I can honestly say, that in my lifetime, I was part of a Revolution. A real life actual revolution as defined in the Internet Oxford Dictionary (conveniently located right here at my fingertips!)

Revolution: A dramatic and wide-reaching change in the way something works or is organized, and people's ideas about it.

You know those moments when you're a kid and your Dad's being really mean to you and you cry and you beg him to have mercy on your soul but he doesn't and you ask him again "Why wont you let me stay at Kylies house Dad?" But he just ignores you and then he shoves you and you cry and you say you hate him and that you'll never forgive him as long as you live and the injustice of it all is enough to turn you into some kind of RADICAL EXTREMIST - well thats exactly what happened to me when I was three and my Dad was being really mean to me.

Asshole. I knew that one day I would grow up to be some kind of peace - animal - rock-n-roll activist and here I am doing just that. He was a lovable rogue my dad.

Fast forward 30 years into the future and I am lucky to have met Quincy McLean and Helen Marcou - the mother and father I never had, and the patron saints of Rock n Roll. They run an institution in Richmond called 'Bakehouse Studios' for those poor souls afflicted with 'Rock n Roll Syndrome'. I have R.R.S, as do the 20,0000 people who marched down Swanston Street on Tuesday the 23rd of February to protest and to be conjoined as one community with a very important message to the government.

When the Tote closed it was such a shock to us all. Finally Melbourne punks, rockers and hipsters had something to fight for - something to protect. The closing of an icon and near-sacred venue was a first hand experience of what it's like to be threshed from a natural habitat by the 'blade of the bureaucratic sickle'. After preliminary protest exercises had failed, we had to resort to the big kahuna - 'people power' - to overcome the injustice and senseless bureaucracy of the liquor licensing laws and reader be warned, it took a LOT of organising and team spirit to get 20,000 people to turn up on the day and speak up about that.

Leading the campaign, and supported by a host of Rock n Roll Guns, were Quincy, Helen, a list of volunteers (that is too long to mention here but whom deserve the ultimate accolades) and every big, medium and small time star Melbourne has ever known - to save Rock n Roll. "You cant just do the rally, you have to follow through" says Helen Marcou, and what she's talking about is S.L.A.M - a guerilla events publicity pressure group who have been negotiating with government prior to - and ever since the rally, to make sure they keep their word to put in place an accord for the "future protection of our cultural community".

It seems like ancient history now but it cannot be denied, it was a euphoric experience and we all had a warm and fuzzy feeling, however the protesting and lobbying hasn't stopped. Helen is a passionate, infectious and hypnotic speaker, "We asked the government -What have you done to acknowledge that Melbourne and Victoria play a key role in Australia's music scene? And how are your deeds going to reflect that live contemporary music is an important cultural, economic and social driver in our community? - We put the ball back in their court" said Helen.

The live music industry is represented by Fair Go for Live Music, Save Live Australia's Music and the newly established Music Victoria and after the rally these groups signed the accord with Government to stop the automatic coupling of 'live and amplified music' and 'high risk security conditions' on liquor licenses. The Government has said that it will commit and continue to undertake research, and work with the music community and industry to determine the most appropriate solution to redress the liquor licensing issue - as soon as possible or within the next 6 months.

And there you have it, the pages of change are turning for Melbourne. It's amazing to see what a bit of peaceful pressure can do and what an inspiring event a bunch of 'dudes clad in black' can organize. Maybe they're not as terrifying as they look? Or maybe they do do more than just drink beer and head-bang, cos now their crusade is known all around the world - as a united force who wont let any harm come to their most precious communicable and cultural treasure - Live and Amplified Music.

Julie Monty Montan

UPDATE ::A petition calling for the delinking of live music and "high risk" licensing conditions will be delivered to the Victorian Government today (April 7th 2010).

Drafted in response to the Tote's closure in mid-January, the petition calls on the government to remove all reference...s to "live and amplified music" from the licence amenity clause on liquor licenses; institute a proper investigation into the causes of violence and drunkenness; and formulate a cultural policy that promotes and maintains Melbourne as "Australia's capital for live music".

It has already amassed more than 22,000 signatures, surpassing the estimated 20,000 attendees at February's SLAM rally and will be delivered to the Legislative Council at 12.30pm by musicians including Ross "The Boss" Wilson (Daddy Cool), Kram (Spiderbait), Clare Bowditch, Angie Hart (Frente), Triple R stalwart Jon von Goes and the 83 year old Jazz Musician, Nick Polites - as well as the SLAM Rally organisers Quincy Mclean, Helen Marcou and the lovely Bek Duke.

The news comes as lobby groups SLAM, Fair Go 4 Live Music and the newly created Music Victoria promise to "redouble" their efforts to bring the issue back into public consciousness. Despite the signing of an accord with the state government on the eve of the SLAM rally, no venues have had their high risk conditions removed by the director of liquor licensing as yet. "The music industry and the public want to see real action on this issue," read a statement from SLAM. "We want action, not just accords." The Greens' Sue Pennicuik presented the petition to the Parliament. She really needed a wheel barrow! :)

Updated text from Mess+Noise (www.messandnoise.com/news/3915730)