Grassroots live music industry stakeholders combine to launch Australian Music Venue Foundation

Looking to address challenges facing live music venues across the country, key stakeholders have come together to form the Australian Music Venue Foundation (AMVF).

Modelled on Britain’s Music Venue Trust (MVT), the AMVF’s inaugural board includes is comprised of industry professionals from ticketing and venues including Harley Evans (Moshtix and the Australian Festival Association), Howard Adams (Australian Live Music Business Council), Tamara Boakes (Jive Bar Owner/Operator and the Independent Live Venues Alliance) and marketing executive Mardi Caught (The Annex).

Having admired the significant achievements of the MVT, which has represented the interests of grassroots live music venues in that market for more than 11 years, the AMVF will seek to deliver similar value to the local Venue ecosystem in Australia

During the development of the AMVF, MVT co-founder Mark Davyd attended BIGSOUND 2024 and met with Foundation members. Davyd will continue as a key advisor to the new organisation.

The organisation’s remit will be to engage all sectors of the music industry to focus on the need to support GMVs, which provide an essential pathway for emerging local and international artists, deliver significant economic and cultural benefit, and offer affordable access to music-loving fans in both regional and metropolitan areas.

The AMVF’s creation also follows the recently released Federal Parliamentary report ‘Am I ever going to see you live again?‘ and its inquiry into the challenges and opportunities within the live music industry.

The AMVF acknowledges the report’s 20 recommendations which include the development of an Arena Ticket Levy, addressing the debilitating costs of rising venue insurance, access to venue-specific funding programs and welcomes the opportunity to work through these with stakeholders. It believes that it’s vital the governance of any funding to address these recommendations works for and is executed by the industry who are at the forefront of the issues.

Commenting on the AMVF’s role, ALMBC Chair, Howard Adams stated “we intend to raise funds from donations, strategic partnerships and further explore the potential implementation of the recently proposed Arena Ticket Levy.

“It is a focused approach that reflects what is happening in this field in larger jurisdictions. By aligning ourselves with offshore organization’s such as the MVT in the UK, we increase our impact in the market as part of a larger movement, whilst benefiting from the economies of scale.”

Adelaide's Jive Bar owner-operator Tam Boakes added “there has been much discourse over recent years about the needs of grassroots venues and the necessity to focus on supporting them. I'm excited that the AMVF will give all venue owners and operators the opportunity to consolidate efforts on what their real needs are alongside additional industry bodies to make real change.”

Moshtix Managing Director, Harley Evans noted “there's a clear and obvious need for more support and protection for this critical part of the live music ecosystem, and we have a once in a generation opportunity to work collectively as an industry to create a sustainable and vibrant future for the long term benefit of all live music fans and the wider music community.”

Annex founder Mardi Caught added, “It's vital to support our grass roots partners as they are always the first at the gates, showing their belief initially by simply just booking a band. The results are symbiotic - one cannot exist without the other. If you asked any musician, whether it be Amyl and The Sniffers or Kylie Minogue - they’ll definitely remember the first room they ever played versus the 100th.”

Mark Davyd of the MVT concluded “grassroots music venues across the world are facing a series of shared challenges, from rising costs and poor legislation, to creeping gentrification and the decline in touring.

“The creation of the Australian Music Venue Foundation is an important moment in recognising that venue owners and operators in Australia need proper representation through a national body, one that can talk with authority to Government and to the music industry itself on behalf of the incredible venues right across the country.

“We have demonstrated in the UK that real, positive change for these vital cultural spaces is possible, and we are delighted to be supporting AMVF as it begins the journey of making that change for Australia's grassroots music ecosystem."

In the three years from the start of the pandemic in early 2020, licensing body OneMusic registered a loss of more than 1,300 live music venues and stages across Australia, meaning one-third fewer medium to smaller licensed premises where artists can perform.

Music Venue Trust
Britain’s MVT has represented grassroot music venues across the UK for over 10 years and acts to protect, secure and improve grassroot music venues for the benefit of the venues, upcoming artists and communities.

On their website, they have an ‘Artist Pledge’ which asks artists to “pledge that their future success will acknowledge where they came from and contribute a small amount of money back into the grassroot sector, if and when they reach arena and major festival level.”

It also mentions, “We want to ensure that the talent pipeline is supported, offering opportunities to a wide range of aspiring musicians from across the UK, so that everyone who dreams of being a musician feels that is a possibility for them.”

Click here to visit the AMVF website (under development at the time of writing).

Images: Howard Adams (middle) and Harley Evans (below).