Crisis meeting over Perth music venues sparks change

A public meeting on Monday night to discuss pressing issues facing Perth’s live music venues has led to the formation of an association that will serve as a lobby group.

Another direct result of the gathering was that politicians in attendance promised to push for greater support for contemporary live music in their policies.

A steering committee for the association will be announced in the next week, said Dave Cutbush, Director of national touring company Life Is Noise who convened the gathering under the name Perth Venue Action.

Cutbush told TMN, “It was a very good meeting, the turnout was strong. There was a lot of enthusiasm and passion, the discussion was frank, and we came up with some vital initiatives on the night on how to make it easier for new venues to start and for the established ones to keep operating.”

The crisis meeting was called in the wake of apprehension that The Bakery (pictured) in Northbridge is closing on May 9 and Devilles Pad in Perth City on March 2. Ya Ya’s in Northbridge brought down its shutters after five years in late 2014. There was a question mark over Fremantle’s Fly By Night after it was told to vacate its home of 28 years in mid-March. As reported in TMN this week, the City of Fremantle has offered it an alternate venue.

Over 300 gathered at the Bakery. The panel included Cutbush, musician Abbe May, Andrew Ryan (owner of Mojo’s and Director of Cool Perth Nights), Luke Rinald (artist manager and Director of Sweetmate Music booking agency), peak music association WAM’s CEO Mike Harris, Jason Cleary (General Manager of RTRFM 92.1) and Bob Gordon (Editor of X-Press). The panel was chaired by hip hop artist MC Mathias.

A key point was how expensive it is to start and operate live music venues in Perth. May was concerned there are no small venues where young acts can cut their teeth. Rinaldi proposed that production costs in venues be subsidised by the State Government. Harris emphasised the importance of audience activation and the role WAM could play in engaging with younger audiences to encourage them to attend local gigs and venues.

Also highlighted was the need for all levels of Government to take an increasing role in the survival of small to midsized venues – whether it was to snip red tape hindering the start-up of new venues, or opening up empty buildings like The Gasworks and Rechabites Hall for live music, or looking at introducing the Agent of Change policy similar to Melbourne’s, which prevents new residents from complaining after moving into neighbourhoods with established venues.

A motion was put forward for the Government to help fund a new or refurbished 600 capacity inner city venue to replace The Bakery.

Attending the meeting, alongside musicians, venue operators, agents, music media, artist managers and punters were Ben Wyatt (State Shadow Treasurer), Rita Saffioti (State Shadow Planning spokesperson), Simone McGurk (Member for Fremantle) and Reece Harley (City of Perth). The Minister for Culture and the Arts, John Day, and representatives of the Department of Culture & Arts and MRA were invited but did not attend.

Government representatives in attendance were “very favourable” in bringing contemporary live music more into policy, and to make it a key issue in the state elections in two years’ time, Cutbush confirmed to TMN.

The Perth Needs More Music And Arts Venues Facebook already has just under 3,000 supporters. That is expected to rise as the Perth music community continues to mobilize as an enthusiastic force and initiate changes the way communities did in cities in other parts of the country to protect their live music scenes.