Industrial Strength: August 16
Eleven recipients get MusicNSW funding
Eleven of a total of 28 applications from all over NSW were successful in landing $35,034 worth of funding as part of Round One of the Opportunity Development grant scheme.
The funding will support 34 artists and six managers to attend BIGSOUND conference and showcase in Brisbane. They included Wallace Bec Sandridge and band, Wishes, Allan Smithy, Rainbow Chan, BUOY, The Ruminaters, Gideon Bensen, B-Wise, Coda Conduct and Australia – The Band. MusicNSW administers the program on behalf of Arts NSW. The original 28 applications totalled $84,000 in funding requests
Gurrumul touring options narrow, continues to record
Gurrumul Yunupingu’s touring options are seriously curtailed for the time being. Since April he has been on renal dialysis three times a week for his kidney problems, for five hours a time. His co-manager and producer Michael Hohnen told the NT News, “Touring adds a completely different pressure and dimension to his lifestyle,” noting that the trip to the National Independent Music Awards (NIMAs) to pick up his fifth Artist of the Year gong took up to two hours.
However, Gurrumul and Hohnen continue “low level” work in the studio. The new pieces of music include collaborations and orchestral arrangement pieces, which are yet to be released. John Butler worked with him on one track. Gurrumul also has drawn up a wish-list of other major names he wants to collaborate with.
After attending their performance at the NIMAs, Gurrumul also invited two young artists. Yirrmal of the Rirratjingu Dancers from East Arnhem Land (“the most incredible performance:) and Kuren “to be part of a new collaboration we started late last year.” Interesting the video of Amazing Grace, which included an earlier collaboration with Paul Kelly, had been deemed “not good enough” by award organisers for inclusion. “Don’t really understand”, Hohnen posted on Facebook at the time.
12 speakers unveiled for Face The Music
Amidst plans to announce a new format and the introduction of live music for the first time, Melbourne confab Face The Music unveiled its first 12 speakers. They are Anthony Fantano (US blog The Needle Drop), Kim Ambrosius (Roskilde), Zan Rowe (triple j), Vivid Sydney curator Ben Marshall, Andrew Jervis (Bandcamp Weekly podcast), Robert Forster, Hiatus Kaiyote’s Nai Palm, Ricki Askin (Head of Music Licensing & Archival, VICE Media), Woody McDonald (Meredith Music Festival), Lorrae McKenna (Remote Control Records), Taylor Brode (Sacred Bones) and Nic Kelly (Night High Records).
Hillsong United scores five noms for US Gospel Awards
Sydney-based global Christian music group Hillsong United scored five nominations for the Gospel Music Association’s 47th Dove Awards on October 16 in Nashville. They’re up for Artist of the Year for King & Country.
MONA founder gets French award
David Walsh, Tasmanian-based arts entrepreneur and owner of the MONA museum as well as the MONA Foma and Dark Mofo festivals has been knighted by the French for contribution to the arts. He got the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres – putting him in the same room as T.S. Eliot, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Leonardo Di Caprio, Jim Jarmusch, David Stratton, Robert Paxton, Robert Redford, Meryl Streep and Uma Thurman. This honour comes the same year he was named an Officer of the Order of Australia.
Date change for Broadbeach Country
Next year’s Broadbeach Country Music Festival will move a month, in July between the 28th the 30th. Organisers said, “The Broadbeach Country Music Festival is growing at such an incredibly fast pace and we have plans to develop this festival even further in the coming year.”. Its inaugural event in 2013 drew 20,000, jumping to 35,000 the year after.
However, the date move crowds-up the Gold Coast’s live music schedule. Also held around then is Splendour in the Grass, Viva Surfers Paradise, the Broadbeach Jazz Weekend, Gold Coast 600 Sounds concert and the Country Music Muster.
But rather than dilute crowd numbers, Tourism and Events Queensland CEO Leanne Coddington reckons it will have the effect of enhancing the Gold Coast’s reputation as an events destination and draw more people. Live music plays a large role in the region’s drawing power. The free four-day 15th Blues on Broadbeach brought $20 million to the local economy in May after drawing a record 168,000, with 27% of these coming from outside the Coast, a figure up 29% on 2015.
