Industrial Strength: Cloud over another major festival; Iggy Azalea makes Forbes list; Fans compiling book on Neil Finn; Major Aussie named ISC finalists

Cloud over another major Australian festival

A question mark hangs over the future of another major Australian festival. The board of the 17-year-old Easterfest in Toowoomba, Queensland, revealed this week, “Because of the drop in ticket sales last year, and the wet weather we have experienced this weekend, Easterfest has failed to meet our budget.”

Crowd numbers for 2015 are unavailable at this stage. But in recent years, the three-day Christian and gospel event dropped to 20,000 after a high of 40,000 in 2009. The board said it would “ask difficult questions” about its future. “We are as committed as ever to seeing Easterfest return to Toowoomba, but we are also placed in a position where we must continue to ask God to reveal what He has in store for this event.” This year’s meet included Red, Switchfoot, Pete Furler, Alabaster Box and Mortification’s final show

Iggy Azalea makes Forbes’ hip hop ‘princes’ list

Before US business magazine Forbes releases its annual list of top earning hip hop names, it issues a pre-list of emerging acts (“cash princes”) who could make it in to a list usually topped by the Jay-Zs, Kanye Wests and Beyonces. NSW-born Iggy Azalea is one of them, on the criteria that she earns US$75,000 a show in America. Also on the list of rising cash converters were DJ Mustard, Mike Will Made-It, Migos, Rae Sremmurd, Young Thug, Nipsey Hussle, Ty Dolla $ign, Hit-Boy, YG, PartyNextDoor and Kid Ink.

New festivals for Perth, Sunshine Coast

Perth gets a new festival for the ANZAC Day long weekend. Western Thunderfest is on Sunday April 25 at the Rosemount. The bill is headlined by Melbourne’s Jericho, with locals as Serial Killer Smile, This Other Eden, Tempest Rising and Carthasy with DJ-ing from Chaos Divine’s guitarists.

The inaugural Maroochy Music and Visual Arts Festival is on August 22 in the natural ampitheatre of Horton Park Golf Course in Maroochydore Sunshine Coast. It combines 11 music acts, visual arts and culinary delights. Its promoter is Captain & Friends, and Festival Director is James Birrell.

Have his way: Fans compiling book on Neil Finn

Neil Finn fans are compiling a tribute book entitled Everyone Is Here. They need 60 great anecdotes at facebook.com/everyoneishere by the end of June. In the meantime, An Evening With Neil Finn saw him play a piano-only set (joined for three songs by a choir) at Auckland’s Iona College to raise money for its performing arts centre. This Sunday and on Tuesday April 14, he and son Liam play LA’s Largo club with some special guests.

Also for release this week is Finn’s version of the NZ World War II song Blue Smoke as part of this year's ANZAC centennial. The song was written by Ruru Karaitiana on the troop ship heading overseas in 1940 with the 28th New Zealand (Maori) Battalion. He finished writing it as the ship arrived near Africa and performed it on board for troops. In a stirring coincidence, among those on the ship hearing the song’s live debut, was Neil’s father Dick who was heading for battle in Italy. Karaitiana recorded it in 1949 with his quartet with singer Pixie Williams. It was the first record made wholly in NZ, and saw it top the NZ charts for six weeks and sell 20,000 copies in its first year. (Dean Martin also did a cover). Finn’s version, cut with Liam, saw the pair hunt down Karaitiana’s guitarist Jim Carter, now 85, to get him to play guitar on it.

Cairns talent under the spotlight

The Cairns Post HIT Awards were held at the Vertigo Cocktail Bar saw, among 18 categories, The Hillbilly Goats announced best Cairns group, DMH best DJ and Chris Ah Gee best solo act.Best entertainment venue was Tanks Arts Centre, Gilligan’s the best nightclub, The Jack the best pub, and Salt House the best bar. Best festival was Einstein Events’ Fun In The Sun which returned in 2013 after a ten year hiatus. Of national wins, Hilltop Hoods took best touring (group), best touring (solo) was Missy Higgins at the Civic Theatre and best touring EDM act Peking Duk. Performing on the night were Ah Gee, Ryo and Tiff, Leanne Tennant and Greta Stanley. 20,000 votes were cast, the Cairns Post said.

