Directory of Live Music Venues

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Following the 1950s popular and rock music craze that swept across the world from America, catchy and accessible music has been the mainstay of musical culture in Australia. Local bands and singers such as the Bee Gees and the Easybeats would enjoy international success early on, putting Australia on the map as a destination for major touring acts. Bands, such as The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, would draw huge crowds nationwide and would be an inspiration for local acts. Without the mass media marketing mediums the music industry enjoys today, touring and the radio were the main tools local bands used to promote their music to the masses.

As the popular and rock music styles became more divergently distinct, venues around the state would often be associated with a particular genre of music. The sweaty masculine rock music preferred by pubs and bars made way for the pub rock genre of the 1980s. This distinctly Australian musical style was specific to local bands such as Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil and AC/DC and would be the beginning of the local music scene in Sydney. On any given night pubs all around New South Wales would host live rock music in a back room. Whilst the intensity and ferocity of the culture in the 80s may have been extinguished somewhat, the intention of enjoying music at your local remains. In the 90s and noughties, record companies struggle with iTunes and free downloads which have significantly dampened CD music sales. On a positive note, tours have experienced a revival and a strong stage presence can significantly alter a band's longevity. As bands fall out of fashion and are no longer the darlings of the Australian music press or the public, a reputation as a great live act can be directly responsible for their survival. Sydney-based band You Am I, for example, continue to sell more concert tickets than they do records.

Sydney and Greater New South Wales have always enjoyed a strong live music culture and despite the fears of the late 90s where local music venues were reportedly in danger of being subsumed by pokies in the face of financial crisis, small and large venues around the state remain the frequent haunts of people who appreciate live music.

Directory of Live Music Venues

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