A FREE Download for your listening pleasure - The Hikokomori Guild

No you did hear right, Portsmouth's very own elusive and reclusive Hikokomori Guild have teamed up with Matt Piper from Lo-Fi Rebels on vocals  to give away their track "Attention Seeker"  exclusively via the Weekend Offender Records Website. If you love a little 80's nostalgia this retro-wave number will take you back !

The PCB's Sell out !

 It may be lock down, there may be no gigs but we are still dong our bit to support local musicians 

in these challenging times  and with that massive congratulations to The PCB's who managed to sell out of their limited edition run of 7 inch Vinyls.

First Socially Distanced Gig In Portsmouth

 

Saturday 22nd August was a strange one as we hosted the first socially distanced indoor gig in Portsmouth at the Golden Eagle Pub with Mark Nicholls Presents. It was great to get back to some sort of normality and their were some great sets from Dead Authors , Hannah Clark and Andy Osman. Thank you to everyone who made it out to support local live music and the venues willing to host events in these strange times.

                                                                         Hannah Clark 

                                                                            Andy Osman 

                                                                               Dead Authors 

More New Music ! - M-40 and Brash Bullets

Great news ! 

We have some more acts joining us to release new material. First up we have Brash Bullets, the Southampton based Punk and Grunge influenced outfit will be releasing a new 7 inch lathe cut vinyl limited to just 15 copies 

You can follow them here :

Brash Bullets Facebook

Manchester's finest M-40 will be releasing a new EP on limited edition CD and 2 tracks on a limited edition 7 inch lathe cut vinyl

You can follow them here

M-40 Facebook

Shout Pompey

If you played music in Portsmouth you will no doubt be familiar with the name Liz Beckett and now the former host of the Shout on Express FM and now running “Shout Music” has teamed up with Weekend Offender Records to release a compilation album from some of Portsmouth’s finest acts (including a few who have already released work on the label)

Recently Liz’s Nephew Kielan was born during the Corona virus pandemic and had his life saved by the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary’s Neo Natal Unit It is Liz’s wish, supported by many if the acts she showcased during her time on local radio to raise money for the great cause

All profits after production costs will be going to the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary Neo Natal Unit

#letthemusicplay

LET THE MUSIC PLAY

UK live music has been one of the UK’s biggest social, cultural, and economic successes of the past decade. But, with no end to social distancing in sight or financial support from government yet agreed, the future for venues, concerts and festivals and the hundreds of thousands of people who work in them looks bleak.

Like other countries such as Germany and Australia, we need the Government to help the music industry, which contributes £5.2 billion to the economy annually and sustains almost 200,000 jobs to ensure it remains world-leading following the damage caused by this pandemic.

Until these businesses can operate again, which is likely to be 2021 at the earliest, government support will be crucial to prevent mass insolvencies and the end of this world-leading industry.

On July 2nd 2020, UK Music and members of the UK Live Music Group, alongside a coalition of live music businesses including artists, venues, concerts, festivals, production companies and industry figures launched a campaign, Let The Music Play, to highlight the importance of the sector to the UK’s economy.

Read more to find out what we are asking for, why it is needed, what we are doing and what you can do.

 

Our three key asks of the Government are:

 

1. A clear conditional timeline for reopening venues without social distancing

2. An immediate comprehensive business and employment support package* and access to finance.

3. Full VAT exemption on ticket sales.

 

* The business and employment support package should include a Government-backed insurance scheme to allow shows to go ahead; an extension of the furlough scheme and help for the self-employed and sole traders to prevent mass redundancies; rent breaks for venues to allow them to reopen; an extension of business rate relief to the entire live music supply chain to protect our ecosystem, large single event premises license fees for festivals to be rolled over to 2021 and financial support for lost box office income to support reopening and recovery, which would also support performers, songwriters, composers and their representatives.

 

 

What we are doing?

Artists across the industry such as Ed Sheeran, Dua Lip and Paul McCartney have joined together to sign a letter to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden calling for support. Read the letter here and the full list of names here.

 

What can you do? 

On Wednesday 8 July Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak MP will deliver a Summer Economic Update.

Please write to your local MP and ask them call on the Chancellor to support Let The Music Play.

You can find your local MP here.

Support the campaign on social media with #LetTheMusicPlay. Download assests here.

 

Key Stats

• The core live music industry stands to lose at least £900 million if it remains closed for the rest of 2020.

• An estimated 30-50% of the live music industry’s workforce are facing unemployment, leading to a catastrophic loss of skills.

• The UK is home to the most popular arenas in the world, yet they are set to lose five million visitors due to COVID-19.

• Music festivals support 85,000 jobs, but with the entire summer cancelled, many are currently facing collapse with 59% redundancies expected across the sector without further support.

• 90% of grassroots music venues are under threat of closure. We are supporting the Music Venue Trust’s call for a £50 million cash injection to ensure vital parts of the music industry do not go out of business.

