Industrial Strength: Summer fests continue to hit capacity; Coupe working on Gudinski book; Bon Scott doco, biopic, in the works

Summer festivals continue to hit capacity

Australia’s summer festivals continued to draw crowds, with some putting out the Sold Out sign. Among them were Sunset Events’ Southbound in Busselton, WA, which drew 15,000. It attracted an extra 5,000 a day after it altered its policy and allowed cars to enter its camping grounds.

Falls Festival Tasmania pulled its biggest crowd ever selling 13,347 tickets, 42% bought by people from interstate or overseas.

Sydney’s two-day Secret Garden in late February sold out a week before announcing its 60-strong lineup of bands and DJs.

The Cygnet Folk Festival on the weekend posted a record 6,000 attendees.

The Boomtick-produced EDM event Breakfest at Belvoir Amphitheatre in WA, hit its 6,000 capacity.

Tasmania’s Mona Foma, which kicks off on Thursday for its seventh year for ten years, is on target for another strong turn-out. Its interstate patrons have risen from 7% of the 28,000 who attended in 2010 to 52% last year.

Canberra’s queer SpringOUT had its best crowds ever, organisers said.

It’s not all good news, though. The Gold Coast Bulletin estimated that lack of major festivals on the Gold Coast this month has cost the region $60 million. The now defunct EDM Summafieldayze used to deliver an estimated $25 million. The Big Day Out’s local stop at Metricon Stadium would have brought in $40 million if it had not done a sleeper this year. The piece quoted local promoter Billy Cross that Gold Coast punters have moved on to multi-day camping alternatives as Falls Byron Bay, Splendour and Woodford Folk.

Stuart Coupe working on Gudinski book

Sydney broadcaster/author Stuart Coupe is working on a biography of Michael Gudinski. Book publishers have been after an authorised tome for years, with one offering six figures, but Gudinski always resisted. Coupe interviewed Gudinski extensively for his 2003 book The Promoters and has decided to go ahead with the book saying it’s too important an Australian music and culture tale not to be told. It is due in August through Hachette.

Naming rights question over Subiaco Oval

Negotiations over naming rights of Subiaco Oval in Perth are dragging on past the December 31 deadline. Venue operator WA Football Commission is trying to extend the $3 million four-year deal with Patersons Security (the 43,000-capacity Oval was renamed Patersons Stadium in 2010). Talks began in 2013 but the delay is over what the securities firm is willing to pay a year. One Direction are the next major act to play at the venue.

Woodford Folk site became “67th largest town in Australia”

The 29th Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland drew an aggregate audience of 126,122 patrons over six days – a 3% rise in attendance from 2013/4. That made the Woodfordia site the 67th largest town in Australia for the duration, according to a round-up by organisers. Festival Director Bill Hauritz called it “certainly the most visually beautiful festival we’ve produced.”

The site had 51 food stalls, 13 bars, and 1,239 shows by 441 acts at 28 venues. 2,520 m of gaffa tape used, 8,400 km of loo paper purchased, 5.4 million litres of water used on site including 1.1 million litres on New Year’s Eve. There were also two impromptu weddings, one recorded marriage proposal and four puppet weddings during the Tying the Knot performances.

Australia ranks #5 in Rdio-land

Rdio CEO Anthony Bay, when quizzed on its current Top 5 biggest markets, replied, “That is United States, Brazil, Mexico Canada and Australia.”

Illness brings down 360

360’s current regional tour has been postponed after two shows due "to an unexpected illness" according to Crucial Management. Twelve shows affected, between January 14 to 31 will be rescheduled.

Vale

Southern Cross Austereo’s Agency Director of Sales in Brisbane, Rick Tyrrell, passed, aged 39. He was with SCA for eight years, working as Director of Sales in Adelaide 2012 to 2013, before moving back to Queensland to head agency sales for b105 and Triple M (Radio Today).

The Northern Territory lost two of its own in recent weeks. Rowley Hill, 24, drummer with Alice Springs-based metal band Uncreation, died in a drowning accident in the Todd River on January 8.

Mitchell Russell, 23, DJ for Darwin hip hop act DT3, was involved in a horrific crash on his motorbike last month in Palmerston while on his way to a DJ gig. He had just entered his first weightlifting competition in Sydney.

Tasmanian country music performer John ‘Doc’ Turnbull succumbed at 71 to a 20-year battle with Parkinson’s. He loved guitars so much (“he played until his fingers bled,” mourners were told) that he built 50 of them.

NSW bush poet Frank Daniels passed at 72. He served as President and Vice President of the Australian Bush Poets Association.

