Industry.


Rock Press Changes
Sydney street weekly 'The Brag' announced major changes. Kristy Brown ('Noise Magazine', 'Hot Press', 'Riot') is new editor while Christie Eliezer has left 'Drum Media' to join. The magazine is launching Sydney's first Venue News section devoting 20 pages to it.


Four SA Bouncers To Lose Licence
Four Adelaide nightclub and hotel bouncers will lose their security licences, after their drug tests proved positive. Three of these were linked to smack, speed and grass. Figures released by Attorney-General Michael Atkinson showed 26 bouncers were tested, the first time random testing was done since new laws introduced last year.


Port Pirie Wins Triple J Comp
Port Pirie in SA has won Triple J's One Night Stand competition. The Living End, The Herd, Xavier Rudd and Kid Kenobi will play its Oval on Wed 12 April. The station's co-breakfast host The Doctor admitted that Port Pirie being home of the world's largest lead smelter could lead to problems for the acts. "Sure, lead poisoning can lead to learning difficulties, but these people are musicians, so I guess we'll never know!"
Port Pirie beat 47 entries from around Australia. They got almost 8,000 signatures from a population of 13,500. When it came to creating an amusement park ride that represents their town, Port Pirie created a model of an amusement park ride around the giant chimney stack from the local lead smelter, atop an aerial view of the town. Port Pirie beat some impressive entries in the amusement park ride designs, including a 'Butt Cutter' ride from Blackbutt/Benarkin, made up of a painful looking mock-chainsaw; and Mansfield, who created a 'SkrewABrumby' ride with the slogan 'I Got Skrewed at the One Night Stand at Mansfield' - well, maybe next year!


Send In The Drones
After their Australian Music Prize win last week, the mainstream has discovered the Drones. 'Who Weekly' is doing a feature on them, they're on Nine's 'Today' show later this week and Andrew G is interviewing them for a Take 40 Australia feature to be syndicated through 90 stations. Not bad for a band that didn't even think they would win. So what's the $25,000 cash prize to be used for? Debts incurred during their last world tour in January (they've done 100 shows in the last four months), and to be set aside for their next run through Europe in May. Two new guitars, as they both broke during their gig at St. Jerome's the week before. And probably new shoes. If you look carefully at the pix up on the Triple j website, you'll notice guitarist Rau Perera's boots, all gaffer taped. Hopefully through publicity given to future AMP nominees, the public will come to know of what poverty our musicians live in.


Hall Of Fame Turns Nasty!
The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductions in NY on Monday were the nastiest yet. The Sex Pistols refused to attend (J. Rotten called it "urine in wine"), Blondie wouldn't let original members Nigel Harrison and Frank Infante for suing them to be included in their 1999 reunion; and Black Sabbath who were spitting chips they hadn't been inducted before, sat it out while Metallica played a Sabbs set. Also inducted: jazz legend Miles Davis and southern boogie boys Lynyrd Skynyrd.


Shock's New Team
Shock Entertainment Group has announced its new management team. Long-time Shock GM, Sam Clarke, is promoted to the newly created role of chief operations officer while Marcus Seal, co-director of marketing at SonyBMG Music Entertainment Australia for the past seven years, has been announced chief executive officer. Seal replaces Charles Caldas, who resigned from the company late last year. David Williams and Frank Falvo, who founded Shock in 1989 in a Melbourne terrace house as an import business, remain respectively chairman and vice chairman. Board member Tim Janes is promoted from head of marketing and promotions to general manager, music and DVD.
Of the senior management team, national sales manager Aaron Collier becomes GM of sales; international A&R manager Ian Bennett is upped to senior international artists & labels manager; and Andrew Gerardi moves from financial controller to chief financial officer.
Scott Harding, who joined in January from SonyBMG is senior DVD product & acquisitions manager.
Dave Laing, one of eight international label managers is named artists & label manager, while manager of the Australian music division Dave Peacock is now Australian artists manager.
National promotions manager Mishell Vremen, business affairs manager Marcus Fowler and IT manager Stuart McKenzie retain their previous titles.


Fosters Launches VB Alive
As the Commonwealth Games kick off in Melbourne, Fosters has launched VB Alive in conjunction with Mushroom Marketing. The spirits company has over the 19 days, sponsored 92 shows in 13 venues, helping out 190 bands ranging from Not Drowning Waving and De La Soul to buzz bands as British India and TZU. It is a significant move for Fosters which has until now concentrated on sports sponsorship. Some of the venues used the opportunity to run theme nights, including the Espie's 12-hour marathon, singer songwriter showcases and tributes.


Axl Sues Slash
Axl Rose is suing old Guns N'Roses mucker, guitarist Slash, asking a judge to confirm that he owns his songs. Last August, Slash and bassist Duff McKagan sued Rose, claiming he changed the Gunners' publisher without telling them, pocketing the royalties. Axl attacked them hysterically, saying the pair were rewriting history and made "negative and malicious" comments about him to get publicity. The singer also filed in court that Slash showed up uninvited at Axl's door early one morning in October to offer a truce. "Slash came to inform Axl that: 'Duff was spineless,' '[Velvet Revolver frontman] Scott [Weiland] was a fraud,' that he 'hates [Revolver drummer] Matt Sorum' and that in this ongoing war, contest or whatever anyone wants to call it that Slash has waged against Axl for the better part of 20 years, that Axl has proven himself 'the stronger'. "


EMI Signs You Am I
You Am I have signed with Virgin/EMI, who release their 'Convicts' album on May 13. The record was made in 16 days over a three month period in five studios.


