LIVE MUSIC MATTERS IN SYDNEY
By Graeme Hague
4 November 2013
You may recall the Live Music and Performance Taskforce was set up in December 2012 by the City of Sydney and now following an “exhaustive investigation into why live music and performance is under increasing pressure in Sydney” we have the Live Music Matters action plan. The plan aims to create new opportunities for musicians and performers and overcome obstacles to live music and performance. It tackles issues such as regulatory barriers, the availability of space to rehearse and perform, developing new audiences and providing opportunities for young people to enjoy and play live music. The plan is described as the most thorough attempt yet made to resolve issues around live music and “the first serious attempt to actually fix the labyrinth of red tape affecting music and arts venues.” The investigation came up with the interesting statistic that of the 2,200 venues with liquor licenses in Sydney only 143 of them, just six per cent, have a live music license. The plan tackles a wide range of issues, most of them familiar when it comes to amplified music reaching the ears of people who don’t want to hear it. You can read the full plan here.
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