Industrial Strength: June 28
Venue owners warn Queensland lock-outs taking scalps…
Queensland’s lock-out laws are already collecting scalps before they kick in from July 1. One venue in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley has already closed in anticipation. High profile club owner Jamie Pickering (The Bedroom, Sin City) predicts half the venues on the Sunshine Coast will disappear between 12 to 18 months.
Lobby group Our Nightlife Queensland’s Secretary Nick Braban reports that venues are anticipating a 12% to 15% drop in the first quarter of the financial year, with more closures to follow. Venue staff found their post-July 1 rosters were down 25% in weekend hours.
Lobby groups No Curfew and Keep Queensland Open held a rally last Sunday with live music and speeches outside Brisbane’s Treasury Casino which the Government has deemed exempt from lock-out rules, before a march to Fortitude Valley. No Curfew’s petition now has 5500 signatures.
…call for temporary freeze in Perth …
With revenues hit by a growing amount of new and pop-up venues as well as bars, established licensed venue operators are calling on the WA Government to impose a temporary freeze on new venue licences especially in the saturated Northbridge and inner city Perth precincts. Clubs, who say the new competition does not have the costs and constraints they face, are also worried of a noise crackdown in Northbridge leading to less chance of a trading hour extension to make up lessening revenues.
… and biffo over drink discounting on Gold Coast
Drink discounting has become a hot issue on the Gold Coast. It has divided venues, with some calling the dropping of spirits to $5 a shot “irresponsible”, and others huffing it brings punters and tourists into the entertainment precincts during weekdays when trade is slowest. There is a call for venue operators to sit down and make a pact not to discount each other out of business. The Office of Liquor and Gaming says it is currently investigating some of the discount deals.
End of era for Radio Adelaide
It was the end of an era for Radio Adelaide. Its final broadcast from its home since 1989 at 228 North Terrace Adelaide finished at 2 pm last Friday. After that it moved down the road to 3 Cinema Place to share premises with Fresh 92.7. Some staff will be shed and a new GM announced shortly. It is tipped to be Rob Popplestone, a former presenter and marketing manager at various media outlets including 5DN, 5EBI and AustraliaLiveTV.com.
Radio Adelaide’s ’Farewell 228 North Tce’ party
Previous owner the University of Adelaide decided it didn’t want to run the station any more. But while a physical move has been made, the issue of transferring ownership to a new entity is facing delays, with media authority ACMA saying it is still awaiting an application.
Radio Adelaide staff and volunteers threw a party a week before the move. They asked local musicians to form a pop-up supergroup to farewell them during the Local Noise show. Alana Jagt performed Halfway to Forth’s Hold Me Now, Max Savage & The False Idols did Kaurna Cronin’s Inside Your Town Is Inside Your Head, Koral covered Vorn Doolette’s Orange Dress and Dusty Lee Stephensen (SKIES, Wasted Wanderers) gave Bad//Dreems’s Hiding To Nothing a blues-country flavour. The session is up online.
LPA picks up on Turnbull arts comments
The day after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull appeared on ABC-TV’s Q&A, Live Performance Australia’s Chief Executive Evelyn Richardson shot off a letter to him picking him up on some inaccurate comments he’d made regarding arts funding.
Turnbull said that Catalyst funding “has almost entirely gone to regional companies, to smaller regional companies in Australia who had been seen to be missing out from funding from the Australia Council.” The LPA said Catalyst funding so far was 37% to projects in regional and remote areas. 38% to metropolitan areas, and 24% for international activities.
Turnbull when asked about reinstating funding to the Australia Council, responded, “Well Tony(Jones, host) the issue hasn’t arisen. I mean you’ve raised it here …’ LPA pointed out the campaigning by the arts sector, including itself, a Senate inquiry which drew 2,700 public submissions and a National Day of Action on June 17.
LPA repeated once more its request for $72.8 million of Australia Council be returned, and for the Coalition to make its arts policy public like other major parties.
