Following on from claiming the ARIA award for Best Breakthrough Artist at this year’s ceremony off the back of his double platinum selling album Falling & Flying, Melbourne rapper 360 has abruptly announced a split from his booking agent in the wake of a busy touring schedule through summer.
The news arrived yesterday that 360 (Matthew Colwell to his mum) had walked from New World Artists booking agency effective immediately. Rae Harvey, of Colwell’s management team Crucial Music, issued a press statement saying that she would be handling all enquiries for upcoming Australian shows, while 360’s North American commitments would be handled by Rob Zifarelli of The Agency Group.
It’s a breakaway move by the Melbourne MC, especially considering that his now-former booking agents, New World Artists, represents the rest of Crucial Music’s roster, including The Living End, Children Collide, Gyroscope, and Hunting Grounds; all of whom will remain with the booking agents.
The move comes at the tail-end of what has been a hugely successful year for 360, with his 2011 album Falling & Flying earning much kudos for the rapper, including his cross-over hit with Gossling, ‘Boys Like You’ – which has earned four-times platinum status as well as being one of the few Australian acts featured in a recent industry poll of the most heard songs on Australian radio.It’s a breakaway move by the Melbourne MC, especially considering that his now-former booking agents, New World Artists, represents the rest of Crucial Music’s roster.
No doubt helped by his exhaustive touring schedule, which included his own national headline tour with Gossling as support, as well as checking into several major festivals over the course of the year – including Groovin The Moo, Sprung Hip Hop Festival, and Foreshore.
He’s also got many more festival appearances locked in over the course of summer and into 2013, featuring in the lineups for Insert To Play, Pyramid Rock, Big Day Out, Tasmania’s Breath of Life Festival, and Rockhampton’s Oxford Street Party.
360 is also gunning for the North American and Canadian markets, with his first US dates announced, playing a string of shows, starting with New York City in mid March, followed by dates in LA playing the iconic Viper Room in West Hollywood.
The dates coincide with an all-important appearance at next year’s annual music industry conference, SXSW, where the Aussie hip hop act will be joining healthy showing of fellow Australians at the nine-day long event at Austin, Texas.
Follows of the artist’s entertaining twitter feed may also be aware that he hasn’t been resting on his laurels musically, with reports of a brand new mixtape in the works, while hunkered down in the studio working on new material in-between his busy tour commitments, a schedule that shows no sign of showing if his current tour plans are anything to go by.
360 North American Tour 2013 Dates
MONDAY MARCH 18 – SANTOS PARTY HOUSE – NEW YORK
New York, NYC, USA
Tickets: TBA
SATURDAY MARCH 23 – VIPER ROOM – LOS ANGELES
West Hollywood, California, USA
Tickets: TBA
