Industrial Strength: May 10
Strong start to Keep Canberra Open campaign
The Keep Canberra Open campaign, launched last Wednesday by a group of venue owners and operators to suggest new options to stop alcohol-fuelled violence, has got off to a strong start. The campaign is at http://keepcanberraopen.com.au/.
As reported previously in TMN, the ACT Government is against introducing lock-out laws for Canberra. But its white paper, released in April, suggests strategies as stopping the serving of alcohol at 3 am and huge fee hikes for venues (up 300% for those open until 4 am and 500% open to the current closing time of 5 am.
A Government alcohol white paper released in April set out three options for a bar’s last drinks: service ends at 3am with current fees; or a 300 per cent increase in fees to get a 4am licence; or a fee increase of up to 500 per cent to stay open till 5am, which is the current closing time.
Venues say it will destroy their businesses and the city’s music scene and night-time economy. They suggest more viable solutions include more late night public transport, a collaboration with police and authorities and harsher deterrents for specific trouble-makers and irresponsible venues.
The Canberra campaign takes its logo from Keep Sydney Open, which set up to overturn that city’s 2014 lockout laws. An online petition had gathered 4820 signatures in its first two days. Ryan Sabet, one of the founders, told ABC Radio, “We need to address the cultural glorification of violence, rather than saying people who listen to music late at night are somehow attached to violence.”
Changes for South Australian Music Awards
Music SA has announced that the South Australian Music Awards will return in November. Developments include a new venue, new award categories, new presenting partners and new artwork by local designers Duografik. Full details will be unveiled in the coming months.
Can Brian Johnson return to AC/DC?
As the Axl Rose fronted AC/DC went back on stage, in-ear monitor inventor Stephen Ambrose of Asius Technologies has made a public offer video of assistance to Brian Johnson over his hearing issues. “Please don’t stop performing – help is on the way. Brian, I introduced Guns N’ Roses to in-ear monitors in 1990 and I’m a big fan of Axl Rose’s voice, but let’s be clear: I’m with Roger Daltrey on this – I really can’t imagine anyone but you singing Back In Black or any other part of the show for that matter.”
Can you write a song about Sydney?
Newtown Neighbourhood Centre has come up with the Sydneyvision Song Contest. Applicants have to submit an original song which name-checks a Sydney suburb and an accompanying video which highlights something iconic from that suburb. The 12 top entries will be selected for the final screening, to take place at Dendy Opera Quays. Winner gets $3000 cash and will be featured at this year’s Newtown Festival. Deadline is Monday August 1.
ISPs won’t wear piracy site blocking costs
Australian ISPs refusal to bear the cost of sending out warning letters let the air out of the “three strikes” wheels. Now two current Federal Court cases to block piracy sites – one by Roadshow Films and the other by Foxtel – has seen then refusing to pay for this either. Feeling the heat are the likes of The Pirate Bay, Torrentz. isoHunt, TorrentHound and Solarmovie.
But just what are the costs involved in blocking? In court, TPB/iiNet said it could do it for $50 a domain. M2 put it at a low of $400 per domain and top of $800. The other ISPs will come up with their estimates in coming weeks. Telstra needs four to six weeks to come up with its figure.
Flume heading off on his largest world tour
With his new record Skin set to drop on May 27, Sydney EDM act Flume is to embark on his biggest world tour to date.
He says, “I’m spending most of this year bringing my new live show across the world. It’s something I’ve been working on for a while with help from some very clever collaborators. It’s an entirely new setup with a few other surprises, and the biggest tour I’ve ever done with 46 headline dates and 24 festivals at 70 cities around the world.”
The trek begins on July 19 at the Forsyth Barr Stadium, followed by Horncastle in Christchurch (20) and Auckland’s Vector Arena (22). He then swings on to North America from August 4 with 23 shows. Covering stadiums and theatres, it takes in cities as Seattle, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Detroit, Minneapolis, New York City, Boston, Miami, St. Louis, New Orleans, San Francisco, winding up in Phoenix on September 27
Europe gets ten shows, from November 4 at the Heineken Music Hall on November 4 and goes through Brussels, Copenhagen, Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Strasbourg, Paris, London and Manchester. Flume heads back to Australia to wind up with five major dates, at Perth Arena (November 25), Brisbane Riverstage (December 1), Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney (9), Melbourne’s Myer Music Bowl (15) and Adelaide Entertainment Centre (17).
AAM discusses manager and artist relationship
The Association of Artist Managers (AAM) is tackling the theme of the relationship between the manager and artist in Brisbane. Speaking are Dom Miller (Bluebeard Music), Rachael Dixon (Secret Service Management), Ben Preece (Mucho-Bravado), Jesse Barbera (The Fans Group) and Stu McCullough (Amplifire Music). Moderator is Rick Chazan of Ground Control Music Management while Habit Music Co’s Nick Lynagh is MC. It is held Tuesday May 24 at Black Bear Lodge between 6 pm to 8.30 pm. It’s free to AAM members, $5 to others.
