OPINION: New liquor laws in WA mean reform or perish for live music

There is clear intent from both state government and bureaucrats to see changes to Western Australia’s Liquor Licensing Act. This on the surface is good; the challenge is to ensure that the reform will benefit those industries most needing that change – particularly when it comes to live music.

The big question is, do the most recent changes benefit live music?

The advancement of live music is a secondary objective of the Act, so this is a fair ask… and expectation. The reality is that it doesn’t harm the prospects of live music, but whether it advances the needs of music is debatable.

I’m not going to mention the Melbourne hipsters Premier Mark McGowan referred to, as that has no bearing on this at all. (Though I’m sure the single origin cold brew or hand-pressed kombucha is much better in Perth!) However, it was disappointing that most media reduced its coverage to that almost throwaway issue, and not as to who gets to determine licence approvals and why.

Yes to police. Yes to health. Yes to tourism now being included. But why not include a stakeholder with a music interest to contribute to licensing decisions, and to promote the importance of live music to the state?

Around the time of last year’s WAMFest Live, new live venue The Sewing Room opened its doors. The licensing process took almost two years – this is unacceptably too long. And such a protracted application process can’t be about public interest, as the public clearly wants to have a broad suite of entertainment options and high amongst those options is live music.

What the current approach to licensing allows is for a raft of pop-up bars to seemingly slide easily into this space. Which isn’t a problem in itself, other than some seem to become fixtures rather than true, short-term pop-ups.

People love pop-up bars, and some of these venues do support live music. But the playing field isn’t even. With a view towards a sustainable, vibrant and progressive live music scene, what’s needed is a critical mass of live venues (of all sizes) operating year-round. That way pop-up bars, festivals and Council events are all part of the ecosystem atop of that solid venue base.

The economic modelling WAM did withEdith Cowan University in 2016 valued the WA music sector at just under $1 billion. And in the changing environment that music is created, consumed and monetised, playing live is crucial to an artist’s ability to ply their trade. The pathway requires venues of varying capacities and capabilities tonurture that journey from nervously setting foot on stage for the first time, through to world domination.

Yes, the democratisation – to some extent – of WA’s licensing laws is a good thing, as it allows greater input into decision making, and it may be a big ask for specific live music representation in considering licence applications. But whatever the mechanism for decision-making and whichever parties are involved, there needs to be a way to actively support growth in the live music sector.

It is not only liquor licensing laws that need (further) reform – there is a slew of local, state and federal legislation that can, with a combined will, serve to better support live music. Primarily, the development of specific entertainment precincts that allow venues a higher degree of protection against frivolous,usually one-off complainants is essential. This could be in conjunction with Agent of Change legislation, but it needs noting that Agent of Change is not, in and of itself, the answer to protecting WA’s live music scene.

Noise. In-fill. Gentrification. Land values. Even gastro pubs! These are all out to get us, and if the government doesn’t act soon we will wake up one day with no venues left. I will give credit where its due – the WA state government is listening and actively looking to work with WAM on these issues, but we need to have this public dialogue to ensure a legacy outcome.

The solution is, in reality, a simple one. Make it easier for live music venues to open and remain open, and couple this with programs that address audience development (probably the most crucial issue facing the music sector) which would see WA music exposed to more and more people.

Thatcombination should see live music thrive and grow: organically and sustainably.

Mike Harris is the chief executive officer of West Australian Music (WAM), the peak industry body responsible for supporting, nurturing and growing contemporary music in WA.