Believe It Or Not, The City Of Sydney Says It Wants To Help Live Music Succeed

The City Of Sydney is joining forces with local industry leaders to hold a free seminar designed to aid businesses beyond traditional venues to support live music.

The seminar, Bringing In The Music, will feature Riversdale Group guru Richie Haines (who has overseen redevelopment of several properties including The Toxteth, Vic On The Park and Brisbane's Foundry) alongside Young Henrys co-founder and brewer Richard Adamson and Damian Cunningham of the Live Music Office.

"It’s essential to have a good understanding of what’s involved with hosting live music," Cunningham said in a statement. "Live Music Resources online toolkit offers templates from artist contracts, stage plot and input lists to press releases and event budgets – all the resources needed to help new and existing venues run a successful show."

The trio will further discuss ways in which less-traditional spaces — such as cafes, restaurants and other small businesses — can work with more established venues to achieve mutual benefits from the inclusion of live music in their purview.

"This free business seminar aims to boost local businesses while opening up new performance spaces for musicians in Sydney," Lord Mayor Clover Moore said in a statement.

"While licensed venues like pubs and clubs typically host most live music, the seminar will encourage operators of community spaces, such as local cafes, bars, restaurants and small businesses, to take part in the music scene and its economic benefits.

"Small and medium businesses are the heartbeat of our local economy and we want to do everything we can to provide them with new opportunities for growth."

Bringing In The Music will be held at Customs House from 6.30-8.30pm on Wednesday 10 August. Bookings are essential.

To the council's credit, it's not shying away from the obvious elephant in the room — namely, highly publicised lockouts that have been blamed for the perceived death of the city's once-vibrant nightlife — by announcing a seminar specifically focused on the issue in Late Starters: Keeping The Doors Open For Night-time Trade, which will be held on 30 November.

For a full rundown of impending seminars and/or to book yourself in for Bringing In The Music, see the City Of Sydney's website.