Industrial Strength: Barnett gets Billboard pick; Brisbane gets a new creative hub; Remix Global Summit returning; Slade take Rudd’s place in AC/DC
Courtney Barnett gets Billboard pick
Courtney Barnett was this week one of three Billboard Emerging Picks, with American-British-Canadian girl group G.R.L and Haitian-Canadian EDM act Kaytranada.
It describes the Melbourne singer-songwriter’s latest single Pedestrian At Best as “a biting rock gem … [with] a memorable chorus that shows her flair for dry humor.” The video notched up 225,000 YouTube views, helping the track debut at #9 on the Billboard + Twitter Emerging Artists chart.
Barnett is set for her largest UK tour to date, doing eleven dates from March 27 to April 9. Her debut album Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit drops on March 23. She is also first act announced for the 2015 Newport Folk Festival.
Brisbane gets a new creative hub with The Foundry
Brisbane gets a new creative hub called The Foundry in March. Based in the entertainment precinct of Fortitude Valley, it includes a 300-capacity live room for local and touring acts which goes live on March 6, a rock-themed bar and a collaborative space for 20 music businesses. These include 4ZZZ, the Jungle Love Festival, Control Zine, label and management firm Smack Face Music, the band Mitzi, musician and artist-run collective Lost Movements and artist management, publicity and event production company Mucho Bravado.
There's a dedicated room for touring musicians to crash for the night for free and multiple rehearsal studios. There are no venue hire charges and provides free use of backline. Pointing out that The Foundry is “designed and built by musicians with musicians in mind”, the team behind it pioneered venues as Sydney's The Standard Bowl, Vic on the Park and Tokyo Sing Song.
Remix Global Summit returning to Sydney
Remix Global Summit, the platform where the creative and technology sectors discuss how to benefit from each other, is returning to Sydney for a second year in June. It will be part of the Vivid Ideas program at Vivid Sydney.
Making the announcement, Destination NSW CEO Sandra Chipchase pointed out, “NSW is home to 40% of Australia’s creative industries workforce.”
Chris Slade confirms he’s back on AC/DC drum stool
AC/DC has dispensed with drummer Phil Rudd for its world tour and brought in Chris Slade who was on The Razor’s Edge tour. Slade, who joined the band for their Grammy performance, confirmed on Facebook, “YES the drum stool is under OLD management!”
Meantime, Rudd’s court case in New Zealand is pushed back to April after his lawyer dropped him as a client.
Entertainment biz research project goes into Phase 2
Entertainment Assist has entered the next phase of its three-part research into the pitfalls and challenges of working in the Australian entertainment industry. The first part of Working In The Australian Entertainment Industry, consisting of interviews with industry executives, has been completed. Now it’s looking for those working in the sector – including (but not limited to) dancers, musicians, actors, comedians, circus performers, directors, producers, technicians and backstage workers, to participate in a major online survey.
They’ll be asked to respond to what they identify as the pitfalls of the industry, how people cope, what other support is needed and what the gaps are. Assessing these critical issues will determine Phase 3, to set up targeted support and prevention programs. The research is being done in conjunction with the College of Arts, Victoria University. See entertainmentassist.org.au/.
Presto offers no data limit
Newly arrived Foxtel and Seven West Media subscription video-on-demand service joint venture Presto is offering subscribers of its broadband bundles will have no limits on data download.
Rockin Australia book looks back at music posters
Rockin Australia is a three-volume tome through Starman Books which looks back at Australian music posters. Its 2,255 posters covers designs for festivals as Sunbury, Big Day Out, Ourimbah and Narara, concerts by local and international tours and legendary venues including Sydney’s Bondi Lifesaver and Melbourne’s Thumpin Tum, T.F. Ballroom and Crystal Ballroom.
The collection is from author James Anfuso who set up Starman Books in 2012 to issue tomes on Australian rock history. Coming up are The Inside Outsider – The Life Journey of Jeff St John and Aquarius Rising, The Age of Great Southern Rock Festivals 1970 -1975 by Jeffrey Turnball.
Rockin Australia has a limited run of 666. Appropriately, its February 13 launch in Perth is a fund-raiser for the Australian Road Crew Association (ARCA).
Launching Pad #1: False x Idol Records
False x Idol Records launched in Adelaide as an underground punk and metal DIY collective that not only releases records but acts as a touring and promotion vehicle. It covers black metal, doom, grindcore, crust, sludge and death punk, and inspired by philosophies as anarchism, existentialism, nihilism, deep ecology and Gaian philosophy. The idea is for the acts to “pursue their creative spirits into deeper, honest realms without fear of consequences from authority or cliques.”
Upcoming releases are by Funeral Moon, Wounded Pig, Ross, Shadowold and Space Bong, with an official launch on Friday March 13 at Mad Mouse Alley in Adelaide.
Launching Pad #2: Status Factory Records
Perth indie Status Factory Records, dedicated to vinyl and digital releases, launches on February 13 at the Rosemount Hotel. Its current lineup includes shoe-gazer Runner, dream pop Flower Drums, singer Felicity Groom, garage surf Gunns and soft psychedelic Eston & The Conversation.
Sports to reform for two shows
Three original members of The Sports – Stephen Cummings, Martin Armiger and Andrew Pendlebury – reform for two shows at new Melbourne venue Memo. At the shows, May 8 and 9, they will be joined by James Black, Peter Luscombe and Mark Ferry.