Getting To Brighton
Australian acts can apply for funding to get to the Great Escape (May 18, 19, 20) in Brighton, UK. It's through Austrade's Export Market Development Grant scheme (EMDG). See www.austrade.gov.au or email Alistair Cranney at answers@whatmanagement.com
One Million Votes For MTV Awards
MTV Australia claims a record one million votes were cast for its April 12 video music awards within four weeks after nominees were announced on Feb 6. Additionally, unique visitors to mtv.com.au more than doubled in the last month, with a 33% increase in total registered users. Viewers can vote on mtv.com.au/avma, or send an SMS with the word "vote" to 191MTV or via a new mobile WAP site they set up.


Gudinski Launches Liberator
Michael Gudinski has launched yet another record label. This one is Liberator, to sign & develop new and established international acts. Helming the label are two ex-long time Shock Records, Nick Dunshea who was its A&R director and Vince Donato who was Finance director. This week's ARIA chart is a Gudinski family bonanza. Daughter Kate Alexa's third single All I Hear debuted at #13, Youth Group's cover of Forever Young entered at #2 (on a joint venture with Ivy League) and Matt Gudinski's label Illusive's Bliss N Eso's 'Dance Of The Dog' album arrived at #45.


Goodwill Gathers MOS Radio
DJ and producer Goodwill takes over as presenter for Ministry of Sound Radio, which is heard on 71 stations around the country.


Fans Of The Week
Aussie couple Davydd and Nicole Pule-Leech spent $5,000 trying to get Queen to tour. They sent a power point presentation to hairy Queen strummer Brian May on reasons to visit, and set up a website at www.freewebs.com/aussiequeen to get 1,000 signatures.


Court Order Of The Week
Only on the planet where Paris Hilton lives. Party planner Brian Quintana got a restraining order against her, claiming she harassed and threatened him when their friendship went kaput. For three years she has to stay 100 yards from him. Unless it's a party, and it's 25 feet.


T-Shirt Of The Week
NZ police are hunting a Cradle Of Filth fan for walking about in their T-shirt with its "Jesus Is A C--t" message in 10cm high letters. The T-shirt has got two British fans in trouble. One was told to "grow up" and destroy the shirt, another was found guilty of profanity.


Pearl Jam, Tool Here
Pearl Jam told Australian journalists that they're working out their world tour, and Australia will either be in November or February. Tool told this column Australia was definitely on their list, but dates are still being worked out.


AEIA Changing Name
Look out for an official announcement that the Australian Entertainment Industry Association is about to change its name to Live Performance Australia.


Rock Press Changes #2: Spin
How have 'Spin Magazine's fortunes changed? In 1997, it was sold to a publisher for US$42 million. Last week when it was taken over by San Francisco's Hartle Media, the price was $5 million.


Broadcast And Be Damned
A second conference for broadcasters from regional, rural or sub-metro stations is held in May. It will address the day to day problems faced by the sector, through workshops and discussions. It is being organised by the Southern Community Media Association and held in Shepparton in Victoria. More info, see http://www.scma.thruhere.net/ or contact Ray Hazen at (03) 545 33 891 or email scma1@tpg.com.au


Lifelines
Expecting: Britney is three months pregnant, claim US reports.

Injured: San Singer of Australia-based Singapore band The Suns shattered his elbow in an on-stage accident during a gig in S'pore.

Threatened: Californian authorities will launch court action unless Michael Jackson coughs up $306,000 in wages to 50 Neverland workers by Tuesday.

In court: Boy George escaped a five year jail term for cocaine possession by cutting a deal where he paid a $1000 fine and performed community service. George was so off the planet that he called the cops alleging he was burgled, where they found the drugs.

Died: Grammy winning African performer Ali Farka Toure, of bone cancer, aged in his late 60s. He pioneered Mali Blues, which fused Malian stringer music with US blues.

Died: Charlie Hodge, guitarist of Elvis Presley and part of the circle which lived in his Graceland mansion, 71, cancer.

Died: Gordon Parks, US writer, photographer and movie maker who filmed blaxploitation classic 'Shaft'.

Died: British eccentric Ivor Cutler, 83, whose surrealistic lyrics inspired the Beatles (he appeared in their 'Magical Mystery Tour') and Alex Kapranos.

Died: UK comedian John Junkin, 76, lung cancer. He appeared in the Beatles' 'A Hard Day's Night' as their tour manager.


The Westies Get The Edge
Sydney outer western suburbs radio The Edge 96.ONE relaunch in January as a hip hop and R&B culture station has paid off. Westies audiences are tuning in to the music and its updates on aerosol art, breaking and dj-ing, much to the delight of owner Australian Radio Network. The 'Sydney Morning Herald' reports that other networks are taking notice. DMG boss Paul Thompson blamed The Edge's sudden popularity for Nova's dip in the latest ratings survey. The Edge is licensed to service the Blue Mountains area, and therefore not included in the Sydney ratings. It is lumped into a general category called "other FM", which jumped by 100,000 listeners in this year's first survey.


SonyBMG Signs Baxter
SonyBMG Australia has signed model Erica Baxter (and galpal of v. rich person James Packer). Baxter first approached the label a few years ago, and they packed her off to America to lift her songwriting game. First single is out May, with the album in August.