Chief Booker Of Bands For Glastonbury Festival To Revive Adelaide Live Music

If there was anyone who could deliver a much-needed shot in the arm to revive Adelaide’s failing live music scene, it would have to be Martin Elbourne. Chief booker of bands for the legendary Glastonbury Festival and co-founder of WOMAD, Elbourne already has his first order of business in mind as Adelaide’s new musical Thinker in Residence.

With a total of 30 years experience in live music, many of which he spent as agent for bands such as The Smiths and New Order, Elbourne was a no-brainer for the gig. Already the industry figure has handed down some words of wisdom and a key idea that he will be implementing. That idea is to turn Adelaide into a thriving creative hub for all spheres of art, not just music.

“Music goes hand in hand with other creative things,” Mr Elbourne said. “If Adelaide is to thrive, it has to have a creative cluster. It’s musicians, it’s artists, digital companies … anyone creative,” Elbourne has stated according to Adelaide Now.

His first order of business as Adelaide’s Thinker in Residence will be to investigate licensing as well as exposing potential business opportunities for bands and industry companies alike, though not before visiting Adelaide’s live music venues and talking shop with the management. Elbourne will then record his findings and deliver a series of recommendations.

It looks as though the entire SA government is on board with the decision to allocate resources to revamp the live music scene. The Don Dunstan Foundation in partnership with the City Council; Arts SA; Adelaide Fringe; the Planning, Transport and Infrastructure Department; and Regional Development Australia Barossa have all combined forces to champion the movement, which was kicked into gear after news that iconic live venue The Jade Monkey would be closing.

Premier and State Development Minister Jay Weatherill believes that if anyone can do the job, it’s Mr. Elbourne, commenting that “In the 1970s and 1980s Adelaide was a vibrant music city so we know it’s possible”

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