Industrial Strength: August 30
Empire Of The Sun top US ad charts
Empire Of The Sun are back on top of America’s Top TV Commercials Chart with their track Dream. It was used in the US by Honda for its “Dreamer” ad late last year. The track topped the chart – a joint venture by Billboard and Clio Music and based on tracking by Shazam – earlier between January and April. It returned after it got 63,000 Shazam tags in July. Altogether, the track has had 6 million streams in the US and 9000 downloads.
Meantime, their new album Two Vines includes Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham, Wendy Melvoin (from Prince’s band The Revolution), and pianist Henry Hey and bassist Tim Lefebvre of David Bowie’s ’Blackstar’ band.
The album’s theme is about nature taking back human civilisation, reducing buildings to sand, and returning Planet Earth to the jungle. It was recorded in Los Angeles and Hawaii. Luke Steele said, “Going to Hawaii to record was the best idea. That was the catalyst for me. I’d spend the morning surfing, then roll in and make music into the night.”
Dress Up Attack! cancels Brisbane show
Not a good week for the Dress Up Attack! festival which has had to cancel its September 10 Brisbane show. “We look forward to bringing Dress Up Attack! to Brisbane next year.,” organisers said.
The festival also lost Kimya Dawson from its Sydney event (TMN reported yesterday the American pulled out for family health reasons) and has replaced her with The Grates.
First speakers for EMC
The first 21 speakers announced for the 3rd Electronic Music Conference in Sydney (Monday Nov 28 – Friday Dec 2) include input from Amsterdam’s night mayor Mirik Milan and Music Victoria CEO Patrick Donovan on how to keep nightlife exciting, Chicago DJ, producer and trans icon Honey Dijon will describe how LGBTI culture is pioneering the club experience. Leftfield joins the Lights + Music: Exploring Live Show Creation panel with Bionic League founder Martin Phillips (Daft Punk’s Alive Tour pyramid design) and Toby Pike of Toby & Pete who did the art and light design videos and live shows for Flume’s Infinity Prism Tour, Rüfüs and Flight Facilities. See electronicmusicconference.com.
Tasmania gets tough on clubland pests
From this week, drunken troublemakers can be banned from clubs, venues and entertainment precincts as the Hobart waterfront for up to six months and fines of up to $7850. The new laws also comes down hard on venues which “encourage irresponsible consumption of liquor” with fines of up to $3140. The changes to the law came after consultation with venues over 18 months, the Tasmanian Hospitality Association confirmed.
Its General Manager Steve Old said, “The THA has a very good working relationship with police and the majority of licensees will welcome these new regulations as they will help create a safer environment for the public and staff of licensed premises and surrounds.”
Sia on Israel lawsuit: what lawsuit?
Sia is claiming that she has no idea of plans by disgruntled fans to launch a $2 million class action, allegedly because her August 11 show in Tel Aviv was short, included pre-recorded videos and lacked energy. When question on Twitter by a fan, the Australian-born singer songwriter suggested after all the balloon juice, the case was not filed.
She tweeted, “Aw shucks thanks. As far as we can tell there is no lawsuit, just some bored tabloid writer in Israel? Certainly hurts the feels!”
Five more venues appear …
* Adelaide gets the 100-capacity Big Window on Hindley Street. Owned by Matthew Khabbaz and Paul Glens, it will focus on house, disco and hip-hop and niche styles that trending abroad. It includes a studio where acts can record.
* Keith Urban will christen the new International Convention Centre’s Sydney Theatre on December 14. With a 9000-capacity (but retractable seats can reshape it to 2000), its 44-metre-wide stage is the largest purpose-built in Australia. Two other entertainment spaces in the ICC complex are the Darling Harbour Theatre (2500) and Pyrmont Theatre (1000).
ICC Sydney
* Sydney’s Selinas, home to the ‘70s pub rock aspirants Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil and INXS, is returning with Thursday night live shows from this week.
