The Music Network
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Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer
THINGS WE HEAR * Aussie DJ Havana Brown went to #1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Chart with debut single ‘We Run the Night’. Meantime DJs Minx and Alison Wonderland spun discs for names like Coldplay, Noel Gallagher, Damon Albarn and Tinie Tempah when they played EMI’s afterparties at the Grammys and Brits. * Slash told Triple M he’s touring here in spring. * While in Sydney, Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst got a tattoo of his record label’s bird logo. Meanwhile, since touring here in January, Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner has got a Yorkshire rose tattooed on his arm, to denote his Yorkshire background. He’s already got the name of Brit poet John Cooper Clarke on his arm for inspiring his lyrics. * Jennifer Lopez’s nipple has its own Twitter account. It was set up minutes after she had a wardrobe malfunction at the Oscars. The account has a pic of the nearpop-out. Within three days, the account had 4,000 followers. An account dedicated to Angela Jolie’s leg accrued 15,500 in the same time. * Here’s something that Playground Weekender organisers (axed due to
ARIA: DIGITAL SALES UP 36.7% The Australian recorded music industry was last year worth $382.7 million, a slight 0.34% drop from the year before, according to Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) wholesale figures released last week. It’s a far cry from the $528.2 million generated in 2005, but ARIA took heart in the fact that overall unit sales were up 20.46% to 98.1 million units. Physical sales were down 13.8%, but still accounted for $242 million. CD albums sold 20.5 million units worth $222.6 million while CD singles shifted 47,472 copies and brought in $151,402. Vinyl albums sold 44, 876 units generating $902,669 in revenue. As Australians embrace legitimate online services, digital sales grew in number by 36.7% to 75.5 million. Digital track sales were up by 39.2% to 66.4 million (generating $79.5 million) and digital albums up 45.9% to 4.8 million ($46 million). Digital sales now make up 36.7% of the industry’s value, compared to 27.2% in 2010. While further growth is expected as new services like Spotify, Deezer and Rdio arrive, ARIA warned that online piracy continues to take its toll. Overseas figures from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) show that one in four consumers use illegal sites each month. Dan Rosen, ARIA CEO, said, “While as an industry we are doing all we can to embrace the digital media landscape by offering music fans more options than ever before to get their music legally online, we require urgent assistance in the fight against the negative impact of illegal online piracy. We will work in good faith with the Government and ISPs for practical progress in the coming year.”
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APRA’s CEO Brett Cottle, in a keynote address to Fuse Festival in Adelaide, predicted 2012 would be the first year to show a rise since 2002, when Oz Music wholesale sales were at $600 million. He predicted that in 2012, the value of digital sales would surpass that of physical. Estimates are that digital sales will this year be worth $300 million at retail with physica
flooding) or Hobart’s MSFest (crap ticket sales) could hope for: 50% of 4500 fans who bought tickets for a Canberra Symphony Orchestra performance that got rained out, donated most or all of their money back to the orchestra, as the show cost $150,000 and 18 months to plan. Meanwhile, a series of shows in Port Macquarie to honour women songwriters and musicians as part of International Women’s Day, March 8, was axed due to low ticket sales. * One-time Thin Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore died last February from a heart attack brought on by his drinking so much it was almost five times over the driving limit. He had 380mg of alcohol per decilitre of blood in his system, more than 30mg the amount associated with fatalities. Amy Winehouse had 416mg in her body when she died surrounded by three empty vodka bottles. * Children Collide parted with their fourth drummer since forming in 2004. Ryan Caesar quit, after his relationship with singer Johnny McKay soured. * Asked how he’d like to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Sex Pistols’ ‘God Save The Queen’, Johnny Rotten wants a cake fight with the Queen.
salesl at $250 million. The industry could “go into another golden period,” if it could combat illegal downloading.
