Australia News: Tixel, AAM, Splendour In The Grass & More

Australian ticket marketplace Tixel has received a A$1.5 million ($1.16 million) injection that will see it scale the platform and expand a product suite made for event organizers. The investors include some of the country’s biggest independent companies like label, publisher and impact investor – and Australian home of AC/DC and The Easybeats, among others— Alberts, whose CEO David Albert has joined the Tixel board. 

Other investors are labels Future Classic and I OH YOU, EDM act Rüfüs Du Sol’s Rose Avenue imprint, and UNIFIED Music Group which include artist management and  festivals divisions. Other investors are Galileo Ventures, and Alex and Anthony Zaccaria, co-founders of Linktree  which provides a person or company’s associated links in social media.

Tixel fueled its own growth through minimal third party investment since its inception in 2018, via service fees charged on each ticket transacted on the platform. Its customers include festivals as Beyond the Valley and Strawberry Fields, music venues as Melbourne’s The Corner Hotel, and acts including the Teskey Brothers.

This fresh injection of capital will enable scaling of the platform to meet an expected increase in demand for resold tickets, and expanding solutions for event organizers looking to streamline operations and grow ticket sales.

Zac Leigh, co-founder and CEO of Tixel said that as the live sector begins a rebirth, both the platform and the investors are planning ahead.

“We’re feeling optimistic about the steep uptick in demand we’re seeing on Tixel from fans wanting to see their favorite musicians, artists, comedians, and sports stars.

 “Our investment partners share this optimism and know that a safe and honest place for fans to buy and to resell tickets is a critical need both today, as our plan-making remains fluid, and into the future.”

Veteran industry advocate Maggie Collins takes over as executive director of the Association of Artist Managers (AAM) after the upcoming departure of current ED Cath Haridy.

Collins’ company Morning Belle looks after thrash band DZ Deathrays and nui-soul singer Donny Benét. 

She was executive programmer of showcase and conference BIGSOUND and a presenter and producer at triple j radio network. 

 “If there’s anything I’ve strived for in my career, it’s to fiercely advocate and protect anything I’m passionate about; be it my artists, the events/venues I’ve programmed, or the communities I’ve loved,” Collins said. 

Under her watch, the AAM will pursue more initiatives to promote First Nations acts and managers. “I’d like to acknowledge my privilege in having this position on stolen land, where music has been taught and guided by Elders for the past 60,000 years.”

Secret Sounds, organizer of Splendour In The Grass festival is producing an immersive virtual version called Splendour XR. 

The 50 acts over two days include The Killers, Khalid, Avalanches, Tash Sultana, CHVRCHES, Vance Joy, Masked Wolf, Charli XCX, Duke Dumont, Of Monsters And Men, Little Simz, Violent Soho and Black Pumas. The sets are specially created for the event, promoters said.

The two shows, Saturday July 24 and Sunday July 25, operate globally on a single time zone, 12 p.m. to 2 a.m. AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time) (GMT +11) with programming from 2pm. All video content will be available as VOD for seven days after the event. Tickets are A$19.99 per day.

Splendour XR, created with San Francisco based social virtual reality platform developers Sansar, recreates the Byron Bay site, and allows fans to build their virtual self, travel the multi-stages to see the acts and virtually meet with friends on the way.

The event starts with a yoga session, and also has a medical tent for those suffering mental health, a kids’ area and forums about raising funds for live music industry workers, mental health and well-being, and sustainability.

U.S. country music guitar giants Vince Gill and Albert Lee have donated proceeds of a live tape from a 1988 Australian tour for road crew welfare. 

It is part of the popular Desk Tape Series by the Australian Road Crew Association (ARCA), the tapes supplied by crews or promoters from the sound desk. The money goes to charity Support Act’s Roadies Fund to provide financial, health, counseling and well-being services.

The series have released tapes by 15 major acts as Crowded House, Men At Work, Neil Finn, Australian Crawl, Goanna and Wendy Matthews. But Gill and Lee are the first international names, with their Live At The Prince Of Wales, 1988 recorded at the Melbourne club.

“I wasn’t nervous about hearing those old tapes because I knew we played well,” said Lee. “But we wanted to do this for ARCA’s Roadie Fund. Being a crew member is tough and there’s no pension, so it’s all I could do to help.” 

Gill, less known Down Under at the time than the revered Lee and later returned with The Eagles, added many crew members are aspiring musicians themselves.  “It’s been a crazy 12 to 18 months and everybody is struggling. We’re in the same boat, and there are a lot of good people doing things like this to give a hand up.”

What coronavirus? The first lineup for New Zealand’s Rhythm & Alps (Dec. 29 to 31) has international acts – including Britain’s Bradley Zero and MCs SHYFX and Stamina, and Australia’s Sampa The Great— and a crowd of 10,000. They join NZ names as L.A.B, Filth, MC Scribe & P. Money and Lee Mvtthews.

“We are over the moon to be presenting a very diverse lineup for our 11th anniversary and will be producing some new and exciting stages,” said festival founder and director Alex Turnbull. 

The event is held in the picturesque Cardrona Valley, in the Southern Alps.

New Zealand musicians were named in the Queens Birthday Honors list June 7. Hip-hop, jazz and R&B singer Ladi6 (Karoline Tamati) who is currently a panelist on The Masked Singer NZ, got a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM). “I never followed trends, I stayed true to myself,” she said.

Also receiving a MNZM was Teremoana Rapley, a television presenter and member of the hip-hop group Upper Hutt Posse. Takutai Kemp was made Officer of the Order of Merit (ONZM), for services to street dance and youth. 

Wife and husband team Tanya Muagututi and Posenai Mavaega were made Members of the Order of Merit for services to Pacific performing arts. 

Musician and producer Hinewehi Mohi became Dame Companion of the Order of Merit for her services to Maori, music and television.