Falls Festival drops ballot system
Falls Festival’s long time ballot system to distribute tickets over a ten day period in August to weeping punters is retired it this year … apparently due to consumer feedback. It is opting for General Sales on Tuesday August 30, a week after its bill announcement. Each patron can buy up to four tickets through Oztix. Pricing “will be available on the Falls website very soon.”
There are two ways to shove your way to the front of the queue. Optus customers who sign-up to Optus Perks can get their mitts on the tickets earlier, on August 20 and August 26.Those who’ve been to three Falls or more can join the Friends of Falls club, and also access early tix. Applications for this closes on Monday August 22 on their website.
The camping option also has changed. Falls promoters announced, “To give our East Coast patrons more flexible options we’re separating out camping from event tickets this year for Lorne and Byron Bay (Marion Bay camping is free). If you want to camp onsite and enjoy the full immersive Falls experience (recommended!) just add a camping pass before you check-out. If you’re a local and heading home to your own bed sounds more enticing, just buy an event ticket and forget the camping pass. Whatever suits you best.”
Falls Lorne in Victoria runs from December 28 to 31. Marion Bay in Tasmania is December 29 to 31. Byron Bay is December 31 to January 2. New arrival Fremantle is on January 7.
KC & Sunshine Band, Paul Young, added to Cruise ’n’ Groove
One of the original US disco pioneers KC & The Sunshine Band and British singer Paul Young are added to Cruise ’n’ Groove 2017. The retro-party sets sail from Sydney to the South Pacific in October 2017. More international acts are set to be added to the 30-strong bill, which already includes Boney M, Marcia Hines, Go West, Cutting Crew, Mi-Sex, Songs In The Key of Motown, Paul Gray of Wa Wa Nee and The Tina Turner Show featuring Rebecca O’Connor.
More Festival Updates: artists unveiled, new partnerships
* Sydney Opera House’s two day First Nation festival Homeground (Saturday October 8 and Sunday October 9) includes a live music component including NT’s East Journey comprising younger generation members of the Yothu Yindi musical clan, Brisbane’s Dubmarine and New Zealand’s Trinity Roots. It also includes an arts market, tours, food, workshops and Dance Rites hosting a national indigenous dance competition in a specially made sand circle on the harbourfront.
* Booking 25 of Australia’s best emerging acts solidifies NYE On The Hill as a place to discover new blood. The bill incudes The Preatures, L-Fresh The Lion, The Bennies, Pierce Bros, Tash Sultana, Oh Pep!, Dylan Joel, Camp Cope, Mosquito Coast and The Belligerents. The camping event is held in the rolling hills of Victoria’s southern Gippsland and capped to 2,500.
* V Energy Australia’s MoVement Sydney returns for a second year October 19 to 23. It will host everything from secret warehouse parties and club nights to record swap meets, live streams and events as the debut performance by Mind Gamers (Sebastien Tellier, Daniel Stricker of Midnight Juggernauts and John Kirby of Blood Orange) via EDM label Siberia Records, as well as Rave of Thorns, Boundary Sounds showcase and Astral People’s 5th birthday celebrations. Last year 7,000 attended 25 events.
* Wollongong’s Yours and Owls don’t want those born before 1998 to feel left out. So it’s staging an under-18 mini festival at Waves on Saturday October 1 with some acts from the major event including Hermitude, Hockey Dad, James Crooks, Nicole Millar and Bec Sandridge.
* Sunshine Coast’s third Jungle Love (November 25—28) released the first of the total 53 acts. The site at Borumba Deer Park includes a freshwater swimming pool, a two-storey tree house bar, rainbow bikes to get around the site in, visual art installations and impromptu performances. Organisers hint at “secret micro-venues”, “hidden experiences” and “pleasant surprises.”
* High on the list of the artist bill for Lost Paradise (December 29 – December 31) over Glenworth Valley on the NSW Central Coast) are Sticky Fingers, Flight Facilities, Fat Freddy’s Drop and Gang Of Youths, while UK heroes Hot Chip will be there in DJ mode.
* Some of Melbourne’s best known Americana acts play the Americana Fest at the Retreat on Sunday August 21. Entry is by gold coin to go towards promoting Australian Americana during the Americana festival in Nashville.
* Organisers Tyler Richardson and Patrick Marshall rolled back the bill for Tasmania’s three-day indie music Til The Wheels Fall Off at Launceston Workers Club from November 4. Among the acts are Bodyjar, Richardson’s band Luca Brasi and a reformed The Scandal. This year Richardson and Marshall partnered with Vibestown Productions; promoters of the highly successful Party In The Paddock.
