Australia News: Mushroom Group, Katy Perry, ARIA & More

Michael Gudinski’s Mushroom Group has launched a dedicated marketing and communications division following what Gudinski called “significant growth in recent years in the live business.” 

It’s the company’s first major shake-up since Mushroom and Michael Chugg’s touring, label and artist management company Chugg Entertainment entered a strategic merger earlier this year.

The new live division will be responsible for marketing, digital and PR for Chugg Entertainment, Frontier Touring, the CMC Rocks country music festival, Illusive Presents and other live partnerships. 

The new division will be overseen by Reegan Stark, a Gudinski executive of 17 years and most recently head of Mushroom’s promotions. Stark will report directly to Gudinski and COO Dion Brant.

Mushroom will additionally have a dedicated in-house promotions, marketing and social team to service its recorded music business after expanding to seven labels across five cities.  

After 15 staffers are in new posts from the restructure.  Newly opened offices in the US and UK will have their own teams. Gudinski said, “Our overriding principle at Mushroom is to be leaders and not followers and I believe these changes will allow us to consolidate both sides of our business.”

Australian fashion designer Katie Taylor – born Katie Perry – launched litigation proceedings against singer Katy Perry over a trademark dispute.  

The action is funded by LGM (Litigation Capital Management Limited). Taylor claims she established Katie Perry women’s fashion label in late 2006, selling through stores like Target and Myer and through online sites. 

According to Taylor, “This is a real David and Goliath. The singer has ignored my trademark and continued to sell infringing goods unlawfully in Australia.” 

The singer has made no comment on the dispute.

The ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) will induct four-piece R&B/soul harmony group Human Nature into its Hall of Fame at the Nov. 27 ARIA awards at Sydney’s Star Event Centre.

“The 30-year career of Human Nature is a truly unique Australian success story, from teenage friends to multi-platinum stars to keepers of the Motown flame, they have won over audiences all around the world,” ARIA chief executive Dan Rosen said. 

Human Nature has held residencies in Las Vegas with its Motown-themed show, currently celebrating Motown Records’ 60th anniversary with a residency until mid-2020 at the Sands Showroom inside The Venetian Resort. 

Before the group’s U.S. breakthrough, the act sold 2.5 million albums in Australia, with four of their 13 albums reaching top spot. Their return visits are sell-outs: 2017’s “Ultimate Jukebox Tour” shifted over 40,000 stubs.

A consortium of senior live production executives launched a new registered charity CrewCare Oct. 30 to help past and present crews in medical, psychological and financial issues.

It teamed up with the music industry’s benevolent fund Support Act, tapping into its 24-hour wellbeing helpline and professional contacts, as well as new partnerships including a wide array of health professionals and a raft of fund-raising initiatives.  

Howard Freeman, a member of a four-generation family of showbiz operators who co-founded the charity, told Pollstar, “About six years ago, about 200 road crew members from the 1970s and 1980s met up for a reunion. We realized that of the 400 from that era, 120 had died, many by suicide. 

“Few had reached out. Those who work in a climate where inventiveness, resourcefulness and physicality come into play to get the show on that night, it’s very hard to say you need help or you got a problem. So you get the message to them that help is available with A3 posters in the workplace or in rental trucks as a subtle reminder without any pressure or judgement.”

The first season of the Australian version of “The Masked Singer” this year was such a ratings success that a second season was green-lit by free-to-air Ten Network. It was the channel’s most successful new show in five years. 

The shine may be taken off by U.S. band Halocene though. The group formed in 2008 and has been uploading rocked-out versions of pop hits onto its YouTube channel.

The act claims its arrangement of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy,” including a riff not on the original, was used on the show in a performance by the Lion character. They posted both videos on their Facebook page to show similarity. 

Producer Warner Bros Australia has not commented on the claim.

South Australian pop singer George Alice, whose debut single “Circles” is a mainstream crossover radio hit, finalised two agency agreements through manager Lauren Mikkor of Post-Modern Collective. 

In Australia the 16-year old is now repped by Brett Murrihy and Sam Rogers of WME Entertainment.  

In the U.S, Alice joins with Paradigm, repped by Tom Windish and Ira Goldenring. In the U.K. and Europe he is repped by Andy Clayton.