Industrial Strength: September 13
WA FESTIVAL SUPPLIERS WANT STRONGER REGULATION
Western Australia’s festival suppliers are calling for greater regulation of the state’s music events so that they can’t avoid lengthy delays in payment by promoters if audience (and profit) numbers are down.
They are also demanding that if a festival has not sold enough tickets, promoters be forced to cancel.
ABC Radio reported that calls began after tickets for the second Disconnect in Pinjarra went on sale – with suppliers as David Coleman from production company Rockwest complaining that they were still owed thousands of dollars from last year’s event, and that delays made it hard for them because they still had to pay for staff and equipment regardless. The onus should be on promoters to take the risks and ensure funding be available for work, another told the ABC.
Disconnect promoter Chris Knight of Spring Fever Productions, told ABC Radio that all but two had been paid due to a dispute over the money, and he’d been mending fences with them. He didn’t see a problem this year as he was taking out insurance and had a great funding pool.
ANOTHER SCORE FOR MILLER-HEIDKE, NUTALL
The composing husband and wife team of pop-opera singer Kate Miller-Heidke(pictured) and guitarist Keir Nuttall has a challenge. After winning the Helpmann Award for Best Original Score for their opera The Rabbits, they will contribute to the score of Muriel’s Wedding The Musical alongside the Abba songs.
Miller-Heidke posted on Facebook, “Muriel’s Wedding is a masterpiece of storytelling. It means so much to me and to so many people.” The two are said to have already begun work with director Simon Phillips. Social misfit Muriel from the fictional dead-end town of Porpoise Spit will be updated to a Millenial who not only still adores Abba but can also sing.
The stage adaption of the 1994 hit movie, by Global Creatures and the Sydney Theatre Company will premiere at the at STC’s Roslyn Packer Theatre in November 2017.
STC Interim Artistic Director Kip Williams said, “One of the great things about Kate is that she has a footing in the classical and pop worlds, so certainly she has an ability to put together a catchy and loveable tune that will get stuck in your head, but she and Keir have the complexity necessary for when something extraordinary happen.”
STAN GREEN-LIGHTS ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTIONS
Australian SVOD Stan announced the first four of a number of original productions for 2017. Three have entertainment themes.
Merchants of Misery is a satirical drama about a young talent agent who must deal with gossip magazines after inheriting her father’s celebrity management company.
The Other Guy is a semi-autobiographical comedy from stand-up comedian and triple j radio presenter Matt Okine about a radio host who discovers his long time girlfriend is pregnant to his best friend.
Chaperones is created by and starring comedy trio Aunty Donna, who play deadbeats entrusted with looking after a child star.
At a lunch in Sydney’s QT restaurant to discuss the 2017 lineup, CEO Mike Sneesby said Stan has over 550,000 active subscriptions. This included direct subs and those who had received free subs via promo deals with telcos.
BEC BROWN COMMUNICATIONS REBRANDS
Bec Brown Communications has rebranded to The Comms Department, to reflect “the next stage in the agency’s evolution.” Set up in 2012 as a publicity consulting business by the former Universal Music Australia executive, it has extended from being a one-woman show to a staff of six PRs working from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Another staffer is being sourced for Melbourne.
Brown says, “We work so closely with our clients that we become a natural extension of their marketing, media and communications teams. So this new name – The Comms Department – is a reflection of that collaborative approach.”
Long time clients include Universal Music Australia, The Wiggles and Australian Radio Network.
ARN ADDS NEW STATIONS TO IHEARTRADIO
Australian Radio Network (ARN) has added Macquarie Media Limited’s 2GB and Magic 2CH to its iHeartRadio Australia platform. This means that the full stable of Macquarie stations are now streaming on the platform.
ANOTHER SLIDE FOR THE BIG MUSIC QUIZ
In its third week, Seven’s The Big Music Quiz had another slide, last Sunday dropping to 841,000 viewers. Among the incidents, Kate Ceberano couldn’t recognise her own song Pash while comedian Joel Creasey revealed he was so excited at sitting next to Lucy Durack as he’d seen Wicked 30 times.
There was something cool about listening to harmonica champion Justin Brady playing the instrument to Avicci’s Hey Brother and One Direction’s What Makes You Beautiful.
On the same night, ABC-TV’s Spicks and Specks drew 167,000 and scraped into the Top 20 of the rankings.
