Music Victoria and AFL do deal for MCG live concerts

24 March 2011

by Jazz Lewis

Some of the state's most promising artists have scored the chance to perform a pre-game set at the AFL's Friday night games in a new deal brokered by Music Victoria.

Running over four weeks, the Live at the G initiative will see acts perform at the iconic MCG with a television audience pushing over one million viewers.

The concept has been developed with the support of Patrick Donovan at Music Victoria, James Young from Cherry Rock, the artists along with their management, the MCC and the AFL during the off-season.

A permanent stage will be established in the Southern Stand to host a range of activities throughout the season.

Little Red will kick the shows off this Friday, followed by Paris Wells, "a combined super group" and Airbourne.

The AFL is hoping to build the pre-match experience for supporters and to add to the big-event nature of Friday night games at the MCG.

AFL General Manager of Strategy and Marketing, Andrew Catterall comments “The objective of Live at the G is to help celebrate the links between footy and music here in Melbourne, to help expand their audience to up to 80,000 people at the ground and one-million plus television viewers, and also to help build the energy in the stadium before the bounce. We hope that Live at the G encourages more people to come to the footy and to go and see live music in Melbourne and support Australian artists.”