* Kyneton Music in Victoria is back on Friday October 20 to Saturday October 21 with Deep Street Soul, Dorsal Fins, Gabriella Cohen, Henry Wagons & The Only Children, Jess Ribeiro, Jim Lawrie, Mikelangelo, Mike Noga, Mojo Juju, Raised By Eagles, Skyscraper Stan & The Commission Flats, The Sugarcanes and The Tarantinos.
* Gang of Youths will headline Port Macquarie’s three-day Festival Of The Sun held December 8 to 10. Other acts include Urthboy, Seth Sentry, The Smith Street Band, Montaigne, Tash Sultana and L-FRESH The LION.
* After its sold out debut last year, Oscars Law & One Little Indian Enterprises are bringing back Dogapalooza on Sunday October 9 to Burnley Park in Richmond, Melbourne. Essentially it’s a music festival but is as much a funding and awareness raising event for organisations that help dogs, including Oscar’s Law and Melbourne dog rescue groups: Stafford Rescue Victoria, Melbourne Animal Rescue and Puppy Tails Rescue. Promoter Abby Gee says local council has granted more capacity on the site.
* The free family-friendly Surry Hills Festival, back in the Sydney suburb on Saturday September 24 for the 14th year, will take over parks, reserves, hotels, laneways, venues, creative spaces and everything in between. The acts have just been announced for various spaces, including the curated Pop Up Stage hosting up and coming artists from the Australian Institute of Music.
Appboy launches in Australia
Buoyed by the fact Australia has one of the highest percentages in the world for smartphone ownership (15 million last year, according to Deloitte), New York City-based Appboy has entered the local market. It provides a platform for brands to develop closer relationships with customers by finding their preferences in a range of topics. The local operations is headed by Chris Fennell and has clients as iHeartMedia, Tinder and SoundCloud. To expand globally, the US company recently raised $20 million in funding.
Gold Coast DJ/producer Kronic works with US stars
After teaming up to produce the US Top Ten hit Bend Ova, Lil Jon and LA-based Gold Coast DJ/producer Kronic have reunited for the hip-hop party record, Bad Bitches. It premiered via a raucous party scene in the Dwayne Johnson starring HBO screened Ballers and has gone Top Five in the Beatport Hip Hop charts. Kronic’s 2015 track, Feel That, which features Wiz Khalifa signee Raven Felix and was #1 for five weeks on the Beatport Hip Hop charts, is also slated to appear in an upcoming episode of Ballers
Kronic has been happily making a name for himself Stateside with remixes for Lady Gaga & R Kelly, Far East Movement and Afrojack. His two latest – for Nervo’s Let It Go and Pitbull’s Messin Around – are both splashing about in the Top 20 of the Billboard Dance Club Play charts. He recently got news that Justin Bieber, to whom he sent unsolicited tracks a year ago, has recorded one. Last year, Jason Derulo uploaded a video of himself warbling to one of Kronic’s beats.
Stan to break even in two years
Australian 18-month old SVOD service Stan will break even by 2018, Fairfax Media CEO Greg Hywood told an investors’ meeting while presenting Fairfax Media’s financial report. He claimed Stan had “more than 500,000 active subscribers” and had “more than 1.1m gross sign-ups.” Stan is co-owned with Nine Entertainment Co.
GIGGER adds music search function
GIGGER, the Perth born global free online artist booking platform, has included a search function. Users can now get more information when finding and booking over 120,000 acts worldwide on its listings. They can read their profiles and hear snatches of their music, divided into genre, countries, states and cities. It integrates Facebook, Bandcamp and Soundcloud to make booking a band easier, while making it simpler for bands to get gigs.
ATO clamp down on consumer electronics companies
The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has got its sights on a number of high profile consumer electronics companies who operate in Australia through the Singapore sales hub. Any of these found to have made profits of 100% costs can expect an audit or legal action. Between 25 to 30 companies do this – and the biggest offenders have already been identified.
Nick Cave movie director opens up
Director Andrew Dominik, director of the September 8-due Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 3D B&W feature film One More Time With Feeling opened up about how the project came to be. The film is based around the making of the Skeleton Tree album.
Dominik, whose work includes Chopper and The Assassination Of Jesse James, said, “When Nick approached me about making a film around the recording and performing of the new Bad Seeds album, I’d been seeing quite a lot of him as we rallied around him and his family at the time of his son’s death.
