Industrial Strength: November 22
MORE INDUCTIONS FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S HALL OF FAME
After inducting 85 South Australian-born artists in the past three years into the SA Music Hall of Fame, organisers the Australian Music Collective have slowed down a little somewhat after Arts SA funding got pulled back. However the celebrations still continue, AMC founder Enrico Morena says. On March 3, Sarah McLeod and Stuart Rudd of The Superjesus get the honours, while Melbourne-based singer Lisa Edwards – who began performing as a child with her jazz muso father Don around Adelaide – is inducted next month.
WA EYING BOOST IN CREATIVE JOBS
The WA Government’s Strategic Directions 2016-2031 for arts, cultural and creative businesses will see a surge in jobs in the sectors. The claim was made by Culture and the Arts Minister John Day at the launch of the policy, the state’s first long-term vision for the arts and culture. Day aims to have the sector providing 8% of the state’s employment.
He summed up, “Its mission statement is clear – for WA to be the best place to live, work and play thanks to the contribution of its arts, culture and creative industries.
The sectors cover visual arts, crafts and design, literature, digital media and theatre, plus job creation in film, animation, architecture, music, fashion, gaming and dance.
Among the ideas that could affect contemporary music are a push to represent WA talent to represent the state abroad, more college education, working with scientists and engineers to push the boundaries of their work, more arts festivals, a program for young creative to be represented on the boards of cultural organisations, more presence in hospitals, more arts spaces in Government buildings, developing Fremantle as a music and arts hub, and the development of a ‘Culture Pass’ for main population centres that integrate ticketing, travel and other benefits in a single transaction.
According to Government statistics, the WA arts, cultural and creative sectors employs more than 42,000 people, pays $1.92 billion in wages and is growing at a rate faster than the sector in the rest of Australia.
TROYE SIVAN VIDEO TRILOGY WINS AWARD
The video trilogy to promote the release of Troye Sivan’s Wild album had a win at the B&T marketing awards at the Sydney Town Hall. PHD Media agency picked up Content Marketing Strategy of the Year for the I Love You Troye campaign setting up the release of his Wild album.
Universal Music Brand Partnership also teamed with Hewlett-Packard for the campaign. The first of the three videos received 4.4 million YouTube views. In the second, the HP Pavilion x360 convertible PC was integrated into the videos, which premiered at YouTube FanFest in Sydney before global release, and Sivan filmed exclusive vlogs for HP from his first festival appearance at Lollapalooza in Chicago.
Wild debuted at #1 in Australia, #5 in the US and UK and #3 in NZ.
Other winners of the 34 categories of the B&T Awards were DBB for Best Use of Social Media at the Sydney Opera House while Nova Entertainment grabbed Media Sales Team of the Year.
KIP MOORE, McCLYMONTS FOR CMC MUSIC AWARDS
Foxtel and CMC (Country Music Channel) announced USA’s Kip Moore and Australia’s McClymonts as performers of the 7th CMC Music Awards.
These are held on March 23 at the Star Gold Coast (which is what the venue’s name will be by then after Jupiters Gold Coast is rebranded) in the run-up to the CMC Rocks Queensland festival. It will be broadcast live on CMC. For the third time, Morgan Evans will host.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, an ardent country music fan, expressed delight that the awards were being held on his turf. “Remarkably, Australia is the fourth largest market in the world for country music and one-third of all adult Aussies listen to it regularly,” he said.
HOT TOMATO RULES ON GOLD COAST…
In the latest Gold Coast ratings, Hot Tomato jumped up to lead from 12% to 13.9%. Gold FM slipped to second post with 13.4% and stable mate SEA FM to third with 12.8%.
…AND KO IN NEWCASTLE…
KO-FM rules the roost in Newcastle, with a 15.7% market share. It is followed by NX (13.1%), ABC 1233 (12.7%) and 2JJJ at fourth spot (10.1%).
…AND STAR IN BENDIGO
The first radio survey for Bendigo in country Victoria since 2001 saw Star FM with 24.3%, then 3BO (21.9%) and ABC Central Victoria (11.7%). However the results, conducted by Xtra Research were disputed by community radio stations who say they are incomplete without their own data.
SXSW AUSSIE INVITES CLIMB TO 20
The amount of Australian acts invited to showcase at South By Southwest next March in Austin, Texas, has risen by another six. Three are from Melbourne (Gabriella Cohen, John Cashman, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever) and two from NSW (Mansionair, Hockey Dad). The sixth, The Heart Collectors, are from the Sunshine Coast.
AMIN SET UNOFFICIAL RECORD WITH AUSSIE T-SHRTS
The Australian Music Industry Network is claiming an unofficial world record when an unexpected 100 fans and music industry folk gathered on the steps of State Library Victoria on Friday morning to take part in the photo shoot. It was held in support of Australian Music T-Shirt Day, as a way to trigger artist incomes through merchandises.
AMIN Chairman Patrick Donovan said, “We know how many people attend live music shows regularly but to see so many music fans come together and show their support for such a diverse range of artists on their Ausmusic T-shirts reminds us of how passionate Australians are about music.”
The record attempt also served to raise the profile of charity Support Act, which provides crisis services for artists and music workers.
REPORT: ONLY 20% OF PERFORMING ARTS GROUP FINANCIALLY HEALTHY
Data produced by accounting firm Generate claimed that one third of performing arts organisations (music, theatre and dance) organisations are in financial difficulties and less than 20% are financially healthy, Artshub reported. Only one third of all small-to-medium organisations studied are financially healthy. But visual arts organisations are doing much better, with 43% rated financially healthy.
ETTA JAMES MUSICAL DEBUTING IN UK
At Last – The Etta James Story, the musical starring Vika Bull – will after playing to packed houses in Australia and New Zealand, makes its debut in the UK from March/April. Moira Bennett, Producer for Room 8 Pty said it would play eleven shows, starting off in Liverpool and taking in cities as London, Manchester and Cardiff.
At Last – The Etta James Story continues its Australian run. It returns to Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre on November 23 with a second show on December 3. Says Bull, James was “a true legend and one we must never forget, she sang so true.”
NZ AWARDS TO INCLUDE R&B CATEGORY
As reported in TMN last week, R&B singer Aaradhna refused to pick up her Urban/Hip Hop win because she didn’t belong there and only included because she was “brown skinned.: In the aftermath, other artists took to social media to congratulate her stand and her call for a separate R&B category,
Damian Vaughan, CEO of Recorded Music NZ, which organises the awards, said this could happen next year. He told one newspaper he had no issue with her sentiments. “I thought it was a great speech. I wasn’t unhappy with the moment. It was perfectly fine.”
QUICKFLIX HEADING CLOSER TO US SALE
The sale of Aussie SVOD Quickflix to US company Karma won’t be ratified until December 13 by the WA Supreme Court. In the meantime, an independent report by BDO Corporate Finance suggests the sale should go through.
The report showed that it was operating at a loss of $15 million when it entered voluntary administration on April 30. It stated that subscriber income dropped from $18.2 million in the 2013 financial year to $9.6 million this year, and in upsetting news to shareholders, that its shares were worthless.
MEAA CRITICISES ABC CHANGES
The program and staff revamp at the ABC, as reported in TMN, has aroused the ire of the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA). In a statement it said, “MEAA members at the ABC are deeply concerned at the latest cuts and are particularly disappointed that such a major management decision was released via press release, without any real consultation with the staff or audience members.”
It wants ABC Managing Director Michelle Guthrie to outline her plan for the broadcaster in the wake of budget cuts, job losses and programming changes.
DARWIN TO EXPAND ARTS AND CULTURAL TEAM
As part of its artistic and cultural strategy – including a trial of live music in libraries and more art in the CBD – City of Darwin is expanding its team calling for an Arts & Cultural Development Coordinator. Deadline is November 28.
The recipient will implement Council’s Arts Plan 2015-2020, the Public Art Pilot Plan and resources the Arts and Cultural Development Advisory Committee.
VOTING BEGINS FOR 4ZZZ HOT 100
Voting for Brisbane community station 4ZZZ’s Hot 100 has begun on its website, with a deadline of midnight December 25. Results will be broadcast the month after. The station launched the Hot 100 in 1976.
LA VENUE PAYS TRIBUTE TO MALCOLM YOUNG
AC/DC co-founder Malcolm Young was honoured by legendary Los Angeles club Whisky A Go Go as a part of a fund raiser for Alzheimer’s Association. Young is currently in full-time care in Sydney after leaving the band in 2014 due to dementia.
A number of heavy metal names – including former AC/DC drummer Simon Wright and Dio Disciples bassist Sean McNabb – performed the AC/DC catalogue as part of the club’s sold out November 15 Ultimate Jam Night. The idea was to raise money for the charity with a live broadcast worldwide.
However a security breach shut down servers and the network, rendering broadcast impossible, the club explained. The evening was filmed for later viewing.
ADELAIDE’S SONG SPACES LAUNCHING
Thursday November 24 marks the official launch (at 10 am) of the new Song Spaces at St Paul’s Creative Centre in Adelaide. Two purpose-built songwriters rooms were created by Arts SA and managed by the Music Development Office.
NZ MUSICAL HISTORY ON SHOW
An exhibition covering the history of New Zealand’s music history has opened at Auckland’s War Memorial Museum until May. The free Volume: Making Music in Aotearoa showcases hundreds of photos, videos and lyrics. Also on show are personal items on loan from NZ names, including Lorde’s 2014 Grammy award.
