Industrial Strength: Mark Poston weds (and returns to label-land?); DJ Mag launches in Oz
Survey to discover health of South Australia’s music industry
An extensive, 81-question survey to establish the economic contribution of the music industry in South Australia is online. The survey is run by Music SA, Arts SA and the Department for Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade, Resources and Energy (DMITRE) to determine the health of the industry.
“A key part of this survey is to make sure that the music industry is recognised by Government and private sector as an ‘industry’,” points out Music SA General Manager David Grice. “Once there is a picture and value to give it shape, it will become easier to identify how existing government programs and private investments can engage with the South Australian music industry more effectively. Government funding, legislated for contemporary music development will increase from $500,000 to $850,000 per year, through Arts SA as of 1July 2014. The results of this survey will help to inform key stakeholders of the contribution music makes to the SA economy and hopefully will have a positive impact on the current levels of support offered.”
Grice believes this is the first time that such a comprehensive survey has been done in SA. He adds, “Music SA is hoping that this data will assist the local industry to look at itself as more than just a hobby and create an industry mindset amongst practitioners. I believe generally musicians under value themselves and it is my personal hope that this information will lift the vision to drive ways to make a careers in music in SA more sustainable.”
Certifications: Beyonce, Taylor, Tina and James hit Platinum
Kate Perry’s Roar picked up its eighth Platinum certification … Four singles scored their first Platinum honours: Pharrell Williams’ Happy, Imagine Dragons’ Demons, Bastille’s Of The Night and One Direction’s Story Of My Life … Mariah Carey’s 1994 track All I Want For Christmas Is You went double-Platinum, after 19 years … also scoring double-Platinum sales were Magic!’s Rude, John Legend’s All Of Me , Guy Sebastian’s Like A Drum, Justice Crew’s Everybody, Taylor Henderson’s Borrow My Heart and Nathaniel’s You… Pitbull and Ke$ha’s Timber, still in the Top 10 while it goes to #1 Stateside, picked up its third Platinum …hitting their first Gold were Flume and Chet Faker’s Drop The Game, Lily Allen’s Hard Out Here and MKTO’s God Only Knows.
Holding on for its second week at #1, Beyonce’s self titled fifth album hit Platinum … Michael Buble’s chart topping Christmas album is now 9 x Platinum … Taylor Henderson’s debut, self-titled album picked up its first Platinum as has Tina Arena’s Reset and James Blunt’s Moon Landing … Katy Perry’s Prism is now Platinum x 2 … Hitting Gold are Robbie Williams’ Swings Both Ways, The Best Of Nickelback Vol 1 and Bon Jovi’s What About Now.
Three inaugural festivals returning
Three inaugural music festivals around the country confirmed they are returning next year after striking a chord with crowds.
The first Falls Music and Arts Festival in Byron Bay was a sell-out at 15,000. Promoter Brendan Saul said what worked was that it was such a peaceful co-operative vibe among the patrons at North Byron Parklands. There was a death on site but police are not treating it as suspicious.
The two-day electro Beachlife in Surfers Paradise is back first week of January next year after drawing 16,000 on the weekend. They were hoping for 10,000 on each day with the likes of Skrillex, Wiz Khalifa and A$AP Rocky.
But co-promoter Billy Cross, who staged it with Fuzzy Entertainment, sees the potential in its boost for tourism (many attendees were from interstate) and its growing into a replacement for the Summafieldayze.
The music, food and art Endless Summer in Sydney’s Cronulla drew some impressive numbers: 11,000 on the first day headlined by Bluejuice, 20,000 on the second day, with the third drawing 15,000 for an indie showcase.
Opportunity Knocks #1: WA acts to showcase in Singapore
WA’s Department of Culture and the Arts (DCA) has a funding pool for the state’s acts to showcase at the Music Matters conference in Singapore (May 20-25) before 10,000 attendees. Acts have until Jan 17 to apply. This the latest initiative of the Singapore WA Music Exchange (SWAM) set up by WAM and Singapore’s Timbre Music. At the WAM festival in Perth last year, Singapore’s music executives spoke at a Gateway To Asia panel while three Singapore acts showcased.
Opportunity Knocks #2: nominations open for Jazz Bell awards
Nominations have opened for the 2014 Australian Jazz Bell Awards, held on Thursday May 1 at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne. The categories share a prize pool of $40,000. The categories best jazz, modern jazz, contemporary avant-garde and trad jazz albums, as well as the year;s best jazz song, ensemble and jazz artist. Nominations close Friday February 14.
Cairns nightclub for sale
Cairns R&B nightclub Heritage is up for sale for $1 million, with owner Simon Friend-James planning to return to the UK. He is luring buyers by splitting the nightclub into two venues in the historic 19th century building, with the second to be built up by the new owner to cater for a younger demographic.
