Are you going to the Save Live Music rally on February 23?
If you saw The Age on Sunday, you might be wondering what the Greens position is. It’s simple - we know there is no link between live music and violence, and we want liquor licences to reflect this. Today’s letter for Greens MP Sue Pennicuik explains more about this below.
See you on the 23rd.
Letter from Sue Pennicuik MLC
To all Melbourne musicians and music fans,
Make no mistake: the Australian Greens are tremendously proud of Melbourne’s famous live music culture and we lend our full support to the upcoming Save Live Australian Music (SLAM) rally on 23 February.
That’s why we are sending out an email to all our members in Victoria, encouraging them to come to the SLAM rally, where I will be speaking on behalf of the Victorian Greens.
An article in the Sunday Age (7/2) inaccurately reported that The Greens voted against a Liberal motion in Parliament regarding live music. In fact, The Greens abstained from voting on the motion, because, as often happens, there were parts of their motion we couldn’t agree with.
During the debate we made very clear our opposition to the requirement that venues must provide security guards when live or amplified music is played, even where there is no history of violence. This senseless requirement is crushing Melbourne’s live music culture and it’s making it very hard for musicians to find venues with live audiences. The closure of The Tote shone a light on this issue, which has forced other small venues to simply stop holding live music.
Certainly, preventing harm from alcohol-related violence is crucial, and The Greens will continue to support evidence-based, positive approaches for reducing such violence. However, music doesn’t cause violence.
The Greens are your genuine supporters of live music inside Parliament and out on the Melbourne streets. We will do whatever we can to ensure that Melbourne’s live music scene continues to thrive. Have a look at our four point plan that outlines how we will make sure that live music remains viable.
On a personal note, I have been going to live gigs around Melbourne for years and years. It is one of my great pleasures in life. I have many friends who play in bands, so I know the issues facing our musicians and Melbourne’s live music culture.
Thank you,
Sue Pennicuik, Greens MLC and Spokesperson for The Arts
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