• The core live music industry generates £1.1 billion to the economy and impacts other parts of the economy including tourism to the tune of £4.5 billion.

• Musicians earn an average of £23,000 a year, well below the national average. Their income is under further threat due to the cancellation of live music because performances represent a major of income for musicians, composers and songwriters.

• Live music needs VAT relief on future ticket sales. It would save the live music industry up to £300 million each year and hugely help in its recovery.

• Music plays an important role to the economy. UK concert-goers spend almost double on live music events than those in France and Italy combined.

• The UK live music industry is the second biggest in the world but is at risk of falling behind. Following COVID-19 the German government has provided €150 million to its live music industry.

• The UK is host to the world’s biggest and most famous greenfield festival – Glastonbury and the world’s most successful ticketed venue – The O2. Every year almost 30 million music fans attend thousands of festivals, arenas, concert halls and grassroots venues.

• Live music events have a profound impact on local economies – Glastonbury generates £100m a year for local businesses and charities. Ed Sheeran’s 2019 gigs at Chantry Park generated £9m for the Ipswich economy.

• The Government’s Job Retention Scheme has provided short term relief to the many live music businesses and employees yet plans to wind down the scheme risk putting livelihoods at risk without further support.

• If the UK Government does not provide timely and well-targeted support to the music sector, the industry will lose core physical infrastructure, as well as musical talent technical sills, which will be impossible to replace, even if the industry is able to return to economic viability post-Covid-19.

Young Pine

Its been a chaotic  for us all in these uncertain times, so thank you all for bearing with us as we catch up with orders. It has certainly been a challenge building a factory, sourcing  supplies and creating products that we are proud to release.

First to be shipped is Young Pine who participated in the our January Showcase at the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth .... They played a blinder and in return got a chance to release two of their tracks on a limited run 7 inch vinyl .... selling out within a week of release !

if you were lucky enough to get your copy make sure you follow the band and show them some love when we can all get  to live events again.

Facebook     

Instagram

Portsmouth's Original Artist Of The Year Competition 2020 - The Final

It's been fantastic to see so many people getting involved and supporting artists during these 

daunting times for us all.

We are now now down to the final two ! -  who will it be either We are Mudlarks or Amba Tremain 

You can vote for your favourite via the link to the Mark Nicholls Presents Facebook Page below 

Mark Nicholls Presents

Portsmouth Original Artist Of The Year 2020

So without any options for live gigs for the foreseeable future it has become a challenge to host the “Portsmouth Original Artist Of The Year “ competition.

That being said Mark Nicholls Presents have managed to put together a voting competition via Facebook with the winning artist getting the opportunity to release their music through Weekend Offender Records 

Check out the competition and vote for your favourites via the below link : 

https://www.facebook.com/Marknichollspresents/

Already through to the next round are Killing Morton and We Are Mudlarks - whose debut release can be found on this site 

#saveourvenues

In these challenging times 556 music venues are facing the imminent threat of closure.

These grassroots venues are the lifeblood of the UK music scene and with government funds being exhausted it is been left to artists, promoters, music fans  and the wider community to help.

Weekend Offender Records prides itself on bringing fantastic live shows to your doorstep  allowing  artists and audiences to connect and we can't do this without these venues ....

if you can help, you can donate via the following below link :

Music Venue Trust - #saveourvenues

Thank You 
M

Missing The Gigs

Well I don’t know about you but we here at Weekend Offender Records have certainly been missing the showcases, battle of the bands and our Punk Nights that up until now we have been hosting at the Edge of The Wedge and The Loft in Southsea and the Angel Inn in Southampton with Mark Nicholls Presents. Below are some

Pics of some of the nights we have recently had ..... we will be back .... live music will return to venues and we will see you there (so keep an eye on our gigs/events page)

14th December 2019 - Battle of The Bands - The Loft, Southsea 

24th January 2020 - Showcase - Edge of The Wedge 

29th February 2020 - FREE Night Of Live Music - Angel Inn Southampton  

6th March 2020 - Punk Battle of the Bands - The Loft, Southsea 

        Lo-Fi Rebels pic Courtesy of steve@5by5photography

Welcome !

Well where can do we begin.... it has been

Over two months since one phone call that changed Weekend Offender Records forever.

What started as us looking for a new UK supplier has led to this new website (still being developed as we speak) a new production line, new products , new artists and all this in the midst of a global pandemic - one day a best seller will be written on the events that have unfolded to get us to this point !

If you reading this welcome to the new site during these challenging times when it has been hard for bands and artists to gain any income with venues closing their doors we are in a position to offer them the ability to make money on physical releases so please look around and if you can support musicians by buying one of their products - you even have the option to donate more if you wish,  of

Which 100% will go the artists themselves 

We are a label established by musicians for

Musicians  and with your support we will continue to help artists develop 

Please stay in touch, stay safe and get involved 

M