Features
Australasia News: Venues Close; Intensive Events In Liquidation; Bon Scott’s Estate Wins Victory; NZ: Synthony To The Slopes
AUSTRALIA
Live Acts Losing The Lansdowne, Badlands & The Cambridge
The live sector is losing three important live music venues: the Lansdowne Hotel in Sydney, Badlands in Perth, and The Cambridge in Newcastle.
The Lansdowne’s owners put up the four-story building for sale for $25 million (US $17 million) to cash in on the demand for apartments with the area’s gentrification.
The 80-year old pub began showcasing live music in 1994, launching new acts and showcasing major international alt-rock names.
It fell victim to the infamous Sydney lockouts of 2014, closing 12 months later.
Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham of Mary’s Live revived it 2017 until a disagreement with the landlord saw them leave February 2022, saying, “This was not part of our vision.”
Four months later, Oxford Arts Factory CEO Mark Gerber and his team took over music bookings and marketing after owners delayed plans to close the 480-capacity band room.
Operators said, “For us, it has meant that our business that only ordinarily trades around 12-16 hours per week, now needs hundreds of dollars in revenue per hour of opening just to pay an insurance premium that we have never needed to call upon in the last 7 years.”
It came at a time when Melbourne promoter James Young questioned the future of his Cherry Bar and Yah Yahs after his insurance premiums skyrocketed 500 per cent in the last year, saying “It’s just unfair that last year’s profit is paying this year’s public liability insurance.”
The Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle, which launched global acts Silverchair and Screaming Jets, closed early July, with its owner’s plans to turn the building for accommodation rooms for 500 University of Newcastle students.
Lunar Electric Promoter In Liquidation
Intensive Events went into liquidation by order of Queensland Supreme Court. The company was behind the troubled EDM and hip hop Lunar Electric festival.
After teasing an international bill including Doja Cat 6ix9ine and Russ Millions for a multi-city run in March, Lunar Electric rescheduled two weeks out to September after not delivering the acts.
Acts and suppliers claimed they were unpaid for the 2022 tour, which had dropped two cities.
Among them were pop sisters The Veronicas who flew back from their Los Angeles base for the shows and declared a $100,000 ($68,093) loss.
TFH Hire, which provided fencing, portable toilets and other infrastructure for the festival applied to have Intensive Events wound up.
AC/DC Singer Estate Wins Trademark Stoush
The estate of original AC/DC singer Bon Scott won a legal trademark battle against Swiss-based sportswear brand Scott Sports which claimed similarity of name.
The singer’s estate had moved to register his name to launch a merchandising range of clothing, sunglasses, bags and wallets.
But the UK Intellectual Property Office found no possibility of consumer confusion after the estate proved Scott was still a prevalent name with continued catalogue sales, and a tourist attraction with statues and fan conventions in Scotland, where he was born, and in Western Australia where he was laid to rest 1980.
NEW ZEALAND
Synthony Takes To The Ski Slopes
Auckland-based Duco Events’ Synthony format – orchestra playing EDM classics with dancers and laser lights – drew 25,000 to its last Auckland show.
It’s expanded to Australia and Singapore, and in talks with Canada, India, Hungary and Germany.
Duco’s Synthony In The Snow event on August 11 will literally take it to heights and possibly widen the format to sports events.
It stages 1200 meters on the slopes of the Coronet Peak skifield with temperatures below zero, the orchestra clad in commando snow gear, with special on-stage heating and fingerless mittens for violinists, and the 3,000 punters taking the risk given a night ski pass.