Industrial Strength: Jan 12
Image:Carl Coxwill present the first instalment of his live event in Australia
Seven new festivals for 2016
2016 has started on a positive note with seven new festivals around the country (along, of course, with Legion which is crowd sourcing as a substitute for the collapsed Soundwave).
* Corona Extra’s inaugural SunSets Music has sold out. On January 16, a capacity 5000 will be at South Beach, Fremantle for Flight Facilities, Alison Wonderland, George Maple, Juno Mars, Hayden James, Nina Las Vegas and Generik among others. The Australian edition of SunSets is the final of a series, which saw beachside music experiences in Italy, Ibiza, England, China, Chile and Mexico.
* Silver Raven is a boutique Americana tinged music, food and wine event in South Australia’s Barossa Valley. Held in Turkey Flat Vineyards on April 2, it marks the final show by The Audreys. American roots-rock singer songwriter Jason Isbell whose won acclaim for the Something More Than Free album, will headline, along with Boise-based Eilen Jewell (“the female Johnny Cash”) and New York blues-rock guitar act Endless Boogie. “This lineup is all about quality over quantity,” says festival music programmer and local musician Dan Crannitch. The Aussie acts include Bad//Dreems, Koral & The Goodbye Horses, honky-tonk duo Hana & Jessie-Lee (The Sloe Ruin) and young blues soul prodigy Ollie English.
* Gaytimes, Australia’s first queer camping music festival, has announced the first lineup for the March 12 to 14 event. Paul Mac, Oscar Key Sung, Kylie Auldist, Yo Mafia, Salvador Darling and CC: Disco are at a purpose-built campground site in Kinglake, an hour north of Melbourne. Capped at 500, Gaytimes offers a weekend of music, art, community, sexuality and self-expression for the LGBTIQ community.
* UK EDM act Leftfield’s two shows are now expanded into a larger event called Secret Valley which includes Brand New Heavies and Luke Vilbert and soul, dub and rare groove acts. They are held at February 20 at Calais Estate in NSW’s Hunter Valley and on February 21 at Yarra Valley Estate in Victoria’s Yarra Valley.
* UK/Australian-based Carl Cox(pictured) presents the first instalment of his techno and house Pure event in Australia. The acts, unveiled this month, are picked by Cox and Eric Powell of Bush Records. It is at Hordern Pavilion, Sydney on Saturday April 23 and Shed 14, Melbourne on Saturday April 30.
* Mudsling made its bow in Mudgee, NSW, last weekend. Promoter Richard Lawson chose ten rock, folk and jazz acts from Brisbane to the South Coast, including workshops and a midnight jam. Lawson said local businesses supported the event.
* Australia Day’s Goat Island Sounds on the island in Sydney Harbour calls itself “Hottest 100 party to beat all others” streaming the triple j countdown in between bands and DJs.
New Live Music Policy for Adelaide suburb
The City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters in Adelaide’s east adopted a Live Music Policy to foster and strengthen its live music and performance sector. Strategies include more promotion of local acts by working closely with venues, opening new and unconventional spaces for shows, supporting legislative reform proposals aimed at improving accessibility of live music at licensed venues, helping venues with noise issues, and trialling license periods for new venues in instances where potential environmental impacts are not clear.
“Live music is a key feature of our City’s major events, festivals and other celebrations, bringing people of diverse backgrounds and cultures together,” said Mayor Robert Bria. “The Council is committed to working with live music venues and the community to achieve a balance which supports musicians and promotes live music, whilst protecting the interests of our residents.” The idea of making the area more music-friendly was first raised by Cr Sophia MacRae.
Rebranding #1: Canberra’s Hit104.7 arrives
Canberra’s FM104.7 becomes Hit104.7 on January 18. The station, a joint venture by Southern Cross Austereo and Australian Radio Network, launches on the day with a new breakfast team, Ryan & Tanya.
Rebranding #2: Country Under The Vines
Country In The Vines is now Country Under The Vines. After three years at Kitty Crawford Estate in the Dungowan valley, this year’s event (Sunday, January 17) moves to Longyard Hotel in Tamworth.
