"The absence of live music this year has left us all longing for that communal feeling of connection"
Dave Grohl has hailed the long-awaited Save Our Stages Act that passed into the law in the US at the weekend.
The money will go towards preventing the permanent closure of independent music venues, which have been forced to shut amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The bill includes $15 billion (£11.1 billion) in dedicated funding for live venues, independent movie theatres and cultural institutions.
In a statement issued on the Foo Fighters social media pages, Grohl wrote: “A huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported the Save Our Stages Act, which passed yesterday as a part of the economic stimulus bill.
Thank You. #SaveOurStages @nivassoc pic.twitter.com/kD95iUmanw
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) December 28, 2020
“The preservation of America’s smaller, independent venues is not only crucial to the millions of concert goers whose lives are bettered by experiencing their favorite artists in the flesh, but to the future of music itself, as it gives the next generation of young musicians a place to cut their teeth, hone their craft, and grow into the voices of tomorrow.
“The absence of live music this year has left us all longing for that communal feeling of connection, one that is best felt when joined in a song. The Save Our Stages Act brings us one step closer to sharing that feeling again, one that I hope we can all experience again very soon. Everyday we’re one step closer. See you there, Dave.”
Senators Amy Klobuchar and John Cornyn introduced the Save Our Stages Act in July, earmarking $10 billion (£7.8billion) for venue owners, promoters and industry professionals to put toward rent, utilities, mortgages, PPE and other costs. An additional $5 billion was later added for cultural institutions such as museums and cinemas.
In October, the Foo Fighters performed a set for the #SaveOurStages (#SOS) campaign, from LA’s iconic The Troubadour venue.
In August, the band also brought back the original designs of two of their 1995 tour t-shirts to help benefit the initiative. Proceeds from the sales of the shirts went towards #SaveOurVenues (from UK sales) and #SaveOurStages (from US sales).
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