Australia News: SandTunes Nixed, John Fordham Dies & More

The massive beach ’n’ beats event on the Gold Coast á la Alabama’s Hangout and Spain’s Barcelona Beach was canceled three weeks out from showtime. 

TEG Dainty set up SandTunes on a stretch of the iconic Coolangatta Beach, predicting an attendance of 35,000 to 40,000 and a fresh injection of A$10 million ($6.8 million) to the local economy.

Originally set to launch in 2018, SandTunes was first postponed for 12 months to book bigger acts. This year’s bill included Travis Scott, Logic, Dean Lewis, Juice WRLD, CHVRCHES, Tkay Maidze and Carly Rae Jepsen Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.  However, after a campaign by a local MP and some businesses on the impact of the event on the beach, SandTunes was shifted to the grounds of Metricon Stadium in early September. 

But Paul Dainty, president and CEO of TEG Dainty, has now said in a statement, “The reality is that without sand between our punters’ toes, the very notion of the beachside festival in a stadium meant low sales.” 

Dainty spent two-and-a-half-years trying to get the beach party cooking. It is understood that in that time, other beachside areas – including Byron Bay; Fremantle, Western Australia; and St. Kilda in Melbourne – also put their hands up as possibilities. Dainty could not be reached for comment on whether fresh talks with these locations were considered.

The NSW (New South Wales) Coroner’s Nov. 8 report into six MDMA-related deaths in the state’s music festivals last summer criticizes NSW Police procedure. 

Deputy state coroner Harriet Grahame made 28 recommendations, including stopping sniffer dogs because they merely frightened patrons.  

In an attack on current procedure, she also suggested that strip searches and punitive action make a distinction between suppliers and those using recreational drugs, and a change in training of officers at music events. 

Kevin Morton, vice president of the NSW Police Association responded, “Any inference that police – going about their normal day-to-day duties to protect these young and the vulnerable – that their presence has caused deaths at these festivals is offensive and simply wrong.”

The deputy coroner also called for pill testing at music festivals (“the evidence for it is compelling”), a drug summit, a roundtable with the music industry, teaching dangers of MDMA at high school, and for health authorities to introduce strategies as ice baths and rectal thermometer use. 

For festival promoters her insistence was more free cold water, chill-out zones and harm-reduction encouragement from artists on the bill. 

Live Performance Australia and The Association of Australian Festivals applauded Graham’s 28 recommendations and again stressed their willingness to participation in consultation.

Ultra Australia announced its 2020 edition would feature a number of A-listers including DJ Snake, Eric Prydz, Zedd, Afrojack, Luciano and The Return Of Dash Berlin. 

Ultra continues to stage in two cities – March 7 at Sydney’s Parramatta Park and March 8 at Melbourne’s  Flemington Racecourse. Both shows drew over 40,000 this year.

Sydney-based talent agent John Fordham died Nov. 10 at age 75 after a three-year battle with throat cancer. 

He was awarded the Order of Australia medal for services to media, sport and charity.  

After launching his career doing public relations at Qantas, he set up his own agency 30 years ago, now run by second son Nick. He was still negotiating for a client on his final day.

A day before KISS was to leave the U.S. for End Of The Road World Tour dates in Australia, New Zealand and Asia, doctors told Paul Stanley not to travel after a bad case of influenza. 

As a result, Australian dates in November were pushed to December, and the sole New Zealand date – on Dec. 3 in Auckland at Spark Arena – was nixed as the band had to travel on the day to Japan. 

The band said Auckland will be rescheduled at a later date.

The Australian summer festival season began with one event canceled as “unprecedented” bushfires raged across northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. 

On Nov. 11, with the toll up to three dead, five missing, 30 injured and 160 homes lost, the Port Macquarie Beer & Cider Festival decided to scrap its Nov. 16 event. 

Promoter Scott Mesiti said it would be rescheduled to end of February so that his team could help firefighters. 

Among those with homes in the danger zone are Bluesfest co-founder Keven Oxford and former SXSW Australian/New Zealand senior business adviser Phil Tripp.

My Chemical Romance was announced as the first headliner for next year’s Download . 

The group will only serve the two dates at the hard rock festival which plays to 40,000 at Melbourne Showgrounds March 20 and Sydney’s Parramatta Park March 21.  

Other exclusives in the first artist round were Clutch, Alestorm and Lacuna Coil. 

Also announced were Deftones, Jimmy Eat World, Ministry and Testament along with Australian drawcards Ne Obliviscaris, Stand Atlantic In Heart’s Wake, Clowns and Bodyjar.