“Things were definitely 100 per cent up in the air last year,” Young says. “We knew that even if we continued, it couldn’t be exactly the same – especially with the Peruvian restaurant encroaching on the stage area. So the main thing we had to deal with was making sure the restaurant was happy. And thankfully, we’ve created a very good relationship with the restaurant, and CherryRock is back on again this year.”
This year’s CherryRock will be headlined by Portland stoner-metal band Red Fang, aided and abetted by Los Angeles’ The Shrine and a potent lineup of national and local bands including HITS, Warped, Clowns and the “two-piece doom rock duo” Dr Colossus.
“This year’s lineup is all killer, no filler. I’m lucky because as the owner and booker, I get to put together the lineup that I want to see,” Young says. “Red Fang was the number one headline band I wanted to get to headline. They were out here for Soundwave recently, and they came to Cherry Bar after their show. I told them they had to come to play Cherry, and they told me to make it happen – so I did.”
While Young’s enthusiasm for rock’n’roll can be seen throughout the CherryRock lineup, it’s his business acumen that underpins the festival’s survival in the face of ongoing environmental challenges. Young is both philosophical and pragmatic about his attempts to construct a good working relationship with his new neighbours at the end of AC/DC Lane. “In business, it’s very important to have a good relationship with your neighbours,” he says “The reality is that there are always going to be challenges in business which you have to deal with.”
Part of Young’s sweetener to the owners of the Peruvian restaurant came in the form of freebies: a suggestion that the restaurant have its staff party on the day of CherryRock, with Cherry throwing in free tickets and drink cards for restaurant staff.
As well as developing a good relationship with neighbouring businesses, Cherry Bar has also had to meet the challenge of sound-proofing. In 2014, Young announced a crowd-funding campaign to pay for sound-proofing of Cherry Bar. After setting what he thought was an ambitious 42-day campaign to raise the $50,000 required to pay for the renovations, Young was almost knocked over when the cash was promised in less than 24 hours. “I think it shows the importance of the issue of supporting live music to the local community, and it also shows the level of goodwill that Cherry has developed with local punters,” he says.
While the past 18 months have seen major changes in government and regulatory support for live music infrastructure – including the agent of change principle implemented in local planning regulation – Young believes there’s an obligation on everyone who enjoys live music to take practical steps to ensure Melbourne’s live music scene survives.
“Melbourne pats itself on the back for being the live music capital of Australia,” Young says. “But if you have that title, then it brings with it leadership responsibilities… People have to show leadership, whether that means attending rallies, supporting crowd funding campaigns, even just going to see live music.”
While CherryRock’s foray into Sydney hasn’t been as successful, Young is under no illusion about the support for CherryRock in its hometown environment. “It’s become a bit of a workplace occupational health and safety issue for me because I get so many major slaps on the back – I’ve almost dislocated my shoulder,” Young laughs. “I love the attitude of the Melbourne public. They trust Cherry, and they trust me.”
BY PATRICK EMERY
