Despite an occasional outpouring of brilliance, the original music scene in Tauranga always seems on shaky ground.

Last week we examined the seemingly never-ending stream of largely interchangeable cover bands that dominate The Strand, whipping out yet more unimaginative versions of ‘Brown Eyed Girl' and ‘Mustang Sally'.
People put the problem down to one (or more) of three things; the bands, the venues, or the audience. As per last week's column (check online if you missed it) I don't think you can blame the bands.
On the other hand, I think there's a fair case that the lack of venues is hampering things here. We'll get to audiences later.
Tauranga is currently missing a decent-sized venue catering for a slightly more sophisticated over 35 market. The main venues for original music are The Colosseum and the Brewer's Bar (and sometimes Krazy Jacks). They are rock venues and many people don't go to them because they like somewhere more upmarket. I say this not to offend those bars but because it's simply the truth.
The only other place with a reasonable slate of original music is No.1 The Strand, which - while great for small ensembles – is a little too small for bands, both from a physical and financial perspective, though it would be a cracking spot for a regular original acoustic music night; any takers? The big bar at the Bureta Park Motor Inn is fine, as the recent Winter Blues Festival proved, but not a regular venue – so hard to attract people to.
But it's futile to complain about a lack of original venues. The Orange Zephyr, again small, was one that didn't stay the course. It's a hard game and requires the right operator and conditions where they can actually make a buck from it. One of those conditions is the audience.
The audience is a bit of a problem in Tauranga. Two things contribute to this. First the age demographic and secondly what I'll call the ‘Tauranga Character'.
The age thing is not going away fast. I'm not referring to the widely held view that Tauranga is a retirement community. No. The problem here is the lack of a university, all kudos to the polytechnic, but, Tauranga is now the same size as Dunedin and catching Hamilton fast, yet every year a vast number of the population aged between 18 and 25 ‘bugger off' somewhere else. Not only do we not get the flood of young people that head to Otago or Victoria, but half our youth take their talents, creativity and energy elsewhere. It's a crippling blow, and one felt keenly in the music scene.
The secondary effect of this, is that for venues it places more importance on the 35 plus demographic; surprisingly the one not in general being catered for.
Then there's the ‘Tauranga Character'. If you live in Tauranga, whether you've moved here, or for whatever reason choose to stay, it says something about you. For a start it says you've chosen not to live in Auckland. If you are a musician, that shows a certain amount about your desires and drive, because, in all reality, the core of the New Zealand music scene happens in Auckland and if you want to ‘make it' that's where you should be. The same is true of other professions. Living in Tauranga is to a certain degree a lifestyle choice of comfort over ambition; you could arguably say the same about living in
New Zealand.
The same is true of Tauranga audiences. As arts appreciators, living in Tauranga suggests that having access to the cutting edge of the music or arts scene is not a first priority. You don't come here if it's important to you to go to the latest gallery opening or album release. Consequently the general audience in Tauranga is largely conservative. You can see this reflected in the programmes for the Arts Festival, International Film Festival, National Jazz Festival, everywhere.
This surely contributes to the generally low turnout for original music events. Whether a tipping point can be reached, making it financially worthwhile for venues and bands is up for debate. Meanwhile, with an unusually conservative audience, and one stripped of half its youth component, music will undoubtedly remain ‘a hard row to hoe' in Tauranga.