Industrial Strength: August 17

17 August 2011

by Christie Eliezer

NEWS

Goyte goes Platinum…

Goyte’s Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra), which hit #1 on the ARIA chart this week, has been certified platinum. It’s also reached #2 on the iTunes Single Charts in Holland and his native Belgium.

The single’s success saw his 2006 album Like Drawing Blood re-enter the ARIA chart at its new highest peak of #19 and his debut album Boardface sneak into the chart to make its first appearance at #93. It marks the fourth time that his record company Eleven A Music Company has hit #1 — twice with Missy Higgins and once with Silverchair.

Most of the dates on Goyte’s current tour to support his Making Mirrors album (out this Friday) have sold out. A Perth show has been added, and he set a record in hometown Melbourne with four Forum shows in one weekend.

…and Jebediah hit gold

Jebediah’s She’s Like A Comet has gone Gold. It crossed over from Triple J to Triple M, B105, SAFM, 92.9, Mix 94.5, 96FM, most Novas, Southern Cross Media Days and 23 other major regionals. It peaked at #21 on the Take 40 chart and #11 on The Music Network’s Hot 100 airplay chart. To celebrate, the band this week announced a final run of capital shows in November.

Adele beats Pink chart milestone, hits its sixth platinum

By notching up 14 accumulated weeks at #1 on the ARIA chart, Adele has broken Pink’s Greatest Hits ... So Far for longest running No.1 album this decade. 21 is now the equal second longest running No.1 album this century, tied with So Far So Good by Bryan Adams and Only By the Night by Kings of Leon. 21 this week was certified with its sixth platinum certificate, for Australian sales of 420,000.

O’Dowd joins ‘Sapphires’ cast

Chris O'Dowd, of The IT Crowd and Bridesmaids fame, joins the cast of Goalpost Pictures’ Australian movie The Sapphires. He plays "an unlikely Irish talent scout”. The Wayne Blair-directed film, which started shooting this month, tells the real-life story of how he finds an indigenous all-girl singing group in the outback. He remakes them as Australia’s answer to the Supremes, and takes them to Vietnam to entertain Australian troops in the late ‘60s. The Sapphires are played by Jessica Mauboy (Bran Nue Dae), Deborah Mailman (Rabbit Proof Fence) and NIDA graduates Shari Sebbens and Miranda Tapsell.

Splendour fights to return to Byron…

Splendour In The Grass has urged patrons to petition Byron Shire against bringing in new rules which would cap the number of major outdoor music events with more than 6000 people to two a year. Both Splendour and Bluesfest insist that it will stifle the area’s cultural development.

… but QLD wants Splendour to stay

Queensland’s Moreton Bay mayor Allan Sutherland launched an online petition to keep Splendour In The Grass in the state. The festival has been staged at the Woodfordia site for two years while NSW bureaucracy works through an approval for its permanent site in Byron Bay. Sutherland says that the festival shouldn’t put up with such bureaucratic slothfulness and made it clear it won’t have any red tape problem staying on. This year’s festival pumped $20 million into the local economy. See www.savesplendour.com.au.

Aussie rock landmark for sale

A house in Perth called The Cliffe — where The Triffids first rehearsed and wrote their first songs — is up for sale. The 1898 house was owned for a time by the parents of Triffids’ founders Rob and Dave McComb. In 1995, prospector Mark Creasy bought it to demolish it and rebuild it as a McMansion. Creasy has battled heritage authorities and worldwide Triffids fans who argued it should be preserved. After not being able to maneuver Creasy finally threw his hands up and decided to sell the 4777sq.m property in Peppermint Grove.

MUSICAL CHAIRS

Australia’s Guvera appoints Quartararo its Global Head of Music

Gold-Coast based digital company Guvera has appointed Los Angeles-based Phil Quartararo as its Global Head of Music. Quartararo was CEO and President of Warner Bros. Records during which he signed the likes of Linkin Park and Josh Groban.

Before that he was appointed by Richard Branson in 1986 to co-found Virgin Records America, and helped break Paula Abdul, the Spice Girls, Smashing Pumpkins and Lenny Kravitz in that market. His 2002 move to EMI music saw him re-organise its music distribution unit to reflect the industry’s focus from sales to marketing.

The move comes as Guvera enters a period of global expansion to take on Amazon and iTunes. Co-founder Claes Loberg relocate this week from Robina, Qld to Los Angeles. Co-founder and COO Brad Christiansen and CTO Benjamin Evans earlier this month shifted to its Singapore operations. Darren Herst will be its Managing Director of its Australian operations.

