Australia News: CMA, AC/DC, Executive Moves & More

– An Introducing Nashville set from Germany

CMA Expands ‘Introducing Nashville’ Down Under

After debuting in Brisbane in 2019, the Country Music Association (CMA)’s ‘Introducing Nashville’ expands in 2020 to take in Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland March 23-28.

Showcasing are Dallas-born Abby Anderson, country hip-hop act Niko Moon, platinum-selling Grammy-nominated Cassadee Pope and Mitchell Tenpenny of chart topper “Drunk Me” fame.

Milly Olykan, CMA’s VP, international relations & development said the series gives “this group of artists their first opportunity to play in these cities, show international audiences how broad the genre is, and gave the CMA the chance to meet local media, industry and fans “and learn more about how we can continue to increase the profile of country music in these markets.”

The CMA also announced Julie Bowser (U.S.) and Megan Hopkins (Australia) as first participants of the four-week Rob Potts International Exchange program. Set up to help country music aspirants, it is named after the late promoter who introduced U.S. superstars to Australia with Chugg Entertainment, initiated the successful CMC Rocks festival, discovered Morgan Evans and served on the CMA board.

150,000 Line Up On AC/DC’s Highway To Hell

150,000 AC/DC fans from around the world lined a 10 kilometer stretch of Western Australia’s Canning Highway for a March 1 Highway to Hell 40th anniversary of singer Bon Scott’s death. The highway connects Perth and Fremantle where Scott grew up and is buried. The event marked the closing of Perth Festival.

State premier Mark McGowan rang a 300kg bell to set off a convoy of eight flat-bed trucks. They stopped at nine spots where acts played AC/DC songs alongside 130 community events.

They included rock bands End of Fashion and Amyl and The Sniffers, members of Perth Symphony Orchestra and WAAPA Gospel Choir, folk blues acts Pigram Bros, MoJu and Abbe May and Japanese punk outfit Shonen Knife.

– Eventbrite
Eventbrite’s new hires Emelia Hinge and Rohan Lawton,

Executive Moves At Eventbrite, Vevo, Destroy All Lines & more

Eventbrite added two senior business development managers to its Asia Pacific team to focus on conferences and festivals. Emelia Hinge, from an events and conference background and Rohan Lawton with 20 years in sports and endurance. Both are based in Melbourne.

Vevo is expanding into Australia and New Zealand by opening a sales office in Sydney. Managing director Steve Sos was previously MD, Asia Pacific at Shazam. Vevo says it has 10m monthly viewers in Australia and 2.2m in NZ.

Tour company Destroy All Lines hired Bailey Graham from industrial and metal Overdrive Touring as promoter. GM of touring Chris O’Brien said, “Bailey brings experience and knowledge in an area we don’t normally cover.”

Boden Evans from Arts On Tour is marketing officer at Casula Powerhouse in Western Sydney.

New Zealand’s Tauranga Arts Festival’s new director is singer songwriter Ria Hall. The first Maori woman to take on the role she became involved with the biennial 10-day festival in 2015.

– Bailey Graham
Destroy All Lines’ new hire, Bailey Graham

Splendour Sells Out In Hour

Splendour In The Grass in Byron Bay sold out, moving 50,000 tix in an hour, promoter Secret Sounds said.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in July, the three-day bill includes Tyler The Creator, The Strokes, Flume, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Idles and Midnight Oil.

Down To Earth Raises $1m For Bushfire Relief

One of the very first bushfire relief concerts to be organized this summer, Down To Earth, raised A$1 million ($651,532) Feb. 26. It drew 12,000 to the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne while almost 670,000 from all over the world livestreamed on YouTube.

The bill included Angus and Julia Stone, Briggs, Gang Of Youths and Tash Sultana. Organisers were Handsome Tours, Lemon Tree Music, Mirror Music Group and Habit Music.

Julia Stone has pulled together a charity album, Songs For Australia, with The National, Kurt Vile, Damien Rice and Martha Wainwright joining Aussies covering Australian classics by INXS, Nick Cave and The Go-Betweens.

Parkway Drive has also raised A$129,544 ($84,420) via GoFundMe, including a kick-off personal donation of A$50,000 ($32,583). The Byron Bay band hit the road in North America August with Hatebreed, Knocked Loose, and Fit For a King.

Katy Perry, who plays ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground March 8, will play a free show March 11 in rural Victoria for firefighters and their families. She said, “As a native Southern Californian, I know firsthand the devastation of wildfire across my home communities, and was particularly heartbroken by the Australian bushfires.”

Tim Lambert – Gang Of Youth at Down to Earth Benefit

Coronavirus Disrupts Aussie, NZ Productions

A number of tours through Asia were cancelled or delayed, citing the coronavirus threat and resulting travel restrictions.

Sydney pop soul singer Ruel, who was to play Beijing and Shanghai first week of March on his Free Time World Tour rescheduled the entire Asian leg, now playing eight countries Sept. 9-30.

It is not known if the number of applications by Aussie acts for September’s Music Matters Live showcase in Singapore, which close March 31, are affected.

New Zealand’s Auckland Arts Festival canned one of its flagship events, the outdoor aerial Place des Agnes (March 13-16), as the outbreak affected shipping of equipment due to reduced air cargo space, cancelled flights and skyrocketing prices, CEO David Inns said.