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Australian festivals to receive $2.5m govt funding

Australian festivals are to benefit from A$2.5 million (€1.5m) in government funding under the latest round of the Live Music Australia programme.

A total of 37 live music festivals, reflecting a wide range of genres, organisations and audiences, will receive funding, with all states and territories covered.

As well as providing support to established festivals, the grants will also assist emerging and grassroots-level events. Among those to receive funding include Red Country Music Festival in Western Australia’s Pilbara region; Desert Harmony Festival in the Barkly region, Northern Territory; A Festival Called Panama in Tasmania; and GreazeFest in Queensland.

The Live Music Australia initiative aligns with the Australian Government’s National Cultural Policy, Revive, recognising the music sector as a vibrant part of the country’s arts and culture landscape.

The next round of funding through the scheme opens next month and will target small to medium live music venues.

“This funding injection provides a lifeline for live and local venues, artists and audiences at a very difficult time”

Meanwhile, the Malinauskas Labor government is providing $850,000 (€515,000) for new grants to support dedicated live music venues in South Australia through its See it LIVE programme.

Eligible venues will be able to apply for grants of up to $60,000 to host live music, with a focus on original content to attract patrons and create employment opportunities for local musicians, lighting and sound techs. To be eligible, venues must be a dedicated live music venue that regularly hosts live music performances, and have a permanent stage with live music as a significant part of their operations.

The Malinauskas government will also contribute a further $50,000 to bring more live music across the state during the 2024 Adelaide Fringe.

Grants of up to $2,500 will be made available to venues to host live music performances as part of the Fringe’s Fringe It Live programme, with successful venues also to be provided with free access to business support services.

“Times have never been tougher for independent live music venues and artists than what they are right now as the music ecosystem continues to recover from years of disruption and uncertainty,” says Christine Schloithe, chief executive of Music SA. “This funding injection provides a lifeline for live and local venues, artists and audiences at a very difficult time for South Australia’s music industry.”

 


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Adelaide’s The Drive to host live music after 13 years

Adelaide’s The Drive will once again host live music after a hiatus of 13 years, according to an announcement from Ticketmaster Australia and Tennis SA.

Following a recent $48 million redevelopment, the South Australia venue can now host concerts with up to 7,000 attendees.

Working alongside promoters Live Nation and Zaccaria, Sir Tom Jones will inaugurate the venue’s music programme in March 2024, followed by Incubus and +LIVE+ in the month after.

“It has been great to partner with AVM and Tennis SA to help bring live music back to The Drive. It is such a privilege for our team, and welcoming renowned artists such as Tom Jones, Incubus, and +LIVE+ as the inaugural performers is a fitting tribute to mark this historic occasion and this wonderful new music venue,” says Ticketmaster Australia managing director, Gavin Taylor.

“The anticipation among Adelaide’s fans for events of this calibre to grace The Drive once again has been incredible, and we are proud to be a part of it.”

“The anticipation among Adelaide’s fans for events of this calibre to grace The Drive once again has been incredible”

Tennis SA CEO, Debbie Sterrey, adds: “We are thrilled to announce the return of live music to The Drive. As part of the venue redevelopment, it has been our goal to see The Drive return to its former glory as a vibrant sporting, community and entertainment venue.”

“Those who have experienced the atmosphere at The Drive in the past have been waiting for the day that live music returns to the venue. We can’t wait to welcome Tom Jones, Incubus, and +LIVE+ as our opening acts.”

In July, it was announced that Ticketmaster Australia had formed a multi-year partnership with Tennis SA to ticket content for The Drive.

The Drive says it will work with Live Nation and other content providers to “ensure the continuous delivery of diversified content for the venue”.

 


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Australia’s Secret Sounds plans new rock festival

Secrets Sounds, the Live Nation-owned promoter behind Australian festivals Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festival, has announced a brand new annual rock festival.

Harvest Rock will debut on 19 and 20 November this year at Rymill & King Rodney Parks in Adelaide, South Australia.

Jack White and Kurt Vile will perform at the two-day event for what will be their only Australia shows this year.

They’re joined on the bill by Crowded House, The Black Crowes, Tones & I, Khruangbin, Groove Armada, Courtney Barnett, Sam Fender and Hot Chip.

“The inaugural Harvest Rock will bring both iconic and hot new international artists from around the world to downtown Adelaide, alongside an abundance of incredible talent from our own shores,” says Secret Sounds co-CEO and Harvest Rock producer Jessica Ducrou.

Jack White and Kurt Vile will perform at the two-day event for what will be their only Australia shows this year

“Presenting South Australia’s best in show food and wine offerings including cellar door pop-ups, a mash-up of chefs and musicians on our Feastiville Stage and Little Harvest for the kids, were excited to provide a festival with many different facets. We’re planning a good old-fashioned get-together with great music, food and wine, so come and experience Harvest Rock in all its glory.”

