Industrial Strength: October 6

SA Government discussion paper addresses live music venues

The South Australian Government has launched its liquor licensing discussion paper for public feedback – and as promised to the state’s live music industry, included the fate of live music venues in its first review in almost 20 years.

“Recent minor changes to the legislation to facilitate small venue licenses, have demonstrated that appropriate reform has significant positive outcomes, for both employment and a responsible drinking culture,” said Acting Premier John Rau

“This raises the question as to whether other reforms may be overdue and may have similarly positive outcomes.”

The focus is on a safer drinking culture, less red tape and night-time vibrancy. Among topics for consultation on the Attorney General’s website are reducing red tape to start music venues and encouraging entrepreneurs to try new business models. Should closing times, lock-out times or last drinks be set for particular areas? Should Adelaide’s small bar licence be extended throughout the state?

At which point of the planning and liquor licensing process can the public complain? In a disagreement, what conditions should be imposed, and should these be based on the licence class, zone or capacity of the venue? How to ensure responsible people are employed in live music? Should they have drink and drugs tests when on duty? Submissions close at 5pm on Friday January 29.

‘Release’ deadline postponed

After feedback from the music industry, the Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN) made changes to the eligibility criteria and closing date for the trans-Tasman RELEASE: Independent Label management program.

The new closing date for applications is 9 am Thursday October 8.

Applications will now be accepted from senior management of an indie label (defined as Chief Operating Officer or General Manager) as well as its owner. Also able to apply are music business owners or senior management who have been operating in artist management, booking, touring or publishing for at least two years and recently added a label division to their operations. Past alumnae of Control prior to 2014 can also apply. RELEASE will incorporate two residential labs over six months near Melbourne, the first from November 29 to December 2

More Aussie acts head for US dates

Four more Australian acts are heading off to find new audiences, mostly through CMJ showcases in New York.

The Harpoons, from Melbourne, follow up four UK club dates last month with three CMJ showcases October 12 to 17. In late August they released their single Ready For Your Love via iTunes and pay-as-you-feel via Bandcamp donating all proceeds until the end of November to the Asylum Seeker Research Centre. After the US dates they return to play shows along the East Coast including Paradise Music Festival in Victoria over November 27-29.

Wollongong’s Hockey Dad make their US debut with five showcases between October 14 to 17. The band’s got US college radio support with their EP peaking at #77 on the CMJ 200 and #23 on the FMQB sub modern chart.

Following their current Australian tour, Newcastle hardcore band Trophy Eyes(pictured) do a six week tour through the UK and Europe with Anti Flag and Red City Radio. Earlier this year the act was in America for two months on the Van Warped tour.

Melbourne band Good Morning play nine CMJ showcases between October 12 and 17, following nods from the Noisey and Brooklyn Vegan sites.

Rose co-hosting MTV EMAs

Australia’s Ruby Rose’s international profile continues to rise. She’s co-hosting the MTV EMAs in Milan on October 25 with Ed Sheeran. Multi-nominees are Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Ellie Goulding and Foo Fighters.

Australian viewership of the event has grown 150% year-on-year while Blogfast showed a higher social media take-up. Local viewers are also encouraged to vote for the event’s Best Australian Act category. This year’s contenders are Guy Sebastian, Peking Duk, Sia, Vance Joy and Five Seconds of Summer.

The New Zealand act will be chosen from The Broods, Avalanche City, Savage, Gin Wigmore and Six60.

Ten finalists for National Jazz Awards

This year’s National Jazz Awards (2015: A Bass Odyssey), a central feature of the Wangaratta Jazz festival, has announced ten young finalists aged between 24 and 31. They are Nick Abbey (Perth), Sam Anning (Perth, living in New York), Alex Boneham (Sydney, now in LA), Thomas Botting (NZ, now in Sydney), Anna Butterss (Adelaide), Karl Dunnicliff (Sydney), David Groves (Sydney), Noel Mason (Sydney now in New York), Adam Spiegl (Melbourne) and Georgia Weber (Brisbane, living in New York).

The ten perform at the festival in the semi finals on Sat Oct 31 or the morning of Sunday Nov 1. Three battle it out for the finals at 5 pm on the Sunday. Winner gets $12,000 plus an ABC recording studio. Runner up receives $6000 and a session at Pughouse Studios and third gets $3000.

Split Enz doco green-lighted

A 90-minute documentary on Split Enz has been green-lighted for production in New Zealand. NZ On Air, which funds content for radio and TV, granted $229,427 to Greenstone TV to make the show for the Prime network.

