Industrial Strength: October 2, 2013
Fine Arts and Artisan nominees announced
The 2013 ARIA Nominees for the Fine Arts and Artisan Award categories including; Best Classical Album, Best Jazz Album, Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album, Best World Music Album, Producer Of The Year, Engineer Of the Year, and Best Cover Art, have been announced this morning.
FINE ARTS NOMINEES:
BEST CLASSICAL ALBUM
Amy Dickson, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra – Catch Me If You Can
David Hansen – Rivals – Arias for Farinelli & Co.
Jane Sheldon – North + South
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Nigel Westlake – Missa Solis: Requiem for Eli
Sally Whitwell – All Imperfect Things: Solo Piano Music of Michael Nyman
BEST JAZZ ALBUM
Andrea Keller – Family Portraits
Jonathan Zwartz – The Remembering & Forgetting of the Air
Renee Geyer – Swing
The Idea Of North – Smile
Tommy Emmanuel & Martin Taylor – The Colonel & The Governor
BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM
Airileke – Weapon of Choice
Joseph Tawadros – Chameleons of the White Shadow
Rasa Duende – Improvisations
Shellie Morris & The Borroloola Songwomen – Together We Are Strong – Ngambala Wiji Li-Wununga The Song Peoples Sessions
Various – Melodie Francaise
BEST ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK/ CAST/ SHOW ALBUM
David Bridie – Satellite Boy
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis Present – Lawless – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Paul Kelly, James Ledger, Genevieve Lacey, ANAM Musicians – Conversations With Ghosts
Tina Arena – Symphony of Life
Various – triple j’s One Night Stand
ARTISAN AWARD NOMINEES:
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Wayne Connolly and Boy & Bear – Boy & Bear, Harlequin Dream
Luke Steele/Nick Littlemore/Peter Mayes/Jonathan Sloan – Empire Of The Sun, Ice On The Dune
Harley Streten – Flume, Flume
Virginia Read – Sally Whitwell, All Imperfect Things: Solo Piano Music of Michael Nyman
Kevin Parker – Tame Impala, Lonerism
ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Dann Hume – Alpine, Seeing Red
Peter Mayes – Empire Of The Sun, Ice On The Dune
Nicky Bomba, Robin Mai – Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Melbourne Ska Orchestra
Virginia Read – Sally Whitwell, All Imperfect Things
Kevin Parker – Tame Impala, Lonerism
BEST COVER ART
Justin Maller – Bliss n Eso, Circus In The Sky
Aaron Hayward and Dave Homer (Debaser) – Empire Of The Sun, Ice On The Dune
Glen Hannah – Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson, Wreck and Ruin
Kevin Parker & Leif Podhajsky – Tame Impala, Lonerism
Graeme Base – The Cat Empire, Steal The Light
The ARIA nominations event takes place in Sydney on October 15 at the Art Gallery of NSW.
The Temper Trap lose guitarist Lorenzo Sillitto
The Temper Trap’s guitarist Lorenzo Sillitto left after eight years, saying, “It was time for me to try new things. I’ve loved everything about The Temper Trap. It’s been an incredible experience.” The band, currently recording its third album, said: “Loz has been a great friend and a valued and important member of The Temper Trap since he joined in 2006. His creativity and commitment to the band over the years has been first class and we wish him all the best with the exciting events that are about to come into his life. The bond we all formed in those early years in Melbourne and endless kilometres in the Tarago has been with us through the good times and got us through the tough times so while we’re sad to lose a guitarist, we are not losing a friend.”
Festivals #1: two-day Stereosonic gets green light in WA
Claremont Council has approved the two-day Stereosonic shows for the Showgrounds, Royal Agricultural Society CEO Peter Cooper has confirmed. Some members of Council had been apprehensive about problems arising as to where out-of-town patrons would spend the night. No camping facilities are available at the Showgrounds, the promoter has emphasized to ticket buyers. Stereosonic will boost demand for hotel accommodation by up to 3000 hotel nights and add $3 million to WA’s economy, according to a report by Pracsys.
Festivals #2: Two day format for CMC Rocks North Queensland?
