Industrial Strength: June 5

GANG OF YOUTHS SELL OUT NINE SHOWS, ADD SEVEN MORE

Nine shows of Gang of Youths’ Say Yes To Life Tour in November sold out almost immediately, promoter Handsome Tours announced.

Due to unprecedented demand, seven new dates have been added.

These include two new ones in Melbourne, bringing the tally to five dates at the Forum Theatre, and two more in Sydney which also brings the total to five, at the Enmore Theatre.

Fremantle, Hobart and Adelaide also got new shows

As revealed in TMN, a partnership with PLUS1 means that $1 from each ticket goes to Aboriginal Legal Service, which works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to provide culturally appropriate legal services, influence positive change, and increase access to justice.

CANBERRA GETS NEW FESTIVAL ANTHEMS, FARNHAM TO HEADLINE

Canberra will play host to a new music festival, Anthems, set for November 17 at National Arboretum.

John Farnham will headline the bill, which includes Kate Ceberano, Daryl Braithwaite and The Black Sorrows with Vika & Linda Bull.

The promoter is Complete Events Group, whose director Matt Clifton has owned and produced regional festivals such as Vanfest in Forbes in the NSW Central West.

”John Farnham was an obvious choice for Anthems, there is no one more Australian or aptly suited to the Anthems brand,” he says.

THE KYLIE AND NICK SHOW

To great cheers, Kylie Minogue sauntered out onstage during Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’ headline slot last Sunday to perform the 1995 duet ‘Where The Wild Roses Grow’ at London festival All Points East.

The festival also saw performances by Patti Smith, Courtney Barnett, St Vincent, Marika Hackman and Nadine Shah.

Cave wrote the ‘Where The Wild Roses Grow’ for his Murder Ballads album.

It is estimated to be the fourth time that the duo has warbled it onstage.

The first time was at the Feile Festival in Cork in 1995, then at the T in the Park in Scotland that year.

Our Kyles joined the lanky feller for an encore at Cave’s show at London’s Koko club in 2013.

DJ RECOVEIRNG AFTER FIRE

Auckland-hailed Melbourne-based DJ Philosophia is recovering in hospital with a broken arm and facial injuries.

She was forced to jump from a window after a fire broke out in a converted warehouse in St. Kilda.

MUSIC TASMANIA HOLDING AGM

Music Tasmania is holding its annual general meeting on Wednesday June 13 from 6 pm to 7 pm at the Meeting Room, Salamanca Arts Centre.

It will announce eight new positions for its board. Nominations for these closed last week.

BIG DEAL VS RCM TOURING

In a hearing on June 1 between Sam Righi’s Big Deal Touring and Ralph Carr’s RCM Touring, the Federal Court in Sydney ordered that RCM Touring be wound up in insolvency, Andrew Spring be appointed as liquidator and Big Deal’s court costs be fixed at $7,732.76 and reimbursed.

ANOTHER GLOBAL INITIATIVE FROM APPLE MUSIC

Just five days after Apple Music’s new global chief Oliver Schusser launched plans for a worldwide music publishing division, Music Business Worldwide (MBW) noted another global initiative was being planned.

It’s a change in the way Apple reports streaming data on its charts.

It is advertising to build up new worldwide team to “enable data-driven conversations between Apple, labels, artists and the broader industry.”

MBW explains that record companies and the music industry are switching to Spotify’s streaming charts as a barometer of success and away from Apple’s iTunes download charts, and Schusser wants to change that.

MBW reported: “Apple’s new charts manager will apparently build ‘strategic relationships with chart partners around the world, researching and understanding the industry chart rules and logic, and working to… develop innovative and dynamic internal Apple Music charts.

“Their mission will include ‘Meeting directly with music labels and chart partners to identify ways to improve Apple Music reporting'”, in addition to “implementing a cohesive charts and label data strategy and enabling effective, data-driven conversations with labels and artists.”