Rockdogs win Community Cup, DJ Albo rocks
The Melbourne match of the now-national Reclink Community Cup saw the musos Rockdogs again giving the media Megahertz a good slapping around the field, with a score of 10.3.63 to 4.6.30. With the day’s temperature stalled on “bloody freezing”, there was a lack of streakers this year to provide entertainment. However the crowd made do with Tim Rogers, Ross Wilson and Spiderbait’s Kram, Total Giovanni, The Sugarcanes and Regurgitator who were joined at one stage by Waleed Aly and Dan Sultan. Aly, who was initially asked to play in the game, preferred to display his rock god credentials by strapping on his guitar and pulverising Prince’s Purple Rain into submission.
Meantime, four days before, Labor MP Anthony Albanese’s alter ego DJ Albo received a rock star chanting welcome as 300 fans turned up at his fund raiser at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne. DJ Albo spun Melbourne music (Jet! Kylie! Skyhooks! Pau Kelly! Painters & Dockers!) although he sneaked in his fave track of all time, Iggy Pop’s Passenger, dedicated a track to his pooch Toto and didn’t seem to overly mind when girls stormed the stage late in the night to dance around the 53-year-old. The gig made $10,000 for Reclink.
Amazon Prime primed to enter Aussie market?
The rumours have been around for a time. But buoyed by Netflix’s market penetration in Australia in 14 months (1.8 million subscribers, 5 million views), Amazon reckons it can launch its Prime service with more content and subscriber privileges. Its recent TV/movie offering in the US costs $12 a month. Amazon has been in pow-wows with some of the locals, but whether these are locked in by its schedule (in August in time for the launch of Top Gear remains to be seen.
oOh!media buys into Junkee Media
As part of a digital strategy “to increase consumer engagement and drive advertiser return on investment”, location-based media company oOh!media acquired 85% of Junkee Media for $11.05 million. Junkee operates music sites inthemix and FasterLouder and native content platforms AWOL and The Cusp.
CEO Neil Ackland, publisher Tim Duggan, Junkee Studio GM Josh Rich and CIO Ian Grant are expected to remain in place.
Venue updates: New in Melbourne, penalty, sale, fire
* Melbourne promoters Mark Burchett of the Flying Saucer Club and Neil Wedd of Thornbury Theatre are opening the Satellite Lounge in the Wheelers Hill Hotel (cnr Ferntree Gully & Jells Roads) in August. It’s a 300-capacity room with 150 seating. Live music begins from 8.30 pm. Wedd says, “At present we are running one night a week but after the footy season we expect to build up with more gigs.”
* Sydney’s Hotel Steyne in Manly will close its doors for seven days this week, after authorities caught staffers selling alcohol to underage girls last year. It will cost the hotel $100,000 in lost revenue, which the Australian Hotels Association NSW moans is unfair as it’s the venue’s first offence.
* After owning it for a decade, Matt Zell is selling the Imperial Hotel in Tamworth to free up cash for other investments.
* The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Cultural Centre in Townsville caught on fire after a problem with its air conditioning unit. Staffers were evacuated, one was treated for smoke inhalation by ambos.
* The B.East in Melbourne celebrates its first birthday on July 2 with live music from The Bombay Royale and The Meltdown, a DJ set from Mojo JuJu as well as circus acts and fortune tellers.
* The Thornbury Theatre in Melbourne is hosting the 19th Australian Nation Northern Soul Weekender on November Friday 18 and Saturday 19.
iHeartRadio adds Ace Radio to platform
Australian Radio Network (ARN) has added the full ACE Radio Network to the iHeartRadio Australia platform, effective this week. The 13 stations in Victorian regional areas cover local news, music, talk and sport. These include Albury, Swan Hill, Colac, Warrnambool, Horsham, Gippsland and Hamilton. The iHeartRadio music show Thumbs Up Countdown will be added to Ace’s six music stations.
