There is nothing my friends and I love more than dancing the day, or night, away listening to our favourite bands rock out.
As we sing along, waving our hands in the air to the beat, the lead singer feels the energy of the audience and turns it up a level.
The drummer smiles behind the beat and the guitarist runs from one side of the stage to the other, beckoning for more from the crowd.
The fans sing along to every word of every song until the show comes to a bittersweet end.
Unfortunately, it is not something we get to experience much of here in Mandurah.
Without a purpose-built live music venue and little-to-no special events or festivals, many of us make the trip up to Perth every weekend for a decent gig.
So many impressive national acts hit up hotspots in the South West before taking to the highway to head up to Perth, completely bypassing our beautiful home town.
We should take inspiration from iconic venues like Settlers Tavern in Margaret River and the Prince of Wales Hotel in Bunbury and use this opportunity to create an equally epic ‘local’ for Mandurah fans to enjoy live shows, any day of the week.
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Not only is it a missed opportunity for locals wanting a drink, a meal and some tunes, but it hinders the growth of our musos looking to make a name for themselves in what is already a competitive landscape.
Many Mandurah artists trying to make a break in the industry have to battle it out with Perth-based musicians just to lock in a place to play.
But I am happy to report the City of Mandurah, and many passionate young people in the local arts and music scene, are keen to turn it around - as covered by the Mandurah Mail this week.
Some claim the live music scene is dying across the country, but I would argue it is only at risk if we do not give it some love - and I want to see Mandurah leading the charge.
After chatting with mayor Rhys Williams this week, I am encouraging anyone who wants to see local and national acts taking to the stage in our town to join us in a movement to save our vibrant music culture.
As ABBA once asked, as they thanked the world for music – “What would life be? Without a song or a dance, what are we?”
What are your thoughts on spicing up the live music scene in Mandurah? Send our team a letter via editor.mandurahmail@fairfaxmedia.com.au.
