Dear Daily Review,
We recently had the displeasure of reading your latest bout of burning commentary, ‘People Don’t Go Out To See A Band, They Go Out To Get Laid‘, in which you basically argued that we should just give up on Australia’s live music scene already.
We passed it around the Tone Deaf offices and everyone’s reaction was pretty much the same: one eyebrow would immediately rise, which would then turn into a very matter-of-fact squint, there’d be the occasional Edna Krabappel ‘Ha!’, and then a “Yeah, nah.”
Your staggeringly myopic and out-of-touch argument basically boils down to ‘Australia’s live music scene is dead, nightclubs are thriving, and no one actually cares about live music, people only go out to try and find someone to sleep with.’
First off, to quote the Old El Paso girl, “Why don’t we have both?” When it comes to experiencing great live music and finding someone to spend a hazy night and awkward morning with, it is possible to have your cake and eat it too, no pun intended.
You’re right, it’s not 1986 anymore. For one thing, young music fans are way more switched on and their musical tastes are more omnivorous than ever. There’s no such thing as a ‘rock fan’ or a ‘hip-hop fan’ anymore. It’s all just music.
Punters are not only more informed musically, but there’s more ways than ever to keep up to date about your local live music scene. You don’t just have to check the chalkboard outside your local pub or peruse your local street press.
Facebook and its Events feature basically functions as your personal live music and culture itinerary. We even know of one dedicated Australian music publication who publish a weekly column highlighting that week’s best local gigs under $15.
But you’re right, drink prices are often exorbitant, drink driving laws are different (probably for the best though), parking and taxis are expensive, you can’t smoke indoors, CD sales are kaput, and touring is a massive upheaval.
And yet somehow a city like Melbourne can be cited as one of the world’s most vibrant music cities, earning praise overseas for its efforts in fostering a bustling live music community that contributes more than A$1bn in spending at events and gigs alone.
That’s not to mention the fact that Melbourne’s music scene supports 116,000 annual full-time equivalent jobs and produces significant spin-off benefits to restaurants, hotels, transportation companies, and other organisations.
But let’s get back to your central argument, which is laughable. “What most people do not understand is that unless a band is already established and succesful, people don’t just go out to see a band,” you allege. “They never did.”
They never did? We can’t be sure, but we’re willing to wager a guess that iconic Australian bands like AC/DC, Midnight Oil, and INXS all got their start playing tiny rooms filled with punters who had no idea who they were.
How do you think they got popular in the first place?
That’s the inherent paradox of your argument. How are all of these bands becoming popular and successful if no one goes to see bands that aren’t already popular and successful? Did Tame Impala just sprout out of the ground?
Sure, there’s other factors that must be considered, such as the influence of triple j, but Australia’s national youth broadcaster doesn’t pay time of day to every artist who uploads a track to Unearthed and it’s a risky gamble to rely on triple j for your popularity.
“People go out to socialise, to get smashed and to get laid.” Agreed. But they also go out to see live music and not just already established bands playing “a main stage or arena”, as you so arrogantly insist.
See, just as there are more ways than ever to consume music and keep up to date with what’s going on in your local live scene, there’s more ways than ever to get laid these days.
Perhaps you’ve heard of a little app called Tinder? It’s all the rage with kids these days. It’s a way to hook up without even leaving the house. You can avoid the exorbitant drink prices and irritating taxis and prohibitive drink driving laws.
And yet, despite the existence of Tinder, live music venues still manage to put punters in their band rooms. Are many struggling? Of course. We’ve extensively covered the tumults of the Australian music industry in 2016.
Let’s also not forget Sydney’s lockout laws, an issue which has since metastasised to Brisbane and was narrowly avoided in Canberra. But who’s protesting Sydney’s lockouts? The live music community. Thousands even marched in the streets, and they weren’t doing it to get laid.
We really need to wrap up here, but we’ve also got to address this whole ‘it’s too loud’ thing. Besides coming off like the proverbial old man yelling at a cloud, we can’t help but thing maybe you haven’t been in a venue in a while.
Most live music venues already have beer gardens and smoking areas and places where people can socialise. As for most bands not being worth leaving the house to see, you may be right, but there’s plenty that will blow your mind if you know where to look.
Your whole argument simply rests on a faulty understanding of nightlife and how scenes form. People don’t simply go to a new nightspot and hope there’ll be someone willing to sleep with them when they get there. There’s a reason every venue has a ‘What’s On’ section on their website.
Make no mistake, scenes do form because of bands. People go out for the music and stay to socialise. No one went to CBGB because it was an awesome place to hang out. But its dingy walls felt like home when bands like the Ramones and Talking Heads took the stage.
Trust us, if you went to a local gig you’d know that.
Sincerely,
Tone Deaf.
