Industrial Strength: September 25

TASH SULTANA “LIVE PHENOMENON” IN EUROPE, UK

 Tash Sultana’s growth as a live drawcard in Europe and the UK has been getting more attention after she sold out three nights at London’s 5,000-capacity O2 Academy Brixton (September 20-22) before she even released an album.

These shows were before debut LP Flow State was issued in those territories in early September, leading to her being acclaimed accross the pond as “a live phenomenon”.

According to the venue, a sell-out is a rarity even when an act is on its second album.

In a major profile of the Australian singer songwriter, England’s trade title Music Week spoke to George Akins, MD of promoter DHP Family.

“She’s big everywhere, all across Europe she’s selling out similar sized venues to Brixton on multiple nights and the same in the States,” Atkins said.

“On this run: Terminal 5 in NYC, AFAS Live in Amsterdam, Palladium in Cologne. In her native Australia, it’s even in arenas.”

The prediction is that by June 2019 she’ll be playing her biggest shows in that part of the world – especially with the album set to build her popularity.

Atkins said: “The album is just out and I presume will react much like live has, by word of mouth and sharing.

“At the live shows, there are more women than men and I would say you have a vast mix of demographics.

“With the way she has grown, it’s not in a specific scene so that makes sense – albeit I haven’t seen that happen before.”

Atkins told Music Week: “She’s breaking all the rules, so how big can she get is really a hard question to answer.

“She’s already bigger than you would imagine someone at this stage of their career could be. The sky’s the limit.”

AUSTRALIA TO GET CLASSICAL STREAMING SERVICE?

Australia may get a classical music streaming service next year.

Netherlands-based Primephonic has already moved into the US and UK markets and announced it plans to go fully global in 2019.

The company says that classical’s market share is 5% in downloads, radio and CD sales but still only 1% in streaming.

The company aims to change that by offering classical’s largest streaming library. This includes no less than 57 versions of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony.

CLAIRE COLLINS JOINS OATEN SOLICITORS

Claire Collins has officially joined the team at Sydney’s Brett Oaten Solicitors, which focuses on the entertainment field.

She will continue her work at Bossy Music Management & PR, which she founded.

Collins has been a board member of the Association of Artist Managers since 2012.

56.7% WANT PILL TESTING IN NSW POLL

While the debate rages about pill testing at music festivals after the Defqon 1 deaths and the NSW government responds with an advisory panel to give recommendations, a poll has suggested 56.7% want the tests to go ahead.

The poll of 1627 voters was conducted last Thursday night by New ReachTel for the Sun Herald.

SBS WILL BROADCAST EUROVISION

SBS has stated in an official statement that it will air the Eurovision contest, to be held next year in Tel Aviv.

There have been calls from various sources to boycott the event and stand in support of the Palestinian people because it is being held in Israel.

The BBC too has said it will broadcast the event.

POLICE INVESTIGATE SEX ASSAULT COMPLAINT AT LISTEN OUT

Police are investigating a complaint of an alleged sexual assault on a female patron at the Melbourne stop of EDM festival Listen Out last Saturday.

According to police, the alleged incident took place in the moshpit at 8 pm.

A man described as Caucasian with ginger-coloured hair had started to dance behind her.

When she moved away, he grabbed her around the neck and, according to the police report, “placed his hand inside the victims clothing and sexually assaulted her.”

She elbowed him in the face and left, finding her friends and making a complaint.

Police released a photo of a man whom they think can help with their inquiries.

30 people were arrested for drug possession, with one charged with trafficking cocaine.

18,000 people attended the event in St. Kilda’s Catani Gardens, in its fourth year.

The bill included A$AP Rocky, Brockhampton, Confidence Man, Glades, Haku Hands, Kira Puru and Manu Crooks.

Anyone affected by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, or know someone who has been, can call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au

SKYDIVING ACCIDENT AT MUSIC FESTIVAL

A promotional skydiving display near the grounds of the Mitchell Creek Rock ‘N’ Blues festival in Queensland went horribly wrong, causing a 59-year old man being airlifted to hospital with head injuries.

One of three divers, he landed heavily on top of a pine tree, and from there fell 10 metres to the ground, suffering concussion.

He had by yesterday been discharged from the Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

 WHO’LL NOW HEAD WARNER CHAPPELL?

With Jon Platt is seemingly heading towards a building marked Sony/ATV, the big watercooler conversation is, who’ll replace him at Warner/ Chappell?

According to Billboard, some executives have already been casually sounded out.

They include Warner/Chappell’s well respected COO Carianne Marshall (Platt was grooming her to replace him but only down the track as she only arrived from SONGS in June), and two from Sony/ATV, president of worldwide creative, Guy Moot, and president, global chief marketing, Brian Monaco.

According to Billboard, Moot and Monaco were going to take over at Sony/ATV as co-CEOs with the plan being Bandier would stay on for another12 months while they eased into the role.

But Sony bosses in Tokyo decided on Platt.