Wolfmother streams new song Gypsy Caravan …
Wolfmother previewed another track off the mid-February due Victorious album with a stream of Gypsy Caravan. Victorious was recorded in LA with producer Brendan O’Brien (Pearl Jam, AC/DC, Chris Cornell, Bruce Springsteen). It marks a return to the band’s demo process, where Andrew Stockdale would record the track playing guitar, bass and drums before offering it to the band to flesh out. He plays most of the instruments on Victorious but brought in Josh Freese and Joey Waronker for drum duties
…while Flume drops preview of new album Skin
Flume announced to the world, “Excited to say that the new album is almost finished.” Titled Skin, the Sydney producer dropped a 4 ½ minute preview for free download at http://smarturl.it/skinlppreview. He also has a new live show to presents at the seven Laneway shows, which starts off in Singapore on January 30, then Auckland and its Australian run which ends on February 14 in Fremantle.
Established names, newcomers, finalists for country awards
Kasey Chambers, The McClymonts, Beccy Cole, Adam Eckersley Band, Paul Kelly & Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, The Sunny Cowgirls, Jetty Road, Jasmine Rae, The Wolfe Brothers and the late Nathaniel O’Brien join newcomers as Ryan Daykin, Hayley Marsten and Becci Nethery in the finalists list of the Australian Country Music People’s Choice Awards. These are held Thursday January 21 in the Northwest Church Auditorium as part of the Tamworth Country Music Festival. The eleven categories include two devoted to country music radio.
Up for Best Album are Troy Cassar-Daley’s Freedom Ride, Jasmine Rae’s Heartbeat, The Viper Creek Band’s Kicking Up Dust, Kathryn Jones’ Lil’ Gypsy, Lee Kernaghan’s Spirit of The Anzacs, Brett Clarke’s Standing Back, Peter Christie’s Take Some Time, Graham Rodger’s They Answered The Call, Paul Cowderoy’s Wet Hessian Bag and The Long And Short Of It’s You Made Me Stronger.
Up for Best Song are Graham Rodger’s Australia’s Colonial Sons, Brothers3’s Brothers Never Part, Kathryn Jones’ Even Cowgirls Sing The Blues, Justin Standley’s Hard Easy, The Jay Seeney Band’s Indescribable, Paul Cowderoy’s Man Of Few Words, Peter Christie’s My Father’s House, Simply Bushed’s Saturday Night, The Long And Short Of It’s You Made Me Stronger and Martin Vella’s Your Wedding Day.
Full list of finalists at www.peopleschoiceawards.com.au.
SCA bolsters digital stations by 18
Southern Cross Austereo turned on 18 new digital radio stations for regional areas in North Queensland, Victoria, NSW and South Australia. They are accessed through the stations’ websites and apps. SCA Head of Regional Media Rick Lenarcic said: “SCA is the number one commercial radio group online and we’re excited we can now bring that offering to a number of our regional markets which may be at risk as we enter into bushfire and cyclone season.”
New owner option for Radio Adelaide?
The future of Radio Adelaide could be announced as early as this month. Of the five options offered to the University of Adelaide, it seems the 40-year-old community radio station will stay on air under a new ownership structure. Vice-chancellor Prof. Warren Bebbington said a number of organisations expressed interest in taking it over. It has to be decided if it’ll be a sole owner or a consortium running it as an independent not-for-profit organisation. Of close to 170 submissions responding to the Uni’s options paper on the future of the station, most suggested a new owner.
Station staff say they have no idea what’s going on, with no consultation on the process. The interested parties have not been identified so far for confidentiality reasons. Prof. Bebbington acknowledged the Australian Communications and Media Authority will have to accept the new structure.
Australian Jazz Bell Awards: new categories, voting system
As the Australian Jazz Bell Awards celebrate their 13th year in 2016, new categories and voting systems were announced. The prize pool is now $40,000 with categories now:
- Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album
- Best Instrumental Jazz Album
- Best Produced Album
- Best Australian Jazz Song/Composition of the Year
- Best Australian Small Jazz Band
(Up to 6 members)
- Best Australian Jazz Ensemble
- Young Australian Jazz Artist of the Year
(For musicians up to and including 25 years of age)
- Graeme Bell Hall of Fame
(Recognising outstanding artistic achievement and contribution to Australian jazz by a living artist)
Awards founder and prominent jazz musician Albert Dadon AM announced a new submission process in which jazz enthusiasts can vote across the eight categories.
