Industrial Strength: Record attendance for WOMADelaide; Sebastian’s Eurovision entry; VenuesWest cracks down after ticket scandal; Soundwave loses bond

Record attendance for WOMADelaide

Womadelaide 2015 had its biggest attendance yet, confirms festival director Ian Scobie. A record 95,000 attended over four days, which Scobie attributed to perfect weather and a strong bill of 400 from around the world.

Adelaide Fringe sold 536,000 tickets over four weeks, a rise of 20% from 2014. Attendance grew to 2 million, with ticket sales at $13.24 million and $10 million through the Fringe’s own ticketing agency FringeTIX.

Adelaide Festival had its best attendance in five years, reeling in 560,000 over 17 days.

CMC Rocks’ move to Queensland a success

The country and roots CMC Rocks festival will stay on in Ipswich, Queensland, after its first staging on the weekend drew over 30,000. Its starring acts as Lady Antebellum, Troy Cassar-Daley and Catherine Britt posted their admiration for the festival’s vibe and achivements. “Having a festival this size in this region is just great,” Cassar-Daley said.

After its staging in the Snowy Mountains in 2008 and the Hunter Valley, NSW, from 2011 to last year, the festival signed a three year deal at Willowbank Raceway with Ipswich City Council and the Queensland Government. But after it became obvious the region had a huge country music following, promoters Chugg Entertainment and Rob Potts’ Entertainment Edge want to keep the festival there permanently. They say the Council and Queensland Tourism are enthusiastic about the event’s success.

Queensland Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Jann Stuckey expected at least 5,000 of the crowd to come from intestate and overseas.

Online streaming fee joust heading to Copyright Tribunal

The row between commercial radio and record companies over online streaming fees heads to the Copyright Tribunal next Monday (March 23), Radio Today reported. The PPCA, on behalf of the labels, had previously argued stations get extra ad revenue from streaming and should fork out. Commercial Radio Australia has taken the position that streaming is included in current fees, and that labels are “double dipping.”

Guy Sebastian unveils Eurovision entry

Guy Sebastian has specially written an uptempo R&B number called Tonight Again as his Eurovision entry. The 48-hour Sydney session with his band was filmed by SBS and posted here. http://www.sbs.com.au/programs/eurovision/news/australias-eurovision-song.

VenuesWest cracks down after Katy Perry ticket scandal

WA venues operator VenuesWest has cracked the whip about its corporate hospitality rules. This was after two board members were caught giving away their free tickets to Katy Perry’s show at Perth Arena to family members and friends. VenuesWest operates the WA Government’s venues. Its rules are that freebies are to be only used to conduct business and the board members must accompany their guests.

A VenuesWest inquiry found the rules were “ambiguous” and the two board members would remain as they didn’t understand them. But from now on, board members have to sign an agreement to comply and will face sudden tests of how their seats were used at events.

Digital radios reach 3.2 million mark in Australia

According to new GfK figures released by Commercial Radio Australia, 3,2 million Australians in the five metropolitan capitals now listen to digital radio. This was a 24.2% rise in a year. CRA says that 1.5 million more people listen to radio via DAB+ digital radio than through streaming.

Saskwatch lose four members on eve of single release, tour

Melbourne nine-piece Saskwatch has lost four original members – Will Morrissey, Sam Boon and Nic Glenie of the horn section and drummer Ed Crocker. This came as they premiered their new single I'll Be Fine on Richard Kingsmill’s triple j show. Their third album Sorry I Let It Come Between Us, recorded over a month in an old silversmith warehouse-cum-recording studio on the outskirts of Philadelphia, will be out on June 12 on Northside Records / Remote Control Records. The band will appear on six cities on Groovin’ The Moo and three club headliners April 17 to May 10.

Venues update

* Factory: The Project, the Sunshine Coast nightclub which suddenly closed, left debts of $425,000. About 28 local businesses are owed $115,000, the Tax Office $72,700 and 50 former employees a total of $45,000. The club’s operator Raw Group Sunshine Plaza Pty Ltd is in liquidation.

* After the outcry and ensuing campaign last year about the possible destruction of Sydney’s Roxy, it seems that the one time live music venue and nightclub will stay on. The Palace Leisure Group, which closed the Parramatta venue last year, will restore it with a performance space and restaurants on the ground floor while going ahead with plans to set up a high-rise tower.

* The South Australian Government is to give the Adelaide Festival Centre a $90 million upgrade in a bid to woo more blockbuster events.

* The Taphouse Group’s revamp of the former Club Watersports building in Tweed will have live entertainment when it opens in December, GM Angus Southwell confirmed.

* Perth 24-hour restaurant Fast Eddy’s in Morley is turning its drive-through garage space into a live music space where local bands can play. The 100-peron capacity will include a stage, dance floor, seating and bar.

* Brisbane gets a new place to hear live music. New West End bar Brisbane Brewing Co, confirmed live music would be part of the mix along with craft beer and art work. The owners spent $1 million the rundown warehouse site.

* Gympie in Queensland gets a new late night entertainment venue with the Jockey Club Hotel in Southside granted a 2am licence seven days a week.

ASTRA entertainment wins

At the ASTRA awards, Slimefest (Nickelodeon) won Most Outstanding Music Program and entertainment channel Arena took the Channel Achievement award.

The Janoskians in US charts

Aussie comedy/music group The Janoskians entered the Billboard + Twitter Top Tracks at #6 with LA Girl while their March 2 released EP Would U Love Me arrived at #9 on the Heatseekers Albums after selling 2,000 copies first week. The Girl video collected 428,000 views on YouTube by last week.

