Industrial Strength: February 27

FESTIVALS WIN AT TOURISM AWARDS

Three festivals made their mark at the Australian Tourism Awards, held at Perth’s Optus Stadium.

In the Major Festivals and Events category, Bluesfest Byron Bay took silver, with Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers in Queensland getting gold and South Australia’s Santos Tour Down Under going home with bronze.

For Festivals and Events, Victoria’s Riverboats Music Festival took gold with Tasmania’s The Unconformity with bronze, with Mount Isa Mines Rotary Rodeo in between with silver. 

Riverboats in Echuca was held for the 7th time n February with Liam & Neil Finn and Kasey Chambers performing for more than 6,000 people.

Its Director David Frazer says that it keeps getting repeat business because they have since 2012 maintained “a friendly laid back atmosphere, and we have not wanted to make it larger for that reason”.

Meanwhile, Bluesfest’s Peter Noble just made it to the ceremony. He was just about to leave Byron Bay for Sydney to catch a connecting flight to Perth when news came through that Kesha had axed her visit and her headlining Bluesfest set. 

That had to be sorted out before he could leave. Immediately after the awards he was winging it to London before returning to meet up with Robert Plant whom he is touring.

Noble said about the Bluesfest win, “It is a challenge to present a festival that continues to win and be nominated for so many awards.

“We do not take it for granted and will always strive to provide the best in music, and the services we provide to our patrons.

“I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to our ongoing success, and especially to our incredible patrons. 

“ Without their support we could not continue to present Bluesfest at the level we do. Take a bow, thank you.”

THE LIVING END FINISH RECORDING IN BERLIN

The Living End have finished off recording their 8th studio album in Berlin, celebrating it with a show at SchwuZ which was livestream at Arte TV. It will be up online for 30 days.

The platter (20th century industry speak) will be their first through a recent record and publishing deal with BMG. 

The three returned to Australia and hardly had time to get over the jetlag before hitting the road, for A Day On The Green with Spiderbait, Veruca Salt, The Lemonheads and Tumbleweed.

ED SHEERAN PLAYS KETCHUP

Maybe it’s got something to do with the colour of his hair, who knows. But Ed Sheeran’s obsession with tomato ketchup is well known. He’s got a tattoo of a bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup, his entourage is told to carry a spare bottle when he’s travelling or else, and last year he visited the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh before his show there.

To mark his arrival in Perth, the Australian operation of Heinz has made a “Limited Ed-ition” bottle of the ketchup, with “Ed’s Perth Tomato Ketchup”, “Welcome to Perth” and the dates of his two shows on the label.

A mouthpiece for the sauce force said they hoped to present him with one just before his first Perth show at Optus Stadium

Mind you, with esteemed members of the world’s paparazzi descending en masse on Perth to solve the world’s current most essential question – is he married or just engaged to childhood buddy Cherry Seaborn? – we wouldn’t put it past some of them to turn up backstage brandishing a Heinz bottle and insisting it’s for Eddie Everywhere.

ADELAIDE FRINGE HEADING FOR RECORD CROWD 

It’s not just Perth Fringe World that is expecting to hit a record audience this year, as reported in TMN yesterday.

Initial ticket sales - which are up 8.5% from the same time last year to 250,000 - have led Adelaide Fringe Director Heather Croall to confidently predict it will best last year’s record ticket sales. 

In 2017, Fringe sold 658,360 (up 6% from 2016) and box office takings of $16.2 million. Total attendances, including free events, rose 11.5% to 2.52 million.

Croall reckons this year will reach 700,000 tickets.

In 2017, the Fringe doubled its economic impact over six years to $24.3 million. This was due to a 38% rise in interstate and international visitors to 18,655, who stayed in South Australia for an estimated 80,000 bed nights.

Aiding the 2018 growth of ticket sales, says Croall, are a greater publicity push by performers and venues, a more smartphone-friendly ticketing system, and self-collect machines in locations around Adelaide so no one has to queue.

FOUR MORE WOMEN ACCUSE REPUBLIC CHIEF

Four more women have accused Republic Group President Charlie Walk of sexual harassment. All were aged in their early 20s.

Walk stood down from his role and sat out the final episode of the reality singing show The Four (he was a judge) after former Sony Music employee Tristan Coopersmith posted a letter online.

