Newtown’s Sandringham Hotel, a famous live music venue in Sydney’s inner city, has been the subject of plenty media coverage over the past 12 months.
The Sando [as it is affectionately known] last changed ownership in 2005 at the height of Australia’s commercial property boom. The valuations of live music venues have plummeted since the Global Financial Crisis, primarily due to restrictive anti-smoking and gaming legislations introduced in Australia during the past decade. The proprietor of The Sando simply isn’t generating enough cash flow to pay his loans, thus his Bank has decided to foreclose on the debt and sell the business.
There have been plenty of famous local musicians attempting to rally support to “Save The Sando”, due to its history and importance in the Sydney live music industry, however despite these best endeavours the actions have been in vain.
Let’s delve deeper into the sagging fortunes of Australia’s live music venues.
The live music scene peaked in Australia in the early 1980’s, when pubs and clubs were packed like sardines 7 nights a week with enthusiastic audiences. There were never enough bands and solo artists to meet demand, and Australia’s music fortunes were flying.
Over time, the introduction of the Internet changed everything. Our lives are so much busier in the present day; we simply don’t have time to go out 2-3 nights a week to see a live music performance. The Internet is a more convenient [and cheaper] form of entertainment.
It has never been tougher than now to make a living in the music industry, and this comment also extends to proprietors of live music venues. The local music scene has changed significantly in the past 5 years, with the electronic medium swiftly overtaking our historical values.
The Sando isn’t an isolated case; there are plenty of live music venues sitting dormant around Australia since 2008. These venues will most likely be converted into residential apartments, as this is an investment which will never go out of fashion.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Sunday, September 9, 2012
AND WHO SAID THAT DRUMMERS DON’T MAKE MONEY IN THE MUSIC GAME?
Continuing in the same vein as my previous article [“Song Writing Bass Players”], I recently read with interest that The Beatles’ Ringo Starr is the wealthiest drummer in the world [$300M].
It’s common knowledge that Ringo didn’t write The Beatles’ hits [or many songs at all], however the phenomenal level of artist royalties collected by Starr over the past 40 years fully justifies his top perch on the skin-bashing ladder. Let’s face it, The Beatles are in their own stratosphere when it comes to sales and popularity.
Who else features in the Top 5 wealthiest drummers in the world?
• Phil Collins [$250M] – the former Genesis drummer and solo superstar was everywhere throughout the 1980’s. A fair chunk of Collins’ wealth can be attributed to the large global tours undertaken by the British prog rock group, and as a solo artist.
• Dave Grohl [$225M] – isn’t he the singer & guitarist with The Foo Fighters? Whilst Grohl will have earned a minor mint from his stint with Nirvana, it is fair to suggest that he has profited most from his current band.
• Don Henley [$200M] – if his solo work was more frequent, The Eagles’ beat maker would be nudging Ringo for the top spot. Henley co-wrote all of the country-rock group’s big hits from the 1970’s, and The Eagles’ profit significantly from their ever frequent “reunion” world tours.
• Lars Ulrich [$175M] – Metallica’s huge album sales and monster global fan base can justify his estimated wealth. The California-based metal rockers like to tour relentlessly on a BIG scale.
Who features in the balance of the Top 10 wealthiest drummers?
• Charlie Watts [The Rolling Stones]
• Larry Mullen [U2]
• Roger Taylor [Queen]
• Joey Kramer [Aerosmith]
• Chad Smith [Red Hot Chilli Peppers]
It is TOUGH to make money in the music business, especially if you are a drummer [because drummers rarely write songs!!]. Whilst Collins, Henley & Taylor have all written Number One hit songs [i.e. very lucrative royalty streams], the 10 drummers listed above share one common thread which defines their wealth; they are all members of very popular rock groups who perform [or performed] in large stadiums across the globe.
In the present environment, big profits are made from big rock tours…
It’s common knowledge that Ringo didn’t write The Beatles’ hits [or many songs at all], however the phenomenal level of artist royalties collected by Starr over the past 40 years fully justifies his top perch on the skin-bashing ladder. Let’s face it, The Beatles are in their own stratosphere when it comes to sales and popularity.
Who else features in the Top 5 wealthiest drummers in the world?
• Phil Collins [$250M] – the former Genesis drummer and solo superstar was everywhere throughout the 1980’s. A fair chunk of Collins’ wealth can be attributed to the large global tours undertaken by the British prog rock group, and as a solo artist.
• Dave Grohl [$225M] – isn’t he the singer & guitarist with The Foo Fighters? Whilst Grohl will have earned a minor mint from his stint with Nirvana, it is fair to suggest that he has profited most from his current band.
• Don Henley [$200M] – if his solo work was more frequent, The Eagles’ beat maker would be nudging Ringo for the top spot. Henley co-wrote all of the country-rock group’s big hits from the 1970’s, and The Eagles’ profit significantly from their ever frequent “reunion” world tours.
• Lars Ulrich [$175M] – Metallica’s huge album sales and monster global fan base can justify his estimated wealth. The California-based metal rockers like to tour relentlessly on a BIG scale.
Who features in the balance of the Top 10 wealthiest drummers?
• Charlie Watts [The Rolling Stones]
• Larry Mullen [U2]
• Roger Taylor [Queen]
• Joey Kramer [Aerosmith]
• Chad Smith [Red Hot Chilli Peppers]
It is TOUGH to make money in the music business, especially if you are a drummer [because drummers rarely write songs!!]. Whilst Collins, Henley & Taylor have all written Number One hit songs [i.e. very lucrative royalty streams], the 10 drummers listed above share one common thread which defines their wealth; they are all members of very popular rock groups who perform [or performed] in large stadiums across the globe.
In the present environment, big profits are made from big rock tours…
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