“My immediate response was “Why do you want to do this?” Nick told me that he had some things he needed to say, but he didn’t know who to say them to. The idea of a traditional interview, he said, was simply unfeasible but that he felt a need to let the people who cared about his music understand the basic state of things. It seemed to me that he was trapped somewhere and just needed to do something – anything – to at least give the impression of forward movement.
“I took the record away and listened to it trying to work out a way into the whole thing. In the end I agreed to do it if I could shoot it in black-and-white and 3D. Nick’s response was, “I fucking hate 3D” or something like that. I showed him old black and white photos viewed through a stereopticon from the 50s. I told him I wanted to make a film where these sorts of photos came slowly to life. I felt that the stark black-and-white and the haunted drama of these 3D images perfectly addressed the disembodied sound of the record and the weird sense of paralysis that Nick seemed to exist in at the time.
“To achieve this effect we built a special camera, a massive, lumbering piece of equipment that’s almost comic lack of mobility added to the eerie drift of the film itself. No one has ever seen a 3D black-and-white non-animated feature film in modern times – for as far as I know, no such thing exists. It is both modern and from a distant age – much like the Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ new record, Skeleton Tree, actually.
“ Nick came to Los Angeles and watched the film. His response was obviously conflicted. How could it not be? In the end he said, “leave it as it is” – which we did. He said that it was obviously “made with love” – which it was and finally, “to make sure they see it in 3D”. Watch the film trailer here: http://smarturl.it/NCATBSwebsite.
Music Tasmania presents EDM masterclass
Music Tasmania is a presenting a masterclass and showcase performance in Launceston on September 10 for electronic producers as part of the Junction festival. The masterclass, at Gospel Hall (66a Elizabeth Street) is between 2 to 4 pm and with Launceston beat maker Ryan Farrington aka Akouo. Participants are encouraged to bring their own music along for feedback and workshopping with the rest of the group.
The showcase is at Soundscape at Fountain Bar, Princes Square, an annual celebration of Tasmanian electronic music, and includes Akouo and Sumner. Participants get a 30-minute paid live slot.
Minister compares Gold Coast with Las Vegas
In a speech at the Australian Liquor Stores Association (ALSA) Conference on the Gold Coast, Federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steve Ciobo, who represents the region, said that rising assaults in the entertainment precinct were not due to alcohol but that “the traffic management out of Surfers Paradise is an absolute disgrace.” When people have to wait for an hour to go home, aggro rises when people jump queues.
Ciobo noted that the Gold Coast shares a party culture with Las Vegas. However the latter has relatively little violence, he remarked, is that authorities have “taken responsibility to make sure people get out of venues in a timely and efficient way. Their venues have control as well with respect to the way in which people are actually put into taxis with private security so that they are not spilling straight on to the streets.”
Musitec announces Techjam to make Adelaide more creative
Musictec, the South Australian Government’s music/tech cluster, has launched the TechJam Connected Music City Challenge. Beginning on August 31 in Adelaide, the idea is to bring a number of different skills – musicians, music lovers, game developers, marketers – to create some brand new city experiences using music as the core theme.
The theme will be announced on the first day. Participants form themselves into groups and will participate in four events throughout September and October aimed at helping them develop and ultimately commercialise their idea.
Musitec focuses on developing new products and services in the creative industries. The challenge is also sponsored by a number of other companies and organisations, including IBM, AIE, Flinders University’s New Venture Institute, and more. The challenges will end with a judging event, with winners to be awarded prizes from sponsors.
Video Updates: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Ball Park Music
* King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s Robot Stop is the first instalment in their Nonagon Infinity video series. Its director and long-term King Gizz artistic collaborator Jason Galea explains, “The Robot Stop video is about wear and tear. Its also about laser beams, plagues, computers, cogs, endurance and reincarnation. I started putting the rough ideas together for the video late 2015 and eventually got to put three months aside to work on it after finishing off the first two clips.
“It was my first proper attempt at a 3d animated video piece since testing the waters with my alligator in a plane scene from The River video. The video was processed with the Floyd–Steinberg dithering algorithm restricted to mostly 8-bit and at some parts 16bit colour to get the effects.”
