Australian News 10/11

Swift, G Love Returning

Michael Coppel Presents locked in Taylor Swift for five arena appearances Feb. 4-12.

G Love & Special Sauce will return for Handsome Tours, behind an Australia-only album called Long Way Down, Nov. 18-21.

Dainty Consolidated Entertainment is bringing baritone crooner Patrizio Buanne May 16-30 for five theatre dates.

Frontier Touring Company rescheduled The Used’s four November club shows to mid-March after the band had to cancel.

Sydney R&B vocal group Human Nature will take a break from its headlining run at The Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas to return to Australia for a one-off show at Wyndham Estate on Dec 12 with mentor Smokey Robinson for New Vine Entertainment.

Festivals Awarded

Adelaide’s world music event WOMADelaide won this year’s global Greener Festival Award, acknowledging its efforts to reduce its environmental impact.

A 56-point checklist covered green office policies, energy use and carbon reduction, travel and transport, support for green initiatives, waste management, recycling, water use, environmental protection and noise pollution.

Apollo Bay Music received the Contemporary Cultural Development Award from the state of Victoria for how it engaged community groups and provided exposure for local acts in the past 17 years.

Short Notes

The copyright infringement case between the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) and Perth-based Internet Service Provider iiNet began in the Sydney Federal Court Oct 6. The firms claimed iiNet had not done enough to stop its customers from illegally sharing files. The outcome will have global repercussions on the responsibilities of ISPs. AFACT represents 34 entertainment firms.

Queensland-based Jeff Chandler has taken over management of singer/songwriter Shane Nicholson, who has had platinum records for his duets with his wife Kasey Chambers.

To promote the upcoming Golden Rule album, rock band Powderfinger did three impromptu acoustic shows in city squares in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Fans were twittered 15 minutes before the performance. The three shows drew 4,000 fans.

A survey found that sponsorships and donations to the Australian arts sector grew to $202 million in the 2007/08 fiscal year, an 18 percent increase on the previous year.

Zaccaria Events set up the inaugural five-city national theatre tour of Australian Rock Symphony Jan. 22-30. It sees former Divinyls singer Chrissy Amphlett, guitarist Diesel and rock band Baby Animals do their hits with a rock band and 30-piece orchestra.