Sydney is a funny place. When recently at Warringah Mall, I was randomly asked to take part in a poll on whether there’s too much music in shopping centres. What a strange thing to ask I thought. Then, I heard the music! It was American commercial fodder that ‘young people’ supposedly like. Apparently, it’s putting people off their shopping, and I dare say life, with its monotonous sound devoid of any creativity or originality.
Within my small business in the Northern Rivers, listening to music is virtually compulsory. My ‘work’ space pays homage to a pantheon of the gods of music… Al Green, BB King, Arlo Guthrie and lots of Bob Marley. Then, of course local musical gods such as Babe Rainbow and kinda local Wolfmother. Not even Amyl and the Sniffers has received one complaint in my business. They wouldn’t dare!
And musical admiration of these divine entities crosses generations. Some teenage boys the other day asked if that was Nina Simone playing on Spotify? I was very impressed and told them so. When I was their age I wouldn’t have known that!
Cruising our town this morning, getting my coffee and newspaper, I’ve heard everyone from Courtney Barnett to Brian Jonestown Massacre.
In an increasingly homogeneous world rife with the cultural blandness, as witnessed in Sydney shopping centres, the variety and diversity of musical tastes in this region is our strength. We are the musical visionaries of the land! Keep it up, Northern Rivers.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
