Deep Dive: Will Brexit stop British acts touring Europe?

For our very first episode, host Chris Wright takes a deep dive into the music industry, confronting the impact of abandoning visa-free touring in Europe for musicians and artists. Chris leads a discussion about a recent petition calling for a ‘musicians passport’ that was signed by more than 280,000 people, and gained support from the likes of Elton John and Sting. The petition was subsequently debated by in Parliament, but was ultimately rejected by the government.Chris is joined by CAA music agent Emma Banks, who represents artists including Katy Perry, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Kylie Minogue; musician, songwriter and producer Midge Ure, known for fronting Ultravox and Live Aid; and Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, chief executive of UK Music, which represents the interests of the industry. Join us as four in-the-know industry titans weigh in on whether this spells the end of touring for British musicians on the Continent. Beyond the musicians themselves, this affects engineers, crew, caterers and other supporting staff, as well as the talent pipeline for years to come. Plus, venues on the Continent face a vast reduction in new bookings. We analyse how we got to this point, the options the key players around the negotiating table can deploy, and the likely consequences for the industry and music lovers everywhere should the discussions fall off a cliff. 'I Hit The Nail Right On The Head' by Billy Bremner. © Fridens liljor/Micke Finell.Rock around the clock productions AB.www.rockaroundtheclock.co This episode was produced by Sound SapienSoundsapien.com