Chugg on Sounds Australia cutbacks: Fifield’s ’an idiot’

Australian music industry magnate Michael Chugg has labelled the Federal Government’s lack of Catalyst funding for Sounds Australia “a disgrace.”

Speaking to TMN, Chugg said he’s frustrated by the decision handed down from Minister for the Arts Mitch Fifield late last month, as it shows he doesn’t see Australian artists’ local economic contribution.

“What [the Government] don’t seem to realise is the amount of money that comes into Australia from sales and records – from names like AC/DC, and going back INXS and Crowded House, who still sell records,” he said over the phone from New York this morning.

“Then you’ve got all this stuff happening at the moment like Tame Impala and Flume, who sold out [14,000 capacity stadium] Forest Hills in New York – That money is coming back into the country.”

Chugg told TMN that just a minute percentage of the cash injection the Australian Government gets from all of our exports touring overseas could save the export development body.

“The amount of money that’s coming back through Alberts from AC/DC’s music would pay 100 years of funding,” he said. “But it goes into Australia’s coffers.

“We’re all Australians, we all pay tax here. All the money we earn comes back in one way or the other. We’re exports and we’re battling way above our weight.

“[…Fifield’s] an idiot, he’s really short-sighted. It’s obvious that none of those people are into music. If they were, they would see what’s going on.”

Local acts like Courtney Barnett, Chet Faker and Vance Joy are competing on a global scale and outselling international artists who have benefited from much larger government investments. Yet, each of the aforementioned acts had on-ground support from Sounds Australia during their first year of overseas jaunts.

Chugg said Senator Fifield’s lack of Catalyst funding for the body means that Sounds Australia will have to cut back on their activities and how many conferences they go to.

“Will they go to Americana in Nashville in September?” he queries. “They’re going to have to start [cutting back] on what they do, which means there’s no one on the ground supporting the bands.

“A lot of the bands are new, with young managers who don’t know anybody. Of course through Sounds Australia, Millie and the team facilitate putting our bands and our industry people with the best in the world.”

Chugg said theartists signed to his events and production company Chugg Entertainment and his label services and management firm Chugg Music have benefitted greatly from utilising Sounds Australia.

“Sheppard were touring the world on their own money without an international label,” he said. “We played CMJ, and we played Musexpo, and The Great Escape. Sounds Australia made sure there were people there to see them.

“It’s the same with the Griswolds who we look after in New York. We had our young band Lime Cordiale go to SXSW a couple of years ago and that was followed up with an American agency deal and a tour of California,” he adds. “Then you get downloads and you start to seeing their names all over the world.”

Brisbane band Sheppard had their ARIA 5x Platinum single Geronimo chart on the US Billboard 100 following overseas showcases and a TV appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

“I know just from the money that Sheppard’s received in the past couple of months from international touring and publishing and synch licenses… you’re not talking a few dollars here,” said Chugg. “The money coming back is millions and millions into Australia’s coffers.

“The money going out is nothing,” he pointed out. “No one in the government is bothered to do the exercise of, ‘I wonder how much money we’re making from our artists from overseas, compared to what we’re putting in?’ It’s just a disgrace. I sincerely believe that it wasn’t considered at all. They just looked at funding, they haven’t looked at the results and they certainly haven’t looked at how much money’s involved, or they wouldn’t have done this.”

Chugg told TMN what also frustrates him is the Federal Government’s minute investment in music compared to what overseas government’s are spending.

“What the Government are putting in, compared to what the Canadian government spends, compared to what the Scandinavians spend, and Germany and France and Holland, is just a minute drop in the ocean.”

Announced in March, the Canadian Government has committed $35 million over the next two years to support the promotion of Canadian artists and cultural industries abroad. Earlier this month Australia Council for the Arts announced itwill commit $11.2 million for 404 music acts and organisations over the next four years.

A Change.org petitioncreated last week has been shared globally with over 5,960 signatures calling for further funding for Sounds Australia. Its signees include Molly Meldrum, The Amity Affliction, The Temper Trap, SXSW and Julia Zemiro.

Esti Zilber, Associate Producer at Sounds Australia told TMN:“The noise the industry has been making is incredible. The vocal support for the work Sounds Australia does, from artists and industry at home and abroad, leaves no doubt in our mind there is a strong belief that the program should be funded and continue to grow. We certainly hope it is being heard and that the government responds to our call for a funding solution.”

Chugg said that while theChange.orgpetition has rallied the global music industry – “There’s Americans and Canadians, and English, Swedes; everybody’s signing the petition because they know how brilliant Sounds Australia are” – drastic action needs to be made.

“If the Labor Party was any good, we should do what the Australian music industry did for Gough Whitlam [in 1972]and we should make a TV ad and get the Liberals out of power. But Labor aren’t much fucken’ better,” he laughed.