Elbow and Everything Everything announced for 'Passport: Back to Our Roots' intimate gig series

Elbow and Everything Everything are among the first artists to be announced for the upcoming ‘Passport: Back to Our Roots’ intimate gig series.

The bands will each play a one-off show to benefit independent grassroots venues in the UK, with the campaign aiming to raise money for those venues that have been threatened with closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

• Read more: “It feels like cultural degradation”: what corona-closures could mean for live music in the north

‘Passport: Back to Our Roots’ will welcome performances by the likes of Elbow (who will play at Manchester’s Night & Day Cafe), Everything Everything (Esquires in Bedford), Public Service Broadcasting (Amersham Arms in London) and The Slow Readers Club (The Trades Club in Hebden Bridge). More artists and venues will be announced soon.

Speaking about their involvement in the campaign, Elbow’s Guy Garvey said: “This is a simple way of looking after the very roots of British music, and will result in some powerful, joyous shows when we can at last see each other again. I’m very proud to be involved.”

Dates for these shows have yet to be confirmed, although they are not expected to take place until at least 2021 — or whenever it is safe to perform without social distancing.

Entry to these gigs will be granted via a prize draw, which will run for two weeks from August 17 via Crowdfunder. For a £5 minimum donation to the campaign, music fans will be entered into the draw to win entry to the show of their choice for themselves and a guest.

80% of all money raised will go to the Music Venue Trust, who in turn will distribute half of the amount to the host venue and the other half to their Crisis Fund, which will benefit all UK venues in need of financial support.

The remaining 20% will go to Inner City Music, the charitable organisation that operates Band on the Wall in Manchester, which is responsible for the administration of the project and will cover its overheads.

Last week, the CEO of Live Nation Michael Rapino said that he expects a “robust outdoor summer season” for live music next year.