I’m wondering if there’s a bigger alcohol licensing story here.
I was speaking to a respected longtime venue owner and license holder last night. They’ve also acquired many special licenses over the years and said that it had suddenly become way more complicated to get one for the PTA school events they help with (quiz nights, school discos- for the parents, not the kids- etc ) this year vs last year.
Has something changed at the councils’ licensing authorities?
100%. That’s 10 events affected in one day. With Juicy Fest, it sounds like incidents at previous events - Google “ear biting” - were a factor. I just feel for the kids eh. I got to go to the Big Day Out at 16 and Laneway is that festival to today’s teens. It just sucks.
Laneway is a mess at the moment. The festival's identity seems now far removed from where it was. I preferred it when it was a smaller boutique festival. Changing venues and trying to cater to what is popular on TikTok I think is the wrong path.
I dunno. I feel like they have a pretty firm grip on their audience and the artists that work and this probably blindsided them considering it all went to plan last year. My concern is that NZ is too volatile now with licensing so they pull Laneway out of our market and it goes back to Oz. Over there it’s always R16.
Well, they had a firm grip on what the audience of teenage girls detailed in the article is interested in. I don’t see this line up working without them one bit, theres is no alternative appeal and no mainstream appeal, simply appeal to teens.
I really hope NZ can work out how to do all ages licenses properly. It was the bane of my existence when I was a teen - and I'm very thankful for my parents taking me to so many shows (and for the bars that let me in to play without them).
I never made it to Big Day Out but a formative experience of mine was seeing Liam Finn/The Mint Chicks/Die! Die! Die! at Homegrown in 2010 (I think the last year they had an 'indie' stage.)
If alcohol sales aren’t a big part of it as they say, they should have just flagged the licence and gone all ages. Wouldn’t that have been a better PR story rather than screwing a bunch of kids out of their hard earned money. Consumer NZ should be taking a look at this.
Good. Children should not be allowed in environments designed to sell alcohol. The Laneway line up was a cynical attempt to capture an underage audience and bring them into an increasingly debaucherous and risky environment. They knew what they were doing - all these people know what they are doing - the only adults interested in music festivals are people who are not very interested in music, they are awful environments that will always be plagued by high levels of drug abuse and sexual assault, no children should be near.
I’m wondering if there’s a bigger alcohol licensing story here.
I was speaking to a respected longtime venue owner and license holder last night. They’ve also acquired many special licenses over the years and said that it had suddenly become way more complicated to get one for the PTA school events they help with (quiz nights, school discos- for the parents, not the kids- etc ) this year vs last year.
Has something changed at the councils’ licensing authorities?
100%. That’s 10 events affected in one day. With Juicy Fest, it sounds like incidents at previous events - Google “ear biting” - were a factor. I just feel for the kids eh. I got to go to the Big Day Out at 16 and Laneway is that festival to today’s teens. It just sucks.
Laneway is a mess at the moment. The festival's identity seems now far removed from where it was. I preferred it when it was a smaller boutique festival. Changing venues and trying to cater to what is popular on TikTok I think is the wrong path.
I dunno. I feel like they have a pretty firm grip on their audience and the artists that work and this probably blindsided them considering it all went to plan last year. My concern is that NZ is too volatile now with licensing so they pull Laneway out of our market and it goes back to Oz. Over there it’s always R16.
Well, they had a firm grip on what the audience of teenage girls detailed in the article is interested in. I don’t see this line up working without them one bit, theres is no alternative appeal and no mainstream appeal, simply appeal to teens.
Thanks for the mention, Chris!
I really hope NZ can work out how to do all ages licenses properly. It was the bane of my existence when I was a teen - and I'm very thankful for my parents taking me to so many shows (and for the bars that let me in to play without them).
I never made it to Big Day Out but a formative experience of mine was seeing Liam Finn/The Mint Chicks/Die! Die! Die! at Homegrown in 2010 (I think the last year they had an 'indie' stage.)
I was 14! I think it is very strictly R18 now.
Love your work Eddie! And really enjoying the new album, congrats :)
If alcohol sales aren’t a big part of it as they say, they should have just flagged the licence and gone all ages. Wouldn’t that have been a better PR story rather than screwing a bunch of kids out of their hard earned money. Consumer NZ should be taking a look at this.
Hmm I think I know someone who works there :)
Good. Children should not be allowed in environments designed to sell alcohol. The Laneway line up was a cynical attempt to capture an underage audience and bring them into an increasingly debaucherous and risky environment. They knew what they were doing - all these people know what they are doing - the only adults interested in music festivals are people who are not very interested in music, they are awful environments that will always be plagued by high levels of drug abuse and sexual assault, no children should be near.