Industrial Strength: July 17
VIC GOVT MOVES ON SCALPERS, FOR AFL GAMES, NOT YET CONCERTS
The Victorian government’s first announcement since the amendments to the Events Act 2009 to include cultural and music events came into effect on June 1, only covered sports.
Last Friday the acting minister for tourism and major events Philip Dalidakis declared that a number of major AFL matches, including the 2018 Toyota AFL Final Series and the 2019 ANZAC Day clash between Collingwood and Essendon would be protected.
Victoria police will also be chasing the scalpers, and those re-selling tickets at 10% more than face value will be hit with fines from $806 to $483,500.
However, for concerts, promoters must apply ahead for major events status.
When the laws change was first announced, promoters were grumbling to Industrial Strength that the time period to apply was not always convenient, since concerts and other entertainment shows by their nature are organised quickly.
NOLL HAS BIGGEST ONLINE HIT – WITH ‘RANT’ VIDEO!
Shannon Noll just had his biggest online hit – a viral video of his infamous tirade against the bozo who flung a beer can onto the stage at the Duck Creek Picnic Races in regional NSW, received 1 million views in 48 hours.
At a Gold Coast gig at Parkwood Tavern on the weekend, Noll thanked the faithful for turning out and explained: “I want to make one thing clear, I didn’t mean any offence to women at all in saying what I said to that little wanker.
“I was just trying to belittle the little prick because no one was doing anything.”
He wrapped up: “I would like to bash the piss out of the wanker,”
The Mount Isa Mines Rotary Rodeo cancelled its booking after the incident.
IMAGINE IF THEY’D WON
English football fans had nothing to celebrate about. But the Three Lions anthem streaked to #1 on the UK charts – and into chart history.
It’s the first time that a song has got to #1 four times with the same artist line-up.
The original 1996 version went in twice (a week each) while the 1998 re-work had a three-week spell.
The single, written by Ian Broudie of The Lightning Seeds with comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner, has sold a total of 1.6 million copies.
BIG RED BASH SETS TWO RECORDS
The Birdsville Big Red Bash set two new records.
A record 9000 came out to see John Farnham, Busby Marou, Adam Brand, Daryl Braithwaite, Jon Steven, Kate Ceberano, The Black Sorrows, Wolfe Brothers, Travis Collins and Amber Lawrence over three days.
Organisers say they also broke a Guinness world record for most people performing the Nutbush City Limits line dance. 1,719 took part. The original record was set by 522.
BRIGGS PICKS UP ANOTHER AWARD
The First Australians’ NAIDOC awards in Sydney hailed Yorta Yorta man Adam Briggs, one half of A.B. Original, as artist of the year for his contribution to music and the broader community.
BMG STRENGTHENS HEAD OFFICE
BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch announced a broadening of its head office senior management team “to accommodate the company’s surging growth.”
Ben Katovsky, currently EVP global rights administration is promoted to chief operating officer.
Ama Walton, previously general counsel Europe, is now global general counsel and chief human resources officer.
AUSSIES ABROAD #1: PENDULUM IN US DANCE CHARTS
Perth EDM act Pendulum debuted at #5 on the Billboard dance/electronic album sales with the Reworks album. It is their first appearance on any Billboard chart for seven years.
It is also their highest ranking yet, reaching #16 with In Silico (2008) and #6 with Immersion (2011).
AUSSIES ABROAD #2: EDEN JAMES GETS STAR BACKING
Eden James, a New York City resident for the past seven years, has star backing players on his next album. The new single Bad Girl, the first of six to be issued before the album drops next year, featured Paul Simon’s guitarist Larry Saltzman and David Bowie drummer Sterling Campbell.
“I’m not interested in following trends,” James says.
“I’ve always loved the magic of the rock songs of the ’60s and ’70s. It’s that magic that I look for when writing a song.”
James plans to be back in Oz for mid-summer dates.
AUSSIES ABROAD #3: STICKY FINGERS DEFENDED IN NZ
When news went around that Sticky Fingers would headline New Zealand’s Bay Dreams, the NZ media brought up the issues which saw the band turfed off Newcastle’s This That.