The band, currently on its largest European tour to date, has been working on the Nonagon Infinity film for well over a year now. Due for completion before the end of 2016. King Gizzard plan on sharing the film with their fans via super special midnight premiers set to occur at indie cinemas worldwide. Details will be unveiled shortly.
* Ball Park Music’s clip for Whipping Boy was created and drawn by front man Sam Cromack using Tilt Brush – a new virtual reality painting application by Google. Using a Vive headset, controllers and base station, Tilt Brush allows the user to paint life-size three-dimensional brush strokes, stars, light and even fire, to create a world of virtual reality. Whipping Boy could well be the first music video to use the process.
Cromack said of working with director Jaymis Loveday: “Jaymis is such a technology guru. Working with him has been like forming a creative dream team. He’s always bringing us new things we could use for a clip and then we just project our ridiculous ideas on to them.
“This time it was virtual-reality paint software. I remember we had several meetings and I don’t think anyone understood what the hell we’d be making. Once we got to his house, visualised everything and started ’painting’ it all felt into place so easily. This clip felt extra arty and innovative for us. I hope some people get the chance to whack on a VR set and walk through the world I drew; it’s really beautiful when it’s to scale and you can walk amongst everything.”
SEA FM leads Gold Coast/Tweed survey…
SEA FM won the second Gold Coast/ Tweed radio survey, “the tightest market in the country with 0.9% separating the 3 major stations,” Radio Today pointed out. SEA had a 12.9%, holding on to the top despite slipping from 13.3%. It topped the 25-39, 18-24 and 10-17 demographics.
The Gold FM moved up to 12.7% and Hot Tomato was at 12%. Of other music stations, 4JJJ was 7,3%, while Brisbane stations still had some local listeners – Nova 106.7 at 2.7%, 97.3FM at 2.6%, 104.5 Triple M at 1.6% while Hit 105 was 0.7%.
… and Orange
Southern Cross Austereo’s StarFM and 2GZ lead Orange, NSW’s first radio rating since 2001.Star, which dominated the under-39s age group had a 32.55% market share, while 2GZ which lead in the over-40s, had 24.8%. ABC Local was in third place with 11.9%.
Two wins by Itty Bitty Beats at NZ Children’s Music Awards
Christchurch duo Itty Bitty Beats won two trophies at the 2016 Children’s Music Awards in New Zealand, organised by APRA AMCOS and Recorded Music NZ. They won Best Music Song for bilingual lullaby Po Marie (winning $1000 cash and a $10,000 grant from NZ On Air to produce a song and music video) and Best Album for Lay Your Head Down. Best Children’s Music Video went to Dunedin-based Rainbow Rosalind for Aotearoa, Home of Our Hearts.
Venue Update: brands, christenings, furores, robberies
* The second Australian outlet of Ibiza’s club chain Cafe Del Mar will be on the west coast. But its Australian chief John Zappia is not sure just where to place the 1500-capacity venue. They’ve turned down Elizabeth Quay, Hillarys Boat Harbour and Fremantle and currently looking at Rockingham. The first one opened in Sydney in 2013 in Darling Harbour. Melbourne was mooted to be the second.
* The Railway Hotel in Melbourne’s Brunswick was in the news recently after a series of drug raids and charges. But in the latest, it hastily dropped the Facebook marketing for its Eat Sleep Rave Pussy Repeat event when it was slammed for promoting rape culture.
* Northern Territory venue trading hours are in the spotlight as territory elections loom. Alcohol consumption has been made an election issue, and with it calls from lobby groups for venues to close at 1 am with alcohol serving cut at midnight. None of the major groups have stepped up that rocky road to early closing (not with tourism, live music and clubbing all intertwined) but Labor has mumbled something about not issuing any new licences.
* Two staff members at the Mawson Club in Canberra, which hosts live acts, were accosted at 4 am by a man in a balaclava who grabbed some cash and took off through the back door. Police have him on CCTV.
* Steve’s in Nedlands (WA) had to remove branded signs and markings on nearby parking bays, after council crisply informed it that claiming the bays as its own, was illegal. Council and venue GM Glen Parsons are amicably trying to sort out as the original site claimed the bays as its own.
* The management of Bludgers Bar in Townsville’s James Cook University has been taken over by the Shamrock Hotel’s Regan Anderson and his business partner Jason Solman from the students association who did a crap job at running it. There’ll be a name change to The Tavern, with plans to expand punter capacity.
