Features
Australia: Dates, Glenn Wheatley, ANZ Stadium, Southern Stars
Dates: McCartney, The Weeknd, Queen
James P. Hendershot – Queen + Adam Lambert
Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Md.
McCartney plays five shows in all Dec. 2-16: nib Stadium, Perth; AAMI Park, Melbourne; Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane; Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney; and Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland.
It is McCartney’s first Australian and New Zealand tour since 1993’s The New World Tour. “We’ve been waiting to get back to Australia and New Zealand for years and now it’s finally happening,” McCartney said. “It is very exciting. I’m really looking forward to the concerts as we’ve always had such a brilliant time whenever we’ve been before so we know we are in for a treat. Can’t wait to see you and all rock out together.”
Adelaide residents are enraged at being left off of the schedule. Media and fans began petitions, newspapers wrote editorials, and Lord Mayor Martin Haese wants a meeting with Frontier Touring’s Michael Gudinski to see if a reschedule of the itinerary is possible.
Gudinski has indicated that the window is too narrow. Adelaide has a point. In 1964 when McCartney toured Australia with The Beatles, the visit initially left out the city.
Rival radio stations combined to generate 80,000 signatures on a petition, and 300,000 lined the streets to greet the band. The city’s population at the time was 687,000.
Live Nation has The Weeknd Phase 2 of his Starboy: Legend of the Fall 2017 World Tour to Australia and New Zealand for the first time. He does six arena stops Nov. 29 to Dec. 14.
After Queen + Adam Lambert’s sellout run in 2014, a 2018 return could be heading for similar success. Five original shows announced by TEG Dainty were quickly extended to seven from presales alone.
The Australian shows (Feb. 21 – March 6) are preceded by a one-night stop in Auckland, New Zealand, Feb. 17.
Australian media is speculating that Jay Z has signed up as a headliner for Bluesfest Byron Bay next Easter.
A cryptic note sent to subscribers by festival director Peter Noble as part of a newsletter read, “He is a beauty and it will be an absolute pleasure to bring him to Bluesfest. That only leaves around 99 artists to go.” Jay-Z’s signature song is “99 Problems.”
Glenn Wheatley Teams With Sony
Veteran artist manager and promoter Glenn Wheatley’s Talentworks and Sony Music Australia have entered into a joint venture to create a major music company to encompass management, events, merchandising, festivals and digital platforms.
It will also sign and develop new acts. Talentworks’ star client, John Farnham, is one of the country’s biggest recording and live drawcard. He holds the records for 1 million ticket sales on one tour and the most concerts at the various Entertainment Centres around the country.
Sony’s artist management and booking division, Parade Management, reps top record sellers Jessica Mauboy, Samantha Jade, Anthony Callea, Dami Im, Justice Crew, Adam Harvey, Stan Walker, Cyrus, Jess & Matt, Kyle Bielfield, and Missy Lancaster.
Aside from Wheatley, Talentworks Parade’s senior team Includes Parade /Sony Music’s Wayne Ringrow and Ken Outch and Parade’s David Champion.
Wheatley, who has radio interests around the country, told Pollstar the company will also look at signing sporting and media identities.
“In the ’90s I used to manage golfers Ian Baker-Finch and Wayne Grady, tennis players John Alexander, John Fitzgerald and John Frawley, cricketer Simon O’Donnell, racing legend Peter Brock and footballer Paul Salmon,” he recounted.
Wheatley and Sony Music Australia, New Zealand and Asia president Denis Handlin started out in the biz as teenagers in Brisbane and their paths have criss-crossed over almost 50 years.
Their most successful collaboration was the launching of singer-songwriter Delta Goodrem, whose debut album Innocent Eyes is the second-biggest selling domestic album of all time. The first is Farnham’s 1980s comeback, Whispering Jack.
ANZ Stadium Redevelopment Blown Out To $1.1B?
facebook.com/anzstadium – ANZ Stadium
The redevelopment of Sydney’s 83,000-capacity
These figures were used during closed-door discussions by Sports Minister Stuart Ayres while arguing for a new rectangular stadium to be built instead, the Telegraph reported.
Ayres has dismissed these figures as just media speculation and said final costs would not be known until August when a business case is presented to the government.
The ANZ Stadium, which the government bought in 2006, is located in Olympic Park where the 2000 Olympics took place. The NSW government is revitalising four Sydney stadiums. Parramatta Stadium in the city’s west is being rebuilt for A$340 million ($257.4 million), with A$500 million ($378.5 million) for
Southern Stars Touring In Liquidation
Brisbane-based Southern Stars Touring, which was registered last year, has gone into liquidation.
David Lewis Clout and Patricia Talty were appointed liquidators June 12, according to a statement from the firm.
Its Surf & Soul Tour, featuring a coupling of The Beach Boys and
The Daily Advertiser, in the city of Wagga, one of the regional stops, reported that documents filed with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission showed the company had debts of A$700,000 ($529,993) and assets of A$14,000 ($10,599) when placed in liquidation.
A creditor whose production company worked on Surf & Soul told the newspaper it had simply failed to generate enough ticket sales to cover costs.