Next year’s CMC Rocks North Queensland in Townsville could become a two-day event, promoters Rob Potts Entertainment Edge, ChuggEntertainment and Country Music Channel are considering. Last Saturday, 10,600 country fans headed to Reid Park for a day-long event headlined by US superstar Alan Jackson. Others on the nine-hour bill included internationals Sara Evans and Corb Lund and Jasmine Rae, Morgan Evans, Adam Brand, McAlister Kemp, Buddy Goode, The Wolfe Brothers, Jayne Denham and Doug Bruce & The Tailgaters.Crowd members journeyed from all over Queensland, as well as from NSW and the Northern Territory, packing out the streets. Even Jackson, who normally keeps his stage comments to a minimum, loosened up after the screaming response he got when he walked on stage. Rob Potts told Industrial Strength he was “pretty confident” of a move to a two-day format in 2014, especially given the amount of hardcore country music fans in the region, but it would ultimately depend on which major international country act they could get. Interestingly, the average age of the patron at CMC Rocks North Queensland is 24. The average age for CMC Rocks The Hunter (Valley, NSW) is 27. The first CMC Rocks North Queensland was in 2010, when headliner Tim McGraw drew 11,900. The numbers have held up despite lower attendances of late for rock bands in Far North Queensland as the economy downturn hits, especially young males.
Festivals #3: first release tix for Future Music sell out
First release tickets for the new-look Future Music sold out almost immediately in three states after tickets went on sale at noon on Tuesday (Oct 1). New promoters Mushroom Group reported that the first round of tickets went in 35 minutes in Sydney, under two hours in Melbourne and just over 3½ hours in Brisbane. The second round of tickets are on sale.
Festivals #4: Blues Train launches Motor City
As part of its 20th celebrations next year, The Blues Train is launching its own music festival in Geelong., Victoria The Motor City Music Festival (March 7 to 9 long weekend) has 40 acts on five stages, a family day on the Sunday and a dedicated Blues Train stage “with your favourite acts past and present.” Geelong (ala Geetroit) was of course where the ute was invented in 1934.
Festivals #5: Falls Byron sells out
After Falls Lorne (Vic) sold out early, the inaugural Falls Byron Bay sold out on the weekend. The only alternative is Falls Marion Bay (Tas), which traditionally draws 60% of its crowd from the mainland. Falls Tasmania has brought back its Foster Band Initiative. Seven media organisations pick a Tassie act and promote it through October. The public wins the most worthy and votes them onto the bill. The Mercuryadopted Lulu and the Paige-Turners, The Examiner (The Stayns),The Advocate (The Habits), Togatus (The Middle Names),Tasmaniantimes.com (Alan Gogoll), Warp (Sin and Tonics) and Aphra Magazine (Seth Henderson & The Beautiful Chain).
Festivals #6: Woodford Folk launches ‘monsters’ theme, poster
Woodford Folk Festival director Bill Hauritz admits that its 2013/4 theme came from a Mahatma Gandhi quote: “The only devils in this world are those running around in our own hearts, and that is where all our battles should be fought.” The theme, launched last week ahead of the program launch in mid-October, is to explore our inner monsters and recognise them as manifestation of our fears. “Finding universal themes and applying these to festivals is not easy” said Hauritz of the “love your monsters” theme. “We saw some wonderful children’s drawings of their monsters and Gandhi’s quote seemed to pull it all together for us.” From August, the festival tapped the Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay Regional communities to create the Monster Project which saw hundreds of children’s monster drawings exhibited in Woodford and on the Sunshine Coast. Three children’s monsters will be brought to life as giant six metre puppets at The Monster Parade at the festival. The 2013/4 poster was chosen from six designs by Woodford Folk’s resident designer Gavin Ryan.
Festivals #7: River Rock stopped
Somerset Regional Council in regional Queensland stopped the River Rock Music Festival, which was to be held on November 9 on a 32-hectare site at Dead Horse Lane in Toogoolawah. Five thousand punters were expected to see 24 bands and camp overnight. Council initiated legal action claiming safety concerns and that promoters Rockden Promotions had not complied with local laws, not made adequate arrangements in notifying police and ambulance services or supplied traffic management plans and public liability insurance details.Rockden’s Mario Tedeschi told The Gatton Star that he had informed Council of his plans in May and “I got stuffed around for three months.” Tedeschi added, “I’ve bent over backwards and did everything and they reject it. It was to bring something to Toogoolawah and to put them on the map. That’s their loss and I’ll take it elsewhere then.”
