Industrial Strength: April 17

DID NICK CAVE CINEMA SCREENING MAKE £1M?

Last week’s global one-day cinema screening of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ movie Distant Sky is estimated to gross over £1 million (A$1.8 million).

The film, which was shot in Copenhagen, was screened for one day (April 12) in 650 cinemas across 45 countries, including most of Europe, the Americas and Australia, according to distributor Trafalgar Releasing.

In the meantime, the group will follow up their European festival slots in the northern summer with dates in North and Latin America in October.

KYLIE DEBUTS AT #1 IN UK

BMG’s push to make a sales statement with its first album with Kylie Minogue has come through the UK.

Golden debuted at #1, her first chart-topper in eight years there (and her sixth #1 album in a 30-year career).

Of the 48,000 of first week sales, 77% was in the physical format.

(The story was the same in Australia where of the record’s first week sales of 8,745, physical copies made up 5,894, 2,606 were downloaded and 245 was from streaming).

Alistair Norbury, president of repertoire & marketing of BMG UK attributed the success to “the perfect combination of an artist at the top of her game, an outstanding album and a perfectly executed marketing campaign”.

BIG COLOUR TURNS PALE OVER VENUE DISPUTE

Cairns’ Big Colour festival, set to be staged last Saturday, had to postpone after a dispute with the venue Cairns Showgrounds.

“Within the span of a week finding a new venue didn’t seem feasible,” promoter Liril Dewanji explained.

“We had over 12,000 tickets sold. Quite a few people were upset.”

While a new venue is still being finalised, refunds are being returned so as “not to inconvenience patrons.”

CONCHITA WURST REVEALS BEING HIV POSITIVE

Austrian drag queen and bearded diva Conchita Wurst, a frequent visitor to Australia since her 2014 Eurovision win, revealed that she has been HIV positive for many years.

But she decided to go public via Instagram after a former friend threatened to spill the beans.

Wurst emphasised that with treatment, “I have been below the detection limit, which means I am unable to transmit the virus”.

CHERRY BAR GETS MIRROR BACK

The Cherry Bar in Melbourne’s AC/DC Lane, which had its Foo Fighters-donated mirror stolen, has had the item returned.

As TMN reported, Cherry Bar owner James Young told the thief to return it before he got the police involved.

The comment worked, with Young saying he got “a grovelingly apologetic phone call from the scoundrel”.

“He is mailing the mirror back to Cherry Bar from Adelaide, where he lives.”

In the meantime, the Foos offered to send a replacement mirror.

MULLUM MUSIC GETS FUNDING

In its eleventh year of staging in the NSW North Coast town of Mullumbimby, Mullum Music Festival has landed a three-year funding deal worth $90,000 from Destination NSW, which will help the event grow its audience.

Over the years, the festival’s policy of highlighting new acts saw it showcase the likes of Tash Sultana, Teskey Brothers and Marlon Williams before they broke through.

According to organisers, the four-day event brings in 8,000 single entries through the gates (a four-day ticket is considered four single entries), while free events associated with the festival such as the street parade and market shows adds another 5,000 to 7,000 to the numbers.

The event injects $6 million to $8 million into the local economy every year.

At the announcement, minister for tourism and major events Adam Marshall and parliamentary secretary for renewable energy and Northern NSW Ben Franklin joined festival director Glenn Wright and Nino Haggith at Mullumbimby’s Rock’n’Roll Cafe for a performance by local act Merryn Jeann.

Wright thanked Franklin for his efforts in getting the funding.

This year’s event is held November 15-18, with the lineup due to be unveiled in July.

ALASTAIR BURNS UP FOR NZ MANAGERS AWARDS

New Zealand artist manager Alastair Burns – who from his base in Melbourne looks after Marlon Williams, Julia Jacklin, The Weather Station and Phantastic Ferniture – is up for two categories in the NZ Music Managers Awards in Auckland on May 9.

He was nominated for artist of the year and international achievement.

