Industrial Strength

ABC-TV's Countdown: Do Yourself a Favour documentary viewer stats in

The screening of the first part of ABC-TV’s Countdown: Do Yourself a Favour documentary drew 965,000. It was fourth most watched on Sunday night (the top three being news services) and gave the ABC a 14.1% audience share.

WAM Song Of the Year offers $40,000 in prizes

West Australia’s WAM Song Of The Year returns, offering $40,000 in prizes to established and emerging songwriters. Flaunting a new, entirely bespoke online platform developed for the comp, it’s now also easier to enter than ever before. The Deadline for submissions is December 15.

Laneway Festival to remain in Callan Park

The St Jerome’s Laneway Festival can stay at its Sydney home, Callan Park, for a further three years at least. Leichardt Council has granted permission for the event to remain in Rozelle after it came under pressure to reduce attendee numbers.

SBS’s entertainment schedule for 2015

SBS’s entertainment schedule for 2015 includes RockKwiz, Paul McDermott’s new take on celeb interviews on Room 101, Eurovision, and Prison Songs which explores life in a Darwin prison via songs and music.

The Veronicas attain Top 10 debut in UK

The Veronicas’ You Ruin Me debuted at #8 on the UK chart. In Australia the DNA produced single stayed at #1 for three weeks, and went double platinum. It is the second single by the sisters to enter the UK Top 10.

Defining rock tracks gain recognition

Among ten public-nominated sounds added to the National Film and Sound Archives' Sounds of Australia registry were four rock tracks which defined the nation in their time – Icehouse’s Great Southern Land, Cold Chisel’s Khe Sanh, The Go-Betweens’ Cattle And Cane and The Divinyls’ Boys In Town.

Fire destroys Hotel Roma

The Royal in Roma, Queensland, which hosts live music on weekends, suffered extensive damage from a fire which began in the kitchen. The 99 year old building went up in flames spurned on all the quicker by the alcohol on the premises.

Company Caine's Gulliver Smith passes away

Gulliver Smith, of ‘70s bluesdelic Company Caine and solo album The Band's Alright But The Singer Is …. fame passed in Sydney after an illness. Co.Caine never rose above cult-hood but their sharp songs were covered by Steve Kilbey, Sports and Jeannie Lewis. His co-wrote with Ross Wilson, Touch Of Paradise, was a hit for John Farnham.

Toyota Country Music Festival Tamworth continues to receive funding

The NSW Government will continue funding the Toyota Country Music Festival Tamworth via its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW.

Bald Faced Stag and Whit Cockatoo change hands

Major Sydney music venue, Leichhardt's Bald Faced Stag, changed hands, as did the White Cockatoo in Petersham. The former in had sold in an off-market transaction and stands to capitalize on NSW State Government’s Parramatta Road Urban Renewal program.

WA's Subiaco Council drops licensed venue proposal

Subiaco Council in WA dropped its proposal for new licensed venues to include a public interest assessment (PIA) in their applications, on how their venue would affect the community and how they’d control it. Venue owners and promoters in person addressed Council of concerns it was impractical.

British Council’sAccelerate gets funding boost

The Australia Council announced three years of increased funding ($300,000) for the British Council’sAccelerate initiative to develops leadership skills and mentorships to indigenous arts and music practitioners.

End of an era for Bludgers Club

After 25 years of live music, James Cook University Townsville’s Bludgers Club will no longer open on Fridays and Saturdays. The Student Association said in a statement that limitations on trading hours, the ­student-plus-one policy to prevent large groups of non-students coming to the venue and a drop in patronage forced the Friday and Saturday night ­closures.

New format for Sydney Country Music Festival

Next year’s Sydney Country Musical Festival will switch to a two-day format to double its economic impact on the local economy from this year’s $1.4 million.

Little & Olver set to open in December

Melbourne bar, disco and live music venue Little & Olver opens next month.

Kate Ceberano to be inducted into Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame

Fresh from raising £100,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service UK with a concert in London, Kate Ceberano returns to be inducted into the Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame. She is the first female to be bestowed the honour.

Third time lucky for rave organiser?

Cairns’ Illumination rave organiser, Silvergem, plans to meet personally with Cairns Regional Council after it twice voted against permission to hold it.

Crime drop attributed to tough liquor laws

The South Australian Government claims its year-old tough liquor licensing rules (including lock-out and metal detectors) saw crime drop by almost 12% and violent assaults by nearly 11% in the Adelaide CBD.

NT music finds success in 2014

Northern Territory’s MusicNT hailed 2014 as a healthy year for NT music. It held the most amount of music development programs (17), of which 48% of attendees were indigenous and 44% female. The National Indigenous Music Awards in Darwin attracted a record breaking 551 nominations, while a record 344 songs were entered into the NT Song of the Year quest.

All female tribute performance at 49th Vodafone NZ Music Awards

Included at NZ band Supergroove being presented with the Legacy Award at this week’s 49th Vodafone NZ Music Awards is a tribute performance by a female-led line up including Hollie Smith, Iva Lamkum, Ria Hall and Tali.