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.
MIX Marches On
MIX 102.3FM was highest rating station in Adelaide for the fourth ratings in a row, with its breakfast team rising by 2.2 to 16.8 and maintaining its lead in the morning shift. MIX now has 17.2 of the Adelaide market, up from 16.9. It is followed by 5AA (16.1), SA FM (14.1), ABC 891 (12), Nova 91.9 (11.6), 5MMM (8.8), 5JJJ (5.5), 5RN (2.1), Newsradio (2.1) and ABC Classical FM (1.9). Nova leads in the 10 to 17 and 18 to 24 demographics, SA FM in the 25 to 39 age group. Cruise 1323, which replaced the defunct sports talk 5DN, will only be rated next year.
Incidentally, you won't see Nova's boy with headphone logo swinging atop DMG's Adelaide headquarters in Hindmarsh Square. They wanted to put a 6.3m by 3.5 metre on the roof but got knocked back by council. That was the least of DMG's problems. The first ratings for their new baby boomer station Vega in Sydney and Melbourne has been a flop. It ranked #12 (or 1.8 share) in Sydney where the ad market is worth $235 million, and last at #15 with a 1.2 share of Melbourne where the ad market is $200 million. DMG is cranking up marketing over summer. Its problem is not so much that most of the 40 to 60 age group don't listen to it, it's they've never heard of it!
MTV Promotes Robbins
Nigel Robbins, managing director of MTV Networks Australia,
will move to Singapore after being promoted to president of
MTV Networks Asia-Pacific. In Australia he set up VH1 and initiated
the MTV Awards. Robbins replaces Frank Brown, who relocated
to Sydney earlier this year. A replacement for Robbins in Australia
has not been appointed.
Does Australia Make Visitors Sick?
First Kelly Clarkson had to cancel her New Zealand tour because of a throat bug she caught in Oz. One of the Kaiser Chiefs picked up hepatitis A here (most likely singer Ricky Wilson who told the Sydney Superdome crowd he'd lost his voice) and Foo Fighters cancelled European appearances because one member picked up a bug.
Air Guitars Make A Sound!
You no longer have to make "twanging!" sounds when you do air
guitar movements. Three students at the Helsinki University
of Technology in Finland have given sound to air guitars. Their
program has a pair of brightly coloured gloves and special computer-vision
software which tracks hand movements and gives them each their
own unique guitar sounds. The software also recognises hand
gestures, so each air power chord or hammer-on creates a pitch-perfect
note.
New Rules For SA Bouncers
The first of a series of new laws affecting the behaviour of South Australian nightclub and live music venue security guards has come into effect. From now on, bouncers charged with assault, drugs or firearm offences will have their licences instantly suspended. They will be finger printed and forced to take refresher courses. From now on, all venues can only use licensed crowd controllers to act as "greeters" and "ushers" at their doors.
Premier and arts minister Mike Rann said, "We wanted to bring in measures that make it illegal for crime gangs to have connections with security firms. What we're trying to do is break the nexus between... organised crime and security firms which run bouncers."
Sony, BMG Launches Red Label
Sony BMG has set up a new artist development division called
the Red Label, to be run by Simon Cahill, previously its dance
and A&R manager who signed Infusion. Based in SonyBMG's East
Sydney headquarters, Red will build alternate channels to sign,
develop and artists by providing specialised marketing, sales
and promotion.
Steel For Coriole Fest
Former Adelaide Festival artistic director Anthony Steel will be programming the 'Coriole Music Festival' at McLaren Vale in May as regular director Chris Burrell is taking a break.
Cary Wins Award
Inventive Adelaide electronics and computer composer Tristram
Cary was given the lifetime achievement award at the Adelaide
Critics Circle Awards, presented at the Bakehouse Theatre. Cary
was born in the UK and moved to SA in the mid-1970s.
Baking
Record label chief watching his acts at Homebake Festival in Sydney muttered to associates how good they were - and what a drag it was he had to chop some of them from his roster next year.
Bats Off To Oasis
SonyBMG head Denis Handlin is Oasis' fave Aussie. When Handlin
heard that the Brits were cricket fans - at their shows, they
joyfully bleated about England's win over the Aussies in the
Ashes series - he gave them a cricket bat signed by Shane Warne.
Yet More On Kazaa
The record companies and Sharman Network were back in the court last week. Sharman stopped access to Australian consumers to the Kazaa software, saying it had fulfilled the Federal Court's orders to stop Kazaa infringing. Record companies shouted "foul!" saying the court meant installing a filter system into Kazaa with 3,000 key words of popular acts. A few days later, the two were back in court, with record companies saying that a report in the 'Sydney Morning Herald' that Kazaa was closing down in Australia (not quite) meant they should have a look at its assets. The judge told Sharman to provide an affidavit of Sharman assets in a sealed envelope.
Seekers Manager John Kovac Dies
John Kovac, manager of The Seekers, died of a heart attack in
Melbourne last week. He was 50. A member of R&B band The Ramrods
before becoming a booking agent, he joined best friend Ralph
Carr's management company (then with Tina Arena and Pseudo Echo
as clients) before setting up his own JKM Productions. In 1992,
he took over management of Seekers' singer Judith Durham, and
reignited the Seekers' career. They did a 110-date tour through
Australia, NZ and England, a deal with EMI was "reportedly the
largest deal ever offered to an Australian act," according to
Durham's biographer, Graham Simpson. DVDs hit platinum, and
an album 'Future Road' sold triple platinum without radio airplay.
