The following article is a comment piece from Thank EU for the Music
As the final chorus of Auld Lang Syne was sung by 5,900 concertgoers attending the Last Night of the Proms, the right-wing press continued inventing stories for the sake of old Brexit times. Right-wing press headlines such as “EU Flags confiscated” and “Banned of Hope and Glory” are “simply absurd” says Charlie Rome, a spokesperson for Thank EU for the Music.
“Do you think we would have gone to all of this trouble and expense without first checking with the Royal Albert Hall whether the European flag is banned from the Last Night of the Proms?” Charlie reasoned:
Clearly, the flag is not a symbol of hatred.
Thank EU for the Music at the Proms
4,000 European flags were handed out to concertgoers attending the Last Night of Proms at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday night, and not a single one was refused by security confirmed organisers of Thank EU for the Music, the pro-EU organisation who distributed the flags to concertgoers.
The right-wing headlines are self-evidentially baseless because viewers tuning in to the live BBC broadcast could see thousands of European flags being waved in the circular hall.
Thank EU for the Music are a group of music lovers who invite concertgoers to wave the European flag in solidarity with UK and EU touring musicians whose careers and livelihoods have been blighted by Brexit red tape.
“Venues, festivals, and artists across both the UK and EU are suffering under the current touring arrangements,” says Jon Collins, CEO of UK trade body LIVE (Live music Industry Venues and Entertainment).
UK musicians face a mountainous pile of red tape organising tours to the continent, including arranging carnets, work visas, cabotage permits, CITES certificates, and VAT registrations for the sale of merchandise.
Recent research carried out by the Musicians’ Union and the Independent Society of Musicians reveals that more than half of UK musicians having given up touring in the European economic zone.
Labour must act on the crisis for musicians
This story will not go away, however, until the Labour Party government fulfils its manifesto pledge to resolve the issue of UK and EU touring musicians. In an interview with LBC in April 2024, Keir Starmer acknowledged the problem, stating:
There are brilliantly talented individuals in bands, groups, drama, you name it, who are going to other countries to perform often for a few days, then coming back or going to another country. They are nothing really to do with immigration, yet are simply going to play in other countries, and those other countries want them there. So, we have to make that easier. It’s been very tough, particularly for musicians. So, anything we can do to ease that, the better.
Since Labour has been in power, they have remained tone-deaf on the subject. Dave Webster, Musicians’ Union head of international, is quietly optimistic that things will improve:
Thankfully, we now have a government who are listening to our concerns and have pledged to take our issues to the EU to try to reach an understanding for touring musicians and their crews.
But musicians and artist managers are growing sceptical of the government’s progress. “Many in the industry are frustrated by the slow progress on EU touring,” says Gemma, an artist manager from London:
Middle to small-sized bands who were on the cusp of success have been ruined because of the Brexit factor and it needs to be urgently fixed.
The Labour government needs to get in tune with the touring musician issue, or the right-wing media will continue to make mischief.
Featured image via Thank EU for the Music/the Canary, and additional images via Thank EU for the Music
