The night in a Greater Manchester pub that changed everything for a Leigh band (2025)

The Lottery Winners performed an intimate set inside a city centre boozer to kick off a nationwide initiative celebrating live music in pubs

When Leigh band The Lottery Winners were first starting out, they would regularly play the local live music circuit. That meant heading to the pubs at the heart of it - even if that only meant playing for a a very small crowd.

The band, who have just released their fourth studio album, are well placed to comment on the importance of our nation's pubs as grassroots music venues having cut their teeth in the backrooms of their local boozers.

On Monday lunchtime (March 24), they went back to their roots, playing to an intimate crowd at the Founders Hall pub in Manchester City Centre, as part of ‘Pubs Go Live’, a ten-day nationwide initiative celebrating live music in pubs.

The campaign, which is taking place this week, is being headed up by The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) and PRS for Music, who are seeking spread awareness about the vital role of Britain's pubs as live music venues.

Running until Sunday, March 30, 'Pubs Go Live' will see a number of events on offer in pubs up and down the country, with the aim of shining a light on the invaluable role pubs play in the UK’s live music industry, pouring more than £34 billion into the economy annually according to Oxford Economics.

Taking to the stage in front of family and friends to launch the campaign, lead singer Thom Rylance spoke of the vital role Britain's pubs played for the band when they were starting out.

"Playing in pubs was essential for us, I don't think that you can walk out on stage in front of 60,000 people if you haven't walked out to just six people in a pub like we have," he said.

"You really need that experience. Those pubs we played were the first places where people would give us a gig and pay us for a show as well.

"The first time we got paid for paying music was in a pub - it changed my life."

Their performance comes just days after the launch of their brand new album, KOKO, which dropped on this Friday. It follows the success of the band’s number one album Anxiety Replacement Therapy released in 2023.

The band will also be supporting Robbie Williams on his upcoming UK and European stadium tour this summer.

Thom added: "pubs are where live music really lives. Before the arenas, before the festivals, it starts in the back rooms of boozers, where the crowd is right in front of you and every song has to earn its place.

"The pub scene is the beating heart of live music. It’s where bands are built, where songs are tested, and where connections are made that last a lifetime. Without it, the whole ecosystem of music falls apart.

“Some of the best gigs you’ll ever see aren’t in stadiums, they’re in pubs. That raw, unfiltered energy, the closeness, the feeling that anything could happen, that’s what makes live music special.

“Pubs aren’t just places to drink, they’re places where music happens. They give bands a stage before anyone else will, and they give audiences a chance to be part of something real.

"Playing to nine people in a pub can be just as nerve racking as playing to ninety thousand in a stadium. The intimacy, the eye contact, the lack of a safety net; it all makes you sharper. Those years in the pubs were training for the big stages.

“We cut our teeth in the pubs. Those small rooms teach you everything; how to connect, how to hold an audience, how to handle it when things don’t go your way.

"You don’t get to the big stages without earning it first. There’s no skipping steps in music. If you want to command a stadium, you’d better be able to handle a tiny pub with nine people staring at you.

"That’s where the real work happens. Some of our toughest gigs were the smallest ones. No lights, no distance, just you and them. If you can make a pub feel like an arena, you’re ready for anything. Some of those gigs have also been my absolute favourite.

"I still go to those pubs, to open mic nights and events because the community feel is incredible. It's where I've met some of the best people, has my favourite nights, and worst headaches.

"Where we're from in Leigh, the pub scene was fantastic. The pub we played our first gig in, which was the Colliers Rest in Leigh and that's no longer there, which is sad to see.

"Those experiences in pubs were so formative and it would be such a shame if the next generation of artists didn't get that platform to play in front of people and really build up a following, and learn the craft."

To mark the launch of ‘Pubs Go Live’ the BBPA and PRS for Music have also unveiled new research revealing the top locations across the UK for live music in pubs. Manchester ranked 9th, with Belfast taking the crown as the country’s pub gig capital.

Live music in pubs has long been a cornerstone of the UK’s cultural and social fabric. Many of the nation’s iconic artists - including The Beatles, The Libertines, Adele, Oasis, Wet Leg and Ed Sheeran - began their careers on the pub gig scene.

Emma McClarkin, CEO of the BBPA, added: "We wanted to showcase how important pubs are as grassroots music venues. Most people have their first gig in a local pub and we want to make sure it gets the recognition as a cultural asset as well as an economic and social one.

"The pub as a live music venue is a unique part of our cultural heritage, with many musicians starting out at their local and fans getting a chance to see an artist up close before they hit the big time. Pubs Go Live is a celebration of this cherished cultural tradition, and pubs up and down the country are joining in.

"We had a really tough time in the pandemic, but everything since then has become more expensive. We were losing pubs at a rate of six a week last year and we can't afford to lose anymore.

“It’s a fact that there’s nothing quite like a pub gig, and it must be preserved at all costs. This is why Government must support pubs, who face a raft of punishing costs and taxes, and introduce meaningful business rate reform so theses grassroots venues can still provide a stage to British musicians for generations to come.

"They have an immediate opportunity for the Spring Statement this week to take action to support pubs and get them into growth, so looking at business rates, keeping a pint affordable and reducing our beer duty so we can do that.

"We'll be a lot poorer without them and we need the Government to sit up and listen to us."