International News: ARIA’s New Festival Award, Hong Kong Grapples With Scalping & More

AUSTRALASIA

by Christie Eliezer

AUSTRALIA

New Management Firm Weird Fishes Launched

Artist managers and festival promoters Rhett McLaren, Joe Miles and Aidan McLaren debuted new management firm Weird Fishes. 

At launch, acts were singer songwriters platinum-certified Peter Murray, Grammy-winning Mike Waters, Steph Strings and Tim Hart, and bands Boy & Bear and the Dreggs.

The Dreggs are touring through September and October making their live debut in North America and returning to the UK and Europe.

“We wholeheartedly believe in the unique talent, audience-connection and growth-potential of each of the acts we represent, both locally and internationally,” the Melbourne-based trio said.

For 10 years Miles and the McLarens managed artists in partnership with multi-divisional Unified Music Group, also running its festivals.

They were also behind The Hills Are Alive Group and NYE On The Hill and Ocean Sounds festivals, now in their 12^th and 7^th years.

Deni Ute Muster Heads For First Sell-Out

With country music festivals so buoyant, the Deni Ute Muster’s general manager Vicky Lowry announced, “We see ticket sales at an all time high and tracking towards its first sell-out.”

Held in the New South Wales regional town of Deniliquin and drawing 22,000 at each of its two days in Oct., the bill includes Zac Brown Band, Jackson Dean, John Williamson, Kasey Chambers, Troy Cassar-Daley, Wolfe Brothers and Kaylee Bell.

Injecting an estimated A$16 million (US$10.4 million) into the local economy, events include a air aerobatics, counts of blue singlets and “utes” (utility vehicles) and a live broadcast from free-to-air Seven Network’s Sunrise program.

Rebrand For Secret Sounds Artist Management

Paul Piticco’s Secret Sounds Artists Management rebranded as Dew Process Artist Management, with two new partners, CFO Brian Quinn and senior artist manager Rachael Dixon.

Dew Process was Piticco’s label and publishing division, set up in the mid-90s following the huge popularity of Powderfinger which he managed, and Secret Sounds which ran Splendour In The Grass and later acquired by Live Nation.

As part of the rebrand, Dew Process divisions also signed high profile acts, alt-rock band Spacey Jane who embark on an extensive North American and Eu/UK run in the northern autumn after selling 60,000 tix on their last Australian and New Zealand run; rapper Tkay Maidza; and Georgia Mooney founder All Our Exes Live in Texas who is doing a solo North American run.

ARIA Awards Introduces Festival Category

This year’s high profile Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) awards Nov. 19 at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion introduced a new category: Best Music Festival.

It was developed in partnership with the Australian Festival Association (AFA), and supported by ticket exchange platform Tixel.

“This award celebrates the role festivals play in launching careers, building culture and helping Australian music reach new audiences,” said AFA managing director Olly Arkins.

Tixel CEO Zac Leigh noted,  “Over half of Aussie event goers reported attending a music festival in the past year, and more than 70% still see them as a rite of passage for young Australians.”

NEW ZEALAND

L.A.B., Stan Walker, Team Again

After a summer collaboration across NZ and Australia to 65,000, electro-reggae band L.A.B and R&B singer Stan Walker are combining for three outdoor shows with a half dozen supports including Aaradhna and Tiki Taane.

These are at Wharepai Domain, Tauranga (Dec. 27), Broadwater Parklands, Gold Coast (Jan.3) and Auckland’s Trusts Arena (Jan 31).

These will reach 45,000 people, said Michael Tucker of L.A.B. management Loop, who organised the dates.

He told Pollstar, “These shows are another highlight in a challenging live market. 

“The tour’s success will be driven by a stacked lineup and strategic venue selection. 

“Content is king and Loop strongly believes investing money in a stacked line up is a key factor to success in an oversaturated market.”

