"I Tote and I Vote": Australian live music and cultural policy

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine recent government policies that have had direct and indirect effects upon Australian live music venues.Design methodology approach - The paper provides a review of relevant government policies relating to live music and a case study approach examining live music's role in concepts of the "creative city".Findings - Policy affecting venues remains tied to wider governmental notions of risk management. The rise of evidence-based research about venue activity is one effective means of negating instinctive policies that regard live music activity as simply problematic to night-time economies.Originality value - The paper reveals the current debates and practical obstacles facing live music venues. Its Australian case studies are relevant to similar global debates in the live music industries, and how live music is marketed as part of "creative city" and "cultural city" campaigns.