Submissions, which have opened, can only be considered for artists who are members of the Australian Jazz Academy or have a member of the Academy endorse their project. The Bells were named in honour of the late jazz composer and performer Graeme Bell, MBE, AO. More info at www.bellawards.org.
CCMA National Talent Quest shifts venue
This month’s 50th Capital Country Music Association National Talent Quest will return to the Northwest Church Auditorium at the corner of Anne & Kathleen Streets in South Tamworth. “One of the best venues we have ever had,” said CCMA President Steve Newton.
Part of the Tamworth country music festival, there are 11 categories altogether. Aside from the section prize money, the overall senior winner gets $1,000 cash. The overall junior winner gets a scholarship to the Country Music Association of Australia’s Junior Academy of Country Music, via the sponsorship of Tamworth Regional Council.
Section winners appear in the winner’s concert on Friday evening, January 22, to determine the overall winners. These appear at the 50th Anniversary Jamboree Spectacular in the Tamworth Town Hall the following afternoon, with a number of previous winners and “special guest artists”.
Darwin wants fresh blood for arts advisory committee
City of Darwin is inviting Expressions of Interest from the community to join the Arts and Cultural Development Advisory Committee. It informs and advises Council through a strategic and integrated arts framework. Deadline is Friday January 15, contact (08) 89 300674 or email arts@darwin.nt.gov.au if you have the relevant skills, expertise and knowledge.
Fellowship winner heading to London
Tim Steward, 2015 winner of the Grant McLennan Fellowship, will use the dough to high-tail it to London to write for the next album by one of his bands We All Want To (the other being Screamfeeder). Steward was chosen by the judging panel – Sally McLennan, Adele Pickvance (The Go-Betweens), Ian Haug (Powderfinger, The Church) and music writer Sean Sennett – over finalists Hannah Macklin (MKO Sun), John Carty (Jack Carty) and Stephanie Pickett (Ella Fence).
The Fellowship’s 2014 winner Thomas Calder, of Brisbane band The Trouble with Templeton, also chose London. He ended up writing enough material for two solo albums, saying his sojourn was life changing. “I truly have an entirely new outlook on making music and my creativity,” he said.
Melbourne Guitar Show twangs in August
The Melbourne Guitar Show returns to Caulfield Racecourse on Saturday August 6 and Sunday 7. Staged by the Australian Music Association and Australian Musician, the 2015 event drew 5000 people with 50 exhibitors representing major suppliers, retailers, guitar makers and vintage dealers. The 2016 event introduces a dedicated acoustic guitar area. Sources say some international names have asked if they can also perform.
New country chart
A new weekly Australian country music singles chart has appeared. It is compiled by Country Music Capital’s 88.9 FM, which countdowns the Top 20 each Friday (www.889fmtamworth.com.au).
Book on Perth retro scene
A new book Way Out West, of Perth alternative bands circa 1976~1989, is set for release in February. It is penned by one time roadie turned photographer George Matzkov who’s been compiling it for six years. A successful Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign paid for production and printing. A CD accompanies the tome. Matzkov previously penned The Stems 1984 – 1987.
Study: Aussies to drop streaming subs
Many Aussies signed up to video streaming services over the Christmas period – but come the new year, they’ll be dumping their subscriptions. A study commissioned by Paywizard and conducted by Research Now found that 26% of those surveyed were already on a service. An additional 17% signed up for the holidays. But 29% will cancel within three months, 31% of these blaming lack of content.
Another funding round for Quickflix
Troubled Australian streaming and DVD rental firm Quickflix plans yet another round of fund raising. At the same time, it has in the past three months being offering share options to major studios in lieu of SVOD licensing obligations. “The total amount of SVOD licensing obligations from which the company has been released now exceeds $7 million,” Quickflix stated.
It has been in voluntary suspension from the ASX since last August and will stay that way until its restructuring process is completed. At the time its market capitalisation had fallen to $2.2 million. In an update to the market in October, it had $840,000 in the bank (down 69% year-on-year) and applied for a tax rebate of $620,000. The number of paying customers fell 15% to 100,121 year-on-year.
