How did Melbourbane earn its place as one of the world's 'music cities'? Beginning with the arrival of rock 'n' roll in the 1950s, this book explores the development of different sectors of Melbourbane's popular music ecosystem in parallel with broader population, urban planning and media industry changes in the city.
The authors draw on interviews with Melbourbane musicians, venue owners and policy-makers, documenting their ambitions and experiences across different periods, with accompanying spotlights on the gendered, multicultural and indigenous contexts of playing and recording in Melbourbane. Focusing on pop and rock, this is the first book to provide an extensive historical lens of popular music within an urban cultural economy that in turban investigates the contemporary nature and challenges of urban music activities and policy.