Industrial Strength: March 15
Image:Melbourne’sNe Obliviscaris to receive $105K per year from fans
Four more NSW venues hit the market
Four more NSW venues associated with live music are up for sale.
Keystone Group has put the Cargo Bar on Sydney’s King Street Wharf on the market, and using proceeds to expand in other parts of the country, most likely first in Melbourne where it has no presence in a city with no lockout issues. Keystone also operates Bungalow 8 at the Wharf.
The site of the old Terminus Hotel in sought-after harbourside Pyrmont, empty for 30 years, has a $5 million price tag.
Newcastle’s Seven Seas is expected to raise bids as high as $2.5 million when it goes under the hammer on March 31.
J. Gallagher’s Hotel, formerly Norton’s on Norton Leichhardt, is also scouting a new owner.
Changes at community radio listeners’ survey
This year’s National Listener Survey by the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) has undergone changes. After a tender last year, McNair Ingenuity Research will continue to deliver the survey with new reporting formats with new reporting software options being explored, and more opportunities for stations to derive value with additional data including sentiment-based analysis and the chance for them to administer themselves.
Stations will have to sign for three years to bring down costs, the CBAA will now own the data rather than the research provider, and greater transparency on research processes and outcomes.
Reclaim The Streets marches on casino
Reclaim The Streets has called another rally/ music festival –this time with the Star casino in its sights on Saturday. The rally, expected to draw 10,000 will call for an end to political donations from the casino and the gambling industries in general. While small venue operators complain they are doing it hard, the casino is exempt from Sydney’s lockout laws. There will be over 100 artists across 20 mobile sound systems will be in attendance at the rally.
A Reclaim The Streets spokesperson said: “There is a groundswell of opposition to #CasinoMike (Premier Mike Baird) and his government’s draconian lockout laws, the people of NSW are sick of the millions in dirty money that is flowing into the Government and destroying our democracy.
“The Star has been exempted from the lockout laws, despite being the most violent venue in the state. Barangaroo, where James Packer’s Crown Casino will operate, is also exempt. The reason is money.”
According to RTS, the gambling industry has made $5,136,292 in political donations across the country since 1998. The Star made over $847,950 worth of political donations in NSW between 1998 and 2011.
Strong start for Ne Obliviscaris campaign
Melbourne prog-metal band Ne Obliviscaris’ ambitious campaign on Patreon to get fans to pay the six of them an annual regular wage so they can devote their time to music, has had a strong start. Within the first seven days, fans promised $105,000 a year on www.patreon.com/neobliviscaris, well on the way to the target of $12,000 a month. Used for years by sporting clubs.
it paves the way for other music acts to financially survive without help from record labels, publishers or corporate sponsorship – although in NeO’s case, they already had a huge global following through touring, and whose 2014 raising of $86,000 via Pozible remains one of the highest netting music campaigns in the world. The band just wrapped a US tour with Cradle Of Filth. COF’s Lindsay Schoolcraft has been supportive of the campaign. “What Ne Obliviscaris have done is revolutionary and what it boils down to in this industry is ‘evolve or die’,” he said.
Durban looks at Sydney as music sister
A planned visit by members of the Durban Tourism Department could lead to the start of a process to give the South African city with Sydney sister city status. It would mean closer ties between the two music industries and more touring between the two cities.
It follows more music interaction as a result of sister city talks between Tamworth and Nashville, Adelaide and Qingdao in China’s Shandong Province and Townsville, in northern Queensland and Port Moresby, PNG.
More funding for Qld, NT, independent live performance
Queensland and Northern Territory artists and small to medium arts organisations have the opportunity to apply for $100,000 worth of funds. It is part of a collaboration by the Sidney Myer Fund and Tim Fairfax Family Foundation as part of their Capacity Building Program. Grants of up to $50,000 are split into two equal payments over two years. Last year, the program supported Victorian and Tasmanian artists, and will shift its geographic focus next year.
