Industrial Strength: May 23
JENNY MORRIS TRIBUTE RAISED $100K FOR SUPPORT ACT
Almost $100,000 was raised when Support Act Ltd lauded Jenny Morris with its Excellence in the Community award for her charity work. SAL’s Music In The House fundraiser drew 350 to the Ivy Ballroom in Sydney.
Among the items donated for the auction were packages from Cold Chisel (which included a chance to watch them rehearse and attend a show (which went for $5,000), and Midnight Oil which included tix to their sold-out Sydney show.
There were personalised birthday greetings by Vance Joy, Courtney Barnett, John Paul Young and Russell Morris, while a Tony Mott shot of Morris had bidding op to $2600.
Shanley Del and Montaigne’s reworking of Morris ditties were widely applauded.
But the highlight was when Morris, who has not sung since 2005, joinedJimmy Barnes, Neil Finn and Mark Lizotte for Piece Of My Heart before leaving the three gents to wind up with Don’t Dream It’s Over.
SAL is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
FOXTEL PLAY DROPS MUSIC CHANNELS
In an unexpected move, the Foxtel Play entry-level streaming service will drop MTV Music, MTV Dance, MAX, Smooth, CMC and Foxtel Arts channels from June 5.
The six were among 19 channels that are scrubbed from the schedule. These cover news, world movies, science, sports and lifestyle channels.
They remain available to users who can access its cable and satellite service but there’s a dull silence on refunds for reduced content on Foxtel Play.
When Foxtel axed its Presto service, its Seven Network jv which lost $21 million, its subscribers were moved to Play.
ARTS PARTY EYEING TASMANIA
The Arts Party is fielding 10 candidates at the next Tasmanian election to try and get a seat in the House of Assembly. Party founder PJ Hogan said its support was 20% in the island state, compared to 12% in other states.
Full details will be unveiled during the Dark Mofo festival in June.
The Arts Party was formed in 2014 in the wake of Federal Government funding slashes and the need to focus on arts access, education and community support.
By the 2016 Federal elections, it had 2000 members and received 1.5 million preferences. However it failed to get a Senate seat (despite candidates in six states) or in the House of Reps (seven candidates).
CREATE NSW HOLDS ROUNDTABLE AT VIVID
Create NSW is holding two roundtable discussions during Vivid Sydney to pinpoint what works, what are challenges and what is sustainable.
Shapeshifter (May 30, Museum of Contemporary Art, 5 pm – 7 pm) looks at the role of the artist “and their commitment to bold, authentic story telling.”
Fame and Fortune (June 3, Art Gallery of NSW, 10 am – 12.30 pm) offers tips on how to make careers more sustainable.
WALKLEYS EXTEND TO ARTS JOURNALISM
The Walkleys, which have been high-fiving all kinds of journalism since 1956, has decided that arts journalism be given a dose of the prestige as well.
The Pascall Prize has joined the Walkley Foundation’s July 26 Mid-Year Awards program, and will now include a category for arts journalism as well as criticism covering reporting, writing, news breaking and issues analysis covering print, electronic and online media.
This is slightly mystifying. After all, sports writing gets a guernsey in the major Walkleys, and thus is eligible for the Gold Walkley. pic.twitter.com/pTQbrfc8ZZ
— Alison Croggon (@alisoncroggon) May 23, 2017
See http://www.walkleys.com/awards/arts/.
MAU POWER JOINS CALLS FOR MABO HOLIDAY
Torres Strait rapper Mau Power has been chosen to sing KOIKI as an anthem for the 25th anniversary on June 3 of the High Court’s landmark Mabo ruling which recognised native title for the first time.
Yesterday Mau Power joined with descendants of his countryman Eddie Mabo in calling for Australia to declare June 3 a public holiday to celebrate the achievement.
KOIKI–Mabo’s tribal name – was written by his daughter Auntie Gail Mabo as an ode to her father after his death in 1992.
Mau Power (born Patrick Mau) who considers Koiki Mabo a hero, says: “When Gail approached me to reinvigorate this song I was deeply honoured.
“For years we’ve discussed that many Indigenous and non-Indigenous people want to see the date, June 3, become a national holiday.
“On the 25th anniversary, we feel we have waited long enough.”
VIC GOVT PLANNING NEW FUND FOR CREATIVES
After consultation with its music and arts community, the Victorian Government plans to introduce the Creators Fund later in the year. It will “offer opportunities for creative practitioners to undertake sustained periods of intensive creative development, research and experimentation.”
It also “fills a critical gap in the current funding landscape.”
WA PREMIER TO CRACK DOWN ON SCALPING
Back in September 2015 when he was WA Opposition leader, Mark McGowan was calling for laws to make ticket scalping illegal at major entertainment and sports events, to get into step with some Eastern states.
Now as the state’s Premier, he is moving to crack down in the wake of extortionate resales for Ed Sheeran, Adele, Midnight Oil and Bruce Springsteen.
He’s thinking of a $5000 fine for touts, as well as an education campaign for the general public as to what is illegal and what is not.
MAUBOY REPRISES SECRET DAUGHTER ROLE
Jessica Mauboy reprises her role of country pub singer Billie Carter as Seven Network yesterday confirmed production had begun on the second season of The Secret Daughter.
The first season had an average metro and regional viewing audience of 1 million. Mauboy was nominated for a Logie for her dramatic role.
