The genre has become synonymous with the so-called “postcode wars,” where rival groups from neighbouring suburbs trade insults over tracks. Police have claimed that lyrics that reference alleged crimes could incite violence and therefore pose a danger to the community.
According to 046 tour promoter Adit Gauchan, venues reached out this week to confirm that police had issued advice under section 75 of the Liquor Act 2007.
“We got word this week from the Sydney venue, Oxford Arts Factory, that police have hit them up, advising them not to go ahead with the show,” says Gauchan.
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“They slapped the venue with a section 75, which means they get reported to Liquor and Gaming, who then impose conditions on the event going forward, which included additional security, but the killer was user-pays police.”
First introduced in 2004, the user-pays policing policy is a system in which organisers are charged a fee for policing at their events.
“They asked for two user-pays police per 200 people, which increases the cost by about five or six grand for the show in Sydney,” says Gauchan.
Both Oxford Arts Factory and Wollongong Uni Bar declined to comment on their interactions with NSW Police.
A spokesperson for Liquor & Gaming NSW confirmed they received a submission from police regarding a drill rap event scheduled for 25 August at the Oxford Art Factory.
“The submission suggested implementing temporary conditions throughout the event (under Section 75 of the Liquor Act 2007) to mitigate the risk of alcohol-related violence. When Liquor & Gaming NSW contacted the venue to seek a response, the venue advised the event had been cancelled.”
In response to questions regarding show cancellations, NSW Police said: “Police provided advice to the licensee under section 75 of the Liquor Act 2007 that additional security was recommended.”
“If they think there will be many people or a risk to the community, they make the recommendations; this isn’t a targeted assessment.”
“Whether venues take up that advice, that’s up to them; they can still go ahead with the event; the advice is only advice, it’s not an order.
However, according to Gauchan, this type of advice makes it “impossible to go ahead”.
“The venues need to keep police on their side to make their lives easier, so the advice may only be ‘advice’, but it doesn’t leave much wriggle room; they feel obliged to follow it,” he says.
In a further comment, NSW Police conceded it was rare for venues to ignore police advice provided under Section 75.
“Venues take police advice quite seriously, licenses have a good working relationship with local police, and they usually take heed of police advice,” said a police spokesperson.
“We recommend additional security or user-pays police, and the venues tend to take it seriously, but they are not obliged to do so. In this case, I am sure the licensee went back to the promoter and relayed the advice.”
046 performing on stage. A spokesperson for the group claims police advice to venues makes it “impossible for shows to go ahead.”
A spokesperson for the Australian Recording Industry Association criticised the decision, saying: “Unfortunately, this is another example of over-policing in NSW based on perceptions around a genre and audience, disguised as a safety response that is directly impacting doing business in NSW.”
“The 046 have been touted as rising stars in Australian hip hop, and it is a huge blow that this Western-Sydney outfit will be unable to play a home-town show.”
ARIA confirmed the association has written to the minister for music and the night-time economy and the minister for police and counterterrorism to bring this issue to their attention.
Find more of the author’s work here. Email him at thomas.mitchell@smh.com.au or follow him on Instagram at @thomasalexandermitchell and on Twitter @_thmitchell.
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