Australia News: BIGSOUND Returns; $10M For S. Australia; One Electric Day Expands

AUSTRALIA

Global Names Return To BIGSOUND

UK agents, the founder of #MeToo, two artists and a U.S. A&R executive were among the first 25 of 1,500 speakers unveiled for BIGSOUND.

The export-ready conference and showcase, which canceled 2021 and went virtual 2020, celebrates its 21st anniversary September 6-9 at Brisbane entertainment precinct Fortitude Valley.

The agents are Sarah Joy and Will Church of ATC LIVE, Shaun Faulkner of X-ray Touring, and Tom Taaffe of Paradigm who started Down Under as agent with Trading Post Agency and founded tour company Hill 16 Entertainment.

The three companies already have 25 Australian acts on their books including Hilltop Hoods, Nick Cave, Sheppard, Amyl And The Sniffers, Dune Rats, Tropical Fuck Storm and Robert Forster.

Other international speakers included #MeToo movement founder Tarana Burke, “Friday” viral singer Rebecca Black, UK EDM act and producer Example and Eric Tobin, EVP of A&R at Van Nuys, Calif.-based Hopeless Records.

They joined Frontier Touring CEO Matt Gudinski, Chugg Music director Andrew Stone, Lemon Tree Music co-founder Regan Lethbridge whose star client is Tones & I, Select Music senior agent Casey O’Shaughnessy, artist manager Josh Taylor Anderson of Call & Response and Collective Artists GM Rebecca Young.

South Australian Sector Gets $10M Package

The new South Australian government launched the $10 million (US$6.96 million) See It LIVE support package.

It includes 5000 e-vouchers worth $400 ($278) each for venues to host live music, and grants of between $5,000 ($3,481) and $50,000 ($34,813) for venues and festivals to hire acts and musicians and become COVID-safe, and a $1 million ($696,265) scheme to upgrade venues.

Between $10,000 ($6,962) and $250,000 ($174,056) is available if an event is cancelled or rescheduled due to new COVID-19 restrictions; $250,000 ($174,056) is for charity Support Act to provide wellbeing training; and a Premier’s Live Music Advisory Council is being set up for venue operators and promoters to keep a direct link with the government.

One Electric Day Back With Expanded Format

After a COVID-caused hiatus, One Electric Day not only returns in spring to its spiritual home Melbourne – where it traditionally sells out in minutes – but its five heritage acts also now stop at five cities in three states from November 5 to 27.

Promoter Frontier Touring also has Billy Joel at a sole Aussie date at Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 10 as part of its Always Live series of shows with the Victorian state government.

It added second Ed Sheeran dates for Wellington’s Sky Stadium and Auckland’s Eden Park, and a third at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, making a total of 13 stops from Feb. 1 to March 12.

NEW ZEALAND

Row Over Bowl Of Brooklands Lake

A war of words broke out over the lake in front of the stage of New Plymouth’s Bowl of Brooklands.

The outdoor music venue is best known as the WOMAD NZ site but Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, REM, Six60 and Crowded House have also played there.

Local council wants to increase its capacity from 15,000 to 25,000 to attract bigger international acts. One idea is to cover the lake.

Local businesses agree. Brent Eccles, president of the NZ Promoters Association, said the extra 10,000 patrons would be an economic boost, and the Bowl could become a viable stopover for acts playing Auckland and Christchurch.

Music fans complained about losing “a really picturesque venue to just another place to see a band.”