The radio presenter will celebrate Independent Venue Week with a series of special shows
BIRKENHEAD’S Future Yard has been chosen as just one of five UK venues to feature in a series of special live shows to celebrate Independent Venue Week.
It's even more important to help support the live music circuit after it’s been hit so hard by Covid.
Steve Lamacq, who presents weekdays 4pm-7pm on BBC Radio 6 Music, will celebrate a different independent venue in a UK town or city across the week.
The venues are PJ Molloys in Dunfermline (Monday 31 January), Belgrave Music Hall in Leeds (Tuesday 1 February), Future Yard in Birkenhead (Wednesday 2 February), The Louisiana in Bristol (Thursday 3 February) and The Horn in St. Albans (Friday 4 February).
The shows will also feature live and recorded-live performances in these venues from artists including Franz Ferdinand, Yard Act, Melt Yourself Down, Wet Leg and Bess Atwell.
Independent Venue Week, which this year takes place from 31 January - 6 February, is a national celebration with a local feel, shining the spotlight on independent music venues around the country, and the people that own, run and work in them.
Wednesday 2 February will see Steve focus on Future Yard in Birkenhead. He’ll welcome the genre-spanning collective Melt Yourself Down to the show as they prepare for their set at Future Yard later that day.
Louisa Roach of She Drew The Gun will give her personal tour of Birkenhead and presenter Dave Monks from BBC Music Introducing will chat to Steve about the local music scene.
Steve Lamacq said: "Independent Venue Week has always played a vital role in helping grassroots venues at a financially perilous time of year.
"But this time round, it’s even more important to help support the live music circuit after it’s been hit so hard by Covid.
"It's a chance for us all to rally round and celebrate just how important these places are to emerging artists and alternative performers.
"We’ve lined up some of our favourite new and established acts for a week of gigs in small grassroots venues around the country and we’ll be talking to promoters and fans about why live gigs remain so important to the music community."
Melt Yourself Down, led by saxophonist Pete Wareham, takes its musical interests from a diverse range of countries and cultures. The band has built a unique sound, drawing from Egyptian and Nubian music, punk rock, jazz, psychedelic rock, electronica, funk and more.
The high-energy jazz-punk alchemists are working up to the release of their fourth studio album, from which they have just released the lead single Pray For Me I Don’t Fit In.
Future Yard said: “We’re over the moon to be welcoming Melt Yourself Down to Future Yard as part of our bumper programme for Independent Venue Week 2022.”
Support on the night comes from Scouse rapper MC Nelson, who has already wowed the crowds at Future Yard.
Melt Yourself Down are live at Future Yard on Wednesday 2 February. Doors 7.30pm, tickets £15 advance from See Tickets.
Future Yard, 75 Argyle St, Birkenhead CH41 6AB
Follow Vicky Andrews on Twitter: @planetvicster
Read next: Future Yard - is this the best live music venue in Britain?
Read again: Future Yard launches music tour to celebrate Birkenhead
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