Though Sydney’s venues have been suffering under oppressive new lockout and curfew laws introduced in February, the city’s live music scene is set to gain major support from local council in a bid to revive its ailing culture.
Last Monday, a meeting held by the Cultural & Community Committee met to discuss the adoption of 57 key recommendations to improve Sydney’s live music sector as outlined in the “groundbreaking” Live Music Matters action plan.
First introduced last November by Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore and her Sydney Live Music Taskforce, the 74-page Live Music Matters report detailed a ream of legislative changes, financial plans, and strategies to better improve relations between noise complaining residents, venues, and musicians.
By the conclusion of Monday’s council meeting, the committee unanimously endorsed all 57 Live Music Matters recommendations, as The Music reports, with Lord Mayor Moore pushing for the live music revival as the report is moved through council and formally implemented.
“We’re already working to open our Town Halls and community centres so that young people have space to practice. Soon we’ll be changing parking restrictions to make sure musicians can get their gear in and out of venues more easily,” Ms. Moore tells The Music. “Sydney’s music industry is at a tipping point and this is urgent.”
“We’ll be developing a process to help artists hold performances in non-traditional spaces. And we’ll be working with the NSW and Australian Governments to make changes to licensing laws, funding, and visa restrictions on visiting artists.”
Labor Councillor Linda Scott, who urged for the public to attend Monday’s meeting and help her in “fighting the fun police and supporting live music”, says that the next major step is in securing funding for the plan through the 2014/15 federal budget in May.
“Only a combination of the recommendations will create an environment where [live music] is sustainable,” said the Labor Councillor. “Sydney’s music industry is at a tipping point and this is urgent.”
Of Sydney’s 2,200 registered liquor licensed venues, a measly 143 of them (just 6%) have a live music license, according to research in the Live Music Matters paper, described as “the first serious attempt to actually fix the labyrinth of red tape affecting music and arts venues” by Dr Ianto Ware last November.
View the full Live Music Matters report here or view some of the 57 key recommendations from the 74 page report below:
- Simplifying the approval process for low impact live music and performances;
- Providing financial help for infrastructure and capital costs to encourage new and existing venues to present live music and performance;
- Using indoor and outdoor City properties as live music and performance venues by improving sound, lighting and seating;
- Making City-owned community properties available as rehearsal space;
- Working with neighbouring councils and the NSW Government to establish a new major outdoor event space for the Sydney area;
- Creating a City of Sydney live music and performance liaison officer;
- Exploring changes to the liquor freeze for venues that have live music and entertainment as their primary purpose;
- Setting new sound proofing standards for new residential developments;
- Amending parking rules so musicians and performers can unload equipment regardless of vehicle type;
- Meeting the increased demand from young people for live music by increasing the frequency of all ages events;
- Finding better ways to deal with complaints from neighbours including mediation.
The news of the proposed Sydney live music revival arrives as Melbourne undergoes its own music industry push. Music Victoria issued its own action plan last week, urging the implementation of 19 key recommendations to the Victoria Government to cut back red tape, greater funding assistance, updating building cods, and more.
Meanwhile, Tone Deaf spoke to Music Victoria CEO Patrick Donovan about the 7 simple things Australian punters can do to better support live music.
The Melbourne recommendations similarly arrive against an equally severe tipping point, with news that the long-fought battle for Melbourne’s Palace Theatre has reached a bitter conclusion as its operators confirm the 2,000 capacity venue will shut its doors this May.
(Photo: Liam Cameron. Source: Miami Horror @ Oxford Art Factory)
