Melbourne’s iconic rock n roll institution, AC/DC Lane’s Cherry Bar, is under threat from an encroaching residential development project but rather than sit around and wait for the inevitable attack from noise complaining neighbours, the venue has a put out a call to action.
Cherry Bar have today launched a crowdfunding campaign through Pledge Music to help raise the necessary funds to assist in installing costly soundproofing at the venue to pre-empt the complaints of residents that will begin to move into a new 12-storey, 189-apartment tower at 108 Flinders Street overlooking AC/DC Lane.
Cherry co-owner James Young calls noise complaints “the biggest issue globally facing music today” and though his venue has operated for “14 positive and successful rocking years” without a single noise complaint, that spotless track record could change come August, when the residents begin relocating to their new CBD homes.
“As soon as these apartments open and one person complains we are on the wrong side of the law and can be closed down,” explains Young.
Though it has been promised by Minister Matthew Guy to be implemented as far back as January, the coveted ‘Agent of Change principle’ (where the onus is placed on new residents to front for expensive soundproofing rather than making it the responsibility of the venue) has yet to materialise. Meaning that rather than waiting for policymakers to come to the rescue, Cherry Bar is looking to “find a ‘White Knight’ to contribute approximately half of these soundproofing works. And this White Knight is….the live music loving public.”
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The Pledge Music Save Cherry campaign is looking to raise around $30,000 of the total $90,000 that it’ll cost to give the venue the necessary sound attenuation to make sure its compliant with noise restrictions related to its new residential neighbours. As the campaign page explains: “These works, in summary, involve a brick wall behind our stage area, double-glazing of all windows and the creation of a two-door soundproof bubble entrance to Cherry.”
Pledgers who commit to “helping save rock n roll” are being offered a wide selection of rewards, including Cherry-branded merchandise, named bricks in the soundproof walls, and annual or life-time free entry to the venue in prices ranging from as little as $18 to $5,000. There’s also a digital EP download available featuring Cherry Bar favourites like Drunk Mums, Child, Hits, Palace Of The King, and more.
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“In some senses this is a sad story,” says Young of the campaign launch. “It really is not fair that the venue has to pay for this sound-proofing. It should be the developers’ cost. And it’s not fair that we have to turn to the cash-strapped public and ask for their help to contribute half of our building costs, but I’ve sat through dozens of well intentioned meetings that go round and round in circles without ever providing a solution for the poor threatened live music venues.”
“The conclusion I’ve come to is…to avoid confrontation is the best course of action: to soundproof Cherry so we are compliant and beyond reproach and above complaints from our new neighbours and can 100% stay alive and continue to support live music,” he continues. “This is what must be done and in order to do it, we need help, we need your help. Please help us save rock n roll.”
The harsh realities of the encroaching residential tower has already affected the venue’s live music output, last May the bar hosted the “last ever” CherryRock one-day festival, with Young previously explaining that if the iconic event were to continue “it’ll have to be radically different … So the reality is there’s no way we’ll be able to repeat what we’ve done for the last 8 years ever again, and we’re not sure what the ‘go forward’ model will be.”