Loberg told Industrial Strength that Quartararo’s 30-year contacts in the music biz should see Sony Music and Warner add content to Guvera’s current 3.5 million music tracks. These are included in advertiser-paid channels which are accessed for free by consumers. Guvera is also utilising Quartararo’s contacts to actively get content from film and TV studios and games companies. As a result Loberg expects the company’s 200,000 subscribers to expand to 1 million by this Christmas.

“The timing (for expansion) is perfect,” Loberg says. “We set up Guvera seven years ago, and for the first three years when we were trying to build up capital, people told us it wouldn’t work. We raised our first $20 million during the global financial crisis. Now it seems that content owners, advertisers and consumers are all on the same page.”

Buchan leaves Triple M

Mieke Buchan is leaving Triple M Melbourne’s breakfast show. She is moving to Sydney where her fiancé, producer Ant Warne, is based.

McGuire closes Defamer

Editor Jess McGuire has closed Allure Media’s pop culture website Defamer Australia after four years. In her final posting she revealed it “wasn’t an easy decision to make (but) the exhaustion-induced writer’s block I’ve been battling for the last few months helped make my decision for me.”

Austin back on air

Gayle Austin, a founding member of ABC’s Doublejay and Australia’s first female rock dj, can be heard on Sydney community radio station 2SER. She hosts Curved Radio show on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Mercer heads back south

Kristie Mercer, a nominee for Best New On-Air Talent in this November’s CRAs, is leaving the drive program at 106.3fm Townsville after six months. She’s returning to Victoria to co-host the syndicated breakfast show for the regional Ace Radio Network.

Catherine Brett joins CMC

Country music singer songwriter Catherine Britt joins Country Music Channel (CMC) as host of a new series of Alt-Country from September 4. The video clip-based program covers Americana, bluegrass, roots and alt-country. It screens Sundays from 7 pm.

Creed to A&R

Bruno Mars’ manager Brandon Creed will serve as A&R consultant for America’s Universal Republic and Island Def Jam Motown labels.

Roadrunner’s Stevenson sets up media company

Former Roadrunner Records Director of Promotions Bob Stevenson has set up BPROMO & PUBLICITY. He is contacted at bstevenson@hotmail.com.au.

Muhl goes off air

After 20 years doing the breakfast shift at Perth’s 98.5 Sonshine FM, Arthur Mulh goes off-air to concentrate on its Program Manager duties.

NEW SIGNINGS

New Empire joins Native Tongue Publishing

Sydney band New Empire inked a global publishing deal with Native Tongue Publishing. The band, which formed in 2006, releases its sophomore album Symmetry through MGM next month and secured opening slots on Owl City and Simple Plan tours. Native Tongue’s Director Chris Gough called them “a group whose song writing and work ethic are equal parts amazing!”

All Mankind track on FIFA ‘12

Sydney band All Mankind have their track ‘Break The Spell’ on the soundtrack of the EA Games’ FIFA ‘12. One of the biggest gaming franchies, FIFA ‘12 is expected to sell seven million units on its release next month. The track previously received airplay on Austereo and Nova, as well as in the USA, UK, Europe and South America. The deal was brokered through its LA-based manager Sat Bisla of A&R Worldwide. Singer Rich Beeston told this column that the band will relocate to the UK in October, based in London and Manchester. Its album Simple Desire will be released in the UK & Europe by SO Recordings/PIAS on September 26. London-based IAA and Germany’s FKP Scorpio are booking its dates in those territories.

Neil Mitchell re-signs with 3AW

Neil Mitchell, who returned to top spot in the most recent radio ratings with a 16.6% share in the Melbourne market, has extended his stay at talk back station 3AW until December 2014.

The City Ignites added to global compilation

Brisbane moshers This City Ignites are included in a global alt-rock / metal compilation through Alternative Revolt Magazine. The CD, The Autumn Collection Vol 1, is out this month and heard on Rock Band Network, mobile, social and browser applications like Google Music, Spotify and Pandora. It includes up and coming global acts as The Last Nova, Torn From Within, Brutal Assault and Synthetic Breed.

Monster Energy partners with Ticketmaster

Energy drink company Monster Energy partners with Ticketmaster to bring world rally champ Ken Block and his Gymkhana World Tour to Melbourne’s Calder Park for a free show on September 3.

NUMBER CRUNCHING

940,000 Australians listen to digital radio two years after its launch at full power, says Commercial Radio Australia. 508,462 digital radios have been sold to date.

220,000 Cold Chisel tickets sold by last Friday, with the number of shows in Oz and NZ now 35.

10.4 million Australians visited Facebook in July, YouTube attracted 9.8 million and 1.9 million to Twitter says socialmedianews.com.au.