* The Byron Bay Brewery, a long-time important showcase for local acts, re-opens on Friday September 16 after a revamp by new owners Lion Co. It will open seven days a week, with live music, quality dining and local craft beer.
* Perth’s Late Night Valentine’s in Highgate’s Beaufort Street, best known for its burgers and the $13 Late Night Crusta cocktails (which are to die for), has brought back live music. Its new 110-capacity live music room is designed to stop previous neighbourhood complaints. In the summer months, owner Cale Mason will utilise the outside amphitheatre for live music.
…while two are disappearing
* Townsville, North Queensland, is losing The Venue in the Flinders Street entertainment strip. It is being turned into a health and fitness centre. That leaves the city without a place for bands wanting to play a 500-to-1000 capacity room.
* Adelaide’s 160-year old heritage-listed Hotel Wright St is closing its doors by the end of the year. Katie & Mike Pettigrew and Scott & Jason Lawrie sold their lease for $5.5 million to a group of Chinese investors, Wright Developments SA Pty Ltd, who plan to develop the site into offices and commercial space.
More Venue Updates: ownership changes, bans
* Live music showcasing Duke of Wellington in New Lambton, Newcastle, has been bought for $8.35 million by Hunt Hospitality. It is family business Hunt’s fourth acquisition, with a fifth to be announced shortly.
* Recently returned Goodbar in Sydney launches a new Friday night The Peoples Club this week. It comes courtesy promoters David Bangma and Nergal Youkhana and will take up both levels of the building.
* Two men have been banned from Townsville’s Flinders Street East and will face court, after a brawl broke out involving 10 people at a taxi rank at 3.20 am. It was on “Cheap Tuesday”, which is popular with college students. Townsville CBD Liquor Accord President and Mad Cow owner Mark Napier said such incidents were inevitable when Queensland’s lockout laws forced people out at the same time into the streets from venues.
* Up for best music entertainment venue in New Zealand are Gisborne’s Smash Palace, Nelson’s Playhouse Theatre and Auckland’s Stampede Bar and Grill in the 2016 Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence. Altogether there were 64 finalists in 26 categories in the awards, held in Auckland on October 13.
* Fremantle’s Fly By Night will on Thursday (Sept 1) launch a new membership campaign. It will focus on delivering more value to members, including 10% off drinks, a FBN T-shirt, and discounts at partnering businesses. On Friday Sept 9, it hosts the ‘Fly on High‘ fundraiser with; The Rogues, Dilip ‘n The Davs and Junkadelic Brass Band. Guest DJ is Fremantle Mayor Dr Brad Pettitt.
New songwriting rooms at Adelaide creative cluster
Adelaide’s St Paul’s Creative Centre (200 Pulteney St) is unveiling two new dedicated songwriting rooms where musicians and producers of different genres to collaborate and create on site.
To find out how to get the best use of Songspace, its Community Liaison Officer Elizabeth Reid hosts a free info session tomorrow (Wed August 31). It includes a tour of the rooms and their custom-built facilities, how to use them and an update of the next round of the Jon Lemon Artist in Residence Grant Program
Cherry Bar takes stand on sexual harassment …
Melbourne’s late night Cherry Bar in AC/DC Lane, has made a stand on sexual harassment and is encouraging other venues to follow suit. “Live music is fantastic and provides the heartbeat of Melbourne,” says owner James Young. “Together we can get rid of the dirt bags that are ruining it for everyone.”
Posters placed around the venue, headlined “Sexual harassment must be stopped” states, “Cherry Bar does not tolerate sexual harassment, If you have been sexually harassed in any way please contact any member of our staff immediately.” It also provides a telephone number for the venue manager.
…while assaults continue at gigs
Victorian Police are hunting down a man who allegedly sexually assaulted a teenage girl at Selena Gomez’s August 6 at the Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne. They released his description, and are investigating if he assaulted other concert-goers on the night or returned another night.
