Brisbane’s music it is a-changing
Music venues are closing and musicians are having to work harder and smarter to be able to support their rock and roll dreams.
Is Brisbane’s music scene alive and kicking? Photo by Alice Smith
Across Australia (and the world) the music industry as we know it is changing. Music venues are closing and musicians are having to work harder and smarter to be able to support their rock and roll dreams.
In our own backyard Brisbane’s music scene has been bustling since the foundation of the city. There’s been vaudeville, rock and roll and all manner of DJ’s. But times have been tough for us as well.
With the closure of a number of Brisbane’s iconic venues like the Troubadour, the Empire and possibly the Tivoli some bands and DJ’s are struggling to get gigs in the limited number of venues that remain.
The Newman Government has increased spending on ‘The Arts’ but this is unlikely to be distributed to the local music industry.
The Internet and the rise of technology has also had a part to play keeping fans at home and completely altering the recording industry, meaning emerging artists have to find new ways to get ahead.
But it’s not all bleak. There are new venues opening up away from the fold and events like the Big Sound music conference is building momentum year after year.
Brisbane’s youth have been stepping up to the plate to build a solid future for the scene as we know it.
Although there have been ups and downs, Brisbane’s music scene has been strong and vibrant for a very long time.
Some of the key industry players are of the opinion that it’s only going to get better from here.
According to figures people aged from 18-34 years are most likely to attend live music events other than opera or musical theatre. With this in mind we asked a few UQ students to give us their opinions on the quality of Brisbane’s music scene: