Industrial Strength: Mushroom’s Ian James wins international award; Names announced for Golden Stave; Ed Sheeran champions Jarryd James

Mushroom Music’s Ian James wins international award

Mushroom Music’s Managing Director Ian James took out the Music Publisher award at the International Music Industry Awards in Los Angeles at MusExpo.

James built up Mushroom Music as one of the more successful divisions within the Mushroom Group since he took over in 1988. He is also Chairman at AMCOS, Deputy Chairman at APRA, a Director at AMPAL, and also an adjunct professor at Victoria University’s College Of Business.

James said, “I have been to every ARIA Awards and every APRA Awards since they started (…) I doubt if anyone else in the music industry has done that. So I have gotten used to seeing the Mushroom writers and artists being nominated and quite often winning. It therefore comes as a very pleasant surprise to find myself in a position that my acts have been in, and get the same type of adolescent thrill from it like the new bands do. The other nominees are formidable so I feel I am in exalted company.

His fellow-nominees were Jody Gerson, Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Publishing Group; Willard Ahdritz, founder and CEO of Kobalt Music Group and Ron Perry, President and Head of A&R of SONGS Music Publishing.

Canberra’s Pot Belly to make live music regular…

The six new owners of the 40-year-old The Pot Belly in Canberra’s Belconnen confirmed live music when it is relaunches on May 30. The former owner did $90,000 worth of upgrades including a new stage and sound system. The launch party features bands and a DJ set broadcast on dance music Raw FM.

…while Toowoomba gets new band room

The one-time Bellevue Hotel in Toowoomba is now the Mort Estate Hotel.

The venue was taken over last year by Liam Janetzki and Simon Janetzki, who toured as musicians and lighting and sound engineers. The pair intend to showcase national and international acts.

The new 600-capacity band room was converted from the former bottle shop drive-through. The venue will on Saturday May 16 host the launch party of the First Coat street art and music festival with Regurgitator, L Fresh the Lion and Desmond Cheese.

Adelaide farewells David Day

The Adelaide music and media community was out in force at a memorial at the Arkaba Hotel for radio identity David ‘Daisy’ Day. After a montage of photos (including Day as a choirboy which had the crowd in stitches) to the soundtrack of Jim Keays on The Masters’ It’s Because I Love You, John Swan kicked off with Day’s fave Chisel song When The War Is Over. The song was as much about the end of Day’s medical battles. Other music came from John Brewster and Dave Gleeson of The Angels, Zep Boys, John Schumann and Barrie McAskill as well as Day’s son Jason who began with a version of Roadhouse Blues. Russell Morris attended but didn’t play: he’d come from Melbourne for 2 ½ hours and had to rush back to the airport.

Day at his peak had almost 45% share of the Adelaide market, and made things happen. But he changed lives in other ways. Gleeson remembers when he first moved to Adelaide from his hometown Newcastle, he was driving into town when Day boomed a welcome over the radio hailing him as “a legend”. “From that moment I was a South Australian,” Gleeson said. Day’s SAFM and Triple M colleague John Pemberton recalled how he went to visit him in hospital. Pumped full of morphine, he was raving and ranting. As he left, the nurse asked how he was. “Same as usual,” Pemberton quipped.

Rowland S Howard Lane a reality

The Office Of Geographic Names has gazetted that the unnamed lane in Melbourne’s St. Kilda between Jackson St and Eildon Rd is to be called Rowland S Howard Lane. The former Birthday Party and These Immortal Souls guitarist who died in 2009 at 50 from liver cancer, lived near the track. A two-year grassroots campaign was started by promoter Nick Haines who first got the idea for it on the way to Howard’s funeral.

Melbourne’s CBD nightclub goes dark…

After 20 years Melbourne’s CBD has shuttered. It introduced brands as Escape, Subculture, Bass Station, 3D and DV8.

Manager Mark Demajo said, “The current economic climate and increasing regulatory pressure and fees make it very difficult for the survival of all larger capacity nightclubs at the moment.” Being in a building in the city centre targeting an underground clientele “is very challenging to maintain financially on a weekly basis.”

