VENUE AND TOURING NEWS
To submit an article please click here Tamworth gets new venue Country music capital Tamworth's new 400-seat Capitol Theatre will be open in October. It is part of the new, almost completed Centrepoint Shopping Centre behind the Tamworth Town Hall. The first event there is the local musical society's staging of "The Boy From Oz" later this year. The Tamworth Independent Artist Recognition Awards (TIARAs) is held there in January. Source: www.themusic.com.au Floorspace at Kings Cross Hotel
As we tipped, the refurbished Kings Cross Hotel has introduced a new weekly Saturday night from Aug 16 at its enclosed nightclub Copperlily courtesy Boundary Sounds. Held over two floors, it's gritty guitars downstairs. Upstairs is booty-shaking party jams courtesy resident djs Johnny Rad, PhDj, Steve Lind and Mahic Happens covering from hip hop, electro, Baltimore, indie, disco, punk funk and even touches of favela booty, crunk and everything in between. Source: www.themusic.com.au NSw clubs profit loss NSW clubs recorded their worst financial year yet, blaming new indoor smoking bans for a $385 million fall in income. Clubs NSW said that club income in the 2007/08 financial year fell 11% compared to the same period the year before.
Byron's Coorabell hall restarts Byron Bay's Coorabell Hall will restart live bands and dance events for a six month trial, after a ban was slapped on these in April. It was due to a complaint by a single resident, and the Coorabell Hall Association decided to cave in than incur legal costs. But on July 21 at its AGM, three new executives were elected in — and they want to bring the music back. The new faces are George Lewin (president), Simon Fraser (secretary) and Ian and Janet Kneale treasurer and vice president respectively. If you want to be involved, contact Lewin on 6684 1114 or Fraser on 6684 7417. Melbourne Lockout Saga continues Plans are to extend the Melbourne lockout trial after it finishes on September 2nd. After mass protests and marches, already over 100 clubs have been granted exemptions. Despite this, Consumer Affairs Minister Tony Robinson has still called the trials "a success".
From this Friday, police will gain the power to ban a known troublemaker for 24 hours in precincts of Brunswick Street, St Kilda, Ballarat, Geelong and Warrnambool, on top of existing bans in Chapel Street and the central business district. Down the track, venues know to foster antisocial behaviour can look forward to an increase in licence fees.
Source: www.themusic.com.au Collect money for your recordings
Important Notice for Australian Recording Artists
“Cut off” for registrations for PPCA’s current distribution is 30 September
2008.
If you are an Australian recording artist whose music is being broadcast or you hold the copyright in recordings that are receiving airplay, then you may be able to share in licence fees collected by PPCA.
Full story.....
As seen on JTV! Tracy Redhead our VROOM Project Manager spent some time chatting to Ronan Sharkey at Triple JTV. Check out Episode 23.
http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/tv/vodcast/default.htm
FBi open days - now with musicnsw Got a demo you want to get on air? Got a tight set but can’t seem to score any gigs? Want to tour regionally but just don’t know how?
FBi 94.5FM and Music NSW are here to help – at FBI’s Music Open Days. Full Story...... The Loft launches new nights The Loft Bar, at UTS, made a claim on becoming a hot Sydney undergrond venue with the launch in August of a new program featuring eight different nights spread across a monthly roster.
The Thursdays have "Reggae On A School Night", a roots and reggae night presented by Firehouse and Basslines (FBi).
"Flunked" is a new free night covering funk and soul, indie, hip hop, and electronica.
"Beatfigher" / "Feed Timing" is a bi-monthly nights designed to support new talent with cash prizes. "Feeding Time" is an MC comp and "Beatfighter" is a producer based night with live demos of everything from scratching, beatmaking, Ableton and live drums.
"Wax'ed" is a free DnB, grimme, dub step and hip hop night featuring live acts and DJ's as Inna Riddim, Kobra Kai, Dazed & Fawless, D
Tech, Garage Pressure, Lincoln, Vertigo, Mode, Aggrovator, Reload and Gotham.
Fridays has hip hop night "Proper", while "Juiced" has Hiphop, Funk, Breaks, Baltimore, Bassline, Garage, Fidget, Booty Bass, Ghetto Tech with resident DJs Hugga Thugg, Shamozzle, Max Billionaire, Wax Motiff, Temnien and Jarrad Bleechmore.
Simon Caldwell and Harry Sounds present "Hang Up Your Hang Ups", a monthly Friday evening foray into boogie down beats and left of centre dance. From modern soul to afro beat, from latin funk to cosmic disco. Source: www.themusic.com.au Some hope for the Byron Centre
Despite protests, the Byron Youth Activities Centre still remains closed to live music, 18 months after closing. Byron Shire Council closed it as an entertainment venue because it didn't have a Place of Public Entertainment licence, and didn't want any hassles from local residents. However the council is calling for tenders to do some physical work on the building to make it eligible for a licence. It hopes it will open doors to bands by December.
