national SLAM day

After Liquor Licensing Laws led to the closure of Melbourne’s famous Tote Hotel and threatened the future of many other live music venues, 20,000 people took to the streets, marching down Swanston Street and to Parliament House to encourage the Victorian government to take a closer look at the unintended impact these laws were having on the future of live music.

The voices were heard, a Live Music Agreement was signed between representatives of the Live Music Industry, the State Government of Victoria and the Director of Liquor Licensing (DLL), and the Tote reopened under new management in June last year.

To mark the first anniversary of the SLAM (Save Live Australia’s Music) Rally, this Wednesday, February 23, many of the artists, protesters and music-lovers who helped propel this movement are coming together once again to celebrate live music and all that SLAM has achieved over the past year.

The ‘Tote Jukebox’ will see performances from artists including Angie Hart, Dan Sultan, EVEN, Glenn Richards, and the Gun Street Girls, amongst many others, to launch National SLAM Day.

Venues across Australia are being urged to plan events for 2012 to ensure that the plight of SLAM is not forgotten, and to encourage patrons to support live music in Australia and help nurture the industry and the artists.

Tickets are now on sale for this exciting event. Click here for more information, or to follow SLAM’s efforts on facebook, click here.