Our independent artists are the least likely to receive support for their activities, the least able to access advocacy channels, but the most critical to our cultural life,” said Carrillo Gantner AO, Chairman of the Sidney Myer Fund. More info on the Myer Fund’s website, applications close April 10.
Info session for SA Contemporary Music Grant program
Round 1 of South Australia’s Contemporary Music Grant program closes on Friday April 15. It is available for Recording, Touring (national & international), Marketing, Music & Skills Development, Festivals and Venues projects that start after July 1.
Becc Bates, Manager of Contemporary Music at the Music Development Office will be hosting a free grant information session to talk through the application process and answer questions. It is held on Thursday March 17 at the St Paul’s Creative Centre at 200 Pulteney Street, Adelaide from 5.30 – 6.30 pm. Bates advises, “If you are planning on performing over at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, this is the round you need to be in to seek support!”
Dead Daisies head to Musikmesse Frankfurt
After spending the last month recording in Nashville, The Dead Daisies are heading to Germany to take part in Musikmesse Frankfurt, Europe’s biggest music trade show. The Australian/US band will do workshops, speak at panels and perform at the fairground every day between April 7 to April 10. They also play a headline club show as part of the Musikmesse Festival at Zoom Club Frankfurt on April 8.
The new album, a follow up to Revolución, is expected to be finished by end of March, and released worldwide on SPV Records. During the sessions with Marti Frederiksen (Aerosmith, Gavin Rossdale, Mötley Crüe, Buckcherry), the band invited Planet Rock Radio and Powerplay Magazine to sit in, as well as a competition winner.
Golden Stave hits $14 million
The music charity Golden Stave Foundation has revealed it has raised over $14 million and supported over 50 children’s charities in NSW. GM Larry Warren said that in 2015, recipients were Autism Spectrum Australia, Be Centre, Heart Kids – The Heart Centre for Children, KidsXpress, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy, TAD Disability Services and Wheelchair Sports NSW.
The 2016 fundraising begins, with the 25th Anniversary Golden Stave Golf Day on Friday April 29. It is held at Moore Park Golf Club cnr Anzac Pde & Cleveland St, Moore Park. Australian Long Drive Champion Mark “Boomer” Bylsma is on for a golf clinic, the long drive holes and will hit balls for all the competitors. This year also marks the 5th David Gilchrist Ambrose Challenge, the late record executive who worked tirelessly for the foundation. For bookings and other info, go to goldenstave.com.au.
Venues Update: buys, bans, newcomers
* Century Venues, whose portfolio includes the Enmore, Metro and Factory theatres in Sydney as well as the Comedy Store and Concourse in Chatswood, is moving ahead with plans for Newcastle’s historic Victoria Theatre, which it bought last November. It held a meeting on the weekend with the local music, arts and performance arts community to get on ideas on what it wanted from the 19th century theatre.
* The University of Tasmania bought the Theatre Royal Hotel for $1.7 million as a social hub for its students. It is located next to the Theatre Royal, which is to be soon directly linked to the university’s $90 million Academy for Creative Industries and Performing Arts.
* Wollongong gets a new live music venue, Music Lounge, at Wollongong Town Hall. Launching March 26 as an initiative of the Merrigong Theatre Company, the first show is the Michael Griffiths starring In Vogue: Songs By Madonna.
* In the latest saga of the Brisbane Tivoli and its $15 million price tag, businessman Scott Hutchinson, has become the latest bidder. Word is he’s offering more than the others to ensure it doesn’t fall into the hands of a developer. He’ll keep it going as a live music venue, alongside his other venue, the Triffid, which he set up with former Powderfinger member John Collins. Hutchinson’s company Hutchinson Builders is a long time sponsor of the Queensland Music Awards. The online petition demanding the Tivoli remain as a music venue has passed the 8500 mark.
* Sydney’s Allphones Arena is the new primary home for the Sydney Kings team after venue operator AEG Ogden bought it out and will invest “millions” into the team to get it into the finals. AEG Ogden head Harvey Lister says Allphones “is the only indoor arena in Australia that replicates a major NBA arena in the US.”
