SydneyMusic To Shut Down: 'We Can Not Go Any Further'
"We had hoped that we would make it through a difficult period, but it has become clear that we can not go any further," a statement from the SydneyMusic team reads.
SydneyMusic.net (Source: Screenshot of the SydneyMusic.net website)
Sydney-based gig guide and music publication SydneyMusic.net will close in two weeks (15 June) after facing a “difficult period.”
SydneyMusic launched in March 2022 as a resource to promote local musical communities in Sydney. A not-for-profit organisation, the website (and social media presence) has been operated by a team of volunteers. It was co-founded by Joe Hardy (Project and Technology Direction), Will McKinnon (Art Direction and Web Design), and Caitlin Welsh (Content Direction).
SydneyMusic is an essential resource operated by a small team that’s revitalised the city’s live music scene. It provides a weekly gig guide of all the local music happening in Sydney, allowing punters, including those not so plugged into the local scene, to know what’s happening in their city, and where.
The gig guide, compiled by a team of dedicated researchers, reveals the name of the artists, the venue, and the time the doors open. It also has a tag for free gigs, and provides more information for each concert.
Under the Venues tab, SydneyMusic notes all the venues that have been operating since the website’s inception in 2022. You can scroll by suburb and find the gig listings at each venue.
The website also features a merch store and a section for longer reads, including updates about SydneyMusic, interviews with local artists, and other interesting features. SydneyMusic celebrated its third anniversary in March.
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The news about SydneyMusic’s closure was shared on social media on Wednesday (4 June). The statement reads:
We’re saddened to report that SydneyMusic.net is ceasing operations and will no longer be online from Monday, the 15th of June. We had hoped that we would make it through a difficult period, but it has become clear that we can not go any further.
In the last 38 months we have researched and listed over 16,000 live music events. Every day we are told by readers that they have been inspired to go and see more live music than they otherwise would have because of our resource.
Thank you to every one of our supporters that has helped us to get as far as we did.
The limited remaining funds in the organisation will be focused on transition and ensuring the organisation winds up well.
We love our live music community. We have learned countless amounts about the beautiful, wonderful noise that comes from our diverse and multifaceted local music ecosystem. We’re grateful for the opportunity to shine a light on as much of it as we could uncover.
Sydney music forever.
Joe, Caitlin and Will.
In another post, shared today (5 June), the SydneyMusic team revealed that they’ll keep operating until later this month and encouraged readers to keep going to gigs.
“We want to be clear: We’ll be running up until we’re not! Our dedicated gig researchers are still punching in new shows - if you’ve got one coming up that’s not listed (ctrl+F on the site to check!) please let us know so it can be captured in the data and available to punters in our last days of operation,” the notice reads.
The statement continues, “You can save gigs by tapping the hearts, copy and paste your lists, and don’t forget the add to calendar button. It’s so helpful to buy tickets to gigs ahead of time, so do us a favour and grab tix to something today, whether it’s this weekend or two months away. Save free gigs you’re excited about and set reminders or add to calendar. Gather your crew to go and see a front bar show by a band you’ve never heard of. The best gig of your life could be the next one.”
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