Following on from music grants being put at risk after nearly $87.1 million in funding was slashed from the arts as a result of the Government’s Federal Budget, some good news has arrived for the local music scene.
The Victoria Coalition has pumped $150,000 towards the state’s peak music body, Music Victoria, as a result
Music Victoria CEO Patrick Donovan says the $150k will be put towards funding 20 professional development workshops, awards ceremonies, and other projects. The funding will also go towards to building upon the Live Music Roundtable, which has helped cut back the red tape in the deregulation of all ages gigs and is aiming to push through the coveted Agent Of Change principle to protect live music venues by reviewing noise standards.
Music Victoria is currently working to implement its 19 recommendations to improve the Melbourne live music scene in collaboration with the offices of Employment and Trade, Higher Education and Skills, Innovation, Services and Small Business, Regional and Rural Development, Tourism and Major Events.
Minister for Liquor and Gaming Regulation, Edward O’Donohue, announced the funding boost, applauding the $301 million live music industry. “The Coalition Government is committed to supporting Victoria’s live music industry, so that we can continue to build on our enviable reputation as a terrific place for both musicians and music lovers alike,” he said in a statement.
(Image: Julia Lay. Source: CherryFest 2013 Photo Gallery)
This Week’s New Tracks On Triple J
Adds:
Glass Animals – Pools (Wolf Tone/Caroline)
Airling – The Runner (Pie Eater/Inertia)
Bertie Blackman – Run For Your Life (Universal)
Joelistics – Say I’m Good (Elefant Traks)
Jungle – Time (XL/Remote Control)
The Kooks – Around Town (EMI)
Megan Washington – Limitless (Universal)
Pulled Apart By Horses – Hot Squash (Sound Wave Music)
Spots:
Mastodon – High Road (Warner)
Straight Arrows – Petrified (Rice Is Nice)
Vic Mensa – Down On My Luck (Virgin/EMI)
Yeo – Kobe (Triple J Unearthed)
Industry News
The Go-Betweens’ Lindy Morrison To Receive Honorary Award
Lindy Morrison, the 62-year-old musician best known as the long-time drummer for legendary Brisbane band The Go-Betweens, is set to receive the prestigious Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services To Australian Music at the 2014 APRA Music Awards held on Monday 23rd June at Brisbane City Hall. The Award recognises Morrison’s “outstanding achievements as a performer, and her advocacy work for musicians. She was also recognised for these contributions with an Order of Australia Medal in 2013. (Via APRA|AMCOS)
Tours Cancelled After Aussie Music Promoter Goes Under
The forthcoming July tour of American heavy rock band Corrosion Of Conformity (C.O.C) has been cancelled after the financiers of the tour, Sydney-based promoter Redline Music, has gone under. According to the C.O.C tour’s promoter, Christian Wright, Redline have “as of Wednesday, May 14 gone into litigation and will cease operations as of Saturday, May 17.” Redline’s website is still active, promoting an upcoming tour from US RnB acts Fabulous, Marion, and Chingy, but their Facebook account has disappeared.
New Indigenous Music Program Launches With Government Funding
The NSW Government’s Aboriginal Arts and Cultural Strategy has provided $65,000 in funding to APRA | AMCOS towards the launch of a new programmed to nurture, support, and promote Indigenous musicians across the state. “There’s no reason why Aboriginal musicians from NSW can’t emulate the success of well-known musicians such as Dan Sultan, Gurrumul, Casey Donovan, The Last Kinection and Jessica Mauboy,” says Minister For The Arts, Troy Grant. The APRA | AMCOS programme will “help Aboriginal musicians from four regional towns and one urban area to develop their skills, promote their work and access mainstream music markets.” The news follows on from the Federal Government cutting $543.4 million from its Indigenous funding over a five-year period. (via The Music Network)
Coldplay Sell Out One-Off Australian Show In Record Time
Last week, Coldplay announced they’d be headed Down Under for a single performance at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre this June. Tickets for the intimate concert sold out in less than three minutes after the box office opened at 10am on Tuesday morning. The band have no plans to play another Australian shows as part of their visit, promoting the release of their new album Ghost Stories.
Sydney Mayor Wants Musicians To Take Over Empty Spaces
The City of Sydney, led by Lord Mayor Clover Moore, has called for more than 1.6 million square metres of empty spaces to be made available to musicians and artists for creative activities, rehearsals, and business endeavours. The move to hand vacant commercial and residential spaces over is one of the 57 key recommendations for live music that was passed in the City Of Sydney’ ambitious Cultural Policy And Action Plan. In an interview with The Music Network about the initiative, Mrs. Moore says of the scheme’s implementation that “over the next month we will be collecting more community feedback, and we expect to adopt the policy and get started in August this year.”
MusicNSW Hosting Free Australian Radio Workshop
Presented by MusicNSW and Sydney TAFE Music, Tune In! Your Guide To Australian Radio is a free industry workshop that “will arm you with the tools to access the many facets of radio play in Australia.” Covering demos, airplay, demographics and best practice in discussion with industry professionals from Triple J, the CBAA, 2RRR and more, the workshop will take place on Monday 26th May at Sydney TAFE. Entry is free but RSVP is essential. Full details at MusicNSW.com
Artist Signings
Counting Crows Sign With Capitol Records
Counting Crows have inked a new recording deal with Capitol Records for the upcoming release of their seventh studio record Somewhere Under Wonderland. It’s their first album of new material since the release of Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings in 2008 on Geffen and follows on from 2012’s covers collection, Underwater Sunshine. (via Billboard)
New Found Glory Ink Deal With Hopeless Records
Pop-punk band New Found Glory are currently writing and recording their eighth full-length studio album and have signed to independent LA-based label, Hopeless Records, for its release. The deal brings an end to the band’s time on punk label Epitaph as New Found Glory gear up to hit all three stops of the massive Riot Fest in the US before heading to the UK for a headline tour.
Maroon 5 Sign To Interscope Records
Three-time Grammy-winning pop rock band Maroon 5 are now calling Interscope Records home, for the upcoming release of their fifth album, simply titled V, out Friday 29th August. The band were formerly on A&M Octane Records and have recently inked a worldwide touring deal with Live Nation.