* Maxim Gunsberger, who used to run the Down Under nightclub in Port Macquarie, has been disqualified by the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority from running a licensed venue in NSW for ten years. Last April he pleaded guilty to four charges of allowing intoxicated people in the venue. Gunsberger has since retired, and the club, closed since last July, is up for sale.
Study: TV viewing from TV still slow
TV remains a strong draw in this country. 22.154 million Australians watch broadcast television (free-to-air and subscription channels) each month, with an average weekly reach for 87.4% of the population. Although there are new devices and platforms to access TV content, the TV set remains the most popular. 87.4% see it as the main device, down from 88.5% in the last quarter of 2014. In all, 91,4% of TV viewing is still live, making up 77 hours and 57 minutes, Playback on the TV set within seven days is 7 hours and 20 minutes.
This is according to the latest Australian Multi-Screen Report from Regional TAM, OzTAM and Nielsen, and covering the fourth quarter of 2015.
But 15.5% of the time Australians spend watching TV content on computers, tablets or smartphones is now 15 hours 42 minutes per month, up from 12 hours and 18 minutes the year before.
WAM starts campaign for posters
Perth-based peak music association WAM is raising funds to frame the large collection of rock posters once owned by booker and mentor Sue Hammersley. After her death in 2012, her family took over the collection, and have now donated it to WAM. The association believes that the posters be framed to protect them, and to remind the industry of how her passion and enthusiasm made a difference to the scene.
Festivals Update: Tasmania NW grows, Blurst returns, Port City Folk arrives
* There might have been some concern when two festivals in North-West Tasmania had a clash of schedules. After setting a new attendance in 2015, this year’s 19th Forth Blues expanded to two nights, on Friday March 18 and Saturday March 19. But the inaugural Skyfield had to also stage on March 19 as it was the only date that headliner Missy Higgins and The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra had available. But both promoters, who apparently went to school together, are saying that both events are selling well.
Forth Blues, headlined by Ash Grunwald and Diesel and marketing itself with TV advertising and a Spotify playlist of its acts, is expected to draw 2500. Skyfield, which also has Dan Sultan and Paul Dempsey, is on target to hit its target 4000 with just a few hundred tickets left.
* This Easter weekend’s Rabbits Eat Lettuce outdoor EDM/ lifestyle festival will unveil the first results of a five year development approval by Richmond Valley Council last September. The festival, held on a picturesque 3,000 acre private property outside Casino in regional NSW, has spent almost $400,000 in an Australian and international bill, greater safety, the first of its venue and camping infrastructure and its role as a Small Business Incubator to help local business grow. Festival organiser Eric Mycle Lamir-Pike said the site would be developed into a ‘world class outdoor entertainment venue’ over the next five years, adding that an inspiration has been America’s Burning Man festival for the interaction between acts and audience. The fest is restricted to 3,000 doofheads.
* Punk, rock, hardcore and jangly pop The Blurst of Times returns to Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley on Saturday April 16. This time there’ll be an expansion of on-ground capacity, from two venues to three – The Brightside, The Zoo and The Foundry. The bill has 24 acts including Dune Rats, Bad/Dreems, Methyl Ethel and Kirin J Callinan.
* Promoters of the inaugural drone and action film festival, blue2blue, which is held at the Avoca Beach Picture Theatre in Sydney from April 1 with a music video component, say that two international airlines have shown interest in screening a “how to” film of the festival’s creation, finalists and awards night.
* The inaugural Port City Folk in WA is on March 26 at the Railway Hotel, with names including Ruby Boots, Emily Barker and Jill & Alsy from The Triffids.
* Live Performance Australia has expressed “concern” that after four days after its cancellation, the promoter and ticketing agency of Victoria’s Maitreya Festival – neither of which are LPA members – have allayed ticket holders’ concerns about refunds.
