Industrial Strength: September 25, 2013
Launching Pad #1: Victorian festivals, associations, get funded
The Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Next Wave Festival, Wangaratta Festival of Jazz, the Wantok Music Foundation, The Black Arm Band, Big West Festival, Liquid Architecture Sound, Midsumma, Songlines and the Melbourne Fringe were among music festivals and associations who received funding from the State Government’s new Organisations Investment Program.
Launching Pad #2: Foxtel to unveil film-streaming service Presto
Foxtel will launch its online film streaming subscription service Presto this year, initially for PCs and with tablet access to follow. For $24.99 per month and no lock-in contract, customers have access to all movies on the seven Foxtel Movies channels. The content includes “the biggest box office releases of 2012 at launch along with on demand access to the Foxtel Movies vault of recent and older favourite movies,” it said in a statement. Foxtel beat Seven and Nine to the market, and is a challenge to Quickflix.
Fowler’s Live Music Awards announces nominations
The 2013 Fowler’s Live Music Awards announced its peer nominations in 11 categories. These were decided by reps from venues, festivals and contemporary music organisations. The genre categories are acoustic, electronic, hip hop, indie, metal, pop, punk, rock, roots, as well as music video. Up for Best Music Organisation or Individual 2013 are Format, Fourwords, Pilot Records, Play Pause Play and Spoz’s Rant. Vying for Best Music Initiatives are A Band On Boat, Live At Twin Earth, N1 Records, Pilotfest and Scumfest. The winner of the Best Music Manager will be chosen from Jason North (Truth Corroded), Matthew Haywood (Steering By Stars), Ricky Kradolfer (City Riots), Ross McHenry (Shaolin Afronauts) and Tom Kneebone (Bearded Gypsy Band).
Public nominated and voted categories are SA produced and recorded artist release, SA band/artist, SA live music venue, SA live music event and SA music media source (print, web, radio or TV). Voting is open now at: http://fowlerslivemusicawards.com.au/2013-voting-form/ The awards, organised by Peter Darwin, will be held at Fowler’s Live on Thursday October 24. A free BBQ is sponsored by the Coopers Brewery with Play Pause Play DJs performing an all SA music set in the courtyard. The awards begin at 7 pm. Dress code: Darwin said, “Our only ask is that you wear a black shirt!”
James Arthur to visit
Sony Music Entertainment Australia has X Factor UK alumni James Arthur making his first visit to promote his October 11-due single You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You. He performs it on X Factor on October 14 before leaving for Germany two days later. The 25-year old’s earlier single Impossible reached #2 on the ARIA chart and went 4 x platinum.
Festivals #1: Survey finished for Tamworth Country Music Festival
A four month survey of what artists, fans and stakeholders want from January’s Tamworth Country Music Festival has been delivered to Tamnworth Regional Council. The 250-page document is the first of its kind for the festival and surveyed 3400 people. Mayor Col Murray said it would take some time to absorb the information. But the initial overview is that more international acts should be booked, according to 60% of artists and 64% of music industry reps and stakeholders. Concerns included travel and accommodation costs for acts, communication with the Council, and the quality of buskers. At least 65.97% said country was their favourite style, with country-rock on top of the list, and bluegrass at the bottom. 55,000 people attended the event this year.
Festivals #2: white knight for Breath of Life
Launceston City Council alderman Rob Soward will move a motion at its October 14 meeting to overturn its decision not to continue funding the Breath of Life festival. Earlier this month, Council’s event assessment committee opted not to contribute $20,000 towards the March 14 event in Inveresk as there were other events that were more needy. It contributed $9900 to the festival in 2013 and $11,250 in 2012. The event draws over 16,000 punters and injects $2.5 million to the economy. Soward said, “It’s an important event and it works, and I don’t think what it brings to the area has not been considered enough.”
Promoter Clint Pease is gathering letters of support from local business to include with the motion. If interested, email him at clint.pease@opcon.com.au. Pease was told by Council that he could increase ticket prices to cover the shortfall but he says the result would be that less people would attend. Greens member Kim Booth has written to the Council asking it to reconsider. Cultural events already receiving Council support are Junction Arts ($105,000), New Year on Royal ($120,000), Festivale ($60,000) and Symphony Under the Stars ($45,000).
