Regional bands say it's now cheaper to do a gig in London than interstate

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Some of the country's hottest musical exports say it's now cheaper to fly to London or the United States for gigs than to travel interstate to play for Australian audiences.

Managers of internationally-renowned Aussie bands say high airfares are pricing regional artists out of the market.

It comes as the Productivity Commission this week revealed a widening gap between regional and metropolitan airfares.

Yothu Yindi manager Alan James says travel costs will put emerging artists out of business before their careers have taken off.

With the cost of regional airfares soaring, musicians and band managers say touring has become untenable for both famous bands and emerging artists from regional Australia.

An interim Productivity Commission report released this week revealed a significant price gap between regional and metropolitan flight routes.

It found long regional and remote flights cost 67 per cent more on average than major city routes, while short regional flights cost 173 per cent more per kilometre.

Yothu Yindi manager Alan James said the cost of travel had forced the internationally-renowned band from Arnhem Land to turn down shows within Australia.

"It's $5,200 return from Gove to Brisbane, it would be cheaper for us to go do a concert in London than it would be to do a concert in a capital city of Australia," he said.

Yothu Yindi bassist Stuart Kellaway — who now manages fellow Arnhem Land rock band King Stingray — said the next generation band's recent flights to shows in the United States cost less than domestic flights.

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