Events South Australia executive director Hitaf Rasheed adds: “The inaugural Harvest Rock in the heart of our city – the country’s only UNESCO City of Music – is going to be something to experience.

“It is fantastic that the festival also highlights our state’s world-class food and beverage, which will attract foodies to sample some of our finest produce in a unique atmosphere. This announcement is another example of events in South Australia returning, bigger and better than ever, with Harvest Rock set to be a staple in festival-goers’ calendars for many years to come.”

The Lumineers, The Avalanches, Genesis Owusu, The Living End, Cat Power, You Am I, Meg Mac, Marlon Williams, Holy Holy, Alex Cameron, Ruby Fields and Alien Stone are also set to perform at Harvest Rock.

Last month, Secret Sounds acquired Kicks Entertainment, a premier Australian event management company that founded Foreshore Festival, Warehouse Festival and flagship festival Spilt Milk.

 


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$10m boost for South Australia’s live music scene

A new AU$10 million government scheme has been launched to support the recovery of South Australia’s music scene.

The See it Live Music Package includes a range of grants, a voucher scheme, mental health support programmes, financing for venue upgrades, a live music advisory council and an events cancellation fund to help the industry bounce back from the Covid crisis.

The Live Music and Event Cancellation Fund, which will be available from July, provides financial assistance of between $10,000 and $250,000 if an event or live music performance is cancelled or rescheduled due to the introduction of Covid-19 restrictions.

“We’re determined to see this industry recover, rebuild and get our musicians back to doing what they do best”

“We’re determined to see this industry recover, rebuild and get our musicians back to doing what they do best,” says South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas. “This industry is a huge supporter of jobs and small business right across our State, to get the scene back and booming will provide more work and a greater injection into our economy.”

Applications have opened for event grants of between $5,000 and $50,000 for SA-based promoters, organisations and businesses to help meet costs, along with venue improvement grants of $5,000 and e-vouchers worth $400 each for venues to host live music.

Meanwhile, $250,000 will be provided to the Support Act music industry charity, which offers a free, confidential phone counselling service staffed by psychologists. The funding will also ensure South Australian music workers have access to a range of industry specific prevention, education and training programmes.

“Live music and performance venues are an important part of South Australia’s economy”

In addition, a $500,000 grant will see live music return to the Royal Adelaide Show’s programme for the first time in 20 years and will feature South Australian and Indigenous artists. The plan also includes the establishment of the Premier’s Live Music Advisory Council, which will bid to leverage the participants’ collective industry connections and expertise.

“South Australia is rebounding, and we want to do everything we can to come back better than before,” adds Adelaide-based MP Andrea Michaels. “Live music and performance venues are an important part of South Australia’s economy and integral to the development and employment of our talented local artists.

“Through these grants we hope to see a whole new calendar of live gigs and festivals during 2022 and 2023, offering audiences a great opportunity to get along to a music performance. Music events in venues, laneways, and public spaces will enrich our state and attract visitors boosting local businesses.”

 


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Organisers of cancelled Oz fest lament $5m loss

Organisers of Australia’s HomeBrewed festival say the event’s cancellation has resulted in a negative economic impact of AUS$5 million (€3.2m).

Promoted by the team behind the city’s established Beer & BBQ Festival (BBF), artists due to perform at the festival included Bad//Dreems, Teenage Joans, Luke Million, Peter Combe and Horror My Friend.

HomeBrewed, which attracted 10,000 punters to its inaugural edition last year, was set for Adelaide Showground from 21-23 January, but has now been axed due to Covid restrictions – including rules banning “vertical consumption” (drinking while standing) dancing – in South Australia will remain in place until at least 27 January.

“The BBF team have been working hard on this event for several months and have been excited to present a Covid-safe festival by following the guidelines that were set to come into place on 28 December in line with the government of South Australia’s 90% vaccinated re-opening plan,” says event director Gareth Lewis in a social media post.

“This plan has obviously been quashed and instead has been replaced with heavy restrictions for South Australian events indefinitely, at least until 27 January, which includes a ban on ‘vertical consumption’ and dancing, amongst other things – even at fully-vaccinated events.”

The constantly changing goalposts and inconsistency of any real financial support, coupled with total lack of empathy or respect, has led to the destruction of businesses and livelihoods

Lewis notes that South Australia is the only state or territory in Australia whose restrictions would not allow the event to safely proceed.

“We simply can’t run HomeBrewed in a seated format, and a postponement into a time where we would be competing with the beasts that are Adelaide Festival, Adelaide Fringe and WOMADelaide is simply not viable,” he adds.

