<p><strong>Your weekly guide to the music biz and how it all works –</strong> and this week they speak to Ricky Bates, head of booking and promotion at the Joiners in Southampton - one of the UK’s great grassroots venues. <strong>But first they chat about:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Half a million pounds is being distributed in the UK to grassroots venues artists and events - and it’s money gathered from the levy on ticket sales in the UK. Steve and Stu discuss how this money is being spent – and how it will make a difference.</p></li><li><p>Last week, Steve spoke to highly successful UK manager Niamh Byrne (Blur, Gorillaz and more)  and you’ll be able to hear that interview in a couple of weeks. </p></li><li><p>But one notable thing she spoke about was how managers are working harder than ever, and need to provide more services than before. So what is a manager’s job now?</p></li><li><p>Also at the Music Ally Connect conference, a key Universal music exec spoke about how AI can create new songs when one song is “covered” by AI versions of other artists: “I really want to hear what it sounds like for Jimi Hendrix to play Bitches Brew”. But do people <em>really</em> want to hear AI-generated cover versions?</p></li></ul><p><strong>Then the duo speak to Ricky Bates and he discusses the reality of running a local grassroots venue in 2026</strong> – and it’s a solid-gold local venue that has hosted most of today’s biggest bands on their way up. It&#39;s where both Coldplay and Manic Street Preachers signed their first deals, and how Green Day &quot;accidentally&quot; played their Kerplunk! album launch show at the Joiners. </p><p><strong>The public podcast contains highlights of the interview – however Patreon Superfan listeners can hear the whole interview as this week’s lock-in content! (Become a Patreon Superfan here! </strong><a href="https://www.patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic">⁠⁠⁠⁠</a><a href="https://www.patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic⁠⁠">⁠https://www.patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic⁠⁠⁠</a>)</p><p>Ricky speaks about:</p><ul><li><p>How he started at the venue  by being thrown in at the deep end – and how he cleared a huge rent debt (with help from some Frank Turner gigs)</p></li><li><p>How a “reset button” has been hit in the last few years – and how people’s gig-going habits have changed recently</p></li><li><p>What the hidden costs are of running a venue – and why the profit margins are so tight</p></li><li><p>The stressful process of buying the venue with the help of the Music Venue Trust</p></li><li><p>How artists are starting to book shorter “big city” tours that avoid the regional towns and cities, leaving local fans with fewer options.</p></li><li><p>How under-18s fans are often drawn to the huge arena shows at the expense of cheap local shows.</p></li><li><p>The future of the venue and what decades of moshing has done to the floor of the dancefloor!</p></li></ul><p>===================================</p><p><strong>As ever, we welcome your feedback, emails and – in particular</strong> – any questions you might have about how the music biz works!</p><p>Email us: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">⁠⁠</a><a href="mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><strong>[email protected]</strong></a><a href="mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">⁠⁠</a></p><p>See you next week!</p><p>Steve and Stuart</p><p>======</p><p>TPOM online: <a href="http://tpom.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">http://tpom.uk/</a></p><p>Support The Price of Music on Patreon:</p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">⁠⁠</a><a href="https://www.patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic⁠⁠" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.patreon.com/ThePriceofMusic⁠⁠</a></p><p>Follow Steve on X - @steve_lamacq</p><p>Follow Stuart on X - @stuartdredge</p><p>Follow The Price of Music on X - @PriceofMusicpod</p><p>For sponsorship opportunities, please email - <a href="mailto:⁠⁠[email protected]" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">⁠⁠[email protected]</a></p>