‘Don’t Kill Live Music’ rally to be held in Sydney
The music industry will lead a rally in Hyde Park next Thursday after the NSW Government announced plans to enforce new restrictions on festivals.
The music industry will lead a rally in Hyde Park next Thursday after the NSW Government announced plans to enforce new restrictions on festivals.
The government’s crackdown on music festivals comes after a number of drug related deaths at music festivals recently.
The state government will implement a new licence, where NSW police and health can enforce conditions as part of each licence, including user-pays policing and on site ambulance requirements as well as other harm minimisation requirements.
Liquor and Gaming NSW can also request clarity on certain components of a festivals management plan.
However, the music industry is fighting back, and ‘Don’t Kill Live Music Australia’ will be holding a mass rally, on Thursday February 21, from 6pm to 8pm at Hyde Park.
The event has already attracted interest from around 16,000 people online.
In an open letter to music lovers across the country, Don’t Kill Live Music Australia said “Your music is under attack”.
“Overbearing regulation, exorbitant police bills, a lack of respect for NSW businesses, and very little recognition of the significant positive impacts of music on our communities is forcing music out of NSW.
“The State Government have declared a war on music and culture in NSW, proclaiming that music, and music festivals are high-risk activities.”
They said as a result, festivals are being forced to cancel or move interstate.
“The NSW State Government is vilifying live music with kneejerk regulation Instead of consulting with festival experts, the NSW Government imposed punitive regulation that specifically targets music festivals and music fans,” the letter said.
“Festivals are being used as a scapegoat for years of failed drug and alcohol policy.”
The rally has received support from world renowned artists including Amy Shark, Birds of Tokyo, Vance Joy and Vera Blue among others.
One supporter, Michael Scarlett said he was considering travelling from Melbourne for the rally because “It is a d**m important freedom to protect,” he said.
The open letter demands that the State Government stops killing live music in NSW, forms a music regulation roundtable to review all regulation impacting live music, immediately undertakes a regulatory impact statement and develops an industry standard for user-pays policing and medical services.
They also demand that the State Government works with the music industry to develop “robust, effective and achievable safety protocols for festivals.”
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