In the meantime, Tasmanian band Luca Brasi took to Facebook to express their anger that two of their friends were sexually assaulted during their show at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory.
Quickflix suspended from trading
Troubled Australian SVOD Quickflix has been suspended from trading on the Australian Securities Exchange for failing to pay listing fees. After shares were stopped from trading in August 2015 – and went into administration in April. Reports are that no buyer has been found.
In May, the Supreme Court of Western Australia saved the company from having to have a second creditors’ meeting for another six months, knowing it would most likely vote to wind it up, It was hoping the administrators would find a buyer by then. At the time, the administrators thought they wouldn’t need that time.
Gympie Muster draws one of its best attendances
The 35th Gympie Music Muster in Queensland drew one of its biggest crowds ever. Final figures are not in yet but Executive Director David Gibson is putting it at 25,000 who over four days headed to Amamoor State Forest – well over 23,000 from last year. The 2016 edition was helped by gorgeous weather, and widely supported sets by Kasey Chambers, Beccy Cole and The Wolfe Bros.
In other Muster figures, $900.000 was paid on the chips of the RFID wristbands it successfully introduced this year with which to pay for food and drinks. Over 200 Firefighter calendars 2017 were sold while Gympie Girl Guides collected over 500 can ring pulls one day.
More Festival Updates: announcements, additions, expansions
* This year’s Handpicked Festival in South Australia will be headlined by The Veronicas and a reformed Killing Heidi, along with Adelaide’s Thom Lion & The Tamers. The event is held at Lake Breeze Wines, in the wine region of Langhorne Creek on Saturday November 12. Additionally, the festival and winery’s Event Manager, Kate Cooper, announced that for the first time, it will offer on-site camping for 500 people to ensure they safely stay the night. Also making a bow this year is the Tasting Trail, of local produce and wines, while its market of SA arts, crafts, jewelry, and home wares returns.
* International additions to the 20th Queenscliff Music are Steve Poltz, Son Little, Eilen Jewell and Julien Baker from the US, and Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer and Matt Andersen from Canada. With 90% of some tickets sold, Festival Director Andrew Orvis is expecting another sell-out.
* After building up over the last two years, Port Macquarie’s Wildwood is this year also marketing itself at music fans in Sydney and Brisbane. Landing on Sunday October 2 at Cassegrain Winery, the all ages event includes Blue King Brown, Montaigne and Claude Hay. Organiser Simon Leigh recounts how at the end of last year’s event, as punters were leaving, fireflies emerged from the forest and landed on them, creating a beautiful spectacle.
* After the success of the inaugural FOMO in Brisbane this year, organisers are expanding it to two more cities in 2017. It is staged in Adelaide on January 6, Brisbane on the 7th and Sydney on the 8th.
* Last Sunday’s Cream in Canberra – featuring only Canberra acts including Aston Shuffle, Citizen Kay, Coda Conduct, Brother Be, Slow Turismo and Sondrio – was a sell-out.
* Bangalow, NSW’s Barbecue and Bluegrass brought out 1500 punters to listen to the music and taste the wares of 200 chefs. Organiser Fletcher Potanin started the event four years ago to raise money to include the arts for his daughter’s primary school says the event now funds seven local schools.
* Adelaide’s gay and lesbian arts and culture Feast (October 21 to November 6) will, after 19 years, get its own home. It is moving into Raj House in 54 Hyde St, off Pirie St. Feast GM Cassandra Liebeknecht says that as a result of funding from the State Government (a one-off $150,000) and Adelaide City Council ($120,000 over the next three years), the new home will become a year-round queer cultural hub. The possibility of a new name is being tossed about.
Premier Jay Weatherill said creating a permanent LGBTIQ cultural hub was another way of creating “a more inclusive and tolerant South Australia”. He said his Government had identified “more than 140 pieces of South Australian legislation that discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity and I plan to introduce bills based on this in State Parliament.”
