FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES BECOME PATRONS OF MUSIC VENUE TRUST

Announce 3 special shows at The Underworld, Camden

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes are the latest musicians to show their support for the UK's grassroots music sector by becoming patrons of Music Venue Trust. The long-time supporters of the grassroots scene join the ever-expanding list of advocates including Sir Paul McCartney, Tom Grennan, Nova Twins, Frank Turner, Tim Burgess and more. Music Venue Trust, which works to protect, secure and improve the UK’s grassroots music venues, relies on patrons to help spread the charity’s message and emphasise the need for the whole music community to engage with their local venue.

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes are a band defined by an exuberant stage presence, one that was forged through years of attending gigs at small venues. Now seven years in, their career still encapsulates the energy of the venues they cut their teeth in, with Frank specifically crediting The Underworld in Camden for triggering his love of live music.

In a video interview with Music Venue Trust, Frank explains how The Underworld built the foundation of intense energy that continues to permeate their sound to this day – evident in their latest single ‘Parasite’. “It’s about the sticky floor atmosphere of sweat dripping from the ceilings and bodies flying from wherever, and the excitement but also the fear of being in a crowd,” Frank says, summing up the ethos of their new album ‘Sticky’. “It’s about the danger of live music in the best possible way.”

Watch Frank discuss the importance of The Underworld here

Having played the main stage at this year's Reading and Leeds Festival and sold-out Alexandra Palace in 2020, the band will return to the 500-capacity grassroots music venue that kickstarted their career - The Underworld in Camden - to play three special shows to celebrate the end of the year together with their fans. “It’s important to us as a band to pay respect and come back,” Frank tells MVT, encapsulating the role grassroots venues play in the music industry’s wider eco system of nurturing new talent. 

 

Rattlesnakes’ guitarist Dean Richardson continues: “People help you on your way forward and a lot of people just keep going forward, not really acknowledging it. We would have supported on this stage many times before we got to headline it, so we’re gonna have some great bands come and support on this.” 

MVT’s patrons are one of many methods put in place by the charity to highlight and preserve the UK’s grassroots music sector. This year, MVT launched ‘Own Our Venues’, a campaign aiming to provide ownership to grassroots music venues across the country.

The new initiative sees MVT setting up a Charitable Community Benefit Society: Music Venue Properties (MVP), allowing the public to buy into a funding pool, receiving 3% APR on their investment, where the money will be used by MVP to purchase the venue's leaseholds as opposed to being beholden to a 3rd party landlord with no interest in the venue’s operation. This would put to rest the main issue venue operators have faced the last 2 years, and continue to face as the concert economy is still recovering. The initiative has garnered support across the music industry, including a recent donation from Ed Sheeran.

All of MVT’s current patrons can be seen here: musicvenuetrust.com/patrons/