It Ain't Noise Pollution:Canberra bands begin the fight to keep nightlife alive

Canberra’s tiny city centre has been the hub of the city’s music scene for decades. From cover bands to international superstars, many Canberran’s love the loud melodies of live music, but this might not be possible for much longer. Long ignored noise restrictions in the CBD are the culprit that threatens Canberra’s nightlife, and its music culture.

Canberra’s city centre, as well as in its other, smaller town centres, have a noise restriction between 10pm and 7am of 50 decibels, about as loud as a normal conversation. For years, these restrictions have almost been completely ignored. Bars and nightclubs for decades, have broken the limits with music, live and played by DJ’s, but with the re-submission of Geocon’s application to build a new hotel in Garema Place in May, these limits may begin to be enforced. This will affect even more bars and nightclubs, with the constant fines that may come, as well as musicians, local and from afar who will have to find new venues to play at, or not play in Canberra at all.

Musicians do not approve of the application, nor the noise restrictions. Some will try to find their own answers to make the most of their talents. Some deciding to move away to larger cities, with much grander nightlives, and more opportunity. Some come together to fight for their local bars, musicians and music culture.

Many local bands are doing what they can before bars are forced to close, or more bands decide to move away from the city. Before it is too late to save such a large part of Canberra’s nightlife, Canberra’s musicians came together on June 21st, for International Make Music Day to break the noise limits. Some of Canberra’s biggest names, SAFIA, Citizen Kay and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers just to name a few, made appearances on stage in Garema place to show their support for the city that gave them their start.

The musicians advocating for all of the Canberra community, broke the day time’s limit of 60 decibels by heading all the way up to 90 decibels, not quite as loud as an average concert, enough to break the limits and let their message be heard all through Garema Place. Politicians and advocates attended in solidarity for the cause as well, giving another level of support, maybe helping that little bit more so that the already difficult opportunities to perform will not become even harder.

Smaller bands were of course in attendance of the protest too. Members of bands, Neko Pink and Peach Lane both shared similar sentiments in regards to the noise restrictions and the protest. The thought of what has happened in the past, such as the closure of Toast Bar, as well as what could happen in the future if things to do not change was a scary thought for them. It’s the unity of Canberrans and the tight music culture of the city that gives them the hope that change will come.

The closure of bars has already had an effect on Canberra’s musicians. The Phoenix was one of the main hubs for all kinds of live music. Peach Lane’s Hannah says that, “The Phoenix was somewhere that it didn’t matter what was on, I knew I could go and be welcomed.”

The loss of one bar has meant that others, such as Sideway and Transit, have had to pick up even more gigs. The Phoenix was a hub that could have a gig on any night of the week, with anyone and anyone being welcome to perform. The bar had been open for 25 years, before closing its doors, and its closure left a hole in Canberra’s music scene, which will only grow larger if efforts to change legislation or prevent the construction of Geocon’s hotel in their desired space are unsuccessful.

The Phoenix’s closed doors left a huge hole in the Canberra nightlife. Photo by Jacob Crowe

That does not mean they think they are untouchable though. If residential building does occur closer by to the bar, there may be a risk to the business as well. There is not much feeling of safety and security even for those who do feel they are out of reach, at least for now.

The danger is more severe to those bars that are directly within Garema Place, where the plans for a hotel have been made by Geocon. Honkytonks and Shorty’s are both popular bars in the area, but Hippo Co’s live jazz would make them feel very vulnerable to what may happen in the future. Wednesday nights have been Live Jazz night for the past 20 years. Jazz musicians play to the open Garema Place, filling the air with their music from the bands playing near the balcony area. This is just one more instance of the broad music culture in Canberra that is being threatened. From the jazz in Hippo Co, to the cover band of King O’Malley’s that plays on weekends, and the various bands that hit upon every subgenre of rock, there are not many who would be safe, nor have a feeling of security in the current situation.