Digby Law launching Creativity Sessions
Entertainment legal firm Digby Law is introducing The Creativity Sessions, “aimed at bringing our community together on a regular basis. We love hearing how people in our community turn new and imaginative ideas into reality, and feel sure you will too.”
The first one is on Tuesday February 23 upstairs at The White Horse, Crown Street, Surry Hills from 6-8pm. Speaking is author, TED speaker and CEO, Nigel Marsh, on Pretence, Purpose and Getting Naked.
Number Crunching
7 million US sales for Taylor Swift’s Fearless album.
650% rise in download sales and a 57% gain in social activity for 5 Seconds of Summer after their revealing cover story in Rolling Stone USA.
20 specialist music schools expected in South Australia by 2017.
Martin Foley speaking at ArtsHub conference
Victoria’s Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley is a feature at the ArtsHub conference. At a Breakfast Q&A, he will be quizzed by the website’s Performing Arts Editor Richard Watts on his vision for Victoria’s arts sector and broader creative industries, and the development of the state’s first creative industries strategy.
Others include Melbourne Festival’s Artistic Director Jonathan Holloway on how to put your event on the map, Premier Artists agent Scott McKenzie on how to monetise creative talent, Polyglot Theatre’s Sue Giles on engaging with audiences, and the Arts Industry Council’s Veronica Pardo on creating cultural change.
Perth music school for sale
Perth music schools Rock Scholars is up for sale on Gumtree. Catering for students aged 6–18, its programs include the Rock Band program, instrumental tuition, recording services, events space, annual camp, music industry workshops and master classes. See http://www.gumtree.com.au.
New home for SA Hall of Fame
The SA Music Hall of Fame, overseen by the Adelaide Music Collective, is now based in St Paul’s Creative Centre. Its neighbours now include Music SA, the Music Development Office, Musitec and Musica Viva. It is open to the public 9—5 weekdays. The official launch of its new home last month included the induction of singer Julie Anthony and the launch of the Yesterday’s Heroes album and documentary.
Videos Update: Hilltop Hoods, The Tongue
* The video for Hilltop Hoods’ Higher was shot in Adelaide and nearby Kuitpo Forest. Director Richard Coburn, who worked on three other videos including Cosby Sweater, says, “The Hoods always set a challenge for their clips with a grand idea and limited time but we really wanted to have a clip with a lot of layers and while it’s a small cast we still wanted some epic moments. It was pretty cool to be involved in the whole Restrung project by the Hoods. They always seem to be artists not afraid to push themselves and to have a tiny, tiny part to play in that legacy is something special.”
* The track features vocals by James Chatburn, whom the band discovered as an entrant of the Hilltop Hoods APRA Initiative last year. It’s the first track off their Drinking From The Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung which drops through their Golden Era Records/UMA on February 19.
* The video for Tongue’s Never Going Down (ft. Ngaiire) is the first Australian 360° interactive clip. It allows the viewer to control visuals from multiple versions of The Tongue performing to camera as six assassins trying to rub him out.
Directors Josef Heks and Shaun Dougherty from Cinemersive explain, “360° video is redefining the possibilities of traditional film and video production. With a compatible smartphone, tablet, VR headset or even just the click of mouse, this new technology allows audiences to interact with video and look wherever they want in an immersive 360° environment.”
* Faced with a visual translation of Melbourne band’s Dorsal Fins’ Heart On The Floor, Ben Jones formerly of the Zonk Vision collective, went for “a clip that feels like a romantic disco dream.” It was shot over four hours in a warehouse in Brunswick. The track is described by trumpeter and lead songwriter Liam McGorry as “a summary of Dorsal Fins the band…it’s fun, effortless and it’s friends. I think Ben did an amazing job of translating that to the video.”
* In July 2013, ABC-TV screened the story of Joy Reid, who as a 16-year old Aboriginal woman fell in love with her first love Daryl Wilson. The pair were unable to be together as, “Back in the day when nice white boys never had black girlfriends”, says Aunty Joy. 40 years later, Wilson contacted her and they met at Maitland Railway Station, and been together since. Country music singer John Krsulja based the song In A Heartbeat on the episode, penning it with Kerrie Garside, Luke O’Shea and Lachlan Bryan at the 2013 Songwriters Retreat at DAG Sheep Station in Nundle.
