Industrial Strength: October 11
CHAINSMOKERS THANK AUSTRALIA
The Chainsmokers(pictured) have sent a message to Australian fans via their record company Sony Music Entertainment Australia. They were responding to news that their single Closer is now the longest running #1 single for 2016 after staying at top spot for its ninth consecutive week.
Alex & Drew said, “Is there any better news than waking up and finding out you have had the longest running ARIA #1 single in Australia this year. Let me tell you, the answer is no! We cannot believe what our song has achieved. We cannot wait to come back and make so many memories with you all.”
WHY AUSTRALIA’S LABOR PARTY WANT TO COPY SXSW
Last week’s brouhaha in Canberra over the naming of an ACT festival similar to America’s South By Southwest was inevitable. As reported in TMN when first announced, the ACT Labor Party promised on its electoral platform a music, movie and interactive venture for the ACT under the name South by Southeast.
Next came a tap on their collective shoulder from SXSW’s local rep Phil Tripp, who advised them they had infringed trademark. How so? Because SXSW has copyrighted its name in Australia, as well as variations as South by South East, North by Northwest, South by South by South and North by Northeast.
Tripp told TMN that ACT Labor had innocently not realised the name was already trademarked. “They are changing the name so there is no chance of misinterpreting any association.”
Given that SXSW is such a mecca for Australians grasping for deals – 750 paid attendees this year, 47 acts showcased out of 75 invites, compared to 2002 when Tripp took over when there were 20 delegates and five showcases – it’s inevitable that governments or peak music associations from NSW, VIC, QLD and WA have approached to align themselves or set up a sister event. All were politely refused.
HUTCHENCE, FARRISS, INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME
INXS’s formidable songwriting partnership of Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss will be inducted into the Australian Songwriters Association’s Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame on December 14. Hutchence’s sister Christina will fly to Sydney from the US to accept the honour on his behalf, good buddy Glenn A Baker will do the induction and Jon Stevens will perform two songs.
NICK CAVE MOVIE BACK ONE MORE TIME
Andrew Dominik’s 3D black-and-white documentary One More Time With Feeling – featuring Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds creating their Skeleton Tree album – returns to Australia for one time, on December 1. See nickcave.com for times and cinemas.
The movie was screened worldwide for one day on September 8 in 950 cinemas in 30 countries. About 125,000 fans caught the film, some screenings sold out.
BOOK: GREAT WHITE SHARKS LOVE AC/DC!
AC/DC’s You Shook Me All Night Long and If You Want Blood (You Got It) are particularly loved by Great White sharks, says a new book. Radio presenter Lliana Bird and neuroscientist Dr Jack Lewis, who penned The Mice Who Sing For Sex: And Other Weird Tales From The World Of Science, say that while sharks don’t have ears, they are drawn to the low frequency pulsing sounds prevalent in heavy metal songs.
In 2011, South Australian boat charter operator Matt Waller told ABC Radio that divers play heavy metal music in the water as it makes them less aggressive.
X FACTOR FIGURES UP AND DOWN
X Factor Australia ratings for this season haven’t settled down. Last Sunday, the Seven Network reality music series was at 914,000 metros.
Last Tuesday it was 895,000 and Wednesday dipped to 809,000.
REPORT: YOUNG AUDIENCES MOVING FROM BROADCAST TV
The latest multi-screen report shows younger Australian audiences are definitely moving from broadcast TV. The 18-24s demographic is most likely to watch videos on the internet, claiming 21 hours 52 minutes per viewer per month. A total of 23.5 million viewers spend an average of 7hrs 37 minutes per month.
People over 40 are being glued to their TV set. But the amount of Aussies being reached by TV now down to 88.1% down from 88.3% in February 2015. The worse hit is the 25—39 group, most beloved by advertisers, which now have a TV reach of 81.8% compared to 84.2% last year.
BENEFIT FOR CAROL LLOYD
Music and entertainment acts are playing a homage-cum-fund raiser for Brisbane singer Carol Lloyd who in 2014 was diagnosed with terminal pulmonary fibrosis.
Among those gathering at QPAC, Concert Hall in Brisbane on October 20 are Katie Noonan & george, Kate Miller-Heidke, Troy Cassar-Daly and his family, The Kransky Sisters, Bob Downe, Emma Dean, Women In Voice and an offshoot of the Queensland Chamber Orchestra.
PUBLIC VOTING BEGINS FOR AGE MUSIC VICTORIA AWARDS
Public voting has begun for the 11th The Age Music Victoria Awards, to be staged on Wednesday November 16 as part of Melbourne Music Week. While the usual suspects King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and The Drones were multi-nominees, so too were up-comers Camp Cope, Alex Lahey and Olympia.
Up for Best Album are Camp Cope’s Camp Cope, The Drones’ Feelin Kinda Free, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s Nonagon Infinity, NO ZU’s Afterlife and Olympia’s Self Talk.
Gonged for Best Band are Camp Cope, Dorsal Fins, The Drones, Gold Class and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.
Best Venue Over 500 Capacity: 170 Russell, Corner Hotel, Croxton Bandroom, Forum, Melbourne Recital Centre.
Best Venue Under 500 Capacity: The Curtin, Gasometer, Howler, Old Bar, The Tote.
Best Festival: Boogie, Cherry Rock Meredith Music, Paradise Music.
AIRBOURNE GAIN HIGHEST CHART PLACES
Victorian hard rock band Airbourne’s Breakin’ Outta Hell (Spinefarm / Caroline Australia) has scored their highest ever week-one chart positions. Germany (#3), Austria (#3), Switzerland (#4) and United Kingdom (#9) lead the charge. It also debuted at #1 in Canada’s Hard Music chart and #8 in the US Hard Music chart.
