I need to get something off my chest that’s been bothering me for years. The way the Australian live music industry treats support acts ranges from thoughtless to actively exploitative, and it’s time we had an honest conversation about it.

The current situation

Here’s how it typically works for a support act on an Australian tour. You get offered a slot — usually 25-30 minutes — opening for a bigger act. The payment is anywhere from nothing (“exposure”) to a few hundred dollars. You’re expected to bring your own gear, arrive early for soundcheck (which may or may not happen), and your set gets cut short if the headliner is running late. Your name might be on the poster, but in font so small it needs a magnifying glass.

You don’t have access to the rider. You might not have access to a dressing room. Your merch table, if you’re allowed one, is stuck in a corner near the toilets. And you’d better be packed up and out of the way before the headliner’s changeover.

I’m not exaggerating. I’ve seen all of this happen, repeatedly, on tours run by major Australian promoters and management companies. And the justification is always the same: “the exposure is the payment.”

The exposure myth

Let’s talk about exposure. In theory, playing to someone else’s audience exposes your music to new listeners who might become fans. In practice, a support act playing to a half-empty room of people checking their phones while waiting for the headliner isn’t gaining meaningful exposure.

The exceptions exist. A genuinely great support set can win over a crowd and build real momentum. But those exceptions are more about the quality of the artist than the quality of the opportunity. A great artist will find their audience regardless. What the support slot should provide is a decent platform and fair compensation.

What fair treatment looks like

It’s not complicated:

Pay support acts. Even a modest fee of $500-$1,000 per show on a national tour acknowledges that the artist has spent money on travel, accommodation, and preparation. For a headliner selling thousands of tickets, this is a rounding error in the budget.

Give them a proper soundcheck. Fifteen minutes to line-check and get basic levels is the bare minimum. A support act that sounds terrible isn’t just unfair to them — it’s a poor experience for your audience.

Promote them properly. Put their name on the marketing materials in readable font. Include them in social media promotion. Mention them on the day-of-show emails to ticket holders. This costs literally nothing and can make a meaningful difference to the support artist’s career.

Treat them with basic respect. A dressing room. Access to water and basic catering. A merch position that’s actually visible. These are small things that communicate whether you value the artist or view them as furniture.

The industry’s responsibility

The headlining artists themselves often have no idea how their support acts are being treated. The decisions are made by managers, promoters, and tour managers who view the support slot as a cost to minimise rather than an opportunity to nurture.

I’ve seen headliners be genuinely shocked when they learn their support act wasn’t paid, wasn’t fed, and was given a five-minute soundcheck. The problem is systemic, not individual, and it needs to be addressed at the industry level.

Some management companies and promoters do it right. They include support act fees in the touring budget from the start. They ensure proper soundcheck time. They treat the support act as part of the show, not an afterthought. These operators know that a great support act improves the whole experience for the audience.

What needs to change

The Australian music industry needs a standard for support act treatment. Not legislation — just an agreed minimum standard that reputable promoters and management companies commit to. A baseline fee. A soundcheck guarantee. Basic hospitality provisions.

The UK’s Musicians’ Union has guidelines on this. Australia can do the same. It starts with the people who hold the power — headliners, managers, and promoters — acknowledging that the current situation is broken and committing to something better.

Every headliner was a support act once. The quality of that experience shaped their career. We owe the next generation the same opportunity, done properly.