There's no denying the pandemic was a real kick in the guts to the music industry.
And as the dust settles, Sydney has become a pub cemetery of boarded up establishments that couldn't afford to keep the doors open.
An hour north of Sydney on the Central Coast, Adam, Milly and Mark vowed to keep the dream alive during the pandemic for music lovers.
The trio bought a small cafe across from the train station in Woy Woy and turned it into a live music bar for locals.
It hasn't just been a venue reserved for big names like The Hard-Ons, Murray The Red Wiggle or the Mezcaltones... the young up-and-comers have been given a shot too.
But, sadly, there is a dark cloud hanging above the popular new rock venue...
As the cost of living rises and wages stagnate, the Link and Pin is facing a massive financial hurdle to keep the doors open.
Adam, Milly and Mark explain in a post which reads:
"Dear friends, customers, readers, and lovers of live original music,
"Link and Pin is a small but popular local cafe on the Central Coast's peninsula that supports original live music of all genres, ages and abilities. We provide an important and much-needed space for original artists, who are still recovering from the two lockdowns in NSW, and the recent floods."
"We have been struggling to stay afloat for a while -- forgoing wages for the directors/bookers for the past few weeks so we can pay our suppliers, staff and bands. Regrettably, it's not enough, and we're now in a fairly dire situation financially as we try to claw back from Covid and recover from the weather."
"Our debts have become unmanageable, so we are asking for your help. We have exhausted our life savings in order to keep going, and there's no more cash to put into the business."
"Those of you who know us know we put artists first and love to look after our customers -- many of whom we consider family. With close to 6000 Facebook followers, we are not asking you to dig deep. Rather, any amount you could spare -- even $5 -- would help us get over the line in terms of paying our mounting debts without further recourse or consequences."
"We want to continue to bring excellent alternative live music, food and beverages and atmosphere to the Central Coast, but truly need a helping hand to dig us out of the cashflow hole created by two lockdowns and the inclement weather. We know many other businesses are in this same terrible and stressful boat."
"If you have ever seen a free gig in our beer garden, please consider making a small donation so we can continue to maintain this unique, safe and accessible cultural space. We would be eternally grateful."
"We remain confident about the future -- this is just a bump in the road, but it's a pretty huge one."
"Thanks in advance for any assistance you can manage."
"Love,
Adam, Milly and Mark
Link and Pin"
If you'd like to keep the Link and Pin afloat, you can donate here.
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