Australian Dio musical axed by Dio estate
The planned The Legend of Dio: A Metal Musical to premiere in Melbourne next month, has been yanked as it did not receive permission from US hard rock singer Ronnie James Dio’s estate.
Sound Chaser Productions revealed they had a lawyer’s letter from Dio and widow Wendy Gaxiola’s Niji Entertainment Group for “infringing on the copyright of [his] songs, likeness and trademarked logo.” Sound Chaser apologized to Niji. The musical was based on Dio songs solo as well as from Black Sabbath and Rainbow.
Arts SA’s contemporary music grant deadline
The deadline for Round 1 of Arts SA’s contemporary music grant program is Friday March 6. There are two categories. Artist Development Grants cover recording, marketing, skills & music development, touring, festivals and venues. Industry Development Grants are for strategic partnerships, pocket grants and organisation funding.
Its Manager of Contemporary Music, Becc Bates, hosts a free grant information session on Wed Feb 11 between 5.30 – 6.30PM Upstairs, St Paul's Creative Centre. 200 Pulteney Street, Adelaide.
Creative Partnerships helping with crowdfunding campaigns
Creative Partnerships Australia’s MATCH is a dollar-for-dollar matched funding program for artists and artistic groups up to a total of $10,000 per project. It is to help them identify and secure private sector support, assist their creative endeavours and build a sustainable arts practice. Applications close on March 9, with funded projects to be completed by June 30, 2016.
Meantime, its Plus1 in-principle funding decisions 2014/15 committed over $2.1 million to 63 successful applications (from 260 in total, requesting funds of more $8 million). The recipients came from classical, theatre, opera, dance, circus, museums, indigenous, documentary makers and arts & film festivals, as well as music-orientated entities as the Northern Territory’s peak music association MusicNT, Sydney’s Carriageworks Ltd, Four Winds Concerts, the Gold Coast Arts Centre, Tasmania’s Junction Arts Festival, Melbourne’s Speak Percussion and the ACT’s Belconnen Arts Centre.
David Crowe wins Mitsubishi’s Accelerate competition
Mitsubishi Motors’ Accelerate music competition for indie acts was won by Alice Springs singer songwriter Dave Crowe.
His song Where Do You Go will feature on the car brand’s national TV and online ads. The 30-year-old also gets a cash prize of $10,000 and will, as part of the prize, go to Los Angeles next month to record his debut album. Accelerate looked for a song about how people feel when they drive cars. Created by the Jamshop agency, it drew almost 300 uploaded tracks in its first three weeks.
SXSW meet-ups
SXSW traditionally holds meet-ups for newer delegates to meet with four SXSW veterans to share secrets, tips and techniques on how to get the best from your visit and to network with each other. It’s held on Tuesday February 17 at the Newtown Social Club in Sydney and the Corner Hotel in Melbourne. It’s free, and there’s no need to RSVP. The Sydney meet includes Secret Sounds Touring GM Marc Sousley (previously with C3 Events in Austin), Millie Millgate of Sounds Australia and Encore editor Alex Hayes to cover films.
Venues update
* The UK venue operator trying to buy the Palace Theatre building in Melbourne city is reveald as Koko by the Save The Palace group. Similar to its transformation of London’s Camden Palace Theatre, Koko wants to turn the Palace into a music venue, a live space for global TV and online broadcasts and offices for music companies. Palace Theatre owner Jinshan Investments, and City of Melbourne are facing off at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The Council repeatedly turned down its renovation applications while heritage and live music groups battle to save the building from demolition.
* Adelaide loses another venue, with the Dog and Duck on Hindley Street blaming late-night lockout laws for its demise after eight years. Owner Wally Hodgens said a drop in business, rising rent and $2.5 million refurbishment made the operation financially unviable.
* Melbourne’s Old Bar was provided with a sound proofing front door as part of the Yarra City Council's Live Music Grants Program.
* Sydney’s Marble Bar brought back its Battle Of The Bands competition Discovered for a third year, offering a two-month Wednesday residency worth $10,000 for the winning act.
* The Cooma Little Theatre in Cooma, NSW, will embark on an extensive revamp after scoring $427,000 from ClubGRANTS and $3,000 under the Country Arts. Changes include upgrades of the foyer, toilets and theatre facilities and new lighting, sound, seats, heating and disabled toilets.
* All naming rights for WA’s new $1 billion Burswood stadium will be retained by the state government and not to whoever lands the stadium management contract, the West Australian reported.
Vale
Rob Maynard, who was to celebrate his 50th year on radio as a presenter and voice-over in March, passed from heart failure. Born Rob Brooks in Melbourne, he worked around the country including 3UZ Melbourne, 2DAY FM Sydney, 6IX Perth and 2CA Canberra. After his retirement 2014, he became part of 963 Coast FM.
Peter Summers, founder of Brisbane events production firm My Production Company passed from cancer aged 56. He started out doing live production for acts as Judith Durham, Ray Arnott & The Rude Dudes and The Willy Winter Band. After stints at Staging Connections Gold Coast and Staging Brisbane he set up his company for entertainment and hospitality venues.
Ric Plant, producer and Head of Copy at Melbourne’s then-top station The Greater 3UZ in the 1960s, passed in Queensland after a brief illness