SLAM MAKE HISTORY WITH OVER 100 VENUES REGISTERED FOR NATIONAL SLAM DAY FEBRUARY 23
More than 100 music venues from around the country will celebrate Australia’s thriving live music scene at National Slam Day on February 23rd 2012.
“We are so excited to see over 100 venues already signed up, from Tennant Creek to Hobart, Gosford to Melbourne, Fremantle to Adelaide, artists and venues are coming together to celebrate local live music, with more being registered each day. Giving thousands of music lovers the opportunity to get out and support their local live music scene” SLAM Day organizer Helen Marcou.
When 20,000 passionate music fans marched down Melbourne’s Swanston Street on February 23rd 2010 for the inaugural SLAM Day in response to crippling Victorian liquor licensing laws, they created the largest cultural protest in Australia’s history.
And music fans will create history again on February 23rd 2012, as it will be the first time so many venues have simultaneously supported a single cause.
National SLAM Day celebrates our small venue culture. Head over to the website (Slamrally.org) to see our gallery of musicians holding speech bubbles with their answers to the question: “What does live music in small venues mean to you? Jump on the SLAM Facebook page and tell us your answer!http://www.facebook.com/SLAMrally
Small venues are part of our cultural fabric. All Australian acts, from AC/DC to Men at Work, Cold Chisel, the Divinyls, Kylie Minogie, Cut Copy and Temper Trap, started out in small venues. As Paul Kelly said at the 2010 SLAM Rally: “You don’t learn how to write a song at school, you don’t do a Tafe course on how to play in front of an audience, small venues were my university.”
Live gigs at small venues are fun, dynamic, intimate, and compared to arena concerts or a movie ticket, great value for money.
So get out there and support your local venues and musicians on February 23rd. For more information, or to register your venue for National SLAM Day, go to: slamrally.org
According to the 2011 report Life’s Better with Live, live music contributes $1.2 billion to the economy and supports nearly 15,000 jobs nationally. An estimated 42 million patrons attended 328,000 venue-based gigs at 3,900 venues in 2009/10. Yet the report revealed that Australian musicians earn a mean average of just $12,200 from live performance.
National SLAM Day 2012 : some facts
What is National SLAM Day?
On Thursday February 23, about 100 small venues in Australia will host local bands in one of the biggest musical celebrations in Australian history. The occasion aims to promote and foster a greater appreciation of our small venues.
What is SLAM?
SLAM (Save Live Australian Music) started in 2010 in response to crippling Victorian liquor licensing laws which inappropriately linked live music to violence, leading to the closure of the iconic Tote Hotel and threatening other small venues. The subsequent SLAM Rally, on the back of a flatbed truck through Melbourne on February 23, 2010, was the largest cultural protest in Australia’s history.
Why are small venues important?
They are part of our cultural fabric. All Australian bands, from AC/DC to Men at Work, Cold Chisel, the Divinyls, Kylie Minogie, Cut Copy and Temper Trap started out in small venues. As Paul Kelly said at the SLAM Rally: “You don’t learn how to write a song at school, you don’t do a Tafe course on how to play in front of an audience, small venues were my university.”
How much does live music contribute to the economy?
According to the 2011 report Life’s Better with Live, live music contributes $1.2 billion to the economy and supports nearly 15,000 jobs nationally. An estimated 42 million patrons attended 328,000 venue-based gigs at 3,900 venues in 2009/10. Yet the report revealed that Australian musicians earn a mean average of just $12,200 from live performance. You can support musicians by attending their shows and buying their music and merchandise and joining your local peak music bodies.
How much time and money do musicians spend on their developing their careers?
According to Music Victoria’s report Barriers to Career Progression, on average active musicians spend around 33 hours a week on their career and an average of $100 a week on tasks such as administration and rehearsals.
Why attend small venues?
Because they are fun, dynamic, intimate, and compared to a ticket to a film ($18.50) it’s great value for money to see three bands play original music for less than $15. So get out there and support your local venues and musicians on February 23. For more information, or to register your venue for National SLAM Day, go to: slamrally.org
www.slamrally.org
Author: MTRBWY
