Australia News: Chugg Music, Delta Goodrem, Ball Park Music & More

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 – Michael Chugg

Chugg Music Opens Asia Office In Bangkok

Chugg Music, Sydney-based artist management firm set up by Michael Chugg and Andrew Stone, opened an Asia office in Bangkok Oct.1 after its acts started to break into the region. 
“It was time we had boots on the ground there,” Chugg told Pollstar. “Good things are happening.”
He added: “It works both ways, obviously, Asian acts have been coming down to Australia as well.  There’s a big crossover market which I hope we can be part of. The Asian music industry can see the advantage of working both ways.”
Rock band Sheppard generated radio airplay and sync pickups across the region, with a sizeable percentage of its 750 million global streams from the Philippines.
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 – Michael De Lanty

A Mandarin/English collab with Taiwanese singer Sammy, issued Sept. 16, was radio-play-listed in Greater China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and MTV Asia and Channel V Asia. The band is also recording with acts from Korea, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.

Following pop rock duo Lime Cordiale’s spots on North Asian streaming services, they will collaborate with a major Japanese rapper. 
The latest track from 18-year-old Mia Rodriguez, a social media identity and producer, is getting 25% of YouTube viewing from Asian fans.
Managing Chugg Music Asia is Michael De Lanty, a long time label exec in Australia and the UK, who for the past six years was based in Bangkok running recording and management of the BEC-TERO Entertainment conglomerate.
“It is an exciting period for music in Asia and no better time to introduce these incredible artists to Asian music lovers,” De Lanty said.

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 – Delta Goodrem

Strong Comebacks For Delta Goodrem, Ball Park Music

Australian crowds are certainly eager to see their homegrown heroes returning to the stage.
TEG Live upgraded two venues on singer songwriter Delta Goodrem’s 10-date Bridge Over Troubled Dreams arena run in April/May 2021. 
The May 2 Melbourne show at the 7,500-seat Margaret Court Arena is now at the 16,200-seat Rod Laver Arena. The April 16 date at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre’s 3,000-seat theater was moved to the arena next door which fits up to 12,000.
Cancer-surviving Goodrem is donating $1 from each ticket to St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney to help fund medical research in cellular therapy for blood cancers and auto-immune disease.
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 – Ball Park Music

Tickets for rock band Ball Park Music’s first nine shows of a 13-date date album launch residency at The Triffid club in Brisbane sold out in hours.  As a result, the first show, Oct. 23, will be livestreamed for free through Delivered Live TV.

Due to Queensland social-distancing rules, patrons have to sit down. The residency allows fans to buy tables with seating for 4, 6 or 9. The club’s head of bookings, Mark Gibbons, observed, “At this rate, they are on track to be one of the highest-selling show runs The Triffid has hosted since we opened six years ago.”.

Sydney Opera House Sets Re-Opening Date
As restrictions in New South Wales ease, the Sydney Opera House will emerge from a six month closure Nov. 2. It marks its return with New Work Now, 15 local productions of music, dance and forums addressing how the pandemic affected audiences and performers.
Its A$1.2 million ($862,380) cost was donated by private supporters, partners and staff. The venue had 10.9 million visitors in 2019.

New CEO For Darwin Festival
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 – Darwin Festival artistic director Felix Preval and CEO James Gough

Darwin Festival appointed James Gough as new CEO, to begin with the 2021 event. He joined the team 12 months ago as acting CEO. 

Artistic director Felix Preval’s tenure was extended to 2022. He programmed the last four festivals, including the record-breaking 40th anniversary celebrations in 2019 when 148,000 people attended and a new box office record set with 50,545 tickets sold.
Musical Theatre Scholarship Axed After Diversity Row
Organizers of an A$50,000 ($36,528) scholarship for emerging musical theatre talent axed the prize this year after being heavily criticized for lack of diversity in the 30 semi-finalists.
 “We should have done more to ensure a greater (black, Indigenous and people of color) representation” in the applications, they admitted. The biennial prize, begun in 2009 named for an Australian performer and mentor, returns 2022.