The photos from our launch party are in (more of which can be found courtesy of our gallery) and while they may be worth a 1,000 words, failing to pen a succinct written account of what went down would be somewhat amiss of us.
If you’re ever presented with the opportunity to check out Seek the Silence or Bloods, do it! Their indie-inspired sets had the Roundhouse rocking - kudos to them both for creating a fitting atmosphere. Like us they're both all over social media and can be found via an array of avenues; we highly recommend checking out their respective websites and having a traipse for some of their tunes.
We were lucky to have City of Sydney councilors Linda Scott and Jenny Green, along with Independent MP Alex Greenwich in attendance - with the latter two giving speeches on the night. They spoke about the importance of inclusivity between music fans – a pertinent point at Gig Buddies Sydney HQ.
That message was also echoed by the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Tanya Plibersek: “One of the things I’ve always loved about Sydney is our live music scene. Being able to go out and see a gig – whether jazz, rock, pop or a dozen others – is a part of living in Sydney that many of us take for granted as part of the rich tapestry of experiences our city offers.
Those experiences shouldn’t’ be denied to anyone. This great initiative by ACL Disability Services will make it possible for people otherwise limited in their opportunities to enjoy Sydney’s nightlife to share the fun and excitement of seeing a favourite band, or discovering a new one.”
From a service user perspective, Jo Sharpe - a former ACL Disability Services employee was on hand during the launch in the guise of Jo’s Makeup. Busy beautifying throughout the night, Jo commented that when she initially came up with the idea of offering makeovers to the clients whilst working as a support worker with ACL, her suggestions were often met with reluctance. Some 12 years on and those same clients – many of whom are now regular visitors to another styling organisation who offered their services on the night, Toni & Guy Chatswood, were more than happy to receive a makeover.
We at Gig Buddies Sydney HQ like to consider this – along with the clients’ positive feedback (earlier this week I was asked if we could do it all over again this coming Friday) - ample validation that they enjoyed the night.
As for Gig Buddies Sydney validation, our survey results (big love to those who were happy to give 5 and answer a few questions), were somewhat conclusive.
Encouragingly, 95% of people asked said they were highly likely to refer a friend to Gig Buddies Sydney, while 69% said they would like to get involved either as a participant or volunteer.
Those flattering and unpredicted numbers aside, the PR drum has been beating overtime either side of our launch: so far we’ve appeared on Triple J AND 2SER, been published in Tone Deaf magazine, name dropped in Brag and on the APRA AMCOS website and written about in mX.
Gig Buddies Sydney has landed.
Matthew