Festivals update

* Heavy rains courtesy Cyclone Marcia damaged the Gympie Muster site, including the stage and fences. Slow moving creeks became turbulent rivers, bringing with them logs and debris. Working bees will continue working to repair the damage. In August, 60,000 attend the non-profit charity aiding festival over six days at the Amamoor State Forest.

* Mackay’s River Sessions will not be staged in 2015. 4EVA Young Entertainment Director Adrian Young said organisers wanted to take a break after six years to “pursue other endeavours.” A return in 2016 is not ruled out. The single-day festival is usually held in June at Mackay Showgrounds.

* Port Fairy Folk Festival Director Jamie McKew says feedback from local traders and motels about a “bumper year” suggests that this year’s event – which drew 15,000 over five days – injected an extra $4 million to $5 million to the local region. Some attendees stayed on a few days after the festival.

* Soundwave lost its $10,000 bond for a second consecutive year in Adelaide for exceeding noise at Bonython Park on Feb 21 and 21. It exceeded levels by two decibels for 41% of the event (instead of the permitted 33%). Two complaints were filed. Its SA promoter Sacha Sewell lashed out at Adelaide City Council, telling the Adelaide Advertiser the State Government should take over noise level control before other festivals also pulled out of Adelaide.

* The promoters of Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festival stage a showcase at South By Southwest tomorrow (Wed March 18). They take over the Holy Mountain to highlight “some of the worlds’ most exciting emerging artists.” These are Australia’s Tkay Maidza, the UK’s Until The Ribbon Breaks, Ireland’s Walking On Cars, Sweden’s Urban Cone, Iceland’s Kaleo and the USA’s San Fermin, Max Frost, Joywave and HOLYCHILD.

* V Festival could return to Australia, Sir Richard Branson suggested to triple j after he was updated about the gap left by the absence of the Big Day Out and Soundwave’s decision to focus on the east coast.

* Organisers of Geelong’s Motor City Music are already working on the 2016 edition after its second instalment, on the weekend, drew 7,500. Highs included no less than six guitarists onstage during a blues jam and country duo McAllister Kemp bringing up a 10-year-old local girl to perform their anti-bullying song Fight Me after they learned it had got her through her ordeal.

Labels lose a three strikes order in New Zealand

A bungled warning notice has seen New Zealand’s Copyright Tribunal refuse for the first time to make an order payment under the three strikes policy. The case was brought by Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ) acting for Universal Music and Warner Music against an unnamed woman for $1600 over the illegal sharing of music by Amy Winehouse, Clean Bandit and Lana Del Rey.

Under three strikes, an accused first gets a Detection Notice to advice their account is detected and how to challenge it. A Warning Notice follows with the same message. The third is an Enforcement Notice, to warn the copyright holder can take action at the Tribunal. But in this case, the Detection was accidentally followed by Enforcement. The Copyright Tribunal pointed out that it meant the accused would think she could no longer make a challenge when she could. Hence a payment order would not be made.

Vale

Melbourne-born Daevid Allen died at 77 weeks after he announced he was no longer fighting his inoperable cancer and would let nature take its course. Allen was one of the many spirited and spiritual Australians who hit London in the Swinging Sixties and was caught up in its radical creative ideas. He formed well respected progressive acts Soft Machine and then Gong with partner Gilli Smyth. Its latest album I See You came out last year. Allen’s last public appearance was at a poetry recital in Byron Bay, on February 27.

And a couple of other things …

The Australian Government estimates it can make an extra $240 million if it introduces GST on the advertising Google and Facebook make locally.

Natalie Imbruglia returns to tour later this year, Next month she releases a cover of Daft Punk’s Instant Crush, her first single in six years.

Kylie Minogue fans hit social media to suggest that her rendition of Donna Summer's I Feel Love – brought into the set to duet with Giorgio Moroder during their current tour – is so good that it should be released as a single.

Sam Smith will perform at the 2015 TV Week Logie Awards in May.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings will be in Australia for its launch next week, and will announce some exclusive offers for its $10-a-month subscribers.

When Sheppard visited a Toronto TV station on the coldest day of the year, the crew thought it’d be a whizz to take them skating to do their interview!

Aussies abroad: Some Blonde DJ is currently on a five-date North American tour, winding up in Miami on March 27. Tame Impala join the Lollapalooza Berlin bill on Sept 12 and 13.

Geoffrey Thomas Cockerill, who started a fire at Adelaide’s Crown & Anchor Hotel last March when 250 were watching a concert (and caused $50,000 worth of damage) was jailed for two years and two months.

Sydney’s Extras Agency went into liquidation owing $140,000 to 230 actors.

Wollongong’s Humber bar has finally been granted a liquor licence. When it was first turned down a year ago, there were meetings and a community campaign about the need to recognize the city’s late night economy.

When New Zealand fans of The Eagles flocked to Auckland for their two shows, $200 motel rooms suddenly went up to $600.

When Multiplex heir Tim Roberts threw a private party in North Fremantle, corporate and political guests (including Foreign Minister Julie Bishop) were entertained by two unexpected stars – Billy Idol and Jimmy Barnes.

WA unsigned band competition The Big Splash returns for a third year between June and August, offering a cash prize of $10,000.

Brisbane hardcore band Take Us To Vegas discovered how loyal their fans are. The band launched a 40-day pledge to raise $10,000 to help release an album – and reached the target in nine days.