Industrial Strength: The biggest stories in the music biz this week

TRIPLE J BROADCASTS FROM LANEWAY BRISBANE

Triple j is broadcasting from Laneway Brisbane tomorrow from 2 pm. These are the acts and broadcast times:

Saturday 2 February 2:

2.20pm – Ruby Fields

3.00pm – Sweater Curse

3.30pm – Mansionair

4.20pm – G Flip

5.05pm – Middle Kids

6.00pm – Clairo

6.40pm – Denzel Curry

7.25pm – Skegss

8.10pm – Cosmo’s Midnight

9.30pm – Baker Boy

9.50pm – Jorja Smith

10.25pm – Courtney Barnett

11.10pm – What So Not

Sunday February  3:

5pm – Gang of Youths

REPORT: DRAKE TIPS FAST FOOD WORKERS $20K

According to an excited report, a famished Drake rocked up to a McDonald’s outlet in Los Angeles late one night with bodyguards in tow and tipped two workers $10,000 each.

Just as the world planned sainthood for the Toronto rapper as a result came the devastating news from Maccas’ PR company that it wasn’t $10,000 but $100 each.

AUSTRALIA, NZ, INTRODUCE YOUTUBE MUSIC ON SONOS

Australia and New Zealand were two of 21 countries where from yesterday YouTube Music Premium subscribers could access their music on Sonos devices.

“YouTube Music just got a little bit louder,” YouTube blogged.

“Through the Sonos app, fans around the world with a YouTube Music Premium or YouTube Premium subscription can now easily play official songs, albums, thousands of playlists, and artist radio—on top of YouTube’s tremendous catalogue of remixes, live performances, covers that you can’t find anywhere else.”

Sonos has over 100 music streaming partners.

YouTube which has 2 billion users, is trying to convert them into payers, playing catch up with Spotify with 70 million subscribers and Apple Music which this week hit the 50 million mark.

The other 19 countries were Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.

SA HALL OF FAME TO INDUCT LOVEGROVE, DUNSTAN

The next round of inductions into the South Australian Hall of Fame will include the late Vince Lovegrove and Robert Dunstan.

Lovegrove started out in The Valentines in the ‘60s alongside Bon Scott, became a journalist and TV producer, and managed The Divinyls for a time.

Veteran music journalist Dunstan was editor of Adelaide’s Rip It Up for 17 years. By the time it closed in 2016 he had moved on and set up BSide.

The inductions take place on February 8 at the Goodwood Institute in Adelaide.

A number of Hall of Famers, including Mark Meyer, Robert Pippan, John Bywaters and Gary Burrows will pay tribute to Lovegrove with songs associated with his career.

JAZZ FESTIVAL LOSING CEO

Melbourne International Jazz Festival CEO Jennifer Kerr is moving on after eight years.

She is heading for a new role as Innovation Festivals Lead at the City of Melbourne

MIJF said that aside from bringing out major worldwide names, “under her stewardship we’ve seen the advent of initiatives such as Jazz Out West, free Close Encounters, Jazz Massive, and most recently, Tomorrow is My Turn – all reflecting Jenn’s passionate belief in access, diversity and converting the world to the wonders of jazz, one gig at a time.”

VANGUARD OFFICIALLY RELAUNCHES

The Vanguard officially relaunched last night at its 42 King Street site in Newtown, Sydney.

It was there for 13years, before closing to much gnashing of teeth, and replaced by Leadbelly in 2016.

Arash Nabavi, a Sydney orthopaedic surgeon and first-time venue operator, who bought Leadbelly last year, has been slowly returning the space to its original brand.

Bookings are through Nathan Farrell Entertainment.

MUSIC VICTORIA EXPANDS WITH NEW GM

Music Victoria is expanding its team advertising for a general manager to be responsible for the business and operational management of Music Victoria, with direct responsibility for the operations/finance/HR portfolios.

The position is a 12-month contract at the South Melbourne office with a salary of $81,700 per annum (plus superannuation).

The deadline is now extended to February 13.

PRACTICAL JOKE BLOWS UP IN DJ’S FACE

Sometimes it just doesn’t pay to go for a hardy-ha-ha.

Southern Cross Australia presenter Shad Wicker is looking for a new gig after an ill-advised stunt involving the prime minister (Scott Morrison, if you were wondering who it is this week).

Radio Today reported that ScoMo rocked up to Hit Cairns last week for an interview on Wicker’s breakfast show.

One of the questions was if he had a peek at other pollies’ dicks when having a piss in the Parliament House loos.

Then came a photo opportunity with the PM where the DJ was seen holding a mug with the word “cunt”.

Both posted them on their social media profiles.

Wicker left Hit Cairns, but only because he was to start work at SCA’s Gosford (NSW Central Coast)  station 2GO on Wednesday (January 30) co-presenting with Mandy Coolen.