The Enz were profiled in detail before. The Spellbound documentary from 1993 was narrated by Sam Neill. A 10-part radio doco Enzology took five years to make, unearthing demos and involving past managers and record producers

Venues Update: suspicious fires, makeovers, rows

* Melbourne Music Week’s main hub is the crumbling basement of the old Royal Women’s Hospital in Carlton. It was decommissioned in 2008. For a week in November, music events will be held in the area, including the boiler room, kitchen and even the toilets.

* Adelaide’s Lava Nightclub disputes claims by a middle aged man – as reported in this column last week – that it asked him to leave because he wasn’t drinking alcohol and bad for business. It says the man’s dancing was making its female patrons “uncomfortable”.

* Launceston’s 104-year old Princess Theatre gets a $970,000 makeover to last four months. The auditorium floor will be replaced, as will the seats (installed in the 1930s) which are to be sold to arts organisations. The orchestra pits will be modified and new electrical and sound systems installed.

* Victorian police are treating as “suspicious” a fire at the Albion in South Melbourne. It was caused two balaclava-clad men who assaulted a construction worker who challenged them. The building was to open a new bar and lounge this month.

* Adelaide should follow the lead of Austin, Texas, and work at becoming a thriving live music entertainment city to help expand its economic and social growth. Adelaide City councillor aspirant Gareth Lewis, a publican, says that the city’s progressive music ideas would be complemented if Adelaide became “the first carbon neutral city in the world.”

* A row broke out over the upcoming demolition of Ipswich’s One Mile Hotel, a drinking hub which once a music space. Council is angry developers managed to get approval from a private certifier to break it down without consultation.

CBAA webinar for young people in community radio

The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia is hosting a webinar for community broadcasters aged under 26 ahead of its Youth Forum held annually at the CBAA Conference. The issues discussed will set up the topics for the Youth Forum. The webinar is facilitated by CBAA Youth Representative Tess Lawley and CBAA Head of Marketing and Engagement Tahlia Azaria.

NZ Music Award technical nominees announced

Nominees for the producer, engineer and art cover categories of the New Zealand Music Awards were announced.

Producer: Joel Little for his work on Broods’ Evergreen, Sean Donnelly for his own Saint John Divine and Clint Murphy for We Rise by Devilskin.

Engineer: Evan Short for Shiad’s Fivey, Clint Murphy for We Rise by Devilskin and Lee Prebble for Mel Parsons’ Drylands.

Cover Art: Alt Group for Shihad’s Fivey, Kelvin Soh for Broods’ Evergreen and Barny Bewick for The Colossus by Cairo Knife Fight.

The winners of these three categories are announced on October 13 at a ceremony in Auckland. The remaining finalists will be announced, along with finalists for the Critics’ Choice Prize and the NZ Herald Legacy Award winner.

Falls, Vivid, Bluesfest angle for Event award

The 2015 versions of a number of major music festivals are national finalists in the Australian Event Awards. They include Falls Festival Tasmania, Vivid, Bluesfest, WOMADelaide, Blues On Broadbeach, Buskers by the Creek and Perth International Arts Festival Presents The Giants.

Achievement finalists include PCC Event Services for their work on The Falls Music & Arts Festival Lorne 2014, Technical Direction Company for its work on Vivid 2015 and Yakusan for their work on The Hendrick’s Gin Parlour of Curiosities at Spectrum Now and Dark MOFO 2015

Winners are announced at a glittering ceremony on November 17 at Doltone House in Pyrmont, Sydney.

Sugarland musical on the road

A musical about a singing competition gets to tour after the NSW Government made available funds of $217,000 to put three performing arts groups on tour regional NSW. They include Performing Lines to stage 15 performances of its Sugarland musical, about the lives of five Katherine teenagers and a local youth worker in the lead-up to a singing competition.

The other two are the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Force Majeure Ltd’s production of parenting, Never Did Me Any Harm.

New owner for SameSame

Junkee Media sold its LGBTI community hub SameSame to gay and lesbian titles publisher Evo Media. After the youth publisher changed its name from Sound Alliance in July, it was decided that SameSame didn’t fit in with the Junkee format as Junkee, inthemix and FasterLouder. Details of the sale were not available. Matt Akersten continues as Editor.