Festivals #3: Caloundra Music eliminates disposable bottled water
Caloundra Music is claiming an Australian first for a music festival: it has abandoned selling bottled water for environmental reasons. Patrons are asked to bring a reusable water bottle and refill it during the event at various refill stations on the site. “By not selling disposable bottled water it will reduce the accumulated waste in the festival site by approximately 20,000 bottles over the four-day event,” Sunshine Coast divisional councillor Tim Dwyer pointed out. Chilled and filtered spring water will be available to purchase from three site locations. “This is really the initiative we need to spread awareness of plastic pollution and create behavioural change that will have lasting benefits for our environment and particularly our oceans. Marine debris is such a massive problem for our oceans,” observed Jacki Boyce of the Australian Marine Conservation Society.
Festivals #4: Bluesfest brings out the legends
Byron Bay’s Bluesfest which celebrates its 25th anniversary next year, just announced its second round of artists – heavy on legends, including the Doobie Bros, Greg Allman, Aaron Neville, Boz Scaggs, India.Arie, Dr John, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Suzanne Vega, Jimmie Vaughan and a Jamaican supergroup with Ernest Ranglin, Sly & Robbie and Bitty McLean.
Festivals #5: all-Australian Paradise launches
A new music festival with an all-Australian bent, Paradise, is held in the Victorian alpine region November 29 to December 1 at Lake Mountain Alpine Resort near Marysville. Acts include Glass Towers, Elizabeth Rose, Millions, Oisima, Naysayer & Gilsun (DJ set), Squarehead, The Demon Parade, The Getaway Plan, O.O.M.A, Dark Arts, Electric Sea Spider and Them Swoops.
TRIPPING
Which manager got a ticket for tooting a dawdling police car, for “unnecessary use of the horn”?
Which exec who was punched over an affair insists it was a case of mistaken identity?
Can Bluesfest top its latest round of acts? Well, yes, maybe with Sting who’s heavily rumoured to be here in March/April and up to stroll up a set or two at the festival. Insane Clown Posse reveal they’re here in November.
Krist Novoselic was lamenting on triple j that he was to return to Australia after 20 years with Nirvana colleague Dave Grohl on his Sound City Players project until the visit got scrapped. Triple j asked if he’d return to do some Nirvana toe-tappers. Novoselic almost pissed himself. “That’s the best plan I’ve heard all year. It has to happen.”
50 musos fronted for the first meeting of the newly formed Australian Freelance Musicians Alliance (AFMA) in Sydney. It unanimously endorsed a resolution to build a strong union presence in the music industry, and that a Music Industry Committee be formed to develop strategies and campaigns for better outcomes for working musicians. The AFMA says it is working on getting the committee up and running in the coming weeks.
Britney Spears has pocketed almost US$10 million worth of Pepsi sponsorship over the last two years. But leaked financial documents found that when it came to investing her moolah, it went into rival Coca-Cola shares, along with McDonald’s and US-Mexican chain Chipotle. Nothing spent on Pepsi even though its shares have been rising steadily.
Further to our item last week on Peter Garrett’s autobiography, publisher Allen & Unwin want it out in 2015.
Hip hop festival Rap City scrapped its four-city tour in October due to “unforseen complications with scheduling that were beyond control.” Individual dates are to be announced for headliners Talib Kweli, Homeboy Sandman and Trademark Da Skydiver
Jetstar has become more muso-friendly after negative publicity on social media. Instruments as large as 81cm x 36cm x 23cm and weighing 10kg or less can be taken into the cabin.
Global hard rock supergroup The Dead Daisies, fronted by Noiseworks’ Jon Stevens and former Angels guitarist David Lowy, has brought on another celeb names. It’s bassist Darryl Jones, who’s played with The Rolling Stones for the past decade. The Daisies’ drummer Charley Drayton, now with Cold Chisel, played with Keith Richards’ X-Pensive Winos.
While Australian Radio Network’s MixFM presents James Blunt as the first act to play Australia’s HeartRadio Theatre (Oct 4 at Sydney’s The Star), the Sunday Telegraph reckoned that Southern Cross Austereo, Vodafone and MCM Media are negotiating to bring Lady Gaga back to the Sydney Town Hall in a repeat of her 2010 Monster Ball show at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. The cost of the show is one cool million smackeroos, the paper said.
The Game’s donation, with fellow rapper Drake, of $24,000 to an Ohio woman whose five kids and boyfriend died in fire at their caravan, was inspired by an incident in Australia. He’d met an African kid outside a grocery store in Coffs Harbour and gave him $20 after hearing his hard luck story. He later felt bad he couldn’t do more to help his family and promised himself to give away more cash.
Baz Luhrmann celebrated his 51st birthday at the ballet in New York with Toni Collette, Michael Stipe, Marina Abramovic, Trudie Styler and ballerina Skylar Brandt.