New arts fund for NZ
The new Ashburton Arts Fund has been launched by the Advance Ashburton Community Foundation to strengthen the arts in mid-Canterbury. It will promote the arts and music in the district and provide financial assistance to local persons or groups who enhance, encourage and promote the arts in any of their forms.
Perth lawyer Michael Tucak honoured
Perth entertainment lawyer Michael Tucak and his firm creative|legal ([email protected]) were honoured as part of Law Week as , as this year’s winner in the individual category of the annual Attorney General’s Community Service Law Award. Now in its 10th year, it acknowledges legal eagles who do the most amount of pro bono (legalese for free) legal work for their community work.
The Attorney-General said, “Mr Tucak has been providing pro bono legal services to the WA arts and cultural community for 20 years. He has organised regular free, pop-up legal clinics for artists, as well making available free or reduced-fee legal consultations to artists, project teams and cultural communities.
“Through his business, Mr Tucak regularly contributes to the pro bono sector by providing free lectures, workshops and legal information sessions on arts law issues to students and professional practitioners.”
Kylie exhibition: pants for the memories
Kylie On Stage is a free exhibition at Arts Centre Melbourne from late September to end of January. It focuses on her tours, and unveils to fans the whole design process for her costume. Featured designers include Dolce and Gabbana, John Galliano, Julien Macdonald, Karl Lagerfeld, John Paul Gaultier, Peter Morrissey and Mark Burnett.
Martin Foley, Minister for Creative Industries, commented, “The last time Arts Centre Melbourne staged an exhibition of Kylie’s costumes, over a decade ago, it attracted almost 300,000 people locally, and went on to become one of the most visited exhibitions at the V&A in London. With even more spectacular costumes, Kylie On Stage is set to be another big drawcard for our creative state.”
Festivals Update: record crowds, more events, expansions
* The final attendance tally won’t be available for the 4th Dark Mofo winter arts festival in Hobart. But two days after it wound up on Tuesday June 21, organisers were suggesting it’ll beat last year’s attendance by “a significant growth”. They reckon that early tallies show 275,000 people attended art, feasting, music, fire, film, and noise events in and around Hobart and Willow Court at New Norfolk. Dark Mofo Creative Director Leigh Carmichael said, “It looks like our numbers will have increased on last year, which is great – but our focus remains on providing new and unique experiences, and audience feedback in this area seems positive, so we are all pleased.”
Some of the events like House of Mirrors (12,000 visitors in seven nights) will continue until July 10, as will a number of the exhibitions. Tasmania stays open in winter with Festival of Voices (June 30 – July 17) and the Huon Valley Mid-Winter Fest (July 15-17).
* More initiatives announced for Adelaide’s inaugural Umbrella: Winter City Sounds include music on trams, karaoke with a live band, a small hip-hop festival, a metal tribute show at Glenside Hospital’s Z Ward, gigs at the zoo, a DJ night curated by Hilltop Hoods’ Golden Era Records, and electronic music in the East End laneway in Cinema Place. Altogether, 60 venues will host 200 performances.
* Earthcore, the outdoor dance festival staged in regional Victoria, extends to Sydney and Perth this year. It hits west Sydney on Saturday November 26 (stay tuned for exact location but it’s just 30 kms outside Sydney) with acts from the Victorian event including Ambivalent, BLiSS, Boris Brejcha and Sean Tyass. The next day the beats move to Belvoir Amphitheatre in Perth with Slam, Vitalic, Chris Liberator and Vini Vici.
* Absence does make the heart go fonder, as granny used to say. Back after a sleep-in lasting 35 years, Narara Music Festival has upgraded venues from The Forest of Tranquility to Mt Penang Gardens in Kariong, home to Girrakool Blues Festival and Mountain Sounds. The “old school rock” event is in May 2017. Mt Penang Gardens hosts over eight hectares of native beauty and aquatic gardens, allowing the fest to introduce camping.
* John Sankey, Aussie-born drummer for LA hard rock band Devil You Know, had to come to terms with the fact he couldn’t maintain commitments with them AND keep organising the inaugural Legion Music in Australia in January. He’s quit the band.
