Industrial Strength: Part 1

Image: Martin Garrix

VIC GOVT SETS UP CONNECT AND CREATE WITH APRA AMCOS

The Victorian Government has set up a three-year program called Connect and Create with APRA AMCOS to help the state’s songwriters and composers.

Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley met with a group of artists including singer/songwriters Megan Washington and Georgi Kay; film composer Francois Tetaz and Evermore’s Jon Hume, to announce the new program.

Connect and Create will be made up of two streams.

The first is SongHubs, a series of immersive writing camps that will pair Victorian artists with international songwriters and producers. The second is a new songwriting festival which will include panels, masterclasses, workshops and performances.

SongHubs is an extension of a global program piloted by APRA AMCOS in 2013.

APRA AMCOS data shows that of the ten top suburbs where songwriters live, six are in Melbourne.

POLLIES DECLARE SPRINGSTEEN TICKETS

Bruce Springsteen tickets are among gifts given to Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Darren Chester, Labor frontbencher Brendan O’Connor and WA Labor MP Matt Keogh.

Also put through the wringer are Victoria’s Attorney-General Martin Pakula and Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan who were chauffeured to Springsteen’s show in Hanging Rock at taxpayers’ expense.

Both said they had been invited by Frontier Touring and used the opportunity to discuss staging more concerts in regional Victoria. The local Macedon MP also attended, but she opted to hop on a bus.

AUSTRALIA’S SLIMEFEST HEADING TO AMERICA

Popular Australian kids’ brand Nickelodeon SlimeFest will be staged in America in 2018. No details have been released on which city will host it, but Los Angeles and Orlando, Florida, have been mentioned.

Nickelodeon Australia launched it in 2012 with shows in Sydney and Melbourne. Last year’s was hosted by Delta Goodrem with guests OMI, Havana Brown, G.R.L., In Stereo, Mashd N Kutcher and Megan Nicole.

The format was adopted in Spain, Italy, and the UK.

WA LABOR PROMISES MICRO-FESTIVALS, POP UP BARS

Labor, which is leading the election polls in Western Australia, has promised to champion micro-festivals and pop-up bars if elected.

It would be easier for existing venues to host pop-up bars for short periods in small spaces such as laneways, streets, streetscapes, parks and open spaces.

Labor WA leader Mark McGowan said venues had complained it was difficult to hold festivals on land that was surrounded by other venues.

AHA WA CEO Bradley Woods applauded the move, saying micro-festivals will be a boost to activating hospitality in local community spaces, laneways, streets and parks.

“Labor’s micro bar policy will create jobs by supporting existing local venues and encouraging them to operate small eclectic bars during festivals and street events,” Woods said.

“The removal of red tape respects existing venues and will encourage even more dynamic hospitality innovations. It will enhance options not only for locals but for tourists.

“Existing venues that want to operate micro or pop-up bars nearby are currently faced with too many red tape restrictions. Labor’s approach to allowing these micro bars will remove barriers to innovation and job creation.

Labor says the Liquor Control Act would also be changed to add a public interest assessment, allowing a venue’s tourism, cultural and community benefits to be considered in their licence applications.

GARRIX IN THE RED ROOM

Nova Entertainment snared the global #1 ranking DJ Martin Garrix, for its Nova Red Room in March. Garrix, who won two awards at the recent MTV European awards – for Best Electronic and Best World Stage Performance – has released a new track Scared To Be Lonely with Dua Lipa, as a follow-up to the million-selling In The Name of Love with Bebe Rexha.

TINIE TEMPAH ON [V] HITS ISLAND

Brit hip hop starTinie Tempah will feature in [V] Hits Island Party’s last sunset event of this summer on March 9. Aside from his hits, he’s also performing two tracks from his March 31-due third album Youth.

Fraser Stark, Foxtel’s Arts & Music Channel Manager said: “[V] Hits has been a massive supporter of Tinie Tempah since his very early days and we’re thrilled to host him now on Sydney Harbour and on Foxtel.”