Krsulja hunted down the couple online and invited them to be on the video. “They are such a beautiful couple, they are still together,” he recounts. The shoot was at Werris Creek Railway Station. “It’s such a beautiful old historic station,” he says, adding it also featured on Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken movie. The track is off his debut album Travellin’, produced by Karl Broadie and launched on January 16 at 11 am at the DAG Sheep Station as part of Tamworth Country Music Festival.
NZ’s Amplifier closes
After 16 years as New Zealand’s leading independent download site, Amplifier.co.nz closed on December 31. Founded in 1999, it was one of the southern hemisphere’s earliest online music stores, a one-stop for indie Kiwi CDs, downloads and music videos. It later became DRM NZ, handling digital distribution and content management. The site will continue royalty reports and stock returns for 3000 artists and labels until March 31.
Behind the cancellation of four music festivals
* A court order by the local council closed the Indigo Evolution New Year’s Eve Arts and Music Festival near Casino (NSW) leaving 5000 to find alternate places to whoop up. Council said permission had not been granted, police were concerned about safety over a large dam on the site, and narrow roads and low visibility a problem for emergency services.
* The Saltwater Freshwater Festival on Australia Day in NSW’s Mid North Coast is cancelled, with the Saltwater Freshwater Arts Alliance Aboriginal Corporation attributing it to government arts funding cuts from last year.
* The inaugural Gospel Roots in Gisborne, New Zealand, is axed for 2016 due to low ticket sales (only 1,000 of the expected 10,000) but promoters plan a reboot in 2017.
* The inaugural Holi Play, set to stage in four cities next month, has been scrapped, organiser Colucci Group confirmed. It promised headliners as Steve Angello, Afrojack and Omi, four themed stages, water rides, an outdoor cinema, yoga, beauty session and dance workshops as part of the experience. But social media went into suspicion drive when it was noticed that some of the acts were double booked in other countries.
Colucci Group CEO George Amaral insisted, “We are NOT a scam and this never was our plan to cancel the event and steal people’s money.” He blamed low ticket sales, internet trolls and the Australian Government for not only “not supporting music events (but) they try to ruin it with laws that clearly injury our industry.”
Fremantle loses two music venues
Fremantle lost two music showcase spaces. Rosie O’Grady’s, which hosted bands four nights a week, closed after 30 years. It was sold to hotel owner Nikola Jurin who plans to rebrand it under its original Federal Hotel name. (Rosie O’Grady Northbridge is not connected with this sale).
Markets Bar at Fremantle Markets closed after eleven years, following a 38% jump in rent to $91,370 per annum imposed by Fremantle Markets Pty Ltd and which owners Paul and Michelle Abbott called “exorbitant”. They estimate they’ve paid $500,000 to local artists for performing there including John Butler, The Waifs, Eskimo Joe and The Kill Devil Hills.
More Venues Update: ownership moves, shut-downs, arrests
* Adelaide nightclub HQ will remain at its current site until January 2017 before having to move to a new home, Managing Director Rod Rose confirmed. The North Terrace 3,000 square metre complex it is in was sold and a $200 million apartment building put up in its place.
* Kings Cross nightclubs Clubs Bada Bing and Dream Girls were shut down for 72 hours and three staffers charged after a police raid on the area on alleged cocaine supply.
* Geelong. Victoria, has a new weekly nightclub for over-28s called The Dirty Dutch. Event organiser Kelly Carr says most of the city’s clubs are pitched at the over-18s.
* Perth Theatre Trust is welcoming Expressions of Interest for its 2016 June to December cabaret season at Downstairs At The Maj, an intimate cabaret venue in Perth’s His Majesty’s Theatre. Last year’ season featured sell-out nights across 10 productions including comedy, cabaret and jazz drawing 3500 patrons. Closing date for EOIs is January 17.
