Industrial Strength: October 27

Aussies can view NZ awards via Snapchat 

The estimated 2 million Australian monthly users of the video and messaging app Snapchat can view the action at the November 19 New Zealand Music Awards in Auckland. 

In a first for a New Zealand event, hundreds of 10-second video snippets will hit via Snapchat channel @vodafonenz. These will be made into a continuous "story" by Mish Guru, a NZ start-up Snapchat marketing company. Among those expected to grace the winner’s podium are Lorde, Shihad, Marlon Williams and Broods, while performers include Williams, Broods, Savage and Gin Wigmore. 

Australian and other global viewers can post video snippets, and some messages of congratulations to winners will be played back during the live broadcast of the event on TV3. 

The awards’ naming rights sponsor Vodafone is one of the brands that actively uses Snapchat to reach the younger demographic.  90% of its estimated audience is made up of 13- to 17-year-olds. It claims 100 million daily active users and 8796 photos shared every second.  

In New Zealand, the app has been downloaded 1.7 million times. In June this year, Social Media Statistics Australia ranked it as #11 most popular app among Australians. This year’s Coachella Festival drew 579,000 over two weeks but was watched via Snapchat by 40 million globally. 

Noosa to get a creative precinct? 

Noosa Junction in Queensland could be the next creative precinct, for musicians, artists, makers and designers. The move began with the setting up of the Noosa Creative Precinct Association (NCPA) by Roland West (President), Brian Keayes (Treasurer), Jasmin Boyd (Secretary) and Gary Swanepoel (board member). 

The NCPA recently met with business leaders, community groups and councillors Sandy Bolton and Frank Wilkie. The outcome was that there was support for the idea. West says that the idea is to start off with small laneway events and co-working spaces to begin working as a team, and then start changing current laws to work at a precinct. He said that in ten years not a single building had come up in Noosa Junction, and that sort of mind-set had to change. 

Sydney music community rallies 

Some of the biggest Aussie acts have banded to play One For The Road to raise funds for Thirsty Merc drummer Mick Skelton and the family of the late production manager Shane Cooper. Both were involved in a car crash in country Victoria while on their way to a show in September. The event is at the Sydney Enmore Theatre show on Monday November 23. 

Performers confirmed are (in alphabetical order):  1927, Baby Animals, Diesel with guest Jimmy Barnes, Dragon, Mark Gable (Choirboys), Hoodoo Gurus, Noiseworks, Jeff Martin (The Tea Party), Wendy Matthews, Russell Morris, Ian Moss with Andy Bickers, Angry Anderson, Alex Smith (Moving Pictures), The Superjesus, Swanee + Jagger Alexander-Erber, Thirsty Merc and Ziggy (The Bowie Show) featuring Steve Balbi, Brydon Stace and Jeff Duff. 

Skelton is now recovering from home and says he’s been “overwhelmed and so very humbled” at the news of the benefit show. “Of course, all our hearts and thoughts are, and will always be, with Shane’s wife Olivia, their beautiful children and the entire Cooper family.” 

One For The Road’s promoter, Marc Christowski from Empire Touring, said, “Shane Cooper was an integral part of my organisation and Mick Skelton is my go-to drummer. It’s not often this sort of tragedy strikes and I’m proud to say that we have been inundated with artists and crew offering their services to produce this extraordinary benefit concert.” 

Those unable to attend the concert can donate by going to www.supportact.org.au/donate, noting under “Benefit or Appeal” in Step 2 - SHANE & MICK. 

Mat McHugh hospitalised with suspected spinal injury 

Mat McHugh (pictured), singer and songwriter of The Beautiful Girls, has been hospitalised with suspected spinal injuries. On tour behind his Waves solo album, he had been complaining of discomfort for a few days.  

But after the pain became unbearable after a Newcastle show, he was taken for medical attention. Doctors found a massively ruptured disc in his neck and a chipped bone in his back. They suggested that McHugh’s two major past times, performing and surfing, gradually lead to degeneration which hit a critical point when the disc in his neck ruptured. 

As staving off an operation could affect his mobility in the future, the decision was quickly made to scrap the rest of the Waves tour. Which is a problem for an independent artist who was counting on proceeds from the tour to feed his family and pay the rent.  Nor has McHugh got private health cover or any kind of insurance for such an emergency. 

AC/DC numbers 

On the eve of AC/DC’s Australian tour, promoter Dainty Group released some figures about it: 

The Rock Or Bust tour production is shipped to Australia – by 27 x 40ft sea containers. 

