Tanya and Mark Crago of Pepper Tree Café, Aldinga have received a Good Music Citizen award from local musician Alana Jagt, on behalf of the nation’s leading music industry body APRA AMCOS for their commitment to developing the live music sector in regional South Australia. The popular beachside café is only the fourth venue in the country to receive such an award and the first outside a capital city.
After two and a half years of whole-of-industry lobbying matched only by the passion of the owners, Onkaparinga Council this year permitted live music on the two nights the venue opens – Friday and Saturdays, with a caveat that they install a noise limiter to satisfy residents’ requests.
“Pepper Tree Café have been doing great things for live music on the Fleurieu Peninsula, it’s fantastic to see a music venue not only surviving but thriving in regional South Australia,” said Alana, who is a songwriter, seasoned performer and a staff member for APRA AMCOS’ Adelaide office. Mark and Tanya have built a strong community of musicians and punters and I sincerely hope that the Pepper Tree Café continues to grow and be a pillar in the local music industry well into the future.”
Tanya says they were thrilled to hear they had been given the APRA AMCOS Good Music Citizen award, “If we were a band we’d be called Mental As Anything! But I can’t imagine doing anything else. When the whole place is dancing, singing, having the time of their lives… there is no better feeling. The public get what we are about and we are over the moon.”
APRA AMCOS is the biggest organisation on the Australian music landscape with more than 100,000 songwriter, composer and publishers members. More than 147,000 organisations like Pepper Tree Café are licensed to use music in Australia and New Zealand.
