Industry praises City of Sydney for “well thought out” live music strategy

The City of Sydney’s latest launch of new music funding – as reported in TMN yesterday – has sent a positive vibe through the city’s live sector.

Aside from new funding totalling $1.35m over three years for live music, performance and nightlife, it also unveiled the recipients of the latest round of grants as well as plans for a Sound Solutions forum and policy reviews of busking and the Liquor and Gaming NSW community impact statement.

“We want Sydney to have a thriving nightlife that we can all be proud of – one that works for people who live here and visitors alike,” said City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.

“The City does a huge amount to support the music industry, often behind the scenes, and investing in the industry through these grants will be the most visible and direct work we’ve done yet. It’s a major new initiative and we’re excited about it.

“The City of Sydney is home to the largest night-time economy in Australia. Since 2009, our night-time economy has grown by 28 per cent and is now worth $3.6 billion to the local economy, fuelled by an estimated 4,608 businesses and 32,411 jobs.

“This new program of matching grants will further stimulate business activity and add to the social and cultural life of inner-Sydney.”

John Wardle of the Sydney-based Live Music Office agrees.

“We see this as a stimulus package investing in activating the city, with categories that are well thought out and aligned,” he says, praising the behind-the-scene advocacy and consultation work that leads to such measures being successfully launched.

“This is where the artists and the venues get to see a direct benefit, and supports rebuilding the narrative around the city’s 24 hour economy as well as music and hospitality industry confidence, many of which are small businesses.”

“It will be welcome to see the headlines shifting to seeing the city providing sound attenuation and programming support to venues to counter some of the negative messages that can happen from time to time,” Wardle adds.

Many artist managers and venue operators contacted echoed sentiments expressed last week in TMN by venue booker Matt Rule, who said that the Sydney scene is undergoing a renaissance, especially in the Inner West, and that the scene was the “strongest it’s been in 20 years”.

Gregg Donovan, co-director of Wonderlick, says the initiatives come as “there’s been an upswing in the scene” with more extensions for lock-out zone venues and the successful return of the Lansdowne.

For Donovan, it’s the revitalisation of the smaller venues that is most encouraging.

“When Goodgod closed, we lost an important entry-level venue, and we’ve suffered for that, because Sydney doesn’t have many of those, unlike Melbourne.

“For a young act, it’s about building a career from starting from small room to a larger one to an even larger one.

“Entry level rooms, where you start building up your following, are very important in the cycle.

“So invigorating that scene creates optimism, provided of course that the rooms are run by people who are passionate about the music and willing to use bookers with experience.”

Hannah Crofts, Executive Producer at Music NSW, pointed out, “The most exciting aspect is that the music industry went to the City of Sydney with our needs, and it was acted upon.

“It’s a lesson for the music industry that you can communicate with the City of Sydney and you can be heard.”

A significant step forward for all-ages events sees Music NSW and the City working in conjunction on the All Ages Access grants.

These are designed to encourage venues, booking agents, musicians and artist managers to present more all-ages shows in Inner Sydney.

“I have no idea how you can expect the music industry of the future to exist if under-18 fans are not educated to go out to see gigs, enjoy them, be part of them and to stage them,” says Crofts, herself a member of All Our Exes Live In Texas who found her passion for music sparked at under-age gigs in Melbourne.

“These are very important events.”

But wait, there’s more

Also announced this week were recipients of a number of existing grants to stage initiatives to revitalise the performance scene.

Among them were:

• $30,000 for Freda’s in Chippendale to turn its basement into Down / Under Space to feature emerging acts from all mediums including music;

• $16,750 to Heaps Decent Ltd for a program of free weekly music production workshops for young people focusing on song writing, electronic music composition, recording and performance at Redfern Community Centre and Key College in Redfern;

• $10,000 for The Music And Booze Company for King Street Crawl, a live music and performance art festival in and around King Street Newtown;

• $8,000 for Wingdings & Things to present Volumes 2017, a series of live music performances and creative art exhibitions at venues around Oxford Square.

As part of the Contemporary Music Roundtablein early August, The City also has teamed with Music Australia to hold Sound Solutions: Music Forum for Cities.

It will look at the challenges that venues have in terms of volume and noise complaints, and come up with solutions.

Convened by the City’s Strategy Advisor for Live Music and Association of Artist Managers Executive Director Leanne de Souza, the panel includes event producer Kat Dopper, Brisbane environmental protection officer Frank Henry, Murdoch University sound lecturer Dr Jos Mulder and Melbourne venue owner Jon Perring.

Image: Freda’s