Deadline for Australia Council’s Grant 2
The deadline for the Australia Council’s Grant 2 is June 7. The grants program was revised as a result of the 2015-16 budget measures. These cover Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts, Arts and Disability Funding and Languages Other Than English (LOTE). Full details at http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/.
The Venue Collective winding down
Melbourne’s The Venue Collective agency is set to be shuttered in a couple of months. Set up by Ben Thompson and Anita Nedeljkovic two years ago, it handles Melbourne’s Corner Hotel, Northcote Social Club, 170 Russell, and Shebeen; Sydney’s Newtown Social Club; the Woolly Mammoth in Brisbane; and Max Watt’s in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Thompson admits running nine venues in three states from “a centralised office programming” was a big challenge. Part of the decision to close stems from “a downturn in mid-sized international tours” which meant fewer sideshows. Thompson will continue as a booker for the 170 Russell club in Melbourne city.
2MC leads Port Macquarie
The market share for the two top stations for Port Macquarie was close: 2MC with 28.4% and with a over-40 draw, and Star at 26.6% and a hit with the under-40s.
Victoria Government announces $500,000 worth of grants
The Victoria Government announced almost $500,000 worth of grants of its Music Works creative package, to aid 45 projects. Three of these addressed gender and sexual inequality in the music industry. Youth group The Push got $10,000 for its five day Girls Rock! music camp for girls and gender non-conforming youth to increase participation in the music industry, radio 3PBS $18,800 for its Diversity and Access Program to increase participation rates by women in broadcast activities at the station, and the LISTEN Conference $13,500 to draw female creative minds to explore gender, feminism, music and performance. The full list of grants – covering touring, record labels, venues, mentoring, networking, artist development and education programs – is at creative.vic.gov.au.
Rejuvenation for Palais Theatre to start
After a stormy political fist-fight, the Victorian State Government and City of Port Phillip announced that construction company Built Pty Ltd will next month start work on the $20 million upgrade of Melbourne’s 90-year old Palais Theatre. 200 jobs will be created as the exterior is repaired, electrical and fire protection systems upgraded and the interior stabilised.
No events or concerts will be cancelled during the work. The venue will only be closed for 19 days between June 14 and July 8, when no events are scheduled. Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley said, “Melbourne is recognised widely as one of the world’s great music cities. Venues like the Palais are critical to this, but more important is having the talent and programs to bring them to life.”
Melbourne’s Corner Hotel begins awards
The Corner Hotel, one of Melbourne’s top live music venues in the past 20 years, has initiated the inaugural Corner Award to recognise an act which has given most to the Australian music scene. People from all sectors of the biz put together a list of over 60 names. They include Marlon Williams, Ngaiire, Slum Sociable, Bad//Dreems, Briggs, Thelma Plum, The Harpoons, Hey Geronimo, Boo Seeka, Harts, Grenadiers, Kucka, Emma Donovan & The Putbacks, L Fresh The Lion, Ecca Vandal and Hockey Dad. Full list at http://cornerhotel.com.
The selection panel for the award includes Linda Bosidis (Head of A&R Aust/NZ, Mushroom Publishing), Helen Marcou (Bakehouse Studios, SLAM), Jacinta Parsons (Assistant Music Director ABC Local Radio/Double J), triple j Unearthed’s Max Quinn, music programmer Anita Nedeljkovic and the Corner’s Anna Northeast.
The winner receives a headline show at the Corner, pressing of 150 copies of a limited edition 7″ vinyl single, a cash cheque of $2,000, rehearsal time at Bakehouse Studios and a mentorship session with an independent label. As a special mention, another artist or band will receive a month-long Artist In Residence at Bakehouse Studios.
More Venue Updates: studio experiments, songwriter sessions, 24 hour licence
* Sydney’s Carriageworks, in partnership with Mona Foma, will host Mathieu Briand’s interactive experimental studio The Spiral June 1 to 13. Five turntables will play samples on an endless loop, and visitors are encouraged to add their own sounds. The process will in the meantime be cut on vinyl.
* Adelaide’s The Jade is channelling Nashville’s Bluebird Café as it hosts songwriters each night this month hosted by Jodi Martin. The Songwriter’s Stage kicked off last week with Katie Pomery, Kylie Kain and Tim Moore. Coming up are The Yearlings, Kelly Menennett, Robyn Martin, Stuart Rose, Pete Arthur (Junior) and Jake Arthur (Ripcord).
