Industrial Strength: October 16, 2013

Festivals #1: Tamworth Country Music Festival loses two major events

The Tamworth Country Music Festival in January lost two of its major events. Its major sponsor Toyota will not hold the grand final of its Telstra Road to Discovery talent quest during the festival. Instead, because of its team-up with Bon Jovi this year, where the winner goes on the road with the US band in December, the grand final is in November. In addition, the Tamworth Business Chamber has dropped the popular Queen of Country Music Quest due to “resourcing issues” and a perception it was not a core activity.

Festivals #2: Low figures but Nimbin Roots returning

The second Nimbin Roots Festival, held at at the Nimbin Showground, had lower-than-expected attendance . But organiser Xavier Avogniko claims that it offered a greater experience, with camping and a wider array of artists, and will return in 2014.

Festivals #3: Easterfest still gets Council funding

Queensland’s Easterfest escaped a move by Toowoomba Council to force it to stand on its own feet. Some councillors pushed for the Christian festival to pay 50% of rental for use of Queens Park and to halve its $65,000 subsidy, saying that despite 20,000 attending the event, it wasn’t a money-spinner. But Council has decided to contribute $55,000 towards the 2014 festival.

NSW’s Grove Studios for sale

Grove Studios on the NSW Central Coast was set to go to auction on the weekend, but we’re still awaiting an official confirmation. Set on 10 hectares of quiet bushland near Strickland State Forest, acts using its facilities included INXS, Silverchair, The Whitlams, Eskimo Joe and Delta Goodrem.

Awards #1: contemporary writers for Bush Laureate

The Bush Laureate Awards will next year include a new category next year, to include contemporary song lyric writers. A spokesperson said, “While the current Traditional Song Lyric category covers material in the bush ballad, folk and traditional country genres, we believe it is important to encourage songwriters who are creating a more contemporary style of composition.”

Awards #2:: Stan Walker to co-host NZ event

Australian-based R&B singer Stan Walker will co-host next month’s Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards, alongside its frequent host Shannon Ryan. Walker, originally from NZ, has won five ’Tuis’ (the name of the award) and performed at the 2010 event. This year he gained huge popularity as a judge on X-Factor NZ.

Williams expands

New NZ record label and trust fund Williams Entertainment has set up offices in Sydney as well as Auckland. It was set up by Platinum selling NZ singer J Williams to sign emerging acts and to contribute to community works …

Niche label launches

Melbourne jazz musicians Phil Collings and Colin Hopkins set up Crackbell Records to provide exposure for “niche” style players.

More speakers for WAM Festival Conference

Latest additions to the speaker list for the WAM Festival Music Conference (November 7  and  8, in Perth) are MGM Distribution’s Sebastian Chase, AIR’s Nick O’Byrne, Big Day Out’s Adam Zammit, Warner Music’s Heath Bradby, Tame Impala manager Jodie Regan, and SPA’s Leigh Treweek.

WHISPERS

Which talented country act discovered that when it comes to getting a US release, you go through the chain of command, rather than call in favours from a power broker? It’s backfired.

Which manager burst a lung in a bike accident?

Which long time relationship between a promoter and a manager was severely tested after Mr. Manager bypassed Mr. Promoter to get an international support?

Is the new singer touring with a popular band the same one on their new record?

The Veronicas have hinted on social media they’re trying to escape their record deal as it’s delayed the release of their album this year. The twins excitedly told fans it was due out in February 2013.

The merger between Fairfax Radio and Macquarie Radio Network is still in the gab stages, but investment banks UBS and Macquarie Group have already put their hands up shrieking “pick me, pick me” to handle it (The Australian).

She may be top of the US charts, but Lorde is still a 16-year old, after all. She and her mum sneaked into One Direction’s show in Auckland.

Overheard at the Commercial Radio Australia conference: a disappointed Merrick Watts bummed that Triple M axed his drive show Merrick Watts and The Highway Patrol “just when it was getting into its stride”; Glenn Wheatley, who bought two Sunshine Coast stations this year, is looking to buy more; Kyle Sandiland dismissed whispers of a feud with SCA’s chief Rhys Holleran but emphasised they have yet to agree on a new contract (read: agree on Kyle’s demand for more bucks). Meantime Kyle and Jackie O brought a smile back to the young family of a 32-year old listener by sending them to Bali on an all-paid holiday.

Northern Territory police ramped up their push to close Darwin late night venues. Their association President Vince Kelly publicly accused the NT Government and the liquor industry of risking lives to protect the profits of a handful of hoteliers. (NT News). Meantime a new group called No Curfew has sprung up to lobby against proposed nightclub lockouts in Queensland.

Photo credit: Ken Leanfore

LIFELINES

Split: Kylie Minogue and Spanish model Andres Velencoso after five years, due to their hectic work schedules.

Split: The bitter parting between Jai Brookes of Melbourne’s Janoskians and US singer Ariana Grande hit twitter. He called her a cheat for dumping him to be with Nathan Sykes of The Wanted. She blasted that he’d threatened to make her look bad on social media, “I’m no longer afraid of you or your lies.”

In Court: The lessee of Townsville music venue Newmarket Hotel, Grant Morgan, and the building’s owner Toula Cassimatis are heading to the Supreme Court. Morgan reckons he spent $220,000 on improvements after he took over seven months ago, claiming they was an agreement he would buy it after three years. But he says Cassimatis waited for him to do up the venue and then put it on the market although he was to have first right of purchase. Cassimatis denies she acted deceptively.

Vale: Rod Craig, a co-founder of professional audio visual and digital company Audio Telex Communications, after a four year battle with brain cancer. The company, which began with offices in Sydney and Melbourne in 1973, expanded across Australia and exported to Europe and the Asia Pacific with its range of installation mixers, mixer amplifiers and amplifiers. Craig retired in 2005 when the company was bought out by Hills Industries which his son Stuart now runs (CX News).