Les Hay, Sales Manager of 2UW (1952—1960) and 2SM (from 1960) before starting his own multi-media business ARMS, died aged 97. At 2SM, he helped pioneer the Adult Orientated Rock format in this country.

Music Sales Group launches Happy As Larry, eying new talent

Music Sales Group rebranded Larrikin Music Publishing as Happy as Larry Music Publishing. Sydney-based Managing Director Jane English says Happy As Larry is looking to invest in songwriters from Australian, NZ and other APRA territories, especially those writing in a genre suitable for film, TV and commercial ads. It is also looking at the purchase of local music publishing copyrights and catalogues.

Phil Tripp recovering from stroke

Sydney entrepreneur Phil Tripp, 64, is recovering at his Coffs Harbour home after a mild stroke. He vamoosed from hospital after a day, unable to stand the food, or a dude next door “talking to God trying to do a deal in (his) last hour.” In 1987, after dying for a few minutes on the operating table following a massive heart attack, Tripp organised the first AustralAsian Music Industry Directory from his hospital bed in six days. This year he continues as South By Southwest rep for Australia, NZ and Hawaii.

Farmer & The Owl offers initial “pay what you want” strategy

Wollongong’s Farmer & The Owl festival returns on March 14 for a second time with a “free spirit” approach. Under the name of The Imaginarium, it’s a culture “where there are no rules”.

Part of this is a possible Australian first, with patrons offered a “pay what you like” for the first round of tickets. When these are allocated, pricing reverts to the normal $69 for the second release and $79 for the third. This week, its organisers – promoters Yours & Owls and record shop Music Farmers – unveiled the first 24 acts of local and international names. The bill will include visual artists and digital projectionists to be involved in the creative interaction. The festival’s alcohol brand sponsors include Coopers, Jameson Whisky and Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum.

With a bullet in my back: Bon Scott doco, biopic, in the works

More projects are on their way about AC/DC’s Bon Scott, none of which are expected to get the band’s official approval even though two of Scott’s pre-AC/DC associates are involved.

Looking For Bon looks at Scott’s life from 1970 to 1974, when he was in Fraternity and Mount Lofty Rangers. Executive producer Shemori BoShae told Billboard, "The purpose of the documentary is to chronicle what was a very creative period for Bon from 1970 to 1974 and give the viewer an insight into a very creative period of Bon's life and to enlighten all on just how great a singer he was before he joined AC/DC."

Mount Lofty Rangers’ Peter Head is involved in the documentary, narrated by David O'Hara (The Tudors, The Departed). Head told Billboard that Scott had a wide taste in music, including jazz and R&B, and was an avid reader of books. Producer Damien Reilly will be overseeing the soundtrack.

Looking For Bon will be followed by a biopic, based on a script written by the late Vince Lovegrove (who sang with Scott in the late ‘60s The Valentines) and Angela Anagnostopoulos, which focuses on his AC/DC days.

Meantime, the Rob Liotti-produced movie Bon Scott: The Legend of AC/DC Unauthorised makes headway despite AC/DC ‘s objections. Last month, High Voltage Productions, LLC was in talks “with a multi-Emmy Award winning Director of Photography with an incredible professional resume.”

New label launches in Wollongong

Live Acoustic Wollongong (LAW) Records was set up in Wollongong by teen musicians Nicholas Kyrakoudes and James Cooper. The label offers local acts recording, producing, licensing clearance, and distribution on online service Distrokid, which places music with digital and social media services.

Venues update

Sydney’s The Flinders in Surry Hills closed down abruptly, blaming the state’s lockout laws.

Byron Bay nightclub La La Land lost a Supreme Court bid to be allowed to operate past midnight on Sundays to 3am Mondays.

The Courthouse Hotel in Southport on the Gold Coast was sold for a reported $8 million, The new owners plan to restore the venue to past glories.

In the battle over Melbourne’s Palace Theatre building, the Save The Palace Committee, Melbourne Heritage Action and National Trust lodged applications with the Victorian Civil & Administrative Tribunal. They are seeking donations for $15,000 costs. Legal firms have offered pro bono representation.

A $10 million 300-seat performing arts complex is to be built in Macgregor in Brisbane's south. The Multicultural Performing Arts Complex opens mid-2016.

The team behind Melbourne’s The Toff in Town, Cookie, Boney and Revolver Upstairs opened a new eatery this week. Magic Mountain Saloon on Lt Collins St is fifth collaboration by owner Camillo Ippoliti and chef Karen Batson.

Image Credit: Ken Leanfore