The former ALP government’s decision to link high risk behaviour with late night music venues was seen as a death knell for live music.

Two years on, the laws that sparked the protest have been changed, but the momentum created remains, and tomorrow, the Save Live Australian Music rally will go national. It will reflect on the battles that have been won and on the war that is still raging.

Helen Marcou, from Richmond’s Bakehouse Studios, says the problems still plaguing the Melbourne scene are reflected in other cities across Australia.

‘‘We’ve been receiving emails from around the country saying our venues are closing, musicians aren’t being paid enough and it seems to be a recurring theme,’’ she says.

Residential developments near established venues, rising land prices and noise complaints, in addition to laws and policies that are hostile to the industry, are all part of what SLAM says are issues that threaten live music.

Since the original SLAM rally the new Coalition government has amended the Liquor Control Reform Act to take into account the benefits and needs of live music. But moves to include the agent of change amendments into planning laws, which would protect established venues from complaints from new residential developments, are yet to be implemented. A promised industry roundtable is also yet to get off the ground. Election promises from the federal government, dating back to 2007, are also waiting to be implemented.

‘‘It’s time for some action because the community have a great expectation of the Live Music Agreement. It was signed [on October 2010] in good faith,’’ Ms Marcou says.

Music Victoria president Patrick Donovan says many of the battles the industry faces boil down to the fact that contemporary music is not considered as seriously as classical music. he says only 2 per per cent of Australia Council funding goes to bands.