PHARELL AND THICKE TRY ANOTHER ‘BLURRED LINES’ APPEAL …

Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke are returning to the 9th Circuit Court to be given another chance to decide on whether their ‘Blurred Lines’ infringed Marvin Gaye’s ‘Got to Give It Up’.

The decision in March has sent alarm bells ringing through the music industry over its implications.

Williams and Thicke’s legal team now argue that the court previously erred in not filtering out protectable elements from un-protectable ones in deciding infringement.

Their argument there is a vast difference between “identical” and “similarity”.

“Composers have long been free to draw inspiration from previous compositions, and even to copy discrete elements without fear of copyright liability,” the pair’s legal team stated.

…WHILE MARK RONSON, BRUNO MARS, SETTLE ONE SUIT

Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars settled one of three copyright infringement lawsuits against them over ‘Uptown Funk’.

TMZ says they smoked the peace pipe with Minneapolis funk band Collage, who two years ago claimed the 2014 hit was “an obvious, strikingly and/or substantially similar copy” of their 1983 single ‘Young Girls’.

It’s not known whether any money changed hands.

AFTER EYE-RAISING INTERVIEW, STICKY FINGERS HEADING O/S

Sydney band Sticky Fingers’ return after a 14-month hiatus has been far from harmonious.

The band has been forced to confront allegations aimed at singer Dylan Frost allegedly racist and violent.

A triple j interview during which they trotted out the line “boys will be boys” was universally described as a train wreck, while Beat magazine described their new single ‘Kick On’ as one of the worst singles of the year.

In June they’re doing a nine-date world tour – covering Sydney, Mexico City, LA, New York, London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Auckland and Bali.

ELTON WRITTEN IN THE STARS

With Elton John’s Revamp album debuting at #5 in Australia this week, the Grammy tribute I’m Still Standing will air tomorrow (Wednesday) at 7.30 pm on Nine and 9Now.

Filmed at New York’s Madison Square Garden, doffing their hats to the music icon are Miley Cyrus, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Lady Gaga and Chris Martin tip-toeing through classics such as ‘Candle in the Wind,’ ‘Daniel,’ ‘Your Song’,’ Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ and ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me.’

FESTIVAL INCIDENT INSPIRED FRANCESCA GONZALES’ SONG OF HARASSMENT

Two years ago, Melbourne neo-soul singer-songwriter Francesca Gonzales was at a music festival.

“A drunken punter started dancing up again me and touching me inappropriately.

“I asked him to stop again and again but he wouldn’t leave me alone. It was so horrible and ruined the night for me.

“I started talking to my friends and they said that it was a common occurrence and they are just used to it.

“This made me so angry that I had to write a song about it.”

The resultant song ‘Baby Give It Up’ is out through biz veteran Tim Prescott’s Double Drummer Music, while its self-titled parent EP is due May 18.

The video is inspired by old grainy VHS aerobics videos, to reflect the dark lyrical tone and evoke a dingy club (the image she had in her head when writing the track).

At shows, she explains the song to the audience. “There is always an amazing response from the crowd.

“I have started to notice a lot of women coming up to me after shows and saying that they feel incredibly inspired after hearing the ‘Baby Give It Up’ and watching me live.

“It makes them feel like they can do anything.”

Gonzales emphasises that while she is inspired each day by #MeToo, “This song is about my experience as a woman, and a man is inappropriate.

“However I think it’s important to note that this issue is non-gender specific.

“I actually had another experience where a woman wouldn’t leave me alone in my own bedroom when I was going to bed.

“It happens to everyone and I don’t want the song to accuse men of being the culprits.

“I wouldn’t be the musician I am without the amazing men in my life that support me and challenge me every day.”

CALLING FOR MENTORS FOR GIRLS ROCK CANBERRA

Girls Rock! Canberra is looking for mentors from the ranks of instrument instructors, ‘band managers’, and coaches.

They must hold a current working with vulnerable people card or be willing to acquire one before the camp.

