News:
· Puff 'n' Stuff
Everything that's happening in Adelaide this fortnight.
· Industry
The latest from the music industry.
· Puffio
Theatre news.
· Dance
Dance and electronica news.
· Metal
Updates from the wide world of metal.
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Industry.
Aussie govt. sets up music office in L.A.
The Australian Government has set up an Export Music
Office in Los Angeles through its trade export body Austrade.
It will be run by music development manager Tony George, a former
artist manager and held senior positions with BMI, Interscope
Records, Geffen Records and the Mitch Schnieder Organisation.
He says the office will assist Australian acts trying to break
into the U.S. market with expertise and contacts on "how to
approach record labels, look for publishing deals, find a US-based
manager, find co-writers, secure reputable producers, obtain
radio airplay or set up for alternative revenue streams through
internet marketing strategies and on-line sales."
March crosses to ARN
Brad March, former managing director of Austereo,
this week announced he is crossing over to the Australian Radio
Network to be their group programming consultant.
Tully leaves Chugg
Caroline Tully, general manager of tour promoter Michael Chugg Entertainment has left for her own projects. She can be contacted on caroline.tully@hotmail.com.
Radiohead out of contract?
Thom Yorke revealed on the weekend on Radiohead's
website that the band is currently out of contract. No word
at press time from EMI Music who would not want to let them
slip out!
Another aussie stein signing?
Legendary Seymour Stein, head of Sire Records, was in Australia last week to check out Sire's new Oz signings, Evermore and The Veronicas. Stein told us he has his eye on a "third" signing - he wouldn't say but the whisper is it's either Butterfingers or 67 Special.
Bikie charged over Dance Awards shooting
A 38-year old member of the Rebels motorcycle
gang was charged over the shooting at the South Australian Dance
Music Awards in May. He is charged with endangering life, discharging
a firearm in a public place and possessing a firearm without
a licence, and granted bail. He faces Port Adelaide Magistrates
Court next month. 600 people fled the awards at West Lakes as
a result of what police say was an ongoing dispute between the
Hells Angels and the Rebels, apparently invited by rival nominated
clubs.
MMF forum: publishing
The Music Managers Forum's September forums cover the world of publishing. It looks at the role of a publishing company, getting a deal, DIY publishing, negotiating the deal, indies vs majors, and hints on increasing royalties. The Adelaide stop is on Fowler's Live on Tues 20 Sept. More info from info@immf.net or 02 9310 4268.
Changing of the boards
Three new names have been added to the Adelaide
Film Festival board - Wayne Lewis of Rising Sun Pictures, film
and documentary producer Susan Maslin and Vivienne Skinner who
was senior adviser to former NSW premier Bob Carr. Adelaide
corporate lawyer Gary Watt of the firm Fisher Jeffries will
take over the chair at the Helpmann Academy. Watt, currently
a board member, takes over from Michael Abbott, QC.
Hostworks extends Ticketek deal
South Australian based Hostworks has expanded its role in Ticketek's web business. Since 1999, the Kidman-Park based company has run Ticketek's web hosting. In a new deal worth $6.1 million, it will also manage its data warehousing, financial applications and email system in Australian and New Zealand operations for next three years.
SonyBMG promotes Murphy, Tasker
Renee Murphy and Bronwyn Tasker have been
promoted to the posts of Sydney based National Publicity Manager
& Artist Relations for Sony BMG. Murphy, currently Promotions
Manager for Victoria leaves that job Friday September 2. She
is at renee.murphy@sonybmg.com.
Weber, Burston set up 24 Carat
Talent manager, consultant and former label exec Penny Weber (Sound Movement, Offcuts) and audio engineer/mixer Wil Burston (Unwritten Law, Madison Avenue) have set up 24 Carat Management And Consulting. The pair will prepare acts for the realities of the music biz, including how to set up their businesses, their weaknesses, and how to approach various sectors. More info, Weber is on 0412 285 422, Burston is on 0417 057 364 and wilburston@mac.com.
New signings
Universal Music Australia signed Melbourne
hip hop artist Phrase to a worldwide multi-album deal while
dance music pioneer Steven Alkins (aka Love Tattoo) was signed
by ABC Music's emerging Fly label. The Casanovas inked a North
American deal with Rock Entertainment, headed by industry vet
Gary Bird and distributed via Universal.
Deadlys on the telly
The 11th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music, sport, entertainment and community awards - The Deadlys - is at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday Sept 22. It will be broadcast on SBS-TV and, as of this year, Imparja Television. See deadys.vibes.com.au.
Community radio report
A report by the Australian Communications
and Media Authority into community radio stations, shows that
20,000 volunteers work in the sector: an average of 80 per station.
There are 262 stations, seven of which are set up for youth
listeners. 169 are aimed at the general community, 34 serve
religious audiences, 22 indigenous, 14 for print handicapped,
five for mature aged people and five for fine music. The stations
reported total income of $46.6 million, an average of $177,805
per station, most of which is spent on running costs.
Whoops!
