The genesis of many Australian bands such as AC/DC and Midnight Old started out in a small to mid-sized music venues, yet many venues are financially struggling to stay afloat.
A new NSW parliament committee investigating the state of live music in Australia has heard from venue owners struggling under the weight of regulation about the need for the music industry to receive better recognition from government.
The Wire’s Imogen Brosnan asked the CEO of Sydney’s iconic music venue, the Oxford Art Factor Mark Gerber what sort of government support is needed for small live music venues.
Image: Courtesy of Oxford Art Factory Facebook page
Produced By: Imogen Brosnan
Featured In Story: Mark Gerber, CEO and founder of the Oxford Art Factory, Co-founder and deputy chair of the Live Music Venues Alliance
First aired on The Wire, Wednesday 1 July 2026