Endemol Shine, producer of The Big Music Quiz, had some good news. It’s sold the format (originally a French one on TF1) to Germany’s RTL network.
TOWNSVILLE’S ZINC BECOMES POWER 100
Townsville’s Zinc 100.7 has made way to Power 100, which now has a classic rock to contemporary rock format. It’s a result of listening to listener feedback, said Content Director Jason Wolfgram. He added, “Our research tells us that Townsville loves its rock and until now there’s been no true rock option available.”
VIRGIN OFFERS MUSIC BIZ GREATER BAG ALLOWANCE…
Virgin Australia has doubled its checked baggage allowance for individual musicians on domestic flights to 64kg across 4 pieces. To be eligible, musicians have to be members of a number of music associations, including APRA, ARIA and state music associations, and have to quote membership numbers when they apply for the allowance.
…WHILE APRA AMCOS HELPS WITH INSURANCE
AON is offering APRA AMCOS members and clients, as well as musicians who are members of a number of music associations, travel insurance for instruments and equipment from $75 and public liability for those on the road if they buy online before September 30.
REPORT: SVOD SUBS OVERTAKE FOXTEL
New research by Roy Morgan found that the number of subscribers for SVOD (Subscription Video On Demand) services in Australia has hit 5,595,000 (28%) – which exceeds the 5,309,000 (27%) figure for Foxtel.
In the six months to August 2016, 9.8 million Australians 14+ (50%) had access to one or more types of paid TV services in their home: SVOD, Pay TV (linear, broadcast Foxtel channels), and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV).
METRO RADIO AD REVENUE CONTINUES TO CLIMB
Metropolitan commercial radio ad revenue recorded a 4.36% rise through the month of August to $65.565 million, according to Deloitte. Perth had the biggest growth, 7.85% to $8.865 million, while Melbourne rose by 7.17% to $20.699 million.
Brisbane was up 5.92% to $10.161 million, Sydney increased 1.80% to $19.995 million and Adelaide was down 3.55% to $5.845 million. Commercial Radio Australia CEO Joan Warner said this “positive revenue growth” came “in a sensitive market.”
In the first two months of the 2016-2017 financial year, the five metro markets rose 0.21% to $124.985 million, lead by Melbourne.
DEADLINES #1: CONTROL
Applications for CONTROL, the five-stage program for mid-career artist- managers and self-managed artists presented by the Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN) and the Music Managers Forum of New Zealand (MMFNZ), closes on September 30.
CONTROL incorporates two residential labs to be held near Melbourne, the first from November 27-30. Six music and business advisers including Julia Kosky (USA) Terry McBride (Canada) and Teresa Patterson (New Zealand) will work with participants on their leadership skills and business models.
DEADLINES #2: GRANT McLENNAN FELLOWSHIP
Nominations for the 10th Grant McLennan Fellowship close on September 19, with the recipient announced in December. Jointly funded by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and APRA AMCOS to the tune of $25,000, it provides the opportunity to travel to New York, London or Berlin for up to six months and use the experience of being immersed in a foreign and vibrant musical culture to further develop their own artistic skills.
DEADLINES #3: ACT ARTS FUND PROJECT
Arts Queensland reveals that the application process for the 2017 ACT Arts Fund Project funding is not yet finalised. As of September 9, the ACT Government has entered into a caretaker period due to the ACT election on October 16. “During the caretaker period no funding announcements can be made,” the organisation stated.
VICTORIA INCREASES INVESTMENT IN ENTERTAINMENT
At the sneak preview in Melbourne of the Kinky Boots musical, which begins its run at Her Majesty’s Theatre on October 22, Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings revealed, “The Labor Government has added $80 million to its major events chest so that we can continue to secure the biggest and best events.
“We’ve also established a $20 million Regional Events Fund, which will ensure regional Victoria can stage its own events that drive visitation and create jobs.
“Cultural events don’t just showcase the best of everything Victoria offers, they contribute more than $1 billion to our economy each year.”
The Victorian Government helped secure the Cyndi Lauper-penned Tony winning Kinky Boots, to premiere in Melbourne because “We’re the national leader when it comes to arts and cultural events, and we want to stay that way.”
MOVIE ABOUT NZ SONG EARNS $1M
The film about New Zealand’s most famous pop song, Poi-E, has grossed NZ$1 million in its home market after five weeks. The soundtrack has gone up to #4 on the RIANZ charts. Poi-E: The Story of Our Song was written, directed and produced by Tearepa Kahi.
