Unless you've had your head in the sand for the last however long, you would be well aware of how much trouble the live music scene (Sydney's in particular) has been in, particularly when it comes to venues having to deal with acceptance of applications and costs for Place of Public Entertainment (POPE) licences.

TODAY IS A GREAT DAY!

The NSW Government has announced that, from 26 October 2009, venues will no longer need a POPE licence before hosting any form of entertainment. Entertainment is now defined as part of normal activities at pubs, restaurants and clubs during the week and on weekends, eliminating the snarling and down the nose looks at venues from the killjoy powers that be!

It's now time for venues, musicians and the communities that we inhabit to join forces and utilise this wonderful opportunity to enrich this State with the artistic credibility it deserves.

For too long, the battle against poker machines, high licence fees coupled with arduous application processes and a general cynicism towards musicians ("Get a real job!"), has tainted the opportunities for artist development and live performance in NSW.

Now, given this green light to charge ahead and celebrate the possibilities of being able to turn any venue into a performance space, we - the music lovers, punters, musicians, venue owners, promoters, local residents etc - have the responsibility to work together and (re)build a breeding ground for new talent, embrace, nurture and promote upcoming and established artists and give them a platform to do what they do best - perform!

Congratulations NSW.

For more information, head to the NSW Government Planning website