Industrial Strength: September 19
SIMON HOLMES MEMORIAL
Hindsight – A Night For Simon is a tribute night for the late Simon Holmes, founder of The Hummingbirds and producer of Custard and The Fauves. It is held on Sunday December 3, at The Factory Theatre, Marrickville in Sydney.
Doors open at 2.30 pm, and performing are Ratcat, Custard,Ups & Downs, Jodi & Trish (The Clouds), Alannah Russack (The Hummingbirds), The Tall Grass (Peter Fenton & Jamie Hutchings), Smudge, Disneyfist (one-off reformation), Dusty Ravens, The Aerial Maps and Mary & Matt (Even As We Speak).
STORM POURS OUT FIRST ACT FOR SYDNEY SHOW, “IMPRESSIVE” BILL TO FOLLOW
The inaugural Sydney show of China’s Storm eDM festival has started to unveil its bill. The first act for the December 9 date at Parramatta Park is house music DJ duo Ephwurd.
Eric Rethier Barros, Shanghai-based MD of its founder A2LiVE, told this column that Australian crowds would be “impressed” by what else was coming.
As for any concerns about the return this summer of Creamfields and Sensation, he responded, “Aside from being focused on electronic music, I’m not sure many parallels exist between us and some of these other brands, as we appeal to a different target audience.
“We’ll compete on production value and lineup, but we also hope that the market will be inquisitive and welcome this strange new brand from China!”
Tickets range from $90 (early bird) to $18,000 for the VIP Front Row package for 20 cashed up fist pumpers.
That includes a luxury yacht ride from Darling Harbour, fast track into the grounds, a table with own host and “incredible view” of the stage, six bottles of champagne, two bottles of premium spirits and mixers, and canapés.
ABBA STILL DRAW RATINGS
Swede dreams are made of this:Abba can still draw ratings in Australia. Channel Seven’s Sunday Night, which devoted an entire hour to the Swedish foursome, drew 1,076,000 overnight metro viewers.
It was the fourth highest rater on Sunday night, after The Block, Nine News and Little Big Shots.
The episode looked at the 40th anniversary of the band’s one and only Australian tour, which caused mayhem not seen since The Beatles’ fab visit in the fab mid-60s.
The band recalled that after they won Eurovision in 1970, their career stopped dead. Then when Countdown took a punt with ’Mamma Mia’, their record label RCA was forced to release it as a single, and watched it streak to #1.
The UK and European industry watched this phenomenon, and started playing their music. Result: 380 million worldwide sales.
In the episode, Abba revealed a world tour in 2019 with the four appearing as holograms. The story’s been around for some years but updated details of the holograms is that they would be supported by live recordings, studio tracks and a live band.
It’s the first time all four have been involved jointly on an Abba project since they split.
Over at Nine, the episode of 60 Minutes which interviewed Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins drew 730,000 overnight metros.
The return of Countdown as part of a 13-part retrofest had 296,000 tuning in.
PROPOSAL FOR BRISBANE MUSIC LANDMARKS
The recent government funding for a Saints mural in Brisbane’s Upper Roma Street, could be the start of more acknowledgements ofthe city’s music legacy.
Dr. John Willsteed,senior lecturer in the Creative Industries faculty at the Queensland University of Technology as well as musician (Go-Betweens and Halfway) was behind the idea of the mural.
He is currently working on an ambitious three-year project that will initially cover music landmarks such as former venues, practice rooms, recording studios, apartments, homes and galleries.
The idea is to grow“an appreciation of pop culture’s history”, he tells TMN.
Given that Brisbane music’s growth was intertwined with contributions from other disciplines, he wants to include landmarks for painters, visual artists and filmmakers.
He’s currently discussing funding for the project by the Government, and says that the people he’s spoken to have been “extremely enthusiastic about expanding the idea”.
The idea is that each landmark would be marked by a bronze plaque, a digital site with story-telling, photos and videos of its significance, and a public performance by acts with a strong connection to each.
If the proposal gets the green-light, it would begin in mid-2018. Working title is Streets of Your Town – after the Go-Betweens song, naturally.
Brisbane already has the Go-Between Bridge and Ed Kuepper Park.
VEVO GETS HACKED
This is a warning to a digital company: if a hacker tells you they’ve stolen your data, don’t antagonise them by telling them, umm, not sure you have anything, dear boy. Or in Vevo’s case, don’t say “fuck off, you haven’t got anything!”
Which is what happened a Vevo employee told high profile hackers OurMine.
