Brennan said: “This was an issue I was interested in, so I went over, then realised who it was. I was a big fan of the Sex Pistols and The Clash.
“Quite a few politicians are into music and a lot of musicians are interested in politics. If people like Bono and Bob Geldof can get involved in politics, why can’t politicians get involved with music?
“The Music Venues Trust tries to prevent the unnecessary closure of grassroots music venues. They come under pressure for all sorts of reasons: bad landlords, complaints about noise or other issues.
“We did this through a private member’s bill in Westminster: The Agent of Change Bill had cross-party support and passed into law, external.
“So the principle has been established. But it doesn’t mean there aren’t still other pressures on venues, from issues like planning to financial viability rates.”
However, perhaps their friendship was not so unlikely. Brennan, who stood down as an MP in July after 23 years, played in what he called the world’s first parliamentary rock band, MP4, and wrote and recorded his own songs.
“It transpired that Kevin was an accomplished folk musician,” said Matlock. “He told me about recording his album and I said ‘I can put some bass on it if you like’.”
Source:
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