The Wireless has published a great article by Hussein Moses who reflects on NZ Music Month by talking to, among others, NZOA’s David Ridler, journalist Duncan Greive, Emily Littler and Billie Rogers of Street Chant, Karyn Cullinton, co-owner of Auckland’s Lucha Lounge (closing down in mid May) and Cath Andersen of the Music Commission, wondering if Music Month in its current form should still be a “thing” and how it could be shaken up to be improved.

“The Commission measures the success of NZ Music Month on the volume of live events, the level of media coverage, and the amount of social media engagement. They’ve also dropped the industry showcases they used to put on and no longer chase corporate sponsorship, partially because their preference is for sponsors to support bands directly, but also because it’s tougher than ever to actually get sponsors to commit. “Actually, ever since the Rugby World Cup [in 2011], it’s almost like New Zealand hasn’t recovered sponsorship-wise. Everyone has struggled with getting that money since then and it just doesn’t feel right for us to suck $30,000 out of the local music economy when somebody might take that money instead and sponsor three tours,” says Andersen. There were 1300 gigs on last May, a healthy number any way you look at it, but what worries Andersen is research that showed that there was a significant drop in the amount of people who said they attended a live event by a New Zealand artist. According to NZ Music Commission’s annual report [PDF], that number sits at 16 percent, a huge drop from 24 percent in 2014 and 25 percent in 2013.” Read the full article here at TheWireless.co.nz