Number of trucks used to transport the production from city to city – 62 semi-trailers. 

Days to set up the production – 6

Hours to break down the production – 24

Domestic flights booked during the Australian leg – 750  

Number of full time AC/DC crew members – 82 

Number of Australian crew hired daily – 204  

Two Victorian venues on the block 

Two hotels in Victoria which have been supporting live music for a long time are up for sale. 

Owners of The Public Bar in North Melbourne are looking for offers of around 195,000 from someone interested in maintaining it as a live music venue. They’re discarding the 180-capacity room which has showcased new original music for 25 years, to focus on their other venue The Old Bar.  

Ballarat’s Peter Lalor Hotel is expected to get up to $1.5 million. But it’s gone past its use-by date as a pub and it is expected that expressions of interest, due by December 4, will want to turn it into a conference or function centre. The owners had begun revamping it but discontinued it this year. 

Copyright Agency announces AGM date  

The Copyright Agency holds its annual general meeting on Wednesday November 25 at 4 pm at the Corinthian Room, SMC Conference and Function Centre, 66 Goulburn Street, Sydney. One Author Director and one Publisher Director will be elected to the board as Malcolm Knox and Eleanor Curtain are both retiring from their current positions. 

Australia gets 49^th CMA Awards 

Foxtel’s CMC (Country Music Channel) broadcasts the 49^th CMA (Country Music Assocation) Awards live from Nashville. It will be screened here on Thursday November 5 at noon (AEST). Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will host. Appearing are Keith Urban performing with John Mellencamp, Florida Georgia Line, Little Big Town, Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Hank Williams, Jr and Thomas Rhett teaming up with Fall Out Boy. 

Queensland’s lockout laws in trouble? 

The proposed plan by the Queensland Government to introduce a state-wide 1am lockout and 3am close is in jeopardy.  Independent MP Billy Gordon, whose support the Palaszczuk Government relies on in Parliament, has said that he will join Katter Australian Party members Shane Knuth and Robbie Katter in voting against the new legislation. “It isn’t in the best interest of Far North Queensland,” he said, “although it might have some relevance in the southeast.”  

The news was met with great cheering from venue operators, especially in Far North Queensland. John Lynch, President of the Cairns City Liquor Safety Accord and GM of The Jack club, said, “We have tourists from all over the world enjoying our nightlife. It’d be ridiculous to become a nanny state because of the actions of a few.” 

 Assaults down in Brisbane precincts 

Our Nightlife Queensland is emphasising how venue owners, police, community and bureaucrats working together can bring down assault rates in entertainment precincts without the need for harsh lockout laws introduced in Sydney. New data from the Queensland Police Service showed assaults were 15.6% down in Fortitude Valley, 18.4% in the Brisbane CBD and 23.8% in Caxton St. 

Foley leads Victorian creative delegation to China

Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley is currently leading Victoria’s first creative industries delegation to China to pursue partnerships, cultural exchange, investment and export opportunities for the state’s arts, screen, design, tertiary education and digital games sectors. The visit, until October 30, came as a result of the Premier’s signing of a Cultural Partnership Agreement on his recent visit.  

Foley is joined by representatives from the National Gallery of Victoria, Museum Victoria, Arts Centre Melbourne, Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Malthouse Theatre, the Game Developers Association of Australia, Swinburne University, Film Victoria and Creative Victoria. 

Among the stops by the delegation were the PMQ design hub and M+ museum in Hong Kong, the design and innovation schools at Tongji University in Shanghai, China’s Game Developer’s Conference and Independent Games Federation Awards, which this year recognise two Victorian nominees. Foley met government, industry and cultural organisations including the Ministry of Culture, the Beijing Industrial Design Centre, Chinese film and animation production companies.  

Venues Update: two additions, sell-off, closures, wins 

 * Perth is getting two new venues. A new café and bar in Maylands called Lyric Lane will include a basement live music space. The team behind the Guildford Road operation needs info required by the Office Of Racing, Gaming and Liquor and needs punters to fill in a survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LYRICSLL by November 4. 

In the meantime, menswear designer Terence Borgioli is in November launching a nightspot in Subiaco called Brera. Mincing no words, he said it is for fashionable people and told “plebs” to keep away. 

* The site of Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory goes under the hammer this Thursday, but the venue will remain as a tenant. 