* Incoming Artistic Directors of Adelaide Fringe, Neil Armfield and Rachel Healy, are introducing the Theatre Passport scheme that cinemas used in the 1970s to draw crowds – where teenagers could turn up on the day of the show and buy remaining tickets for $1.
* The classical music Tyalgum Music in Lismore, NSW, received a $16,000 funding boost from the NSW State Government to help with its 25th anniversary in September. Aside from live sets, plans are for an afternoon tea and champagne meet-up, outdoor family music-making, pop-up concerts and art exhibitions.
Number Crunching
42% more money spent on music-related items last year by Instagram users who also spend 30% more time listening to music, according to the first Nielsen Instagram Music Data Study this week.
30,000 attended the 40th Port Fairy Folk Festival, the final by founder and long time Director Jamie McKew.
5 hour wait in the rain for Madonna’s theatre show in Melbourne while she put in last minute rehearsals. She promises to return in 2019 with her comedy show “with better jokes”.
450,000 fans that Major Lazer performed to, in what is believed to be the first Cuban show by a major US pop name since 1962.
40th US chart hit for Pet Shop Boys with The Pop Kids.
And A Few Other Things …
Which airline is to announce a major new initiative with Australian music acts?
Meg Mac’s creating a buzz in America after her Roll Up Your Sleeves was used in the return season episode of Girls. It was downloaded 1,000 times in the week after with US streams on Shazam jumping from 20,000 clicks to 50,000. It ranked at #3 on the Top TV Songs chart.
Meantime, Sydney’s pop/punk Tonight Alive’s Limitless has entered the UK Top 40 at #37 – beating the #59 peak by 2013’s The Other Side.
5 Seconds of Summer won the Australian category of Favourite Pop Sensation at the 2016 Kids’ Choice Awards.
Cosmo’s Midnight were a no-show at SXSW, due apparently to our good friend, Visa Issues.
Newcastle’s Nova and the Experience won the ANZ Blue Stage competition and will use the $15,000 cash component of the prize to make new music.
The $30,000 Courtney Barnett made from the Australian Music Prize will go towards getting a space where she can write, paint and record.
Nova 93.7 Perth Managing Director Gary Roberts is back in hospital for the second time in recent weeks. Recovering from back surgery at home, he had a fall and knocked his head.
But worst things were afoot for Melbourne promoter Andrew McManus. He had heart seizure at his home and ruptured two discs in his back as he fell, the Sunday Herald Sun reported. He told the paper he’s been under immense pressure after cyber-fraudsters stole $496,000 from his account that he had sent to US promoter Incognitus in December as a deposit for Florida’s Moonstone festival he is co-promoting and which features Kiss and Def Leppard.
Melbourne community radio presenter and one time President of the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society, Steve Fraser, suffered permanent brain injury following a diabetic coma, and remains in a brain injury care unit. A Concert for Steve Fraser is held March 20 at the Cherry Bar to help him with medical bills as well as support for his 13-year old daughter.
40 Madonna New Zealand fans who bought their tickets from resellers to her Auckland show were turned away from the venue. However, four of them who’d made the trip from Christchurch recognised her personal chef Jaime Laurita and tearfully related their dilemma. Laurita disappeared inside and came out five minutes later with four “real” tickets saying his guests he had ear-marked them had just rung to say they couldn’t make it.
As Queensland gets set for its toughest anti-smoking laws to come into effect in September, Queensland University of Technology psychology researcher Kristi Greig is trying to get female smokers aged 18 to 34 (a group whose smoking is increasing) quit through music. Greig, a one time music student, is writing a song to encourage them to stop instead of using the usual tactics of scares and patches.
Australian taxi drivers could be the next listening post for new music. The idea was trialled in New Zealand by musician Cleve Cameron. There’s only one public copy of his solo record Welcome To The Primal Digital in existence. It belongs to his friend, tabla player Mandeep Singh, who is also a taxi driver in Auckland. To hear it, you book a ride with Singh and he plays the record for you. Cameron also plans to recruit UK taxi drivers as well.