Bands, bars, politicians and organisations are banding together now to try make a change. The main goal is to change the noise restrictions or create a new central hub for live music and events, to keep Canberra’s local bands, and its nightlife alive. The changes to the limits at night, would benefit bands as well as bars who play loud music, but creating a music hub, that musicians can feely play without the issue of noise complaints, and fines to the venues that hold the gigs or events.

“This kind of movement needs people power,” as Peach Lane puts it. Bands, organisations, politicians, and average music lovers are all coming together to create a movement, using the noisy protest as driving force to create change. Communication between the large number of musicians in the city and advocates for the cause with politicians is crucial. Being loud about the issue, just like their live music, is how Canberra’s musicians know best.

Bands want to begin to reach the answers they think are best is through the thing that is under threat, which is playing music. But it is not only musicians and bar owners are scared of the changes that could come if the legislation stays the way it is, and hotel development continues around the CBD. The loss of bars means the loss of spaces to go not only to drink alcohol, but that make everyone feel welcome, no matter what night, or event is on, much like the Phoenix played the role as a hub for live music.

The whole culture behind Canberra’s nightlife is under threat, and no one is taking it lying down. There is too much history in Canberra’s live music scene, as well as potential, with new bands and musicians always coming up to try make it big, or just have fun.

Canberra’s musicians have created a very broad, yet tight, community and support system, that are banding together to make sure that Canberra’s nightlife lives on. The long ignored rules need to be changed, or new spaces for live music need to be created. Everyone wants solution that can benefit Canberra’s musicians, and nightlife as a whole may be far from achieved, but the support that all the members of Canberra’s nightlife culture shows for each other brings them the strength and hope, that a solution will be able to benefit all.

No other bar could compete with The Phoenix’s wholly inclusive vibe, other venues hold particular atmospheres to their bars as well as events. Neko Pink even notes accessibility as an issue with Transit and Sideway, as they use stairs to access them. Canberra needs all its bars, as not all can accommodate for every band, nor every patron.

Africa, one half of the duo, says that perhaps the relationships between bands has changed, and will change even more if there are more issues with the noise limits in the future. The already limited number of venues are more sort after by musicians, “so the bands [may be] having to pay more or do more in order to hold shows on particular nights. Bars may be more likely to give spots to bands that can draw a bigger crowd for more revenue for the bar.”

Canberra would not usually be associated with competition between musicians. This is shown through the tight community who came to support each other at the protest jam, but if the community does face the worst of this issue, the competition could hurt many smaller local musicians. Transit and Sideway have more “particular vibes” according to Africa. Musicians are of course thankful to the two bars for taking up so many gigs after the Phoenix’s closure, a lack of similar vibe could create tension between bands who do not fit the niches that create the most revenue for the bars.

It’s not only bands who are affected by the noise restrictions of course. The effect on bars could be disastrous, and there is already an instance of one of Canberra’s live music hub’s closing due to noise complaints. Toast Bar closed in 2007 due to the constant fines from noise complaints, from a nearby hotel. Musician’s, bars, and ACT music organisations are now standing together before such a fate could happen again.

Many bars could come to this fate around Canberra’s city centre, but maybe not all though. Hidden away at Civic bus station, behind a blackened glass door, up a very long set of stairs, is Sideway. With white walls and candles lit, even on a Wednesday night, pop singers and psych rock bands can both take the stage at Canberra DIG’s Crop Up Sessions.

Sideway opened up in 2019, above the recently closed Phoenix Bar, and lies around the corner from Canberra’s biggest nightclub, Mooseheads. Sideway’s management says that they are a bar that is not affected by the noise restrictions.

Being far away from any hotels, the bar seems to be safe from any fines. The fact that the bar is around the corner from Mooseheads, they say that the bar is “out of reach and protected. Mooseheads have probably been breaking the noise limits for decades”.

Sideway tries to help make up for the loss of the Phoenix, Wednesday nights even hold gigs for music lovers and musicians Photo by Jacob Crowe