* An application is made to include a nightclub called Tavern in the plans for the 2017-due $320 million Gateway Shopping Centre in the Darwin suburb of Palmerston. The three level club will have live acts, a DJ area and karaoke in the basement. Behind the application is the Coleman Group which runs Globies Sports Bar and Shenannigans Irish Bar.
* Bernie’s Jazz Piano Bar in Cairns has new owners, with Bernard Lee Long and Annie Cowell selling out after four years to try new ventures.
* Two men in their 20s were arrested and charged after being spotted on the roof of Adelaide live music venue Black Bull Hotel on Hindley St at 1.30 am. The cops brought them down with police dog Buster. In addition to their legal woes, the pair have also been banned from the venue.
* Public House Management Group sold the Banksia Hotel in Sydney for a reported $13.5 million to the Singaporean investment fund which recently paid $43 million for The Belmore.
* Two one time Sydney music venues are back in action. The Unicorn Hotel in Paddington has re-opened under the watch of Mary’s owners Jake Smyth, Kenny Graham, Porteño and Bodega co-owner Elvis Abrahanowicz and Oscar McMahon of Young Henrys.
LGBTI hang-out Imperial Hotel in Erskineville which closed last July over drug and intoxication issues, is also back in the fast lane. New owners Scott Leach and Fraser Shaw, both of whom operate other hotels, are continuing to pitch it to the LGBTI community. The intimate Sweet Escape cabaret room books local musicians and performers.
* After opening last March with great fanfare and ideas in the basement of Melbourne’s Newmarket Hotel in St Kilda, the Cellar Bar has turned off the music. The Newmarket’s new owners took it in a different direction.
MIDEM leans on Australian presence
This year’s MIDEM expects a surge in Australian presence as it moves to mid-year (June 5 to 8) for the first time. Says its chief Javier Lopez, “More Australians than ever before are expected to escape winter and join the international music/tech/brands industries at the sunny French Riviera in Cannes.” He added, “The Australian pavilion has been for many years one of the most popular national stands and even more so since its new location nearby the UK, Canada and US pavilions.” Registration is through Sounds Australia.
The international dimension of the music ecosystem will be at the core of the event, and panels will focus on an international slant on cross-border development strategies in digital, marketing, and monetisation.
More Festivals Update: gongs, moves, sell-outs
* At the Canberra Region Tourism Awards, Floriade took out Major Festivals and Events while the National Folk Festival scored top spot in Festivals and Events. They now head for the Australian Tourism Awards in Melbourne in February.
* Victoria’s Grampians Jazz Festival will after next month’s event, move to Port Fairy from Halls’ Gap as musicians expressed concern for their safety during the bushfire months. However Halls Gap businesses are upset as they count on the 5000 attendees, and the local council intends to hold discussions with promoters to keep the event there.
* Melbourne’s hard rock Unify 2016 has sold out in its second year. Yesterday Unified and Red Hill Entertainment confirmed the two-day event sold out its 5000 allocation. Held this month Parkway Drive, In Hearts Wake and Tonight Alive headline as part of the 18-act bill. Last year, the inaugural Unify hit capacity at 3000.
* When tickets are tallied for the 34th Cygnet Folk Festival held last weekend in Tasmania, promoters expect to have exceeded the 6,000 attendance from the year before, with online, camper and Saturday tickets sold out in the run-up.
* Similarly, the organisers of the 24th Parkes Elvis Festival are also expected to announce that attendance figures to the NSW town over five days to honour “the king” were well over the expected 22,000. An early count of crowds on the Elvis Express and at the Sunday gospel service as well as to the floats parade exceeded previous years.
* Artist applications are open for the 35th Gympie Muster in Queensland (August 25 to 28) at www.muster.com.au until February 19. Acts are unveiled in May.
* Plans to explode the ashes of late TV personality Helena McAlpine over the site of NZ’s Rhythm & Vines during its New Year’s Eve fireworks display – as per her last request – were abandoned at the last minute. Attendance this time dropped to a reported 12,500 (down from 15,000) but festival founder Hamish Pinkham estimate the three-day event still brings in NZ$12 million into the region, with an overall $48 million.
