Australia News: Rob Potts, NSW COVID Disruption Fund For Festivals, 2022 Tours

The New South Wales (NSW) government still intends to create a fund to protect festivals and major events from COVID disruption.

The secretary of treasury, Mike Pratt, made the announcement at the Treasury hearing of NSW Parliament Budget Estimates on Aug. 20.

But noting the fund was originally mooted in April, shadow minister for music and the night time economy John Graham responded, “This is welcome news, but why they the five month wait? We are calling on the government to immediately announce the details of this fund.”

This came at the end of a week where two of the country’s biggest festivals – Splendour In The Grass and Bluesfest, both in Byron Bay and in the southern spring—postponed to 2022.

While it was a blow to the live sector at large, both festivals seemed relieved at their decisions.

Attributing it to “vaccine rollout progressing more slowly than anticipated,” Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco of Secret Sounds moved Splendour to July 22-24 with headliners Gorillaz, The Strokes and Tyler, The Creator still on board.

 “We are confident that moving the festival to July 2022 will finally see us enjoying Splendour In The Grass in all its glory,” they said.  “More of the population will be vaccinated, international talent will have the ability to enter the country more freely.”

Bluesfest’s new dates are April 15-18. Midnight Oil, Jimmy Barnes, Paul Kelly, Pete Murray, Kasey Chambers, John Butler and Xavier Rudd remain part of the reschedule.

Director Peter Noble revealed, “I thought this decision would be hard to make, but it was the reverse.” He’s confident Australia will reach a 70—80% vaccination rate by end of 2021.

At which point, Noble declared, “Lockdowns will be consigned to history. Perhaps we may even see international artists returning. If they come, we will be presenting them!”

Australia’s best known country music promoter is honored at the November CMA International Awards in Nashville. The Rob Potts International Live Music Advancement Award recognizes an individual who builds live audiences.

“A true pioneer in the genre, few people exemplified this more than Rob Potts,” CMA chief executive Sarah Trahern said. “He was a driving force in our efforts to expand country music internationally, and I am excited we are able to honor those following in Rob’s footsteps.”

Nominees are Potts’ associate Michael Chugg of Chugg Entertainment, Sina Hall of Semmel Concerts Entertainment GmbH (Germany), Nigel Hassler of CAA (UK), Sigve Prestnes of Stageway Talent (Norway) and Troy Vollhoffer of Premier Global Production (Canada).

Potts died in a motorbike accident in 2017.

Outback festivals Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash (April and August 2022), and the Birdsville Big Red Bash (July 2022) are the first in Australia to introduce a No Jab No Jive events policy for audiences, staff, contractors and vendors.

Both are staged by the Outback Music Festival Group, are camping events and draw 10,000.

Managing director Greg Donovan said his two major concerns were patrons would be traveling through small outback communities, many with large indigenous populations with low jab rates.

Secondly, the festivals will inject A$35 million (US$25 million) in tourism dollars, and “We also have a huge responsibility to ensure our festivals can operate safely so this vital tourism spending is maintained”.

Aussie Promoters Adopt Wait And See On Vaccine Passports

An investigation by The Music Network found that Australia’s fourth largest promoters – Live Nation, Chugg Entertainment, Frontier and TEG – believe in vaccine passports in theory.

But they think it too early to initiate proof-of-vaccination with many states in lockdown, NSW using the military to ensure rules are being followed, and vaccines rates still relatively low.

“Right now, we need all Australians to get vaccinated before there are discussions on policy, as there is a long way to go,” Michael Chugg remarked.

Live Nation Asia Pacific president Roger Field said that with initiatives allowing global events to return with safety, “In Australia, when the timing is right, we need to work with government to explore and trial these kinds of initiatives as a way to get shows back on the road.”

The 2022 tour schedule is starting to fill up. Tyler, The Creator has his Call Me If You Get Lost Australian and New Zealand run from July 22 to August 2. The four arena dates, his first headlining shows in eight years, are through Frontier Touring, Illusive Presents and AEG.

Human Nature rescheduled their 60-date Live 2022 Rebooted – People Get Ready, Again Tour to between April 20 to July 30.

Delta Goodrem’s 10 date arena and theatre Bridge Over Troubled Dreams Tour through TEG Live is now running March 12 to April 9, after the multi-platinum singer songwriter moved it up from September / October 2021.

Jimmy Barnes canceled his Australian spring run with Frontier Touring behind his Number One album Flesh And Blood. But three shows in New Zealand with Eccles Entertainment, already rescheduled three times, go ahead in May.