* After drawing 3000 last year, Newcastle’s classic rock Live at the Foreshore returns on Sunday, November 6. It is promoted by Fat As Butter Presents. 16 acts headlined by Ross Wilson include Richard Clapton, Dragon, 1927, Wendy Matthews, Rose Tattoo, Steve Kilbey, Thirsty Merc, Pseudo Echo, Eurogliders, Mi-Sex, Swanee, Dale Ryder (ex-Boom Crash Opera), Dynamic Hepnotics (re-forming for three gigs), Chocolate Starfish and Sharon O’Neill.
* After a strong debut, Fairgrounds returns to the quaint town of Berry in the NSW South Coast with music, art and fun on Friday December 2 and Saturday 3. Bill is to be announced soon. Last year saw Father John Misty, CW Stoneking, Meg Mac and Mercury Rev.
* Bello Winter Music in NSW, unveiled the winners of its Youth Mentorship Program. Artists on the bill will mentor emerging talent under the age of 19 Coffs Coast’s Boewood took out the band category (mentored by Kai Tipping), 16-year-old River Rose Boyce won the vocal award (mentored by Jo Jo Smith), Bellingen high school student Marni Besley was awarded the singer songwriter prize (mentored by Miss Eileen & King Lear) and Juno Pepper Nebauer crowned the winner of the under 15 category (mentored by Merryn Jeann). They score a rehearsal session with their respective mentor, a 20-minute performance at Bello Winter Music, a backstage pass to their mentor’s set and a weekend pass for the festival.
* The inaugural Bateman’s Bay Fringe Festival is held on September 23 to 25. Organiser Andrew Miles said it already got the support of local council, key arts groups and businesses.
Pulse Global to list on ASX
Perth’s Pulse Global set up in the 1990s as an online radio station featuring live DJ sets and with 660,000 visitors a month. Now founders Wade Cawood and Simon Beckingham (pictured below)told The Australian that it is raising $6 million to list on the Australian Stock Exchange. The idea is to expand its platform – with event ticketing, community management and now streaming – with the first round of $1 million almost complete, the newspaper said.
Going Global summit returns to New Zealand
Independent Music New Zealand holds the Going Global Music Summit in central Auckland between September 2 and 4. A huge array of international speakers are being booked to speak, with a label focus on Friday Sept 2) and artist focus on the Saturday. Applications from performers for the live music component are open at www.goingglobal.co.nz | #goingglobal
‘Aussie Music Weekly’ launching on community radio
Aussie Music Weekly is a new radio show launching on the Community Radio Network in the first week of July, replacing HomeBrew Radio which ended after ten years of national syndication to 45 stations. Aussie Music Weekly aims to give exposure to acts that don’t get mainstream airplay. It includes segments as In Focus (interviews, tour and gig info), a monthly Artist Profile of past and presents acts (by Triple H FM Hornsby’s The Music Almanac presenter Rufus OnFire) and a regular in-studio live performance Live Sessions, engineered by Paul McQueen from Songwriters Across Australia. For all digital releases, submit via [email protected]. For physical formats, post to Aussie Music Weekly, C/- Community Radio Network, PO Box 564, Alexandria NSW 1435. Further info, sponsorship enquiries and music submissions, contact Jason ‘Noddy’ Velleley on 0418 661 534 or [email protected].
Number Crunching
$450 asked for by scalpers for $36.60 tickets on the upcoming Wiggles spring tour.
2 members of Rupert Murdoch’s broader family invested $10 million in Guvera, according to CEO Darren Herft at a Sydney investors meeting. He declined to say who.
$13,480 made by hit92.9’s RnB Quiz Night which drew 650 listeners to the HBF Stadium.
12-year-old YouTube prodigy made Aphex Twin’s first video in 17 years.