Radio ad revenue up 4.62%
The 2015/6 financial year started upbeat for the commercial radio sector with ad revenue up 4.62% to $390.8 million in the five metropolitan markets. The figures, collated by Deloitte for Commercial Radio Australia, found increases in all the five capital cities.
Adelaide had the highest rise, up by 11.84% to $36.8 million. Sydney remains the largest ad market for the sector, with a 4.06% growth to $119.6 million while a 3.75% rise in Melbourne saw it nipping at its heels with $119.2 million. Brisbane is now worth $61 million after a 2.37% rise and Perth is $54 million due to a 5.80% growth.
Vale
Of the Australians heading to Ye Olde Mother Country in the 1950s, Robert Stigwood was one of the most successful. He arrived in London in 1954 with just £3 in his pocket. He amassed a fortune of £250 million primarily through stage musicals and films as Saturday Night Fever, Jesus Christ Superstar and Grease. What fuelled the lavish party giving “confirmed bachelor” was an obsession with seeing his visions work creatively and financially.
Stigwood, who toured music acts and managed Cream and the Bee Gees, is in the annals of rock folklore for a number of reasons. Rival manager Don Arden and some thugs held him out of his office window for trying to poach the Small Faces. Cream’s Ginger Baker turned up outside his house waving a gun. Stigwood almost ended managing The Beatles through an option struck with their manager Brian Epstein: not liking him as a person, The Beatles threatened to record an off-key God Save The Queen as their next ten singles. In recent years the South Australian Government honoured the SA-born success by setting up the Robert Stigwood Fellowship for aspiring acts. “Stiggy” was 81 and been in poor health for some years. His ashes will return to South Australia.
Torres Strait Islander Dave Asera aka Reggae Dave arrived in Darwin at 19, and began performing 30 years ago, touring across NT, Qld and WA with his reggae and blues band The Iries. Reggae Dave could play guitar, bass, drums and keyboards, and spent much time passing his knowledge to younger talent. In 2009 he was inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards’ Hall of Fame. He died aged 51 from cancer, weeks after completing his debut solo album. A crowd-funding campaign has set up by fellow musicians for funeral costs and a tribute show at gogetfunding.com/reggae-dave-memorial-and-tribute-fund.
Neil “Humpy” Humphrys began his radio career in the ‘60s, in Adelaide’s 5AD, 5KA and 5AA. He also did voice over work and recorded as a country music artist. In his latest life he moved to the Fleurieu Peninsula where he lost his battle with cancer. Radio identity Keith Conlon called Humphrys “one of the nicest blokes in radio.”
Barry Washington worked in regional radio, beginning at 18 at hometown Bendigo’s 3BO. With an accounting background, he moved into management, at 5AU Whyalla and 3HA Hamilton, before leading a consortium to buy 3HA. He moved into BTV6 Ballarat and then managed STV8 Mildura. In his recent years he was a regular presenter on community radio station KLFM Bendigo.
John Rix ran the Audio Workshop recording studio in Brisbane after working on radio 4NA and 4GY in the ‘70s. He was 69 when he passed.
Johnny Veen was a Gold Coast based theatrical agent, artist manager and venue booker through Johnny Veen Enterprises. He dropped out of school at 15 to be a singer, grabbing a Top 10 with You Know He Did. By 26 he’d taken up entertainment management. Known for his penchant for practical jokes, Veen succumbed to emphysema at 68.
And A Few Other Things …
Which music act will open Perth Stadium when it opens in late 2007? Talks have started, but the whisper is that it’ll be a sporting event that christens the new venue.
The one-punch death of teenager Cole Miller in Brisbane’s entertainment precinct Fortitude Valley has re-triggered the debate over lock-out laws in Queensland. The latest calls came from lawyers and doctors with politicians from both sides of the fence also taking up the cry. Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath emphasised the Government is committed to tackling booze-induced violence. Queensland’s parliamentary legal affairs and community safety committee reports in a month to Parliament on the Government’s lockout legislation.
Virgin Australia has gone into “apology and investigation” mode following complaints from two acts over their gear. The latest was Jon English who took to social media to complain that on a flight on the weekend to Sydney, his guitar and his keyboard player’s $5000 keyboard were damaged irreparably.
