Industrial Strength: Two more venues for Perth, Melbourne; Aus joins Cassette Store Day; Guvera under pressure over Blinkbox staff?; QLD lockouts to affect economy

Two more venues for Perth, Melbourne

While Perth has been hit with a round of closures of major live music venues, Jack Rabbit Slims opens in late July at 133 Aberdeen Street in Northbridge. It is open until 5am on Fridays and Saturdays.

A 1950s-styled diner with booths, tables, retro game machines and alcoholic milkshakes, it has appointed Metric Events as booker. Twenty local and international bands and EDM acts have already been confirmed and to be announced in coming weeks.

Metric Events Director Luke Whelan said, “We all call Perth home and are proud of what our city represents. There is a fantastic music and cultural scene here that’s exploding, but a distinct lack of venues built with the purpose of live music in Perth, to facilitate this positive growth.”

Moves are afoot in Melbourne for the Croxton Park Hotel in Thornbury to be turned into an essential live music venue. TMN understands a deal has been struck between a venue promoter and the venue owner to launch the venture in spring. In the 1970s, The Crox was a major musical mecca, booking emerging acts as Skyhooks, Cold Chisel, Rose Tattoo and Little River Band.

Australia joins Cassette Store Day

Australia will be part of Cassette Store Day this year October 22, as the initiative continues to expand globally. The Day was founded in 2013 by UK indie labels Suplex Cassettes, Kissability and Sexbeat. Last year America joined in, with Burger Records coordinating releases and events there.

This year, three more countries are on board. Sydney’s Rice Is Nice will coordinate all Australian activity. Applications from labels, artists and stores open on July 11 from the label’s website, and close on September 1. There’s a small admin fee of $5 for labels looking to list an official release.

The two new entrants in 2015 are New Zealand (through Arch Hill) and Germany (Millions).

Co-founder Jen Long of Kissability said, “Cassette tapes aren’t just a format, they’re a culture, and cassette culture is as much about collaboration as doing it yourself. This year we’ve gone even further to try and include as many tape fans around the world. We want as many people as possible to be able to get involved and put out a tape, put on a gig or event, or get hold of that release they really want.”

Guvera under pressure over Blinkbox staff?

Is Australian streaming service Guvera under pressure over the treatment of Blinkbox Music service staff after it was put in administration on June 11?

The Drum reports that original owner Tesco is furious that Blinkbox staff (then 100, now eight) are being treated as creditors than being covered by enhanced redundancy packages. The Drum insists that Tesco sold the service to Guvera six months ago for a reported £4 million (much less than the £10 million they invested originally) on that proviso. A Guvera spokesperson said, “We are working through the transition and hope to reach a fair outcome for all staff.” Tesco has refused to comment.

Administrators Smith & Williamson say “a number of parties” have shown interest in buying it and revealed Blinkbox had been under “significant financial pressure.” When Guvera bought Blinkbox it had 2 million customers. That figure is closer to 3 million now. None of them have access to the Blinkbox service at the moment but will do once a sale goes through, the administrator said.

New app #1: Australia’s Gigger for bands and venues

Gigger is a new app described as “like Airbnb for bands and venues” (www. gigger.rocks) developed in Perth by a collective of sound engineers, musicians and promoters. Venues can search for registered acts in a specific area and offer a gig with a single click. Bands in turn can accept the offer instantaneously. During the gig, musicians can use it to exhibit a list of songs that are input (alphabetically, by year, or regular usage) before each show, replacing playlists, and be reminded which song is being played and which is coming up in the set.

A spokesperson for the collective told TMN that since a single post on Facebook, “We've been roughly doubling our user base every three days.” He added, “It's the first searchable database of performers.”

New app #2: 25 Most Played for music discovery

Just arrived from New Zealand is 25 Most Played, an app that allows users to discover new music based on the 25 most listened to songs by friends and celebrities on social media. Founder Anthony Gardiner said that with current services offering up to 30 million tracks, a filter was needed to narrow it down. “The options are finite, it’s easier to discover cool stuff,” he pointed out.

