Analysis of live music scenes in New South Wales

While the region is “voluminous” with artists, Haggith says they’re moving to more affordable towns such as Lismore and Ballina. “Just looking around Byron, you can see priorities in these big, huge hotels that are coming up, and I just don’t know how sustainable it’s going to be,” he says.

“Obviously, it’s not conducive to affordable living, especially for artists and arts workers.”

Mayor Sarah Ndiaye says cost of living price rises and weather events have pushed Byron Bay’s music scene “through the eye of a needle”.

“Festivals are having to come back into the towns where they were often first born from, and got too big for, and had to move away from,” Ndiaye says. “I think we’re having to rethink how we deliver festivals.”

The Northern Rivers needs to utilise more of its infrastructure and invite local businesses to take part in the live music scene to become sustainable, Haggith says. As in other NSW regions, this approach is manifesting in a rise of DIY, all-ages and experimental scenes less reliant on the local pokies pub.

“They can be a bit more creative with spaces … people are also teaming up with each other on putting gigs on in different spaces, community halls, shopfronts,” he says.

In Lismore – where, Haggith says, “is actually where the music community is” – venue Blah Bar, a dedicated space supporting local independent musicians, closed after less than a year due to planning difficulties and licensing costs.

“I don’t have the money to keep going any more,” co-owner Pat Stanton told the Lismore Times. “I’ve been operating for a couple of months now with BYO, and unfortunately alcohol is where you make your money ... I don’t take money off the bands because I don’t believe in that.”

NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann asked Nightlife and Music Minister John Graham in August budget estimates whether Labor’s latest $3.8 million funding round could assist. “That specific funding that [Faehrmann] referred to is in relation to core music venues,” Graham said, adding that the changes to planning rules and liquor discounts were designed to help new venues.

“We’ve got to back the music venues doing most of the programming as new venues open up; otherwise we’ll lose those original ones,” Graham said.

In response to an on-notice question, Graham said Blah Bar had never applied for government grant funding and therefore did not receive any.

Back in Orange, The Gig co-organiser, Colton, isn’t fazed by its low turnout. In fact, he believes the event was a total success. “Everyone who came thought it was awesome,” he says.

“There’s a huge metal scene down here, and there’s just not a lot of good performance opportunities. And we’re like, we should do something for them.”

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