NEW ARTS HUB FOR HOBART…
The South Hobart Living Arts, offering offices, as well as performance and rehearsal spaces, has opened at the former South Hobart Primary School site. All its tenants should have moved in by the end of June.
After years of lobbying, it became a reality with $1.65 million from the Federal Government, $600,000 from the Tasmanian Government and support from Hobart City Council.
…WHILE BRISBANE LIVE MOVES FORWARD
OEG Ogden chief Harvey Lister’s $2 million Brisbane Live entertainment precinct – first unveiled last year – has taken another step. Last Friday, Lister met with Government officials to nut out more details.
To be built above the ugly Roma Street rail lines, it will include a new 17,000 seat arena to showcase international music acts and world sporting events.
Based on AEG’s successful LA Live complex, it will also include hotels, apartment and commercial blocks and a major dining area.
NRL ANNOUNCES MUSIC ACTS
The National Rugby League is tapping music acts for its Holden State of Origin series.
Birds of Tokyo play before Game One at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on May 31;Grinspoon headline the only Sydney match, at ANZ Stadium on June 21;Bernard Fanning takes centre stage for Origin Three at Suncorp Stadium on July 12.
AUSTRALIA GETS CANADA’S STINGRAY
Australia is one of 156 countries getting Stingray, the only music service dedicated to promoting Canadian music.
Through its Stingray Music service, Stingray has over 200 Canadian music channels featuring 15,000 artists in all genres and from all eras, more than Apple Music (37 playlists), Deezer (24 playlists) Google Play Music (9 playlists), Spotify (8 playlists), and Slacker (0 playlists) combined.
APRA AMCOS, SUPPORT ACT, DISCUSS MENTAL HEALTH
APRA AMCOS and Support Act Ltd are hosting a number of The Music And The Mind panel events to discuss mental health, an important issue in the music community.
Tuesday 23 May, 6pm: Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne
Speakers: Catherine Haridy (Support Act), Dr Margaret Osborne (psychologist), Dr Matthew Long (GP), Wil Wagner (The Smith Street Band).
Wednesday 24 May, 6.30pm: Camelot Lounge, Sydney
Speakers: Joanna Cave (Support Act), Dr Chris Stevens (psychologist), Hayley Mary (The Jezabels).
Tuesday 30 May, 6pm:The Jade, Adelaide
Speakers: Sally Howland (Support Act), Denni Meredith (psychologist), Dr Jessica Vandekamp (GP), Heather Frahn (artist)
Tuesday 6 June, 6pm: Babushka, Perth
Speakers: Catherine Haridy (Support Act), Duane Smith (psychologist) and more to be announced
Monday 19 June, 6pm APRA AMCOS office, Brisbane
Speakers: Sally Howland (Support Act), Lisa Kunde (psychologist), Jackie Marshall (artist)
Monday 29 June, 6pm Darwin Railway Club, Darwin
Speakers: Joanna Cave (Support Act), Henry Kwiatkowski (psychologist), Mark Grose (artist manager), Liam Devine (artist) and Sandra Thibodeaux (playwright and poet)
AND A FEW OTHER THINGS….
- Foxtel is moving into SBS’ territory with a new weekly show on Tuesdays called The A-Pop Show on [V] Hits. It kicks off on June 6 covering K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and T-pop hits. Asian pop acts are now drawing huge crowds at concerts in Australia, with tourism bodies speaking to the live music sector about working together to grow it further.
- “I was so ugly in high school” – Lorde’s response to her being featured on the cover of Elle.
- Brisbane’s #1 commercial AM radio station, 4KQ, celebrated the 25th anniversary on breakfast radio of Laurel Edwards, part of the Laurel, Gary & Mark team. It broadcast a special segment where her country singer husband Troy Cassar-Daley and their children came on, as did Mark Spurway who was the program director who gave her the job in 1992, while Keith Urban sent a message.
- After Aussie duo Oh Pep! opened for Billy Bragg in Adelaide last month, they’ve been invited to play Bragg’s Left Field Stage at UK’s Glastonbury festival.
- Serial pest Vitaly Sedyuk, who interrupted a performance during the Eurovision Song Festival flashing his arse while draped in an Australian flag, has avoided a possible five-year jail sentence. Ukrainian authorities have told to surrender his passport.
- Emerging Queensland singer-songwriter Tia Gostelow has picked up an interest in “artsy photography and fun artwork with bright, vibrant colours”, and says this is why new single That’s What You Get moves out of her comfort zone and away from the folk-rock sounds of her previous singles.
- A holiday through the US with guitarist husband Luke Davis for Newcastle country singer-songwriter Kristy James turned into work when they hit Nashville. She wrote some songs with local writers for her EP, out in August, and got vocal training with American Idol/Glee vocal coach James Lugo.
- Industrial Strength is a long way from its own real estate section, but we will tell you that Bruce Woodley of The Seekers has listed his Sunshine Coast retreat where he’s written a number of songs; the SMH reports that longtime music executive Tim Prescott and his interior designer wife Frances Georgeson sold their Avalon Beach, NSW, waterfront property for over $4.5 million; and The University of Tasmania is selling the site of its Conservatorium of Music site to real estate company Fragrance Tas-Hobart (Sandy Bay) Pty Ltd.