But Bay Dreams’ co-promoter Mitch Lowe is standing by them after they assured him that allegations of racism and sexism were false.
“There has been no evidence put forward supporting any of the allegations and no charges have been laid,” he said.
The company also toured Sticky Fingers through New Zealand in June.
AUSSIES ABROAD #4: BOBBY ALU EXTENDS EUROPE DATES
Composer and multi-instrumentalist Bobby Alu is soaking up the European summer behind his tropical chill project.
He has just finished the first leg of a 23-date tour, opening for US acoustic groove merchants Nahko (of Nahko & Medicine For The People) and Trevor Hall.
Over the second leg through July and August, he hits some festival stages including Sound Of The Forest (Germany) and Boardmasters (UK), in between supporting The Beautiful Girls on their ‘Beautiful World’ tour (and also serving as The Girls’ drummer).
Alu also dropped a colourful video for new track Move, filled with cruisey drum rhythms and ukulele strumming flanked by rainbow backdrops and signature tropic-cool croon.
“Putting on whatever hat is necessary is a big part of how I make music; I can be a drummer, bass player, guitarist, uke guy, singer or roadie – whatever the team needs. Sometimes I pick the wrong guy… but they all have their place.”
MY FRIEND THE CHOCOLATE CAKE CALL IT QUITS
My Friend The Chocolate Cake are disbanding after 28 years after their current tour winds up in Perth on August 17.
They posted on Facebook, “This tour is our last sojourn. After the Perth show, we shall be hanging up our worn and lumpy boots…
“(Forever? probably.. but there is always the chance that if we aren’t dead and somebody offered us a gig in 7 years time in, say, sunny Noumea, there is a possibility).”
BELCONNEN CENTRE GETTING $15M UPGRADE
The ACT has given Belconnen Arts Centre $15 million for an upgrade, to start later this year and finish by 2020.
There’ll be an expanded more versatile events space which will double as a theatre and events venue, with many different seat configurations.
5 SECONDS KEEP ON FOR EIGHT WEEKS
Sitting at #1 on the ARIA chart for its eighth week, 5 Seconds Of Summer’s Youngblood joins Austen Tayshus’ Australiana, Savage Garden’s Truly Madly Deeply and Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know in a tie for the second most weeks at #1 on the chart.
Leading at 9 weeks is Justice Crew’s Que Sera from 2014.
RADIO BIRDMAN PUSHES ABC TO SCREEN DOCO
Radio Birdman and film director Jonathan Sequeira are pushing for the ABC to reverse its decision not to screen their Descent into the Maelstrom – The Radio Birdman Story documentary.
They said, “Considering the highly relevant content of the film, from the perspective of Australian music history, ABC was the obvious choice of channel.
“Despite being given a deeply discounted rate, and after several months of silence, the elite leadership at the taxpayer-funded ABC are refusing to show the film, now or at any time in the future.”
Just in case the ABC trots out its fiercely slashed down budget as an excuse, they are giving it to them for $12,000 – virtually half of what it pays for similar projects.
SONY ATV IS ELVIS’ LATEST FLAME
Sony/ATV Music Publishing is co-producing and investing in a new Elvis Presley stage musical, Heartbreak Hotel.
Written and directed by Floyd Mutrux, it looks at his rise from truck driver to being discovered at the famed Sun Studios, cutting a birthday song for his mother and becoming rock’s first global superstar.
The publisher also authorised a dozen of Presley hits.
BELLO SOLD OUT
Last weekend, the 4th Bello Winter Music in the NSW North Coast town of Bellingen was a sell-out, promoters said.
Actual figures were not produced as 80 Australian and international names played in 13 venues through the town.
Unexpected sets and collaborations seemed to be the order of the festival.
Archer got together with The Morrisons and Lillie Mae for an impromptu performance of Hank Williams and Elvis Presley tunes for residents of the local aged care and nursing home.
Mullumgrad’s Russian men’s choir Dustyesky invaded the Brewery with an impromptu vodka-fuelled show. On the Sunday afternoon, after their packed out singing workshop at the Golf Club, they took the crowd for a sing-along up along the main street and finished up with a finale at the Memorial Hall.
