Event Report: Big Sound 2010 + Q Music

29 April 2010

by Andrew Bartholomew

Queensland’s music industry development association ‘Q Music’ launched two of it’s flagship programs Tuesday evening at Ric’s Café in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.

To a gathering of about 80 music industry professionals as well as corporate and government sponsors, Q Music announced the 5th annual ‘Q Song’ awards and the 9th annual ‘BIG SOUND Music Industry Summit and Showcase’. Executive Programmer for BIG SOUND 2010 Graham ‘Asho’ Ashton was on hand to announce several keynote speakers of international renown for this September’s conference. These include New York based music writer Michael Azerrad, Peter Jesperson – Senior Vice-resident of New West Records (USA), along with two legendary names in Australian music John O’Donnell and Dave Faulkner.

O’Donnell currently manages iconic Aussie band Cold Chisel, while Faulkner is a singer-songwriter best known as a member of the Hoodoo Gurus. Ashton pointed out that the three-day BIG SOUND conference has grown into one of the most important events on the national music calendar and has gained a positive worldwide reputation.

“Brisbane music has always fought outside it’s weight division” he said, “and BIG SOUND follows in that tradition.” He said that the community quality of the Brisbane music scene is the perfect setting for such an event and many local bands have found the conference to be a valuable showcase for their talents. Details of bands scheduled to perform at this year’s conference have not yet been announced.

Recipient of the Encouragement Award at ‘Q Song 2009’ Ange Takats played a short but very sweet set of accoustic songs to the appreciative audience before O’Donnell and Faulkner took the mic for a brief chat about Australian music. Faulkner’s advice for those setting out in the industry was “you need to be a compulsive musician who doesn’t put limits on yourself.”

Q Song 2010 is primarily aimed at emerging Queensland songwriters and is open for entries until May 14th. Previous winners include Kate Miller-Heidke, The Grates and Bernard Fanning. The BIG SOUND 2010 summit and showcase will be held in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane from September 8th-10th.