Breaking down the losses, organisers told The Music that local businesses have missed out on $1,6m in revenue streams and put the overall economic impact lost at upwards of $5m.

“Our industry desperately wants to get back to work in a safe format but the constantly changing goalposts and inconsistency of any real financial support coupled with total lack of empathy or respect has led to the destruction of businesses and livelihoods, the degradation of mental health to the point of costing lives and will now take years if not decades to recover,” adds Lewis.

“We call on the government to engage with the events and hospitality industries, end the state of emergency, develop a proper events insurance scheme as other states have, give us a clear roadmap and stick to it so we can plan for the future.”

 


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$3m funding boost for South Australian live sector

South Australia’s live music scene has received a boost courtesy of a AUS$3 million (€1.9m) government support package.

Up to $300,000 will be available for venues and promoters, via the Live Music Support Package, along with up to $50,000 for touring artists and their local crews, if they can demonstrate a decline in income compared to pre-Covid-19 levels.

Premier Steve Marshall made the announcement as part of a $7m commitment to the arts, reports The Music Network.

“[They] have been some of the hardest hit industries by the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated restrictions that were necessary to ensure South Australians stayed safe,” he says.

“As we get closer to the reopening of our borders to interstate and international travellers, it is imperative that our arts and cultural organisations, live music venues, artists and promoters are in a position to resume operating as soon as the restrictions lift.

“The Marshall government is committed to the arts and music sector and creating and supporting as many jobs in the industry as possible – and this package shows our support.”

We are all looking forward to seeing the industry flourish again

Minister for innovation and skills David Pisoni adds: “South Australian businesses in the music and performing arts sector directly contributed more than $183 million to the local economy in 2018-19 prior to Covid-19 and we are all looking forward to seeing the industry flourish again.”

It was not all good news for the sector, however, which has been lobbying to return to full-strength in time for the December-February summer season. Music venues were left out of the state’s latest roadmap out of Covid restrictions as they were still considered “high risk”, with “density limits, mask use and bans on dancing and standing up while drinking” set to continue until the state reaches 90% vaccination.

According to the government’s vaccine rollout update, 62.5% of the country’s population are now fully vaccinated. Last month, Australia’s live industry came together to launch a pro-vaccination campaign under the banner #Vaxthenation.

Meanwhile, a recent study found that Covid-19 stripped Australia’s live entertainment industry of AUS$1.4 billion in revenue during 2020.

 


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Australian states take differing stance on live’s return

Live music may return in varying degrees across Australia this week, as the country’s six states advance with differing reopening plans.

In Western Australia, home to the city of Perth, indoor and outdoor gatherings of up to 100 people will be permitted from Saturday (6 June), as the state embarks on phase three of its reopening plan, which makes specific mention to the reopening of concert venues.

Large venues “with multiple, divided spaces” may host up to 300 people, provided no more than 100 gather in each space and there is two square metres per person.

Although “excited” by the easing of restrictions, Mike Harris, CEO of local music body West Australian Music, calls on the state government to rescind the requirement for seating at live music venues, which “does not reflect or represent the places where most music is played, making compliance with this restriction logistically and financially challenging for many”.

South Australia, which includes the city of Adelaide, this week began allowing a maximum of 80 people to gather at a venue, with any separate room or area containing a maximum of 20 people, subject to a one-person-per-four-square-metres rule.

Under the state government’s “future steps for consideration” is the allowing of larger gatherings and reopening of stadiums and larger entertainment venues.

Live music may return in varying degrees across Australia this week, as the country’s six states advance with differing reopening plans

The government in New South Wales, which has been criticised for its lack of support for the cultural sector and information around its reopening, recently dedicated $50m (€30.7m) to arts and cultural organisations, with expected beneficiaires including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia, Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Sydney Theatre Company.

Pubs, clubs, small bars and restaurants in NSW were permitted to open for up to 50 customers this week, although all other indoor entertainment venues are to remain closed for now.

This has not stopped music returning to the state’s biggest city, Sydney, where the Bondi Beach Public Bar is relaunching its Friday and Saturday night DJ sets this weekend.

In the neighbouring state of Victoria, where AU$4m (€2.4m) was recently earmarked for the live music sector as part of a $150m (€88.2m) experience economy aid package, concert venues, theatres, arenas, auditoriums and stadiums are to open with up to 50 seated patrons from 21 June.

Queensland, home to Brisbane, is this week allowing up to 20 people in concert venues, theatres, arenas and stadiums, with this number set to increase to 100 from 10 July.

Australia’s island state of Tasmania is also reintroducing gatherings of up to 20 people in theatres and concert venues this week. From 13 July, 50 people will be allowed at indoor venus and up to 100 at outdoor shows. The state will also “consider” the reopening of night clubs from this date.

 


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