South By Southwest application deadline
Great deals have come out for Aussies showcasing at South By Southwest (SxSW). The deadline is October 11 to apply online with an EPK through SonicBids (www.sonicbids.com). In 2013, a total of 2,325 acts performed at the festival (including 600 non-USA acts from 55 countries) on 100 stages in downtown Austin. Of 240 Australian bands which applied, 70 were invited to showcase but only 40 were able to make the trip due to budgeting, recording, touring or other commitments. Australian artists have the resources of industry export promotion body Sounds Australia behind them which sets up additional shows in addition to the sole official showcase each band gets. The bands play for 25,000+ industry attendees, including 3,000+ media reps.
The Song Room brings back PlayAir
Three in 4 Australian children have little more than ‘air’ to play, because that’s how many miss out on music education at school. That can be changed by getting instruments in their hands. The Song Room’s PlayAir campaign allows patrons to either purchase a PlayAir Air Instrument or hold their own PlayAir fundraiser between now and Friday November 10. These can be gigs, Air Guitar championships, karaoke events, a ‘Dress as a Rock Star Day’ for a gold coin donation (or something more creative), or sell PlayAir Air Instruments for them in schools or workplaces. Go to www.playair.com.au or contact their Fundraising Team at [email protected] or (03) 9495 6422 to tell them all about your fundraising ideas.
Music Tasmania gets funding
Tasmania’s peak contemporary music association Music Tasmania was among arts associations which got funding for 2014 from the State Government. The money will be used to provide professional development and promotional opportunities for musicians, and deliver the annual Amplified festival. Of the $2.2 million-plus funding given out, $1,356,805 was new funding and $849 800 to those currently completing multi-year agreements.
TRIPPING
Which rough, tough band who had some cash nicked from their motel room refused to contact police, saying they had some “heavy” friends who’d sort it out for them?
Who is the Australian R&B singer who has been collaborating in Los Angeles with US electronica dance artist Abby Cubey, who’s up for three awards in the upcoming Los Angeles Music Awards?
Daft Punk’s Get Lucky is 5 x platinum in Australia while One Direction’s Best Song Ever gained its first platinum.
Kings of Leon coming in at #3 on the ARIA chart this week withMechanical Bull takes their total stay at the top spot in Australia to 17 weeks. They move up to equal 31st on the list of ‘Most Accumulated Weeks at No.1: Albums’ alongside John Lennon who also notched up seventeen weeks at No.1 from three albums, reveals The Gavin Ryan Report. The album becomes the second chart topper in Australia to have a “mechanical” in the title (Marilyn Manson’s Mechanical Animalswas the other) and is the second to have a “bull”. The last time that happened was October 1972 when Cat Stevens’ Catch Bull At Fourwent toppermost of the poppermost for seven weeks.
Australian band Wishing Well were bemused to play a VW (Volkswagen) festival in Germany. “We never really imagined that our music would be the perfect soundtrack to a car show but did find it pretty amusing that we were the only ones as far as the eye could see with a Ford Transit.”
New Zealand’s Rock FM is offering a prize to listeners – a flight to the Gold Coast – to get away from Justin Bieber hysteria in NZ. Biebs in the meantime kicked out his two house sitters from his Californian pad: they threw some parties there and some of the singer’s jewellery went missing.
Jason Derulo told Nova he’s buying a house in Sydney and wants to raise his kids here. “I want Australian kids, I don’t really want American kids,” he said. “American kids have got too many problems. I want some Aussie babies.”
The lengthy divorce of two US music executives after 20 years is getting nastier. Jason Flom, who signed Katy Perry is CEO of Lava Records, home to Matchbox 20, Kid Rock, Sugar Ray and currentlyJessie J, and worth up to US$100 million, says the NY Post. His wife, former Atlantic Records A&R exec Wendy Berry Flom, wants half his fortune saying she helped him set up Lava in 2009. (NY Post).