Earlier, Perth punk band Miles Away posted they’d been looking out the aircraft window and saw a baggage handler casually throwing their equipment onto the trolley and which received “unnecessary damage.” The band emphasised they always got “wonderful” treatment from airline staff, and were taking it to social media to warn other acts and also to alert the airline to the behaviour or some of their ground staff.
Brisbane’s The Cairos announced it’s time to part ways and play farewell shows in Melbourne (January 21), Sydney (January 22) and a final hurray in the hometown’s Foundry on January 23.
Sydney’s Jinja Safari are also calling it quits, explaining “While we’ve loved every minute of creating new music and performing on stage, we have reached a cross roads in the career.” After playing their first gig in 2010 in a forest on the NSW Central Coast, they won a triple j unearthed competition to play Splendour In The Grass. It is unknown what will happen to their second album, due out this year, and a follow up to their 2013 debut.
After a chance meeting with Coldplay’s Chris Martin at a Santa Monica fairground ride, Adelaide singer/ model Sarah Lloyde reports he was taken up with her single Luv Fool and helped get it signed to US publisher Perpetual Music Group. She’s heading back to the States this year to record.
Taking advantage of Woodford Folk Festival’s New Year hillside Sunrise Welcome ceremony (complete with Tibetan chants) was violinist Tim Chaison of Canadian folk trio The East Pointers who married visual artist Jen Allen.
Among those soaking in the vibes at Falls Byron Bay was Hollywood actor Kellan Lutz of The Twilight Saga series who tweeted he’s had Jarryd James on repeat since, exclaiming “Love his sound!”
The sound went off mid-song during Paul Kelly and The Merri Soul Sessions’ set at Falls Byron Bay. Without missing a beat, he grabbed a tambourine and exhorted the band and the crowd to sing and dance along to Tag Team’s party anthem Whoomph There It Is. The sound came back on, and the ensemble picked up on their song just where it got cut off.
Gold 92.5 FM Gold Coast presenter Peter “Spida” Everitt is spearheading a campaign to get Detroit rocker Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band to tour Australia for the first time. The idea is they also play the Gold Coast 600 race.
New Zealand jazz performer and educator Colin Hemmingsen was awarded the NZ Order of Merit in the country’s 2016 New Year Honours List. Aside from being principal bassoonist for the NZ Symphony Orchestra, he founded the New Zealand Jazz Foundation in 1983, and started the country’s first jazz school.
Adelaide musician Woonun Edwin Willoughby, 24, told Adelaide Magistrates Court he would plead guilty to manslaughter of Oden Edgar, 45. Edgar was fatally stabbed in Athol Park on November 30. Police indicated they will pursue murder charges. Willoughby is son of drummer Bart Willoughby of No Fixed Address, Coloured Stone, Mixed Relations and Yothu Yindi fame.
The TV presenter once known as Andrew G, now Osher Gunsberg, got engaged to makeup artist Audrey Griffen after a year. His marriage to Israeli actor Noa Tishby ended in 2011.
At his Woodford Folk set, finger picking guitarist Daniel Champagne recounted to the crowd how at 18, he was approached by a girl at the Cygnet Folk Festival in Tasmania who told him how his song Nightingale helped her express her love for her boyfriend. A few years later, they flew him to Tasmania to play at their wedding. Now she’s expecting, and they will name their first child after him.
Organisers of Canberra’s Australia Day Eve concert on the lawns of Parliament House – which includes the announcement of the 2016 Australian of the Year award winners – expects that the ABC-TV telecast will get more viewers this year after drawing 460,000 in 2015. “We’re targeting a million viewers,” National Australia Day Council CEO Jeremy Lasek told The Canberra Times. The telecast has expanded from an hour to 90 minutes and moved to a more prime time of 7.30 pm from 6 pm. Performing at the concert are Jimmy Barnes, Samantha Jade, Nathaniel and Cyrus.
The Adelaide music community has swung behind the Adelaide Hills bushfire recovery effort. Benefit concerts have been held at Inglewood Inn as well as The Gov (the latter raised $50,000 with a bill of Eric Bogle, Bad//Dreems and Cosi. Now EDM radio station Fresh 92.7 has released a compilation album released under hashtag #BangersForACause,
Jobs
