Industrial Strength: Part 2

NIGHTLIFE PROVIDES CROWDDJ FIGURES

Nightlife Music released figures for the first year of CrowdDJ. Over 5 million (5,032,459) songs were selected during the year in 785 different venues, with fitness clubs among the top locations.

The top Aussie pick was Illy ft. Vera Blue’s Papercuts. Drake’s One Dance was the most picked song released in 2016, while AC/DC’s Thunderstruck was the most selected from that era. The heaviest song in the Top 100 was Slipknot’s Before I Forget.

Lose Yourself by Eminem was the most picked song across all sectors. In fact, it was played for 2,237 hours – or 3 months straight with nothing but Lose Yourself playing on loop.

NEW CATEGORY FOR GOLD COAST AWARDS

This year’s Gold Coast Music Awards introduce a new category, Album of the Year, making a total of seven. Nominations have opened for this, as well as Artist, Breakout Artist (rebranded from Emerging Artist), Song, Video, Live Music Venue and Live Music Event until March 10.

As previously announced, the awards move to Surfers Paradise this year, staged on Thursday April 27 as the opener of the Surfers Paradise LIVE festival.

Judges are Chloe Goodyear (Woodford Folk Festival), Gina Martin (photographer), Hannah Morrison (Griffith University Queensland Conservatorium SEED program), Julia Bridger (Bleach Festival), Lucy Fisher (Gold Coast Film Festival), Cindy Jensen (Buskers by the Creek), Mark Duckworth (Blues on Broadbeach), Guy Cooper (Serotonin Productions), Trevor Jackson (journalist), Ryan Van Gennip (Australian Music Week) and Graham Ashton (Footstomp).

OZ DAY RATINGS …

With most eyeballs on the tennis and the cricket, Ten’s telecast of Australia Day 2017 – Live at Sydney Opera House drew an overnight metro 317,000. About 4,500 bought tix to see Tina Arena, Guy Sebastian, Human Nature and The Wiggles. The NSW Government put in $370,000 towards the show and the Opera House waived its fee.

The ABC trotting out a replay of Crowded House at the Opera House backfired with only 124,000 tuning in.

Both shows were staged at the Opera House forecourt. This comes at a time when heritage advocates express concern about the amount of events are being staged on the forecourt.

…WHILE CANBERRA’S CONCERT PULLS 50,000

According to the ACT Government, its inaugural concert & fireworks event Australia Day In The Capital drew 50,000. That was less than the 70,000 who turned up just for the fireworks last year.

Canberra’s traditional free Australia Day Live concert on Australia Day Eve has been staged on the lawns of Parliament House since 2004. According to the Canberra Times, it drew between 20,000 to 25,000, although last year it dropped to 15,000.

As part of other changes, this year the National Australia Day Council axed the concert. With ten days to stage it, the ACT Government suddenly announced its own concert, alongside its annual firework display.

CLOUDS MEAN CIRRUS BUSINESS

‘90s Sydney band The Clouds return in 2017 with their first new material in 20 years – the track Mabel’s Bookshop is out as a digital download from a forthcoming EP Zaffre due out on February 14.

While The Clouds are playing nationally on the Day on The Green tour with Blondie and Cyndi Lauper in April, they play their first headline show in Sydney for three years (since they last reformed for a national tour) on Friday March 31 at the Newtown Social Club with Melodie Nelson and Jack Tickner.

NEW ARTS PRECINCT FOR TASMANIA …

Work has begun on a new centre for Tasmania’s creative industries and performing arts. To be officially known as “The Hedberg”* (paying tribute to the garage that occupied the site in the early 20th century), the Centre will enhance the existing Theatre Royal in Hobart, comprise a new University Conservatorium of Music, and will include performance venues, public spaces and international research institute.

The Tasmanian Government is contributing $30 million cash and in-kind to the $96 million project, which will generate 280 jobs during construction, and 58 ongoing.

…AND GEELONG

#VacantGeelong is a new project to transform a former North Geelong factory into a creative precinct. The Victorian Government has contributed $35,000 into establishing the proposed site. 87 projects – ranging from the creation of new performances and novels to exhibitions and podcasts – will share in more than $1.8 million in grants for creatives to work in former factories.

