Sarpa Salpa headline first ‘socially distanced gig’ at the Craufurd Arms

Sarpa Salpa were the first band to headline the Craufurd Arms on Saturday night, more than six months since the music industry was plunged into crisis following Government restrictions on live performances due to the coronavirus.

In normal times at the Milton Keynes venue, you’d regularly find 280 people packed inside to watch local, national and international acts playing. On Saturday, there were 64 people, sat at benches.

This isn’t how you should watch live music – especially at a venue like the Craufurd Arms - nor must it provide a long-term sustainable business model to venue owners.

However, the team at the Craufurd Arms pulled out all the stops to ensure the socially distanced gig could go ahead.

To reassure any naysayers, all of the benches had been pre-booked with attendees sitting in their social bubbles, socially distanced from others with one-way routes in place throughout the venue.

QR codes allowed people to log their presence using the NHS Covid-19 app and drinks were bought to customers by staff.

With such a hit to their capacity, the Craufurd Arms had teamed up with Viral Broadcasts to stream sets by both Low Girl and Sarpa Salpa online.

In an era where there’s more musicians than ever streaming to their fans, you’d be hard pushed to find a better quality looking and sounding set-up than what was on offer by Viral Broadcasts for anyone who couldn’t make it inside on Saturday.

The stream is still available to watch and the venue is encouraging anyone who does to consider donating towards its Crowdfunding appeal.

Amid all this, you’d be forgiven for forgetting the night featured two cracking sets – firstly from one of the most promising up-and-coming acts in the region (or half of them on this occasion) and secondly from a headliner regularly picking up national airplay and praise from across the industry.

Low Girl, fronted by singer Sara Cosgrove, opened with a set of stripped back alt-pop, before Northampton’s Sarpa Salpa upped the energy with a set of infectious indie.

Nobody wants to watch music in this way, but it was clear at the Craufurd Arms that so many people were just glad to be back inside at a venue they love – be it on the stage or sat on a bench watching.

At the end of September, the Music Venue Trust issued a dire warning to the UK Government that the grassroots live music sector is at ‘red alert status’.

Sadly, one – or even a winter of – socially distanced seated gigs isn’t going to be enough to save an industry alone.

In the coming weeks, venues across the country will find out if they will receive any funding as part of the Government’s £1.57bn cultural recovery scheme.

Despite being outside of the UK’s major metropolitan cities, this region boasts some of the best independent music venues in the country.

Without independent venues like the Craufurd Arms – there wouldn’t be a music industry and it’s vital they’re saved.

After more than six months without live music on its stage, hopefully Saturday was the first step on the long road back to normality.

The Craufurd Arms has more socially distanced gigs in the coming months.

For more details, visit https://www.thecraufurdarms.com