Hillsong set new US chart record

In the US Hot Christian Songs chart, Australia’s Hillsong United notched up a new record. Its single Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) notched up its 51st non-consecutive week at #1. It has spent 106 weeks on the charts. Oceans first went to #1 on December 7 2013 remaining there for 45 weeks. It returned to #1 for five more weeks ((April 18-May 16). Last week it went up to top spot again from #2.

Book, 2CD set on 100 best Aussie singles

Prepped for release is The 100 Greatest Australian Singles Of The ‘60s, a project involving a book by Melbourne Books and a 2CD set on Festival/ Warner Music. It was put together by one-time Melbourne music scribes David N. Pepperell and Colin Talbot. The tracks are a secret until the October 23 release.

As to be expected when two highly-opinionated folks compile a list, there were tears before teatime. The pair admit, “There were exclusions, there were arguments, many discussions, weeks when one or another stormed off following a heated debate.”

Number Crunching

306,000 viewers for Sunrise on the day it broadcast Justin Bieber’s performance at Sydney’s Cockatoo Island and a subsequent interview.

500,000 fans will attend outdoor music events in southern Queensland and northern NSW from now to end of summer, estimates the Brisbane Courier-Mail.

30 minutes for all 135,000 tickets for the Glastonbury festival to sell out.

1,560,000 updated viewer figures for the first part of Seven’s Peter Allen – Not The Boy Next Door after an extra “catch up” figure of 227,000 was factored in.

1 million people use TIDAL, according to Jay-Z

$6 million paid to Beyonce to play a corporate gig in Las Vegas’ Palms Casino Resort for a technology company.

67 places jump this week by Jessica Mauboy’s new This Ain’t Love, from #75 to #8 on the ARIA chart after she performed it on The X-Factor.

NZ launches DJ Pyro app

New Zealand based global DJ musical technology company Serato has launched its latest app in the home country before the rest of the world. Pyro allows customers to provide five hours of music at their house party without having to put together the music before or during.

Co-founder AJ Bertenshaw explains, “Pyro was born out of a desire to have a player that I could use in those situations, where I could choose a few songs, and then just let the player take care of the whole evening.”

Serato users include Jazzy Jeff, DJ Z-Trip, DJ Premier, Mix Master Mike, Steve Aoki, Diplo and DJ Kentaro. It was name checked by Kanye West in Dark Fantasy.

Music theatre moves forward after symposium

The results of the inaugural National Music Theatre Symposium in Melbourne – an invite only attended by 50 companies – was that more networking will take place to coordinate and share resources within the fractured sector. A new advocacy group will be set up to represent its interests and a proposal from Melbourne theatres operator Marriner Group for a $1 million pool to finance 10 new productions which are seldom helped out in early stages with bank loans

Festivals Update: sell-outs, rumours, bans, sounds issues

* Fine weather saw all four days of Caloundra Music sell out. Friday drew 8000, while Saturday and Sunday drew 9000 each. (Baby Animals had the unenviable task of having to go on just as the all-Queensland NRL grand final kicked off). Festival director Richie Eyles said the new Commonwealth Bank tablet EFTPOS payment system worked well despite a few “niggles” and queues were minimal.

* When Soundwave announces its line-up on October 15, will Kanye West be named headliner?

* After the initial hysteria about possible debauchery and the possible collapse of civiisation, the Adelaide version of Thailand’s Full Moon Party (October 16) as part of OzAsia got its liquor license. Organisers are not able to sell booze in buckets, like the Thai event, but buckets will be available at the merchandise stand for punters to recreate for themselves.

*Following additional $15,000 boost from Launceston City Council, Tasmania’s Festival of Voices will run in 2016 and 2017 with more programs and workshops, Festival Director Tony Bonney confirmed.

* After a 13-year hiatus, Vibes On A Summer’s day returns to Sydney’s Bondi Pavilion on January 24, founder Joe Conneely confirmed.

* Wollongong’s Yours & Owls Festival was plagued with sound issues on its second day (Saturday) which saw The Smith Street Band’s set go silent for a time and feedback issues for later acts, and The Preatures having to pull out from their second set on the Sunday due to Isabella Manfredi “losing her voice.”

After launch parties in 2013, Cattleyard Promotions holds The Plot on Saturday December 5 through Sydney’s Parramatta with 27 acts. Full details at theplot.co.

* The inaugural Gingerfest went down so well that the punk love-in returns on Saturday December 19. It was set up in honour of Canberra punk rock identity Nicholas Sofer-Schreiber (aka the Ginger Ninja because of his red locks) who was murdered last year. Irrelevant and The Mad Dash reform just for this bill.