15 year old Aaliyah Warren of Mackay didn’t make the full distance onThe X Factor. But her audition tape has had 250,000 YouTube hits and attracted international interest, says Sydney-based Creative Dreams Entertainment’s Ryan Buckland. Warren has been in a studio in Sydney for five days recording her originals, as well as covers, to upload.
LIFELINES
Married: Tasmanian guitarist and songwriter Reuben Koops, 20, who announced his engagement to long time girlfriend Tanisha, 19, when appearing on Australia’s Got Talent with his song We’re Going to Say I Do, got around to saying I do in Launceston. He’s now in the show’s finals.
Ill: Breeze FM Queensland breakfast announcer Bruce Neels revealed he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease several years ago, to raise awareness of the disease. His bosses at Rebel Media donated $100,000 worth of airtime to bolster donations to a drive to raise awareness and funding.
Investigated: Western Australia police are investigating if One Direction’s entourage ran several red lights when the British band made a dash from Perth airport to their hotel to outrace fans who greeted them as they touched down at 1.30 am. An unimpressed Assistant Commissioner Nick Anticich growled no one was above the law and warned the band and its entourage, “You’re playing with your life and the life of other road users.”
In Court: Sydney band Sticky Fingers’ singer Dylan Frost’s Rottnest Island (WA) case has been adjourned until January. Which is good timing as he’s currently on tour with the band, with dates in Newcastle and Perth sold out. Frost was arrested when he climbed the roof of the stage structure during the band’s set at the Rottofest (September 7 and 8) and stage diving into the 2,000-strong crowd. He was charged with disorderly conduct and failing to leave the island when given notice.
Vale: Tasmanian pianist, conductor, composer, Dr Rex Hobcroft, AM, died in Perth aged 88. He was also founding director of the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music.
Vale: rising Shepparton (Vic) rapper Ridge Hilton, 17, died in a house fire after a party he held. The fire began in a bedroom after 4 am, and his house guests escaped assuming he had too. Hilton was born in Auckland, and earlier this year posted his song LSC Anthem on YouTube.
NUMBER CRUNCHING
3.6 million TV viewing audience for last weekend’s AFL Grand Final in Melbourne, giving valuable exposure to Hunters & Collectors, Birds of Tokyo and Tina Arena who provided entertainment. 208,602 watched the game via social media and news sites, with 160,704 twitter mentions.
1.2 million viewers for Nine Network’s The Footy Show Grand Final, a bonus for Birds of Tokyo, Bernard Fanning and You Am I who featured.
$1 billion what US headphone company Dr. Dre Beats Electronics was valued at after the sale of a minority stake in the business to private equity firm Carlyle Group. The producer rapper is tipped to make $250 million as a result. The brand accounts for two-thirds of $100 headphones sold in the US.
71 Grant Broadcasters radio stations stopped live streaming until record companies come up with a new licensing rate which they deem acceptable.
15 minutes into Azealia Banks’ 50-minute scheduled set at Sydney’s Listen Out festival, the American rapper stormed off after an idiot in the 9000-strong audience threw a beer can at her. She came back for another song.
15 weeks accumulated by Katy Perry on top of the ARIA charts with Roar staying at #1 for a fifth non-consecutive week. This puts her at #49 on the list of acts with Most Accumulated Weeks at No.1 (1940-2013), says The Gavin Ryan Report. She ties with George Michael, Roy Orbison and Guy Sebastian.
49% year-on-year spike in online traffic to 2.8 million unique monthly browsers for August 2013 for all Southern Cross Austereo brands. It was the highest month ever for the Today (up 81%) and Triple M (32%) networks.
7.9% decline each year for the past five years in alcohol related assaults in NSW after the introduction of tougher conditions for venues and drinkers, according to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics.
$5.5 million raised by DVD rental and online streaming company Quickflix for use for greater marketing and more content, says CEOStephen Langsford.
15th chart topping single for Keith Urban in America with Little Bit of Everything this week.