* What now for Townsville’s $250 million sports and music stadium? Despite lobbying by the city’s sports and business fraternity, it failed to get any funding in last week’s Federal Budget. The pressure now is for the State Government to increase its $100 million commitment.
* Melbourne gets a nightclub with a 24-hour licence, Untz Untz on Glenferrie Road in Hawthorn. With a light-up dance floor, it opens four days a week: Cheers Tuesdays (with DJs), Animal House on Thursdays, Beta Bar on Fridays and Adultery on Saturdays for over-21s.
* Sydney’s Marble Bar’s 5th Discovery competition was won by Americana rock band Key To The Highway. The prize was a $10,000 weekly residency at the venue. Over 200 punters came out for the grand final at which Josh Needs, Jeffrey Chan, El Pollo and Fandango were finalists. Judges were singer songwriter Mahalia Barnes, Rolling Stone Australia publisher Mathew Coyte and Inertia MD Tim Kelly. On MC duties on the night was Danny Clayton.
Rumjacks sing about Sydney lock-out laws
Folk-punkers The Rumjacks, who’ve written a number of songs about their hometown Sydney, return after a year’s absence with a single A Fistful O’ Roses – about the Sydney lock-out laws with the accompanying Josh Groom-directed video showing the band playing a derelict bar as a wake for all the businesses that went down.
Singer Frankie McLaughlin pointed out, “This is a city under siege by those who rule her, set to become a playground for the elite, while the people who made it the treasure it was are squeezed out to wherever they hell they may venture.”
The band is currently on a four-month UK and European tour, taking in 39 shows until August 21. These include stops at festivals including the Netherlands’ Sniester, Itlay’s Riviera Folk, Poland’s Woodstock, Greece’s Los Almiros, Slovenia’s PunkRock Holiday and Germany’s Open Flair.
Townsville gets Star branding
Grant Broadcasters followed moves in Cairns and Mackay by yesterday rebranding 106.3 Townsville as Star 106.3. Chief Operating Officer Alison Cameron said, “106.3 has always performed well for us, and while the format remains similar, its brilliant timing to breathe some new life into the station. Star is a fun and vibrant brand and we look forward to showing it off in Townsville.”
As part of the rebranding, a new team takes over the breakfast shift (Danny Lakey and Alana McLean from Perth) while Cliff Kern moves to Drive.
Number Crunching
50,000 tickets sold to Hilltop Hoods’ The Restrung Tour of five capital cities, with orchestras and choirs, and a string of hip hop guests. The shows were the biggest Australian hip hop shows to date.
7,000 AC/DC fans asked for refunds for Axl Rose-fronted Belgium gig.
1.1 million metro viewers tuned in to the Logies, giving exposure to performers on the night Jimmy Barnes, Delta Goodrem and Conrad Sewell.
$35,000 what a Foo Fighters fan is trying to raise on GoFundMe to “own” Dave Grohl so he can hang out with him for a few days.
7th Canadian solo male to top the ARIA chart is Drake this week with his album. He also becomes the 14th Canadian to top the Australian singles charts with One Dancer this week.
46 emergency 911 calls made from Prince’s Paisley Park complex in the past five years.
Screaming Jets issue Chrome eight years
The Screaming Jets have dropped their seventh studio album Chrome, their first in eight years. Apparently their 25th anniversary celebrations in 2014 got them excited about getting back into the studio. Key songwriter and bassist Paul Woseen started pulling together songs and they started working with producer Steve James who’d worked on All For One and Tear For Thought. It’s out independently through Dinner For Wolves (Rocket Distribution / InGrooves.
Singer Dave Gleeson admits, “We were going to have the album out last year when we completed it, but just like every time the Jets bring out an album, something comes up. Thankfully it has gone the way it has – had we brought it out last year we wouldn’t have had it as coordinated as we have now. It is the right time to do it. We weren’t in a rush to get an album out, although we do love to put out new music, we wanted it to be perfect for us.”
Regional Arts strikes out webinar series
Regional Arts has launched a webinar series Burning Slow – Blazing Bright igniting discussions about arts and culture in regional and remote Australia. The first is on Thursday, May 12 from 11 am AEST for an hour. Featured are Dr Kim Dunphy, Research Program Manager of the Cultural Development Network, Victoria; broadcaster and festival director Marcus Westbury; and Justin O’Connor, Professor of Communications and Cultural Economy at Monash University; with writer and social commentator Ben Eltham moderating.
WAM launches Sounds of the Goldfields
WA’s peak music association WAM is launching the 8th in its successful unearthing of music in WA’s regional areas. Sounds Of The Goldfields discovered ten acts in a Soundtown pop-up studio with engineers Matt Gio and Sean Lillico. “Regional Western Australia is laden with outstanding songwriters and musicians, and combining them with professional producers at the top of their game can bring seriously good results,” said project coordinator Nigel Bird.