BILLY PINNELL PODCAST EXPANDING

Melbourne radio presenter and music encyclopaedist Billy Pinnell’s The Album Show podcast will expand from iTunes to other podcast and streaming services.

The podcast is based on his legendary, marvellously eclectic and ritual Sunday night album sessions on EON/Triple M.

His latest podcasts include an in depth interview with Joni Mitchell, new music from U2, Ry Cooder, David Byrne, Hall & Oates amongst others, and new releases from Aussie acts like Courtney Barnett, guitar virtuoso Ben Rogers, singer/songwriter Catherine Traicos, and Topology.

ADELAIDE VENUE RELAUNCHES UNDER MICHAEL PARKER

Under new owner Michael Parker, Adelaide music venue the Cumberland Hotel in Glanville has introduced a number of initiatives for artists to help the growth of original music.

In a team up with Darrel Baird from Blue Tongue Management, local acts will be recorded live at the venue. The tracks will be issued via new Port Adelaide based Sly Grog Records and distributed to the world by Ditto Music.

The inaugural session titled The Original West Enders is supported by West End Brewery and launches at the Semaphore Music Festival this weekend.

Parker has also installed two new stages at the venue.

One inside the venue is named after the late West End promoter Romauld Josep Szewczuwianie (aka Ron Alphabet) who gave tremendous support to bands including the young Cold Chisel.

The stage in the beer garden, Live At The Garden, is for acoustic sets.

ARCHIE ROACH TO HEAD INAUGURAL SONGS FOR PEACE

 Archie Roach heads the bill for the inaugural Songs for Peace concert in Roebourne, in WA’s Pilbarra region, on Saturday, September 29.

It is curated by guitarist and broadcaster Lucky Oceans and produced by Big hART.

The idea is to focus on peace and harmony with different cultures coming together.

Also performing are Broome’s Steven Pigram and Bidyadanga singer-songwriter John Bennett along with Brian Ritchie, David Hyams, Tyson Mowarin, Josie Alec, Angus Smith, Aaron Hopper, Kendall Smith, Allery Sandy, Ham and Stirling Blacket and Patrick Churnside.

There’ll be a week of workshops, panels and a fire lit at the John Pat Peace Place at dusk each day.

TWO NEWCASTLE WINS AT UNISOUNDS

Newcastle was the double winner at the battle of the campuses, UniSounds, at the Lansdowne in Sydney.

Five piece band Mr. Sauce scored the record deal with Dine Alone Records.

The inaugural prize for the most supportive university campus went to the University of Newcastle.

In total, 17% of entrants hailing from Newcastle, with two more of the seven finalists coming from the area, as did last year’s winners Jones The Cat.

The latter are releasing their new single through Dine Alone and opened the show with a set.

The grand final also saw the launch of the 2019 battle, with organisers announcing Furphy Beer as a new sponsor partner.

GRAEHAM GOBLE INDUCTED INTO SA HALL OF FAME

Little River Band co-founder Graeham Goble was the latest to be inducted into the South Australian Music Hall of Fame.

Goble was born in Adelaide and emerged in Adelaide outfits The Silence, Drummond (which gave him his first chart success with the song Daddy Cool), Travis Wellington, HEDGE and Allison Gros.

Mississippi gave him his first chart success as a songwriter, with Kings of The World which reached #5 nationally.

He then teamed with fellow crow-eaters Beeb Birtles and Glenn Shorrock and formed LRB which sold 30 million albums and scored ten Top 20 hits in the US.

His songs included Lady, Take It Easy on Me, The Night Owl and The Other Guy, all of which were played 1 million times on US radio.

His Reminiscing is the most played contemporary Australian song of all time according to BMI (Broadcast Music Inc), achieving the Five Million-Air award for five million plays on US radio alone —the highest achievement ever for any Australian song.

WILL YOU MAORI ME?

Finalists for the best Maori artist at the November 15 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards are heavy metal trio Alien Weaponry, psychedelic space funkster Troy Kingi and reggae band Katchafire.

 SUGE KNIGHT GETS 28 YEARS IN THE SLAMMER

Rap label Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight has agreed to a 28-year jail sentence.

The 53-year old pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter for running over and killing Compton businessman Terry Carter in January 2015.

Knight got into a punch-up at a burger stand with Cle “Bone” Sloan, a consultant on the NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton.

He clipped the man with his pickup truck and fatally ran over Carter while fleeing the scene.

His lawyer claimed he fled in self-defence because the other men were armed – a claim denied by Sloan.

Two of Knight’s former attorneys were indicted on witness-tampering charges, and his fiancée pleaded no contest to selling a video of Knight hitting the two men with his truck.

While awaiting trial, Knight was also accused of threatening Straight Outta Compton director F. Gary Gray.

LEE SIMON RETIRES

Lee Simon, one of the legendary rock radio voices and one time Seven TV music show Night Moves host, told his Triple M listeners is retiring after 47 years on the airwaves.

Obsessed with the magic of radio (as a youngster he used to go to sleep with the trannie laying quietly under his pillow) he started at 3AW and made his name on 3XY in 1975.

