Newcastle’s all-age music scene has been going through a period of change in recent months, so a boost in the form of UNIFIED’s grant is a welcome relief.
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Awarded to Andrew Brassington for his work in founding Boys Don’t Cry, an all-age music collective that has been organising gigs for young adults at The Commons, The Cambridge Hotel and all over Newcastle, the $5,000 will go a long way in keeping the love alive.
Brassington, who described the last year of all-age music appearing at The Commons as a “summer of love” for Newcastle, was excited to hear that he’d been selected as part of the UNIFIED music group grant.
“It just started and spiraled out of control in a way,” Brassington said. “At times it’s pretty overwhelming, but there’s people who are relying on you so you can’t take a back step.
“Even if you’re losing money on a show, it doesn’t matter as long as the show is a good gig. Because you’re in the moment and you can see all these other young people enjoying it who feel the same.”
Brassington, who is just 17 years old, first had the idea for the collective when he noticed a void of all-age music in Newcastle after the closure of The Loft and Drone.
It’s his age that might be a catch in the near future however – 2018 will be the year that Brassington sits for the HSC at school.
“2018 is my HSC year and I’m doing this on top of that, so it does get in the way a lot which is unfortunate,” he said. “It’s a pretty full-on industry, the music industry.”
It’s not the end of the Boys Don’t Cry Collective as the 17-year-old pursues his educational goals, however, with the $5,000 award to go towards expand the Newcastle enterprise.
The Cambridge Hotel will also host events for the near future for all-ages punters, and Brassington is in talks with Newcastle City Council to find alternative venues.
As well as Brassington’s award, four other upcoming music advocates were honoured with part of the $25,000 pie: Jessica Hope, Brenton Tuohey, James Morris and Pixie Weyland.
All four projects are a wide range of additions to the Australian music scene, from Hope’s Don’t Fret Club, a podcast and mental health initiative that facilitates discussion with artists on issues of the mind, to Weyland’s FEED MUSIC, a not-for-profit enterprise that allows touring bands and artists to find free cafes and restaurants in the area.
Tuohey’s project The Media Accreditation was also lauded by the UNIFIED group. Touhey’s entry is an automated list for publicists, managers, publications and their contributors that correlates tour dates and media information.
Morris’ Baked Goods was the final recipient of the $5,000 grant – Baked Goods is a media company that shares content on Australia music through interviews and live performances.