Barry Harley, best known for his work with Tamworth Country Music Festival and Country Music Awards, was named Business Leader of the Year by the region’s Chamber of Commerce for his other business activity as well.
The Mandorah Beach Hotel, off the coast of the Northern Territory, which held band sessions on Sunday afternoons until owners decided to pull it down, got a great farewell. Over 700 music fans caught the ferry over for last drinks (and meals), and owners said they ran out of food.
LIFELINES
Hospitalised: radio veteran Philip Brady of Melbourne’s 3AW broke his hip after falling down a flight of stairs when his hotel in Hong Kong had a power blackout.
Recovering: Lynda of The Topp Twins needed urgent knee reconstruction surgery due to old soccer injuries and a fall from a high stage years ago.
Jailed: Melbourne rapper Mr Morgz (real name: Corinthian Morgan) for two years for a series of robberies during an ice binge. These included stealing a car waving a gun at its terrified occupants, and holding up a post office. His lawyer explained he was a street kid at the age of 12, when he also started taking drugs.
In Court: NSW rapper Matt White aka The Bandit, was sentenced in Port Macquarie District Court to an 18-month intensive correction order after being found guilty of reckless wounding. He hit someone with a coffee club after an argument in Wauchope in October 2011. White said that since he appeared on Australia’s Got Talent that year (he ended up sixth), he had been often needlessly provoked.
In Court: Veteran entertainer Rolf Harris, 83, pleaded not guilty to child sex charges during a 10-minute court appearance in London. These included six counts of indecently assaulting a 15-year-old girl in 1980 and 1981 and three charges of indecent assault on a girl aged 14 in 1986. There were also four counts of making indecent images of a child in the first half of 2012. He was released on conditional bail that he not approach ten names the judge read out and not to be near anybody under the age of 18 without supervision.
In Court: Townsville mobile DJ Eddie McGrath, 46, was sentenced to 18 months jail after pleading guilty in Townsville District Court to a number of drug charges. He had arranged to meet a 20-year old stripper and promised to provide her with speed, more to impress her than to make money, his lawyer said. Unknown to McGrath, the woman’s phone had been seized during a drug raid, and cops met him when he turned up for his appointment.
Vale: Australian jazz saxophonist Bernie McGann, 78, died following recent heart surgery. His unique sound made him a highly influential and respected figure since he emerged in the 1950s. He was loved for his dry humour and love for sports, especially rugby team South Sydney Rabbitohs. A reflection of how highly regarded he was when top names asked to play at recent benefit shows for him in Sydney and Melbourne. Pianist Paul Grabowsky, who has played with McGann regularly since the 80s, told The Australian. “He represents, I think, a whole era in the development of our music. As an artist I absolutely put him up there with people like Patrick White or Fred Williams in terms of being a major voice of a certain generation of Australian cultural maturity. If it was any genre other than jazz, he would be a household name.”
NUMBER CRUNCHING
11 million people tried iTunes Radio less than a week after its launch, Apple reported.
30th chart entry in Australia for Britney Spears, whose Work Bitch came in at #30 on the ARIA chart three days after release.
982,000 viewers for Nine’s Australia’s Got Talent’s first live show on Monday, down from 1.172 million a week ago. It ranked 6th for the night, and sixth in the key advertising demographic of 25-54. Meanwhile its timeslot competition, Seven’s The X Factor, had a rise in viewers to 1.474 million, was top show of the night, and rating at #1 with the 25-54 age group.
6th chart entry for Timomatic with Waterfalls entering at #26 this week.
33% reduction of violence due to Newcastle’s last drinks rule (reduced trading hours and less alcohol time), according to the University of Newcastle’s School of Medicine and Public Health.
$5,000 ransom demanded by dog-nappers for rap executive Russell Simmons and his girlfriend, Hana Nitsche, for their pooch Ivy.
28 kms walked by Mitch & Kellsey from Star FM in Dubbo to raise donations for the Cancer Council.
3,500 entries for Stereosonic festival’s inaugural design competition with graphic design marketplace 99designs.
$3-4 million what Alan Jones’ comments about former PM Julia Gillard reportedly cost Macquarie Radio Network.
126 revellers taken into “protective custody” for intoxication after annual Bush Bands Bash in Alice Springs, the NT News revealed.
2% of UK’s Internet users account for 74% of all copyright infringements, says research by Kantar Media. But it also discovered that those who infringe tend to spend more money on legal digital sales than those who don’t infringe.
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