Can copyright holders block sites without evidence?

Under anti-piracy legislation before Parliament, overseas sites accused of copyright infringement could be blocked by copyright holders without evidence. The ZD Net site spoke to lawyers, local ISP operators and the Australian Digital Alliance, who say it is a possibility. The expected scenario is that Australian ISPs most certainly won’t challenge rights holders (if they do, they’ll have to pay for their own legal costs and the copyright holders') and most likely won’t even look at the evidence as it’s an overseas, site. ZD Net asked the Attorney-General for clarification but has not had a response yet.

New management call for Cbus Super Stadium?

Sports and music Cbus Super Stadiumon the Gold Coast could have a change of management if Mayor Tom Tate has his way. Saying the venue is running at a loss, Tate suggests that management rights go from Stadiums Queensland to the local council. Stadium Queensland is okay with the idea but the Gold Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association is not impressed.

NZ’s best jazz album is bitchin’

New Zealand’s best jazz album of 2014 is Auckland super-group DOG’s self titled debut. The win was announced at the weekend’s National Jazz Festival before 60,000. DOG are made up of Kevin Field (piano), Roger Manins (sax), Olivier Holland (bass) and Ron Samsom (drums), lecturers in music at the University of Auckland. “DOG are masters of this difficult craft and I congratulate them on recording an exceptional album which is well deserving of a Tui (NZ music award)," said Recorded Music NZ CEO Damian Vaughan.

Helpmann tickets on sale

Tickets for Live Performance Australia’s 15th Helpmann Awards (July 27, Sydney Capitol Theatre) are on sale. CEO Evelyn Richardson said last year’s event sold out in record time. “Audiences are integral to the success and vitality of the live performance industry. It is only fitting they join in the celebration,” she added.

New operator for Melbourne’s Astor Theatre

Melbourne’s Astor Theatre proprietor George Florence has sold his interests to Palace Cinemas. It closes this week for renovations, and re-opens in June promising to retain the “Astor experience”. It will operate as a single-screen 1,150 seat auditoria, and also continue to host live music acts (Jebediah wind up their 20th anniversary tour there on June 26). It comes after a long-running dispute between Florence, who owns the rights to the name and its fittings, and landlord, Ralph Taranto’s Ralamar Nominees, which ended in civil court.

Air Supply’s Russell to premiere stage musical

After 40 years penning hits for Air Supply, co-founder Graham Russell has co-written the score for Devil And The Deep, a stage musical reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic Treasure Island. He wrote it with Katie McGhie, his partner in folk-pop duo Of Eden. Its world premiere is on June 11 (Russell's birthday) at Theater 3 in New York. Russell was approached in 2013 by Melissa Bell, who wrote the book of the adaption, to be involved.

Instant recap: stand-out April Fool’s hoaxes

Among last week’s April Fool’s jokes: Brisbane is applying to host the Eurovision song contest (under the name Eurasiavision,) and so dropping its bid for the Olympic Games … Twitter is to introduce ads on user profiles … Wollongong’s Wave FM jocks Em & Trav announced a local Toyota dealer was giving away SUVs. Those who “won” were given a dinky toy … Dada Life are playing Antarctica … Access PR is launching a sister agency Ditto to be run only by the twins on its staff … Berklee College of Music is introducing a kazoo curriculum … Telstra is bowing a Potty Mouth Censor which will cut out any swear words during a telephone conversation … Sam Smith tweeted he was straight … in New Zealand, the ZM station woke up two staffers in panic because the entire morning team was down with gastro and they hadto rush in by 7am. The two babbled away, not realising their broadcast was only heard by the station staff, who were killing themselves as the pair coped unprepared.

In Court

A Sydney-based one time Christian hip-hop producer (name suppressed) is charged with murdering his New Zealand girlfriend's seven-year-old son after months of alleged abuse. The case is heard in October.

Arian Berisha, 21, pleaded guilty at Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney to throwing a glass at Redfoo at the Golden Sheaf pub last August. He will be sentenced on May 26.

