Australia: Post Malone Shows Added, KISS, Arctic Monkeys Announce, LPA President Stepping Down

Here come the Texans, here come the Texans. A return visit by Dallas-hailed Post Malone and the first Australian dates for Houston psychedelic trio Khruangbin have seen their respective promoters add dates or upgrade to larger venues.

Live Nation added third shows in Sydney and Melbourne For Post Malone, bringing his tally to 10 arena stops April 26 to May 9.

Following the sellout of Khruangbin’s theatre run in March, Penny Drop and Chugg Entertainment added two more shows in Sydney and Melbourne, and upgraded the Brisbane venue. There are also festival slots at WOMADelaide, A Festival Called Panama and Golden Plains.

The Australian and New Zealand leg of Kiss’ End Of The Road farewell is at the end of 2019, with dates through One World Entertainment and TEG Live. KISS will do seven arenas Nov. 16 to Dec. 3, with a set at the Supercars Newcastle 500 Nov. 23. It will be the band’s fifth visit to the region, having toured 1980, 1997, 2009 and 2015.

Frontier Touring has Arctic Monkeys in Australia and New Zealand for five arenas Feb. 23 to March 6.

TEG Dainty added multi-platinum Australian rock band Birds of Tokyo as support for Bon Jovi’s four This House Is Not For Sale outdoor shows Dec. 1-8.

Penny Drop and Chugg Entertainment announced France’s Christine And The Queens debut Down Under with two theatres and two festival appearances March 3-10.

Hard Rock International reportedly approved a bid for the second Gold Coast casino license. Its $2 billion plan includes an “entertainment-centric” resort with 1,000 hotel rooms, shopping precinct and major entertainment center. 

Edward Tracy, its CEO for Asia Pacific, said in August: “We believe Queensland has a strong market potential for a new product paradigm, one that is more entertainment-centric, not merely in physical amenities themselves but how they are delivered to customers. People flock to the Hard Rock because of the lifestyle element the brand exudes. The casino is but one among a plethora of entertainment options.”

The man charged Nov. 5 with the murder of rising Sydney rapper Ranford Bigsby in an apparent drug-induced psychosis, was his best friend. The 26-year-old, real name Liam Anderson and the youngest son of Rose Tattoo’s singer Angry Anderson, had posted numerous photos of himself and the 20-year-old accused Mathew Flame on social media and captioned their close friendship. The two were walking home from a party Nov. 4 in Sydney’s northern beaches when an argument broke out at 6 a.m. in a park. Police had to pepper-spray Flame he continued to violently assault Anderson. The musician died in hospital. Flame became aware of the incident when he awoke in hospital from his alleged psychosis. His lawyer, On Omar Juweinat, told the Sydney Morning Herald his client was “in a state of disbelief, shocked and saddened.”

Despite the change in demographics and growing number of digital options, families and children’s live entertainment holds its own in Australia, according to TEG Analytics research. 

Just 37 percent of Australian households today are couple families with children at home compared to 48 percent in 1976, and there has been a corresponding decline in family entertainment purchasers as a proportion of all live entertainment ticket purchasers from 9 percent in 2008 to 6 percent in 2018.  

But the average price per ticket for children’s shows of $50.63 is up 8.2 percent, while the average spend is $204.51 (in CPI-adjusted terms), up 1.8 percent over the past decade. 

Two of the Top 3 most popular children’s shows in 2018, Disney on Ice and The Wiggles, were also on the list in 2008. This year, in the Top 3 was Paw Patrol, the live stage show based on the animated TV series.  In 2008, the rage was High School Musical – The Ice Tour.

TEG’s general manager of Analytics and Insights Andrew Reid said, “Competition for the family dollar is intense and the statistics show that live events fulfill a vital role, with 73% of parents with children under 18 considering it important for their children to attend live entertainment events.”

Live Performance Australia (LPA)’s president since 2004, Andrew Kay, steps down Nov. 22. He is replaced by Richard Evans, who has served the association for 12 years, including as vice-president 2011-12, Evans, currently managing director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, was CEO of Sydney Opera House. Kay observed the live performance sector faced issues as lack of investment in the sector by the government, lack of cultural infrastructure in Sydney, financial hardship for smaller companies and problems created by a “one size fits all” wages system. But he added, “The live performance industry, as shown in the latest record attendance data, is, by and large, very healthy.”

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