Melbourne muso threatened with police fine for singing outside St Kilda home
A popular Melbourne musician has been threatened with a fine after police put an end to an impromptu performance in the front yard of his St Kilda home.
Entertainment
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Police have threatened to fine a Melbourne musician for performing in his front yard.
Alejandro Adams was playing on the front lawn of his St Kilda house on Saturday at 2.15pm when police arrived and stopped the music.
Adams was performing for free as part of Saturday’s Play Music on the Porch Day, an international event created for musicians to provide safe and socially distanced music during the pandemic.
“People were out walking and doing their exercise, some people stopped, there were kids dancing, it was all very harmless,” Adams said.
“Some stopped to watch for a song and moved along. There were maybe 50 people, you see people gathered more closely in Acland Street, why they singled me out I’m not sure.”
Adams, who plays in popular band F--- the Fitzroy Doom Scene as well as having a solo career, was playing covers by Bruce Springsteen, Edwyn Collins, T-Rex and the Black Keys.
“I was 40 minutes into it, I’d planned to play for an hour, and the police entered my property. I was being very calm, they asked if I had council permission, I’d called the council who said it would be cool. They threatened to fine me, they said I was creating a gathering of people who were only meant to be out doing exercise or shopping. I told the police they could enforce social distancing of the people watching rather than stopping me doing something legal on my own property, expressing myself.
“I wasn’t wearing a mask, the police didn’t mention that. I was 10 metres away from the footpath, I was nowhere near anybody. They’re really starting to encroach on peoples’ personal freedoms.”
Adams said he will contest the fine if it arrives, and has had an outpouring of support since posting about the event on social media.
“People feel quite passionate about this, especially in the extended music community. I’m normally a full time musician and anyone in music and hospitality has really been hit hard, I’ve been twiddling my thumbs. And it’ll be the longest time before the industry gets back to what it was prior to the first lockdown.”
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