The Vineyard is a restaurant and live music venue in Melbourne’s St Kilda. On June 28 2010 Port Philip Council decided to negotiate a private treaty rather than put the lease out to tender, which is a great outcome.
Before this, it looked like it could be the end of live music at the Vineyard.
Here’s FG4LM’s press release, from a few days before the decision:
The Vineyard – MEDIA RELEASE
Friday, June 25, 2010
Fair Go 4 Live Music calls on Port Phillip Council to respect and foster Live Music at St Kilda’s Vineyard.
Fair Go 4 Live Music is concerned that Port Phillip Council will kill live music at the Vineyard in St Kilda. St Kilda used to be the pre-eminent Live music district in Melbourne but has lost many of its iconic music venues over the last 30 years. The Vineyard is a small but important venue that has been holding gigs for well over a decade. Port Phillip Council should draw the line at the Vineyard and stop the decline in venue numbers in St Kilda.
“A 2½ meter square stage cant be that much of a threat, can it?” said Jon Perring of FG4LM. “Extinguishing Live Music at the Vineyard would be like knocking the teeth out of Luna Park. The Port Phillip Councillors should show some leadership here.”
Fair Go 4 Live Music calls on the Councillors of the City of Port Phillip to create a regulatory framework that allows for Live Music to continue to thrive at the Vineyard and to foster a viable commercial arrangement with the current operators that allows for the continuation of their live music program.
In particular, The Vineyard should be able to operate in a manner consistent with their current operations under the current controls and not have their patron numbers or hours of operation reduced.
Live music is under threat from regulation on many fronts. Regulators should be aware that it is easily destroyed. The Councillors of Port Phillip need to respect our culture and support Live Music at the Vineyard in St Kilda.
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Links
Live music threatened by limits to Vineyard – Live music in Melbourne faces another threat, with St Kilda venue The Vineyard likely to have its capacity slashed and lease contested. – The Age 27/6
Business as usual at St Kilda’s Vineyard – Victory! The Age 29/6