All that came to a crashing halt when the stunt filtered through to the SCA top cats.

A gushing apology was relayed to the PM, while we were told a “new replacement” would be announced.

IN THE PILL OF THE NIGHT

Ambulance Victoria has encouraged the state government to look at the possibilities of pill testing after its paramedics voted heavily in favour of the controversial reform.

From over the pond, New Zealand prime minister Stuart Nash told Aussie governments they were “burying their heads in the sand over music festival pill testing.”

A man who went on a five-day bender after removing home from the Rainbow Serpent festival in Victoria attacked paramedics as they tried to help him. A female paramedic was allegedly punched in the face a number of times.

Ballarat Magistrates Court overruled protests from the police and allowed a 25-year old NSW man out on bail. He allegedly overdosed on Super K at Rainbow Serpent, and when taken to a medical facility he allegedly had enough to be hit with nine offences, including trafficking and possessing drugs.

Meantime a 23-year old man from Edithvale copped a three month jail sentence and 24-month community corrections order for trafficking ketamine and ecstasy at the festival.

FBI UNSURE OF MOTIVE IN LAS VEGAS SHOOTING

After months of investigation, the folks at the FBI are still shaking their hands and are stumped over the motive the 64-year gunman had when he fired into the crowd at the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017.

Stephen Paddock fired1,000 rounds with assault-style rifles in 11 minutes into the crowd of 22,000 country music fans, killing 58 an injuring hundreds.

Two years before the shooting he began stockpiling weapons to the tune of $1.5 million and became estranged from family and friends.

He seemingly had no grudge against anyone. The FBI reckoned, “It was all about doing the maximum amount of damage and him obtaining some form of infamy.”

CANBERRA’S MANUKA OVAL TO GET UPGRADE

The ACT government has pledged $2.7 million for upgrades to Canberra’s Manuka Oval – the sporting grounds which hosts concerts.

In the last 18 months, the sporting sector has said that with the 13, 550 capacity venue starting to sell out games, it was time their fans got better facilities.

The promised money will start off with roofs over uncovered seats.

KEEP SYDNEY OPEN LAUNCHES COMMUNITY NOTICE BOARD

In response to condemnation of over-policing over the Australia Day long weekend, the Keep Sydney Open Party has launched a community notice board for Sydneysiders and visitors to report instances of government and police overreach, and other issues with the city.

“The crackdown on fun and civil liberties by the Berejiklian government has gotten out of hand,” says spokesperson Tyson Koh.

“Police were deployed in absurd numbers to beaches, gigs, festivals and other events.

“We heard numerous cases of unjustified strip searches and other forms of interference, where law-abiding citizens are simply trying to enjoy themselves.

“These stories need to be heard so we can send a message to Gladys that our expectations as a free and civil society contradict her government’s draconian regime.”

The notice board (www.facebook.com/groups/ksocommunityboard) will also be used as a place for event organisers and people to promote cultural events happening around Sydney and beyond.

ADELAIDE’S GERMAN CLUB TO MOVE

Adelaide’s music-showcasing German Club has a final bash tomorrow at its longtime home, at Flinders Street.

It’s sold the building for $3.5 million to pay off debts, and looking for another site.

Of late the venue hosted the inductions by the South Australian Hall of Fame.

RUDIMENTAL RESCHEDULE TOUR

Rudimental have rescheduled their Toast To Our Differences tour this month due to “conflicting schedules”.

They’re not here in May/June, and announced Sneaky Sound System will be on support duties.

SPLENDOUR ANNOUNCES DATES

Splendour In The Grass 2019 will be held at North Byron Parklands from Friday July 19 to Sunday 21.

Camping opens from Wednesday 17.

AC/DC ALBUM WITH BRIAN, PHIL…AND MALCOLM

“I’m sick of denying t!”  Brian Johnson explained why he fell on the ground and admitted: yes, YES, YES, AC/DC are working on a new album.

Grindcore band Terrorizer ran into him at an airport lounge and asked him about rumours of a new record, and the singer broke AC/DC’s long time rule – keep everything a secret until it happens, and even then shaddap about it.

Johnson who left the outfit in 2016 after hearing issues is back, as is drummer Phil Rudd who was given the pink slip in 2014 after his legal issues in NZ made him a liability.

Malcolm Young’s work will be on every track, according to a US source in the camp.

Rudd in the meantime sold his six-bedroom waterfront mansion in Tauranga for the NZ$4.1 million he was asking.

It was picked up by a businessman who plays in a band and, excited by the history of the place (shades of Seinfeld’s Jon Voight’s car) and planning to install a recording and rehearsal space in the large ground floor.

Another interested buyer had asked the real estate agent if Rudd would sign a wall.

Meantime, bidding started yesterday at an auction house in Los Angeles for a three-page letter Bon Scott wrote to his sister Valerie in 1978.

