Features
Australia: Festivals Postpone, TEG & More
Postponements: Tamworth Country, Festival X, Meredith, Boogie, The Others Way, Go Live!
A second wave of coronavirus cases and border closures forced the scrapping or postponement of six festivals in Australia and New Zealand.
The latest was Toyota Country Music Festival, which made the decision Sept. 8 immediately after the Tamworth Region Council voted to withdraw its financial support for many of its events, citing “current public health orders in place, which include the prohibition of music festivals and mass gatherings, coupled with travel restrictions and venue capacity challenges.”
The festival, which draws 50,000 for each of its ten days, will not go ahead Jan. 15-24. The Golden Guitar awards, which mark the end of the festival, will continue as an online event, as a testament to the strong record releases from the sector in the last 12 months.
The sophomore EDM rave Festival X will not stage in December, Live Nation, Hardware and Onelove said, but “We will be back stronger than ever in 2021!” Last year it drew 100,000 to four cities with a bill with Calvin Harris, Armin van Buuren, Lil Pump, Alison Wonderland, Steve Aoki, Generik and Kaz James.
The three-day Meredith Music Festival outside Melbourne in December will “adjust to a different beat, for the time being,: with a decision on sister festival Golden Plains, on the same site March, will be provided “as soon as we can.”
Regional Victorian event Boogie, which delayed from April to October, was rescheduled to April 2-4, 2021 at its Our Friend’s Farm property.
Auckland’s The Others Way on Sept. 11 was axed a week ahead. Flying Out’s Matthew Davis said that with no new date and with 40 acts and 14 venues in the Karangahape Road precinct to reschedule, tix would be refunded.
The inaugural free nine-day Go Live! in Christchurch was moved from late September to November. About 30 acts play venues around the city. “By which time we will hopefully be back in alert level 1,” Christchurch City Council events and arts manager Lucy Blackmore said.
Senior Management Changes At TEG To Widen Global Expansion
– TEG’s Cameron Hoy
Sydney-based live entertainment, ticketing and technology company TEG had a management restructure “for the long-term global expansion of its integrated business model.”
Cameron Hoy, chief operating officer and head of ticketing for 12 years, now has the combined role of chief commercial officer and managing director of Ticketing, taking on oversight of TEG Analytics, TEG Insights, TEG Digital and Commercial as well as all TEG’s Ticketing operations globally.
Ian Ball joins as chief operating officer, overseeing operations, technology, IT, communications and corporate affairs as well as leading TEG’s venues globally. Previously an operating partner at private equity giant Silver Lake, which bought TEG last October for $1.3 billion, Ball was CEO and managing director of global professional services company Cardno, deputy CEO and markets leader of EY Oceania, and managing partner at IBM Global Business Services Australia & New Zealand.
TEG chief executive Geoff Jones described the changes “an evolutionary, fit-for-purpose restructure which is all about making sure we are streamlined for global growth in the longer term, as we battle the challenges posed by COVID-19. It aligns our businesses in the right way and brings in additional senior talent as we continue to evolve our integrated model.”
After applying TEG’s integrated model to Australia, New Zealand and Asia, Jones is eying Europe. It got a foothold in the UK after buying out promoter and venue operator MJR Group. Jones believes TEG’s global calling is Ticketek which sells 30 million tickets to 30,000 events in Australia.
Jay-Z Settles With Children Book Publisher
Jay-Z settled a Federal Court copyright infringement dispute with small Sydney-based publisher The Little Homie Pty Ltd after mediation. Owner Jessica Chiha, a hip-hop fan, released the alphabet book AB to Jay-Z.
The rap mogul sued after The Little Homie allegedly ignored cease-and-desist letters from 2017 over unauthorized use of his image and lyrics, and lines as “ZZ is for Jay-Z and he has 99 problems, but his ABCs ain’t one.”
The book will be retitled and all references removed.
The southern hemisphere’s largest music conference, BIGSOUND in Brisbane, becomes a free virtual event Oct. 21-22 Angela Samut, CEO of organizer QMusic said, “It has never been more important for the Australian industry to come together to focus on survival and re-futuring with a program that offers a mainstream conference program, professional development and mental health activities.”
BIGSOUND’s export-ready showcases, which draw overseas delegates and have an enviable track record of deal making, are suspended. Festival programmers will choose 50 applicants and provide them with business connections and global exposure.
Rapper Masi Rooc Charged Over Big Kash Shooting
– BigKash in the hospital
Sydney rapper Masi Rooc was charged with the Aug. 8 shooting of his rival Big Kash.
The pair had been exchanging taunts on social media in the past months, NSW Police said.
The 33-year old one time Hells Angel Kash (John Lavulo) was seated in his Mercedes in his driveway after dinner with a 22-year old female when it was sprayed with bullets.
Big Kash was hit in the arm and elbow, and drove himself to hospital. The friend was not hurt.
NZ’s Ticket Rocket Goes Into Receivership
Dunedin-based Ticket Rocket went into receivership Aug. 31 under insolvency firm BDO. The company was set up by Canadian businessman Matthew Davey and served sporting and entertainment events and venues for 20 years.
But this year there were customer complains about not receiving refunds.
In June The Hurricanes Super Rugby franchise called in the police to recover NZ$200,000 ($134,337) while Palmerston North City Council won a High Court order over a NZ$675,958.40 ($454,033.55) dispute to freeze monies from being moved out of a bank account. The full extent of owed monies is not revealed by BDO.
Great Southern Nights Unveils 50 Acts To Kickstart NSW Live Scene
– Great Southern Nights
Jimmy Barnes, Tones & I, Amy Shark, The Teskey Brothers, Missy Higgins, The Angels AB Original, Tash Sultana, Bag Raiders, The Angels, Thelma Plum, Ocea Alley, Kasey Chambers, Troy Cassar-Daley, The Presets and Polish Club are among 50 acts announced for 1,000 gigs across Sydney and New South Wales (NSW) through November.
It is part of Great Southern Nights, an initiative of the NSW government’s COVID-19 Recovery Plan and the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) to kickstart the state’s live scene.
“The caliber of artists who have put their hand up to be part of the inaugural Great Southern Nights event is fantastic, and we’re stoked that many artists have asked to play in regional NSW,” said Stuart Ayres, minister for jobs, investment, tourism and Western Sydney.
Barnes added, “I know fans are hungry for live music while lots of musos and roadies are just plain hungry.”