Australia: STI Testing At Splendour? Moshtix, Optus Stadium

Independent ticketing agency moshtix is on an expansion course after securing more key clients. Chief executive Harley Evans told Pollstar that the past six months saw the company secure ticketing rights for the Australian Turf Club, Taronga Zoo, Laneway Festival, CMC Rocks festival and major Melbourne music venue The Espy, which re-opens  after two years in November after renovations by new owners Sand Hill Road.

Evans says that staff numbers expanded as a result, with a greater emphasis on “making life easy” for customers.  A key hire was Kevin Cooper in the newly created role of head of marketing and innovation. Previously group marketing and customer technology manager at major tavern company ALH Group, “His background brings a wealth of experience in executing digital marketing campaigns at a very large scale as well as a strategic mindset that will benefit our larger marketing and growth focused functions,” Evans said.

Perth’s A$1.6 billion, ($1.18 billion) 60-000 seat Optus Stadium and surrounding Stadium Park won Western Australia’s best building project July 21 at the Master Builders Excellence in Construction awards in Perth. Multiplex won the project, which Master Builders executive director Michael McLean described as an unusually challenging one.

“(It) required the builder to be on the ball from the excavation and piling stage right through to the sports arena lighting and installing the largest super-screens in the southern hemisphere,” he said.

About 3,000 of the 30,000 revelers at the Splendour in the Grass festival in Byron Bay (July 20-22) were expected to be free-tested for chlamydia, a sexually transmitted infection.  Those who tested were rewarded with access to a VIP tent. Before the tests, NSW Health predicted that at least 100 would find out that they had the disease without realising it.

Dr. Chris Bourne, Head of NSW Health’s STI program unit, revealed, “STI rates in Australia are rising, with the number of chlamydia cases almost doubling over the past decade, and those most affected are aged 15 to 29. Music festivals present an opportunity to reach our target audience, raise awareness of STIs and reduce the stigma around testing. And results show this program is working.”

The event featured sets from Kendrick Lamar, Lorde, Vampire Weekends and Khalid. As usual, there were unexpected collaborations, the most surreal being former Wiggles member Murray Cook joining hardcore outfit DZ Deathrays for AC/DC’s “Highway To Hell.” 

Lorde, who headlined the second night, had part of her iridescent silver outfit come undone. “It is the most me thing that could happen – two songs into Splendour and my first f—— flies off my body,” she cracked.

Australian guitarist Scott Burford is awaiting confirmation of a Guinness world record after completing a 125-hour guitar marathon to raise money for charity. He began midday July 15 and finished 500 songs later on the afternoon of July 20, seated at the window of a music store south of Sydney.  “I had su-per-glue put over my fingers to hold the skin together,” the 49-year old said at the end, pointing to swollen fingers. 

A large crowd cheered and set off party-poppers, leading to an encore. The quest was for Musicians Making A Difference, which empowers vulnerable young people with the power of mu-sic. The current official record stands at 114 hours and 6 minutes, set in 2011 by Dave Browne from Dublin. An unverified attempt of 124 hours and 30 minutes was conducted after by a guitarist from Canada.