The camp is a music and mentorship program for girls, trans and non-binary youth aged 10-17. The Canberra event will be held on July 16-20, during which attendees learn an instrument, form a band, take part in a range of creative and capacity building workshops, and get to see a range of performances by visiting artists,

The camp concludes with a showcase on Saturday July. 21

Mentor positions are paid a stipend. For more information and to apply, visit the website.

BIG DEAL’S SONGWRITER PODCAST RETURNS

Big Deal Music’s podcast And The Writer Is… is set to return for a third season.

Created in association with Mega House Music, the content sees Ross Golan speak with an acclaimed songwriter each week to discuss what goes on behind the scenes in the music industry. The podcast is produced by Joe London.

Seasons one and two saw chats with Charlie Puth, Jack Antonoff, Thomas Rhett, Babyface, Julia Michaels, Bebe Rexha and more.

More info and previous episodes available on the official website.

MELBOURNE TO HOST MENUHIN COMPETITION?

Melbourne is one of three finalists in the bid to host the world’s leading competition for young violinists.

The Menuhin Competition is, named after legendary violinist and conductor, the late Yehudi Menuhin, and involves 44 competitors each two yeas.

Melbourne will know if it, or contenders London or Richmond, Virginia, will host the 2020 meet when the winning bid is announced on the final day of the Menuhin Competition, April 22 in Geneva, Switzerland.

METAL FANS “SAVED” BY POLICE

A group of three adult men, three children and a dog were camping on an island off Scotland. The men were drinking beer and listening loudly to heavy metal music around the campfire while the kids slept in tents.

Suddenly a police helicopter, fire engines, ambulances and lifeboats arrived in a panic. Apparently, a passer-by tipped off that the group were involved in a suicide pact and in “grave danger”.

A cop even smashed a window of one of the cars looking for a suicide note.

NEW MANAGEMENT/ EVENTS COMPANY LAUNCHES IN WA 

Harris Waters, who served an apprentice at Phillip Stevens Management (John Butler, Waifs) has set up his own management and events company called Holiday Forever.

The firm has its official launch at The Bird on April 25, and its roster includes POW! Negro (co-managed with Stevens), Carla Geneve and Benjamin Witt.

ADELAIDE FRINGE TO EXPAND SOUTH?

Adelaide’s Marion Council is pitching for Adelaide Fringe to expand southwards in 2019, and utilise its under-utilised Marion Cultural Centre Plaza as a venue, and Oaklands Park as a southern hub.

It has set aside $15,000 for marketing the venue when it hopefully gets the green light to stage concerts, comedy shows, theatre appearances and art installations from Thursday to Sunday evenings for two weekends during the Fringe.

The attendance surge would generate money which the council can use to upgrade facilities in the future.

HD VINYL TO HIT MARKET BY 2019

With the demand for vinyl continuing in this country and overseas, the first ever vinyl HD is set to be available from next year.

The black long players will boast higher audio fidelity, higher volume and longer playing times… and can play on current vinyl players.

Austrian startup Rebeat Innovation has received $4.8 million of funding to develop the product. It can cut 100kHz onto the outer edge of the disc – compared to the maximum of 15kHz on a traditional LP.

DENDY DIRECT TO CEASE

Australian video-on-demand service Dendy Direct will close on May 14.

It was set up in 2014 by cinema company Dendy to allow customers to watch titles at home.

But the arrival of several disruptors into the Australian market (and rapid technology change) was too much for an independent business, and Dendy will now focus on its cinema business.

US PUBLISHERS WIN STREAMING BATTLE

US publishers won a major battle over streaming of concert footage by a company called Wolfgang’s (formerly Wolfgang’s Vault). The private entity had what it claimed was “the most important collection of rock memorabilia and recordings ever assembled.”

It consisted of thousands of tapes acquired from venue owners featuring the likes of The Rolling Stones, The Who, the Grateful Dead, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Carlos Santana.

The company has been making these available for downloading and streaming,  striking licensing deals with the major record companies three years after it began operating.