* After a $4 million refurbishment, Queens Park Theatre in Geraldton, WA, re-opened to a full house – a performance by The 3 Chinese Tenors, including classical opera, musical theatre and storytelling. The theatre got $4 million from the City of Greater Geraldton to put in a new roof, installation, heating and energy efficient air-conditioning. In the meantime, the State Government chipped in a further $102,221 through its Royalties for Regions scheme to upgrade equipment, including the audio mixing desk, stage curtains, two new follow spotlights, a digital projector, LED signage and a new wireless communications system for backstage talkback.
* As Townsville architects get together for a yakety-yak on the design of the city’s new sports and concert stadium, the public has been asked to also throw in ideas through a design competition.
* Justin Hemmes’ company Merivale bought Sydney’s Alexandria Hotel after he read of a fierce grassroots campaign by residents to stop it from being turned pumpkin-like into apartment buildings. Hemmes figured that any venue arousing such community passion should be saved – and made a bid even before setting foot in the place.
Number Crunching
17th week on top of the European Border Breakers chart for Norwegian DJ Kung’s mix of Melbourne band Cookin’ On 3 Burners’ This Girl.
1 billion YouTube views milestone for Utah classical music collective The Piano Guys. Their channel, launched in March 2008, has 5 million subscribers.
$210 million grossed so far by Beyonce’s Formation World Tour in its first two legs, through North America and Europe. It returns to North America between September 7 and October 2.
434,406 songs chosen last month by Queensland-based background music provider Nightlife Music’s venues through Spotify DJ. That’s a total of 1,656,177 since its launch in March.
10 million Britons will opt to ditch their TV licence for a streaming service after changes to TV licensing.
27th chart topper for Rihanna on the Billboard Dance Club Songs Chart with Needed Me.
ACMA gets the vibe on dildo segment
Media watchdog, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, cleared KIIS Networks over a dildo segment in May. It was on Sex Schools segment by The Thinkergirls aka Stacey June and Kristie Mercer. Complaints were made as the segment was explicit on the use of the steely dans. But the ACMA found there was no breach of the rules on general decency and rules on sexually explicit content, and KIIS had applied an ‘adults’ warning at the start of the show.
Australian Technology Park to close
The ATP Conference Centre, in Australian Technology Park in Sydney’s Eveleigh, cluster home of many pro-audio and tech companies, closes on June 30, 2017. This follows the sale of the ATP in April to a Mirvac-led consortium.
Tasmanian music survey
Music Tasmania is hosting a short survey on ideas and strategies for the island’s contemporary music industry. “By taking a few minutes to answer these questions, you will make a valuable contribution to Music Tasmania’s capacity to provide effective leadership to the sector,” it states. It ishere, deadline is Sunday August 21.
Vale
Peter O’Callaghan was a veteran of 40 years of the Melbourne radio market. He helped to grow stations as 3XY, 3KZ, 3MP and EON FM. Until last year he was doing the morning shift at Magic 1278. He died August 10. Magic 1278 in tribute said, POC was a much admired, respected and dedicated radio announcer. Peter will be remembered for his quick wit, love of music and devotion to his audience. His jokes during the Morning program and Elvis Hour on Magic will always make us smile. “ Peter O’Callaghan was 67.
And A Few Other Things …
The recent cast and crew 20th anniversary reunion of ABC-TV’s ‘90s Saturday music show Recovery was part of a greater picture centering around the word “reboot”. Plans to take it out as a tour have been abandoned as the cast was too busy. CD and DVD box sets are out in November and apparently co-hosts Dylan Lewis and Jane Gazzo have been asked to ponder whether the show should return on a permanent basis in addition to their current radio roles (Triple M Melbourne for Gazzo, Nova Adelaide for Lewis).
Is Seven West Media wanting to pull out of Aussie SVOD Presto, its jv with Foxtel, due to its minimal success, as The Australian suggested yesterday?
Looks like the Guns N’ Roses tour has been set, for February. James Young, owner of Melbourne’s Cherry Bar – and who last year broke the story of the original lineup’s reunion plans on Triple M, after a tip-off from some obviously highly placed US sources – has hinted that Axl Rose might make an appearance at his club. According to promo blurb, headlined “Axl Rose at Cherry Bar”, Young states, “I think Tuesday 14 February 2017 when Guns N Roses play the MCG might be the biggest day and night in the history of Cherry Bar in AC/DC Lane, Melbourne. I suggest you apply for Leave now.”