The CD is launched at the Goldfields Arts Centre on Saturday May 28. Eskimo Joe will play an acoustic set (the band’s Joel Quartermain was involved in the making of the record) along with the acts featured. They cover country, indie rock, hip hop, rock’n’roll, blues and roots and electro-pop.
Festival update: inaugural success, celebrating women, applications
* The first Subiaco Street Festival in WA – featuring live bands, DJs and dancers – exceeded the expectations of the local council and business group The Subiaco Town Network
Centre which organised the event. Up to 35,000 attended, rather than the targeted 20,000. As a result, more events will be held through the year to bring people into Subiaco’s CBD.
* Applications from artists for 2017 Boyup Brook Country Music close on June 30. The event, which began in 1986, also incorporates the West Australia Country Music Awards, whose deadline is September 30.
* The theme for the 31st Barunga Festival in the Northern Territory is Celebrating Women. Among those confirmed for the June 10 to 12 event are Courtney Barnett and Jen Cloher, Wildflower from West Arnhem Land who perform pop music in language, Kardajala kirri-darra (Sand Hill Women), children’s performer Justine Clarke and Eleanor Dixon from Tennant Creek. Barunga is 70kms south-east of Katherine on the Central Arnhem Road.
* Police say that a 20-year woman dancing alone at the Bendigo stop of Groovin’ The Moo when a man in his late teens with his arm in a sling grabbed her from behind and sexually assaulted her. He ran away when another punter came to her aid.
*After a statewide competition, Adelaide’s Come Out will be known as dreamBIG from 2017. Creative Producer Susannah Sweeney opined, “It feels right and sums up what the arts does — it allows kids to dream big. There are no limits to creativity in the arts.” The 2017 event (May 18 to 27) will have the theme Feed The Mind.
* A sniffer dog operation at Melbourne’s Godskitchen saw 39 people arrested on drug offences.
Regional film fund for WA
The WA Government has set up a $16 million regional film fund to draw more Australian and international films, documentaries and high-end television shows to be made there. The money will be administered by ScreenWest which will also market the fund to prospective producers.
“We will build on the strengths of regional WA, its extraordinary landscapes, experiences, stories and creative communities,” says ScreenWest CEO Ian Booth. The new fund is part of the Royalties for Regions program, which has boosted films as Red Dog: True Blue and Jasper Jones.
And A Few Other Things…
Midnight Oil, when announcing their return to touring since 2002, made one thing clear: “We won’t know exactly when, where and what we’ll be doing before next January at the earliest so in the meantime please just ignore any rumours.”
WA acts will “farewell” the WA Museum, which closes next month for four years during a $428.3 million makeover. The June 3 Moment In Time show at its 103-year-old Hackett Hall sees singers David Craft, Rachael Dease, Odette Mercy, Timothy Nelson and Mei Saraswati join with the 20-piece Perth Symphony Orchestra and an all-star band to pay tribute to ten classic WA songs by The Stems, Eurogliders, Jebediah, The Panics, The Drones, Abbe May, Tame Impala and Felicity Groom, as chosen by co-organiser RTRFM. Also appearing are Kill Devil Hills, Soukouss International and the Perth Jazz Society.
The Official 2016 New Zealand Music Month Summit in Auckland hit capacity, organisers announced yesterday.
Client Liaison admitted on triple j that Tina Arena sings on a track on their upcoming debut album. “I was quivering when she was singing into the mic it was that amazing!” singer Monte Morgan exuded.
While Angry Anderson stands for Senate for the Australian Liberty Alliance (its platform includes making a stand against the “Islamisation of Australia” and encouraging “the natural family”), Newcastle band The Australian Beef Week Show releases an EP What’s The Go With Fuckwits featuring Clive Palmer on the cover with plans for a concert on Election night.
Queensland country music performer Casey Barnes has won an online competition from ten finalists to play his first major US festival. The Country Summer Festival, in California, in June features acts as Lady Antebellum.
Melbourne DJ and co-owner of the Two Floors Up nightclub, Jason Kolbeck, had his application for bail refused by Melbourne Magistrates Court. He is one of eleven arrested for alleged trafficking drugs in a raid on two venues. Another co-accused, Railway Hotel co-owner Chris Lytras remains behind bars. But Railway Hotel sound engineer and co-manager Paul Polito is out on bail on $150,000 on the condition he gets treatment for cocaine addiction.
Finalists for the June 2 NZ Country Music Awards’ best country music album are those by The Waratahs, EB & The Sparrow and Jody Direen.