Kicktone makes it to Midemlab finalists
New Adelaide-based free social music discovery platform Kicktone has been invited to pitch in the finals of Midemlab. Its CEO Savvas Dimitriou and COO Cameron Bolam will be at the Midem Cannes event in early February to pitch to venture capitalists, entertainment executives, entrepreneurs and incubators Launched in October, Kicktone makes it easy for consumers to find indie releases and for acts to sell direct to fans. Dimitriou told us over a dozen people have already contacted them to book time. “It’s the first time an Australian startup has made it this far at Midem, and I think that’s an indication that Australian indie music,” he said. SoundCloud, Songkick, and Kickstarter all got their start at Midemlab while 2012 finalist, London-based social platform Urturn, drew $13.4 million in investment after its pitch.
Launching Pad #1: Pilerats magazine starts record label
WA-based music, art, fashion and lifestyle digital magazine Pilerats has launched a label offshoot. Pilerats Records will be coordinated by Alex Paioff who manages Pilerats and its events division Metric Promotions (which runs Perth club nights and boutique festivals Wonderland and Circo) and Daniel Dalton from the I Can’t Stand Still Collective (I.C.S.S.C) which tours international acts and co-promoted the Circo festival which sold 4,000 tickets. Paioff tells us Pilerats magazine, available on iPhone and iPad devices, will this year also launch on Android platforms.
Launching Pad #2: Mooboo Records
MooBoo Records is a not-for-profit Melbourne collective formed by alt-rock group Big Head Ella, booking agent Paul Richardson and events manager and proprietor of The Brunswick Hive, Sam Scholfield. Max Sabbatini of Big Head Ella tells us offers booking services and management for rising indie acts, and is constructing a recording studio where they can record inexpensively. The Hive’s monthly mailer will include free sampler CDs showcasing new Melbourne talent. Mid-2014 sees the arrival of the MooBoo Bus Collective, taking 4 to 5 local bands along the East Coast.
Launching Pad #3: DJ Mag Australia
International dance music magazine DJ Mag has set up office in Sydney’s Potts Point with an editorial team of 10, and sales staff. The publication was founded in Spain in 2010 by Victor de la Serna. The Australian version, officially launching in February, will be an online magazine. It will be published by IHM Global which oversees the magazine in Canada and the Caribbean.
Byron nightclub La La Land hit by fire
A fire that started in its roof saw Byron Bay’s La La Land nightclub lose 80% of its contents and 25% of the building. There were 20 patrons inside at the time, while fire services also evacuated 50 from a backpackers hostel behind.
SWIPE
Is former EMI chairman Mark Poston about to return to the industry, running one of the most well known record labels in music history?
The change of Federal Government last year upset the plans of many arts and music festivals. One in the Northern Territory got some bad publicity of late because suppliers and musicians had not been paid. Reason was that organisers were still waiting to see if the funding they were promised in the early part of the year was still pending when the event took place.
After a handful of shows in Melbourne and Sydney for Icehouse’s reggae version DubHOUSE, there have been offers for the act to tour and make an album. Leader Iva Davies declares he’ll only do it if he has time to rehearse the material more and become more familiar with the new arrangements.
Which veteran radio execs were spotted reminiscing about “the great old days” after a chance meeting at a concert?
Which Australian R&B singer is on the shortlist to be a presenter at the Grammys on the account of his/her success in the Asia-Pacific region?
Will we see Canberra’s MusicACT Annual Music Awards (MAMAs) this year? They missed the deadline for a $20,000 grant, which amounts to a quarter of the budget to run the event.
As voting for Cairns’ Hits award, Dale “DMH” Harvey who won Best DJ last year bet fellow nominees Bad Habitz he will wear a mankini for 24 hours – including a night of DJing at a local club – if he doesn’t win again this year.
Michael Gudinski may have landed Bruce Springsteen for Australian tours the last two years. But when he first pitched for the Boss 30 years ago, they turned him down. Springsteen manager Jon Laudau told him recently “We always wanted to work with you but you seemed too wild at the time.” Gudinski says he took that as “a real compliment.”
This year, SLAM (Save Live Music Australia) will abandon its national SLAM Day activities and focus on lobbying politicians to bring in Agent of Change.
That means those who move into an area where a live music venue exists, cannot complain about the noise.
After his Australian tour, John Legend arrived in Auckland and took his 21-strong entourage from the airport to restaurant Mekong Baby, turning up without a reservation. The owner quickly made room. He was rewarded when the party racked up a bill of “several thousand dollars” and left a “few hundred” dollar tip. (NZ Herald).
After setting up a task force just late last year to have Perth’s new sports and concert stadium built at Subiaco’s Kitchener Park than in Burswood, Subiaco Council abandoned the battle after its second meeting. Subi mayor Heather Henderson admitted plans for Burswood were too advanced already.
