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Margate Bar Keeping The Music Scene Alive

Story: Aleasha Bliss | Photo: Bruce Redman
Published On : Sep 24, 2020
Margate Bar  Keeping The Music Scene Alive
The Jumping Goats Bar at Margate have scored a $14,140 Play Local grant that enables them to continue providing live music to their patrons and creating paid opportunities for their regular acts. With restrictions easing in Queensland, the bar is welcoming back their guests with open arms and providing the entertainment to take away their Covid-blues.

Play Local is an Arts and Cultural Recovery Relief Package that was awarded to 52 live performance venues across Queensland to secure employment of artists and support audience access to live events. With many venues closing for months, recouping lost income does not allow for entertainment costs. This package has venues, performers and patrons gaining from the initiative.

Jumping Goats Bar owners Peta Thames and Nigel Scanes were "over the moon" to be granted the opportunity to continue to support their emerging artists and graduates from the Conservatorium of Music. They have 18 musicians booked to play until the end of the year and the grant has enabled the bar to have live acts three nights of the week.

We were shut for 12 weeks during the pandemic, Peta said. I squeaked when we found out we got the grant from the Queensland Government. It was a joint effort between our musicians, patrons and the local community to get our application through. Now our talented artists can keep providing fantastic music to our customers ' while they enjoy a local boutique wine or craft beer.

We are so humbled by the community response we have had since reopening. It is great that we can keep our amazing artists performing and provide them with an audience each week ' they deserve their talent to be heard.

While Jumping Goats Bar was shut down, Peta did not forget about her musicians and used their online platform to create a virtual bar with the artists performing on Facebook live to 1700 followers.

Solo singer and guitarist Steve McLoughlin said the fans of live music were itching to get back out, hear some tunes and help the hospitality industry get back on their feet.

The grant is getting the music industry working again, said Steve. The venue doesn't have to stress about paying us after being shut for so long. It's so lucky they got it. The Goat is the best spot in Redcliffe. Doing the live on Facebook was amazing, but having an audience again is incredible. It's great to be back.

Find out who is playing here: www.facebook.com/jumpinggoa...