Big Support for Small Venues.

Mr. Scruff (Andy Carthy) has been an icon of the UK music scene for decades, revered for marathon DJ sets that hop between jazz, soul, funk, hip-hop and more, often accompanied by the DJ’s own whimsical cartoon visuals. But now the veteran producer is channeling his influence into something more. In 2024, Mr. Scruff announced the Miniature Arena Tour across the UK - a string of intimate gigs aimed at supporting independent grassroots music venues. This six-weekend trek, organised in partnership with the Music Venue Trust hit 14 small venues across England and Scotland, from major cities to towns like Todmorden, Tunbridge Wells and Huddersfield, each stop shining a spotlight on a local venue’s vital role in its community, including Manchester’s Band on the Wall, where Mr. Scruff has held his legendary Keep It Unreal club residency for 25 years.

At each show, Mr. Scruff has added a £1 levy to every ticket - with that extra pound going straight into a fund for grassroots venues, aligning with a growing national campaign to have big arena concerts contribute £1 per ticket to support small venues (an initiative that even gained UK government backing recently). Rather than waiting to be told what to do, Mr. Scruff is leading by example - showing how artists can leverage even a modestly sized tour to make a difference. The Miniature Arena Tour kicked off at Hull’s famed Adelphi Club and wrapped up with a grand finale at Giant Steps in London.

This tour comes at a critical time for grassroots music venues. For many artists and fans, these small independent clubs, bars, and community halls are the true heart of the music scene, where local culture thrives. Hull’s Adelphi Club, for instance, has welcomed over a million people through its doors and hosted early gigs by Radiohead, Pulp, Oasis and countless others who went onto stardom. There’s a special magic in these rooms that a massive arena simply can’t replicate. Yet, despite their importance, Britain’s grassroots venues have been under serious threat in recent years, with the Music Venue Trust’s latest report revealing that the UK lost a grassroots music venue roughty every two weeks in 2024. Mr. Scruff’s approach shows that artists can make a tangible difference. By physically touring the circuit of small clubs, he’s proven that artists of any size can stand up for the venues that once supported them.

It’s a win-win. Fans get an unforgettable up-close experience, struggling venues get a much-needed boost, and the wider music scene gets a powerful example of how to lift itself up from the ground level. If the music industry wants a thriving future, it must invest in the grassroots spaces that make that future possible.

We spoke to Mr. Scruff about the Miniature Arena Tour, his work with the Music Venue Trust, and the future of grassroots venues:

How did idea for the Miniature arena tour come together?

My agent (One House) suggested it. I gave them a list of places that I had already played, a few more that I wanted to play, and they added a few more. When the MVT announced their intention to encourage the £1 LiveLine donation from ticket sales at Arena gigs, I decided to help spread awareness of the initiative by calling it a miniature arena tour. I have been a patron of the MVT for a few years, and this felt like the perfect opportunity to step in and advocate for something I feel passionate about.

Can you talk about your relationship with the music venue trust and the work they’re doing?

MVT asked me to become a patron a few years ago, as who DJs in a mixture of clubs and live venues. I discuss ways to support them, and offer my experience as someone who get very involved with every venue I play in, from the perspective of a DJ rather than a live act.

Do you think your £1 levy model should be adopted by more successful venues and artists?

Absolutely! We just need to work on a simple framework to allow people to set up the donations as part of the ticketing process. The levy is not the answer to everything, but it is a good way of ensuring additional financial support for those that need it. I think that successful artists and their management/agents could look over their own practise and look into how their requirements and demands can sometimes negatively affect smaller venues and support acts financially, and how they can use their influence and experience to positively affect venues, artists and promoters in the future.

Can you talk about what it’s like performing in these intimate spots compared to larger clubs and festivals? 

It can be a lot of work setting up in smaller places with less technical staff, but I love the spirit of collaboration and getting to know the crew while we set up. These places feel relaxed and local in a way that makes people feel very comfortable, and that makes for a great gig. For me, I really enjoy playing in a variety of venues. Each venue feels different, and size is one of the factors that affects that.

What are some key things you’ve learned from the tour that you’d pass on to other artists looking to support grassroots venues?

I have loved the opportunity to appreciate that these places can’t always provide me with everything I need, but it provides an opportunity to collaborate and compromise with the venues, and learn about what makes them tick, and what they need to do in order to survive and support their community. My advice to the artists would be to try and only ask the venues to provide thing that you absolutely need (eg you would be surprised at the number of DJs who put turntables on their rider, then turn up with no records after the promoter has hired decks in for them). Also, get down nice and early to get to know the crew and how they work within the limitations of a small venue. 

As someone who’s been performing in these spaces for decades, what changes have you seen in the industry through time?

A lot of these grass roots venues still feel very 'old school’. Generally, sound systems are much better these days, city centre development has made it difficult for many venues to coexist as their areas become more residential. COVID definitely shook us all up, and seemed to encourage many venues to play it a bit safe with programming, as people sought familiarity from their nights out. The pressures of gentrification and rising rents have forced many places out of the city centre, and there seems to be quite a few more small, community style places situated out of the city centres. 

Are you optimistic about the future of independent live music with the sudden emergence of these kind of initiatives?

The big promoters, ticket outlets and arenas are doing their very best to suck as much money as possible from the scene for themselves and their investors. The love and support people show for the grass roots venues and artists is really encouraging, but we need to work together and build something much more substantial to ensure a better future. 

Is there any new music in the works? Can fans expect a new album at any point?

Hopefully! Got lots of tunes to finish off, and I can’t wait to get back into the studio this year!