ALH Hotels is supporting this year’s Ausmusic Month across its venues by hosting gigs from a number of local music acts. The initiative is part of ALH Hotels ongoing support for the Australian music community.
ALH Hotels has agreed to donate $40,000 to this year’s event. An additional $1 from every ticket sold during Ausmusic Month will go to the Support Act charity, which provides crisis relief, mental health support and financial assistance to Australian music workers.
Sharlene Harris, ALH Hotels’ national entertainment manager has been a vocal advocate for live music and has long spearheaded ALH’s efforts to bring live music to pubs across Australia.
“We want to create spaces where people can experience music up close and personal. Seeing a band in a pub creates an incredible energy – it’s an experience that stays with you,” said Harris.
Harris and the ALH team have put a lot of effort into ensuring that their pubs are attractive to live music acts, which in turn benefits those local communities going to see a gig at their local pub.
“A lot of our entertainment venues are equipped with in-house infrastructure, which significantly reduces production costs for bands. This financial relief is particularly beneficial for artists who are still finding their footing in the industry. The intimate setting of our pubs also ensures that crowds are highly responsive and engaged, creating a memorable experience for both the artists and the audience. This close proximity between the band and fans creates a unique energy that you don’t often get in larger venues,” Harris said.
The average crowd size at a pub gig at ALH during Ausmusic Month has been 400-600 attendees, but some gigs have been hitting full capacities of 600-1200. Harris and the ALH team have focused on setting fair pricing for their guests, aligning ticket prices with what audiences are willing to pay. Working closely with both artists and their management has allowed the pubs to set a ticket price for each gig that benefits both the artists and the local audience.
“Ticket pricing is also tailored to each venue, taking into account the local community and its unique dynamics, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all national pricing strategy. While the average ticket price is around $30-$40, we ensure all tickets are priced well under $100 to maintain accessibility for all music lovers,” Harris said.
Throughout Ausmusic Month, ALH Hotels have hosted Australian acts Grinspoon, The Jungle Giants, The Rions, The Angels, Thirsty Merc, Adam Harvey, Ash Grunwald, The Dreggs, The Superjesus,Pseudo Echo and The Smith St Band. Ausmusic Month culminates with Ausmusic T-shirt day on the 28 November.