Two years after Brexit came fully into effect, UK bands are still encountering huge problems when trying to tour in Europe.
A cross-party group of MPs has said that the government should install a 'Touring Tsar' to deal with the issue and help reduce the ocean of red tape and increased costs for getting the necessary visas.
An orchestra can face additional costs of up to £5,000 just to sort out visas for touring. The All Parliamentary Group on Music call the situation a 'crisis' needing urgent action. The report says that musical acts and their crews are "facing more costs, more complications and getting fewer opportunities."
Group leader, Kevin Brennan MP, calls it "a self-inflicted wound that doesn't have to be there." The government response is that they are "supporting the UK's brilliant musicians to adapt to the new arrangements and make touring easier."
But the reality doesn't seem to match. Band, White Lies, had to cancel the first date of their European tour after their equipment got held up at border checks at Dover. The band had even built in extra time to try and account for potential delays, but it still wasn't enough to prevent the disruption.
Sir Elton John has been vocally supporting the need for change and showing particular concern for the impact on new and emerging bands. He told the Parliamentary Group that lockdown had provided a 'golden opportunity' to get the fixes in place, but that it had been squandered.
His statement said, "While some progress has been made that opportunity has been allowed to slip. The heartbeat and future of our vibrant industry face finding themselves stranded in Dover through no fault of their own."
#LetTheMusicMove started last year and was supported by over 200 artists, including acts as diverse as Radiohead and Little Mix - calling on an end to restrictions on touring in Europe, which "threaten the future success of British music."
Figures given in a BBC article suggest that British bands play four times more concerts in Europe than they do in the U.S. In fact, so important is the European gig industry, that around 80% of all European tour buses are thought to operate from Britain.
The report is also called Let The Music Move - wants an end to post-Brexit bureaucracy that's hampers British bands ability to be competitive. The cross-party group numbering more than a hundred, want change and the report includes recommendations like the Touring Tsar, but also:
A Cultural Touring Agreement with the EU, exempting bands and crew from such red tape.
A temporary support fund to help musicians deal with the current additional costs.
More border points where goods passports and music instrument certificates can be checked.
The government told the BBC that "24 EU member states including the biggest touring markets such as Spain, France, Germany and the Netherlands have confirmed they offer visa and work permit-free routes for UK performers and other creative professionals.
We continue to engage with the few remaining countries which do not offer visa or work permit-free routes."
The reality doesn't seem to match the theory, so we shall see what impact this report has to hopefully bring about more change, more quickly.
(From - BBC News online, 19 July 2022)
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