Other first week positions, many of them the band’s highest rating in those territories, were France (#12), Australia (#13), Finland (#24), Sweden (#36), Belgium (#29), Spain (#50) and Italy (#71).
FIRE SALE FOR 2CH?
Macquarie Media is in talks with The Australian Media and Communications Authority (ACMA) as to why it hasn’t pressed the “sold!” button on 2CH. When Macquarie merged with Fairfax Radio it had to get rid of 2CH as part of the “two stations a city” rule as it already had 2GB and 2UE.
ACMA has already given two extensions, on March 30 and September 30. No more can be given, ACMA says, so the network might go for a forced fire sale.
STAGE & SCREEN RETURNS
Foxtel Arts (Channel 133) is bringing back its weekly arts guide and review program Stage & Screen tomorrow (Wednesday October 12) at 8 pm AEST. Host Deborah Hutton is joined by regulars movie reviewer Margaret Pomeranz, TV critic Graeme Blundell, arts writer Chris Hook and arts identity Leo Schofield.
Tomorrow’s episode includes a behind-the-scenes look at the Aladdin musical, the third in the Da Vinci Code franchise and sci-fi drama West World.
Next week Schofield interviewing rising South African opera star Pumeza.
MORE TOURS FOR REGIONAL VICTORIA
The Victorian State Government’s new Small Regional Presenters program extends more touring to new places. Grants of up to $15,000 are available to regional arts presenters – including not for profit arts groups and societies, venues and local councils – to put on music events in their communities. It is part of the Labor Government’s $20 million Regional Arts Package, delivered in the 2015/16 Victorian Budget.
MAGGIE MOO MUSIC ENTERS AUSTRALIA
UK’s Maggie Moo Music, which is aimed at under-5s with 125 infectious songs, cute farmyard characters and sensory ‘moosical’ format, has set up in Australia. The local operations is run by franchising professional Carolyn Dufton who expects 20 franchises up locally by Christmas.
NEW SERVICE FOR VINYL LOVERS
Australian vinyl lovers now get a one-stop service called FinestVinyl. Its mail order platform has long been established in Europe. Now music industry exec and German expat Tex Bauckhorn has introduced it locally.
A bi-weekly bulk shipment offers cheaper and faster FinestVinyl’s European catalogue covering pop, rock, punk, jazz and classical including limited editions and rarities.
The FinestVinyl Australia team also provides their expertise and contacts in vinyl manufacturing with quality European pressing plants for local artists, labels and retailers. Your contact is [email protected]
AND A FEW OTHER THINGS…
Colorado based hearing aid developers Asius are to meet up with AC/DC’s Brian Johnson for a second time so he can test a prototype that could help protect his hearing in the live arena. Asius’ Chief Scientist Stephen Ambrose said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if we have something that Brian, and other people, can use to return to the stage without any threat of damage to his hearing within the next six to 12 months.”
Tim Finn, whose 18-year-old son Harper has been playing keyboards in his band the past year, says that his 13-year-old daughter Elliot is also taking that path. She plays bass, drums and sings, and he says he’s chuffed when she collars him for a jam session. Finn, whose first musical Ladies In Black has been critically received, has two more in the pipeline.
Daniel Johns’ two Bondi, Sydney, apartments finally sold as part of a $12 million sale of all seven in the building block. The sale quietly happened in July to Sussan Group CEO Naomi Milgrom.
Pity Melbourne band Clowns. In the angry response to idiots dressing up as scary clowns to intimidate folks, the band’s copped hate-mail as a result!
The opening of Auckland’s first K-Pop Music store was a packed house.
Paul Kelly & Charlie Owen’s Heavenly Sounds tour in churches and cathedrals have gone down a storm. Second shows are added in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane with the tour extended to Cairns and Darwin in mid-December.
The deadline for nominations for NSW Northern Rivers’ 25th Dolphin Awards are extended to Friday October 14. They are open to all unsigned original musicians in the (02) 66 telephone area code.
The first Victorian edition of Hush: An Evening Of Quiet Music is staged in Parliament House on November 15 and 16 as part of Melbourne Music Week. Dan Kelly, Teeth & Tongue, Melody Pool, The Grand Magoozi, Jess Ribeiro, Man Made Mountain and Sui Zhen play before a crowd that is not allowed to make any noise. It was established in 2012 by singer songwriter Davey Craddock and triple j presenter Stacy Gougoulis who were sick of attending gigs wrecked by “noisy idiots up the back”.
All 130,000 tickets for Glastonbury 2017 sold out in 50 minutes. Two million people applied.
Operating profits at Beggars Group – home to 4AD, Matador, Rough Trade Records, XL Recordings and Young Turks— shot up to £16.7 million (A$27.3 million) on revenues of £72.9 million ($119.1 million) in 2015 – a 229.2% rise. Adele’s 25 was responsible for the increase, having sold 10 million copies in the UK and US by the end of 2015 despite being released only that November.
The upcoming Volume: Making Music in Aotearoa exhibition in Auckland Museum has 200 objects that played a significant part in the history of NZ’s popular music. It includes Split Enz stage costumes, Lorde’s 2014 Grammy and the dress she wore to the ceremony, Chris Knox’s 4-track recording machine and Hello Sailor guitarist Harry Lyon’s Fender Stratocaster.
In another episode to show how radio connects us, Toowoomba’s CFM was remembering how seven years ago, one Hannah McLaren rang their morning dudes Hamish & Burgo to say that she was in the middle of delivering a kid! After getting over the show, he pair rushed down afterwards to say hello to new arrival, Josephine, who was born two hours after the call.
Among the 44 2016 finalists in New Zealand for Wellingtonian of the Year is Samuel Flynn Scott of The Phoenix Foundation.