The next day, OurMine leaked 3.12TB of Vevo’s internal documents, files and videos.
These included private dossiers on 90 acts including Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, One Direction, Britney Spears, Madonna, The Weeknd and U2.
After 24 hours, the leaks were deleted after Vevo requested (presumably without four letter words) they come down.
COUNTRY MUSIC STARS CALL ON DIVERSITY ON BUSHWACKERS TRACK …
Some of the biggest country music stars have joined together to make a statement on cultural diversity on a new Bushwackers track on their new album The Hungry Mile.
When the folk-rock outfit asked Colin Buchanan to contribute a song to the album, he came up with ’Waltzing Australia’ about the migrant experience. It featured his migrant friends Manuel from Portugal and Anne from Vietnam.
Another story line was added about the Karen people who were driven out of Myanmar, 200 of whom have settled, and subsequently transformed the little Mallee town of Nhill in Victoria. Karen community leader Kaw Doh makes an appearance in the song, with John Williamson and Sara Storer agreeing to handle vocals alongside the band’s Dobe Newton.
The ode to the migrant contribution to Australian culture grew larger with Troy Cassar Daley, Lee Kernaghan, Shane Nicholson, Catherine Britt, Amber Lawrence, Lyn Bowtell, Fanny Lumsden, Felicity Urquhart, Aleyce Simmonds, Amanda O’Bryan, Aimee Hannan, Drew McAlister, Luke O’Shea, Kevin Bennett, Allan Caswell, Pete Denahy, Greg Storer, Rob Imeson, Col Gentles, Simply Bushed, Rory Phillips, Ian Quinn and Buchanan joining in on the last choruses.
Their contribution was done through their iPhones, their computers and their home studios.
Lines include “Now his son plays on the footy team / like Nhill’s always been his home” and “Come one, come all, make yourself at home / who’ll come a-Waltzing Australia?”
…WHILE YOTHU YINDI, HERD, BAKER BOY HOLD CONCERT
Yothu Yindi & The Treaty Project, The Herd (with Nooky and Radical Son) and NT rapper Baker Boy join forces for a show at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre for a cross-generational celebration of cultural diversity.
The show, produced by Century Entertainment, is on Friday January 12.
Inspired by the new remix package of the 25th anniversary of ’Treaty (Filthy Lucre Remix)’,Yothu Yindi reunited with Gavin Campbell of Filthy Lucre and others (including Shane Howard and a number of Indigenous singer-songwriters) to perform their hits as well as preview new material with an electronic twist.
Hip hop act The Herd reunite for the first time in five years to perform their back catalogue and new work including collaborations with Nooky and Radical Son.
PARCELS TALK DAFT PUNK COLLABORATION
Berlin-based Byron Bay outfit Parcels recently made their US TV debut on Conan with their single Overnight, which was co-written and produced by Daft Punk.
Speaking to the NME afterwards, our lads recalled how the collaboration happened.
“We played our first gig in Paris a year ago. We just heard that they were in the crowd and we didn’t believe it until after the show when they came and introduced themselves which was crazy.”
They said they’d “love to” work with the French duo again, “but I don’t know if it’ll happen. They’re very mysterious…”
The love-in in the studio has changed the way they’ll record in the future.
“It really changed the way we looked about recording stuff. They were just so knowledgeable and they were so keen to share everything with us and I think we learnt more than we know.”
With sold out US dates behind them, Parcels head to London to play Phoenix’s major show at the 2500-capacity Alexandra Palace on September 30.
They return to the UK for a run of dates in November, before playing four club shows in Australia in January.
MUSIC SHOWS AMONG SCREEN PRODUCERS FINALISTS
The Voice Australia Season 6 (ITV Studios Australia) and The X Factor Australia (FremantleMedia Australia) are among nominees for the 2017 Screen Producers Awards.
These are held in Melbourne at the Forum Theatre on Thursday November 16 as part of the Screen Forever conference.
Both shows are in the Reality Series Production category against Great Australian Bake Off (FremantleMedia Australia), I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here Australia (ITV Studios Australia) and Real Housewives of Sydney (Matchbox Pictures).
SPOTIFY EYES SOUTH AFRICA
South African media announced that Spotify is entering themarket there, after the Swedish streaming service began advertising for a senior editor/ music programmer. No launch date is available, but the ad is for someone based in London or Dubai.
Music streaming is soaring in South Africa, up 334.2% from 2015 to 2016. Deezer, Google Play and Apple Music are already there.
