It was so good to hear the announcement this week that Hillsong Church here in Australia, have purchased Festival Hall in Melbourne.
What a game changer for them!
Such an iconic venue. Everyone knows where it is or has been to a gig there and it is in such an incredible location.
I am so happy for Hillsong to be making their Melbourne home in such an amazing venue.
And for them to own it, is even better.
I saw Hillsong’s announcement on social media…
I follow one of their drummers on Instagram.
But I also saw it on the nightly news.
The news did a great job of making it known…
They showed some footage of Brian Houston and a few seconds of some of the Hillsong church services.
They showed something of the life and energy of Hillsong.
They even mentioned that as a community bonus, Hillsong was going to continue making the venue available for commercial leasing, meaning the gigs and shows there, could continue.
Then came the disappointing part…
They informed us that “some artists are saying they will boycott the venue.”
Really? In a time where the artists are complaining that the arts have gone silent, that there is nowhere to perform to a crowd, that they have suffered great hardship mentally and financially as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic…
But they don’t want to play in a building owned by Hillsong Church.
How sad! I would have thought they’d be super keen to play there.
The venue will be completely refitted in the most amazing way. The best sound equipment, the latest technology, beautiful furnishings, luxurious green rooms, perfect acoustics…the list could go on.
It will be a far better setup, than the building that was put on the market over two years ago as a non-viable, non-profitable venue by the owner Chris Wren
But despite having nowhere else to play, and this historic venue set to become one of the most amazing venues in the city of Melbourne, “some artists” want to boycott what will be one of Melbourne’s premier venues…for no other reason than, it is owned by Hillsong Church.
And the same people would no doubt say that those in Hillsong Church are judgemental, discriminatory and dismissive…
The irony!
Congratulations Hillsong and Melbourne.
inside paul's head... 