Pitchfork’s Jessica Hopper & WME’s Marc Geiger join Bigsound

PRESS RELEASE:

This year’s BIGSOUND music industry gathering in September has bolstered its speaker list with two of the industry’s global leaders. Named as one of the 20 most influential people by industry bible Billboard, Marc Geiger is a partner and Head of Music WME Entertainment.  He looks after live bookings for some of the world’s biggest names including Jack White, Tony Bennett, Neil Diamond, The Flaming Lips, Jane’s Addiction, Lady Gaga, Janelle Monae, Nine Inch Nails, Tom Petty, Pixies, Trent Reznor and Rihanna. Prior to WME Geiger served as the Executive Vice President of A&R, Marketing and New Media at American Recordings and later launched ARTISTdirect. He also co-created Lollapalooza, which has since expanded to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Germany. 

Jessica Hopper is one of the world’s most influential music journalists as senior editor of global music bible Pitchfork and is one of the leading female voices in the music industry having penned the books ‘The Girls Guide to Rocking’ and ‘The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic’ which was recently named by Amazon as one of the best books of 2015 so far.   

They join previously announced keynote speakers former parliamentarian and Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett and revered Muslim rapper and activist Brother Ali as well as a dozen new additions to the program including agents Rob Zifarelli from The Agency Group (Canada), Sarah Casey from the Leighton Pope Organisation (UK) and Joe Schiavon from Global Live (UK) as well as Australian music identities necessary to make the party hum including I OH YOU’s Johann Ponniah, radio plugger Darryl Bailey and Deathproof PR’s Emily Kelly and Rebecca Reato. 

“BIGSOUND 2015 is shaping up to be incredibly diverse,” said QMusic Executive Officer Joel Edmondson. “The calibre of global industry leaders who can help the careers of the artists showcasing has never been more exciting.” 

BIGSOUND has been the breeding ground for some of the biggest Australian acts of the last decade, with national and international industry and punters converging on Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley to scout the next big thing. BIGSOUND alumni includes Courtney Barnett, Flume, Seth Sentry, Sheppard, The Jezabels, The Naked and Famous, The Temper Trap, The Aston Shuffle, The Church, Adalita, Ball Park Music, Jungle Giants, Boy & Bear, Clare Bowditch, David Bridie, Closure in Moscow, Kingswood, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Megan Washington, with nearly a thousand bands playing over BIGSOUND’s fourteen year history. The first live artists announced for 2015 included Stonefield, Muscles, Gang of Youths, Holy Holy, Katy Steele, Cosmic Psychos, The John Steel Singers, High Tension and more, with nearly a hundred acts still to be announced.    

This year’s event will take over Fortitude Valley from September 9th-11th, with special rate tickets available from www.bigsound.org.au until July 31. BIGSOUND Live tickets are available now through Oztix. 

Stage and Screen is the Official Travel Partner for BIGSOUND 2015. As Australia’s leading entertainment travel specialist the Stage and Screen team will be hard at work to negotiate fantastic accommodation rates for all delegates and attendees.  

BIGSOUND 2015 INDUSTRY SPEAKERS / BUYERS 

NEWLY ANNOUNCED

Marc Geiger (USA) – William Morris Endeavour - Keynote 

Jessica Hopper (USA) – Pitchfork - Keynote 

Adam Bauer (USA) – Fleming Artists 

Adam Lewis (USA) – The Planetary Group 

Andy Farrow (UK) – Northern Music Co. 

Ben Martin (AUS) – Golden Era Records 

Danny Zook (USA) – Alien Music Services 

Darryl Bailey (AUS) – Six Boroughs Media 

Dean Bein (USA) – True Panther Sounds 

Emily Kelly (AUS) – Deathproof Presents 

Joe Schiavon (UK) – Global Live 

Johann Ponniah (AUS) – I OH YOU 

Kate Hennessy (AUS) – Freelance Journalist 

Kween G (AUS) - Artist 

Matt Ash (USA) – Raw Power Management 

Michael Goldstone (USA) – Mom + Pop Music 

Michael Nieves (USA) – Sugaroo! & Native Tongue America 

Niki Roberton (USA) – IAMSOUND 

Paul Sloan (AUS) – Billions Australia 

Rebecca Reato (AUS) – Deathproof Presents 

Rob Zifarelli (CAN) – The Agency Group 

Robb Nansell (USA) – Saddle Creek Records 

Sarah Casey (UK) – Leighton Pope Organisation 

Si Jay Gould (AUS) – Wondercore Island 

Tyler Childs (USA) – Sony ATV 

Tyler Treeves (USA) – Double C Promotions 

ALREADY ANNOUNCED 

Peter Garrett (AUS) – Keynote 

Brother Ali (USA) - Keynote 

Ashanti Abdullah (USA) – Rhymesayers Entertainment 

Alex Maxwell (USA) – Troubadour 

Amy Morgan (UK) – Beggars Publishing / Glass Animals 

Avery McTaggart (USA) – The Windish Agency 

Ben Munro (JPN) – Hostess 

Ben O’Connor (AUS) – Chapter Music 

Eric Barleen (USA) – Another Planet Entertainment 

Guy Blackman (AUS) – Chapter Music 

Jacob Daneman (USA) – Pitch Perfect PR 

Jacqueline Saturn (USA)– Harvest Records 

Josh Moore (USA) – Bowery Presents 

Julia Wilson (AUS) – Rice is Nice 

Justin Sweeting (HK) – WME / Clockenflap 

Laura Snapes (UK) - Freelance Writer 

Lesley Olenik Golindo (USA) – Goldenvoice 

Lio Kanine (USA) – Kanine Records 

Lorrae McKenna (AUS) – Remote Control Records 

Marshall Betts (USA) – The Windish Agency 

Meg Helsel (USA) – Grandstand Media 

Melissa Yong (SGP) – Other Sounds / Village Sounds 

Meredith Fraser (USA) – Panache Booking 

Paul Buck (UK) – Coda Agency 

Phil Waldorf (USA) – Secretly Group 

Rachel Cragg (USA) – Nettwerk Music Group 

Robin McNicol (USA) – Superfly 

Sat Bisla (USA) – A&R Worldwide 

Talya Elitzer (USA) – Capitol Music Group 

Tunji Balogun (USA) – RCA Records 

BIGSOUND LIVE 2015 FIRST ARTIST ANNOUNCE

Aldous Harding / All Our Exes Live In Texas / Ali Barter / Astral Skulls / Ayla / Babaganouj / Baro / Ben Salter / Big White / Born Lion / Caitlin Park / Caulfield / City Calm Down / 

Cosmic Psychos / Donny Benét / Ella Thompson / friendships / Gang of Youths / Gordi 

Grenadiers / Harvey Sutherland / High Tension / Holy Holy / Jaala / JACK THE STRIPPER / 

Jesse Davidson / Jonny Telafone / K21 / Katy Steele / Koi Child / Luke Howard / 

Major Leagues / Methyl Ethel / Moonbase Commander / Muscles / Pearls / Rainbow Chan / 

RaRa / Slum Sociable / Stonefield / Sui Zhen / Sunbeam Sound Machine / 

Super Best Friends / Tempura Nights / The John Steel Singers / The Snowdroppers / 

Tiger Choir / Timberwolf / WAAX / Yukon Blonde