"The impact and influence of music artists like The Beatles, Oasis and others from the north of England have had on the music industry in decades past is redoubtable" – so why are young northern musicians less supported than the rest of the UK?

Young musicians onstage.

The north of England has long proved a hotbed for varied musical talent including [takes deep breath] The Beatles, Oasis, The Stone Roses, The Smiths, Joy Division, Mark Knopfler, Paul Rodgers, The Sisters Of Mercy, Paradise Lost, Chris Rea, David Coverdale,  Sam Fender, Everything But The Girl, Corrine Bailey Rae, Sting, Bring Me The Horizon, Arctic Monkeys and Def Leppard to name a few. But a new report suggests there's now a problem – the next generation of potential musicians are being failed by a lack of investment. 

A new report by Youth Music’s SONG (Sound Of The Next Generation) has found young people in the north of England are the least likely to feel supported in playing music, compared to the rest of the country.