QANTAS <3 MUSOS Six months after Virgin became the preferred carrier for Australian touring musicians thanks to its muso-friendly baggage policy, Qantas has lurched to the front counter too. Musicians can check in an additional item of luggage for free (48 hours notice, the item can weigh up to 23kg or 32kg for Qantas Club members), and pool luggage allowance between a band’s entourage (nine members or less). Musicians have to show proof they are a member of a music association, including AAM, AIR, APRA, AMCOS, LPA, CMAA, Live Performance or state associations such as MusicNSW, QMusic or VicMusic. We hear some of these were taken by surprise at the announcement.
UK TICKETING SCANDAL A furore has hit the UK involving ticket reselling websites. According to Channel 4’s Dispatches in an episode called The Great Ticket Scandal, major promoters keep aside tickets for big name tours so they can be sold for inflated prices through such sites. The show’s reporters went undercover and claimed that sites as Viagogo and Seatwave even get their employees to buy tickets when they go on sale so they can resell later. Both sides have angrily denied the claims, saying employees are banned from such practices.
INDICA IN OZ Canadian label Indica is to set up Australian operations – its first international outpost. Its president and head of A&R Franz Schuller, also member of punk band GrimSkunk, told this column, “Australia and Canada have many similarities, culturally and spiritually”. Indica has previously released John Butler Trio and The Cat Empire in Canada. The first two releases by Indica Australia (indica.com.au) will be NSW singer-songwriter Kim Churchill (whose Detail Of Distance album is out on April 6) and Canadian trio Half Moon Run,
who drop their debut album in May and tour here in September. They’ll be looking at young acts from Oz and NZ for international release, and to release and tour new acts from abroad. Schuller’s partners in Indica Australia are Geoff Trio of Code One Entertainment across management, Rob Scott and Norman Parkhill from Source Music for publishing and synch, and Nicole Hart of Revolutions Per Minute for radio/ publicity. MGM will distribute.
SONG SUMMIT KEYNOTES Neil Finn and theatre director Wesley Enoch will be keynote speakers at Song Summit 2012, at the Sydney Convention Centre from May 26-28. Finn will present The Sun Came Out, a doco about how three years ago he got buddies Johnny Marr, Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien and Phil Selway, Glenn Richards and Bic Runga together to record an album for English charity Oxfam. Songwriter attendees are this year eligible for a scholarship to join the Bali Songwriting Summit (June 1-10) in Ubud, to write and collaborate with international artists and hit writers. For all the Song Summit details, see songsummit.com.au.
RECLINK COMMUNITY CUP The Meanies, Front End Loader and The Celibate Rifles will play the first Reclink Community Cup at Henson Park, Marrickville on Sunday March 18, with more to be announced. The Adam Spencer-captained Sydney Sailors team includes Max Easton (The Brag), Alex Dyson & Tom Ballard (triple j), Scott Dooley (The Project), Merrick Watts (Triple M), Ryan Fitzgerald & Wippa (Nova), Neil Cordy (ex-Sydney Swans), Mike Willesee Jr (Sky News), Scott Fitzsimmons and Kris Swales (Drum Media), actor/ musician Rhys Muldoon, and 2SER and FBi Radio folks. The Western Walers, captained by Dan Sultan, includes Damien Lovelock (co-captain), Anthony Field (Wiggles), Sam Worrad (The Holy Soul), Cec Condon (The Mess Hall), Joel Beeson (Philadelphia Grand Jury) and Geordie Malone (Kira Puru & The Bruise).
BAD SUMMER A bad economy, competition from the Queen’s Jubilee, Olympics and the absence of Glastonbury will mean a lean summer for British festivals. The YouGov Sixth Sense Music Festival Report revealed that half of those who attended a festival last year said they would not go this year. One third said festivals were too expensive, and only 5% thought they were value for money.
VIVID LIVE: NEW DIRECTOR The Sydney Opera House’s Vivid LIVE (May 25 – June 11) this year drops the idea of guest curators like Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, Brian Eno and Steve Pavlovic. Instead, SOH’s head of contemporary music, Fergus Linehan, takes over as Festival Director. For Vivid LIVE 2012, New York creatives Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly and Bryce Dessner have been commissioned to create and perform new works. The full program is revealed on March 15.
