What does live music mean to you?

Well, it’s our sonic culture in the broadest sense. I see music as part of our cultural heritage so it is part of who we are and who I am.

Why is live music important (generally)?

Music is the language of emotion and so we are not complete people without it.

What makes for a great gig? “I love gigs where…”? 

A great gig can work on many levels but I think it’s got something to do with the connection between audience and artist. That can be emotion, energy, conceptual or all of these things. But it’s a connection in both directions. Artists feed off their audience as much as audiences feed off incredible music. One thing is for sure, it’s got nothing to do with genre.

What needs to be done to encourage more live music?

In some ways nothing because it will happen naturally. However, we must be forever vigilant to prevent bureaucratic impediments and half assed political fixes (i.e. non evidence-based policy) getting traction. We must remember that regulators have historically been fearful of the power of music. It’s a fragile scene. The conditions for making music need regulatory space or it can’t happen. Every city in Australia is fighting the impact of unjustified non evidence-based laws and regulations so that musicians can just get in that flow state to make music. This fight will and has to continue.