Grassroots music programs giving regional artists and venues new hope – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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By Shannon Pearce
ABC Riverland
Topic:Music Industry
Bianca Feher performs at the Overland Corner Hotel in South Australia. (ABC Riverland: Shannon Pearce)
The Australian regional live music industry has been struggling for years, with both artists and venues feeling short-changed.
New research suggests local, grassroots music programs could be a potential solution.
Two states have introduced on-the-ground music initiatives that are seeing results in regional communities.
After years of struggling to attract audiences in regional areas, there may be hope on the horizon for Australia's live music performers and small-town venues.
Distance, travel costs and venue adequacy have always been obstacles for bands and solo artists in the regions, but grassroots initiatives in South Australia and New South Wales are looking promising, according to industry experts.   
A recent study from the University of South Australia found venue owners and artists are being short-changed as it becomes harder to attract substantial audiences and put on regular shows.
But co-lead researcher Rosie Roberts suggested local grassroots programs could reinvigorate the regional live music industry.
Bianca Feher says there are more opportunities for musicians in the cities. (ABC Riverland: Shannon Pearce)
Singer-songwriter Bianca Feher, 20, from South Australia's Riverland region, about 200km north-east of Adelaide,  knows the challenges of the regional music scene.
"There's not as many people [in the Riverland] and the creative industries are not as established," she said.
Ms Feher began playing gigs at local pubs and breweries when she was 16, but has since moved to Adelaide, where there are more live music opportunities.
Finding audiences in her home region that seek out original music has also been a struggle.
"There's not really a defined audience for it and there's not as big of an audience for the stuff I do, which isn't even that niche," Ms Feher said.
Jazz pianist Andrew Casey says musicians cannot make a living in regional areas without support. (ABC Riverland: Shannon Pearce)
Jazz pianist Andrew Casey, who performs with the band Auspicion, also moved to Adelaide from the Riverland because, he said, it was "impossible" to make a career playing original music there.
"You cannot be an original music artist and expect to make any money from it if you live in the Riverland," he said.
"Most venues in the Riverland want original artists to hire the venue at ridiculously large costs that are just unrealistic.
"The only way to put on a show is definitely at a loss."
South Australian band Auspicion performs at the Woolshed Brewery at Murtho. (ABC Riverland: Shannon Pearce)
But Mount Gambier-based music promoter Stephen Esnouf said a fledgling MusicSA initiative was giving young artists "a bit of hope".
Project: Music South East launched in August 2024 with a focus on venue support, sustainability and activation.
It included the introduction of a regional venue coordinator, who shared industry expertise with venue owners through workshops and masterclasses.
The Woolstore Brewery in Mount Gambier. (Supplied: Woolstore Brewery)
Co-founder of the Woolstore Brewery in Mount Gambier Kylie Ind said the workshops allowed artists, venue owners and promoters to come together to build a better understanding of each other's needs.
Ms Ind said part of the project's value came from formalising the relationship between artists and venues.
MusicSA chief executive Christine Schloithe said the initiative had a holistic approach.
"That has a flow-on impact for being able to support artists, to be able to support the creation of new music in Australia and … to build those audiences for live music," she said.
Christine Schloithe says supporting live music in the regions benefits artists, venues and audiences. (ABC News: Angus Patterson)
Ms Schloithe said one of the foremost issues the industry was facing was the "tyranny of distance".
"Even to hire a truck with some technical gear to put the band on the road, to pay for accommodation, to cover meals and expenses, that's a really significant undertaking," she said.
"Artists really can't be paying out of their own pocket for the pleasure of performing and touring and delivering their job.
"It's not just the venues that benefit — it is the artist, it is the audiences."
The peak body said it was working towards replicating the program in other regions across the state on an ongoing basis.
One of the difficulties for both artists and venues is bridging the cultural gap in understanding what it takes to stage live music.
Despite finding an online audience, the Mount Gambier rapper says finding somewhere to play live in regional South Australia has been a battle. He hopes new local music initiatives will change that.
For artists, this has looked like venues not being aware of the value of hosting an original artist instead of a DJ.
Mr Casey said while it may once have existed, there was no longer a culture of venues supporting live music in his home region.
And for venues, Ms Ind said while customers were crying out for live music experiences, they were often not willing to buy a ticket for a show or spend money on drinks at free events.
Music promoter Stephen Esnouf works in the local music scene in Mount Gambier. (ABC South East: Joshua Brine)
Mr Esnouf said venues were now getting on board and supporting artists.
"What this project has made us as a community realise, and I think made venues wake up to as well … [is that] this is a business relationship," he said.
A similar program was introduced in New South Wales in 2023 by MusicNSW, with a cohort of five "regional coordinators" to provide localised support.
The program includes an online regional touring network to guide artists, promoters and managers to venues outside Sydney.
MusicNSW managing director Joe Muller said artists and industry professionals faced a gap in opportunities between metropolitan and regional areas.
Joe Muller says the coordinators in the regional NSW music program are the "special sauce" of the initiative. (ABC News: Marcus Stimson)
"So much of the contemporary music industry is really centralised in metro centres, and so navigating folks towards better outcomes for that as they develop their careers can be challenging in regional and remote spaces," he said.
Mr Muller said he saw the coordinators as the organisation's "superpower".
The positive effects of the program were already being seen, he said.  
"On the Mid North Coast, our coordinator there identified a town that was really lacking in opportunities for live music," Mr Muller said.
"She found a young woman who was interested in becoming a promoter and she connected them and that young person has now gone on to book shows in a number of neighbouring towns as well, and created some touring networks."
Bianca Feher began playing gigs at local pubs and breweries in the Riverland region when she was 16. (ABC Riverland: Shannon Pearce)
Ms Feher said for regional artists, being able to develop a relationship with venue owners in their home towns would be mutually beneficial.
"I think it's just a really nice environment to be in and celebrate performing arts," she said.
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