Live Nation and its effect on local live music

The ABC's recent Four Corners episode revealed the impact of the US-based events promoter and venue operator, but that's not the local music scene's only challenge.

31 Oct 2024 15:38

Jessi Ryan

A curly haired rock guitarist shot from behind playing to a crowd bathed in orange light.

Music

Adelaide trio, The Birds are Spies. Photo: Josh McCawley.

Australia is a nation of storytellers with a rich musical history that dates back more than 65,000 years. But in 2024 the local live music industry finds itself in free fall.

Long running music festivals have folded, a cavalcade of live music venues continue to close and punters meanwhile, amid the current cost of living crisis, continue to tighten their belts.

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Jessi Ryan (they/them) has been creating performance and exhibitions for the past 20 years, both locally, nationally and abroad- in this time collaborating with a huge number of artists from a broad cross section of cultural backgrounds. As a journalist they have written for and been published by some of Australia’s leading arts and news editorial across the last 10 years-and was recognised as a finalist for Globe Community Media Award in 2021. Ryan has also taken photos for a number of print and online publications.