New Venue For Perth

Australian promoters in Perth have long complained about the lack of a venue large enough to attract international acts. The latest act to bypass the West Coast city was the Red Hot Chili Peppers in April.

But the West Australian government announced August 27th it has green-lighted a new, 14,000-capacity venue called Perth Arena. The $250 million project is set to be finished by 2009.

Although Perth has cultivated acts including INXS and current hit-makers The Sleepy Jackson and Eskimo Joe, it still has a reputation as a desolate city.

Business and music industry figures have met to overcome this. One idea is to rename Perth “The Music Capital of Australia” and have bands play for tourists as they arrive by plane.

Another is to entice overseas record producers to work in Perth’s sunny climes – similar to Los Angeles – and get the state government to use its $1 billion budget surplus to fund even more local acts and music businesses.

– Bryan Jones