Supporting Melbourne’s music scene on the road to recovery

Melbourne isn’t the only city in the world to jolt in and out of lockdowns over the past 18 months but we certainly know the feeling as well as anyone by now.

Countless industries are trying to navigate their way out of lockdown as Victoria hits vaccination targets and restrictions ease. Melbourne’s music industry is one of those currently on the road to economic recovery.

The closure of venues around Melbourne and wider Victoria, aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, and the tight limits on capacities even when they have been allowed to open, has meant tough going for any musician in Melbourne trying to earn a living over the past year and a half.

According to Dale Packard, the general manager of Music Victoria, there are plenty of ways that music-loving Melbournians can show support to local artists.

According to Packard, one of the best ways to support local musicians is to get out there and attend the gigs that are on.

“Getting out to the gigs that are on is a great way to support local artists,” Packard said.

As venues re-open and musicians return to putting on live shows, getting out and about is a great way to show support for local musicians and put a few dollars in their pockets.

Heading to live shows will also help out live music venues that have been trying to stay afloat throughout the pandemic.

Density quotas for live music venues are (hopefully) a thing of the past now that Victoria has reached its 90% double vaccination target. Yet, Packard reflects on the difficulties while restrictions were imposed. 

Musicians were not necessarily able to sell as many tickets as they normally would, and as a result, they needed to set higher ticket prices to compensate for the smaller crowds.

“Higher ticket prices are just artists trying to balance out the books to break even or not sustain a significant loss as a result of putting on a live show,” reflects Packard. 

Melburnians have plenty to look forward to in the way of live music in the lead up to summer.

There are already several massive music events scheduled around Melbourne as the city gets set to enjoy a summer of freedom.  

Melbourne Music Week has announced a huge line-up of events with more than 300 artists set to take to the stage around Melbourne as part of the event that runs from 3 to 12 December. A number of venues will host events, including Max Watt’s and Section 8. Several gigs are also planned to take place at the Queen Victoria Gardens as part of the event. Punters can head to the MMW website for a full program of events.

Dylan Alcott’s Ability Fest, Australia’s first and only completely inclusive and accessible music festival, was held on Saturday 27 November at Alexandra Gardens, with headliners Alex the Astronaut and Cub Sport set to take the stage.

Sydney Myer Music Bowl will be playing host to the Summer Sounds Festival that will see live music return to one of Melbourne’s favourite outdoor venues.

The Summer Sounds Festival will run between February and March and feature artists such as King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Bernard Fanning and Ball Park Music. Dates and line-ups can be found on the Summer Sounds website.

In addition to major music events, plenty of local musicians are returning to the pubs and clubs around Melbourne as the city opens up for summer. 

While getting out and supporting local artists at shows is a great way to show solidarity with the local music scene, Packard said it isn’t the only way that Melbournians can support the industry on the road to recovery.

Purchasing merchandise or music is also a great way to get some money into the pockets of artists that have been doing it tough.

“Buying albums or any kind of merch is a great way to support local musicians,” Packard said.

Albums can be purchased in digital format, or for those that prefer, CDs and Vinyl are readily available online and in Melbourne’s bricks and mortar stores that are now re-opening as restrictions on the retail sector ease.

While many of us have moved to streaming services to get our daily musical fix, it is important to realise that streaming music does not necessarily translate into a big payday for local musicians.

Business Insider says that artists generally only receive about 0.004 – 0.007 cents per stream, depending on the platform.

Just to be clear on that maths, you would have to stream a 12-track album about 360 times for an artist to pocket the thirty-odd dollars they might get from a physical album or t-shirt sale.

“Artists can easily earn more than a thousand times the revenue from a physical sale compared to what they would earn from someone streaming their music,” Packard said.

Musicians in Melbourne have been doing it pretty tough during the pandemic, but there are plenty of ways for music-loving Melbournians to show their love and support for the industry as we head into a much-deserved summer of freedom.

Get out to a couple of gigs, be willing to fork out a few extra dollars for a ticket and maybe buy an album or a t-shirt from your favourite Melbourne-based artist to show your support to an industry that has done it as rough as any throughout the pandemic.