Interactive features allow visitors becoming a DJ in a studio, browse records in a 1980s-themed record store and “play the opening riff of an iconic Kiwi song.”
SCREEN SECTOR WORTH $3B
Screen Australia’s Screen Currency report estimates that Australian feature films, TV dramas and documentaries contribute $3 billion to the country’s economy, make at least $252 million a year through exports, is responsible for 25,000 jobs and responsible for about 230,000 international tourists visiting or extend their stay each year as a consequence of Australian screen content, spending an estimated $725 million.
TWO UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP
Bathurst, NSW-based Butlers Events and Staging, set up by John Butler in 1970, has been sold to ExpoNet, which will take in Butlers’ 14-strong staff (including Managing Director Tony Butler) to its own workforce of 90. ExpoNet, with offices along the East Coast, supplies gear to 600 exhibition and events set-ups a year
After 20 years, Manny Gauci-Seddon sold instruments and pro-audio store Manny’s in Melbourne’s Fitzroy, to national DJ and pro audio and lighting retailer Store DJ. Manny’s will be given a store redesign and online system change over the next six months.
CALL FOR MUSIC FROM WA’S GREAT SOUTHERN
WA music association WAM’s next instalment of its regional music Sounds Of… series will focus on the Great Southern region. It is calling out to songwriters, musicians and sound engineers to register their interest by January 16. Those selected begin recording in March.
Previous Sounds Of… projects included this year’s Sounds Of The Goldfields and 2015’s ground-breaking Sounds Of The Pilbara II: Songs In Language.
VALE
* Mick Fettes emerged in Madder Lake, a Melbourne progressive rock outfit formed in the late 60s by a number of college students. They were one of the first to sign to the fledgling Mushroom Records. Singles as Goodbye Lollipop and 12lb Toothbrush charted, as did albums Stillpoint (1973) and Butterfly Farm (1974). Fettes left in 1974 to form Bandicoot with comedian Shane Bourne. Fettes returned to the band for a number of reunions. But he retired from performing in 2011 and replaced by Ian Ferguson. Mick Fettes was 65 when he passed on November 18.
* Bryan De Gruchy was an Adelaide-based internationally renowned Luthier who was renowned for not only his instruments but his mentoring of younger talent. He was inducted into the South Australian Hall of Fame last November and in 2012 was the subject of a book written by John Bridgland.
* Award winning Julius Chan worked as a sound engineer on films including Happy Feet, Strictly Ballroom and Babe. He was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List. He joined Amber Technology in May 2004 as a sales engineer specialist for the audio products, broadcast and professional segment. Chan worked with major broadcasters, high-end-post production facilities and music studios.
* Death metal musician Solitary Son released a number of tracks in 2014 and his debut album Searching Souls last year. But the face-tattooed Bronson Ellery, better known to police as the Lizard Man, was a criminal and bikie associate. His body was found in a unit on the Gold Coast in an alleged suicide-murder with his ex-girlfriend Shelsea Schilling.
AND A FEW OTHER THINGS…
Darwin is about to launch a petition to bring Adele to the city next year. The city’s music fans figure that a petition saw AC/DC changing their minds and playing there. Meanwhile Live Nation added second shows for Melbourne’s 53, 359-seater Etihad Stadium and Brisbane’s Gabba (seating 42,000, full capacity near 60,000) after the first sold out in 30 minutes each. There was anger among fans as ticketing websites crashed due to the volume, and tickets were scouted being offered in secondary platforms for up to $5000.
In addition to its funding from Film Victoria, Richard Lowenstein’s doco of Michael Hutchence, Mystify, also got funding from Screen Australia.
A 25-year-old Melbourne man has been charged with urinating on a woman at a Spiderbait concert at the 170 Russell club in February, and faces Melbourne Magistrates Court on April 18.
While French DJ Kungs’ Don’t You Know tops the European Border Breakers Chart, his former chart topping remix of Melbourne band Cookin’ On 3 Burners’ This Girl is still holding on at #8.
While electro performer and DJ Luke Million announced his Live Journey Summer Tour, his last project continues to create waves. In August, his version of the theme to Netflix TV show Stranger Things generated 4 million views in its first week. Its viral reach was greater than the original. Getting coverage across most international news platforms, top 10 Spotify charts of over 10 countries, high rotation on triple j and added to over 50 radio stations across the U.S.
Apple looks like opening its fifth store in Melbourne, this one in Federation Square, apparently finalising three years of negotiations with the Victorian Government.
The Church’s 1988 classic Under The Milky Way has been given a modern rock guitar-pitched treatment by 18-year old Melbourne-based guitarist, songwriter, producer and vocalist Danté. “I knew I needed a special element to achieve the sound I wanted to create,” he says, so he approached a Hunters & Collectors founding member Ray Tosti to help on vocals. Tosti’s brother Ray, an engineer and sessions player, produced the track.
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