DAY THE MUSIC DIED
Instead of a hearty beat, the regular live music scene in suburbia on the Gold Coast is making a swan song
THIS was the day the music on the Gold Coast died. You can go to a gig on the beach, or in the heart of Glitter Strip. But in the suburbs – after Wednesday’s council meeting – forget about it.
To add some context here, the planning session began with approval of another tall tower in the traffic-congested old canal estate of Chevron Island.
Remember hundreds of residents protesting about this before the last council election?
Robina’s Hermann Vorster noted council’s desire was to “go up and not out”. “We need to get foot traffic to the new arts precinct at Evandale to make it a success, he said.
The debate moved on to an application for 25 stall holders to operate “a market” in an industrial estate at Burleigh Heads. We learned that two doors down was a church.
Deputy Mayor Donna Gates grew up on Aussie pub rock, her husband Bill got the Bee Gees started and Coast ABC FM. Her concern here was the impact on light industry.
Council had just received a report about the importance of industrial estates and this approval could limit further small businesses, she said.
Cr Vorster, on his feet again, asked officers about “ancillary use” to learn it related to “music”. Two months ago, the “one man band” started live music at the Robina foreshore parklands.
This time like Cr Gates, he too was opposed. “I think it behoves us to look at the reality of what type of activation may be to unfold to sustain operating hours up to midnight on Sunday.”
As planning officers gazed at each other, he offered clarification. “I imagine that would have to include music and booze.”
Enter Cr William Owen Jones who likened the application to a mini-Night-Quarter, so offered a solution and his experience of the successful night markets at the Helensvale Town Centre.
Some Arundel residents early on had complained about the “doof doof”. The operators monitored their sound and kept records. He checked out the homes and could barely hear a drum beat.
The family trade dropped off about 9.30pm. A solution for approval of the new Burleigh market would be to wind back the applicant’s trading hours – and possibility of live gigs – to well before midnight.
“It does create vitality,” Cr Owen-Jones said. “And I actually think even though it (Burleigh industrial estate) may not be a designated area, in the continuum of our live areas, it’s not dissimilar what we are trying to encourage in that space.”
But Burleigh councillor Pauline Young was “horrified” by the application which attracted 80 objections. Councillors sided with the area representative.
Residents living up on Skyline Terrace won and the markets along with live music lost out.
A mate who is a carpenter by day and muso by night cannot find a suitable “live” Coast venue. As his band on the Coast put the finishing touches on an EP, they have to play at Brisbane pubs.
Meanwhile, the big promoters get council approval for summer festivals on the beach at Coolangatta which will include international line-ups.
My mate can sing anything from indie folk to driving rock and the blues. To borrow a line from Don McLean’s American
Pie, he just “wants some happy news”.
How to explain to him that Wednesday, in the space of an hour, was the day the music died.