Industry

Handlin Back In ARIA Chair

Denis Handlin, chairman and CEO of Sony BMG Music Entertainment Australia and New Zealand, was re-elected as chairman of the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for a record ninth year. Also elected to the ARIA board were George Ash, managing director of Universal Music Australia; Marcus Seal, CEO of Shock Records; Ed St John, president & CEO Warner Music Australasia; Philip Mortlock, managing director of Origin Recordings; John O'Donnell, managing director of EMI Music; and Ken Outch, COO of Rajon.

Also appointed were chairs for various committees, which advise the board on key decisions. Warner's Ed St. John oversees the Hall of Fame and the ARIA awards. John Parker, GM of marketing and promotions at Sony BMG, heads the chart & marketing committee. Libby Blakey, director of business at Warner heads the copyright committee. Darryl Sullivan, VP of finance at Universal tops the finance committee.


Business Conference Topics

The Australasian Music Business Conference at Sydney's Acer Dome (Aug 16 to 18) has revealed its topics. Record company heads will talk of their views of the future, there's a look on trends in retail (and why the CD will never die), DIY ways to sell music online, artists and managers on remaining creative, females feeling empowered, turning free online music into revenue, using social networks, making $$$ from the live scene and the next generation of technology.


Guitar Festival Launched

"We have created a truly amazing array of events, performances and opportunities for artists and audiences alike and much of the content you will see in this 2007 festival will not be seen anywhere else in the world," Christine Schloithe, executive producer of the Adelaide International Guitar Festival said when she launched it at Elder Park's Sound Shell Stage with SA premier Mike Rann, Adelaide Festival Centre's CEO and Artistic Director Douglas Gautier.

Up to 70 axemen from around the world will contribute to 40 events between 23 Nov and 2 Dec. These include concerts, late night jams, master-classes, workshops, artist forums, seminars and panels, visual arts and film. The SA government has contributed $2 million over four years to the festival. Australia's Jeff Lang and former Jefferson Airplane/ Hot Tuna member Jorma Kaukonen are artists in residence at the first Adelaide International Guitar Festival. Other highlights include a star-studded tribute to Jimi Hendrix (featuring Living Colour's Vernon Reid and the 'Oils Jim Moginie), and the audio stories of the blues and of the Spanish guitar. The full program will be announced on Wed 23 May. See www.adelaideguitarfestival.com.au


Aussie Piracy Seller Fined

A Sydney flea market seller caught selling 200 pirated mostly hip hop CDs and DVDs was fined $22,000. The anti-piracy unit MIPI is rapt: it's one of the highest fines yet. MIPI increased its surveillance at flea markets this year. It launched a "Market Vendor's Guide to Selling Music" on its www.mipi.com.au site on do's and don'ts. Market owners are encouraged to strip vendors who sell pirated stuff of their licences.

Rabbit: What's Up Doc?

SA FM's new breakfast show sees one of Nova's original Sydney based presenters Dave "Rabbit" Rabbetts team with former record label Amber Petty - better known these days for her royal connections and, according to the tabloids, her bikie mates!


JB Hi-Fi's 39% Profit Leap...

Discount CD and electronics chain JB Hi-Fi posted a 39% jump in profit to $26.2 million for the six months to December 31. It is on track for a 2006/07 net profit of $32.7 million. The chain said sales growth, becoming skewed to the first half because of seasonal gift buying, was 29% to $659 million. Its shares soared to a record $7.10.


...But Austereo Goes Pfffst

Austereo, posted a 0.3% fall in profits in the first half, to $26.8 million. Its chairman Peter Harvie blamed it on a flatter ad market, a 23% increase in licence fees for capital city stations, and higher marketing costs to meet competition. Earnings before interest and tax rose 4.3% to $45.05 million. Harvie expects a stronger second half.


Indigenous Exchange

Music Bound, an initiative set up by APRA|AMCOS and the Australia Council for indigenous musicians, has launched a cultural exchange programme between Australia and NZ. Emma Donovan and her band, Djakapurra Munyarryun and Ganibirrngu (Aaron) Burarrwanga will perform at 2007 Te Matatini National Festival in NZ in Palmerston North, Thurs 22 to Sun 25 Feb.


Universal Promotes Two

Universal Music has promoted Amanda Printezis to manager of licensing and commercial marketing (replacing Kate Hudspeth who is travelling o/s), and Mike Campbell national publicity manager.


The Axe Swings At MTV

As MTV's parent Viacom focuses more on digital content and online entertainment, MTV shed up to 6% of its US staff (250 jobs) with international jobs expected to go. MTV is trying to become YouTube II. It's allowing fans to take videos from its websites to post on their own blogs and sites. This means it relies less on YouTube to reach viewers, with greater control of its content and advertising. Viacom recently demanded the removal of 100,000 of its video clips from YouTube.


Austrade Pulls Deals For Musos

Austrade's Australian Music Office signed two deals to help Aussie musicians in America. US national grocery chain Whole Foods Market will host 'Aussie Tastes & Tunes' during South By Southwest. It will have food and wine tasting and six acts playing live at its Austin store. It also created The Hoe-Down Under - Texas' Aussie Music Party on the virtual-reality online world of Second Life, which allows acts to appear as avatars to 3 million subscribers. See www.secondlife.com.


Things We Hear

* Did The Young Divas pull out of opening for Westlife because Rickie Lee Coulter was away in America writing, or did they think that with a double platinum album, they shouldn't be opening for Westlife?