Former Regional Promotion Manager for Columbia Records Pam Kaye told Rolling Stone she endured seven years of harassment which allegedly included exposing his penis to her, throwing her on his office couch and lying on her, and an incident where he put his hand down her pants in a car during a ride with other staff members.

Rolling Stone also published claims by Walk’s executive assistant Kate Harold, an “Emily” who worked in the marketing department at Republic, and “Melanie” whom Walk was allegedly trying to coax away from her job at Island Records.

Walk has denied all the claims in Rolling Stone.

GROVE STUDIOS LAUNCHES ACADEMY 

The Grove Studios in Somersby, NSW (an hour north of Sydney), has launched a stand-alone registered training organisation (RTO) called The Grove Studios Academy. 

June 4 sees the beginning of the first Diploma of Music Industry (Sound Production).

An Open Day is held on March 17 and April 28, with live demos, studio tours and information booths.

All courses are hands-on, practical and with no written examinations. 

The courses are lead by Head Teacher, Chris Jackson, who has spent a decade as an audio engineer and nine years teaching audio degrees. 

The courses cover all aspects of the audio industry including music, business management, freelance operation, live sound, electronic composition and sound to picture. 

Students will study in an operational studio alongside ARIA winning producers including Scott Horscroft (music producer and studio Director), Burke Reid (producer) and Andy Mak (producer/engineer/songwriter), who in recent times have contributed to the careers of artists such as Courtney Barnett, The Presets, Vera Blue, DZ Deathrays and Alison Wonderland.

SHOCK! HORROR! DRUG BUSTS AT FESTIVALS 

Over 136 patrons were swiped for drugs at three Sydney festivals last weekend.

These were 38 at The Secret Garden in Camden (which drew 5,000…minus the 44 that the cops turfed out for bad behaviour) with 17 treated by paramedics and two who overdosed. 

Almost 40 made up the numbers for possession or supply at Supremacy at Olympic Park.

Sydney City Limits at Centennial Park, which drew 20,000 to its inaugural event, contributed 62 to those charged. Add to that two charged with assaulting police, one for bad language, and one hospitalised for a possible ketamine overdose.

YOUNG THUG BLOWS OUT NZ TOO 

Young Thug, who blew out of Sydney City Limits at the last minute because he couldn’t get an Australian visa, dumped New Zealand as well.

Seeing that his NZ visa had been approved on February 12, promoters were pushing for him to get his ass over there to appear at the Auckland City Limits and Dunedin’s Outer Limits festival this weekend.

However yesterday they gave up the fight and replaced the Thugster with Scribe and P Money in Auckland, and Alison Wonderland in Dunedin.

PROTEST: KEEP SYDNEY OPEN

Keep Sydney Open marked the 4th anniversary of the introduction of the Sydney lockout laws on February 24 by calling on the public to wear their Keep Sydney Open T-shirts and post photos of these on social media to denote that the campaign to get rid the laws was far from over.

Spokesman Tyson Koh said, “In four years, the NSW Government has introduced negligible changes to the lockout laws.

“Meanwhile the few venues we have are suffering, bands and DJs struggle for a decent living and Sydney’s reputation around the world as a city for babies and retirees is reinforced.

“Name a city that’s proud of empty streets? It’s not right.”

MUSIC SA PUSHES GIRLS TO THE FRONT

Music SA is holding Girls To The Front, a two-day music workshop for South Australian girls aged 14-18, interested in a career in music performance and music business.

Eventbrite will pick up the tab for 25 girls, who will be divided into five groups to intimately learn the business in the St Paul’s Creative Centre.

Singer-songwriters Skye Lockwood and Naomi Keyte will use guitars and keyboards in a recording studio to show what makes a song work. 

Annie Siegmann of MIO and Shivon Diana of Attonbitus will demonstrate the stage set up and an intro to musical instruments and encourage the young ones to go ahead and make noise.

Emily Bettinson, Girls In The Mix/sound engineer, will handle the Recording session, with introductions to using digital recording software and recording live instrumentation.

Music Industry Basics – including how to put on their own gigs – will be mentored by Jessi Tilbrook (Music SA, Umbrella Festival) and Alana Jagt (APRA AMCOS). 