Billboard reported that the judge agreed there was copyright infringement but stopped short of putting an injunction on Wolfgang’s from selling them.

The judge argued that licensing deals could still be cut, and wondered if releasing the tapes came under “public good”.

Wolfgang’s insisted that it held valid mechanical licenses under Section 115 of the Copyright Act, and hence did not have to deal with publishers.

Publisher argued that Section 115 did not cover video recordings of songs performed live – to which the judge agreed.

AFTRS LAUNCHES ONLINE RESOURCES FOR SCHOOLS

The Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) has launched a free online resource for primary and secondary teachers.

Called MEDIA LAB, the initiative provides lesson plans, student worksheets and video content to deliver learning on each topic from kindergarten to Year 10. More details at the AFTRS website.

AND A FEW OTHER THINGS …

Neil Finn has not been sacked! A story doing the rounds on the weekend was that the singer-songwriter had been sacked from Fleetwood Mac after the first rehearsal, with the news even making some radio bulletins… before someone noted the piece emanated from US satirical title Madhouse Magazine. It made for some humorous reading. Apparently, Finn was “dumped” because he dared look Stevie Nicks in the eye! When other new recruit Mike Campbell defended Finn, he got the boot too. Mac then decided to call in Axl Rose…

In some real Neil Finn news, The Very Very Best Of Crowded House jumps back into the Top 50 at #47 and moves up to #15 on the ARIA Catalogue chart. It must be all those Mac fans discovering Crowded House this week…

Gurrumul’s final album Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow) is getting the right royal send-off. Not only is it getting five-star reviews, but demand has seen some retail stores run out of stock.

The mayor of New Jersey (correct pronunciation: Noo Joisey) declared last Saturday Bon Jovi Day, the day the city local the band was named after got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

Nick Cave’s eldest son Jethro Lazenby faces Melbourne Magistrate Court tomorrow (Wednesday) on charges of violent attacks on his girlfriend after alleged arguments over money and their relationship. Jethro, whose mother is Melbourne model Beau Lazenby, spent the weekend on remand after police objected to bail.

Adelaide’s Croquet Club move into China was thwarted when promises made by Chinese officials. The Advertiser reported that the club’s directors have complained to the Lord Mayor that as debts mount, they are being heavied by reps of the Chinese government.

Create NSW, the NSW government’s arts policy and funding body, was due back yesterday (Monday 16) at the Upper House Parliamentary inquiry into the music and the arts economy. Its reps made an appearance late last month at the first public hearing, but aroused the ire of the committee when it couldn’t answer how many of the 25 recommendations of the Night Time Economy Taskforce in 2016 had been implemented. The committee told it to find out and return

Delta Goodrem and retired Hawthorn footballer Josh Gibson are trotting out the “good mates” routine after being seen hanging out on the Gold Coast during the Games.

Yellow Wiggle Emma Watkins has pulled out of the band’s upcoming dates as she needs surgery for chronic endometriosis.

Australia’s Seven News got a global gong at the New York Festivals International TV and Film Awards for its coverage of the Las Vegas shooting last October. Its US correspondent Ashlee Mullany and cameraman Duncan McLeod were staying inside the Mandalay Bay Hotel, five floors below the shooter, and woke to the sound of rapid gunfire. Both grabbed whatever gear they could, raced outside and within minutes were live to air via a mobile phone link. They then broadcast for the 48 hours following the shooting.

Drake’s former manager Derrick Lawrence was jailed for eight months after pleading guilty to three counts of tax evasion, reportedly to the tune of $600,000.

Californian band Movements has pulled out of their Australian tour over concerns of allegations made of the singer of UK band Moose Blood whom they were sharing the dates with.

Huey Lewis has cancelled his shows for 2018 after losing his hearing.

The free Festival 2018 staged in Cairns, Townsville, Brisbane and the Gold Coast drew only 10,000 people, well below expectations.

Melanie Horsnell and Steve Appel (King Curly) successfully hit the $20,000 target of a Pozible campaign to make and market their next album and made two short videos.