"Don't fall into that trap of just trying to, you know, appeal to the people who probably don't go out in the city but see this kind of reaction, the lockout laws as being tough on violence being tough on alcohol-fuelled violence." McDougall and bandmate Jason Whalley, whose controversial group wrote songs such as Punch in the Face, Bucket Bong and Never Had So Much Fun, headlined a lower tempo set at The Triffid on Sunday for the Unbleach the Reef event. Several high-profile venues have closed in McDougall's native Sydney since New South Wales introduced lockouts and venue curfews but assaults in the CBD and King Cross dropped by about 43 a month, according to that state's Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research. A rise in assaults at the exempt Star Casino was much smaller, only two extra incidents a month. The first tranche of Queensland's slightly stricter laws come in on July 1, bringing 2am closing times, except in designated entertainment precincts which can open an extra hour.

Statewide 1am lockouts, also exempting casinos aren't due to come in until February next year. "It's like using a nuclear bomb to swat a particularly large fly," Mr McDougall said. "There's going to be a lot of other things killed in the process. "Obviously violence and alcohol-related violence and violence that happens at night time or violence that happens in the city is horrible and people die and stuff but there's a lot more issues than just alcohol and staying up late that causes these things. "It comes down to the fact that for some reason, and they seem to be mostly men, think it's absolutely fine to beat the crap out of people."

The laws were an election commitment to combat alcohol-fueled violence and a centrepiece of the government's legislative agenda that the LNP fought against. A spokesman for Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said the government was working with the live music industry on the laws, including with a QMusic forum last month. "Evidence from around the world and here in Australia shows us the most significant factor in reducing alcohol-fuelled violence in our communities is reducing the amount of time that alcohol is served after midnight in our liquor-licensed venues," he said, in a statement. Experts previously speaking to Fairfax Media agreed with this but said actual lockouts hadn't been proven to have any effect. The legislation also attracted the ire of former Powderfinger bass player and Triffid owner John Collins, whose Newstead venue was usually closed by one or two in the morning anyway.

He warned in January that it would cripple the industry in Queensland and speaking on Sunday, predicted problems would start to appear by the middle of next year. "I don't think the curfew thing that's starting in July is going to have any effect on it (the industry). It's more the lockout," he said, saying although he was protesting the lockout laws the venue remained apolitical. "Quite honestly, all the guys in the valley that I spoke to are quite happy with the three o'clock curfew. "It's just the lockout laws, moving on from show to show, moving from band to band. "What if you want to take your girlfriend to a cab line, because she wants to go home early?

"If it's after one you can't get back into the venue." Federal Greens candidate Kirsten Lovejoy called for better public transport, more policing, safer taxi ranks, responsible drinking laws and support for smaller music venues instead of the lockouts. Want more stories like this? Follow our Facebook feed.