This site has been made as a result of the Facebook group called 'If you move into Fitzroy and start making noise complaints you are a moron!' The group has become too large to be able to message everyone about upcoming events so in an effort to migrate from the Facebook group this site is the new central place to keep up to date with what is happening in regard to this cause. The support so far has been overwhelming and I take heart that there are so many people who feel the same way.

Too many live music venues are being shut down or having massive noise restrictions put on them due to noise complaints. Similar issues are occuring all over the city, however, the problem isn't just the music but drunkards leaving the venues after the music has finished too.

I'm of the belief that there have always been drunk people in pubs and if you move across the road from a known live music venue then what do you expect? Don't get me wrong, I understand residents who have lived in the area 20+ years will have witnessed many changes to the area which they may not approve of and the noise coming out of many venues is on the increase but there has to be a way to achieve win-win situations for those involved. The obituary list is growing and the solution is clearly not a simple one and there are a few different stakeholders whose best interests don't necessarily include preserving live music and cultural integrity in the now very trendy Fitzroy area. The City of Yarra does nothing to help matters by holding up venues in the planning process as they try to take sound proofing measures.

Way back in 2003 the Live Music Taskforce went to a lot of effort to put together a set of recommendations based around the concept of 'the agent of change.' The idea is that if the venue was there first then it is the developer's job to take sound proofing measures, if the residents were there first and a venue decides to have live music or if a new venue springs up it is the venues responsibility. Makes sense. This report also outlines ways in which venues and residential buildings can minimise sound coming in and going out. The report was accepted by Mary Delahunty, the minister for Arts at the time, and a commitment made by the State Government to implement these recommendations. This was promptly forgotten about as soon as Mary Delahunty left. Go to the ACTION link to help put pressure where it is needed to resurrect these recommendations and preserve the unique live music scene in Fitzroy and The City of Melbourne in general!