Australasia News: Mesiti Joins Destroy All Lines; Missy Higgins Rules ARIAs; Greens Vs. SXSW; NZ: Shihad’s Farewell

AUSTRALIA

Scott Mesiti Joins Destroy All Lines

Live sector veteran Scott Mesiti has joined Destroy All Lines (DAL) as promoter.
In September, Pollstar ranked DAL the fourth largest Australian promoter and top independent Australian promoter after selling in excess of 700,000 tickets in the past 12 months.

Currently in a period of expansion, it recently set up comedy and country divisions.
Mesiti made his name running festivals, starting MJR Presents in 2015 with UK-based Richard Buck.

In August 2019, MJR was sold to TEG, with Mesiti retained as head of touring for MJR.

Missy Higgins Gongs, Enters HOF At ARIAS

Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Missy Higgins was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) hall of fame at the Nov. 20 ARIA awards in Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion.

She also won best live act for her “Second Act Tour.” With mainstream radio and streaming playlists closed to Australian female artists over 40, the 46 shows were divided into two parts.

The tour sold 115,000 tickets to original and new fans, and the album debuted at No. 1 in September.

Major winners at the ARIAs, screened on YouTube and free-to-air Nine Network, were pop singer Troye Sivan – he toured the U.S. and Australia with Charli XCX on her “Brat” outing – whose three wins included best solo artist and album; and Royel Otis, whose four wins from eight noms included best group and rock album.

Row Over Funding For SXSW Sydney

A row broke out at a City of Sydney council meeting over continued funding of SXSW Sydney. The second installment in October drew 287,014 (97,462 unique attendees).

Cllr. Matthew Thompson of the Greens party argued A$1 million ($651,263) of taxpayers money not go to “propping up a trans-national, for-profit corporation” (and) “a festival that costs $2,000 for a full program ticket, isn’t accessible to [the] community and doesn’t deliver what local artists and musicians need.”

Instead, the money should go to grassroots initiatives as cheap housing and creative spaces for musicians, and trial a basic income.

The Greens motion was defeated. SXSW Sydney noted it had a series of free showcases for emerging acts, including one at Tumbalong Park which drew 190,000, and worked with community groups to financially aid musicians from diverse backgrounds.

Woodford Folk Warns Ticket Sales Down

One of the largest festivals in Australia, the 37th Woodford Folk in Queensland (Dec. 27 to Jan. 1), warned pre-sales were down 15% and early indications for this year’s event were “concerning.”

Director Amanda Jackes asked patrons not to wait until the last minute to buy tickets.
In 2023, the event drew 120,000 attendees.

Jackes said while costs increased 40%, day tickets rose by only 8% in the last six years. Woodford is showcasing 430 acts, and its largest international contingent since the pandemic.

NEW ZEALAND

Shihad Announce Farewell Tour

Shihad, New Zealand’s biggest hard rock band, is pulling the plug after 36 years, with “Loud Forever – The Final Tour.”

The first leg is six dates Jan. 29 to Feb. 8 with festivals at Rock The Bowl and Kickdown.

It’s then to Australia, where some members are based, with five theatre stops Feb. 13 to March 7, before returning to New Zealand for the last hurrah including at Auckland’s 13,000-seat Spark Arena and the March 15 finale to 24,000 at the Homegrown festival in Wellington, where they formed at high school.