Poi E is the first song to reach #1 sung in Te Reo Maori, and has gone into the Top 10 four times. In 1984 it was in the charts for 34 weeks and was best seller of the year. The soundtrack includes the demo of the song by its composers Ngoi Pewhairangi and Dalvanius Prime and family members. The cassette recording was discovered in a sock drawer while the movie was being researched.
NUMBER CRUNCHING
4,000 attended BIGSOUND’s two nights of showcases, which saw 150 acts perform in 15 venues in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.
$1.060 billion collected by US collective management society BMI, a new record.
$116.8 million grossed by the “original” Guns N’ Roses during the 25-date North American leg of the Not In This LIfetime… Tour.
AND A FEW OTHER THINGS
Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band will be back in Australia in February, and Jetwill reform for the tour.
Citing the evolution of his music from the globally acknowledged debut album Built On Glass and his upcoming second one, Melbourne singer songwriter Nick Murphy is resting the moniker Chet Faker after five years. The next opus, whenever it arrives, will be under the birth name his mum chose for him. Listen to new track Fear Less here.
Bernard Fanning’s upcoming Civil Dusk national tour through Secret Service & Village Sounds continues to draw the punters. The Gold Coast, Newcastle and Adelaide shows have sold out, in the wake of earlier full capacities for Sydney, Cairns, Brisbane and Byron.
Meantime, An Evening With Henry Rollins has sold out both Melbourne dates, with extra seats added for Darwin, Newcastle and Wollongong.
Hospitality group Redcape has put up all 26 pubs for sale, engaging Goldman Sachs to handle the deals. The 23 properties in NSW and three in Queensland are valued at over $700 million. Redcape failed at an IPO float last year.
Sydney radio station 2UE is transforming to a new format it calls ’Talking Lifestyle’, providing advertorial support for healthy food and living alternates.
Melbourne band Palace of the King – fronted by Androids and Superjesus guitarist Tim Henwood – have their second album Valles Marineris released through Europe by their French label Listenable Records. The band follows up with a five-week run through Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium and Spain during November-December.
Currently in Singapore until Thursday for the 11th Music Matters are The Veronicas, Slumberjack, Rag N Bone, Maefire (who’ve just dropped new single Crawling), Slip On Stereo, Sydnee Carter and Bad Pony.
But rising Melbourne act, Tash Sultana, hasn’t had a good start to the start of her sold-out European trek. She posted on Facebook that she arrived in Berlin to find that Swiss International Airlines and Jetstar Australia lost both her guitars and pedal boards, and also damaged her suitcase. The gear was found in Singapore and arrived in Berlin in time for her show.
Cairns Talk’s Pop Con is not going ahead on October 15, with co-ordinator Josh Cavallaro citing lack of sufficient staff to run it on the scale he wanted . He’ll try to revive it in two years, he said.
As reported earlier by this column, Cody Simpson returned from Los Angeles at the behest of his Gold Coast school headmaster Patrick Wallas to raise money for charity. Simpson played at All Saints Anglican School’s Giveathon with 15-year-old Australia’s Got Talent winner Fletcher Pilon. The idea was to raise $100,000 for charities chosen by students.
Earlier in the day Simpson caused a stir when he turned up at the Miami Swimming Club for a dip. But he won’t have much time to hang out at his old Gold Coast haunts. He’s due in New York on September 19 to address the United Nations Social Good Summit.
NSW regional authorities are considering all kinds of deterrents, including fences and TV cameras, to stop the staging of illegal often unsafe raves (or bush doofs). High fines are also applied for doof promoters and landowners who lend their land. One of these was North Coast farmer Kevin Lindsay Jenner who leased his Kippenduff property for one of these, He landed himself a $36,000 fine.
He appealed the decision in the Land and Environment Court, arguing the magistrate should have better explained the charge to him before he accepted a guilty plea, considering he had no legal representation. The court turned him down because the man allegedly looked guilty when confronted!
The script of the new Tasmanian musical Antarctica – about Birdie, a penguin modeller who makes her first trip south to monitor penguin populations during a 12-month expedition – is certainly authentic. It was written by Dr Dana Bergstrom who visited the frozen continent 20 times as an ecologist.