Australia / New Zealand: Live Nation’s NZ Festival Series, Chance Pulls Out Of Splendour, David Byrne Wins Helpmann

Live Nation expands its presence in New Zealand with a new summer festival series for January 2020 in the 3,500-capacity Soper Reserve, Tauranga, in Mt. Maunganui, home to summer holiday hotspot Bay of Plenty. The Soper Reserve Series is expected to draw 28,000 over eight shows featuring local and international acts. 

Last year, Live Nation acquired a stake in New Zealand’s Rhythm & Vines festival and staged Childish Gambino’s festival, PHAROS, in Tāpapakanga Regional Park in Orere, just outside of Auckland. 

“Continuing to develop New Zealand as a touring market of international profile remains a priority for Live Nation,” said Live Nation Australasia CEO Roger Field in a statement. 

“Finding a fantastic new venue such as Soper Reserve and creating ground-breaking and exceptional experiences like the new summer festival series is the cornerstone of our strategy. We are particularly excited when these opportunities land outside of major capital cities and we look forward to bringing a truly memorable experience to the Tauranga region in 2020 and beyond.”

Chance The Rapper pulled out of Splendour In The Grass in Byron Bay (July 19-21) 24 hours before his Sunday night headliner spot, with promoter Secret Sounds saying, “Unfortunately, due to illness he is unable to fly.” 

Refunds were offered. Within hours, multi-platinum trio Hilltop Hoods were recalled from holidays to step in. Also on the 100-strong bill for the sold-out event were Tame Impala (whose homecoming set proved a killer with a stunning light show), Childish Gambino, who found “This Is America” resonate intensely with crowds on the other side of the world, along with sets from Wolfmother, The Streets, Courtney Barnett, Dean Lewis and Foals.

In March 2019, after a 10-year planning battle, the North Byron Parkland was allowed to increase Splendour’s capacity from 35,000 to 42,500, with 18,500 campers. The figure could go to 50,000 if conditions including sewage outflow, are met. The site’s second festival, Falls Byron, also run by Secret Sounds (in which Live Nation has a majority stake), now increases its capacity from 25,000 to 35,000 per day. 

The increased grosses from the events are expected to help fund the A$42 million ($29.5 million) spend on a new conference center, spa and accommodation and road works. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the three companies that own Parklands include Bullworth Pty. Ltd., owned by Splendour founders Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco, and the five members of Powderfinger, the multi-platinum band that Piticco managed.

David Byrne’s American Utopia Tour, promoted by Frontier Touring, won best international contemporary concert at the 19th Helpmann Awards July 14-15, presented at Arts Centre Melbourne by Live Performance Australia, and broadcast live by ABC Comedy Channel.

Other contemporary music winners were Tim Minchin and Live Nation for best contemporary concert for his comeback tour Back, and left-of-center Mona Foma took best contemporary music festival for a third year. Veteran singer-songwriter Paul Kelly presented indigenous troubadour Kev Carmody an award for outstanding contribution to live performance, saying, “His body of work to be one of Australia’s enduring cultural treasures, combining oral history, politics, poetry and prayer.” Carmody accepted the accolade on behalf of his ancestors.

Lindsay Lohan is a judge on the inaugural Australian version of “The Masked Singer.”

“The show has already been a huge success and I can only imagine it will get bigger,” she said. To be screened on free-to-air Ten Network and produced by Warner Bros. Australia, she joins singer Dannii Minogue, radio broadcaster Jackie O and comedian Dave Hughes.

Catherine Haridy is new executive director of the Association of Artist Managers, replacing Leanne De Souza who left after two years. Starting out in A&R at Warner Music and Festival Mushroom Records, Haridy’s management company’s clients include rock bands Eskimo Joe and Jebediah and producers and writers  Anna Laverty, Tony Buchen, Steven Schram and Jimi Maroudas.

Michael Parisi Management (MPM) promoted Charlotte Ried to GM of his new division Right Hand Management (clients include Vera Blue and Polish Club) and hired Christina Aubry as executive assistant. MPM also launched new publishing company Left Hand Publishing, as a jv with Universal Music Publishing Group.

Director and choreographer Gideon Obarzanek and artist, curator and festival director Hannah Fox are named inaugural co-artistic directors of the yet-to-be-named government-run 10-day music festival to launch 2020 winter.

A 19-year-old woman who scammed 100 people with fake tickets to music events worth A$10,000 ($7,040) escaped jail. Hannah Rebecca Valentine was found guilty earlier in the year of 53 fraud offenses, forging tickets to a Post Malone show and festivals as Sets on the Beach and Listen Out, the latter selling two invalid tix to 24 patrons. She was sentenced July 19 at Perth Magistrates Court to 40 hours of community service as part of a 12-month intensive supervision order. “This was a scam, purely and simply a scam motivated by Ms Valentine’s greed and selfishness,” Magistrate Thomas Hall said.

The BIGSOUND conference in Brisbane in September unveiled its 2019 keynote speakers:  LA band Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino, Revenge Of The She-Punks author Vivien Goldman, Frontier Touring’s tour director Sahara Herald and acclaimed and outspoken artist Mojo Juju.