What goes on night after night behind the cracked and stained walls of The Tote – and countless other venues across Melbourne – is an important link in the chain of the music industry. Those outside the industry may not know or care about the musicians, bands and engineers who try to scrape out a living beneath the top echelons of commercial music, but it is this movement that provides the backbone of the music industry. The Tote is one such place where I learnt my chops as an engineer – for the most part learning how to improvise with faulty and crappy PA systems But what doesnt kill you makes you stronger

Long live The Tote!

Perhaps the Vic gov could look at the $363mil of (public) funds they’re planning to throw at a revamp of a venue which is repeatedly and again recently proven to be at “high risk” of violence: Melb Tennis Centre. Imagine even just 10% of this funding put towards music grant funding, soundproofing (and acoustic treatment) for what is, essentially, our real music industry: in venues every night of the week. Keep speaking out!!