In 1980 was the inaugural program director of EON FM, which later became Triple M.

He introduced comedy and sports into rock radio, and in his time launched the careers of The D-Generation, Richard Stubbs, Jennifer Keyte, Brigitte Duclos, Brian Taylor and Eddie McGuire.

OPTUS STADIUM TO EXPAND CAPACITY?

Perth’s Optus Stadium opened this year with a capacity of 60,000 … and already there’s talk that it needs to be expanded.

WA’s sports minister Mick Murray says that the crowds have been coming at an unexpected rate and that in the next 5—10 years, the venue will need to be upgraded to 70,000 at a cost of $40 million, The Sunday Times reported.

WALKING FOR NZ ROADIES

The final figures were not in, but members of the NZ music industry and fans walked to raise money for the country’s road crews who have fallen into hard times

The Inaugural Roady for Roadies lasted for four hours, starting at Horne Reserve, Onehunga at 1pm and finishing four hours and 16 km later at The Tuning Fork club in downtown Auckland with food, drinks and a live set from P-Money at the finish line.

A 2916 industry survey by The NZ Music Foundation of crew and roadies found 58% were struggling with the intense pressures of work, more than 40% struggled with bills and finances.

CEBERANO-CURATED WELLNESS FESTIVAL AXED

The inaugural Live. Love. Life. wellness festival in Victoria’s Daylesford and Macedon Ranges – to be curated by Kate Ceberano and artist David Bromley – has been axed due to organisation changes and funding blow-outs, according to the Ballarat Courier.

It was originally an epic vision, to run November 14-18 with 100 events to include lifestyle and wellness, music, food and the arts. The state government threw in $450,000 over three years.

Chair of Daylesford Macedon Tourism Association, Noel Harvey told the Courier, “There were significant increases in the cost of running the festival as a result of some of the events that were brought on board but we also had a significant shortfall in the sponsorship target we had hoped for.”

A smaller community version will be held in its place.

VALE

* Tamworth-based country music radio presenter Kevin Knapp was more than the supervisor of radio 2TM and came up with shows as Hoedown. He was one-time editor of Country Music Capital News, part of the team who came up with the idea of Tamworth branding itself as Australia’s country music capital and was the first host of the Golden Guitar awards in 1973.

* Jimi Bostock worked as lighting director for Goanna during the Solid Rock days. The band’s Shane Howard described him to TMN as “a brave creative spirit with an impish grin (who) delighted in finding more and more creative ways to light the band and give it all meaning.” Becoming an activist for First Australians due to the band’s influence, he later worked in communications with the Cape York partnership.

AND A FEW OTHER THINGS…

With the inquiry of Amrap funding misconduct completely exonerating the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA), chief executive Jon Bissett says that the Amrap website will be upgraded to be more user-friendly. He sees there is a lot of scope for Amrap to grow, and ideas will be discussed with the Amrap Advisory Group, which consists of reps from the music industry and community broadcasting.

The live production sector has raised its eyebrows after a Queensland theatre venue advertised for a senior lighting technician at $25.25 per hour plus super.

INXS guitarist Tim Farriss and wife Beth are selling their Kangaroo Valley 37-hectare farm in NSW’s southern highlands after 30 years. The property, called Willabrook, is expected to bring between $4.5 million to $4.9 million.

In the meantime, Peter and Doris Garrett just paid $1.2 million for a two-hectare place also in Kangaroo Valley.

John Butler Trio bassist Byron Luiters and wife Laura sold their renovated place in Thirroul, NSW (complete with its own music room), for a reported $1.4 million. They bought it in 2011.

Beyonce’s ex-drummer accuses her of ‘extreme witchcraft’ and claims she “murdered” her kitten.

Jess Dunbar and Matt Price of musical duo Jess & Matt, got married in Newcastle. They met at music college and entered X-Factor in 2015. During a photo shoot in a high class restaurant where they had to dress in formals, Price figured it was the right atmosphere and popped the question via tuxedoed waiters held up “will you…” signs while a string quartet squawked away romantically.

Many songs included I Am Australian, True Blue and Khe Sanh have all been acclaimed as the “real” Australian national anthem. But Peking Duk’s Fire? Well that was what accidentally played when Aussie netball team Diamonds played against NZ’s Silver Ferns at Melbourne Arena. Someone yanked it off pronto, and as the crowd cheered and hooted, the announcer stated “Are you now ready for the Australian national anthem?’ and Advance Australia Fair kicked in for the team to sing along to.

Apple’s new streaming service is so family-orientated thal violence, profanity and sexual scenes are being edited. Apparently, Apple chief grocer Tim Cook freaked when he saw the final cut of the Dr Dre biopic Vital Signs and saw scenes of orgies, white powder use and drawn guns.

Newcastle’s Big Newy Sound showcase at BIGSOUND went down such a treat that it’s going to be extended next year. In the run-up there’ll be a mini-festival featuring locals playing in a number of venues, and competition for acts to win a place for the trip to Brisbane.