A REGIONAL live music coordinator could help put Mount Gambier on the entertainment map, according to one South East independent.
A $25,000 State Government grant was awarded to Mount Gambier City Council through its Regional Accelerator Music Program (RAMP), which is focused on supporting regional musicians and live music opportunities across the state.
The once-off funding injection will help council engage a part-time staff member who will be a designated live music coordinator.
Mount Gambier man Jacob Bradley – an electronic music producer and member of rock outfit Admella – said he backed the concept to further influence growth and stimulation of the Limestone Coast entertainment sector.
Mr Bradley floated the idea of a live music venue completely dedicated to performance and rehearsal.
“I think this is something the Limestone Coast desperately needs and will be beneficial to all musicians,” he said.
“Live music is something which has suffered in recent years.
“There are the odd gigs here and there but I think this could help in many different areas.”
Mr Bradley said while details of the coordinator’s role were scarce, he hoped it would boost the sector.
“I think venues for live music were strong around a decade ago but from my personal experience it has since slowly dropped off,” he said.
“Apart from the pubs and clubs it can prove difficult to find a suitable venue.
“My band Admella and many other bands have found it hard to find a place to play and we ended up running out of options.”
The music producer said a specific venue which hosts live music three or four times a week was exactly what Mount Gambier needs.
“Even if it was not being used for live music it could be used as a space for people to rehearse and practice their craft in,” Mr Bradley said.
“I would also love to see more varied festivals and even on the smaller scale, which could cater to the indie and niche genres.
“I am not sure if there are a lot of people out there who make the type of music like I do but sometimes in a generic environment people do not get to show their uniqueness.”
Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin welcomed the news, which she said would provide the South East music scene with the leadership it needed.
“The inaugural RAMP roundtable highlighted that Mount Gambier has all the ingredients to become one of the best regional centres for live music in Australia, but is currently hindered by a lack of communication, collaboration and the sharing of skills, knowledge and resources within the industry,” Ms Martin said.
Ms Martin said the city already had a great music platform, hosting events such as Generations in Jazz, Red Hot Summer Tour and the Mount Gambier Fringe Festival.
These events are in addition to a number of annual arts and cultural festivals and bands and individuals who regularly perform across the region.
“The success of events in Mount Gambier demonstrates the growing capacity of the region to embrace the arts, but also highlights the requirement of leadership and coordinated collaboration in this space for the industry to grow,” she said.
Innovation and Skills Minister David Pisoni said Mount Gambier was selected to receive the funding from a number of applications by demonstrating strong economic development strategies which outlined music and creative industries as integral to the region.
Recruitment for the part-time regional live music coordinator is expected to start later this month.