Music SA General Manager Lisa Bishop will oversee Career Pathways, providing career options, roles in the industry and where to gain further education, including sourcing volunteering & work experience opportunities. 

For questions or more information, contact Jessi Tilbrook at jessi@musicsa.com.au or on (08) 7320 3301.

AWESOME WEEK FOR HOCKEY DAD: SELL OUT TOUR, CHART MILESTONE 

Last week was one for Hockey Dad to remember. They sold out their 14-date national tour, plus they also announced a UK/European tour, and immediately sold out their headline London show at the Lexington. 

Their new album Blend Inn debuted the ARIA Hot 100 at #6, and at #1 on the ARIA Australian chart and #1 on the AIR Independent Label Chart.

They become the first band from the Wollongong region to crack the Top 10 of the ARIA Top 100 in 23 years. 

The last time was in 1995 when Tumbleweed’s sophomore album Galactaphonic (also) peaked at #6.

GOLDEN STAVE SHOUTS FORE!

The 27th anniversary Golden Stave Golf Day is held on Friday May 25 at Moore Park Golf Club to raise funds for children in need.

As usual, the format will be the four-ball Ambrose, with additional surprises over the 18 holes.

There is also the David Gilchrist Ambrose Challenge to remember the one-time EMI Music executive who was a hard-working member of the Golden Stave committee.

Australian Long Drive Champion Mark "Boomer" Bylsma will be joining the event for a golf clinic, plus also on the long drive holes and will hit balls for all the competitors.

STUDY #1: ONLINE PIRACY DOWN AFTER SITES BROUGHT DOWN

Incopro’s Australian Site-Blocking Efficacy Report has found that legal action by copyright owners was having an impact on the level of film and TV piracy.

The court-ordered blocking of 59 illegal sites slashed online piracy in Australia by 25% year-on-year, and traffic to blocked sites was down by 53%.

Creative Content Australia Chairman Graham Burke welcomed the news but urged search engines like Google to do more to shut down maverick sites.

He said, “The reduction in piracy is exciting news but that 53% could be 90%.

“The government has shut the front door but Google is leading people to the back door, showing no respect for Australian law or courts, let alone any regard for the Australian economy and cultural way of life.

“Meanwhile the criminals running pirate sites are earning giant commissions scamming Australian citizens.” 

Read the study in full here. 

STUDY #2: 87% OF AUSSIES STILL LISTEN TO RADIO IN SUMMER

The lack of major on-air presenters over the summer break doesn’t impact much on listening habits, with GfK’s Radio Insights Summer Listening report finding that 87% of listeners consuming as much or more as the rest of the year.

Almost 90% listened to as much or more music, 84% to news, 64% to talkback, and 55% to sport. One in two admit they listen more to media than watch it over summer, and radio in both metropolitan and regional areas reaches 62% of listeners at their holiday destination.

The most appeal radio has over summer is music (88%), followed by the entertainment factor (86%), the information provided (77%), the fun factor (76%), news/traffic reports (74%, and presenters/announcers (71%).

MUSICNSW ANNOUNCES INDENT SUPPORTS

MusicNSW unveiled the local supports for its March 2018 Indent All-Ages Tour with headliners The Vanns and The Nah.

Joining them are NSW’s South Coast teen band Cuppa Shred for Bega, the South Coast’s UltraViolet for Moruya, surf rock trio Milky Thred for Newcastle, Bonny Hills hailed indie/blues/surf rock band Nana Klumpp for Port Macquarie, and Lennox Head-based indie rock quartet Wharves for Byron Bay.

MELBOURNE GETS VIDCON

After last year’s inaugural VidCon in Melbourne drew 7,000 attendees and delivered a $9 million boost to the economy, the Victorian Government has locked in the world’s largest online video conference for another two years at the Melbourne Convention and Event Centre (MCEC).

This year’s event will be held from August 31 to September 2, with prices ranging from $100 to $550. 

Live Nation announced the lineup of featured creators includes Ashly Perez (itsashlyperez), Jazza (Draw With Jazza), ChoppA (Cakes by ChoppA), Mathew McKenna, Shae-Lee Shackleford (SketchShe), Anna Akana, Damian Parker (HeyoDamo), Safiya Nygaard, Georgia Productions, Hannah Hart and Hank Green.

