The Australian live music scene has seen some of its darkest moments through the COVID pandemic. After two long years, it’s now making a comeback stronger than ever. Industry greats Missy Higgins, Amy Shark, Gang of Youths, Michael Chugg and Clive Miller join Ella Hooper to chat about getting the show back on the road in this new episode of the Front & Centre podcast. Take a listen:
The music industry is finally looking forward to a new sense of normal. But before we launch into the future, we have to look back at how the past two years have really shaped us. Calendars cleared overnight and, in a business where most musicians rely on gigs to make money, that was devastating.
“I mean at the very beginning when everything just stops and all of it, you know, when you’re someone who has a calendar that’s so full and you just work and love it and travel and play shows and you’re forced to stop. It was really hard for me. There was so many times where it was like, what’s the point? What, what’s the point?”
Amy Shark
As gigs were postponed or cancelled, many artists were frustrated to see sports events continue to go ahead with crowds of thousands. Legendary Australian promoter Michael Chugg says the rules for live sport compared to live music continue to be disappointing, but he hopes the Foo Fighters’ recent huge stadium show at a Geelong sporting arena will be a turning point.
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