* Turtlefest (September 30 to October 2) is staged 20 minutes out of Coffs Harbour to raise awareness for the dwindling numbers of the Bellingen River Snapping Turtles and use some of the proceeds to support programs for them. “They are a unique turtle species, only found in the Bellinger River,” says Festival Director Ben Perrim. Headlining the bill are Mark Seymour & the Undertow, Katie Noonan and Abby Dobson.
* Gingerfest, set up by the hardcore community to commemorate slain identity Nick Sofer-Schreiber, returns for a third year to the Transit Bar. It coincides with what would have been Sofer-Schreiber’s 30th birthday. Melbourne skate punk Clowns, back from a European tour, headline.
* Wollongong’s Yours & Owl yesterday announced their camping tickets have sold out, with the allocated second release tix also about to end.
Music SA Industry Survey
To help South Australia’s peak music association Music SA do its job of promoting, supporting and developing SA contemporary music, it is asking this column’s readers to fill out a survey, It is at http://www.musicsa.com.au/take-the-music-industry-survey/
Two music docos capture important time frames
* Legendary 1980s Broome indigenous act Gunada Band had its story screened at the WA Film & Television Institute aka FTI‘s Indigenous Community Stories ICS showcase in Perth. It is part of a short film project to capture 100 stories of West Australian Indigenous elders before it is too late, although the initiative by Goolarri Media Enterprises needs $200,000 worth of sponsorship.
Director Mitch Torres says that when the act emerged 20 years ago, its mix of funk, jazz and blues was different to that of other music coming out of Broome (“it was so dynamic and exciting for us younger ones,” she said) while their lyrics highlighted the everyday racism faced by its multicultural members. At the screening, both the Gunana Band and its former band member Lorrae Coffin’s current band played.
* The Sebastian Broadbent-directed documentary on the life and times of Melbourne bluesman Chris Russell gets a screening at the Spotted Mallard on Saturday September 17. Worry Me In The Daytime was nominated for Best Documentary at the St Kilda Film Festival and has since screened at festivals in Europe, Asia and the United States. The screening will be accompanied by live performances from Russell’s Chicken Walk and Grim Rhythm.
Noms opens for ACT Inclusion Awards
The ACT opened nominations for the 2016 ACT Chief Minister’s Inclusion Awards which recognises individuals and organisations which promote inclusion for people with disabilities. See www.communityservices.act.gov.au
AFTRS opens its doors
For students wanting to work in film, radio or television, the AFTRS has an Open Day on Saturday September 10 from 10 am till 4:30 pm. The idea is for prospectives to see studios in action, learn about 2017 courses and meet past students. Its alumni include Jane Campion (The Piano, Top of the Lake), Ivan Sen (Goldstone) and Margaret Sixel, who won the Oscar this year for editing on Mad Max: Fury Road.
Doing the Reunion Shuffle: Hepnotics, Ol’55, Falcons
The original lineup of Sydney R&B band Dynamic Hepnotics has reunited after 30 years to perform on WS FM101.7’s Pure Gold Live retro-tour. They join 120 artists doing 40 hits on Friday December 23 at ICC Sydney Theatre in Sydney’s Darling Harbour.
The lineup – “Continental” Robert Susz (vocals, harps), Bruce Allen (sax, vocals), Alan Britton (bass, vocals) and Robbie Souter (drums) – also has compiled a 21-track Best Of called Hepnobest which includes eight previously unreleased live tracks.
The original Ol’ 55 reunite for three dates with Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons after 39 years. The lineup includes Frankie J. Holden (vocals), Wilbur Wilde (sax), songwriter Jimmy Manzie who worked in film composing in Hollywood (bass), Rockpile Jones (guitarist-singer) and Patrick Drummond (drums).
