It's Been Fun

Twenty-three years ago, going broke with my brother in a business, one of us had to get a job to support the seafood cafe we had in Richmond. I got offered two jobs on the same day: one an average paying sales managers job at a small independent publisher in Melbourne Inpress Magazine, the other a National Marketing Role with NEC paying big bucks. To this day I have no idea why I chose Inpress but the path it lead me and my brother on has filled our lives for over twenty years.
We weren’t music industry people, but immediately fell in love with publishing. And being independent publishers we had the freedom to set a course that hopefully means we leave a legacy that has had a positive impact on both the publishing and the music industries.
Before we leave, I think it’s vital in this time to reflect on what independence means and why it is so vital that you support our successors and our competitors.

“Where the press is free and every man able to read, all is safe.” -  Thomas Jefferson

It could be argued that the above quote doesn’t apply to a small publisher of street press in Australia, but the fact is regardless of the sector the quote holds up. Independent press is vital in our industry and we are incredibly proud to have played a part in its evolution in Australia. The artists we have written about and introduced audiences to who play an incredibly important role in the shaping of our culture, our politics and our beliefs. Who could argue that the words of Paul Kelly, AB Original or Archie Roach don’t affect our lives, our politics and our culture? For us to play any part in their careers has been an incredible honour.

So I ask that you continue to read independent press, to buy ads in independent press. I ask the artists to give their time to speak to the journalists and allow them to write your stories - their words provide a perspective that social media doesn’t, and their opinions often count and influence your careers. I really hope that in the years to come as an artist manager I have places to go and pitch for that all important cover or that review from an independent critic our artists respect.

Read more: SGC Media Announces Acquisition Of TheMusic.com.au

Now to be self-indulgent.

There are so many people who have been a part of this incredible journey I can’t name them all so I won’t even try but… Our business partners Brian Peacock, Julius Larobina and, in the last couple of years, Stu and Smash. Your faith in our abilities has driven us to achieve some great things and we have been proud to stand alongside you in doing so… The staff. So very many great people who, if you have read a single word in our publication online or in print, I hope you can understand how incredibly creative and brilliant the teams of people who delivered that content to you have been (writers, editors, designers, admin staff, the printers, web dev teams) to deliver the volume of words we have published over 23 years. This means that literally 1,000’s of people have brought these magazines and websites to you. I hope that each one of them enjoyed the ride and benefitted from it. Regardless of where or what they are doing now they have played a significant role in Australia’s cultural history. To the clients who paid our way and allowed us to do what we have done every day which most of the times meant we were smiling. To the artists who have graced our pages, we cannot be more grateful for what you bring audiences every day. And having now watched what you have had to do just to survive during COVID - your dedication to craft is absolutely inspiring and regardless of what level of fame or success you have or do achieve be sure that your efforts inspire so many. Bo be very proud of the industry you are in, regardless of the reckoning it currently faces.

Our industry is no doubt requiring change and as we continue to work in it, I hope that we can be a part of that change. You don’t sit where we have for as long as we have without knowing some things. And, perhaps looking back, we could have done things that may have seen changes made sooner. To be honest, I am unsure whether that was our role and it may be some time before we reconcile whether through not utilising the voice we had as media have contributed to some of the damage done. What we do know is that since implementing the Power 50 we have seen the faces within it change slowly – yes, definitely too slowly - but the balance has begun tipping in the right, diverse direction. Some people in the annual list have been, or will be, called out for behaviour that is unacceptable, I hope that in the future those 50 most influential people named each year are the drivers of positive change and, perhaps for some of them, the most powerful action they can take may be to step aside and let others guide our industry moving forward.

Over twenty-three years I have had the incredible privilege of meeting some of the world great creatives - musicians, actors, managers, artists, photographers - and those are the memories that I take with me… The Music has allowed me to stand side of stage with my wife and daughters to experience things in a way very few do… incredible managers and artists have done favours that have influenced my family’s lives. That is what our industry is capable of and when it is at its best.

To my ever-supportive partner Carolyn who has ridden the high and lows of media with me, never ever questioning that whatever was invested was worth it to continue to be an independent publisher and to do what I love I have been allowed to be very selfish and for that I am incredibly grateful.

Over twenty years ago we employed Australia’s number one music editor - Andrew Mast. Every writer, every artist written about, every PR person pushing a story - the person who has driven all of this and the person you should be thanking the most is Andrew Mast.

Finally, through all this there has been one constant and that is the unwavering support of my best friend and brother, Leigh - the Treweek brother you all know - the person who carries the title ‘Creator Of The Vibe’ and no title has ever been more true. To think that for twenty-three years I got to go to work almost every day with my brother right alongside me, that in itself makes it all worthwhile.

This the fourth and final time my words will grace these pages and for that you should all be incredibly grateful.

Thanks for the ride.