Our Publisher On Why NSW Needs To Reassess Its 'Unfair & Discriminative' Event Practices

Dear Gladys, 

What has our industry done to hurt you so much?

I have been in the music industry since 1998 as owner of street press around the country and this is the second time I have been moved to pen something and ask my editors to run it.

Last night I had the absolute pleasure of taking my daughters and a couple of friends to the Ball Park Music show as part of the Summer At The Domain series. For one of the girls (age 15) it was her first ever gig - that is, in her words, "if you don’t count The Wiggles". We braved torrential rain, got in, shoes ruined within minutes and headed to our designated picnic table, accepting the fact we would be saturated despite jackets and multiple ponchos.

Rain or no rain, it was just great to be back at what was seeming like a "normal" gig. Support Thelma Plum was amazing, most of all because like us she was just happy to be at a gig and playing a show. We swayed in our seats obeying everything asked of us, laughing at the rain and just happy to be facing a stage.

Then came Ball Park Music - literally the only band I have seen live in a gig atmosphere in the past year (as I took my superfan daughter to Darwin last year for their gig). As soon as they hit the stage me, a 54-year-old bloke, wanted to stand up again, just move totally out of time with the music but we remain seated.

Then frontman Sam Cromack doing what he would have done at hundreds of gigs before yelled, “C’mon, Sydney get up with us!” No-one could resist. We stood and danced next to our soaking picnic tables as security wandered around asking us to be seated, which we all did as soon as we were asked. 

My first thought was, "Great, everyone is doing the right thing". I explained to my daughters that whilst simply unfair we needed to do it as any bad publicity might see the next set of shows cancelled and most of all, these shows were giving to artists and support crews something they haven’t had for a long time an opportunity to "earn".

Then came a hit - I don't even remember what track - but as a swarm of people just going with the music ran past rushing the stage as they would have many times before, basking in the energy and sheer bliss of watching a great band play. I sat and watched, waiting for the reaction from security and police, it was measured. The song finished, Jen [Boyce] from the band asked everyone to return to their seats and they did without issue.

Twice more throughout the set the same thing happened. Twice more it was handled perfectly. But as I watched it unfold I wondered whether a shot would get out to the press that would put live music in a bad light and force the closure of other shows and mean that our industry again cannot earn.

My point is that this weekend my daughter will go to see theatre production Hamilton and sit inside a venue that is at 100% capacity, next to a stranger. I will attend a football game and yell and scream in a close to capacity crowd, standing to support or berate. This afternoon I will walk into a bar for a Friday night drink and stand next to a stranger without issue.

Gladys, why last night could I not dance or move next to my table or in front of the stage? 

Experiencing live music is a visceral experience. It starts in the balls of your feet and extends through your body. You scream, yell and dance (ever so badly) but last night I realised most of all you feel like the world is just a bit normal again and I think we all now deserve that.

Putting my music industry hat on, it's not hard to see what is needed. Various creative bodies have been asking you for months. Our industry is on its knees but sport and theatre return... but perhaps what you need to do is put a poncho on, head to The Domain on Saturday night for Client Liaison and just feel the music and see what it does to your constituents and revisit your unfair and discriminative practices in regards to live music versus other cultural activities.