Greens ‘Disrupt’ Garrett Speech On Live Music

Live music tensions between the Labor and Greens political parties flared in Sydney recently when representatives from the Greens were accused of disrupting a speech by Federal Minister and Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett.

The Federal Minister has joined Sydney councillor Linda Scott at Surry Hills' Play Bar on Friday as part of the party's Labor Loves Live Music campaign. The venue has found itself in the middle of a political scrap after the office of Greens Senator Lee Rihannon – located directly above the bar – made noise complaints against the venue.

Addressing an intimate crowd at the venue, which included Sounds Australia's Ianto Ware and live music campaigned John Wardle, a distinct and rhythmic stamping sound started as the venue's owner began to talk and continued through Garrett's speech.

“I'm not sure about the marching boots above us here,” he said. “Don't let me at the end of a long week, four days in the parliament and now Friday start getting into the historical analogies of those marching feet – I won't do that.”

The 'marching feet' subsided following the speeches, when band Endangered Species began to perform.

After tweeting about the unfolding drama at the event, theMusic.com.au's sister Sydney publication The Drum Media was accused of taking sides with the venue.

“We're actually having a farewell for a staff member of 10 years,” Marrickville Greens councillor Melissa Brooks tweeted. “Would be great if you could stop running Darcy's [Lerichhardt Mayor Darcy Byrne] talking points.”

Invited into the farewell above, representatives from the office – including Senator Rihannon – told theMusic.com.au that they weren't intentionally stamping, and that the noise must have been a coincidence from their own acoustic performance by former iNsuRge member Chris Dubrow, whose farewell was organised six weeks prior.

“I definitely stamp when I play,” Dubrow said when he positioned himself with his acoustic.

Lee echoed her previous line to theMusic that she was a supporter of live music and that her issues with the noise regulation were in regards to the recommendation from a Development Assessment Report that the floor/ceiling be upgraded to concrete. While theMusic spent ten minutes at the office at approximately 9.30pm on Friday the bass from the band below could be felt through the floor.

Rihannon said she was willing to work with Labor to end the dispute, but claimed she had not known about the function below until earlier that day.

“If Lee's trying to make a private call, she can't have this [noise],” Brooks told theMusic.

@drummedia We're actually having a farewell for a staff member of 10 years. Would be great if you could stop running Darcy's talking points.

— Melissa Brooks (@melissacbrooks) May 31, 2013

Lee Rhiannon's staff banging on the floor 2 protest against support event 4 PlayBar below. Un-freakin-believable. #funpolice #livemusic

— Darcy Byrne (@MayorDarcy) May 31, 2013

@drummedia @pgarrettmp just to be clear @leerhiannon 's office were partying for my leaving.was jamming with my acoustic.

— Chris Dubrow (@chrisdubrow) May 31, 2013

Live Music Message Overshadowed

The 'stamping' drama overshadowed what was meant to be a day of support for the Sydney live music scene. Just hours prior it had been revealed that the Oscars Hotel group had purchased the Annandale Hotel and intend to continue live entertainment, bringing an end to a week of speculation.

In his speech Garrett said, “To gather together in a place where we can enjoy one another's company and listen to the fruits of their creative expression, this is what this place [Play Bar] is all about. It provides an opportunity for artists to be heard, to do their thing, to give the people sitting in the room something of themselves, a bit of the soul of humanity that happens every time someone creates a bit of music or performance in any venue.

“And what's happened in Sydney over the last decade is that we've had less and less places for people to gather and hear the talent and be with community and get that expression, which makes us very human.”

Councillor Scott, who had organised the Labor Loves Live Music function, said that the live music taskforce was still developing and she was hopeful that its recommendations would be adopted by council.