This was published 4 years ago
Australian artists first as music industry prepares to go live again
Three of the country's biggest music tour promoters say Australian artists will have the chance to prosper once coronavirus restrictions are lifted and the live music scene resumes.
The music industry has been crippled by nationwide shutdowns but Live Nation chief executive Roger Field, TEG head Geoff Jones and Chugg Entertainment founder Michael Chugg say there is a silver lining: with overseas talent unable to enter the country for festivals and tours, local acts will be given more live performance opportunities.
Falls Festival organisers have announced this year's event will be fully "home grown".Credit: Anthony Smith
Jones said that TEG, which organises live music events, will spend the "short term" looking to domestic acts, and was in the process of finalising deals with Australian artists for tours late in 2020.
"We have got the talent and there will be the demand and I think it is a really good chance for those acts, which we all know how good they are, to grow their audience," Jones said.
In what is set to be a growing trend for the live music industry, Falls Festival organisers announced on Wednesday that they would push ahead with the 2020/21 event with an all-Australian line-up β a departure from its traditional use of international acts as headliners.
As bored music buffs turn to social media to find new tunes, Chugg said some Australian acts are also seeing major growth in streams and views from overseas, which will help them in the long term when international touring restarts.
"It is only going to make Australian music stronger," Chugg said. "We have seen acts like Lime Cordiale, Casey Barnes and Sheppard picking up fans overseas all the time."
While Chugg too will focus on domestic talent, what the industry looks like on the other side of the pandemic is unclear.
"[It] will recover, how long it takes and what direction it goes I don't know, but I don't think it will ever be the same again," he said.
Field is optimistic β a recent Live Nation survey of ticket buyers found that 89 per cent of respondents would see live music when restrictions are eased. But he said a successful return to live music would require a joint effort from the whole industry.
"This is a time to be working together and helping the government to determine a plan for our events to come back," he said. "We aren't going to be able to do that without ensuring the safety, wellbeing and health of our audiences, staff and artists. That has to be the absolute focus."
Live music organisers and venues are preparing for easing social restrictions, focusing on sanitation, crowd control measures and contactless transactions.
But even as the restrictions are rolled back, challenges for the industry will continue. The promoters believe it will take time and encouragement for the public to overcome their hesitations.
"I don't think we are going to see a 500-person venue with 500 people in it," Chugg said. "I think you will see a 1000-person venue with 500 people in it⦠what that allows is acts like Lime Cordiale or Tones and I to play 10 nights in a row, hypothetically speaking. I think that is the sort of thing you will see for the near future at least."
The jury is still out on international acts. Field remains confident that some international touring will recommence this year, with tickets to pop star Harry Styles' gig in November still on sale. Jones is less confident.
"We are starting to lock in international acts for the back end of 2021 at this stage," Jones said.