Tyneside pub helps local musicians make £40k from virtual gigs in lockdown

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to put a strain on those working in the music industry, one independent Tyneside venue has helped local musicians make over £40,000.

The Globe in Newcastle is closed to the public but has used money from the government's Culture Recovery Fund to buy equipment for livestreaming concerts.

The community-owned venue is co-operatively owned and run and has developed itslivestream programme during the pandemic.

It has meant that musicians have been able to make an income with ticket sales, as they would have before the pandemic, but the audience is virtual.

Some of the musicians we spoke to said that without this platform, they would have been forced to look for other lines of work.

Since the first show in May, The Globe’s livestreams have been viewed by thousands of people in the UK, Europe and further afield.

Rob Heron, events manager at The Globe, said:

“It’s an incredible achievement for this small music bar in Newcastle to have livestreamed 100 gigs when almost all venues are closed.

"Musicians are delighted to have the opportunity to play here live and make some money. They are all impressed by the quality of the sound and video. We are now looking ahead to our 200th livestream.”