Hear that? It’s the sound of the Brisbane music scene, and it’s asking for your help.

Let’s look at the Brisbane music scene – right now, it’s better, stronger and more united than it was when Powderfinger started.

Local bands in Brisbane know and support each other, they go to each other’s gigs. This is a real Brisbane thing; I don’t see that in Melbourne or Sydney and it’s something we should be immensely proud of.

The difference now is that bands and music lovers alike have a place to go, a common place to hang out, and that common place is Fortitude Valley. The Valley is now an incubator of both talent and audiences. This was not the case when we started.

The Valley has come alive over the past 20 years, and our music scene is very healthy, with bands like Dune Rats, Mallrat, Cub Sport and Jungle Giants all big on the touring circuit nationally, and others like Full Flower Moon Band and the Beddy Rays on the rise.

The number of new venues and the support from Council for venue owners and musicmakers makes a huge difference. Brisbane does punch above its weight and we have a real opportunity into 2032 to make Brisbane an internationally renowned music city.

We don’t need to be LA or New York; Austin in Texas is one of the leading music cities in the world and it’s smaller than Brisbane. Austin has South by Southwest, and we have Big Sound, the biggest event of its type in the Southern Hemisphere.

The blueprint is almost done.

So what are the challenges?

Sometimes you feel like you’ve been left alone, when things are tough, and right now there’s a lot of big shows like Taylor Swift and Coldplay sweeping through the ticket buying market like a juggernaut. In the aftermath, and given the rising cost of living, it’s young, local artists that are suffering, and finding it hard to sell tickets and develop audiences.

This is where Winter Sessions is such a powerful and timely initiative. The number of free events in this program mean bands get gigs and music fans get experiences. This support for the music industry from Council and the city is vital.

Perhaps the biggest challenge is the break in the audience development chain. And this is a direct result of COVID.

The live music scene remains a strange place in our post-Covid world: ticket sales for domestic artists are tough, with some down 70 per cent. No-one makes money from half full rooms.

Covid broke the audience development chain. If you were a 16-year-old during Covid, you didn’t go to local gigs, you didn’t hang out at stage doors – because during that time, most gigs had to pivot to Over 18 Only Events, in order to make money from bar spends. The gig formula changed and as a result, there was no musical ‘blooding’ of kids, no introduction to live music through ground level, local gigs.

Before Covid, when the kids in the audience development chain hit 18, they’d go to the Tivoli or The Zoo and see local but slightly bigger acts. It’s how the chain worked – bands and artists needed it, and our kids did too. But right now, there’s no new wave of music lovers in the chain.

Be assured, Taylor Swift and Coldplay don’t need this chain, nor do heritage bands like Cold Chisel or The Angels.

So here we are.

Enter Winter Sessions with the great lineup of free events and local acts – this is exactly what is needed to fix the chain. To reboot the audiences. Thankfully, we have a Council that understands this, and can subsidise the events.

It’s such a crucial part of the structure of our music industry – and until now, one that probably was unknown by those external to it.

Once the chain is fixed, our industry can fly.

The 2032 Olympics and Paralympics are the greatest opportunity for Brisbane’s entertainment and nightlife, and our opportunity to leave an important musical legacy.

We are lucky to have a world class, compelling entertainment precinct, and the biggest in Australia, in Fortitude Valley. I really don’t think people in Brisbane realise how lucky we are to have the Valley.

We now also have the opportunity to get our house ready so when the world comes to Brisbane – we are ready.

I know the Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Cr Vicki Howard are committed to this program. A healthy music and entertainment precinct is also vital for real city growth – we need young people to choose Brisbane as their city, and this means we need great venues, bars, clubs, restaurants and a vibrant night life.

In 20 years Fortitude Valley could be the Creative Hub of Australia. I see a reality where music and creative management call McWhirter’s their home, and the building pays tribute to the history of the Valley with galleries and amplified experiences. The Valley is home to creatives. It has become a self-fulfilling success.

So right now, what people across Brisbane can do, is support Winter Sessions. Take advantage of this incredible lineup of free, local performances. Reboot your love of local sounds. Take your kids to local gigs. Strengthen the chain.

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Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, Cr Vicki Howard, JC and Winter Sessions ambassador, and Queensland music ARIA-award winner, Tyrone Noonan, together with fellow artist, Sian Evans From The Long Johns visited The Prince Consort Hotel in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley to talk local music initiatives, and .

John “JC” Collins is a performer who gained fame as bassist for Powderfinger, and now is a respected venue owner in Brisbane. The Winter Sessions program runs from July 27 – August 6 featuring a huge program of mostly free music events