* An audience survey by Darwin Festival in August found that 91% agreed it brought life to the city and 79% felt it made Darwin rich in culture and entertainment. Nearly 60% attended between four and 12 times during the 18 days. Most came for acts that don’t come to NT. Over 40% looked for comedy, theatre, contemporary music and outdoor events first. Additional comments and observations can be made throughout the year at contact@darwinfestival.org.au.

Vale

Jazz singer Evie Pikler and guitarist Alan Kelly were among those who performed at the farewell of Noosa playwright, songwriter, artist and activist Emma Freeman. She penned the song Because It’s Noosa as part of her support of the de-amalgamation fight, which she recorded with local musicians. Freeman was 93 when she passed. The local arts and music community next year launches a prize for emerging talent in her honour.

And A Few Other Things …

Peter Jing Zu Lessnau, 34, accused of the fake July 25 Mark Ronson set at Matisse Beach Club in Scarborough, appeared briefly in Perth Magistrates Court charged with three counts of fraud totalling $4250. He was relesed on a $3000 bail to appear in court again on November 16.

5 Seconds of Summer’s Live: Stripped & Intimate show in Sydney last Sunday will premiere on [V] HITS on Friday October 9 at 5 pm. The band is back in Australia to support its October 23-due Sounds Good Feels Good (#1 on iTunes in 55 countries), a follow up to its 3 million selling debut.

The promoters of Sydney’s Genesis Black Subculture dance party, which was closed down by police on the weekend, will release a full statement this week. The event, which was held at Moore Park and drew 5,000 EDM-ers, was stopped at 2 am (an hour before its advertised ending) after police expressed concern at the alleged level of drug use and number of hospitalisations due to overdoses.

Annoyed at the 18.8% gender pay gap in Australia, Melbourne publicist and feminist Karen Conrad is offering SHE rates until January 30. There’s a 20% discount for new campaigns for female-driven arts, fashion, theatre and music PR campaigns.

Newsreader and presenter Rod Tiley, who worked at Brisbane radio stations and most recently 6PR Perth, is having treatment for bowel and liver cancer.

Is New Zealand band Six60’s new US label Capitol putting them in the studio with Pharell Williams?

‘Strict new rules by the ACT government will see ads for alcohol, along with fast food and gambling, banned from Canberra buses.

The Australian Cultural Library in Toowoomba, Queensland, is moving from 203 Margaret St. to larger premises at 456 Ruthven St on November 7. It hosts a collection of Australian culture and history, tapes, VHS, books, CDs and memorabilia. As a farewell to its the current space, it holds the free Music And Arts Trade Event on October 10. In a move to keep music and art circulating in the community, It allows musicians and artists to come and do straight swaps (no cash, no bargaining) of their own creations for items in the collection.

A New Zealand musician who admitted to assaulting his ex-partner, asked the Auckland court to give him a discharge without conviction because his band has just signed a record deal in Europe and it would curtail his career. He successfully applied to have his name suppressed.

Secrets are hard to keep in the music industry. But Skyhooks have managed to hush up the identity of who sings with them when they do a reunion show as part of Rockwiz Live! Salutes The ARIA Hall Of Fame at Melbourne’s Palais Theatre on October 8. At last count, five names were being rumoured in Melbourne this week. Rockwiz’s Brian Nankervis hinted it is “someone everyone will know.”

Things are on the move for the Kingston Foreshore Arts Precinct in the ACT. Developers have until December 10 to submit proposals based on the operating needs of arts organisations and 800 car spaces on the four-hectare Eastlake Parade site. Three finalists based on “creative thinking” are chosen by February.

US music vlogger Anthony Fantano, who reviews albums on his Needle Drop YouTube channel has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Sydney-based SBS TV after it inadvertently used his image during a bulletin on Oregon college shooter Chris Mercer who killed ten students. Comments on social media claimed a slight physical similarity between the two which Fantano says reflects the internet’s dark humour but is “nothing to joke about.” He wants a retraction.

When you do a review of a hip hop street movie, can you reflect its culture by using the “n” word? Facebook users were furious when New Zealand’s Rip It Up magazine editor Andrew Johnstone used it five times in a 220 word critique headlined “Dope is a hip-hop film that explores what it means to be a n*****” which stresses that African Americans, like other races, are a mixed bunch and above stereotypes. The review appeared on the magazine’s website and Facebook page but has since been dropped from Facebook.