DUA LIPA SAYS KEVIN PARKER HER DREAM COLLAB

We’re still not sure of the state of play with Kanye West. But Dua Lipa wants to tangle music notes with Kevin Parker.

Lipa, who’s worked with the v. rich Calvin Harris, was performing before UEFA Champions League Final during which Real Madrid gave Liverpool a good slapping 3—1.

During a pre-yodel interview with sports channel Copa90 she was asked whom her dream collaboration would be.

She replied: “D’you know what, I would love to make an album with Kevin Parker, from Tame Impala. I just think what [Tame Impala] do is really cool.”

CAMILLA CABELLO TOPPLES SIA IN SPOTIFY STREAMS

With over 888 million streams, Cuban American singer Camila Cabello‘s chart-topping ‘Havana’ has become Spotify’s most streamed song ever by a solo female artist.

The previous record was held by Sia with ‘Cheap Thrills.’

MEMOIRS FROM GLENN SHORROCK, BRODERICK SMITH

Heading our way are the memoirs of two real personalities, not to mention music survivors.

New Holland Publishers is this month issuing Glenn Shorrock’s Now Where Was I, which skates through his days with The Twilights, Axiom and LRB.

Broderick Smith’s tome, through Starman Books, is a limited edition (101 copies) which comes with a 3-CD boxed set Then & Now 1967—2017 of unreleased recordings from Adderley Smith Blues Band (1967), Big Combo (1981) and a copy of his soon to be released Man Out Of Time recorded 2017.

SA MUSOS SCORE HELPMANN ACADEMY FELLOWSHIPS

South Australian guitarist Nicholas Pennington (23) and drummer Angus Mason (24) – both jazz graduates from the Elder Conservatorium of Music – will travel to Amsterdam on Helpmann Academy fellowships worth $20,000 each.

They will undertake a series of composition workshops with world renowned guitarist and composer Reinier Baas.

Over a two-month period, they will write an album for a large ensemble to be recorded and performed with a 12-piece band in Adelaide including the Zephyr Quartet on strings.

A third recipient was jeweller and visual artist Marissa Ziesing, 32, who will spend six months in the UK.

TWO OVERSEAS DATES FOR GABRIELLA COHEN

While Gabriella Cohen’s Australian tour kicks off in Byron Bay this Friday (June 8) with her full band, she also announced headline dates in New York and Los Angeles n September/October

These are behind the release of her Pink Is The Colour Of Unconditional Love, out in Australia via Dot Dash / Remote Control in AU/NZ and Captured Tracks for rest of the world

Work on the album began in the summer of 2017 with long-time collaborator and engineer, Kate Dillon.

Sessions began in a farm in countryside Victoria, surrounded by flocks of screeching white cockatoos and herds of Black Angus cows.

The record was almost complete when the band was invited to join Foxygen’s US tour, meaning the record had to be finished on the road.

These included on a boat in England, and the coast of Portugal; in the mountains of Southern Italy, cafes of Mexico, and finally in Venice Beach, Los Angeles.

MICHAEL JACKSON ESTATE SUES DISNEY…

The estate of Michael Jackson is suing Disney contending that a TV special The Last Days of Michael Jackson on its subsidiary ABC-TV used significant excerpts of his hit songs and music videos without authorisation.

Also used were clips from a documentary and feature film belonging to the estate.

… AND PRINCE ESTATE TAKES ON MAN OVER VIDEOS

The Prince estate is suing an Oklahoma man, Phil Shadid, of violating its copyright by distributing videos of Vanity 6, the outfit put together by Prince.

The estate first reached out to Shadid’s distributor, TuneCore, which took down the videos.

Shadid, contested this, and TuneCore said it would repost them unless ordered to by a court.

The estate has gone to court to try and  permanently keep the videos off the site and unspecified damages, attorney fees and costs.

APAM MOVING TO MELBOURNE

After four years in Brisbane, the Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) will after the 2018 event head to Melbourne for the 2020 event.

