Life Matters - Full program podcast The obsession with longevity and how not-for-profit venues could revive live music
Mar 1, 2026
Kate Medill, voice researcher at the University of Sydney, on how pitch and speech signal attraction, power and identity. Dr Norman Swan, medical journalist, on the craze for longevity, evidence and why basic habits matter. Sam Whiting, Churchill Fellow, on community and not-for-profit models rescuing small live music venues. Short, sharp conversations about voice, wellness mania and saving grassroots music.
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Structural Squeeze On Small Live Music Venues
- Small live music venues face a structural squeeze from changing audience behaviour and rising operating costs.
- Ant McKenna lists falling alcohol sales among youth, ticket purchases favouring big international shows, rising insurance, power and administrative costs as key pressures.
Soul Bar Closure Shows Venues Can Disappear Overnight
- Ant recounts attending the final gig at a 20-year venue, Soul Bar, illustrating sudden closures.
- He links such closures to lost development pathways for artists, promoters and production workers in local scenes.
Small Gig Tickets Are Priced Too Low
- Ticket pricing for small gigs remains unusually low relative to other local costs, depressing venue revenue.
- Sam observed overseas that entry often costs about twice a pint, while Australian venues haven't raised entry fees to match rising beer prices.