Also in the region, Barwon Heads Festival of the Sea has received a $5,200 VicArts grant to deliver a series of art workshops for people affected by a chronic illness or disability. The workshops will lead to a group exhibition in Barwon Heads in March.

WESTERN SYDNEY MAKES SPACE FOR ARTISTS

Western Sydney artists will have more opportunities to access local work spaces through a new $400,000 NSW Government program called Making Spaces. The idea is to encourage partnerships to develop new spaces including pop-ups, studios and offices.

“Artists often lead the way in rethinking new and old spaces and transforming them into innovative work zones,” said Executive Director of Arts NSW Michael Brealey.

Applications close on March 6. Funding of $10,000 to $60,000 is available per application.

AND A FEW OTHER THINGS

Is South Australia getting a new multi-day festival as soon as this summer? Speculation is it’ll be in the Clare Valley.

Four radio station websites were hacked into yesterday including 4BC Brisbane and 2GB Sydney. Some took consumers to porn sites, others offered free non-existent smart phones.

In the week that Jimmy Barnes got his Order of Australia, he received his first theatrical award. He won Best Cabaret Production in the Sydney Theatre Awards for Working Class Boy: An Evening of Stories + Songs at the Sydney Opera House.

Iggy Azalea is stepping out with music producer LJay Currie, the couple making their debut during a trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, arriving by private jet for a friend’s birthday.

The WA community has rallied around Perth drummer Steve “Gibbo” Gibson who is battling bladder cancer. In addition to $16,795 raised via GoFundMe, a benefit concert in Fremantle tallied up a further $10,158.80.

Over on the Gold Coast, 106 motorbike riders from five recreational groups hit the road to raise funds for the family of stuntman/actor Johann Ofner who died during the Bliss N’ Eso video shoot in Brisbane. Organised by local Harley escort service Two Wheel Escorts, the choppers made their way from Gold Coast Harley at Nerang to Burleigh Heads. The one-hour ride was part of a day-long fundraiser by the Tattoo Shop in Burleigh Heads which hosted a day of tatts, BBQ and raffles, and raised $2,500 for Ofner’s young daughter Kyarna.

The Australian Stunt Academy at Nerang, where Ofner was a distinguished student, hosts a fundraising open day on February 18. A crowd funder set up by stunt man Kyle Gardiner (www.gofundme.com/johann-ofner-a-stunt-brother-lost) had by last night totalled $46,680 of its target of $50,000. A GoFundMe campaign for his mother (www.gofundme.com/johann-ofner), set up to raise $20,000, had within five days reached $23,555.

Globally renowned Melbourne prog-metal band Ne Obliviscaris are parting ways with bassist of 13 years Brendan “Cygnus” Brown citing irreconcilable personal differences. They’ll record their next album in the first half of 2017 and hit the road with a replacement in the second half.

During the upcoming Australasian dates by Simple Minds and B52s, the rock lobster folks will celebrate 40 years since they played their very first gig on February 14 at a friend’s house in Athens, Georgia. On the anniversary date, coinciding with a show at Auckland’s Vector Arena, Simple Minds have agreed to let B52s headline.

Sincerely Grizzly break a two year hiatus with three shows in Bangkok, Phnom Penh in Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam between February 22 and March 3. A new single is prepped and ready to go.

This year’s 5th Apia Good Times tour (celebrates living a life after you’ve hit the 50 age mark) includes The Black Sorrows with Vika + Linda Bull, Colin Hay, Deborah Conway and Mental As Anything. It takes in 16 theatres between May 17 and June 17.

Latest addition to the Sydney scene, Kiko Smokes, is a new project from two members of Birds Of Tokyo (Ian Berney and Glenn Sarangapany), a member of Kim Churchill’s band (Michael Hardy) and a former triple j breakfast radio producer (Jono Harrison) They spent most of 2016 writing and developing the live show, and just dropped a lyric video for their debut single Headline.

HMV Canada will close all its 102 stores after going into receivership last Friday after 30 years. It had debts of $56 million. A court filing showed sales dropped from $225 million in 2014 to $214.4 million in 2015, and set to drop to $190 million for the 2016 financial year.