Gudinski, Meldrum Endorse Labor’s $22.2m Plan For Victoria’s Rock Scene

In the lead up to the Victorian state election, the ALP have teamed up with Australian music industry giants to launch their party’s music platform, pledging $22.2 million towards strengthening the local rock music industry.

As reported by TheMusic, State Opposition leader Daniel Andrews and Shadow Minister Of Arts And Youth Affairs Martin Foley today announced the ALP’s commitments to the state’s music industry alongside Mushroom boss Michael Gudinski and Australia music icon Molly Meldrum.

The highlight of the $22.2 million package is the establishment of an Australian Rock’N’Roll Hall Of Fame in Melbourne, as Andrews declared Victoria the “music capital of Australia”.

In addition, the ALP also announced the re-establishment of the Victoria Rocks grants, to assist artists on interstate and international tours, as well as support music festivals and community programming, and provide services such as sound and light engineers, advertising and transport.

The grants will also offer dollar-for-dollar assistance to venues to help manage problems with neighbours, fix poor acoustics and PAs and require “big acts” to tour with support from local emerging bands.

Labor also promise the creation of The Music Market, which, on top of housing the Australian Rock Hall of Fame, will act as a “a one-stop-music hub” as the headquarters of a new Victorian Music Development Office, offering support artists and music industry bodies, providing recording assistance and other facilities for industry peak bodies.

“The Liberals abandoned artists who were trying to build their career – it’s hurt the scene and it’s hurt our state,” said Andrews today. “A Labor Government will support local acts every step of the way, because they create local jobs and they create something that lasts.”

“As we speak, the next great Victorian band might be thinking of giving it all up, and the next iconic Melbourne venue might be drowning in regulations. Labor’s plan offers them a hand.”

The announcement follows an interview published in The Herald Sun yesterday, where Michael Gudinski called for more funding to the local rock scene and criticised both parties for focusing their funding too much on “highbrow” entertainment.

“Highbrow things like ballet and opera get major funding. I’m not knocking that but I’m asking both parties to think about what contemporary music means to the community,” he told the publication. According to reports, he remarked today that the Labor’s serious music platform gave him “goosebumps”.

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