ELEVEN YOUTH EVENTS FOR NSW’S INDENT

Eleven groups of people aged 12—25 will stage all-ages music events across the state. They share in the NSW Government’s $50,000 Indent program to support young musicians. It involves them dealing with local councils, youth services, police and community groups.

Under the auspices of Music NSW, the initiatives include the third 4Elements hip hop festival in Bankstown, Gosford’s Youth Arts Warehouse to deliver three events, Taree’s Manning Youth Action Team to deliver Live ‘n’ Loud for the tenth year and Bathurst Regional Youth Council to deliver three music events through the year.

CrankFest ARTS Team in Evans Head will deliver Crankfest for the tenth year, and now the largest regional youth festival on the Far North Coast.

Currents in Moruya will deliver the all-ages Get off Your Rockers! with a focus on raising mental health awareness, Mosman’s Vocal Rewind to celebrate local music talent, and Campbelltown’s Youth Entertainment Reference Group to hold heats to play Fisher’s Gig,

The Cessnock Youth Entertainment Committee will deliver an all-original live event called Hullaballoo, Bondi Blitz Planning Committee will hold a free event at Bondi Beach for 12—25-year-olds, and LiquidFest 2017 Organising Committee to stage the event to celebrate emerging Queanbeyan talent.

CLOSING: BLACK WIRE RECORDS

Sydney inner west DIY label, record store and venue Black Wire Records has decided to close up in the next couple of weeks. It has made no secret of the fact that business is tough out there, but was hoping things might improve.

A MARGARITAVILLE IN BYRON BAY?

US musician and entrepreneur Jimmy Buffett confirms that when he’s in Byron Bay to exclusively play Bluesfest, he’ll also be scouting a site for the next Australian opening of his Margaritaville restaurant.

He also wants to meet with local businesses to chat about a partnership in the venture. Of course, if they don’t want to get involved in the munchies, Buffett this week announced the brand name would be extended to retirement homes across America. (Cue plenty of “wasting away” jokes from the media.)

The first Margaritaville restaurant in Australia opened in Pyrmont, Sydney, in 2012.

CLOSED: CX TV

CX Media, which covers the Australian pro-audio sector, has closed its CX TV division after seven years and decommissioned its studio in Chatswood, Sydney. The print and online versions continue.

LAUNCESTON THIEVES STEAL SIX GUITARS

Phil McCafferty only opened his store Man Cave Tasmania in Launceston three months ago – and already he’s been hit by thieves. His place was broken into and six guitars stolen. Aside from the $5000 cost of the instruments, he also has to fork out for the front door the thieves broke to get in.

FIRST ARTISTS ANNOUNCED FOR SYDNEY DRUM & PERCUSSION SHOW

The inaugural Sydney Drum and Percussion Show (May 27 & 28 at Rosehill Gardens Grand Pavilion) announced its first round of artists include Belgium’s Michael Schack, Lucius Borich, Sydney singer, songwriter and band leader Lozz Benson and Sydney’s Band of Brothers.

Presented by Australian Musician and the Australian Music Association (which runs the Melbourne Guitar Show), the two-day event offers live sets, workshops, information seminars, demonstrations and a wide array of drum gear as orchestral percussion, electronic percussion, drum sets, cymbals, hand percussion and accessories.

SDPS organiser Rob Walker says, “There’s so much about percussion. It’s the world’s most accessible form of music – people take their first steps in music through percussion.

“ We are excited to showcase our industry’s products and the wealth of local talent that Sydney and Australia has to offer as well as some international guests – we want to grow our drum & percussion community, educate and entertain you.”

TWO ARTS LEGAL FIRMS MERGE

Stephen Digby’s Digby Law and Stephen von Muenster’s von Muenster Solicitors have come together to create Digby von Muenster Law (DVM Law). It will cover the arts, music, advertising, PR, communications, marketing and media law.

Senior associate Sam Berry has also joined the firm after 10 years at Holding Redlich.

