industry has been ‘shamefully failed by government’ – while the latter responded by saying the signatories should be asking the EU why they "rejected the sensible UK proposal". Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden is due to meet industry representatives on Wednesday to discuss the situation.

As the February issue of Jazzwise went to press a blame game was already escalating between the EU and UK as to who was responsible for this cultural ‘no deal’, with the UK government’s claims its efforts to secure a deal were rebuffed by an intransigent EU, while a leaked report published by The Independent revealed it was in fact the UK that had turned down an offer from the EU to allow visa free access for musicians because it broke the UK’s desire to end freedom of movement.

A petition to ‘Seek Europe-wide Visa-free work permit for Touring professionals and Artists’ had reached over 267,000 signatures by mid-January, and seemed to have touched a nerve at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, as they hit back in a statement saying: “The EU turned down our proposals on the basis that musicians were providing a service which they viewed as necessitating a work permit and/or visa”, leaving it down to each individual state to decide on which musicians can come in visa-free, and those who can’t.

The Prime Minister however appeared to misunderstand the severity of the new rules when responding to a question from Hilary Benn on a liaison committee hearing on Brexit, incorrectly stating that British musicians have “the right to go play in any EU country for 90 out of 180 days” – the very EU proposal that the government turned down.

Others pointed to Priti Patel’s immigration reforms for tougher restrictions on touring EU musicians, which require them to apply for visas for stays of more than 30 days and provide proof of savings and a sponsorship certificate, as the real cause of this catastrophe for a £5.8billion industry. Clearly the DCMS and Foreign Secretary are at odds on this subject. Boris Johnson later appeared to want to seek a solution saying, “I know that our friends in the EU will be wanting to go further to improve things for not just musicians, but business travellers of all kinds,” he said. “There is a mutual benefit.”

The Guardian reported Labour’s response that said if it was confirmed the government had stopped musicians from touring in Europe to “make a political point, then music fans will not forgive them”.

The chief executive of UK Music, Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, sought to move things away from the slanging match, stating: “[We have] no interest in playing a blame game. We just want to understand what has happened and then take steps to resolve this situation. We need both sides to work with the music industry to find a solution that benefits everyone. It is vital that all sides now get around the table and agree a way forward that avoids needless red tape and bureaucracy that could put some tours in jeopardy.”

With Covid-19 still rampant across the UK, EU, US and many other countries, touring is impossible right now, but this break could be used as an opportunity to at least put some provisional measures in place for when live music is possible again in front of audiences. Musicians and music fans desperately need a return to normality – but without further intervention and agreements on all sides, everyone will lose out on this greatest of British exports.

Sign the petition here petition.parliament.uk/petitions/563294