KEIYNAN LANDS MTV Keiynan Lonsdale has been made full time presenter for MTV Australia and NZ alongside Erin McNaught. The singer, dancer and actor (he was with teen band Panjo 5) filled in for McNaught on MTV News, co-hosted MTV Summer, and hosted the first episode of Local Produce with 360 and Calling All Cars.
RADIO INK IN HOLLYWOOD When Sydney's Radio INK played G’day USA festivities in Hollywood, Miranda Kerr told them she was in her Roosevelt Hotel room dancing to their eight-hour DJ set below, Jon Voight posed for a pic, Chris Noth (aka Big from SATC) refused, Paul Hogan looked at Dic Money when told he was a fan of his last movie and muttered, “Thanks, who are you?” and Jeff Beacher (Beacher's Madhouse) asked if they could get him an interview with Nine Network. Radio INK are now back in Oz, where they’ve been announced as supports for the Aqua tour, and will release new single ‘Who We Are Tonight’ this week.
NEW SIGNINGS #1: TWO FOR LAUGHING OUTLAW Sydney indie label Laughing Outlaw has signed local power trio Bambino Koresh, led by charismatic Argentinian/Spanish singer-guitarist Leticia Nischang, and Blue Mountains outfit Charlie Horse, whose Crystal Rose and Paul McDonald grew up listening to Johnny Cash and Neil Young records, and built a studio in a remote valley to record their debut album.
NEW SIGNINGS #2: STRANGERS Sydney’s Strangers signed to new Shock imprint Permanent Records after label manager Leigh Gruppetta saw them at Big Sound Brisbane. They’re working on their debut album with producer/manager Tom Larkin of Shihad.
NEW SIGNINGS #3: SELECT Joining Select Music’s roster are Brisbane producer/ songwriter Argentina and his band, and hip hopper Sentry, who hit with single ‘The Waitress Song’.
NEW SIGNINGS #4: 360 Melbourne rapper 360 signed his worldwide publishing to Universal Music Publishing Group. His platinum Falling and Flying went Top 5, his single ‘Boys Like You’ featuring Gossling has sold over 100,000 copies.
Lifelines Born: a Gibson guitar enthusiast in Waukesha, Wisconsin named his new son Gibson and wore a Gibson Les Paul shirt during the 30-hour delivery. Hospitalised: Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones for an urgent heart surgery. Hospitalised: King’s X drummer Jerry Gaskill, heart attack. Died: Davy Jones of ‘60s prefab band The Monkees, 66, heart attack in a Florida hospital. They had six top 10 singles in the US, and three #1s: ‘Last Train to Clarksville’, ‘I’m a Believer’ and ‘Daydream Believer’. Died: US bluesman Louisiana Red, 79, in Germany after a few days in a coma brought on by a thyroid imbalance. Died: Dee Cernile, guitarist for Canadian band Sven Gali, 46, lung cancer.
DFA RECORDS OFFICIAL FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL AFTERPARTY!
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f you were clever enough to grab tickets to Future Music Festival, we’re betting you’re also clever enough to know that the DFA Stage is the place to be, with acts like Horse Meat Disco, Hercules and Love Affair, and Holy Ghost! tearing it up. And for all of you who just can’t get enough DFA in your grill, we invite you to picture a dark hall, filled to the brim with dirty, sweaty partygoers, shaking their groove thang to the likes of local heroes Softwar and SlowBlow, tech-house mavericks Benoit & Sergio, cult synth-pop maestro Juan MacLean, and the legendary James Murphy and Pat Mahoney (LCD Soundsystem), who are more well known and well loved than Angelina’s right leg (true).
Benoit & Sergio
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Pictured all that? Well that, my friends, is the DFA Records Official Afterparty, happening at the Metro Theatre on Saturday March 10. If you want to grab yourself a double pass, email freestuff@thebrag.com and tell us which country Benoit & Sergio hail from!