Source: www.themusic.com.au Folk Alliance The Folk Alliance holds Australia’s first folk music conference on from Saturday 30 to Sunday 31 August at the Sydney Mechanics’ Schools of Arts in Pitt Street. Peter Garrett will make a keynote speech, after which panels will look at publishing, recording, broadcasting, PR & promotion, touring nationally and internationally, how to win funding grants, folk music in education, insurance, royalties, music distribution, festivals and the future of folk. There’s an awards night to honour the folk album, young performer and live act of the year. Among those involved are Judy Small, Warren Fahey, radio presenter Doug Spencer, Australia Council Music Board Program Manager Vanessa Chalker, music publisher Norm Lurie, Musica Viva in-schools program director Anna Yerbury, publisher and ARIA board member Philip Mortlock, festival director John McAuslan, community music personality Bruce Cameron and musicians Paul Jarman, Christine Wheeler and Kate Fagan. See www.folkalliance.org.au
PPCA Registration time If you are an Australian recording artist whose music is being broadcast or you hold the copyright in recordings that are receiving airplay, then you may be able to share in licence fees collected by PPCA. Go to www.ppca.com.au or contact their Distribution team on     02 8569 1133 or email distribution.mail@ppca.com.au.
3am lockout problems continue
In South Australia, the government has ruled out making a 3 am lockout a law, and would keep it as a voluntary thing. Last week, operators of the 12 venues who have refused to join the trial asked to meet Police Commissioner Mal Hyde to discuss city crime rates. Police say that serious assaults jumped 117% in the area where these clubs are located, in the first three months of 2008.
NO MORE PoPESThe State’s Upper House has approved landmark reforms which will deliver a
more efficient and transparent planning system for NSW.
Planning Minister Frank Sartor said the changes would cut red tape for
ordinary homeowners and small businesses and introduce independent
decision-making into the system.
“This Upper House vote is the culmination of more than a year spent
studying national and international trends, holding forums and seeking
public feedback,” Mr Sartor said.
“The Bills passed overnight are in keeping with what is being done across
the country – in recent weeks, both South Australia and Victoria have
announced further reforms.
Mr Sartor said, “We have also slashed red tape for the live music and
entertainment industry by abolishing rules which require venues to obtain
place of public entertainment (POPE) licenses.”
MusicNSW appreciates the support of Ministers and members of the NSW
parliament who have assisted with this progressive action.
In light of these changes, Department of Planning are working with a
consultant and a group of industry representatives to develop Guidelines
for entertainment venues and to review the EP&A Regulation and SEPP to
ensure that the system will become simpler. The guidelines will assist
applicants, operators, councils, private certifiers etc on how the new
system will work.
Melbourne’s 2 am lockout: some get reprieve
Victoria’s state government has furiously vowed to overturn a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) temporary ruling that allowed 53 bar and club owners to ignore its 2 am lockout until they could launch a legal challenge. The lockout was to start this week as a three month trial in the Melbourne, Port Phillip, Yarra and Stonnington council areas.. But the venue operators took court action. VCAT agreed on the condition they doubled the amount of security they hired, and not do advertising or promotion that their venues are open after 2 am. More of the 469 venues affected could also get a reprieve as mediation returned to VCAT this week, according to Association of Liquor Licensees Melbourne president Carlo Colosimo. News of the original VCAT win last Friday came just as the Melbourne Locked Out rally met at Treasury Gardens and marched to the steps of Parliament. Various speakers emphasized to the large enthusiastic crowd (police estimated it at 3,000, organizers said 5,000) that the lockout would make Melbourne nightlife culture a laughing stock, and cause chaos as punters tried to get home before 2 am and after 5 am. They all emphasized a lockout was a “band aid” solution to a serious problem. Source: www.themusic.com.au
NSW pubs/clubs make money
Despite the moaning about loss of money after smoke bans, NSW’s pubs and clubs are making money, reports the “Sydney Morning Herald”. It says that figures released this week by the Bureau of Statistics showed that turnover reached $742 million in April, 15 per cent more than a year ago. The figures showed monthly turnover at NSW cafes and restaurants dropped 12 per cent in a year while takeaway food sales like McDonald's and KFC and small fish and chip shops - have risen 9 per cent in the past year. National retail sales fell 0.2 per cent in April, the third monthly fall in the year.