1029 Hot Tomato’s Luke Bradnam and his ten-year-old daughter Coralie conquered the summit of Kilimanjaro – Africa’s highest mountain at 5,895 metres. The pair had to descend 1000 metres so Coralie could adjust. “Luckily she (came good), but only due to the fact she never gave in,” her dad proudly recounted on Facebook.
Delta Goodrem and Wallabies star Drew Mitchell have been dating for the past few months, a blabbermouth told a women’s magazine. They met at a Nine Network event.
How fast has Troye Sivan’s rise been? Eight months ago, the Perth 21-year-old played the Astor Theatre in his hometown. On the weekend, it was to the near-sell out 4000 at HBF Stadium. This week he’s off to Europe and the US for more gigs.
51-year-old Adelaide classical music fan Anne Elizabeth Tipping escaped conviction after three arrests following complaints from neighbours in her apartment block. Once she turned up the music even louder when cops turned up and gave them an earful. The magistrate let her go because (a) she’s now moved to a new place next door to an old biddy who likes opera; and (b) the cops had not measured if the racket had been louder than official limits. But she did tell the classical shrieker that there’d have been no dramas if she’d “just bought a $20 pair of headphones.”
26-year-old Sydneysider Daniel Huynh was given a 12-month jail sentence for supplying the two ecstasy pills, which killed pharmacist Sylvia Choi at last year’s Stereosonic Sydney show. However he’s out on $10,000 bail after his barrister appealed, saying Huynh should not be seen as a drug dealer but “whose turn” it was to get the Es for his group of 12 close friends – and that he made no profit from getting the drugs.
To raise $50,000 for a year’s fees and board at the Berklee College in Boston, Northern Territory based jazz musician Darcy Davis threw himself into a round of fund raising activities. One was a show at Witchetty’s in Alice Springs with his former teacher Steve Sedergreen and jazz and cabaret singer Annie Gastin.
Retired Queensland music retailer and businessman Barry Bull, who ran Toombul Music in Brisbane for 30 years, is pulling out his vintage Fender guitar this month. The 73-year-old is playing a gig at the Mooloolaba Surf Club on Sunday, August 28 to raise funds for the charity The Hear and Say Centre for Deaf Children. Bull’s 20-month grandson had hearing issues and has two cochlear implants
Melbourne heavy metal band Envenomed did a metal version of Skyhooks’ Horror Movie, and hooked the ‘Hooks guitarist Red Symon for a cameo in the video. This was not the first metal version of a Hooks song: Britain’s Iron Maiden did a lame rendition of Women In Uniform. Envenomed’s next show is on Friday August 26 @ The Cherry Bar in Melbourne.
Heats for the DMC DJ Championships have begun, with the national finals next month at Melbourne’s Laundry Bar. Performers will include Total Eclipse of New York hip hop posse The X-Ecutioners and 2014 DMC online world champ I-Dee.
Former 2DayFM newsreader Geoff Field is recovering at his home in Nowra in the NSW Southern Cross. He spent hospital time after being assaulted while having a pub meal with a friend. He posted on social media, “I don’t believe it was a homophobic attack, just a drunk that had lost the plot.”
Selena Gomez, who cancelled an Australian tour two years ago due to illness, told fans at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre that she almost did it again to them because she was battling a throat infection. “I do have a little bit of strep throat but that’s not going to stop me from singing my heart out and that’s what you deserve,” she announced, before adding she intended not to take so long to return.
Ongoing issues with a stage Injury forced Adam Garcia to quit Singin’ In The Rain, missing out on the rest of the Sydney season as well as Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
Secret Service & Village Sounds revealed that Bernard Fanning’s Civil Dusk continues to sell out. The latest were the Sydney show and the second Cairns date.
The second Melbourne Guitar Show, organised by the Australian Music Association and Australian Musician, was larger than the first. Over 5000 rocked up to Caulfield Racecourse to check out the latest product from 80 exhibitors, do workshops and soak in some scintillating performances from top axemen. Given the brisk trade (including, we believe, the sale of a $47,000 guitar), exhibitors are asking the AMA to consider holding the event up in Sydney as well. Whether the AMA will stretch its resources to two events in two cities in the same year remains to be seen, but it hasn’t ruled out the possibility.
Jobs