* Is EMI planning to sell its recorded music division to arrest falling profits? EMI's share price plunged in the UK after it admitted its profit for the year ending March, would be 15% less than first thought.

* Someone paid $440 on eBay to spend 10 minutes with Austereo's national program director Guy Dobson.

*Forget rumours of Eminem and Kim Mathers getting married again: she was on Detroit radio on Friday saying she "despised" him.

* How long before Britney's "speared" hair is up for auction?

* Scissor Sisters got on so well with Sneaky Sound System on their Aussie dates, they've asked SSS to join them for their US tour.

* Anthony Callea is relocating to Sydney from Melbourne.

* Travis Barker will be playing with +44 on their Oz dates.

* While Pete Weitz of Fall Out Boy admitted to occasionally shagging guys, US country singer Kenny Chesney told '60 Minutes' that he's had gay rumours circulating about him since Renee Zellweger used the word "fraud" in her documents to annul their marriage.

* Polo loving Petrol Records head Chris Murphy is sponsoring the Australian team as it tries to make a place in the grand finals in Mexico.

* US trio America in town this week to announce an April tour. Ray Manzarek is here in early April to talk about a new Doors hits set and reissues of their catalogue.

*After two years as a quarterly, "jmag" is going monthly from June. jmag is packaged for ABC Magazines by News Custom Publishing.


Record Year For Indies

Britain's indie labels had their most successful year in 2006, says the Association of Independent Music (AIM). Helped by The Arctic Monkeys and Kaiser Chiefs, indies earned two-thirds of the silver discs (sales of 60,000 units) awarded to British acts. These included Jarvis Cocker, Elbow, Snow Patrol, Paul Weller, Morrissey, Babyshambles and Embrace. AIM believes that even though it faces problems like supermarkets that only stock established acts on major labels, CDs by the likes of Bloc Party and Enter Shikari will continue the trend in 2007.

In Australia, acts as Ben Lee, Youth Group, Missy Higgins and Rickie Lee kept indie labels in the mainstream charts. Last year, the Association of Independent Record Labels (AIR) widened its charts and introduced the indie awards to attract more corporate sponsorship.


MTV/VH1 Moves

MTV and VH1 have moved to 4-16 Yurong Street in East Sydney. Tel number is (02) 9921 0200.


Mason Exiting CBAA

Paul Mason, deputy GM of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) and its contents services manager, is leaving this Friday. He joined six and a half years ago as manager of its AMRap service, which he set up. He is moving to the ABC to work on the regional rollout of the News Radio service.


Lifelines:

Born: twins Oscar and Elijah to singer songwriter Clare Bowditch and drummer husband Marty Brown.

Expecting: Grinspoon singer Phil Jamieson and Julie Fitzgerald, their second, in mid-March.

Hospitalised: Grinspoon's Phil Jamieson, in rehab for ice dependence.

Hospitalised: Robbie Williams in rehab for prescription drugs.

Ill: Manchester identity Tony Wilson is battling kidney cancer.

In Court: Delta Goodrem filed in the Supreme Court for a pre-fame video filmed when she was 14 to be taken down from YouTube.

In Court: James Brown's PR, who lost her case last year with claims he raped her at gunpoint, can now sue for a part of his estate.

In Court: children of US country singer Darrell Perry suing their aunt, evangelist Darlene Bishop, for encouraging him not to seek medical help for his cancer, and that prayer would cure him.

In Court: Ex-Murder Inc. associate Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, 46, sentenced to life in prison for ordering a retaliatory hit on two men.

Died: in-demand Sydney country music instrumentalist and singer Les Scott, heart attack, aged 52.


London Calling For Indies

London Calling is an event focussing on indie labels and the digital age, held 28 & 29 June in Earls Court. Last year it drew nearly 3500. This year, the Association of Independent Record Labels (AIR) is there to wave the Oz flag and has been given an Aussie pavilion to do business from (cost of $420). See www.air.org.au/londoncalling


New Signings

Perth band The Dirty Secrets have signed a deal with the biggest independent record label in the world. Japan based Avex Corp, whose turnover exceeds US$250million per annum did the deal with the band's Australian label head Rosco Stewart of Embryo Records.

Dew Process inked Perth/Manchester band The Panics.

Foghorn Music Publishing added former Brisbane singer songwriter Jeff Cashen to its roster.

Canberra's Hardrush Music inked Zimbabwe-born Sydney based afro-world-urban-jazz musician Chris Gudu to recording and publishing.

ABC Music Publishing inked NSW Central Coast country folk singer songwriter Bob Pigott.

Ivy League snared US buzz band The Whigs, from Athens, Georgia, and releasing their album 'Give 'Em All A Big Fat Lip' in April.

Foghorn Media expanded its recording deal with Sydney R&B/pop artist Van Sereno to include publishing and publicity.


Gerling, Yee, Part Ways

After ten years together, Gerling and Adam Yee of Mobile Industries have parted ways. Gerling will manage their own affairs (contact gerling@hotmail.com) with Yee on hand to help if they need it.


Wanna Play Canada's North By North East?

Submissions have opened for Aussies to play North by North East (NXNE), the Canadian festival held 7, 8 and 9 June, which exposes new music and music movies. Each year it showcases over 450 live acts from across Canada and around the world, at 30+ venues in downtown Toronto. The NXNE Film Festival offers a unique program of music related feature films, documentaries and shorts where music is the star. Send submissions to reggieray@newfoundfrequency.com