Source: www.themusic.com.au
Budget Helps New Acts Music Associations such as the Music Managers Forum have been lobbying the government both for tax rebates, which will increase corporate and private investment in acts and businesses, and to provide more tax breaks for musicians on welfare. Neither of these requests were addressed in the Government’s budget this week - the first by the ALP, which came into office late last year with Peter Garrett as Arts Minister. However, it allocated $1.7 million over four years to amend immigration regulationws which compel concert promoters to have at least one Australian support act on the bill during an international tour. The budget provided $2.4 million over the four years for the Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (AMRAP), whose mail-out service independent labels and acts use to get their CDs to college radio stations. Since its setup in 2000, it has distributed 100,000 CDs. AMRAP’s funding was cut in 2005 by the Howard regime. The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia called it “a mixed bag for community broadcasters.” It also applauded the government for including community broadcasters in the first stage of the digital radio rollout, with funding of $11.2 million provided over three years, commencing in the 2009/10 financial year. But this causes a hole in the 2008/9 year when planning has to be done, and the CBAA plans to meet the appropriate ministers to see if some kind of “bridge” funding can be worked out. The Australia Council’s chief executive, Kathy Keele, says the Budget has “some very significant wins for the arts.” She cites two initiatives worth $11.8 million over four years which the Council will administer - to include an artist-in-residence program in schools and colleges, and to encourage arts companies to provide musicians and artists with showcase opportunities Source: www.themusic.com.au Melbourne Nightclubs Challenge Lock-outAbout 300 nightclub owners and promoters have to work out how to battle the state government’s plan to bring in a trial 2am lockout from June 3. It was decided to set up an association of bar owners and licensees, and a fighting fund to fund a challenge in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. However, there seemed a split about how to achieve their goals. Some suggested the clubs should show responsibility by banning energy drinks, which are potent when mixed with spirits. Others called for a meeting with the government to explain that a 2am lockout would cause turmoil and that the $35 million to be used on the trial could be better used elsewhere to curb violence. Others aimed for a confrontational approach. Up in Geelong, club operators say if a late night lockout is introduced there, they’d stop using D scanners at the door and the two-way radio communication between clubs to stop troublemakers. Geelong Nightlife Association president Darren Holroyd said his association too would launch a VCAT appeal. Source: www.themusic.com.au In Sydney, however........
The NSW government is getting tough on the 23 roughest pubs/clubs in the state, demanding they explain why they should not lose their licences.This has been applauded by the state opposition, police and the hotel industry (sort of), reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell thinks the 3am lockout is the answer. Gaming and Racing Minister Graham West told Fairfax Radio the government was working with the venues to find solutions, like more security and security teams roaming the streets outside the clubs. The Australian Hotels Association (AHA)’s position is that a club curfew should be imposed case by case, and always in association with other strategies. Source: www.themusic.com.au Hexham Bowling Club Has A New Look
The Hexham Bowling Club near Newcastle is about to return to action after its $2 million renovation, which includes a new auditorium. It holds a concert on June 14th with Catherine Britt and Newcastle singer-songwriter Troy Kemp.
Source: www.themusic.com.au
Perth also to introduce lockout
The WA state government has indicated it will support police calls to introduce changes to liquor licensing law to introduce a lockout to Perth pubs and nightclubs after a 12 month trial. They will close two hours before their allotted hours. Smokers who step out of the venues to have a puff will not be allowed back in. Police, nightclub owners and council reps will meet next month to discuss.
Source: www.themusic.com.au
Melbourne's club community protests
A group of nightclub owners, djs, hospitality workers, event promoters, security companies and music fans have teamed up under the name Melbourne Locked Out (melbournelockedout.com) to protest against the state government’s trial of a 2am curfew. They claim it will ruin Melbourne’s vibrant nightlife. A peaceful protest rally is to be held on the steps of Parliament at 5 pm on May 30. They’re broadcasting the protest arguments over the radio waves, so you’re asked to bring with you a large battery powered radio boom-box so everyone can hear their voice and so they cannot shut the PA system down. Also wear all-white. According to Melbourne Locked Out, it has 100,000 members and its website had 30,000 hits over three days late last week.
Source: www.themusic.com.au
Queensbridge opens up in Melbourne
Queensbridge is a new 1600-capacity room in Melbourne with a near-amphitheatre look. It was a dance-style room for ages when it was QBH’s mezzanine level. It’s got four bars and set up for live concerts.
Long time booker Owen Orford is looking after it and contacted at owen@superiorit.net.au
Source: www.themusic.com.au
TAKE A SEAT AT THE GAELIC
The Gaelic in Surry Hills has bought 200 seats, and can now do theatre style events. The club's mezzanine level will be turned into a Cocktail Bar for these nights. It means the Gaelic can introduce jazz & blues, roots and acoustic shows.
Source: http://www.themusic.com.au/
MELBOURNE TRIALS LATE NIGHT LOCKOUT
In an attempt to cut down alcohol-fueled violence, venues in Melbourne will be trialing a 2am lockout. Over 500 late night licence holders will stop new patrons from entering after 2am. Once patrons leave the club, they cannot get back in, even if it is just for a cigarette. The lockout will last for five hours, by which time the drunks have either sobered up or have gone home. The state government also will have a 12-month clamp on new late night club licenses being granted in three council areas.
The reason behind this? It is estimated that 47% of people who start brawls are drunk….. and 43% of their victims are also drunk.
Source: http://www.themusic.com.au/
CONRAD JUPITERS GOES THEATRE
Conrad Jupiters is giving up in-house entertainment and turning itself into a venue for music theatre. The first production at the 1,000-capacity Jupiters Theatre will be "The Merchant of Bollywood" from Mumbai, India, July 1 to October 19.
Source: http://www.themusic.com.au/
DADA OPENS FOR LIVE BANDSDada Records in Perth has opened its doors to live bands for the first time in ten years. Joe Bludge and Mink Mussel Creek played there on the weekend.
Source: http://www.themusic.com.au/
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