Dancing is back but things are still looking dire for the Aus Music Industry!!

Just last week Old 505 theater announced their closure due to the ongoing pandemic, the restrictions placed on venues & the lack of support from the NSW & Aus government. Kerri , the owner of 505 & a good friend of ours, wrote a very poignant article for the Herald that perfectly sums up the situation.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/another-venue-bites-the-dust-while-the-sound-of-silence-echoes-through-nsw-20210310-p579g0.html?btis&fbclid=IwAR0ap7xh-cjwS9ZRiP9z7JqgsmrTV99Ko4t8u4Xjy4feVLIJEbFxnmlBqHo

We have presented hundreds of performances a year, supporting thousands of artists, welcoming hundreds of thousands of audience members. Despite the cultural and economic contribution our sector makes we remain invisible to Perrottet.

The Treasurer argued the most vulnerable sectors post-JobKeeper would be construction, manufacturing, administration and tourism. There was no mention of the event and performance industry anywhere or the $16 billion we collectively contribute to the national economy. Live music is currently operating at a tiny fraction of its usual capacity, events remain nearly non-existent and many venues have not opened since their forced closures last March.” Kerri Glasscock – The Sydney Morning Herald

Coinciding with this article, on Monday the ALMBC put out a national call to save our Industry. With the release of some very harrowing statistics after their most recent members survey, ALMBC outlined the key struggles that music industry is currently facing.

“ALMBC Executive General Manager, Craig Spann, said that with JobKeeper destined to finish at the end of March, it was critical that the industry is supported in getting back to business.
 
He said that the recovery must be focussed on the thousands of venues across the country that not only provide platforms for artists to perform, but are the backbone of the national live music industry – employing staff and crew while supporting a diverse range of small to medium businesses.” – ALMBC Newsletter
 
“The perception that live music is back disguises the devastating reality facing our industry,” he says. “Those shows that are being presented are hampered by restrictions and crowd limits making them unprofitable and unsustainable, with many venues running at well under half their usual capacity for the indefinite future.
 
“Meanwhile, national tours have not been feasible since March last year. Snap lockdowns and wildly varied quarantine conditions have robbed the industry of confidence while also losing revenue and increasing costs – losses are significant and are putting our industry even further behind as we try to recover.
 
“Our hands are tied with Government policy preventing us from getting back to work supporting our employees and the thousands of small businesses around the country that are integral to the industry.”

All this comes now as NSW announces that dancing in venues & clubs will return next Monday 29th March, albeit still at 50% capacity (1 per 2qm) unless seated.

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet described the easing of restrictions as a “stride in the right direction”. “We are pretty much back to normal and that’s a great thing for the people of our state,” Though are we really?

It seems the government needs to realise that easing these restrictions days before jobkeeper ends will not fix things in an instant. The Aus Music industry need to be recognised for its economic and cultural contribution & if it is not, it wont be long before it disappears!