Legendary singer Rhoda Dakar has announced she will be taking to the stage at the Cobblestones in Bridgwater on August 31 as one of her nine shows for the National Lottery’s United by Music tour with the Music Venue Trust. 

The tour will take place at venues across the UK and see Rhoda and other artists, including the likes of Sam Ryder and Cat Burns, aim to show their support for grassroots music venues through the cost-of-living crisis.

Dakar, who has racked up seven gold albums and one silver during her career, will be performing in local venues to highlight their significance to the music ecosystem, as well as local cultural hubs, which allow music to flourish in every community.

She said: “I go to a lot of gigs and though the grand stage provides a spectacle, nothing beats the palpable emotion of looking into a performer’s eyes and knowing they mean it.

“This is what happens in a grassroots music venue. You can feel the music. The same is true of performing.

“When you’re looking an audience in the eyes, you know whether you’re getting through, there’s no faking it!

“Currently, one grassroots music venue is closing every week. This is like slowly and deliberately stripping a layer of culture from our society.

“I saw David Bowie at The Marquee in Wardour Street, London, back in 1973, up close and personal.

“Nobody will have that experience again, as both are no longer with us.

“It’s at those venues that you connect with an artist. Sometimes forever!

“And this is why I’m taking part in the United By Music tour. I’m out to make friends. Are you with me?”

Covid and the rising cost of living has led to multiple music venues closing every month; the latest figures show 66 closures within the last year, reducing access to affordable live music and opportunities emerging artists to perform live.

Under the United by Music tour, organised by the charity Music Venue Trust and funded by The National Lottery, every ticket has been made even cheaper, with each ticket-buyer allowed a free guest.

Dakar, who is a patron of the Music Venue Trust, will be performing at nine different venuss from August 30 to September 15.