…as will Adelaide’s Vinyl

The Vinyl in Adelaide closes on May 23 after being in operation since January 21. It was set up via Renew Adelaide but could not secure a long-term lease.

More venues updates: arrests, legal hassles, problems in Broadbeach

* Sydney venue operator Justin Hemmes applied to the Supreme Court to stop the Coogee Palace’s landlord David Kingston from throwing him out. Kingston and Hemmes struck a deal in March 2014 to buy the place for $37 million over a number of years. Hemmes extensively renovated the place. Kingston now wants him out saying he was two days late with the rent.

* The manager of Wollongong’s Fever Nightclub, Omar Barri, 43, was arrested last Friday on charges he raped an employee at his home.

* Melbourne’s Astor Theatre, which includes music on its events sheet, will re-open on June 7 under auspices of new operator Palace Cinemas.

* Things are not looking hopeful for nightclubs in Queensland’s Broadbeach, reported the Gold Coast Bulletin. Howl At The Moon is moving to Surfers Paradise in June after it failed to extend its lease. Meantime, a question mark appears over the future of Love and Platinum as the Neicon Plaza plans a redevelopment. Platinum is also rumoured to be hightailing it to Surfers.

Names announced for Golden Stave dinner

The Australian music industry’s annual Golden Stave Gala Charity Dinner revealed that performing on the night are Andy Bull (pictured), Effie and Amber Lawrence. The dinner is held on Friday June 19 from 6.30 pm at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney. The Golden Stave Lunch has raised over $14 million in 36 years to support over 50 plus children's charities in NSW.

Festivals update: Ballina Coastal ends, Wallapalaooza moves

* The Ballina Coastal Country Music Festival is over, its founder and coordinator Carol Stacey confirmed. She cited financial pressures. Although the event drew 7,000 last year, its inability to get a sponsor meant a $20,000 shortfall in its $90,000 operating costs. The festival was held in October for the past four years, showcasing 30 acts over three days. Even at last year’s event (where at one point there were 4,000 in the streets) Stacey was wondering about its future saying it was too big for her to handle alone.

* Groovin’ With The Moo wrapped up in Townsville, Queensland on Sunday night, drawing 14,000 – up from last year and 1,000 shy of a sell-out. We’re not sure how many punters took up on the promoters’ offer of bringing along their mum (it being Mother’s Day) and putting her in a VIP section.

* Due to the abrupt closure of Melbourne’s The Esplanade for renovations, the Melbourne stop of the Wallapalaooza festival on June 12 is moved to Yah-Yahs. Owner James Young felt so sorry for its six acts (five from intestate, with non refundable plane tickets) he moved Yah-Yah’s bill that night.

* This year’s Australian Celtic Festival in Glen Innes reported a record turnout, Glen Innes NSW, has twin town status with Pitlochry in Scotland.

* Police and organisers of new age Yemaya festival, in regional Victoria bandied words. The cops were furious that 30 of 3,000 attendees were charged with drug offences, and alleged inadequate festival security meant cops had to be called to eject six people who refused to leave the site.

* South Australia’s Fleurieu Folk Festival (Oct) holds a fundraiser on May 31 at the Port Noarlunga Bowling Club with eight hours of music.

*As part of its partnership with Emirates Airline, Adelaide Festival is offering a musician or artist in the early part of their career, to go to an Emirates destination to acquire professional development experience.

* Among ideas tossed around at the first Republic’s Bright Ideas Think Tank – where 60 young entrepreneurs addressed how to make arts in Cairns more revolutionary – was a week-long cultural festival similar to WOMADelaide.

400,000 Stan subscribers by end of 2015?

As part of his presentation at the Macquarie Australia Conference in Sydney, Fairwood Media CEO Greg Hywood said that new streaming venture Stan is on track to gain 200,000 subscribers, given the KPI of reaching between 300,000 and 400,000 subscribers by December.

However new research by Experian Hitwise, published in The Australian yesterday, showed Netflix as the clear leader with 800,000 unique visitors per day. Stan, and Presto managed 50,000 sites. But note the study took in hits and not subscriber figures (given that all the services are currently offering free trials) and Stan has questioned the Hitwise data because it “did not record the sub-domain data where Stan hosted its plays”.

