Australasia News: Bringing Concerts Back To The Mall; Chugg Chosen For Music Australia; NZ: McGlashan To HOF

AUSTRALIA

Live Nation Brings Concerts Back To Malls

Live Nation will stage 20 free concerts in the next three months in Westfield’s 37 shopping malls in a deal with Scentre Group.

The series, beginning Sept.17 with R&B singer Kate Ceberano at Westfield Doncaster in Melbourne, includes an hour’s set, dedicated fan Q&A, and meet and greet for customers.
Other acts include Amy Shark, Jessica Mauboy, Thelma Plum and Stan Walker.

LN president of brand & marketing partnerships ANZ, Greg Segal, said the multi-year partnership “provides customers with a new opportunity to access some of their favorite local artists, for free (and) also provides artists with rare opportunities to play in unique venues, making (it) even more special.”

For Scentre, the free concerts are a way to draw even more customers after a buoyant first 17 weeks of the year when customer visitation to the centers jumped by 20 million to 163 million, and its retailers had $6.4bn ($4b) of sales in the quarter, a 14.4% lift on the same quarter in 2022.

In other news, LN and jv partner Secret Sounds expanded its alliance with Vodafone for its 7.5 million customers to get presale and VIP access to tours, starting the Weeknd’s visit November, while the telco becomes presenting partner of LN’s discovery platform Ones to Watch.

LN’s pact with the northern Queensland city of Townsville – P!nk plays to 35,000 at the Queensland Country Bank Stadium March 2024, spotlighting it as an entertainment and tourist stop – already had a strong outcome.

After the March 23 date of the Summer Carnival run sold out in 16 minutes, a second show was added for March 22, ballooning her stadium run to 17, “with sales currently approaching 800,000 tickets, making it by far the biggest selling Australian tour ever by a female artist,” LN said.

Michael Chugg For Music Australia Role

Michael Chugg, founder of Sydney-based Chugg Entertainment, was one of three artist managers and promoters tapped by the Aussie government for the 8-seat advisory committee of the new Music Australia organization.

Nathan McLay’s Future Classic’s management, touring and label divisions includes Flume; and Petrina Convey set up UNITY Mgmt. Group after touring Sony acts through the Asia Pacific and running Australian festivals.

Music Australia has $69m ($44.2m) in funding over four years to grow contemporary music as a global powerhouse, through strategic initiatives and industry partnerships, research, skills development and export promotion.

From the live perspective, “(it) has a vital role to play in putting more Australian contemporary music and performers on local and international stages, including by addressing ongoing challenges such as workforce skills and training and infrastructure,” said Live Performance Australia chief executive Evelyn Richardson.

Others on the committee include African Music and Cultural Festival Inc chair Fred Alale, singer songwriters and arts administrators.

Industry Stalwarts Launch How Good

How Good was launched by Nick Yates and Gerry Bull, offering artist development, project management, publicity, partnerships, sponsorship and venue bookings, and campaigns for music, brands and the arts.

Yates was head of artist management at UNIFIED Music Group for 12 years, looking after Illy, Amy Shark, Violent Soho, Nina Las Vegas and The Kite String Tangle after stints at promoters Fuzzy and Untitled Group.

As publicist at youth radio network, Bull worked on its One Night Stand and Beat The Drum concerts.

NEW ZEALAND

Don McGlashan Inducted Into HoF

The New Zealand Music Hall of Fame is inducting Don McGlashan at the songwriters Silver Scroll Awards at Auckland’s Spark Arena Oct. 4.

The singer-songwriter’s 50-year career includes globally recognized bands The Mutton Birds and Blam Blam Blam, film soundtracks and a protest song urging New Zealand’s rugby team not to tour apartheid-era South Africa.

McGlashan is currently on a 26-date tour and is the subject of filmmaker Shirley Horrocks’ 2024-due documentary.