We all know that Apple Computer and Microsoft Corp are deadly rivals. But last week it was revealed that Apple took too long to register the patent on its massively successful iPod (which is about one third of its sales) in 2002 and that Microsoft sneakily went and did it five months before! It's not pistols at dawn outside a court case yet. Apple can easily prove it has the patent from iPods on the market before 2002.
Lifelines
Born: son, Tyker Oliver Harlem, to Sony
BMG exec Kelly Quirk. She is PA to GM of marketing and promotion,
John Parker.
Recovering: Eminem who axed a Euro tour from "exhaustion", later
changed to "addiction to sleeping pills".
Ill: Moog synthesiser inventor Bob Moog is battling brain cancer.
In Court: Biggie Small's family wants the city of LA to pay
their $2 million court costs in which they accuse cops of killing
their boy, while the city of LA rejected the family's offer
to drop the case for $18 million.
In Court: Off duty bouncer Nathan Kaplan, 23, guilty of manslaughter
of Benjamin Smith, 30, outside Mint club in Brighton, Melbourne.
The prosecutor said Smith was drunk and running away when he
was punched, falling fatally to the footpath.
Died: Nashville virtuoso fiddler Vassar Clement who fused his
unique "hillbilly jazz" with traditional bluegrass and country
music.
Died: Esther Wong, whose Madame Wong's US punk clubs showcased
virtually every major hardcore act.
Wanna join taste of Chaos?
Tickets have been moving for October's "Taste Of Chaos" tour, with The Used, Story Of The Year, Rise Against, Killswitch Engage and Funeral For A Friend. Perth sold out last Friday. Frontier Touring has teamed with Ernie Ball Strings to give 25 young bands the chance to join the tour in their cities. See http://www.cmcmusic.com.au.
Quote of the week
"It's OK, don't be afraid" - Trent Reznor
senses the 6,500 at Nine Inch Nails' Melbourne show are stunned
by his crew cut.
Mushroom puts on Mints
The Mint Chicks are the first signing to Mushroom Music NZ Ltd. Mushroom Music opened a New Zealand office in January this year based in Newton, Auckland, with Jackie Dennis at the helm.
Five unsigned acts get Coked
Coca-Cola has chosen five unsigned acts to
open on its sold out Coke Live 'n Local Tour 05 in Sept and
Oct. The bands will play alongside The Living End, Spiderbait,
P-Money, Dallas Crane, Spazzys and Weapon X & Ken Hell. The
winners are Krill (NSW), Foreshore (SA), The Gear (SA), Dyslexic
Fish (WA) and Dr Octopus (QLD). The five unsigned bands were
chosen from over 150 national entries.
Falls Festival sold out
Falls Festival's Tasmanian show sold out its 13,000 tickets in two and a half days, Victoria by the end of the week. Ads have already surfaced asking for tickets at inflated prices. Falls limited tickets to five per person to cut down on scalping. An organiser warned, "We'll be monitoring advertisements for The Falls Festival tickets and will be canceling on-sold tickets. They will not be valid at the gates."
AFTRS relaunches XFM
The Australian Film Television and Radio
School relaunched XFM, its online student radio station. XFM
(www.aftrs.edu.au/xfm) will be on air until midnight Monday
the 29. It focuses on new music, hot tracks and interviews with
local acts.
Midem Early Bird
The Midem Early Bird fee of just $500+VAT is available until October 24th. You can book online at www.midem.com or contact local rep Catherine Atthow at (07) 3217 3002. Speak to Raynee Burridge at AIR about their great stand deal at raynee@air.org.au.
Slipknot say "Cluck off"
Slipknot are taking action against Burger
King for its marketing campaign for its new Chicken Fries. The
ads show a fictional metal band called Coq Roc whose members
wear masks - including a gas mask, a kabuki-style and a dreads
mask, just like the 'Knot. The band claims Burger King approached
them last year to be in the ads to reach metal fans. Burger
King point out heaps of metal bands wear masks.
Apra, Shock, make BRW list
Both the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Shock Records made it into the Business Review Weekly list of Top 500 Private Companies. APRA was #244 (last year: #317) with their annual revenue estimated by the magazine of $156 million. Shock was at #413 (last year: #397) with an estimated turnover of $89.4 million.
JB Hi-Fi sets for $1b sales
Electronics goods and CD/DVD Retailer JB
Hi-Fi continues to grow at a time when other retailers are finding
that reality bites hard. Its CEO Richard Uechtritz planning
to open up to 17 new stores this financial year. 12 of these
would be open before Christmas. JB plans to hit sales of $1
billion this year for the first time, as consumer demand rises
for slim-line TVs and portable music players. The chain delivered
a 50% profit rise to $20.7 million for the year to June and
a 53% rise in sales to $694 million. But analysts point out
that stores which opened in the past two years have not traded
to expectation. JB Hi-Fi, which has 48 stores, says it wants
to have 100 stores operating by 2009.
ABC-TV takes a "Hit"
ABC-TV is screening through September a new documentary series called "The Hit Game". Produced by Tony Wright and directed by Sean Cousins, it tracks how four acts playing four different styles of music go up the ladder in the music industry without resorting to getting on reality TV.
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