Sound state government plan to reinvigorate live music venues

Cranky neighbours and noise complaints have sounded the death knell for live music venues in Sydney in the past, but the state government has a plan to bring the music back.

Cranky neighbours and noise complaints have helped NSW lose half its live music venues over the past decade — so now the state government will hand out cash to help upgrade soundproofing in a bid to keep the music playing.

The Hopetoun Hotel has sat boarded up and crumbling since its abrupt closure in 2009, which The Whitlams frontman Tim Freedman said was “yet another nail in the coffin of Sydney’s live music”.

Known by music fans as The Hoey, Freedman was one of a roster of legendary Australian musicians to play the scrappy venue in the 1980s and ’90s.

Its closure — and the closure of one of Freedman’s own venues in the 1990s — was heavily influenced by noise complaints.

“I was part-owner of a venue in King St (Newtown) in 1998 called The Globe and we had to close down because we couldn’t stop the noise going into one neighbour’s house,” Freedman said. “It would have been lovely to have mediation and measures whereby we could improve that situation, but we just couldn’t afford it.”

The Whitlams frontman Tim Freedman welcomes attempts to reinvigorate Sydney’s live music scene. Picture: Julian Andrews

In response to the announcement that venues will be handed cash grants to improve their soundproofing, Freedman said the move would hopefully encourage more vibrant local venues to stay open.

The new Venues Unlocked program will provide $5 million in funding for soundproofing upgrades, training and expert advice.

New hope for The Hopetoun and other live music venues under threat from noise complaints. Picture: Julian Andrews

Delivered by the newly created Sound NSW, the soundproofing grants will give venues as much as $100,000 for infrastructure improvements, new equipment and expert acoustic reports to determine any weak spots.

The Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner will also offer a two staged program to encourage bars, cafes, restaurants and breweries to convert to live music venues.

Phase one will see venues provided with training to develop the skills needed to offer live performances through specialist workshops with tips on marketing and equipment.

Phase two will give eligible businesses access to $80,000 grants to put that training into practice.

“We’ve already lost half our live music venues in NSW,” Arts, Music and Night-time Economy Minister John Graham said.

“I’m talking to five or six of the best operators who survived the era of lockouts and lockdowns but may not survive noise complaints

“Here’s one practical way we can help venues to survive and to back our live music ­industry.”

The grants come as part of new reforms to streamline the rules around noise complaints by raising the threshold for complaints to progress — and removing any way a single complaint can shut a venue.

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