Live music platform Muso announces 500-show 'Rise of the Pub Gig' tour

Live music booking and management platform Muso has announced plans to host a huge, 500-show tour throughout 100 Australian venues in February.

The 'Rise of the Pub Gig' tour is supported by the City of Sydney and Creative Victoria, as well as the Federal Government's Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) fund.

Each of the 100 venues chosen for the tour will host five gigs each, and venues interested in participating are encouraged to express interest via Muso's website.

All gigs will be funded by Muso, including a budget for marketing, venue collateral and artist fees. In addition, the tour will be promoted with a national marketing campaign.

Artists are encouraged to express interest in participating in the tour to Muso, with entries closing on New Year's Eve. The full lineup of venues and artists will drop in January.

Muso co-founder Alan Jin said the initiative is about reigniting the spark that will get music back to normal across the country, in turn creating jobs for both artists and venue staff.

"The pub has long lived within the heart and soul of Australian live music," Jin said.

"Many of Australia’s legacy acts cut their teeth in sweaty band rooms, performing to local crowds across the country as they gained loyal followers along the way.

“The Rise of the Pub Gig tour will give venues the confidence they need to kickstart their original live music experiences by removing the risk of cost and promotion. Our hope is that it enables great talent to be heard once again, bringing people together in safe but enjoyable ways."