APAM was set up in 1994 by the Australia Council to showcase contemporary Australian performing arts for international interest.

It has been held as a biennial event since then, first in Canberra, then in Adelaide from 1998-2012 and Brisbane from 2014-2018.

To establish a Melbourne office, Creative Victoria is now seeking applications for a director APAM Office.

BUSH BAND DEADLINE EXTENDED

Due to what it calls “overwhelming demand”, MusicNT extended the deadline for applications for the Bush Bands Bash 2018 to Friday, June 15.

Only six acts will be chosen, with program coordinator Laurie May saying: “The response this year is overwhelming as we enter the selection process of what will be the 15th year of Bush Bands Bash.”

INSPIRING BRITISH WOMEN INSPIRING BRITISH WOMEN

Among the 25 selected by British Vogue magazine as Britain’s most influential women were singer Dua Lipa, who was youngest at 22.

She was chosen because her 2017 hit single ‘New Rules’ was “an anthem of female empowerment [and] laid out a blueprint for modern sex lives”.

Music executive Grace Ladoja who manages Skepta and called the “godmother of Grime” was another. She was recognised her services to music in this year’s New Year’s Honours List.

Others on the list included  K Rowling, Meghan Markle, Stella McCartney, Black Panther and Black Mirror star Letitia Wright, and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney.

LATEST TASMANIAN FUNDING

Among the 16 artists and arts groups to receive funding by the Tasmanian government were violinist Alethea Coombe and composer Michael Mathieson-Sandars to expand their musical capabilities during their residency at Rocky Cape, Tasmania; and Merinda Sainty to undertake a mentorship with Melbourne based musician Ewan Baker.

DOUBLR WIN AT NZ COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS

Reb Fountain celebrates a double win at the New Zealand Country Music Awards in Gore, taking home best country music artist and best country music song.

She won it for Hopeful And Hopeless, an EP she finished three years after the death of her collaborator Sam Prebble (Bond St Bridge, Mermaid & Mariner, The Broken Heartbreakers).

Other finalists for best country music artist were Lana Doublet and Phil Doublet.

Runners up for country music song were Jenny Mitchell’s ‘Let Me Be’ and Kaylee Bell & Brooke McClymont’s ‘Next Somebody’.

IT DON’T MEAN A THING IF IT AIN’T GOT THAT STRING

The first artists for Melbourne Guitar Show (August 4 & 5, Caulfield Racecourse) are UK’s Albert Lee along with Jeff Daniels, Daniel Champagne, Nick Charles, Bob Spencer, Shannon Bourne, Fiona Boyes, Alison Ferrier, Cat Canteri, Nat Allison and upcoming punk-rockers Rackett.

Produced by Australian Musician and the Australian Music Association, the show draws 5,500 a year to its monster exhibition, information seminars, demonstrations, and live performances.

TAYLOR SWIFT TOUR GETS OFF TO STRONG START

Taylor Swift’s Reputation world tour got off to a strong start in the United States, with the first five cities grossing $54 million after selling almost 398,000 tickets, Billboard reported.

The magazine reckons the six month tour, which is already setting new attendance and box office records, could end up toping $400 million in sales.

DRAPHT BACK ON ARABELLA STREET

After spending 2017 on the West Coast of America driving around a 30-foot RV, exploring and writing new music – Perth’s Drapht is back and set to release his sixth album Arabella Street via Ayems / Sony Music Entertainment Australia.

First single ‘The Come Down Was Real’, an uptempo banger featuring Perth’s Indoor Fins, was released to his fan base through his various social media platforms, with ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’, ‘Just A Segue’ and ‘Gravity’ feat. Claudio.

Drapht explains – “I decided I wanted tackle the release of this album a little differently this time around.

“I really had to attempt to take the pressure away from releasing individual songs and sole singles that didn’t quite represent the album’s entirety and in the past tended to be extremely stressful.

