How JobKeeper end could destroy live music industry

Tens of thousands of workers fear the live music industry will fall off the economic cliff as they have been forgotten, warning lives may be lost.

Live music workers have warned businesses, homes and even lives will be lost as they have become the forgotten industry in Australia’s COVID economic recovery plans.

Despite countless pleas and representations to the Federal and State Governments for a targeted wage subsidy, border exemptions or a tour bubble, an insurance safety net and grant to stay afloat, tens of thousands of workers fear the industry will fall off the economic cliff when JobKeeper ends on March 28.

A recent survey by the Australian Live Music Business Council of thousands of workers covering dozens of jobs including artists, crews, managers, publicists, booking agents, venue operators, merchandise and equipment suppliers and ticketing companies, found more than two thirds have lost 75 to 100 per cent of their income since concerts ceased a year ago.

About 77 per cent of businesses have a maximum of six months left based on current cashflow and support measures; with 44 per cent having only a maximum of three months.

Jess Beston, who manages indie rock duo Holy Holy, said their business has lost between $500,000 to $1 million in the past year, income which not only supported her and band members Oscar Dawson and Timothy Carroll but up to 20 other contractors involved in putting on their shows plus venue staff.

Jess Beston manger of Holy Holy with band members, Oscar Dawson (L) and Timothy Carroll (R) Picture: Supplied

“It’s not just businesses that will disappear if we don’t get help after JobKeeper but people will lose their homes and I fear there will be lives lost,” Ms Beston said.

She said there was a disturbing perception of the live music industry that it was a “weekend gig” and not a full-time and often 24/7 professional occupation requiring years of experience and skill.

ALMBC head Stephen Wade, who runs one of the country’s biggest booking agencies Select Music, said Australian politicians had failed to understand the intricate economic ecosystem of the live music industry which intersects with tourism and hospitality.

He said the unpredictable cycle of snap border closures and the continued restrictions on crowd sizes meant it was impossible to plan financially viable tours which can take up to a year to put in motion.

Stephen Wade, CEO Select Music Agency. Picture: Supplied

Midnight Oil’s Makarrata Live tour is the first national run of shows since touring was shut down on March 15 last year.

“I’ve had to explain to government that artists and the people who work with them only make 20 per cent of their income from the state they live in,” Mr Wade said.

“Queensland artists like Thelma Plum or Busby Marou can only play so many shows in Queensland.

“We start getting some shows happening and a border is shut and everything is cancelled and people are trapped and lose money; we are punch drunk from this happening as we are trying to get back on our feet.”

Garry Brokenshire, owner of Backline Australia, grew his business from The Police tours with Michael Gudinski in the 80s to owning his own instrument rental business; has dipped into his savings to keep his staff earning a JobKeeper level wage. Picture: Julian Andrews

Garry Brokenshire started as a sound technician 45 years ago with the late, great Michael Gudinski on his first Frontier Touring shows with The Police and Madness but he fears the economic and mental health hit to his beloved live music industry will be catastrophic when JobKeeper ends.

His Backline Australia business rents instruments and equipment to dozens of artists including Midnight Oil, Guy Sebastian, Amy Shark and 5 Seconds of Summer and major festivals and events.

His only work right now is The Voice and he has dipped into his own savings to top up JobKeeper for his staff as it was scaled it back.

“We are so far behind on the road to recovery even though little shows are starting up now,” Mr Brokenshire said.

“We’re there in the background and it’s hard to get our voice heard by government. We never ask for handouts, we’re the first to put our hand up to help when disaster strikes and we run professional businesses.

“It’s going to be awfully sad if the government chooses not to help us with a stimulus package after JobKeeper.”

Haydn Johnston, who has worked on events like Homebake.

Respected event planner and manager Haydn Johnston had no work for his company Architects of Entertainment for 10 months.

Mr Johnston said live staff who made $90,000 annually pre COVID would be lucky to make $3000 in 2021 after zero income in 2020.

He said staff were having to agree to lower fees and budgets as gigs start up again and thousands of skilled technicians had already left the industry, taking decades of experience with them.

“The gigs that have started back are operating on bare bones crew because there’s no money with the budgets we are getting to put on shows unless they are subsidised by the governments,” he said.

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