The problem with Sydney
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Or how high costs are hurting our underground music culture
Sydney is an expensive city. It's not in the top ten most expensive cities in the world, but it is in the top 20 and it's expensive nonetheless. Retail space is even more expensive, combine this with the costs associated with meeting public liability and compliance with endless legislation and running a licensed venue is an insanely expensive proposition... despite the recent move to affordable liquor licensing.
There's a reason Sydney doesn't have the amount of small bars with DJs and live music that Melbourne has and the new licensing laws were never going to resolve this: rent costs. This isn't going to change.
Having said that, it's hard to see how inner-city clubs can justify average drink prices hovering around the $10 mark.
It makes for an expensive night if you want to go out and see a good lineup of DJs, especially if there's an international playing. Door prices go from $10 up to $30 for smaller venues, plus a few drinks, transport etc. It's expensive to go out and support promoters and clubs that are willing to risk putting on quality music that doesn't play to the lowest common denominator.
Living on the other side of the world, the cost of touring international DJs is ridiculously expensive. It's also particularly difficult to negotiate fees for artists that are used to playing Europe where they can get a gig almost every night at a good fee, in Euros. It's hard for them to understand why they're only able to play a handful of gigs over a two week period. And they often want equivalent fees for Australia's much smaller market where it's also likely they're much less well known.
The big festivals also unreasonably heighten overseas artist’s expectations of how much they can get paid. It's easy, big bucks but they usually hate the gigs.
Then there are noise restrictions. Any venue that isn't on the Oxford Street, George Street or Darlinghurst Road strips battle unreasonable inner-city residents who complain about noise and loitering punters. They probably find it hard to justify the exorbitant rent when they have trouble sleeping at night. They're idiots and they make life difficult for venues and cost them money.
The result is most promoters – and some clubs – attempting anything half way decent often struggle.
Sydney doesn't have anything like the electronic music scene it should have. Basically it's too expensive. It's too expensive for promoters. It's too expensive for venues prepared to take a risk. And it's too expensive for the punters.
What's the solution? Who knows.
It'd be nice to think that Sydney City Council could be a little friendlier toward music venues as far as noise goes. They'll often bang on about Sydney being a culturally and creatively 'vibrant' city – what they really mean is large hotel groups can pour drinks into aggressive yobs and then kick them out onto the streets to be violent whilst handing a shitload of poker machine tax to the state government. Meanwhile small venues supporting emerging artists and underground music will have to suffer the costs of noise complaints, unrealistic security costs (requiring the same number of security per head as the violent hotel group pubs) and a complete lack of arts subsidies, 'cause all that money is going to the ballet and new years eve fireworks. (Check this great post for a breakdown on how Arts Council money is spent.)
Having said this, there are a small number of venues and promoters trying to do something worthwhile including Tone, Goodgod Small Club, Picnic!, Space Is The Place, Index, Headroom, a certain warehouse in the inner west (see the pic), and a few others I've probably forgotten.
I love Sydney but I fucking hate the lack of support for what could be a brilliant music culture. As I said, I’m not saying there aren’t great things going on, I just think it could be bigger and better and, more importantly, a whole lot easier.
I'd love to know if others agree. Leave a comment.
Sydney is an expensive city. It's not in the top ten most expensive cities in the world, but it is in the top 20 and it's expensive nonetheless. Retail space is even more expensive, combine this with the costs associated with meeting public liability and compliance with endless legislation and running a licensed venue is an insanely expensive proposition... despite the recent move to affordable liquor licensing.
There's a reason Sydney doesn't have the amount of small bars with DJs and live music that Melbourne has and the new licensing laws were never going to resolve this: rent costs. This isn't going to change.
Having said that, it's hard to see how inner-city clubs can justify average drink prices hovering around the $10 mark.
It makes for an expensive night if you want to go out and see a good lineup of DJs, especially if there's an international playing. Door prices go from $10 up to $30 for smaller venues, plus a few drinks, transport etc. It's expensive to go out and support promoters and clubs that are willing to risk putting on quality music that doesn't play to the lowest common denominator.
Living on the other side of the world, the cost of touring international DJs is ridiculously expensive. It's also particularly difficult to negotiate fees for artists that are used to playing Europe where they can get a gig almost every night at a good fee, in Euros. It's hard for them to understand why they're only able to play a handful of gigs over a two week period. And they often want equivalent fees for Australia's much smaller market where it's also likely they're much less well known.
The big festivals also unreasonably heighten overseas artist’s expectations of how much they can get paid. It's easy, big bucks but they usually hate the gigs.
Then there are noise restrictions. Any venue that isn't on the Oxford Street, George Street or Darlinghurst Road strips battle unreasonable inner-city residents who complain about noise and loitering punters. They probably find it hard to justify the exorbitant rent when they have trouble sleeping at night. They're idiots and they make life difficult for venues and cost them money.
The result is most promoters – and some clubs – attempting anything half way decent often struggle.
Sydney doesn't have anything like the electronic music scene it should have. Basically it's too expensive. It's too expensive for promoters. It's too expensive for venues prepared to take a risk. And it's too expensive for the punters.
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| Picnic Warehouse Party. Photo: Tim Levy |
What's the solution? Who knows.
It'd be nice to think that Sydney City Council could be a little friendlier toward music venues as far as noise goes. They'll often bang on about Sydney being a culturally and creatively 'vibrant' city – what they really mean is large hotel groups can pour drinks into aggressive yobs and then kick them out onto the streets to be violent whilst handing a shitload of poker machine tax to the state government. Meanwhile small venues supporting emerging artists and underground music will have to suffer the costs of noise complaints, unrealistic security costs (requiring the same number of security per head as the violent hotel group pubs) and a complete lack of arts subsidies, 'cause all that money is going to the ballet and new years eve fireworks. (Check this great post for a breakdown on how Arts Council money is spent.)
Having said this, there are a small number of venues and promoters trying to do something worthwhile including Tone, Goodgod Small Club, Picnic!, Space Is The Place, Index, Headroom, a certain warehouse in the inner west (see the pic), and a few others I've probably forgotten.
I love Sydney but I fucking hate the lack of support for what could be a brilliant music culture. As I said, I’m not saying there aren’t great things going on, I just think it could be bigger and better and, more importantly, a whole lot easier.
I'd love to know if others agree. Leave a comment.