MORE Q&A SESSIONS FOR GO-BETWEENS MOVIE
With The Go-Betweens’ Kriv Stenders-directed Right Here movie set for cinema release on September 28, two more Q&A sessions are announced.
In Sydney on Tuesday September 26, the session is at Ritz Cinema in Randwick with the panel ofAmanda Brown, John Willsteed and Lindy Morrisonmoderatedby music writer Lynden Barber.
Brisbane’s takes place on Thursday 28 at New Farm Cinemas, with John Willsteed in conversationwithTime-Off’s Sean Sennett.
SUPREMACIST STATION DROPS CASH SONG
White nationalist Internet radio station Stormfront has stopped using Johnny Cash’s version of Tom Petty’s I Won’t Back Down as its theme song after getting a cease-and-desist letter from his lawyer.
The station now uses Confederate standard ’The South Will Rise Again’. “We won’t back down,” snarled the station owner, the unfortunately named Don Black, who previously served as a Ku Klux Klan leader.
WAMFEST DROPS 125+ ACTS, REVEALS NEW WEBSITE
After setting a new attendance record of 14,500 last year, the 2017 edition of WAMfest plans to be “an even bigger and bolder celebration of why WA is producing some of the hottest musical talent in the world.”
Presented by Drug Aware and major partners City of Perth and Lotterywest, first it’s announced a new dedicated website at www.wamfest.com.au.
Over 125 acts have been announced in the first round for Live Saturday on November 4. They’ll play across 19 venues in the City of Perth.
This year the event received a record-breaking 326 applications.
The ones who got through so far are WAM award-winning acts The Money War, Rag ’n Bone, Lucy Peach and Sydnee Carter to the fast-rising Boat Show, Stella Donnelly and Ziggy Ramo(who all made a big splash at this month’s BIGSOUND in Brisbane), live faves Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, The Southern River Band and Old Blood and heavy bangers Tobacco Rat, Conform and FOAM.
WAMFest co-coordinator Mark Neal says that not only will it return to venues as Amplifier and Capitol but debuts in Laneway Lounge and The Globe and new venues as Tetsuo NC, and The Sewing Room.
QUEENSLAND ID SCANNERS QUESTIONED AGAIN AFTER NEW DATA
Queensland venue operators are again questioning the validity of compulsory ID scanners in protecting public safety in 12 Safe Night precincts following the release of figures that showed only 88 troublemakers have been denied entry since they were introduced on July 1.
These included 26 in Fortitude Valley, 23 in the Brisbane CBD, 20 in Surfers Paradise, 4 in Townsville, three each in Cairns and Sunshine Coast, and two each in Caxton Street, Toowoomba and Airlie Beach.
It dipped to one each in Mackay, Broadbeach, Rockhampton and none in Ipswich, Gladstone and Bundaberg.
Venues say that the expensive scanners just cause frustrated queues and less traffic as punters stomp off to venues without scanners.
But Queensland Attorney General Yvette D’Ath has sharply pointed out, “More than 1.9 million IDs have been scanned.
“More than 95 contraventions have also been detected, which means more than 95 instances where someone with a banning order has tried to enter a venue and been stopped.
“If scanners have prevented one family from dealing with the aftermath of a tragedy, they have proven their worth.”
A review of the scanners will be made next year.
ACT ADVISORY BODY FOR THE ARTS
The ACT’s Minister for The Arts & Community Events is considering various options for a proposed Ministerial advisory body for the arts.
A consultation took place in June and July, along with four roundtables consisting of 67 attendees.
The idea was to determine what the body would do and to ensure it would cover all the sectors.
A report is being compiled for the Minster.
MAX LAUNCHES ‘STUDIO MAX’
Foxtel’s MAX is premiering Studio MAX, where artists perform acoustic versions of their biggest hits, and blow the balloon juice about life, music, anecdotes and their beginnings.
The first episode, on Wednesday October 4 at 9.00pm, is with Colin Hay chatting about the Men At Work days.
The week after is Pete Murray, followed by Hanson and then Killing Heidi.
TASMANIAN VENUES CALL FOR LG COMMISSION ABOLISHED
The Tasmanian Hospitality Association wants the Liquor and Gaming Commission scrapped, calling it a “waste of taxpayers’ money”.
THA General Manager Steve Old explained to The Sunday Tasmanian that the association is making the call after the approval of licences for liquor giant Dan Murphy’s in Launceston and Hobart.
He said that despite significant community response both for and again these, the Commission went ahead and gave them licenses anyway.