Users get a 30-second sample before buying the app from iTunes or listening on their subscribed streaming service. The app reports users in 20 countries.

Attendance up for Broadbeach Country Music Festival

Exact attendance figures were available yet for last weekend’s Broadbeach Country Music Festival but festival organiser Peta-Jayne Habner said it topped last year’s 30,000 in its third year About 45,000 had been expected before the three day event began. The festival, significantly drawing a much younger crowd and a large percentage of intestate visitors, featured major names as The McClymonts, Beccy Cole, Catherine Britt, The Wolfe Bros, The Wolverines, Travis Collins and James Blundell. Next year’s dates are June 17 to 19.

Applications open for the Seed Fund

In its eleventh year, The Seed Fund has opened applications to support emerging musicians, artists and arts workers via grants and workshops. Deadline is July 31. Go to www.theseedfund.org. This year its successful (and life-changing, many recipients say) Management Workshop is held in Melbourne, in October. An inaugural fundraising gig and music industry soiree due to be held in the same month. A Pozible campaign is set to run for the month of September.

The grants cover helping out managers if they are not earning while they are setting up a tour or album release.

Professional Management Support: three grants of up to $5000 for managers who’ve attended the management workshop. It is to supplement their income during a period of heavy workload and a time of setting up a tour or album release when limited money is coming in, or a wage for an assistant.

It’s All About The Song: three grants of up to $3500 for an artist to cut a track. The money goes to the producer’s fee (producers include Steven Schram, John Castle and Tony Buchen) and a one day’s studio time.

Management Workshop: up to 25 emerging managers and self-managed artists get tips and advice from music industry participants from various fields.

Initiatives include Bush Band Business (funding for mentors for a three-day NT workshop), Song Cycles INBOUND to address issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians, and a new partnership with the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre Music Group to provide masterclasses and new instruments.

Three SXSW Meet 'n' Greet nights

With Australian band showcasing and film submissions for South By Southwest 2016 starting on June 29, three SXSW Meet 'n' Greet nights are announced. They are on Monday July 13 (Bar Open, Melbourne), Tuesday July 14 (Newtown Social Club, Sydney) and August 4 (The Globe Theatre, Brisbane). The free sessions have a panel of SXSW veterans offering tips on how to get the best out of the meet from 6.30 pm, and a screening of the film Outside Industry about the history of SXSW, from 7.30 pm.

Our Nightlife Queensland warns of job losses from early closing laws

The Our Nightlife Queensland hospitality association has warned that plans by the Queensland Government to introduce 1am lockouts and 3am closing would drastically impact on the state’s $10 billion night time economy and affect its 50,000 workers. There are 7,200 licensed venues in Queensland.

A city like Townsville could lose $6.4 million a year and 100 jobs in nightclubs and bars, ANQ Secretary Nicholas Braban said during a meeting there with MPs to muster up support. He said Townsville’s 80 licensed venues employ 300 and is worth $23 million to the economy. “The Government is concerned with patron safety, naturally so are we,” he said. “We need to work together rather than they closing us down.”

There is also concern the new legislation might allow police to enter venues to breathalyse patrons and venues could be fined up to $56,000 as a result. The Government denies this is in the pipeline.

Destination NSW, Opera House, rapped by auditor

In a report released yesterday, the Auditor General criticised Destination NSW and Sydney Opera House for non-compliance with government guidelines. It said ad campaigns by the two posted political images when they were to be apolitical. Ad campaigns over $1 million must conduct a cost-benefit analysis, but the AG claimed DNSW split its expenditure to avoid scrutiny.

CMAA honours Jim Haynes

The board of the Country Music Association of Australia bestowed an honorary lifetime membership to singer songwriter, author, poet and mentor Jim Haynes for his 30-year service to country music. Haynes was a founding member of the CMAA board and heavily involved in the CMAA Academy of Country Music.

New radio station for Dubbo

Dubbo in regional NSW will get a new community radio station in the next few months. Orana Community Broadcasters Inc began a series of test broadcasts last week on the FM88.9 frequency from a studio on Cobbora Road.