And A Few Other Things …
Author and broadcaster Stuart Coupe is working on a book with an Australian independent music icon for Pan McMillan. But it was his last tome, Gudinski: The Godfather of Australian Rock ’n’ Roll, which got him in strife during a Williamstown Literary Festival session during which he was interviewed about the book. An audience member went into a tirade about how the music mogul “damaged” the band he worked for (from the ‘70s, apparently, which is a long time to hold a grudge even by this column’s “revenge at all costs!” standards) and that the book was nothing but “an apology”.
The man later got in queue to get the book signed but was apparently not impressed with Coupe scribbling, “Hope you enjoy my non-apology.” He stomped out, but was waiting outside for a continuation of the tirade. He followed Coupe and his party, throwing the book at him and hitting his partner. Writers getting verbally copped for their opinions is part of the territory. But Coupe told this column, it was “totally the first time anything remotely like that has happened! The abuse in the room was OK – but everything afterwards way beyond OK.” The festival called cops who locked Coupe and his party in the library and later escorted them to their accommodation. The blueys also drove around the area but couldn’t find the dude.
During the 70th Tonys’ screening on Foxtel Arts from New York, 1,900 Aussies tweeted 6,600 times about the awards.
Canberra’s inaugural festival Spilt Music featuring one female artist on its bill lead to a national debate and put other festivals on notice. Now Kristy Anderson of Canberra band Sally Chicane is doing something about it. She’s come up with an event She-Riff to showcase female Canberra players and songwriters and to encourage more women to get on stage. She-Riff will be held every couple of months. The first is on July 21 at Transit Bar with Betty Marshall, Adelaide Jones, House of Strangers and Sally Chicane. The second is in September. Those wanting to be part of it can contact the guitarist and singer at facebook.com/sallychicane.
While Nine’s The Voice moves into semi-final mode, last Sunday’s episode drew 1.010 million metro viewers. It was narrowly beaten by Seven’s House Rules with 1.019 million metros.
While The Slim Dusty Centre in the country music pioneer’s hometown of Kempsey, NSW, celebrates Dusty’s birthday on June 13 during the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, Federal MP for Parkes, Mark Coulton, is talking about pushing the Federal Government to recognise it as an official day.
A number of New Zealand acts – Che Fu, Sons of Zion, Three Houses Down, Tomorrow People, Pieter T and Swiss – have teamed with promoter Pato Alvarez, to try and raise NZ$100,000 for the Te Puea Marae. It feeds Kiwis forced to live in their cars or makeshift accommodation.
Methyl Ethel head off shortly on a run through Europe and the US starting at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark on July 1. Fellow WA types, Tired Lion follow up their Glastonbury appearance with more festival dates in the UK and Europe. The Lion’s first UK dates included storms, broken cars and evacuations – just a normal day at the office, apparently.
Tame Impala also flew the Perth flag, with a loudly received triumphant set that seemed to have half of Perth attending (they did draw a massive crowd) and had Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner dancing along to. Kevin Parker got all cosmic after he spotted a rainbow over the stage during their set and later told the crowd, “I’m in the middle of one of the best moments of my life.” By the way, Impala’s Facebook page now has 1.28 million “likes”.
Multi-platinum singer songwriter Alex Lloyd returns with a new album Acoustica, of 12 of his best known songs redone in unplugged format, followed by a spring tour with a stripped-back band.
The Victorian region of Bendigo gets a new free app called The BendArts Guide to provide an update of arts and entertainment events in the area. It was developed in Bendigo by Doomsday Tuna Media aided by a community grant from the City of Greater Bendigo. BendArts was founded in 2011 by Hugh Waller as a Facebook page but began to develop it as an app with Doomsday Tuna’s Stefania Cola a year ago. The pair hopes that not only will the app increase the publicity for events but lead to more interaction and collaboration between local creative types.
Ned Kelly’s one time accommodation, Old Melbourne Gaol, turns into a series of pop-up bars and food trucks on July 22 for Echo International Aid. The event, headlined by Matt Doll Thomas (The Mavis’s), is to raise money for the Karen refugees displaced from Burma.