UK
Three in Four Black Music Professionals Have Experienced Racism, Study Finds
New research out of the U.K. has put numbers to the issue of racism in the music industry. Thorough and wide-reaching, the first-of-its-kind study, titled “Being Black in the UK Music Industry,” quantifies experiences of anti-Blackness and its consequences on wages, mental health and education. On both the creative and business ends, 88% of Black music professionals have experienced direct or indirect racism in their line of work, according to the study. “We’re not allowed to be above average…We’re expected to be perfect,” one respondent described. “We’re expected to be the full package before our career has even started.” Nearly three in four Black respondents have also experienced racial microaggressions: “...
Man Sentenced After Admitting to 13 Counts of Voyeurism at U.K. Music Festival
A London man has been sentenced for committing multiple acts of voyeurism in August at the Bygrave Woods-based Warm Up Festival. Christopher Bicourt admitted to 13 counts of voyeurism and will be sentenced to 24 weeks of jail time, the Royston Crow reports. Bicourt must also become a registered sex offender for five years. Bicourt, 44, was reportedly discovered to have been filming unsuspecting attendees privately with the intent of using those images for his own personal gratification. The perpetrator was caught by one of his victims, who reported him to law enforcement for suspicious behavior. As part of his sentence, Bicourt is forbidden from filming in public without expressed consent and additionally, and from bringing a recording-capable devic...
New Study Reveals Fewer Than 800 U.K. Musicians Make Livable Wage From Music Streaming
A new study has revealed that only approximately 720 of musicians in the U.K. earn enough money from music streaming to sustain a living. Analyzing data from 2014-2020—along with focus groups and interviews with musicians—the Intellectual Property Office released the “Music Creators’ Earnings In The Digital Era” study, which revealed that only the top 0.4% of UK artists make a livable wage from streaming on platforms like Spotify or Apple Music. 1,723 artists in total fell into the top 0.4% bracket, but the majority of those artists were not native to the U.K. U.S.-based artists accounted for 43.2% of the top streams in the U.K. Haithem Ferdi Recommended Articles “We estimate that this 1,723 UK figure may translate into around 720 UK artists achieving this ...
10 great outdoor destinations – and their British twins
From Alpine-esque peaks to Basque-country beauty, there’s a world’s worth of wonder right here at home It’s strange that in a place literally named ‘Great’, we the British like to self-deprecate. We as a nation tend to regard blind ambition and gaudy success with a sense of mild distaste. We value modesty and restraint and seldom shout about our strengths. It’s understandable then why so many of us forget the vast and varied beauty right here at home. From crisp mornings on snowy peaks to fiery sunsets in easy reach, Britain rivals some iconic outdoor destinations. Whether you opt for camping, glamping or holiday cottages in the UK, there’s a mini-adventure that will almost certainly surprise you. The hardest thing to do is choose. 1. Alpine views in the north of Wales Dramatic mountains a...
Coast to Coast Walk tips: all you need to know
We’ve collated all our Coast to Coast Walk tips in a detailed Q&A-style guide to help you along this classic English journey I recently hiked England’s Coast to Coast Walk which crosses northern England from St Bees Head in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire. As the route practically passes my home in Richmond, I decided to walk the footpath twice and experience the celebrated trail in both directions. My journey took me from Richmond to Robin Hood’s Bay and back, and then from Richmond to St Bees and back again. In the process, I covered over 600km (373mi) and ascended 17,760m (58,270ft) – the equivalent of climbing Everest twice. [embedded content] One of the great things about the Coast to Coast Walk is that it does not need to be completed in one go. I met walkers who were hi...
Coast to Coast kit list: what’s in my backpack
Our Coast to Coast kit list includes everything you’ll need for this classic long-distance journey across northern England I recently returned from hiking England’s Coast to Coast Walk. The 302km (188mi) unofficial footpath traverses England from St Bees Head in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire. To help other trekkers get the balance right, I’ve put together my usual post-trip kit list of everything I packed. Where possible, I’ve linked to the gear I carried for reference. [embedded content] Coast to Coast kit list As I live on the trail, I chose to walk from my home in Richmond to Robin Hood’s Bay and back (seven days), and then from Richmond to St Bees and back again (13 days). By the time I got home, I had completed the trail twice, so have a fair idea of the kit requi...
