Perth live music survey: 90% call for venues to be protected

90% of those responding to a study by the newly formed Perth Venue Action (PVA) were adamant that venues should be protected so they can continue to be launching pads for new acts.

Other issues raised from the survey were the need for Perth to get more entertainment precincts, and that the local live music industry should lobby for these – along with planning and liquor licensing reform and government funding.

The PVA’s Live Music Survey was set up online for two months to give venues an insight to what was important to their patrons, and a greater perspective on the challenges of the Perth live music industry.

The PVA was formed in February as a response to the closures of major venues as The Bakery, The Fly By Night, Devilles Pad, Ya Ya’s, The Beat and Kulcha. A meeting on February 23 drew an unexpectedly high turn-out of musicians, promoters, venue owners, managers, academics, bureaucrats and politicians.

The online survey was held for 61 days from April and drew 609 responses. The average recipient was aged 25 to 34 with a full time job. Most (52.4%) went to a club at least three times a month, with 31.7% attending four to six times a month. Their average spend at a gig was $60. Most preferred alt-rock and rock, followed by punk/hardcore, EDM and acoustic/roots. They found out about gigs mostly through social media, word of mouth and online.

According to the Live Music Survey, 80% believed the industry should lobby for legislative change, particularly for an Agent of Change principle like Melbourne’s to protect venues from new residential developments.

75% wanted an education and promotion of the local scene. The PVA identified these “as a campaign about noise regulation, a petition to keep an existing venue alive, a how-to on housing live music or something as simple as promoting a venue doing great things. We believe that this is a service that Perth Venue Action can provide.”

Of other initiatives suggested by the PVA, just under 70% thought it important to develop the audience, 60% to develop under-age gigs (which had to be set up by authorities as most promoters rely on the profit of serving alcohol) and 60% agreed there should be a state-subsidised medium sized venue.

Asked what drew them to a venue, over 90% confirmed it was the act performing. A venue’s sound, lighting and ambience was important to 85%, price of entry to 80.9% and the price of alcohol to 64.5%.

Access to public transport (69.1%) proved a more popular criteria than parking facilities (39.1%).

The PVA summed up, “These results highlighted the importance of making venues accessible via public transport. However, due to the rising cost of commercial property and influx of residential property in and around the CBD, it is becoming harder for venues to settle themselves in easy to reach locations. It is important for the Department of Planning to set up entertainment zones (or cultural hubs) in appropriate locations around the greater Perth region to allow for venues to set up in accessible areas.”

Current unofficial entertainment zones are Northbridge, CBD, North Perth, Mount Lawley, Leedervlle, Fremantle and North Fremantle. Possible precincts were identified as Maylands, Victoria Park, Subiaco, Claremont, Midland and Guilford.

The case for more precincts was consolidated by the fact that when patrons are not at a live gig, they are out having dinner or are in a bar, followed by going to movies, other art events and theatre.

With this data, the PVA suggested that setting up entertainment precincts would allow “arts and live music businesses to work along side one another in a complementary environment. Creating an area where patrons can travel to one place and access various entertainment and culinary facilities within walking distance will encourage more people to visit the vicinity.”