We asked four prominent Melbourne musicians what they miss most about playing music in this pandemic-battered city, and why they want us vaccinated so we can finally get back to being the live music capital of the world.
What do you miss most about seeing a gig in Melbourne? Is it standing less than 1.5 metres apart, fixed to the spot by a sticky carpet, screaming along to bands and yelling anecdotes into our mates ears, beers sloshing on our clothes?
Or is it chatting to the hospitality workers and venue owners we have come to know and love over the years, catching up as you shout your order over the bar?
What you need to know
- Melbourne’s best musicians have one message: get the jab
- COVID vaccination rates are being heralded as the only way out of lockdown
- If you’ve ever taken mystery drugs at Meredith, you have nothing to worry about
Stay up to date with what’s happening in Melbourne here.
Maybe it’s just hearing the songs we love played live, new or different, more human than they could ever sound on a record.
We might not ever get back to how it used to be, we can grieve that. But the only way we’ll ever get close to it, safely, is if we get vaccinated and fast. Some restrictions will ease in Victoria on September 23 provided 70% of people have had one vaccine dose, but we still have a long way to go.
Last month Music Victoria launched the GetVaxxed4Vic campaign, encouraging music professionals and punters to get vaccinated, and now Victorians aged between 16-29 years old are eligible to receive Pfizer.
Here are four of Melbourne’s best musos on why it’s vital that we get jabbed now.
Amy Taylor (Amyl and the Sniffers)
AMYL. Image by Jamie Wdziekonski
What do you love most about playing music in Melbourne and why do you miss it?
I miss seeing everybody and I’d like to go the movies and see way more faces.
Why do you want us to get vaccinated?
There is no reason not to! I personally would literally rather drop dead of adverse side effects to an absolutely amazing and critical vaccine, knowing that Bryce, Dec, Gus, Jamie, John and Max can live a full and happy life.
It’s really safe and sick. Also there is one side effect – it makes you really smart and hot and iconic. I started smoking during the pandemic so for every person who gets vaccinated I’ll smoke one less ciggie! Save our Amy.
If you don’t want it offer me an alternative out of this that ain’t a vaccine, I’m easy bro I’ll take what I can get.
Liam Halliwell (Snowy Band, The Ocean Party)
Snowy. Image by Jordan Thompson
What do you love most about playing music in Melbourne and why do you miss it?
Dependent on circumstance, some of us are lucky enough have a degree of access to music; record collections, streaming platforms, the instruments we own, maybe even new music we might make in lockdown.
While there might seem like an abundance of music available to us (there’s more new music released every day than we could ever possibly listen to), music at its heart is a living, breathing art form. It exists in real-time, in physical spaces, where real music is made communally. In all sorts of communities.
We are all painfully aware of the depressing number of missed chances for artists launching, touring and celebrating their releases. That sucks in its own way. But for each of these there have also been a unquantifiable number of magic moments; live spontaneity, real inspiration passed to-and-from an audience, fuck-ups, nerves, knowing looks between musicians onstage, music at weddings, music at funerals.
Melbourne is the greatest musical city on the planet and considering in our heyday we had nearly 100,000 gigs a year (not to mention people just getting together to play and listen), that’s a lot of genuine art and culture and community that has missed its chance to materialise. Because that definitely can’t be streamed online.
Why do you want us to get vaccinated?
There are so many thousands of people deemed essential workers have never had the luxury of choice or financial security to stay safe, stay home, work from home, etc, and that doesn’t look like it’ll change any time soon without some seismic shift.
Komang
Komang. Image by Abigail Javier
What do you love most about playing music in Melbourne and why do you miss it?
The people! I love getting to know the bands I play alongside, I love having a dance with friends and meeting other gig-goers, and I love how music brings people together in general.
We are so lucky here in this city – spoilt for choice for talent, and not to mention with a strong sense of community and support. I’m a huge introvert, but the people will always have my heart.
I can’t wait to be out there dancing and playing again.
Why do you want us to get vaccinated?
To protect yourself and your networks! Getting vaccinated doesn’t just protect you, it protects those around you too, and you have a duty to them as much as yourself.
The sooner we all get vaccinated, the sooner ALL of us can be out and about, enjoying life.
Liam Parsons (Good Morning)
GOOD MORNING. Image by Nick Mckk
What do you love most about playing music in Melbourne and why do you miss it?
I miss just that – playing music in Melbourne. It’s my job and I miss going to work, bizarrely enough. I realised that we played more shows in 2020 than 2021, and 2020 felt dire enough already.
I miss setting up and packing down and sound checking and talking shit at the bar and feeling awkward in crowds.
Why do you want us to get vaccinated?
Because it’s just truly such a dead shit stance not to get vaccinated, really.
So truly, truly fucking stupid, unless you have a legitimate health reason to not get vaccinated. I don’t really know what else to say about that.
Show me the Venn diagram of people who all of a sudden give a shit about what goes in their body and people who have done mystery drugs at Meredith, I swear to god.
Book your vaccine appointment today by heading to the Victorian government’s website.