$1.7 million for regional arts in first grant round

Artists, groups and arts organisations in regional areas benefit from a $1.7 million investment through the first round of the Australia Council’s new grants program. The 273 recipients were chosen from 1700 applications. These include an indigenous e-media mentorship program in Mildura, the inaugural Canowindra Baroque Music Festival in October, photography and digital-imaging for those with spinal-cord-injuries, and artist designs for homes in Favela. Full list at www.australiacouncil.gov.au.

Access Canberra simplifies events approval

The ACT Government recently established Access Canberra (accesscanberra.act.gov.au) as a one-stop shop for organisers seeking access to permits, approvals and licenses required to stage their events.

Reclink Cup’s fourth city announced

The charity AFL football match between musicians and music media/ industry Reclink Cup confirmed its fourth city. After Adelaide came on board this month, Perth holds the match on Sunday August 30. The Bandgroppers take on the Newshounds at Steel Blue Oval in Bassendean with the event organised by RTRFM, Monster Management and Morse Code.

Meantime, the Melbourne meet last Sunday saw the Triple R 102.7FM / PBS 106.7FM Megahertz trounce the Rockdogs 9.10.64 vs 5.7.37. Over 10,000 attended at Elsternwick Park and raised $100,000 for Reclink.

Sydney, the second city to adopt the event, is holding a series of fund raiser gigs through July. Vic On The Park will host five each Thursday with MP Anthony Albanese handing the decks at Newtown Social Club on Friday July 31.

Melbourne acts up for Best Live Act in London’s AIM awards

Courtney Barnett and King Gizzard & The Lizard are among 56 independent acts up for Best Live Act at the AIM Awards in September in London. The 56 are from all around the UK, Europe, the US and Canada. The two Melbourne acts – the only Australians included – are up against Alt-J, FKA Twigs, Belle & Sebastian, Run the Jewels, Swans, Erasure, Django, Drenge, Jack White, The Prodigy, The War On Drugs, Therapy?, Enter Shikari and Papa Roach.

Vale

Andrew Reimer who in the mid-90s reinvigorated Hobart’s Triple T FM (now Heart 107.3) passed after a brief illness. Dave Noonan who worked with him posted a tribute online which called him “an inspiring leader and mentor (who) made Hobart his home and was passionate about Tasmania.

And a few other things…

The Veronicas had to scrap a US tour to begin on the weekend after some of their band members were unable to obtain working visas.

Tasmania’s 10-day Dark Mofo finished with 750 braving the icy Derwent waters for the Nude Swim. Organisers now meet with the Government to extend the three-year $1 million a year funding struck with the former Labour regime.

University of Newcastle design students, animators and artists get the chance to create animation for Daniel Johns’ Going On 16 at the Newcastle International Animation Festival next month.

The Australian Association of Campus Activities opened registrations for its National Campus Band Competition. Winners of state heats play off at the national at Uni NSW. Last year’s winner got $5,000. To enter, at least one band member must be enrolled at a participating university. Go to aaca.net.au.

Sydney metal band Northlane singer Marcus Bridge needed surgery in Germany for an unspecified medical problem, which caused them to blow out some European festivals.

The inaugural Adelaide Beer and BBQ Festival (July 10 to 12) has confirmed a number of music acts to entertain the 6,000 expected.

A rush of tickets for The Lion King’s first venture into Perth in November saw promoters add 45,000 more tickets and extend the season to early 2016.

Adelaide’s Germein Sisters picked up airplay in Germany and Switzerland on their current European tour. They appeared on one of Germany’s biggest TV shows TV ZDF Fernsehgarten to 30 million (playing in the middle of a swimming pool) and did 65 school workshops over ten days. At the Isle of Wight festival in England, they caught up with Sharon Corr of The Corrs who appeared on their Ireland-recorded Because You Breathe album.

Iggy Azalea asked Demi Lovato to be her bridesmaid.

Musicals singer and actor Lucy Durack and former Tap Dog member husband Chris Horsey, welcomed their first child, a daughter.

Sydney’s classical and jazz station Fine Music celebrates 40 years of FM broadcasting with a free concert on July 18 at Sydney Town Hall.