* Adelaide Railway Station will be welcoming buskers to entertain commuters from November on a trial basis. Under the new Tracks at the Railway Station program, a busker a night can perform 4pm – 6:30pm. Contact Peter Fernee on 0422 000 971 or peterfernee@live.com.au. 

Fraser Short, who runs the live music showcasing Watsons Bay Hotel in Sydney was named Publican of the Year at the 2015 Australian Liquor Industry Awards (ALIA) before 600 guests in Sydney. 

* Treasury Wine Estate is closing down Seppelt’s winery in West Victoria, which booked bands, as it is no longer viable. 

* New Zealand’s Matua Valley Winery outside Auckland is also about to close. But it won’t be until mid-2016, so UB40’s sold-out show there as part of the British band’s Red Red Wine Vineyard Tour in January will go-ahead. 

Bmag kills print, switches to new digital platforms 

After ten years, Brisbane’s Bmag has killed off its print version and finding new platforms for its digital focus. “Customers and readers have driven the new direction,” said Bmedia Solutions Director Ross Jones. 

Music NT gets Creative Partnerships funding 

The Northern Territory’s peak music association Music NT was among recipients of Creative Partnerships Australia’s Plus1 funding for development and fundraising campaigns to assist arts organisations to attract new donors and grow stronger donor networks. It received $46,680 for a “Support Music NT” campaign. 

63 organisations shared in $2.1 million of funds. They included Arts Centre Gold Coast ($36,050), Biennale of Sydney ($50,000 to employ a Benefaction Manager), Tasmania’s Junction Arts Festival ($50,000 to reignite its Gospel Hall campaign), Sydney’s Carriageworks ($45,000 to engage new culturally diverse audiences), Four Winds ($48,000 for concerts in Sydney), Tasmania’s Island Magazine ($50,000 to implement business processes and organisational changes) and Melbourne’s Speak Percussion, ($11,558). 

Festivals Update: returns, box office hits, good hearts 

* Will Mackay’s River Sessions, which ended in 2014, or a similar event, make a return in 2016? 

* Melbourne Festival’s box office is estimated to have hit $3.3 million, its best performance in ten years. Most of the 80 events over the 17 days were sold out. 

* Also reporting strong figures was NSW’s Dungog Festival, which according to Managing Director Tracy Norman, was bigger than last year’s. The four day event came six months after floods devastated the area. 

* Dagger Wolf Bureau celebrates the end of the working year with boutique music and food festival The Bureau at Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne on December 11. Acts include Otis Williams of The Temptations, C + C Music Factory, Charles Bradley, Saskwatch, Pseudo Echo and Andy Bull. 

* Dubbo’s The Dreaming wrapped up with a lantern parade that drew 10,000 – figures that astounded organisers. 

* Victoria gets another new festival, Ranch-O-Relaxo, which mixes music, organic food (grown by the Ranch’s owners) and art. It is held in the Mornington Peninsula (November 14, 15) with 48 hours of techno music. 

* The Mullum Music Festival (NSW) has for the last eight years held its Youth Mentorship Program. Many of the unearthed talent have gone on to perform at later festivals in their own right. The eight are listed on the festival’s website, mentors include Mt. Warning, Anne McCue and festival founder Glenn Wright.  

* After its year off this year, the Gum Ball Music and Arts Festival is back in 2016 at its Hunter Valley bushland home Dashville April 22-24. The 2014 event, its 10^th, was headlined by the Hoodoo Gurus and drew 2500. A video of the 2014 festival is at www.thegumball.com.au. 

* New not-for-profit festival The Lost Children’s Project is held November 14 at Meat Market in North Melbourne to raise funds to feed, school and house children in Africa.  

Research: One in three Aussies watch online videos a day 

An Edison Research study commissioned by Seven West Media, Yahoo7 and Presto found that nearly one in three Australians (31%) watch video online in a typical day. It is used mostly by a younger demo, with 65% of 14-24s in a typical day. 

78% of online video viewing is to ad-funded, free video-on-demand (non-subscription).  Almost a third of video-on-demand is watched between 6 pm and midnight. 

85% of total 14+ viewing daily minutes is to linear television, 11% to free online video and 4% of paid online video. 61% of TV views is among millennial 14-24s. 

Percentage of time spent viewing online video is 78% for free access and 22% for paid. 

Number Crunching  

17 Australian acts have notched up four #1 albums, the latest being Hillsong Worship this week with Open Heaven / River Wild, also their second chart topper in a calendar year. 

