The Queensland Government has announced its first tranche of nightlife reforms, aimed at getting more Queensland artists on stage and more live music into regional venues.
The centrepiece is Homegrown, which will offer major touring acts incentives, including discounts on state-owned venues, if they put a local Queensland artist on the bill as a support. If you want the cheaper rate on a state-owned stage, bring a local along for the ride. For emerging artists, that means shots at big audiences that are otherwise hard to come by.
Alongside it, the Queensland on Tour program is being expanded to showcase more regional venues and connect them directly with national music promoters, pushing more touring beyond the south east corner.
Work is underway on licensing and liquor fee reforms designed to make it easier and more financially viable for grassroots venues to host live music, with Attorney-General Deb Frecklington confirming the government is looking at reduced liquor licence fees for venues that host live music.
The announcement is the first public output from the Nightlife Economy Action Plan, due for release soon, flowing from the statewide listening tour by Night-Life Economy Commissioner John “JC” Collins. Collins said the tour made clear that grassroots venues need urgent support to survive, and that emerging artists need stages on which to develop their craft heading into Brisbane 2032.
Grassroots venue support, local support slots and regional touring are exactly what the ALMBC have been raising with governments around the country, and licence fee relief would be a practical, meaningful reform.
However no dollar figures were attached, and the announcement lands a month after a state budget with no new money for live music, so we will be watching for the detail in the full Action Plan, including how the Homegrown discounts work in practice and whether the plan tackles the insurance and cost pressures that continue to close venues, including two on the Sunshine Coast this year.
More to come when the full Nightlife Economy Action Plan is released.