OCEAN ALLEY DROP DOCO

Sydney reggae psychedelic fusion champions Ocean Alley have released new single Overgrown along with a 35-minute documentary of their 2016 European tour behind their debut album Lost Tropics.

The European trip, their first, covered 40 shows in two months. Their dates through the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France and the UK saw them joined by local filmmaker Tyler Bell (The Sauce).

The band has also performed in New Zealand and New Caledonia.

BURNING MAN COMMISSIONS GOLD COAST ARTIST

America’s Burning Man festival has commissioned Gold Coast award winning artist Clayton Thompson to create a tribute to victims of the 2015 Paris attacks. Thompson will create 131 orbs, one for each of the victims, which will be partly assembled in Australia and then sent to the US by August when the festival is held.

ACE RADIO SETS UP DIGITAL DIVISION

As part of a strategy to expand revenue, regional ACE Radio Network has set up a digital arm. ACE Digital will provide a strategy for clients trying to get into the social media landscape, and also build multi-functional websites for its clients in Victoria. It will be run by new GM Grant Johnstone, who ran its two Gippsland stations.

AND A FEW OTHER THINGS …

• Justin Bieber jetted into Perth and checked into the $25-a-night Chairman’s Villa at Crown Towers yesterday. Instead of spray painting the place (as he did in 2013 with the QT on the Gold Coast) he went to the Leederville skate park and hung out with the locals before playing to 25,000 fans at the nib Stadium.
• Meantime, keeping an eye on the star from the other side of the country is Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate. He warns The Bieb is welcome on his turf (the singer is staying in Coolangatta instead of Brisbane) as long as the aerosol can is left behind. If you want to leave a mark, go plant a tree, he recommends.
• Under new laws being mooted by the WA Government, the Police Commissioner will no longer be involved in challenging liquor licence applications – only if Liquor Licensing asks for a report or if there is a question about anapplicant being a fit and proper person. The West Australian says Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan intervened in applications 535 times in 2011 and 2012.
• After working for four years on his animated musical Larrikins to be made in the Aussie outback, Tim Minchin says new executives at Dreamworks have axed the project.
• Jimmy Barnes’ final Working Class Boy show at the Sydney State Theatre is to be filmed for a “movie and television event.”
• Look out for the official announcement of Korean pop music and cultural convention KCON being staged in Australia, probably in September. Australia and Mexico are two countries added to the schedule this year.
• Neil Finn, who drew 15,000 to his opening set at the Adelaide Festival, is going through a prolific period and predicts there will be two albums from him in 2017.
• We’re not sure how this transpired, but Clive Palmer is spruiking upcoming dates by Peking Duk. In a video posted online, the big feller reckons, “My lips are licking for a nice Peking Duk, but it’s a different sort of Peking Duk. I’ll be there watching them and I hope you will be too.”
• Sydney duo Horrorshow are about to unveil some overseas shows. The first is the Soundset Festival (May 9, Minnesota) which will see them chilling backstage with Travis Scott, Atmosphere, Gucci Mane, Mac Miller and Lauryn Hill.
• Sydney’s All Our Exes Live in Texas are living it up on dates before they meet up with their exes at SXSW in (Austin) Texas. They spent a day in Albany, New York, buying up vintage clothes from a store called Eclectic Ladyland. LA wasn’t so exciting for Hannah Crofts – she had to spend her time at the Australian Consulate after she accidentally tore her passport in half.
• Gold Coast singer and entertainer Greg Doolan of Wickety Wak fame had his final full house. In fact, 600 turning up to his funeral delayed proceedings by an hour, due to the traffic jam caused.
• Colleagues and listeners of Sydney radio and voiceover identity Grant Goldman are rallying around as he battles terminal cancer. A GoFundMe page has a target of $120,000 for medical expenses, while a Black Tie For Grant charity gala is on Saturday April 8 at the Terry Hills Golf Club.
• You might need to top up your insurance if you’re going to the Adelaide Fringe. A circus aerialist fell two metres during the Filament show and was carted off to hospital with a toe injury. Then an attendee was struck by a falling 18cm gum tree branch, but escaped with just a graze.