Coronavirus Australia: Melbourne’s live music venues need lifeline

As end of JobKeeper looms, more than 200 iconic venues plead with Victorian state government to ease COVID restrictions.

Managers from popular Melbourne music venues want changes to Covid restrictions to save live music. Pictured are The Corner's Rod Smith, The Forum's Sally Mather, John Curtin Hotel's Paris Martine and Cherry Bar's James Young. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Victoria’s “debt laden” music venues say they are at risk of extinction if the state government does not extend JobKeeper payments and rent relief or allow them to operate at 100 per cent capacity.

An open letter signed by more than 200 of Melbourne’s best known music institutions – including The Forum, The Espy, The Corner and Cherry Bar — said even though venues opened three months ago, capacity has been restricted to less than 30 per cent with a one person per two metre squared density limit imposed.

“Don‘t be fooled — Victoria’s live music venues are open, but we are not OK … (COVID) restrictions mean our venues are operating at around 30 per cent of their licensed capacity, resulting in a 70 per cent drop in revenue whilst fixed costs including rent, insurance, utilities and staff remain static,” the letter read.

“Now JobKeeper is ending, the bills are piling up, and we cannot trade out of it. We call on the Victorian Government to urgently provide a clear and balanced road map for easing restrictions so that the live music industry can begin to trade sustainably.”

Richmond’s The Corner and Northcote Social Club general manager Rod Smith said music venues wanted “parity” with other industries, especially sport.

“It is frustrating sporting events (at) the MCG will have 50,000 people in there … many of the venues we are talking about at full capacity have 300 – 2000 people,” Mr Smith said.

“Basically one of two things has to happen, (we need) further targeted support or we need capacities to increase to a sustainable level otherwise the fallout will be venues are going to close,” he said.

Melbourne city venue Cherry Bar owner James Young said Melbourne’s music scene – which has suffered more than any other state or territory under a 111 day severe lockdown – will reach a “fork in the road” on March 28 when JobKeeper ends.

“(There is a) choice. Extend JobKeeper and rent relief, or our preferred approach is allow parity access across industries and let venues operate at 100 per cent capacity,” Mr Young said.

“Our feeling is we have been done what we have been told and helped to keep the community safe,” he said.

Mr Young argued the industry is used to turning dangerous situations into safe ones as liquor licensees and should be trusted to “spear head the recovery” of the music industry.

“While Dan Andrews is recovering (from a serious spinal injury), I worry the government attitude might be everything is on hold for three months,” he said.

“We need a statement of support within a week so we can survive … the live music sector is in much worse shape than Dan Andrews’ back. We need immediate life support.”

The open letter will be sent to Music Victoria and Creative Victoria, along with creative industries minister Danny Pearson and health minister Martin Foley on Wednesday.

Victoria’s live music venues attract an audience of more than 100,000 people on a Saturday night in pre-COVID times and is a “huge economic driver”, the letter read.

It also welcomed the $15M live music venues program the government announced in July last year “which helped save many Victorian venues from permanent closure”. But it said the majority of venues were still “severely debt laden” and since December have only been able to reopen at low capacities with the support of JobKeeper.