Beginning as a ‘50s revival act and naming themselves after the Tom Waits song (popularised by The Eagles), they became part of a concept by music journalist Glenn A. Baker who, after writing about hit acts, wanted to know if he could help create one as well. Their debut album Take It Greasy through Mushroom went to #3 in 1976, and they notched up five Top 15 singles including On The Prowl, Looking for An Echo, I Want A Rocking Christmas and Two Faces Have I. These are included on a new Warner Music Australia set Time To Rock n Roll: The Anthology.
Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons, fronted by Joe Camilleri, were one of the best live bands to come out of Melbourne, their initial run 1975-1984.. They were much loved by the UK’s new wave with Elvis Costello covering So Young (1978) each night during his world tour. Their other hits included Hit And Run and Shape I’m In. The 2016 saw Camilleri and Wilbur Wilde with Jeff Burstin and Tony Faehse on guitars, John Power on bass, and Gary Young joined by Angus Burchall for double drum duties.
The two acts play three shows, at Melbourne Palais (Nov 24) and Sydney State Theatre (Nov 25) with Ol’55 going solo for the Jupiter’s Hotel & Casino in Broadbeach on Nov 26. The dates are through Regional Touring.
Just as an aside, Skyhooks fans got a treat when ‘Hooks drummer Freddie Strauks stepped up onstage with guitarist Bob Starkie and his Million Dollar Riff at new Melbourne venue Satellite Lounge. August 29th marked the 15th anniversary of the death of Shirley Strachan.
Video Updates: Avalanches, Preatures
* The video for The Avalanches’ album track Subway sees them team with French illustrators Mrzyk & Moriceau for a 2D trip through the New York subway.. Produced by Parisian production company Division, in their vision of Subways, Mrzyk & Moriceau’s hand drawn cast of colourful outcasts walk, skate, dance and sing a surreal tale on the ordinarily mundane commute into the underground.
Mrzyk & Moriceau’s works are better known for show in galleries, public installations and in children’s books. But they have made music videos for Air, Sebastien Tellier and Jackson & His Computer Band. Subway samples Chandra’s funk punk Subway and Graham Bonnet’s Bee Gees-produced Warm Ride.
* On their fly-on-the-wall clip for I Know A Girl, Sydney band The Preatures returned to Simon Day (singer with ‘90s band Ratcat) who also helmed their first video in 2012, Take A Card. The latest project was filmed at The Preatures studio at Hibernian House in Surry Hills as they worked on the track.
The band’s Izzi revealed, “We had a bunch of camcorder footage of us ’working’ in the studio and then Simon shot the extra scenes with us. We wanted it to feel like a series of photographs.”
Cameos include “part-time model and Oxford scholar” Alys Hale and artist Kitty Callaghan (daughter of GANG Gajang’s Mark Callaghan) who are both besties of singer Manfredi.
Izzi quipped, “It was a huge relief when the Alys and Kitty agreed to be in the clip too. They inspired the song so it was only natural they be part of it. Sure, we had to pay them a lot of money to pretend to be our friends. But they’re both great actors and I expect they’ll go far after this. Home and Away look out!”
Number Crunching
$60 million is what Universal and Sony make each week from global streaming each week alone.
1.803 million combined metro and regional viewers tuned into the premiere of Seven’s The Big Music Quiz.
17.1% profit drop to $55 million by regional broadcaster Prime Media for the first half of the year, with revenues down 7.7% to $239 million.
750,000 illegal downloads for Frank Ocean’s Blonde album in its first week.
6.5 million click into ABC News websites, according to Nielsen Digital Ratings, a rise of 30% from last month.
39 million is Spotify’s official subscriber number up to August, up from 30 million in March. Which means it’s signing ‘em up faster than ever before, despite competition from Apple Music.
52-hour on-air marathon by New Zealand radio ZM drive hosts Jase Hawkins and PJ Harding. The latter was starting to have out-of-body experiences, according to media reports, and mistaking balloons for station staff.
$144.3 million grossed so far by Coldplay’s A Head Full of Dreams Tour from its European and Latin America legs which played 30 shows and to 1.7 million fans. They’re currently in the US and hit Australia and NZ in December.