Ralph Carr says, "He came from the old school of management,
utterly believed in his act, and refused to take no for an answer."
Passionate about horses, he bought a property in the country
town of Romsey and intended running an agistment facility for
thoroughbreds.
APRA'S PDAs Closed
Applications have closed for the 2006 Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Professional Development Awards. Up to six professional composers or songwriters will get $10,000 cash and $1,500 for travel expenses. APRA says it got 500 applications. It also announced that Gibson Guitars will provide each of the 6 winners with a Melody Maker Guitar valued at $1,600 as part of their prize package. APRA is also administering Big Day Out's Jessica Michalik Contemporary Music Endowment. It gives a $10,000 development grant to a promising Australian songwriter or band, nominated by the producers of the Big Day Out. Finalists are announced early next year. The awards will be held on Mon 27 March in Sydney.
Adelaide Drummer Leaves Nails
Nine Inch Nails have parted ways with ex-Adelaide drummer Alex
Caropetis, who scored the gig virtually weeks after he left
Australia to live in Los Angeles. He is replaced by Josh Freese
of A Perfect Circle.
Crue Scare!
Motley Crue's Vince Neil made it to their Melbourne show with 10 minutes to spare! Instead of flying from Brisbane to Melbourne with the rest of the crew, Neil and some new buddies went off to party on the Gold Coast. He missed his flight, and had to charter a light plane.
Court Throws Out Download Claim
A US Federal appeals court tossed out claims by a 29 year old
Chicago woman who is being sued for US$22,500 by the US recording
industry for illegally distributing songs on the Net. Cecilia
Gonzalez said she was just sampling tracks to see if they were
worth buying at retail. The judge asked why she then kept 1,000
tracks on her computer.
New Signings
Island Records UK, the home of U2, PJ Harvey and Keane have signed Starky, who recently signed to Universal Music Australia.
Zatzit, the Melbourne indie run by ex-Triple R program manager James Young inked Melbourne acoustic act Mosaik to a recording and publishing deal.
Melbourne indie Boomtown Records signed The Getaway Plan.
Lifelines:
Born: son, Christopher, for Audioslave's Chris Cornell and wife
Vicky.
Expecting: Russell Crowe and Danielle Spencer, their second.
Married: Country singers Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.
Marrying: Beyonce Knowles and fiance Jay-Z plan to tie the knot
in the Caribbean mid-2006.
Remarrying: Eminem and ex-wife Kim have reconciled and plan
to get hitched again.
Divorced: Eddie Van Halen and soapie star Valerie Bertinello,
after 24 hours. They separated four years ago.
Hospitalised: Heavy smoking Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt,
57, is having urgent surgery for throat cancer. He smokes 50
a day.
In Court: Robbie Williams won libel damages from UK Sunday tabloid
'The People' and two magazines 'Star' and 'Hot Stars' for claiming
he had been having homosexual encounters with strangers.
Sued: Evanescence singer Amy Lee, by her ex-management Rider
Management who say they want $10 million because they were entitled
to 20% gross earnings because she gave them the boot. Lee is
counter suing, that David Ryder used to touch her inappropriately.
Suing: Wrestler Diamond Dallas against Jay-Z, saying he invented
the two handed "diamond cutter" hand sign which the rapper uses.
Piss Artist
Black Eyed Peas' Fergie admitted she pissed on stage during a recent concert in Austria. She'd had a few before she went on but didn't think she had to go wee. Then she jumped around on stage and... She doused herself with champagne to hide the evidence.
Boogies Fever
Looks like the much rumoured 'Schapelle: The Rock Opera' is
going ahead in Melbourne. Not sure if Blame It On The Boogie
(Board) is one of the songs about the jailed Ms Corby.
Kakaire Exits Creative Vibes
After two years in the promotions post, Christine Kakaire departs Creative Vibes this week as she is relocating to the UK next month, and then wants to settle in Berlin. Her replacements are Liz Eve (liz@cvibes.com) and James Anezis (james@cvibes.com).
Warped! What Is It Good For!
Kevin Lyman, founder of Warped Tour, put the kibosh on bands
who bullshit that they're playing next year's tour to get sponsorship
from companies. "Those bands (will be) banned from not just
next year's tour, but all future editions of Warped. We don't
tolerate fraud," he yelped.
Annandale Booking Change
After five and a half years, Mothership Music has given up booking the Annandale Hotel in Sydney. They want to focus on events and touring. New booker Meredith Webb, who co-booked The Metro, is contacted at 02 9550 1078 and merriwebb@yahoo.com.au
Rumour Of The Week
Is Courtney Love selling a quarter of Nirvana's back catalogue
to homemaking jailbird Martha Stewart for US$120 million?
Billing Gets "Rolled"
Former Universal Music Australia A&R Manager Peter Billing, has assumed the role of NSW Account Manager at Rolling Stone magazine.
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