25% of mechanical royalties due publishers and songwriters are going unpaid by streaming services due to identification difficulties, according to some US estimates. 

60,000 attended Brisbane’s free music festival Valley Fiesta in the Fortitude Valley precinct over last weekend. 

197,872 attend V8 Supercars GC600 (a 7% rise) which included music entertainment headlined by Cold Chisel. 

$1.6 million assigned to Hunter Valley arts and culture by the NSW Government. 

1,232,777,634 views (we’re talking billions, folks) makes Taylor Swift’s Blank Space most viewed video ever on Vevo. 

Girls Rock heads to Australia  

Girls Rock, a US initiative to empower girls through music, is about to launch in Australia. The idea of putting together girls aged 8 to 17 from diverse backgrounds in a camp for a week to learn instruments, write songs and perform them live began in Portland, Oregon in 2001. It worked so well 50 camps have been set up, including in Japan, Iceland, Brazil and Bahrain.  

It debuts in Canberra between January 11 and 16 at Ainslie Arts Centre. It is run by Chiara Grassia, a musician who also produces Noted Festival, co-founded Emporium zine and is a sub-editor at BMA Magazine and Feminartsy. In June, Grassia received funding from YWCA Canberra to go to America to volunteer at two camps, and found the experience “absolutely awesome in the way it creates a sense of community and teaches people not to be afraid to express themselves.” Musicians who want to volunteer to help can email her at c.a.grassia@gmail.com. 

Vale 

Matty Drax Alexander (born Matthew Alexander Weereratne) was part of the Melbourne’s thriving club scene. Having worked with event management companies Partymonster, C4, Mammoth Events and Eclipse, he set up his own events, management and tour company Stealth Entertainment, running it with “honesty and trust.” He was also involved in the Trill nightclubs in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. He died in a head-on crash with a truck outside Horsham, country Victoria, on his way to Adelaide. Alexander was 31. 

Niven Boyd was Operations/Program Director of Grant Broadcasters’ 5AU, 5CS and Magic FM Port Augusta.. Born in Liverpool, Sydney, the family moved to South Australia when he was young.  He died suddenly at 48. His sister Carolann posted, “A man of high integrity honour, sharp minded and a work ethic that could not be faulted. He lived for his work. He loved his work and died at work.” Colleague Michael Moffett provided a personal insight to Boyd, including his habit of speaking very quickly, drinking copious amounts of coffee and his expert use of the f-word.  

And a few other things… 

At the Independent awards: Courtney Barnett was in New York touring, Seth Sentry was recovering from leg surgery and Frank Yamma had a family emergency. 

Bad//Dreems told Channel V that at a recent Adelaide show, a fan jumped onstage and what started out as horseplay ended with a fight with the dude and Ben rolling off the stage, leading one of the other band members picking up his guitar to finish the song. 

About 250 names from the music and radio sectors went to Wollongong to celebrate the marriage of Frenzal Rhomb guitarist Lindsay "The Doctor" McDougall and Jen Owens at Sublime Point Cafe. The inevitable jam session began with McDougall’s brothers, members of Rhomb, Grinspoon, Arts Vs Science and (reportedly) Powderfinger where AC/DC numbers were duly trotted out and thrashed. The bridal waltz was to Iron Maiden’s Blood Brothers. 

Well known Adelaide busker Attonbitus aka Michael Brigante could be on his way to a recording deal. The head of US label 5Am Collective, an Interscope imprint, put out a call through Reddit to hunt him down. 

Daryl Braithwaite revealed on Sunrise that 25 years after he recorded his #1 hit Horses, he finally got through to Rickie Lee Jones (who co-wrote it with Walter Becker for her 1989 album Flying Cowboys) earlier this month to tell her of its platinum success. Jones never released it as a single but it appeared on the Jerry Macguire soundtrack and later covered by Kenny Loggins (1994) and Taylor Henderson (2013). It is currently featured on the Bingle’s car insurance ad. Braithwaite said Jones was “ecstatic” that her old song was still connecting with people in Australia. 

 Tasmania’s country rock The Wolfe Brothers head to Nashville in November for a few months to write and record their next album. They’re working with producer Luke Wooten at his famed Station West Studios where he’s worked with country music royalty as Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley and Lee Kernaghan. Wooten mixed their first album after hearing their home-made recordings done in Tasmania. 

The whisper is that the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards in Auckland next month is trying to woo Florence Welch to attend. Florence and the Machine are playing the Vector Arena, where the awards are held, two days after.