YOUTUBE HAS NEW TOOL FOR CREATORS
YouTube is from this week allowing creators with over 100,000 subscribers the use of its Copyright Match Tool.
It will help creators hunt down unauthorised uploads of their material by checking for similar content in other channels and then notifying the user.
It saves the creator the time and frustration of having to search manually.
FLYING NUN GETS ARCHIVED
Flying Nun’s master tapes will now be held in the safety of the vaults of in 100-year-old Alexander Turnbull Library in Auckland.
The tapes include The Chills, The Bats, The Verlaines, Jean-Paul Sartre Experience, Look Blue Go Purple, Sneaky Feelings, Headless Chickens and Bailter Space.
“The music of Flying Nun is a huge part of our culture and was significant in forging important music connections internationally,” says internal affairs minister Tracey Martin.
“It’s important for New Zealand that these tapes will be preserved, both physically and digitally.”
DARWIN VENUES WANT MORE POWER
A group of Darwin venue operators are lobbying to be given the power to move people on after they are caught boozing illegally in no-alcohol areas.
They also want the power to confiscate their drinks, if need be, saying that police resources are stretched and that a lot of vandalism is going on in their areas.
One venue has been broken into 29 times in 20 months.
The group is talking to other bars and restaurants about pooling to pay for night time security.
FAKE UNIFY POSTER GETS SOME ACTS RIGHT
A poster doing its rounds claiming to be the Unified heavy rock festival’s 2019 bill has been dismissed by promoters as “fake” – but also add “some” of the acts are correct.
The poster cites 30 acts including Rise Against, A Day To Remember, New Found Glory and Enter Shikari as well as reunions by Confession and Buried In Verona.
The promoters will announce their bands in three weeks.
While this poster is obviously fake (we would have many more Australian acts in prime slots on a UNIFY lineup), we are happy to confirm you’ll be seeing a couple of these bands in 2019. pic.twitter.com/Is9N9y2l0z
— UNIFY (@UNIFYgathering) 11 July 2018
NIGHTCLUB PROPOSED FOR WOLLINGONG
A new nightclub is proposed for Wollongong. In an application to the city council by heritage listed Illawarra Hotel on Keira Street to reactivate its unused middle floor
The current dancefloor on the ground floor will be turned into an extended restaurant area.
GOLD COAST STORE SAVED
On hearing that the Allans Billy Hyde musical instrument company has gone into voluntary administration, Stewart Fairhurst has bought the chain’s Gold Coast outlet which he used to manage.
He told the Gold Coast Bulletin he was changing its name to Gold Coast Music, its original name under founders Alan Driscoll and Colin Barnes.
Fairhurst got the blessing of Barnes and Driscoll’s widow to reuse the name.
ANOTHER HIT FOR MICHAEL JACKSON
Michael Jackson has earned his 30th Top 10 hit in the United States – after his unused vocal track from 1983 was used on Drake’s Don’t Matter to Me which entered the Top 10 at #9.
This is Jackson’s fourth Top 100 entry since his death in 2009.
Only four other artists have more Top 10 hits than Jackson.
They are Madonna (38), The Beatles (34) and Drake and Rihanna with 31 each.
CALL FOR INPUT ON MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY
Paul Godfrey, an Honours student at School of Psychology and Behavioural Science in Armidale NSW, is doing a doctorate called Behind The Curtain’: Investigating Australian musicians’ sleep disturbance, mental health supports, and depression.
He wants people to provide personal experience on the topic, especially about the support provided.
The online survey’s contents will be kept confidential at all times, he says. He can be contacted at [email protected].
NEW ALLEGATIONS AGAINST RUSSELL SIMMONS
Another tape allegation has been made against Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons, adding to a group of women who levelled claims in late 2017.
At the time Simmons apologised for his “inappropriate behaviour” and “thoughtless conduct” but insisted sex had always been consensual.
However, Alexia Norton Jones said that after a date in November 1990, they returned to his Manhattan flat where he attacked her.
She said: “I remember being pushed up against a wall. He pulled my dress up. I must have said no seven to 10 times, and then I acquiesced.”
She initially kept quiet because they had the same friends. Last year she went to police but was told it was out of the statute of limitation.