NZ’s Juice TV squeezed out

New Zealand’s 100% Kiwi music channel Juice TV has come to an end as a stand-alone after twenty years. However it continues as a daily 30-minute slot in a new 24-hour sporting and adventure channel called Garage on SKY channel 112. Launching on May 15, it offers 3000 titles of movies, TV series and documentaries with interviews with rising stars. Garage is made by Flame Tree Media (ex-Juice TV) and is hosted by Juice TV’s Duane Mutu.

Community radio technology minds meet

The annual meet for community radio technologists Technorama is this year on Sydney May 22 to 24 for its sixth year. Subjects to be discussed include latest gear, designing a new studio, websites and IT challenges. Guest of honor is Van Richards-Smith, retired dean of Australian radio technologists. Full details http://technorama.org.au/.

Digby Law moves Sydney office

Digby Law, which specialises in entertainment and communications, media, leisure and the arts, has this week moved offices. After five years in the Sydney Entertainment Quarters, it is now at Level 1, 483 Riley Street Surry Hills. The move is “so that we can even be close and more in tune with the vibrant and creative communities that are our clients.”

Vale

Tamworth country music performer Nev Parnell passed after a battle with bowel cancer.He fronted the band Country Gold for many years, and is remembered as an upbeat generous person until the very end.

John Stuart McMillan, singer and keyboard player for 1960s NZ act The Picasso Trio who had success in Australia (he later became a motoring columnist), passed at 83 in Christchurch.

New Zealand composer Jack Body, 70, after a long battle with cancer. A week ago he acquired an Arts Basis of NZ Icon Award. He focused on Asian music and wrote three works for the Kronos Quartet as well as a number of orchestras, and in 1999 was awarded an OMNZ for his services to music.

And a few other things…

Stay tuned for a Mumford and Sons tour this year … After playing only Sydney for Vivid, Sufjan Stevens says he’ll be back for a full tour next year … Mike Love says the Beach Boys are back this year.

Ed Sheeran’s list of his Top 10 tracks of all time in Rolling Stone includes rising Aussie singer songwriter Jarryd James’ Do You Remember. He told the magazine, ”I heard this while I was in an Australian radio station last week, and I had to find out who the singer was. Ends up he's a young lad from Brisbane, and this is his debut single. I just love the sound.”

A Darwin taxi company asked to explain by the Department of Transport when the story hit the media that three of its drivers refused to pick up two of Gurrumul’s band, Djunga Djunga Yunupingu and Jonathan Yunupigu. They were going home after taking part in a traditional ceremony. The Blue Taxi Company explained that one of the musicians was in face paint and the drivers felt intimidated. “Our policy is that if the driver feels intimidated or doesn’t feel secure, they are allowed to refuse the fare.”

The new video for Adelaide indie folk performer Timberwolf’s Whiskey Jar was shot in the same motel which appeared in the Wolf Creek movie (and where The Rolling Stones once stayed) and features its long time night shift manager Ted. The performer and video crew stayed the night in the joint, where hookers roamed. “It’s safe to say it looked like we were shooting a porno – but I couldn't wait to get out of there in the morning!”

Lorde dropped out of Takapuna Grammar School in New Zealand to chase her music dreams, and missed out on its year-end ball. She just attained the rite of passage, in New York by attending the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Ball with 500 A-listers at the invitation of buddy, actress Jennifer Lawrence.

Sensing community anger in Australia over Indonesia’s executions of drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, Indonesian band Lord Symphony quit Perth’s Stormrider metal festival citing “political issues and other circumstances”.

Canberra 11-year-old music producer Black Summer who shot to fame after his track was aired on triple j, made his live debut – before 10,000 at the Canberra show of Groovin’ The Moo – and nailed it.

The Sports played three reunion shows in Melbourne to packed crowds at Memo Music Hall and showed they still had the chops. But singer Stephen Cummings says there’ll be no more shows. “It was three nights of liberation rather than domination. The Sports have left the building for good.”

Russell Morris has finished writing the final of his Australiana trilogy of albums. This one is themed on the indigenous community and the red centre, which he loves going to. “In a way, the timeline should have seen this as the first of the three to be released,” he muses.