SLAM Day
Saturday February 23rd 2013
“A day where the whole country stops for live music”
After a huge debut year this year, SLAM DAY is back! Registrations are now open for 2013.
On Saturday February 23rd 2013 musicians and music lovers will come together in the largest simultaneous celebration of Live Music and Small Gigs that’s ever been held in Australia, for the second annual SLAM Day.
On February 23rd last year, over 150 gigs were held in small venues across the country from Perth to Port Douglas, Tamworth to Tennant Creek, Katherine to Kensington and with the support of musicians, venues, music fans and the media, the first ever SLAM Day was a massive success.
In 2013 SLAM Day falls on a Saturday - ‘gig day’, and already SLAM have been swamped with registration enquiries. It's a race between the states to host the largest SLAM day and SA will be right up there, challenging NSW, WA and Victoria as Australia’s home of live music.
Support a SLAM Day gig in your town – any style, any genre. Small gigs can happen in your backyard, in a venue, in your community hall, in a cafe, on the street or in the park.
It’s easy to get involved and free to register, just head to www.slamrally.org
About SLAM
SLAM (Save Live Australia’s Music) was born out of the SLAM rally, the largest cultural protest in Australia’s history. 20,000 people marched in Melbourne to change government policy that incorrectly linked live music to violence.
Since then, SLAM has successfully lobbied and contributed to:
Change the law in Victoria; live music is now recognized in the objects of The Liquor Licensing Act
Break the policy link between live music and violence in Victoria
Initiate the Premier’s Round Table for Live Music in Victoria. Outcomes from the roundtable include the reform of planning policy and licensing law in relation to all ages gigs, and cutting red tape.
A new Live Music Strategy and Lord Mayors Advisory Panel in the City of Melbourne
Live Music taskforces in City of Yarra and City of Port Phillip
Live music is now firmly on the political agenda, with:
A National call for candidates to have a Live Music Policy at all State and Council elections
In NSW, the City of Sydney prepares to launch a Live Music taskforce
In SA, the state government sent a delegation and met with SLAM representatives and have since announced and passed new small bar laws, a live music hub, a Live Music ‘Thinker in Residence’ and an Action Plan for the City of Adelaide
Federally, a new Live Music Coordinator has finally been appointed.
The inaugural National SLAM Day was held on February 23rd this year, on the anniversary of the SLAM rally. SLAM Day is a campaign aimed at the broader community as an event that celebrates our local musicians and our small gigs. SLAM Day was embraced all around the country with thousands of musicians and tens of thousands of punters getting involved.
"It's important that we nurture and support the live music scene in Adelaide both for ourselves and for the next generation of musicians and music lovers. We have a vibrant arts community in this town and I'd hate to see that eroded by short sighted licensing laws." – Taasha Coates, The Audreys
"Anything to save live music is a good thing indeed" – Martin Elbourne, Music Thinker In Residence
"I have been lucky enough to have been full time employed by this great industry for over 25 years both as a musician, a studio and duplication facility owner and now manager of two amazing facilities. Music as an art form transcends many cultural and community boundaries and is one way to bring people of all ages and lifestyles together for a common reason." – David Grice, The Promethean
"As the world's premier beard-related rock act, The Beards throw their support behind SLAM, a truly worthy cause. South Australia needs a strong live music scene, so that our bearded artists (and, to a lesser extent, non-bearded artists) can continue to prosper nationally and internationally." - Johann Beardraven, The Beards.
www.slamrally.org