It was just before the band’s US breakthrough, and the singer was opening up about booze, his running out of cash, and a gruelling schedule, and looking forward to chilling out with his mother on a Fremantle beach.

MELBOURNE’S SULDUSK SIGNS WITH GERMAN LABEL

Melbourne “one woman atmospheric, blackened (metal) neo-folk artist” Suldusk – the two-year-old creation of multi-instrumentalist Emily Highfield – has signed with Germany’s Northern Silence Productions.

Debut album Lunar Falls (produced by Mark Kelson of doom metal merchants The Eternal) is out on April 12, with the plan that three tracks be released simultaneously.

An earlier online melancholic black metal infused acoustic “Drogue” received over 10,000 plays in less than a month.

AND A FEW OTHER THINGS…

A pest who’d been hanging around Kylie Minogue’s street in London asking neighbours where she lived, turned up and kept pressing the intercom buzzer for hours on end. The London Sun reported that a “very shaken” Minogue called the cops. The man was issued with a first-time formal warning on Wednesday afternoon, the paper said.

Weezer’s River Cuomo tweeted: “Coming to Australia with fall out boy.”

Justin Bieber launched his street style Drew House clothing line. Drew is his middle name.

After looking for a new pile of bricks in Sydney for a year, Delta Goodrem this week forked out  $4.8 million for a seventh-floor pad in The Residence block overlooking Hyde Park, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Bob Spencer and Owen Orford played together in ‘70s Sydney band Finch, before they became Contraband. Spencer then went on to join Skyhooks, and currently divides his time with The Angels and Rose Tattoo. Orford set up successful booking agency New World Artists. Recently when Spencer was playing the Guitar Heroes festival on the Gold Coast, where Orford lives, he extended an invite to get up and have a sing. It extended to two shows and four songs, including early Finch single “Short Changed Again” and Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love”. It was the first time the two played together in 42 years, and Spencer tells Industrial Strength that Orford hit the right spots.

Despite being booted off the film, director Bryan Singer is tipped to make $40 million from Bohemian Rhapsody.

Mariah Carey is ignoring calls from Saudi women to cancel her show there to mark solidarity with jailed human rights activists.

20-year-old Martin Fulton who was jailed for eight months and banned for life from music festivals for kicking a security guard in the face at the Good Life festival in 2016 is back in the slammer. This time for 20 months The West Australian says this time it’s for the MDMA and cannabis that police scattered through his house when they raided. They charged him with trafficking. He also got a fine for keeping a book that he kept from the prison library from the first time.

Amy Shark’s European tour has had its share of highs, with Cologne and Amsterdam sold out, as were London and Manchester. But as the tour bus lurched into the UK from Brussels, the entourage discovered that two people sneaked in on their bus. “My team found them when preparing merchandise for the show, they picked their bags up and walked out and didn’t say a word. I was asleep on the bus.”

Hotel Illawarra licensee Wendy Sims pleaded guilty in Downing Centre Local Court was fined $2,500 after pleading guilty to allowing intoxication. In what can only be described as really rotten timing, Liquor & Gaming officials were in the venue when they saw a woman stagger out of a toilet cubicle after a vomit. Swaying gently in the wind, she told them she was “really drunk” … and had won a $100 bar tab. The hotel has been banned from running any more bar tab competitions.

Throw another shrimp on the barbie. Ariana Grande got a tattoo in Japanese n her palm which was to have said 7 Rings after her new single. She was boasting about it on social media when party poopers pointed out that it meant

“shichirin”, which is a small barbecue grill.

Similarly, LA-based New Zealand born Aussie raised singer Kelsy Karter figured she’d celebrate Harry Styles’ birthday today by getting a tattoo of him on her cheek. She shared the photo on social media, only to get a lukewarm response. Some suggested a birthday card might have been sufficient, others recommended makeup brands to cover the thing.

We would have made Karter our Fan Of The Week. But that has to be Zemarcuis Scott, a 19-year-old man from Arkansas who got it into his head he wanted to see a Famous Dex rap gig in Chicago. To get there, he figured the quickest way was to jump the fence at a regional airport and steal an American Eagle twin-engine jet. He actually made it into the cockpit and was working out how to start the damn thing when security collared him. Result: five years’ probation.

A painting of the late guitarist Phil Emmanuel by artist Helen Lahdensuo has been donated to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Human Nature extended their residency at the Venetian club in Las Vegas by a further three years.

Plans by the current lineup of Rose Tattoo to re-record the songs on their debut album were delayed after the death of Angry Anderson’s son. The sessions now take place in March.

Melbourne based Chapter Music is moving from its headquarters in Clifton Hill after 11years and heading to Northcote.

Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy, De La Soul and DJ Premier are doing eleven shows in Europe together in May.