ASIA

by Phil Brasor

HONG KONG

Hong Kong’s Scalping Problem

The South China Morning Post reports that scalping has become so prevalent in Hong Kong that most people have just become used to paying exorbitant prices, and not just for concert tickets. The SCMP article quotes someone who is involved in an amateur basketball team that has to book court time from touts who buy up all the time slots, so they always end up paying twice as much for spaces to play.

The newspaper says that “the concert business has become opaque,” since organizers are “contractually obliged” to set aside large numbers of tickets for sponsors and other commercial interests, sometimes as much as 70%. The tickets reserved for the public are then swept up by scalpers using bots, who then immediately put the tickets on sale at vastly inflated prices, usually on social media. 

Hong Kong’s Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance states that it is illegal for anyone to “sell, offer for sale, or solicit the purchase of tickets at a price exceeding the amount fixed by the organizer at public entertainment venues.” The fine is only HK$2,000 ($260), which is hardly a disincentive. 

The problem has only escalated with the opening of the new Kai Tak Stadium this spring, since it can hold 50,000 people, thus allowing the city to invite more top-tier acts and attracting concertgoers from outside of Hong Kong, mainly from mainland China. But according to one event platform CEO, “No matter how many shows they put on, there is demand from among 1.4 billion people. It is commercially beneficial because concert tickets will always be bought, but organizers don’t care that Hongkongers are unable to get in.” Though the government encourages organizers to set aside more tickets for public sale, there is little they can do about so-called priority sales. 

In addition, the hot market for available tickets has led to a big increase in scams. Local media reported on a Hong Kong woman who was cheated out of HK$180,000 ($22,936) for tickets to K-pop star G Dragon’s recent concert. Apparently, the woman attempted to buy VIP seats on a secondary market that cost almost four times the face price. The scammer got even more money out of the woman by demanding fees to “secure” the tickets, and after the funds were transferred the scammer just disappeared. 

KOREA

Bomb Threat Delays The Boyz In Seoul

According to the Korea JoongAng Daily, a concert by the K-pop group The Boyz on August 10 at Seoul’s KSPO Dome was significantly delayed due to a bomb threat. 

The concert was scheduled to start at 4 p.m., but was pushed back to 6 p.m. after investigators finally determined that there were no bombs on the premises. 

One of the concert organizers told reporters, “We received a report from authorities that someone had threatened to install bombs at the KSPO Dome. Officials began investigating immediately.” The fire department said that the company managing the venue had received a letter by fax claiming there were explosives in the building. The management company then informed the police and fire department, which dispatched 19 trucks and 70 personnel. 

INDIA

Sunburn Moves To Mumbai

This year, India’s most famous electronic dance music event, the Sunburn Festival, will be moving from its traditional location on the beaches of Goa to the big city of Mumbai. The festival is set to take place December 19 to 21.

Sunburn had been held in Goa for more than 20 years, but apparently the festival’s relationship with the community has been strained in recent years, according to Travel and World Tour. Issues include increased noise complaints, environmental concerns, and logistical tensions with local authorities. In addition, fans have expressed a desire to see the festival held in a more metropolitan area, like Mumbai, which is considered India’s entertainment capital.

In recent years, the organizers of Sunburn have held standalone events, such as concerts by Swedish House Mafia and others, in Mumbai, so this year they plan to move the whole festival. The change will be stark, since Goa is famous for its laid-back atmosphere, while Mumbai is intense and fast-paced. 

The move will certainly attract a larger portion of travelers, which is something the Indian authorities are interested in. As with most other Asian countries, India is keen on boosting music tourism, and most music tourists would prefer the amenities offered by a major city. 

JAPAN

Eilish Scores Big Openers For Tokyo Stops

A week before she was to perform two concerts for her “Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour” at the Saitama Super Arena outside Tokyo on August 16 and 17, Billie Eilish announced the opening acts, which happen to be two of the biggest artists in Japan right now. 

On August 16, the special guest will be the pop duo Yoasobi, which has been selling out arenas of their own for the last two years throughout Asia. Then, on August 17, the opener will be singer-songwriter Fujii Kaze, who has also become one of the hottest new Japanese artists since the end of the pandemic.