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A leading local music venue is hoping a national fundraising campaign can help it survive the cancellation of all concerts due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The Leigh Sawmill Café has joined the Save Our Venues movement, which was launched last month by musicians keen to raise awareness and funds for New Zealand’s smaller venues. Organisers say such places not only make up a crucial national touring circuit for musicians, they are also vital community hubs for local music lovers.
Sawmill Café general manager Susan Kaiser says the loss of live music during lockdown and beyond has been a painful blow for the iconic venue.
“Covid certainly threw us – it was heartbreaking seeing all our shows cancel for months and closing the doors right when we were shoring up for winter,” she says. “Our point of difference, and what has kept us going through winter, has always been the gigs. There are so many lovely places to eat in our region now and the Sawmill is just that little bit further out, so without the added incentive of live music it may just be a journey too far for some. Losing the shows is certainly a cultural loss for our community, and financially it’s been quite devastating.”
She says any money raised via their Save Our Venues fundraising page will help in a number of ways, not least keeping the venue open for business.
“It will help keep our doors open, pay our lovely local suppliers and our rent,” she says. “It will also support artists by contributing to their touring costs, making it easier to play at an out-of-the-way venue like ours.”
With numbers limited to 100 including staff, and the continued need for table service, a return to most music gigs is not feasible until restrictions drop to Level 1, but Susan says the Sawmill is getting lots of inquiries from customers and artists keen to come back.
“We’ve got a comedy night with Ben Hurley on June 20, and we can do some other seated shows, but there’s not much else we can do now for people who want to get up and dance,” she says. “We’re just starting to book dates from July on, though, so hopefully it will be Level 1 by then, with normal bar service and capacity.
“And people are booking further out, so I’m pretty confident for when it’s getting back to normal.”
The Save Our Venues fundraiser runs until June 16 and donations can be made at boosted.org.nz/projects/we-love-the-leigh-sawmill
Show info and bookings: Leigh Sawmill Café on Facebook or sawmillcafe.co.nz
