Australia News: Bluesfest’s Record 30th Edition, NSW Widens Festival Death Probe, Aussies At NYC SummerStage, Destroyer 666 Dates Axed

Bluesfest Byron Bay’s 30th celebrations (April 9—13) generated its highest ever gross, director Peter Noble told Pollstar exclusively. Revenue reached A$15,670,000 (US$11,062,446) topping the $13,586,947 ($9,591,877) reached in 2014. Its also generated its third highest attendance, reaching 105,385 (compared to 114,602 in 2014 and 114,284 in 2013). 

The crowd came to see 150+ performances by 88 artists, whom the festival revealed in a set of figures in its wrap-up, consumed 2.5 tons of vegetables and 912kg of meat backstage. 

Economic impact is expected to be $300 million ($211.8 million) for the state of New South Wales (NSW), the figure reaching approx. $2 billion ($1.44 billion) since the event moved to the 120 hectare Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm ten years ago.

“Our 30th was just wonderful,” said Noble, adding that Bluesfest debuts by Deva Mahal, Larkin Poe, the Marcus King Band, I’m With Her, Ray LaMontagne, Anderson East, Jack White’s The Saboteurs, and Miss Velvet and the Blue Wolf were wildly embraced by the crowd. 

Noble also presented multi-platinum Kasey Chambers with a shining star award for her contribution to the festival. Aside from her various performances, she also attended each of the last 21 Bluesfests. “I owe my career to this man,” she tearfully told the crowd, adding, “The people that come back every year, they just love music, and everyone is here for the right reason. I just love it; I feel like it’s such a beautiful family to be a part of.”

Chambers’ set included appearances from Ben Harper, The Veronicas, Tommy Emmanuel, War and Treaty, underlining the onstage collaborations that took place throughout. These included Mavis Staples with Ben Harper; Jack Johnson and Ben Harper; Gary Clark Jr. bringing Lukas Nelson and Marcus King on stage; George Clinton ft. Parliament Funkadelic joined by Little Steven; Men At Work frontman Colin Hay dueting wih Chris Tamwo; while Jack Johnson’s Sunday night headline set included Lukas Nelson, Gary Clark Jr. and Paula Fuga. 

Making the biggest impact was Yothu Yindi & the Treaty Project bringing on fellow indigenous stars Baker Boy, Mojo Juju, Deline Briscoe, Emma Donovan and various traditional dance troupes. Many of them were on-site for Bluesfest’s indigenous mini-festival Boomerang.  In addition, 65 sideshows around Australia and New Zealand by 22 acts, which included 12 sell-outs, sold a total of 57,113 in both countries.

The inquest into the drug deaths at NSW music festivals September 2018 to January 2019 has widened. The coroner’s office will now look at seven cases, with the addition of Anne Nguyen, who died October 2015 at Dragon Dreaming and Hoang Tran who died in December 2017 at the Knockout Games of Destiny at Sydney Showground. 

It will also examine the effectiveness of pill-testing at festivals. The NSW government resolutely refuses to consider pill-testing, insisting there is no evidence it saves lives. 

Significantly, one of the doctors helping with the inquest is Dr. David Caldicott, co-founder of the Pill Testing Australia (PTA) consortium. PTA conducted its second pill testing at Groovin’ The Moo’s Canberra stop April 28. 

This year saw 234 patrons from a crowd of 20,000+ analyse their drugs, double the number from last year. Of the 171 samples, PTA said it probably saved seven lives as their stash included n-ethylpentylone, which is linked with mass overdoses overseas.

Capital One City Parks Foundation ‘s June 22 SummerStage  at NYC’s Central Park will showcase a number of Australian acts creating waves globally, including Hermitude, San Cisco, The Teskey Brothers, Tkay Maidza and WAAX, alongside the U.S. debut for major indigenous  hip hop duo A.B. Original. 

The show is presented by the government-funded music export body Sounds Australia, the Australian Consul-General, New York and the arts-funding body Australia Council for the Arts.

This year marks Sounds Australia’s 10th year of increasing the profile of Aussie acts at international trade fairs. It has showcased 851 acts, including the international debuts of Courtney Barnett, Vance Joy, Flume, Dean Lewis and Nick Murphy (Chet Faker). 

In 2019 Sounds Australia is also supporting 60 jazz and classical performers and delegates at jazzahead! (Bremen, Germany, April 25—28) and Classical:Next (Rotterdam, The Netherlands, May 15—18).

Dates through Australia and New Zealand by European-based Australian extreme metal band Destroyer 666 were cancelled after videos surfaced involving singer and guitarist KK Warslut. 

At Germany’s DeathKult Open Air Festival in 2012 he said Muslims were “invading” while at a show in Sweden, he said women taking part in the #MeToo movement need a “hard dick”, according to Swedish publication Stockholmdirekt. 

Australian promoter Soundworks moved opener BÖLZER to headliner slot.  

New Zealand promoter Valhalla Touring’s Ben Mulchin may tour them in a few years, but agreed it “inappropriate” to tour them in May. He brought them to New Zealand in 2016. 

In local site Stuff he described Warslut, “as a bit of an egg when he’s drunk. He’s an egg most of the time, actually. I don’t think he’s a racist, but he has said racist things. (He) has done a series of interviews saying he doesn’t have hate for anyone but he is labeled.”