Simmons denies the claims, saying, “I have taken multiple lie detector tests that affirm I never sexually assaulted anyone.”
He said he knew Jones’ family. I” believe we last spoke in 2006 when she called to express her disappointment over the fact that I had not attended an event honouring her father.”
MORE CHARGES AGAINST MC SCRIBE
A court hearing in Christchurch for NZ rapper MC Scribe for sentencing on a charge of possessing methamphetamine was postponed until September 25.
Reason is that seven new charges have emerged against him in Auckland, for which he attends court on July 27. These include four protection order breaches, wilful damage, assault on a woman and assault with intent to injure.
MASTERS APPRENTICES ROAD?
The City of Adelaide is apparently considering renaming the section of John Street behind Kings Head Hotel after ‘60s R&B band The Masters Apprentices.
The band got together in 1965 and rehearsed at the hotel, which was owned by the father of member Brian Vaughton.
After being inducted into the SA Hall of Fame some of the original lineup have continued to play together.
The latest to be inducted into the Hall was John Derek Baker, singer, guitarist and songwriter with Baker Suite.
VALE
David Collins hosted the breakfast show on Newcastle radio for 22 years with Tanya Wilks. He retired in 2013 after heing diagnosed with cancer.
Collins was 60 years old. Wilks said she promised him two things – she’d be with him at the end, and she would turn him into a meme.
Cabaret and jazz singer and trumpet player Greg Bonham grew up in a sheep farm in the West Wyalong, NSW and made his mark briefly on Australian TV in his teens before moving to the UK.
From there he moved to America and found success in the Las Vegas scene and corporate events. He died of a heart attack at 71.
AND A FEW OTHER THINGS
Is Drake set to release another record already?
Kimbra is making a movie about the New Zealand music scene.
Reports from TV land are that Ten is about to announce a number of entertainment shows. On the weekend, the Sunday Telegraph suggested Ten is bringing Dancing With The Stars back, two years after Seven gave it the heave-ho, with Julia Morris and Chris Brown tipped to be new hosts.
It wasn’t just that Pink signed her autograph on Adelaide fan Simone Wells’s arm midway during her show. It’s just that the felt pen used fell on the ground. While Wells scrambled on the floor trying to find it, the Pinkster kept singing and high-fiving audience members around her, waiting until she retrieved it. The signature is now a tattoo.
Next February’s Hotter Than Hell tour – with Spiderbait, Jebediah and Magic Dirt among others – has added Adelaide to the lineup, alongside Townsville, Gladstone, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Ipswich and Mt Evelyn.
Cardi B and Migos member Offset have had a baby daughter, but not before she did a Beyonce and posted nude photos of herself in advanced pregnancy.
In the meantime, Offset is being sued by a Miami personal stylist for not paying for over $12,000 worth of clothing.
Bruno Mars had to leave the stage during a Glasgow gig after a fire scare.
The consortium behind the push to buy Tasmania’s Derwent Entertainment Centre will invest between $80 million and $90 million in a sports and entertainment precinct.
Grimes filed a restraining order against a man who was seen on a hill overlooking her property. Her brother called the cops and he’s now in a psychiatric ward.
Australian born US based hit record producer and songwriter Mike Chapman finally unloaded his long empty Noosa property Cintamani for $4.25 million. He bought it ten years ago for $8 million and by last year dropped it to $5.7 million.
While you’re reading this, Balgownie, NSW guitarist Scotty Burford would be ploughing through playing his axe nonstop for 125 hours to raise $12,000 for music charity MMAD to fund free guitars, free lessons and mentoring classes for disadvantaged youth. Burford, part of duo Ang & The Doctor, wants to break the world record for longest guitar playing marathon. He began his quest last Sunday evening in the window-front of Engadine Music.
Berlin-based NSW band Parcels use footage from their New York rooftop performance as art of their new video for single Bemysel on Kitsuné/Because Music. The track started out as a concept of having ‘60s pop to represent the song character’s past and a futuristic new age segment to denote his future. Alas, the new age bit didn’t work out despite being attempted twice and in the end spun off into another song altogether. Parcels, best known for recording with Daft Punk, have clocked up a total of 50 million streams and working on their debut album.