'Scary': Protest jam against Canberra's 'stifling' noise laws

The protest was sparked by the recent proposal of a new hotel in Garema Place, which protesters feared could kill off live music in the city with complaints from its guests about noise.

Canberra-based hip-hop artist Kojo Ansah, aka Citizen Kay, and drummer James Ashley were one of a handful of Canberra acts to perform to the crowd on a small portable stage, complete with a pyrotechnic display.

Mr Ansah said heavy-handed noise pollution laws could cut down young bands in Canberra before they had a chance to take off, because of a lack of available venues.

"Something like this could stifle live music," Mr Ansah said. "I'm just really hoping this gets the ball rolling."

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Bryan Fitzpatrick had seen what heavy handed noise laws do. In 2007 he was essentially forced to shut down his Civic bar, Toast, after constant noise complaints from a nearby hotel which was set up after his bar opened its doors.

Toast, a hub for live music acts for six years, constantly copped fines because of noise complaints from the hotel. Mr Fitzpatrick closed shop when he was unable to keep up with the fines.

"The biggest problem is our noise levels basically enforce the creator of the noise. There is no onus on the complainant ... to keep the noise out," he said.

Protesters called for the ACT government to introduce new "entertainment precincts" in Canberra.

These precincts would have a higher threshold for acceptable noise levels and would protect live music venues which existed before any hotels or apartments in the precinct.

Some gathered feared Canberra's live music scene was struggling, with the recent closure of the Phoenix pushing more bands out to suburban bars, which could struggle to attract punters.

Stuart Bryson, a lawyer, said development was always going to happen but it was important to protect live music.

"We want to support Canberra local music," he said.

"It's slowly being pushed away."

Drummer Neve van Boxsel and her band Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers spent a lot of their early years playing near-empty venues in the outer suburbs.

"There's not many venues in the city," Ms Boxsel said.

Teasers' guitarist Scarlett McKahey said the hotel had been a wake up call.

"It's all just very scary," Ms McKahey said. "Canberra needs to let itself have a good live music scene."

Bambi Valentine was one of a number of protesters who danced to the performing acts on Friday.

She said dance and song was important for people and helped connect Canberrans.

"I think we need a higher acceptable decibel level," Ms Valentine said.

ACT Greens leader Shane Rattenbury, who spoke at Friday's event, and ACT Liberal leader Alistair Coe both called for changes to the laws around noise pollution when it came to live music venues.