As parts of its crackdown on alcohol-fuelled violence, the Queensland Government is considering ID screening for all licensed venues and a state-wide ban from such venues for trouble makers. Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie said reforms, suggested by a taskforce in September were still being finalized by the Government.
LIFELINES
Ill: Queensland blues singer Carol Lloyd of Railroad Gin fame, threw a farewell party for herself in Brisbane and wed her partner Annie in a civil ceremony. She suffers from Pulmonary Fibrosis, which means her lungs are failing, and she says she has 12 months to live.
Injured: a man at Origin Festival in Perth sneaked past security during A$AP Rocky’s set and climbed up the lighting rig and dangled off it. A$AP noticed him and went, “Oh shit, kid. Come on man, be careful… Somebody help this kid before he kills himself.” After he fell, a shocked A$AP said: “Oh shit… He’s okay though, right?” He had “serious but not life threatening” injuries.
Married: former EMI Chairman Mark Poston and stylist & creative David Bonney tied the knot in Sydney. Paul Mac was musical director. Guests were treated to a surprise performance by Megan Washington with Mac on keys – and a choir conducted by Joe MacRae (mother of Jade). Later in the night there was a surprise flashmob to “express yourself” performed by friends of the grooms and then Glenn Dickie (Sounds Australia/Aussie BBQ) and Jonny Seymour (Stereogamous) took to the decks well into the night. Congratulatory messages included those from Kylie Minogue and Molly Meldrum; Poston gushed it was like “getting blessed by your musical fairy godparents”.
Married: NZ singer Hayley Westenra and her French partner of three years, her sound engineer Arnaud Sabard, wed in secret in her hometown of Canterbury, NZ.
Arrested: A 23-year-old man was charged over a fatal machete attack on James Dorloff, 20, at an illegal rave party with 600 on the sand dunes of Wedge Island, WA.
Vale: Northern Territory rock, country and gospel multi-instrumentalist and singer Kwementyaye Johnson, was killed by a road train near Tennant Creek. He had been walking 30km back to town after his car hit a cow late at night. Friends remembered him as a “gentleman” who was highly respected in the community, and helped set up the Winanjjikari Music Centre in 2006
Vale: Canberra punk scene identity Nicholas Sofer-Schreiber, 27, was found stabbed to death in his apartment. He contributed news reports to triple j’s punk show short.fast.loud and appeared in a video by the band Revellers. Friends confirmed plans to establish an annual punk festival under his name.
Vale: Lou Clauson, 85, of 1960s NZ comedy duo Lou and Simon, whose biggest hit was A Maori Car, a parody of The West Side Story hit America.
INSIDE TRACK
U2 look to the past, present and future on upcoming album
Like the great rock bands, U2 are trying to move into new sounds while at the same time acknowledging their past strengths on their April due album. While working with the likes of Danger Mouse, Bono and The Edge told the Los Angeles Times that some of the tracks hark back to their 1980s classics as War and Unforgettable Fire. Bono added, the album was influenced by “stuff we were really listening to when we were younger” like The Clash, Sex Pistols and Kraftwerk, along with soul and old-school R&B. It also has a concept where songs are told from the perspective of a young person just figuring things out and partly from someone who is older and wiser. The lyrics focus on the “collision between hard-earned wisdom and youthful hunger.”
Jebediah to start writing new material
Jebediah members have been involved in a number of side projects through the years. These included Kevin Mitchell’s Bob Evans and Basement Birds, bassist Vanessa Thornton and drummer Brett Mitchell’s Axe Girl, and guitarist Chris Daymond’s Nirvana cover band, Nirvanarama. Three of them live in Perth, Kevin moved to Melbourne in late 2008 with wife Kristen where they raise their daughter Ella Jean. The last Jebediah album Kosciuszko didn’t come out until 2011. The band joke about the “tyranny of distance” living in two cities. But currently on the road on a regional run, they talk about how it’s easy to recapture the joy of hanging and playing as a unit. This month, says Daymond, after their Victorian dates, they’ll start writing fresh material to unveil on their next tour. He calls it “a summer holidays band camp.’’
The Aston Shuffle: Greece is the word
For the video of The Aston Shuffle’s new summer single Tear It Down, they tapped on Prad Senanayake (360, Jinja Safari, Something For Kate, The Cairos) to direct. Senanayake reveals that the concept for the clip was “Inspired by stories of transformation in Greek mythology: such as the legends of ‘The Pleiades or ‘The Phoenix’, Tear it Down takes these concepts and puts them in a modern and hyper sexual world. It’s a story of what happens when the metaphysical starts to bleed into a setting that’s potently physical. It’s also my little homage to the horror work of David Cronenberg.” The band is rehearsing a new show to unveil on 10 national shows between February 13 and March 1. Check out the video here.
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