Live music to play major role in Victoria’s first tourism push in six years

The Melbourne live music community has responded with excitement to the news that the Victorian Government’s new tourism campaign to draw more interstate visitors will have live music as a key feature.

The campaign, called A Twist at Every Turn, will feature the city’s late-night venues, music festivals, record bars and jazz hangouts along with laneways as AC/DC Lane and Hosier Lane.

Theatre and performance, sporting events, bars fashion & shopping, dining and parks and gardens will also be part of the campaign on TV, cinemas and social media.

Visit Victoria CEO Peter Bingeman explains that the name “reflects how visitors experience Melbourne’s many personas – serious, playful, quiet, dramatic, and full to the brim of cultural and sporting heroics. Every visit yields something new, different, exciting and unexpected.”

Music Victoria CEO Patrick Donovan tells TMN, “Music Victoria is thrilled that Visit Victoria is promoting live music as one of its key branding pillars.

“Every state in Australia can offer sport, wildlife, food, fashion and theatre, but Victoria is the only state with 400 plus venues and 350 festivals with music and this enhanced branding will result in more visitors and drive audiences and profile for Victorian artists.”

He adds, “We have been highlighting the diverse offering music contributes to the visitor experience for a number of years.

“Part of that offering is the diversity of music and venues so we expect that will play a big part in the campaign.”

James Young, owner of Cherry Bar and Yah Yah’s, and booker for the Yarraville Club responds, “It’s been long overdue, and I applaud the Government for finally incorporating Melbourne’s live music scene as a tourism drawcard.

“Sydney is just a one-dimensional city with just the Opera House. Melbourne is three-dimensional because of its thriving laneways and late night rock venues.

“It’s impossible to start a new venue in Melbourne these days, so any action to preserve and protect the existing ones can only be a good thing.”

Providing intestate exposure to Melbourne’s venues also has a long-term effect on its acts.

“Unless they’re lucky enough to get triple j, emerging bands like Drunk Mums, Child and TOMGIRL will find that when they tour intestate they’d already have got a groundswell of support from music visitors who’ve seen them in Melbourne and want to see them again when they visit their towns.”

Patrick Donovan also sees another long-term impact from the campaign.

“Music is the soundtrack to the creative industries -people in Victoria demand music at every experience so we expect to see more live music at sporting events, fashion shows, museum and art gallery exhibitions.”

Part of A Twist at Every Turn will be to attract major entertainment and sports events to Melbourne to drive bookings.

Interstate visitors make up the largest market of visitation to Melbourne, with 5.4 million people visiting and spending $4.3 billion in the 12 months to June.

Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren said yesterday, “This huge new tourism campaign will bring thousands of extra visitors from around the country – boosting local businesses and creating Victorian jobs.

“Melbourne is the best place in the world to live, work and visit – and this new campaign is a gentle reminder of that to our friends across the border.”