The Importance of Support Act: Q&A with Dale Tanner (Ocean Grove) & Ash Doodkorte (Voyager)
The big day of repping bands and raising funds for Australia's music industry arrives tomorrow with Aus Music T-Shirt Day! A chance to showcase your fav bands across your socials and raise awareness for Support Act - an organisation so important to our industry's ecosystem and the bands and workers that fill it.
Aus Music T-Shirt Day is an annual day of fun and awareness on Thursday 30 November to celebrate Aussie music and raise urgently-needed funds for music workers in crisis. You can show your act of support by wearing an Ausmusic T-Shirt and donating to Support Act (Wear & Donate). In music, every little bit matters
AUS MUSIC T-SHIRT DAY – TEAM WALL OF SOUND - DONATE HERE
But what kinds of services does Support Act offer? The thought has always been floating about, but we've never personally dived into how this organisation has actually helped the music industry we know and love. So we sent a Q&A callout to this year's AMTD ambassadors DaleTanner of OceanGrove and AshDoodkorte of Voyager to find out more about their own personal stories of utilising Support Act's services and how something as small as leaving a comment or purchasing merch can go a long way for our musical heroes - on and beyond the stage!What was your motivation behind becoming an ambassador for Support Act and Aus-Music T-Shirt Day 2023?Dale: I was first asked to be an ambassador last year for the 2022 Aus Music T-Shirt Day campaign. To me, it felt like such a no-brainer. They are a cornerstone organisation in our industry and community, promoting a progressive and healthy path forward for us all. It’s in my best interest to do my little bit to help support the very charity that is there to support me. I have so much respect for the incredible work they do to keep the Australian music industry healthy and striving and I’d hate to ever see it go!Ash: We have so much to celebrate with our music scene here in Australia, and what better way to do that than to bust out those T-shirts and wear them proudly? For us, it was a no-brainer.
It's also no secret that t-shirts and other merch is one of the few avenues through which you can reliably support your favourite bands and help them keep doing what they're doing amidst an increasingly challenging financial landscape!
Support Act is an awesome initiative that has been a shining light for creatives over a tough couple of years, it's an honour to be able to spruik their good work!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngBysDtBuvoFans usually see the highs and success surrounding touring and making music, but what experiences can you share about the lows you've personally experienced?Dale: Back in 2020 I first leant on Support Act when I was in a bit of strife. We were six months into the pandemic and I had no work. Gigs weren’t happening, the job I worked at the time closed. So, Support Act was there to offer a crisis relief grant so I could at least pay rent whilst I found new work.
A couple years later, just after the pandemic was over, I hit clinical burnout which lead to severe anxiety, major depression, and suicidal thoughts. All of which was completely new and foreign to me and I was not in a good way. Support Act has a 24/7 helpline (1800 959 500) which offered free mental health counselling when I needed it and they were even able to support me financially when I sought out therapy and rehabilitation.
They have truly been there to help whenever I have seen my lowest lows, and I am so very grateful. This is a big reason why I feel so motivated (and honoured) to be an ambassador. I have experienced first-hand the amazing work Support Act does and I believe in paying it forward.Ash: Sometimes the balance can be a real struggle. Touring is amazing and incredibly rewarding in a musical sense, but the more you do it, the longer you're away, the further behind you become in aspects of your personal life. You've been away from your loved ones who, while are just awesome and hugely supportive, also need that support back. You're financially behind, and with every part of touring becoming more expensive, earning avenues from bands drying up, and the cost of living not going down anytime soon, this can become hugely challenging. Trying to give your music career and your art the effort and attention it needs while dealing with the increasingly harsh realities of all the other life stuff creates a lot of internal tension, self-doubt, and burnout that can be hard to get through.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5ayki3aEUwHow beneficial has Support Act become to Australia's music scene and the conversations surrounding mental health within the industry?Dale: Support Act has definitely become the bridging gap between Aussie musos and the conversations and mental health resources that have been available, but have never felt too approachable in the mainstream. From what I’ve experienced, Support Act has the right lexicon, experience and passion that aligns with your everyday Australian music worker. The team at Support Act are first and foremost professionals in their fields of psychology, counselling and so on, but the fact many of them have worked or still do work to some capacity within the music industry themselves, means that they have a specialised interest and understanding. That goes a long way in relating to and aiding music workers that are doing it tough. The fact that in Australia we have such a specialised organisation to lean on is pretty epic if you ask me!Ash: I think the fact that it has started a conversation at all is immensely valuable. As mentioned above, the general perception of being a musician, even today, is one of relentless good times and success. We sometimes don't hear, or want to hear, about the struggles musicians face and what they have to do sometimes to cope with it and continue. Support Act gives us a bit of a lifeline, if and when we need it, from people who have some understanding of where we're coming from.At Wall Of Sound, we LOVE nurturing upcoming and homegrown talent. So let's open the floor to you: Tell us a band or musician you think deserves the spotlight for their motivation and music.Ash: Last year we played with a band in Melbourne called Future Static, playing this awesome, infectious, earnest interpretation of modern metal that I can't say enough good things about. An all-round top bunch of people, very talented players, great songwriters, and people who clearly love what they do. They've started making waves in Europe and have just released their debut album - check them out!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SfS1sMSgB0Dale: There’s no going past my beloved partner Jenna McDougall AKA Hevenshe. She just released her debut solo ‘Wild Wild Heart’ EP last week, independently. This is no small feat by any measure and I’ve witnessed first-hand just how much dedication, sacrifice and passion has gone into bringing this music to life. She is up-and-coming, homegrown and more deserving of nurturing than anyone I know. UP THE ‘SHE!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7XTRD0e-MEIf fans want to do more than just donate to Support Act, what's a simple gesture they can offer that you would wholeheartedly appreciate?Dale: Honestly, the most significant impact any fan can have in supporting their favourite artist is by buying their merch. This is what ties in so nicely with the Aus Music T-Shirt Day concept. Wearing your favourite artist merch on the day is your way of flying the flag that says “I truly support this band” and you can rest assured that with that t-shirt purchase, you actually are.Ash: One thing that never fails to re-energise me, regardless of what's going on, is when people tell us that our music has helped them through a tough time, brought them some joy, or inspired them to do something creative themselves. It might sound a bit trite, but message your favourite artists if you love what they do... they become words of encouragement during the dark moments!Written by Paul ‘Browny’ Brown@brownypaul
Don’t forget to rep your fav Aussies tomorrow and tag @wallofsound and @supportact + use the hashtags #ausmusictshirtday #WallOfSoundAU on your socials!
AUS MUSIC T-SHIRT DAY - DONATE HERE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyKK8AeOVZY