Vale
* Byron Bay resident Gilli Smyth co-founded British space-rock band Gong in Paris in 1967 with Daevid Allen, whom she married and who died last year. With a unique singing style that Allen described as “space whispering”, Smyth also made solo records and performed in satellite bands as Mother Gong and Planet Gong. They moved to Australia in 1982, She was also known for her poetry reading under the name Shakti Yoni. After a long illness, she died of pulmonary pneumonia in hospital, singing and reading poetry and surrounded by family and friends. Her son Orlando Allen remembered her as “one of the strongest, most loving forgiving and powerful shakti being mums I have ever known.” Gilli Smyth was 83.
* Mark Butcher was a high profile live music promoter in Newcastle, providing exposure for rising local acts with regular shows at his Hunter on Hunter Hotel. The venue was owned by his father Mal Butcher. Mark battled a long illness before he passed.
* Justin du Fresne was a New Zealand radio broadcaster who began in 1961 and found fame when he and John Douglas began 2ZB Wellington’s first dedicated pop music program The Sunset Show in 1963. After six years he left the industry to run his own menswear store, and returned in the 1980s, when ZB adopted a talkback format, and hosted its morning show until he retired in 2013 at the age of 72.
And a Few Other Things …
On the eve of taking their This Could Be Heartbreak Tour overseas, The Amity Affliction’s album of that name has repeated its #1 Australian success. The album is #1 on the UK Rock Chart, #12 in the US and #29 in Germany. In the US, the album came into the Billboard Top 200 at #26 after 13,000 first week sales. This are their best figures there: the previous album, Let The Ocean Take Me (2014), sold around 10,000 copies in its first week, entering at #31.
Amity’s Joel and Ahren
Source: Facebook
More European success for Aussie acts. NSW singer songwriter Julia Jacklin, currently touring abroad, was Apple Music UK’s New Artist Of The Week and currently adding shows in London.
Melbourne soul revue Cookin’ On 3 Burners continue to create waves with the Kungs remix of their This Girl. It’s notched up its 13th week at #1 on the European Border Breakers Chart and a 19th week overall on the list.
Southern Cross Media chief Grant Blackley insists the company is not in merger talks with Nine Entertainment.
New Zealand commercial station The Rock has to pay $1000 towards Crown costs and read out the findings of the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA). Last December, it broadcast a “comedy skit” featuring Prime Minister John Key as a guest who went into a cage and had to pick up a cake of soap. As he did so, the show’s host quoted a line from a recognised rape scene in the film Deliverance. Key wasn’t aware of the voice-over. But a listener complained it trivialised rape, especially prison rape, to which the BSA agreed.
Next January’s traditional free Australia Day concert in Canberra on the lawns of Parliament House has been cancelled by the Australia Day Council, presumably due to escalating costs.
A group of Australian DJs performing at Glasgow music venue Island Bar (in the rough area of The Gorbals) were mortified when a 29-year old man in the audience was stabbed during a fight and carted off to hospital.
A Croydon, Melbourne, home that Russell Morris lived in for two years after his return from living in the US, and sold off over 40 years ago, is on the market again – with the real estate agency marketing the place “the real thing”.
In the name of charity, Bayfield Hotels COO Kaine Bayfield again enters the Children’s Cancer Institute’s Dare The Boss initiative will take a snake bath. Over the past 15 years, the company has raised almost $2.5 million for the charity.
24-year old Victorian flautist Rosie Gallagher will put the $10,000 she won at the Australian Youth Classical Music Competition in Geelong towards her move to New York where she’s been offered a two-year fellowship by Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble ACJW. The New York Times called her “outstanding”.
At John Steel Singers’ farewell show, former manager and now BIGSOUND programmer Maggie Collins joined onstage for a final song and dance.
Adelaide thrash band Alkira has heavy music producer Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, Morbid Angel, Krisiun, Goatwhore) will be mixing their next album, for release through Truth Inc Records.