Alright rockers, gather round and grab a pint because this is properly important. Today isn’t just another Tuesday where you argue on Facebook about whether Load is secretly a good Metallica album — TODAY’S THE DAY the #OwnOurVenues share offer officially closes. 🤘
And once that deadline hits… that’s it. No extensions, no encore, no “one more song!” chant from the crowd.
This is your last chance to jump in and help save the grassroots venues that built our scenes, made our memories, and hosted our most chaotic nights out. 🏴🤘🔥
🎤 Why This Matters (aka: Why You Should Care, Mun)
Grassroots venues are the beating, sweaty, sticky-floor heart of live music. They’re where:
- Bands play their first riff in front of 20 people
- Future legends cut their teeth
- You spill a pint mid-mosh and no one cares because the energy is lush
- Communities form, scenes grow, and culture THRIVES
But loads of these legendary little rooms are on the brink. Rising costs, landlords, development pressure — the usual nonsense threatening proper music spaces.
Enter Music Venue Properties and the #OwnOurVenues scheme:
A chance for the fans — the lifeblood — to literally buy shares and help take these venues into community ownership. No landlords. No threats. No sudden closures. Just music, forever. 🔥
🏛️ What You’ve Already Helped Save (Tidy work!)
Because of the heroes who’ve already invested, we’ve already saved:
✔ The Croft – locked down and protected
✔ The Joiners – secured and safe
BUT WE’RE NOT DONE, BUTT.
The job’s only half finished — and time is ticking louder than a Motörhead kick drum.
🎯 Venues We STILL Need to Lock Down Before the Deadline
These absolute gems are next on the list, and they need YOU:
- Bedford Esquires
- Northern Guitars
- Gut Level
- Little Buildings
- Peggy’s Skylight
- The Sugarmill
- The Pipeline
These aren’t just buildings. They’re lifelines for local artists, hubs for community, and places where unforgettable nights happen — usually involving sweat, questionable toilets, and bands who’ll be huge in five years. 🔥🥁
⏳ The Countdown Is ON
This is it, mun. Final day. Final hours. Final push.
If you’ve been sat there thinking “Ah I’ll do it later” — well, later is NOW. 😅
If you want to be a co-owner of UK music history…
If you want to be part of the movement that saves small venues from extinction…
If you want to tell your mates down the pub, “Yeah, I actually own part of that place”…
Then hit the link and get stuck in:
🎸 C’mon butt — let’s finish what we started.
We’ve already proven it works. We’ve already saved legendary rooms.
Now let’s secure the rest and build a future where independent venues aren’t just surviving… they’re roaring.
This is your moment to say you stood up for live music when it mattered.
Invest today before the curtain drops.
Diolch, rockers. You’re the backbone of this whole scene. 🤘🏴🔥
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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