Musicians’ Union Issues Call for Government Action to Strengthen Protections Against Sexual Abuse
In light of recently published data and testimonials which continue to illuminate the pervasive sexual abuse occurring throughout the music industry, the UK-based Musicians’ Union (MU) is calling on their government to implement stronger workplace protections for industry professionals. A new internal MU poll conducted prior to the pandemic revealed that nearly half of all members (48%) report having experienced some form of sexual harassment at work. The numbers are backed by some heartbreaking anonymous testimonials, which detail patterns of abuse due to imbalanced power dynamics and a normalization of sexually explicit behaviors. “It’s unacceptable that so many artists, musicians, employees, and freelancers have suffered abuse at work and that many have left the ...
Coast to Coast: walking across England twice
I finally got around to hiking England’s Coast to Coast Walk. Only, as the trail practically runs past my house, I did things a little differently Feeling restless after months under lockdown, and loosely inspired by Laurie Lee’s As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, I decided to walk across England… twice. In Lee’s memoir, he walks out from his Cotswolds home and embarks on an epic foot journey that takes him across southern England to Spain where he spends a year tramping from the north to the south coast. In my case, travel restrictions meant I wouldn’t be heading for Spain, so I picked up the Coast to Coast trail that practically runs past my house. Determined to make a sizeable journey by foot alone, I walked the route twice. England’s Coast to Coast Walk Distance: 302km (188mi)...
National parks in Wales: which one is right for you?
When it comes to Britain’s breathing spaces, the national parks in Wales compete with the best of them. Here, we explain why Surrounded by sea on three sides, Wales is a dream destination for outdoor enthusiasts. While not as rugged as Scotland, or romantically perceived like Ireland, deepest Wales is just as beguiling. Lonely corners abound on dramatic mountain passes, deep river valleys and weather-lashed cliffs. Scattered seamlessly across the natural landscape are Iron Age hill forts, Roman ruins and over 600 castles – more per capita, it’s said, than any other country in the world. Samot/Shutterstock Conwy Castle in Wales Humans have shaped this place for millennia. As such, enigmatic ruins dot the landscape. Stone circles, dolmens and standing stones were erected long bef...
UK Nightlife Sector Faces New COVID-19 Restrictions Amid “Freedom Day” Celebrations
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that COVID-19 vaccine passports will be mandatory for nightclubs and other public venues that draw large crowds. The regulation is set to take effect in September, amid a strong push to get the 35% of currently unvaccinated UK residents aged 18 to 30 to begin scheduling appointments. Vaccine passports are becoming increasingly common throughout Europe. The UK is following France in implementing similar policy as the nation led by Emmanuel Macron is now requiring vaccine validation in order for citizens to enter restaurants and other indoor establishments. The announcement drew pushback from a number of nightlife industry professionals, notably Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA). He points out that while the ...
10 Years Ago, DJ Fresh’s “Louder” Became the First Dubstep Song to Reach #1
The explosion of UK dubstep dates back to the mid 2000s, when iconic artists such as Skream, Benga, Rusko, and Caspa began making waves in the underground music scene. However, a dubstep track reaching the heights of mainstream popularity was rare, even after DJ Fresh charted with his drum & bass classic “Gold Dust” in 2010. Shortly after, Fresh’s dubstep track “Louder,” featuring Sian Evans, made history by being the first dubstep song to reach the #1 spot on the UK singles charts. “Louder” vocalist Sian Evans performs at Vienna’s Regenbogenparade in 2008. Manfred Werner/Tsui The iconic “Louder” actually debuted at the top of the charts in its first week, moving an impressive 149,000 copies afte...
UK Parliamentary Probe Results In Calls for “Complete Reset” of the Streaming Industry
A Parliamentary probe into the current market dynamics of music streaming has yielded a bold call for a “complete reset” of the market by British MP’s. The topic of fair pay for artists has been a contentious one throughout the rise of the streaming era, but the results of this particular inquiry—published by Parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) wing—have led to a rare inflection point where new protectionist regulations might be on the horizon. The subject of this inquiry considered the economic relationship between artists and their record labels, and unsurprisingly, the results showed that labels are reaping a disproportionate amount of the financial benefits. “While streaming has brought significant profits to the recorded music indu...
