New live music forum set to attract wide audience.(News)

The first and only comprehensive survey of the UK live music sector is to be undertaken after last week's move by the DCMS to sponsor a new Live Music Forum.

The Forum will be chaired by former Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey and will include a cross section of interested parties, including Musicians' Union chief John Smith, representatives from the National Music Council, Arts Council and local authorities.

Although the precise size and shape, of the Forum is still under consideration, it is understood that it will also comprise statisticians and civil servants from the DCMS and the Home Office. The first meeting of the group is scheduled to take place on February 3.

Sharkey says his new role is concerned with helping to "develop, encourage and promote live music" because there is "nothing else like live performance".

DCMS music advisor Stephen Navin--a prime mover behind the creation of the Forum, which was launched by arts minister Estelle Morris last week--says the first six months of its operation will be focused on the to task of collecting quantitative and qualitative data on the state of the market by interrogating venue owners, promoters and audiences. The brief will cut across styles from folk to opera and will deliver statistics on areas such as audiences, ticket pricing and the size and situation of venues.

"We hope to get a good baseline to see how much ...