$120,000 cost of bronze statue of Smoky Dawson by Newcastle sculptor Tanya Bartlett to be placed in January in Tamworth’s Peel Street.

12^th chart topper on America’s Modern Rock chart gained by Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ‘The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie’ breaking their own record.

25 million indie discs destroyed when thugs burned Sony UK’s distribution centre in London.

TRIPPIN'

What carrots are Queensland tourism and events authorities planning to offer Splendour In The Grass to stay in QLD than return to Byron Bay?

Was it Aerosmith the mystery co-headliner which led to the demise of Soundwave Revolution?

Are Van Halen still coming?

Which major label is putting together a girl-band?

Will financial crisis halt the sale of EMI?

Is the new Apple iPhones, and iCloud coming on September 7?

Will Townsville get a new 30,000 capacity sports and concerts stadium?

Are some Australian distributors getting worried that the problems facing UK indie labels after the Sony riot fire could create cash flow problems for them?

Is Nova Brisbane launching a breakfast show next year with Triple M’s Ash Bradnam and ex-B105’s Camilla Severi?

LIFELINES

In Court: Renee Geyer was lucky that the magistrate she faced over two car accidents (Jelena Popovic) was a long time fan of the singer. She got off with a 12-month good behaviour bond and a $500 donation to a charity.

In Court: Sydney freelance lighting guy Jamie Centofanti failed to reduce his five month jail sentence by the Tasmanian Supreme Court. The 36 year old, who’s undergone rehab, was busted with 17.7 grams of cocaine at Launceston airport after he arrived to work at MSFest.

In Court: Kings Cross nightclub owner Adam Freeman will appear in the in Tamworth Local Court in October to answer drugs charges pertaining to a an alleged $3 million dollar bust near Quirindi last year.

Died: Melbourne bassist Shane Walsh, 52, cause of death unspecified. He formed Honeymoon in Green in 1981, and played with Tex, Don & Charlie, Working Class Ringos, Dave Last & The Legendary Boy Kings and Butterfly.

INSIDE TRACK

Was Jay-Z/Kanye West video a gimmick for the car?

In late June, the boss of luxury car manufacturer Daimler cast doubts on the future of its exclusive Maybachs model. These cost US$400,000 and sell a lowly 300-500 a year. But this might change in the wake of its new-found hipness following its appearance in the video for Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Otis. It burns rubber, whips around corner and spits fire before the duo trash it. They will auction the wreck and donate proceeds to the African drought disaster. Any buyer will need $150,000 to make it roadworthy. Now it seems that the video makers worked with Maybachs officials in its German headquarters. Did they pay to have it in the video knowing it would stimulate sales?

Living End video takes risks

There’s been some heated debate on social media about The Living End’s video for new single ‘Song For The Lonely’. The grizzling is that it’s not performance-based like their others. But drummer Andy Strachan explains this was exactly why they were drawn to director Rhett Dashwood’s idea. “We took a gamble not doing a performance clip,” Strachan admits. “But the lyrics to the song were powerful, and we were excited that we could let the camera express these in a cinematic way.”

Dashwood used three marginalized characters — a young girl, an overweight man and a tattooed freak — who overcome their obstacles. He shot it in slow-motion to heighten the emotions, in the grey wilds of the Victorian coast. “It was bloody freezing. That poor girl, I’m sure she ended up with a cold,” Strachan recalls. The band was in attendance over the two-day shoot. ‘Song For The Lonely’ was initially a different animal, until they got the studios and introduced a trance-like danceability to it. After their run of Australian shows, The Living End are itching to get back to Japan and Europe to tour.

Muse heading back to studio

Muse only played four shows during the summer so that frontman Matthew Bellamy could prepare for the birth of his son Bing. But his daddyhood will not delay work on their sixth album. Bassist Chris Wolstenholme told BBC Radio 1 they’ll start to write songs over September and October. And they plan to keep up touring. "We're always going to be the kind of band that want to get out and play live.” But to avoid songs from being leaked, as happened to 2009’s chart topping The Resistance, they won’t road test the songs. “It’s difficult to bring new songs into the live set before you record them with the Internet and dodgy recordings of live songs getting out there before they’ve been released on an album,” Wolstenholme said.

“Love Never Dies” DVD shot in Australia

If you want to get your face on a DVD, head to the Regent Theatre in Melbourne on Thursday September 15 for the 8 pm performance of the Love Never Dies musical. They plan to shoot the show for a DVD release. The Australian version is not the same as the UK’s, with a new director (Simon Phillips) and designer (Gabriela Tylesova). Andrew Lloyd Webber has indicated the show might not make it to Broadway. “With the baggage that it's got, it might be better to just let it be discovered," he said.