Indie band San Cisco are looking to the Queensland Government to reimburse them for up to $60k in losses after the cancellation of a show.
The band were set to perform a sold-out show at NightQuarter on the Sunshine Coast on June 12.
However, the venue was ordered by Queensland Health and local police to shut down less than 24 hours before the show.
Forced to cancel the gig, San Cisco missed out on an expected gross revenue of $60,000.
Now the band and their management are seeking compensation from the Queensland Government for the losses incurred.
“As an independent band, like many others, San Cisco rely on live music as their primary source of income,” said a member of San Cisco’s management, Philip Stevens.
“The behaviour of patrons at the NightQuarter is no different to that experienced at sporting events around the state in the very same week…why are venues and concerts still being targeted by State governments as dangerous activities in comparison to major sporting events that are occurring every week?”
The venue closure notice arrived in response to a complaint about recent shows where authorities observed patrons dancing in their allocated seats.
“When people stand up in their seats and become less than socially distanced, they then regard it as dancing,” NightQuarter co-owner, Michelle Christoe, told ABC News.
“However, I guess where the hypocrisy is, we’re not seeing this across the industry. We’re not seeing it against other industries like sport, and that makes it very hard for us to maintain the compliance with patrons.”
In these times it’s tough being in the music game. https://t.co/O9xcXqz5cW
— Hugh_96 (@Hugh_96) June 15, 2021
The venue was shut down in the same week as the State of Origin game in Townsville, highlighted by Ms Christoe, where people were jumping up and down in their seats, as well as crowding public bars.
San Cisco’s support act for the tour, Jaguar Jonze, said that the struggle to play contracted shows in her home state “shows how little support we are shown as active employers and participants in the economy“.
“The arts industries have been decimated and it’s amazing that we continue to try to push through,” she said.
In comparison, Sydney’s Metro Theatre reopened this month and is yet to see any closure notices. Well done, NSW.
The Between You And Me tour hopes to resume tomorrow (17 June) at The Gov in Adelaide.
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