6 Reasons Why The Australian Music Industry Is Currently The Worst In The World

2. A Disillusioned Reality

Since 2000 (lets round it up and off), I have played countless shows, all over Australia. Although the city of Melbourne always alluded me apart from an occasional guest appearance, I have performed with some of the finest (and some of the worst) musicians to grace the planet from all over our lucky country. And in the past decade the general consensus of them all, in all genres, is that maybe, it's simply not worth it. And I tend to agree. Thanks to this they call the Australian music industry, playing live in a touring pub band or making a name for yourself has become not only an emotional exhausting experience (for the wrong reasons) but kind of a luxury. Nowadays only rich kids that have parents with expendable incomes are joining bands, and that is not necessarily a good thing. Although not dissing everyone in these circumstances, it seems to me that people who have had it all given to them lack the necessary emotional experiences to write a truly great song. But's that my own opinion and off topic. Anyone else who isn't fortunate enough to live in a family with a $100,000 plus income or isn't already themselves an established name, are pretty much either quitting or not bothering. And that truly is the most depressing part of all. I have met guitarists that put Yngwie Malmsteen to shame. I have met drummers that can pull off stuff only the very top elite can do. I have heard bass players that would make Les Claypool himself get up and mosh. And if you think the contestants of the X Factor are the best singers Australia's got, then you are not only completely wrong but I am quite ashamed at my country for giving you that impression. And they are all quitting. It quite literally is the saddest thing about this whole debacle. The fact that these quality musicians that are not only the best in their field but are most probably the best in the world are giving up the band life to take a desk job is shocking.

Some might read that and go, "Ummm, hang on a minute, isn't that meant to be the other way around?" Well, maybe in other countries and in the glory days of the past, but no more. Nowadays there is simply no reason to form a band. And the young padawans (with rich parents) coming thru today, they all think they are one youtube video away from being their musical equivalent to Justin Bieber and don't even consider touring. So the actual, great, "real" artists end up just wasting their life away at home, they open a Soundcloud account and just put their music out there for no one to hear. And even the established names are quitting simply because they are not only used to getting paid but were around when the scene was at its peak and a lot of them find themselves suffering depression when they realise that it has all been dead and buried. I know on occasion I shed a tear for the days of old. When I first started playing live, there was 12 venues in our town. Now there is barely one. All the rest have their pokie rooms and outdoor smoking areas. But regardless of everything I have mentioned so far, the number one reason is truly the most mind baffling AND the most frustrating of them all.