“So I wanted to release the album in sections of multiple songs at a time instead; that way giving people more of a taste of things to come. That will then lead to the full body of work later in the year.”
He’ll do five showcases shows across the country in early August.

VALE

• Don ‘Mad Dog’ Dwyer launched his radio career in the ‘60s in Albury and a stint in London. But he was best known for his on air work in Geelong on 3GL/ K Rock. He was also ran the “Double D” radio school to mentor the next generation of radio names, and was ground announcer at Kardinia Park during Cats’ home games in the ‘90s. He retired in a few years ago and passed after a stroke at home.
• Bassist Andy MacQueen had already been in Adelaide punk bands The Deviants and Crunch Pets before playing as a one0off at a party doing covers with Exploding White Mice in 1983. They went on to make a name for themselves in the Australian garage punk scene with four albums on Greasy Pop Records. MacQueen also played in Pro-Tools. He had been complaining of abdominal pains and passed suddenly. He was in his 50s.
• Mark Downes was chief technology officer at Nova Entertainment’ for seven years. The broadcaster’s CEO Cathy O’Connor said: “Mark led the technology and infrastructure initiatives at our company and played a key role in industry technological developments as an active board member of Commercial Radio Australia.” Downes succumbed to heart failure.

AND A FEW OTHER THINGS…

Which high profile female Australian singer is in the process of splitting with her management?

Vance Joy sold out the famous Red Rocks auditorium in the US.

In advance of her monster 42-date Australian and NZ tour (starting July 3) and to celebrate selling 2 million tickets in total over various tours here, the P!NK – The Beautiful Trauma Tour Book has hit the market.

Nicky Minaj announced to Instagram followers she was dating Eminem… and then withdrew it, saying she was just joking. Onstage at the Boston Calling festival, Em asked the crowd “Boston, how many of you want me to date Nicki Minaj? Well, god dammit, me too. Nicki, if you get this message, just text me later, we’ll talk about it.”

The Veronicas have opened up about the long-time crippling illness on their mother Colleen – which caused her to be hospitalised last year which saw them return quickly to Queensland and blow out promo on their just-released fourth album. They reveal that Colleen has Lewy Body Dementia which can also cause hallucinations, and they want to increase awareness of the illness.

Following on from their massive set at the Hangout Festival in the US, Mansionair then joined ODESZA on stage.

Holland Park, London, neighbours Jimmy Page and Robbie Williams are locking horns again over Robbie’s planned renovations. Page has managed to get local authorities to delay Williams’ plans for an underground gym and swimming pool. Page says the building work will damage the ornate ceilings and stained glass in his 19th-century Gothic-revival mansion, Tower House.

Prince’s estate is trying to put the block on a woman claiming to be Prince’s biological daughter. Snowe Melinda Saxman was adopted which legally stops her from making claims on the fortunes of her parents. But she’s in there pitching, claiming she looks like him, has the same “flamboyant personality” and is a multi-instrumentalist like papa.

Rudely Interrupted member Rory Burnside is excited that being named coach of the Rock Dogs at the Reclink Community Cup in Melbourne on June 24 is “inclusion like never seen before.” At a private function, Burnside told guests, “It’s taken 12 years and 14 international tours, but people are starting to talk about my music and not my disability.”

Australian act Two People’s new single is getting airplay on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 6.

Paul Kelly, Ian Moss, The Preatures, Mitch Salisbury, Back’n’Buisness, Benny Nelson, West & Public and Little Town performed a fund raiser for the students at south-west Queensland town Dirranbandi so they can learn the skills to live and work in rural communities.

For the video clip of her new single ‘Under My Skin’, country music singer songwriter Kirsty Lee Akers worked with Klik Productions and director Jesse Anderson to step out of the box. “It was filmed on a green screen and features me walking through different animated worlds. In the real world filming it, I had to be constantly walking on a treadmill to pull off the effect. By the end of the day I had walked 20kms in high heels, so I was pretty exhausted, but it was totally worth it!”