Concerts on wheels help drive the return of Melbourne’s music scene, but locals are bracing for a slow summer

In 1976, AC / DC rock legends traveled to Swanston Street to film an incredible rendition of It’s a Long Way to the Top, from the back of a flatbed truck.

Nearly 45 years later, local artists are preparing to follow in their footsteps as part of Rock Around the Block, a series of traveling musical concerts performed on the streets of Melbourne’s city center.

Pop-up performances will take center stage outside restaurants and venues for just 30 minutes at a time, before setting off to take the live music to another venue.

“It was my wife who came up with the idea,” said booking agent Sean Simmons.

“He said, ‘How about the old AC / DC thing of taking bands to trucks again? It’s COVID-safe, tick all these boxes and the bands can keep playing.’ So here we are. “

The line-up includes artists such as The Killjoys, Hollie Joyce and Kee’ahn, with a diverse group of musicians performing on the truck stage for three weekends in December.

Notably, the half-hour slots allow artists to perform at least four times a night.

“It doesn’t give the audience enough time to come together and create big gatherings, because that’s not what we’re trying to do,” Simmons said.

“We are trying to play for people who are already dining outdoors, in various clubs or restaurants”.

After the disruption caused by the pandemic, finding new ways to offer local musicians a platform – while respecting restrictions – has been at the forefront of Simmons’ summer plans.

However, he believes it also pushed him into more creative paths, like Rock Around the Block.

“I think everyone in the music industry, whatever their role, has been forced to innovate, to think of unique ideas to keep their businesses going and try to adapt to the changing landscape,” said Simmons.

Loading…

A welcome return to live music

For singer-songwriter Kee’ahn, her part-time job as a hiring clerk for Indigenous Australians was a “saving grace” during the pandemic.

23-year-old musician Kuku Yalanji, Jirrbal and Zenadh Kes released his debut single in May, but due to the block, he was unable to promote it through the usual channels.

“This is my regular single from COVID,” Kee’ahn said.

“Hopefully, when things calm down, I can take him on tour … I miss being on stage in front of people.

“You get a high that’s definitely lessened when you’re just performing online on Instagram or something.”

For Mr. Simmons, it was a concern that musicians, especially up and coming ones like Kee’ahn, weren’t able to tour and play in front of live crowds.

“The only musical world he knew was this,” Simmons said.

“It’s one thing to say there’s been a loss of income, but it’s also a loss of sense of self-worth. That’s what they do.”

He asks for more clarity on restrictions

Melbourne Music Week officially kicks off next week, the first live music festival to return to the city since the start of the pandemic.

Usually 10 days long, this year’s Melbourne Music Week has been reinvented into an extended three-month program with, for the first time, an all-Australian lineup.

It’s a promising sign that the revival of the music scene may not be too far off, but many indoor music venues are still looking forward to the news for months to come.

On Sunday, the Victorian government is expected to reveal further steps to get out of the restrictions.

Sally Mather, Forum Theater manager and COVID advisory board member for Music Victoria, says live venues need to know precise dates or trigger points for subsequent stages in order to properly prepare for future concerts.

“For us at the Forum, we would normally plan at least three to six months in advance, which we cannot do without knowing a little more about what the next steps will be.”

The Forum can accommodate more than 600 people, but with current restrictions it only operates at 25% of its seating capacity.

It is not yet known how many bettor locations they will be able to have after the next round of announcements, but Ms. Mather says that most locations need to fill around 70-80% of their total capacity to be financially viable.

“Budgets are incredibly tight. There are costs that don’t come down no matter how many people are in the room,” Ms. Mather said.

“I think it’s really important to try to get as close to normal as possible within six months for our industry to be successful and not to lose many of our key locations.”

For Sean Simmons, while the next few months are crucial, they also represent an opportunity for local artists to enjoy more time in the spotlight.

“I don’t see international artists coming to Australia for a long time,” said Simmons.

“It is a real chance for emerging artists to penetrate and be heard”.

It is an opportunity that Kee’ahn wishes to take up.

“We have all this creative energy, but we don’t know where to put it.”

“It will all break out when everything is able to return to COVID normal.”