Old said that the $6 million a year paid to the three commissioners could be used elsewhere in the liquor industry like minimisation campaigns.
MUSIC SA THROWS ITSELF A 20TH BIRTHDAY PARTY
As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations on November 30, Music SA is throwing itself a party at the St. Paul’s Creative Centre in Adelaide.
The family event includes a raffle, games, a best cake competition, music and door prizes.
An art auction with pieces from some of Adelaide’s best visual artists will see part of the proceeds go to the artists and part to Music SA to continue to run its free workshops in 2018.
NEW GUINEA BAND GET TONY SUBAM FELLOWSHIP
The Tony Subam Fellowship was set up last year by the Melbourne-based world music collective Wantok Musik Foundation, in association with APRA AMCOS.
It was to recognise the work of the late Subam, of the Papua New Guinea band Sanguma, and intended to continue a long legacy of preserving traditional PNG sounds in today’s modern western music
The first to receive the fellowship were young PNG band Sambra Aikit. (Custom Brothers) formed in 2013 by UPNG Creative Arts & Music graduates and inspired by popular Melanesian bands such as; Sanguma, Tumbuna 84, Tambaran Culture, Tribal Chants and Mosong.
The band has just released their debut EP, Motomse.
VALE
- Melbourne filmmaker Cris Jones started out making music videos for bands, including Money Money by The Ang Fang Quartet and The Thief by Floyd Thursby & The Definite Article. He then went on to write and direct a series of award-winning short movies merging his love for story telling and design with his interest in science and philosophy, while his feature debut The Death and Life of Otto Bloom screened at last year’s Melbourne International Film Festival. He was working on a new project when he passed unexpectedly at his home aged 37.
- Amanda Cavill started her career in radio in Victoria, before moving to Canberra to become SBS Radio correspondent in the Canberra Bureau for nearly 20 years. Her down-to-earth style made her popular with colleagues and a source of inspiration to emerging talent. After losing her battle withcancer, she is farewelled today at Woden Cemetery at noon with a memorial service at 1.30 pm at the Commonwealth Club in Yarralumla.
AND A FEW OTHER THINGS….
Fashion label Wheels & Dollbaby brought the 19th Telstra Perth Fashion Festival to en exciting close with Divinyls members Mark McEntee, Richard Harvey and Rick Grossman teaming with The Preatures’ Izzi Manfredi and Jack Moffit teaming up for a 30 minute romp through the Divvies hits. Manfredi was highly respectful instepping into Chrissie Amphlett’s shoes but showed enough swagger and glamour to pull the whole thing off.
Labor senator Sam Dastyari stomped back into his DJ Dasher persona during a Labor fundraiser for state candidate Bart Mellish at the Apo Upstairs club in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. He was joined by Wyatt Roy,with the music often stopping as people wanted to take selfies with him. Some weren’t enraptured with his taste for old school RnB– but “the new stuff is just shit!” stated Dasher who made his debut last year in Melbourne, also at a party fundraiser.
Both U2 and Ed Sheeran hastily cancelled concerts in St. Louis fearing for the safety of their patrons in the wake of violent street protests after a white former St. Louis policeman was acquitted in the 2011 shooting death of a black man, Lamar Smith.
To draw more younger viewers, the ABC is planning a local weeknights version of America’s successful The Daily Show to set it up against Ten’s The Project and SBS’s The Feed, TV Tonight reported. Rumoured to be involved in the ABC2 show are former triple j announcerTom Ballard (to host), comedy troupe Aunty Donna and Andrew Garrett (to produce).
Ricki-Lee Coulter popped up on KIIS 1065’s Kyle & Jackie O show where she revealed she’s turned vegan in the last three months (she always had a “weird thing about chicken”) and that her new single ’Not Too Late’ may have been written when she was in bed with her husband Rick (well, they were on their honeymoon at the time….)
Red Symons is back on his breakfast shift on ABC Radio Melbourne this week after sustaining brain injury while walking homefrom the supermarket two months ago. “It didn’t leak any blood,” he explained.“The brain just rattled around in the skull for a little while and I’m back.”
Two-year-old New Zealand start-up Melodics, which provides interactive coursesto musicians, has raised an extra US$1.2 million in funding to expand the variety of instruments taught.
Melbourne electro actKollaps head for their first European trek in November, doing 19 cities. Meanwhile, Wollongong singer-songwriter Harrison Storm, who earlier this year signed a global deal with Nettwerk Records and management with ie:music, is off in October to charm folks in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville.
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