| #665 |
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2003 |
Perilous 665 The last few columns have covered travels overseas, but now back in Sydney its time again to look at what is going on here. Its still winter although the weather is getting better and the volume of events is starting to ramp up. Several new promoters have appeared and the old guard (myself included) are finally getting shoved off the scene (and the decks). I remember a certain glee when this happened way back in the very early 90s when rave took over from the fashion-centred Hordern parties, and its amusing to think that that time coincided with when this Perilous column first started in 3D World (as Subterranea). Ten or more years later I’m on the other side of the generational change and there’s a certain regret that there doesn’t seem to be anything as mass movement-like as rave sweeping the change along. Spending two months in places where artists and musicians can viably produce exciting music and maintain some semblance of comfort in their lives, it becomes horribly clear how difficult it is here to maintain an interest in music beyond your early 20s. The realities of ‘real jobs’ and the inevitable mortgage creep up slowly but surely, whereas many of the people I was around in Europe had careers that were just starting when they hit 30 and had a few albums under their belt. Indeed, most were shocked that the majority of Sydney people were so young and there were so few opportunities here to establish yourself as a musician. Thinking about this more it became evident that it wasn’t that the ‘scene’ was any bigger in Europe – most of the these artists would play to just 200 people in Berlin or London or Montreal or Tokyo, and sell no more than 2-3000 copies of their releases – instead it was more that their living expenses were far below what ours are here, and that there was a very localised community around their music production. One artist in East Berlin who I stayed with was paying under 400 euros ($800) per month for a large two bedroom apartment in the middle of Berlin with a full studio set up. He could afford to live entirely off advances for his records from his label and royalties from past releases however small these were, whilst his partner ran her own record label three days a week. As a result he spent at least 10 hours each day concentrating on making music for his three band projects, and because of this his music was progressing in new exciting directions that only time and experimentation can permit. And these were not people who lived off arts grants, but output-generated income. There are few artists here in Sydney who can afford to do that without coming from wealthy families or follow the fickle trends of a changing public. Returning here and hearing so many new artists trying to get their best music out on their first CDR is a bit depressing. But at the same time it is entirely logical if you grow up thinking you have to get everything done by the time you are 25 and you ‘grow out of it’. Sydney needs more innovative musicians who are willing to take risks. And more venues and events willing to give those who go down this path an opportunity to play in a city ruled by DJs and short attention spans. Although we might be a ‘global city’ in terms of our real estate values, our cultural values have a long way to go. Yellow Peril (www.snarl.org)  Goto
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