BLACKWIRE RECORDS in Sydney needs your help in order to stay afloat. The record store has long been the best venue in Sydney but is facing rising rental costs.
A crowdsourcing fund for the venue / record store has been set up with the goal of raising $10,000. In just one day already 212 people have donated almost $8,500.
Please give whatever you can afford to make sure this amazing space survives. Click here to donate.
10 Reasons To Support BLACKWIRE RECORDS:
1. It is hands down the best venue in Sydney with the chillest and friendliest vibe.
2. There is no stage, and we all know that nothing is more intimate or more core than a floor show.
3. The sound in Blackwire shits all over pubs with expensive PA systems across the country.
4. There are no bouncers or dickhead security to deal with, just one of the nicest and dedicated blokes around, Tom.
5. There is an amazing collection of past tour and show flyers that adorn the walls.
6. It is a BYO venue with a bottle shop across the road and a beer garden out the back.
7. It is also an independent record store that stocks some bargain records if you're up for a dig. I once found the first Supertouch 7" in there for $5!
8. Door costs are very low with the majority of the money going straight to the bands who play, not the bar staff, or the bouncers, or the promoter, or the booker, just the actual people that you pay money for the privilege to watch perform. The way it should be.
9. The venue is 100% supportive of LOCAL hardcore, punk, grind, crust, djent, screamo, grunge, shoe gaze, whatever you want to label yourself.
10. The back cover photo of the amazing CRISIS ALERT album "Urban Decay" was shot at Blackwire. The photo above is from the same show. Footy who sings in CRISIS ALERT runs the best record store in Adelaide, Clarity Records. Footy loves Blackwire too! Do you need me to connect more dots for you here or do you get the point?
From the fund creator Amelia Rose:
"For the last 5 years, Tom & Bridget have been running Black Wire Records in Annandale as a record store, record label and venue. For many of us, this space has become a safe haven and a second home. A place where we can be ourselves, meet like-minded people, feel supported and most importantly listen to ridiculously good music.
I am always blown away by the amount of talented musicians who tell me " I'd still be playing alone in my bedroom if it weren't for Black Wire!". It is both an incubator and a testing ground for accomplished local artists who are just starting up, and well as a place for more intimate experiences from established artists. That is what is so great about Black Wire, it helps break down those barriers between people and gives musicians the chance to perform in a nuturing, positive space.
Before I began volunteering at Black Wire, I never realised the amount of time and effort that goes into setting up shows there. Often Tom does most of the organising himself; from contacting the bands, designing flyers and making events on Facebook, to cleaning up hundreds of empty bottles and cigarette butts, and mopping up spew and piss after the shows. There are also a number of other amazing people who donate their time to help at Black Wire regularly. These people don't get paid, but do it out of a complete love and respect for the space. It it weren't for these volunteers, the space would probably not be running today.
One of the best things about Black Wire is that is it so cheap to see a show there (usually $5-$10 to see at least 3 bands), and the shop only takes $100 off the door to cover costs. This means that all the left over cash is split between the bands that night, so musicians actually get paid at Black Wire! Having worked in a pub environment before, I can tell you this is a rare practice. Often musicians would work for free, while the bar made hundreds of dollars from patrons coming to watching the band. A lot of musicans I know don't expect to make a lot of money from performing, but Tom has tried really hard to change this way of thinking, by compensating musicians for their time, and making bands feel appreciated. This appreciation goes a lot way in fostering confidence in all musicians.
But, as the story usually goes, the landlord has put up the rent. So Black Wire is starting to struggle a bit to stay afloat. We would love to be able to upgrade some of our gear; repair some speakers, and replace some mics, leads and stands but all our money at the moment is going to our money hungry real estate agent. So, if you have a few spare dollars, pretty please be generous send Black Wire a birthday present for its 5th birthday! It will definitely help us all out in the long run!"