MUSIC PROGRAM FROM ARTS SA FUNDING

Of the 12 artists and organisations sharing in $305,022 in Arts SA funding was one contemporary music recipient.

Youth arts organisation Carclew received $80,000 towards Music in Motion, a music development, education and presentation program for young people in regional South Australia.

DREAM LOVER SETS NEW RECORD

Dream Lover - The Bobby Darin Musical has set a new record in Melbourne, becoming the highest ever selling show at Arts Centre Melbourne.

The John Frost / Gilbert Theatrical musical, with David Campbell in the lead with an 18-piece big band, began its run there in December and winds up on March 4.

AUSTRALIAN DIRECTOR ON NATIONAL’S TV SHOW

Australian TV and film producer/director Trent O’Connell is working with The Nationals’ Matt Berninger on a TV show he is creating and starring in, based on his life.

Berninger is also working on the project with his brother Tom (who’ll also appear on the series) and Matt’s wife and frequent co-writer Carin.

The two brothers worked on the 2013 faux documentary on The Nationals: Mistaken for Strangers.

VALE 

* Melbourne based DJ Kuya (real name Arsenio Fabay) was a three-time Victorian DMC State champion. 

He taught himself how to DJ at 12, and two years later taught his younger brother Dexter of The Avalanches.

The music community rallied around with fundraisers when Fabay’s kidney complaint turned out to be cancer.

* Thomas Nepia was singer and percussionist with high profile New Zealand reggae band Herbs.

They’re best known in Australia for their collaboration with Dave Dobbyn, ‘Slice Of Heaven’, but also had a run of hits in NZ.

Nepia was inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame in 2012 with the Herbs. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in late November.

* Bill Dart was a Geelong, Victoria-based live audio engineer who set up DB Concert Sound with Kevin Bishop. He reportedly died of a heart attack at the age of 63.

Shane Howard, a close friend, who was performing in Edmonton, Canada that night, dedicated ‘This Old Town’ in honour of Dart, whom he described as “lion-hearted”.

AND A FEW OTHER THINGS …

Lorde and her producer Jack Antonoff are hanging out together in New Zealand after he became single. Both have emphasised they’re not dating. Lorde responded to a question during an Instagram Live session, “I love him, he’s awesome. But we’re not dating! Please!’”

For the Aussies who watched the Brit awards, be aware host Jack Whitehall’s joke about Rag‘n’Bone Man was cut at the last minute. We heard him say “Rag’n’Bone Man has ‘the beard of a wizard” but the autocue had it the beard of “a hate cleric’.” 

Justin Bieber’s dad Jeremy is expecting ANOTHER baby with new wife after tying the knot for the third time,

Just in case you’re wondering whom to get a loan from, Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, aged 27, earned $638 million in 2017 due to a sizable stock award following the company’s initial public offering.

During the Under The Southern Stars festival in Surfers Paradise before 5000 people, Tex Perkins dedicated a number of Cruel Sea songs to “Crookers”, the late James Cruickshank, saying “he was from around here”. Also at the same festival, Jimmy Barnes and Diesel paid tribute to AC/DC’s Malcolm Young with ‘High Voltage’.

Flight Facilities are teasing a major news announcement this week. 

Explaining that she “shared everything with my listeners”, St Louis morning radio presenter Cassiday Proctor broadcast her giving birth to her son… named Jameson, as chosen by her listeners.

Tristan Waters, one of two Aussie men to be sent back to Australia after being busted by Serbian police in connection with an alleged $500 million cocaine smuggling ring, was once on security at now-defunct Canberra nightclub Minque SBS reported.

British comedian Louise Reay arrived for the Adelaide Fringe and had to hastily rewrite a new show Eraserhead in 48 hours on lawyer’s orders, because she’s being sued by her estranged husband for defamation and privacy over her last show, also about “power and oppression”. 

Kevin Kim, Aussie K-Pop singer and host of SBS’ PopAsia won Cosmopolitan + Tinder 2018 Bachelor of the Year from a field of 30 finalists … none of whom work at TMN. 

If you’ve been staying up nights wondering when Elton John will make his final visit to Australia for his“his most extensive” tour yet, Noise11 pointed out that Chugg Entertainment’s website has him pencilled in between December 2019 and February 2020.