Major Aussienamed ISC 2015 finalists

46 Australian songwriters were finalists of the International Songwriting Competition 2015. Melbourne’s Kimbra (Johnson) and Hopium were both in three categories – pop/Top 40, performance and music video. Major names included Vance Joy, Paul Mac, Thundamentals, San Cisco, Bertie Blackman, Kingswood, Apes, blues guitarist Hamish Anderson, country rock Adam Eckersley Band, jazzman Stu Hunter, Dustin Tebbutt, Alkira, Mojo JuJu, Naarah Seagrott of Gold Coast Christian band Alabaster Box and Mau Power of Thursday Island:

Fairway to heaven: Golden Stave Golf Day preps up

The 24th Golden Stave Golf Day is on Friday April 24 at St Michaels Golf Club, Little Bay. It includes the 4th David Gilchrist Ambrose Challenge, named after the late record executive. Long Drive champion Mark "Boomer" Bylsma will present a golf clinic. The Golden Stave Foundation has raised over $14 million and supported over 50+ children's charities in NSW.

Vale

Rev Dr Gordon Moyes, OA, former Chairman of Macquarie Radio Network, has passed. His talkback show on 2GB Sydney, Sunday Night Live, ran for almost 18 years. Last year he was given a LIfetime Achievement Award by the Christian media.

And a couple of other things…

Sheppard are confirmed for Rock In Rio in Brazil, performing on the World Stage on the same night as Sam Smith and Rihanna.

Barry Gibb returns to Australia in September – to open the latest stage of Bee Gees Way in Redcliffe, Queensland. It first opened in February 2013, and the last Gibb bro was involved in developing the extension’s concepts.

Fred Noonan, drummer of Brisbane’s SixFtHick is suffering from cancer. A fund raiser is at Melbourne’s The Tote on April 15 with Cosmic Psychos, The Meanies, The Nation Blue and Batpiss to help with medical bills.

In the meantime, in New Zealand, $6,000 has been raised on the Givealittle fundraising page for former Headless Chickens musician and Black magazine founder Grant Fell who is battling a brain tumour.

Fremantle trialled a new concept for street festivals – with volunteers from community arts and cultural development organisation DADAA explaining the live acts to vision-impaired fans. The idea was tried at the Fremantle Street Arts Festival on the weekend and will be adopted by other festivals.

Friends and family of British singer Melanie Blatt visited New Zealand (where she’s a judge on X Factor NZ) to celebrate her 40th birthday. They sat in the audience during the show’s taping wearing matching clothes.

iiNet founder and former CEO Michael Malone predicts there’ll be only three major telecos in Australia in 12 months. It will be Telstra, Optus and TPG (which he reckons will buy out Vodafone Hutchison Australia). He was speaking at the Communications Alliance's Rewind/Fast Forward in Sydney.

Dead Daisies play two of Germany’s biggest fests, Rockavaria and Der Ring,

Sia performs on Australian TV for the first time in almost five years on Tuesday April 21 on Seven’s Sunrise.

US guitarist Gary Clrk Jr's Oz tour went awry before he arrived. His Aussie fiancée Nicole Trufio was hospitalised in New Zealand on a drip. But at Bluesfest, she and their little baby were side-stage watching his set.

Country singer Adam Brand, who’s moving to North Queensland, got $705,000 for his Palm Beach pile of bricks. He bought it in 2012 for $400,000.

The 49th National Folk Festival saw 50,000 brave rain over its five days to Canberra’s Exhibition Park to see 120 acts, with 10,000 on Good Friday.

Tickets for Fleetwood Mac’s spring visit are flying. Within an hour on sale, the 20,000-capacity Hope Estate Winery, Hunter Valley, and 17,000 tix at Mt Duneed Estate, Geelong, sold out, as was the first Brisbane show. This morning, Live Nation added third shows for Sydney and Melbourne, and an Adelaide date on Friday November 6 at Coopers Stadium.

5 Seconds of Summer got kicked out of Los Angeles’ The Nice Guy club, because they were under the legal USdrinking age of 21.