The local music industry is calling on Canberrans to decide what they value as venues hit a crisis point. Music ACT has released a statement mourning the loss of prominent venue Sideway and calling for more investment in the local music scene. Canberra’s musicians, venues and event organisers have joined the call, saying a strong music ecosystem is essential to the city. Lucy Anh from Music ACT said now is a “really crucial time” to keep awareness up as the ACT elections loom. She said Canberrans need to show they care about keeping the city’s music scene alive. “I think that often people don’t realise what a big, gaping hole the loss of live music would leave in our society, in day-to-day life,” she said. “There is a reality that even when your shows are at capacity and you’re putting on multiple per week, it’s getting increasingly hard to do it sustainably.” One of the owners of Gang Gang cafe, Sam Conway, said grassroots venues are essential if Canberra wants to host big concerts and festivals. He said they’ve had to reduce their gig schedule due to the substantial workload. “Once you start to lose grassroots venues like Sideway, then you start to lose the missing link. It’s really important we have these spaces for our music industry,” he said. “I think Canberra has really struggled with that.” He also said noise complaints have made gigs harder to host for the cafe, as well as smaller operating margins.
Live music bar Sideway closed down in mid-June after five years in Canberra, reopening as new nightclub Shadow. The new owner told The Canberra Times he intends to continue Sideway’s legacy, but industry advocates say it’s still a sign of the challenging climate. For Canberra artists Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, local venues are “the core” of Canberra’s music scene. “The loss of Sideway leaves a gaping hole in this city,” the band said. In its statement, Music ACT said the closure of crucial live music venues has a flow-on effect to the rest of the industry. “Canberra becomes a less attractive stop-over for touring artists. It means a significant decrease in viable spaces for emerging local talent to develop. It means less foot-traffic and life at night in our CBD,” it said. “Without opportunities for connection in quality art with inclusivity, audience development and community at its focus, we risk fulfilling Canberra’s prophecy: a stale city lacking a cultural nightlife.” The advocacy organisation encouraged Canberrans to reach out to their local members to encourage support for the local music.
