Dave Gleeson and LOLA Performing At Rally To Save the Cranker

The Save the Cranker team continue to apply the pressure with a second rally happening on Sunday, August 18.

Image by Jessica Renaglia

The organisers behind the Save the Cranker campaign are excited to announce Dave Gleeson from The Screaming Jets and rising troublemakers LOLA are performing at the upcoming Rally to Save The Cranker on Sunday, August 18.

Kicking off at Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga, local legend Gleeso and rising punk rockers LOLA will provide the tunes, rocking out on the back of the Cranker truck as it leads the rally through the streets of Adelaide towards the steps of Parliament House.

Once there, those behind the campaign will speak about the importance of the Crown & Anchor and why this cultural landmark that has been the cornerstone of the Adelaide community for 171 years needs to be saved. Everyone is then encouraged to head back to the Cranker for a feed and a few pints.

The Crown & Anchor, Midnight Spaghetti, Roxie’s and Chateau Apollo will all be open after the rally, serving food and slinging brews as several yet-to-be-announced bands perform live throughout the arvo across two stages.

“It's great to have big names involved because it brings the issue to a new and wider audience. We're very grateful for Gleeson's involvement,” Save the Cranker Strategy Director Patrick Maher said in a statement.

“The Cranker has been a core part of the local music ecosystem for decades - The Screaming Jets even launched their latest album there! Gleeso and LOLA's performance showcases the cohesive live performance ecosystem in Australia, from grassroots to national and international success, and the need for the preservation of the Cranker.”

Gleeso is one of many local musos making his voice heard, with The Screaming Jets frontman calling the Cranker “not just a pub; [but] a cornerstone of South Australian grassroots rock and roll.” Gleeso is also excited to perform alongside LOLA, one of his favourite up-and-coming local acts.

“Adelaide has always had a great band scene,” he said in a statement. “The current young crop is no exception and LOLA and their high energy, melodic punk rock and roll are one of the best. The Jets weren’t all available on the date of the rally so I figured why not reach out to the lads from LOLA and see if they wanted to get up and sing a few tunes with me.”

LOLA lead singer Billy Burns added: “The Crown and Anchor is the heart of the Adelaide music scene. From local bands to international punk legends, the Cranker has seen it all. Without the Crown and Anchor, so many people will be wondering where to go. For years it has brought together such a strong community, built upon so many fun times having a beer with mates and watching a band play.”

READ MORE: Crown and Anchor To Be Inducted Into the AMC SA Music Hall of Fame

The second Rally to Save the Cranker comes after an incredible 1,328 SCAP submissions were received by Plan SA, smashing the previous record. But there is still much work to be done.

“We recently met with the Premier and presented our policy brief, but it is clear we need to ramp up the pressure on the Malinauskas Government,” Maher told The Note.

“This is a massive community issue for culture and heritage preservation and the survival of our live performance industry. We've rolled out a new letter campaign on our website and there's no better way to demonstrate that support than by filling the government's inboxes with emails and hitting the streets with a rally!”

Why are these letters important? If enough letters are sent then the pressure builds and the politicians have no option but to acknowledge the issue and get involved. It might not seem like a simple letter or email can make a difference, but if 3,000 people (roughly the amount of attendees at the last rally) send letters to all six MPs, that’s a total of 18,000 letters, which is hard for Peter Malinauskas and co to ignore.

Rally to Save the Cranker kicks off Sunday, August 18 at 1pm at Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga. For all the details join the Facebook event group.

You can also keep up to date with everything Save the Cranker by following their Facebook and Instagram accounts and regularly visiting the campaign’s website.

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