Welcome to Tone Deaf’s new music industry column where we’ll be taking a look at what’s going on behind the scenes of Australia’s music world. From info for musicians on up and coming projects, to word of local bands’ latest endeavours and victories, we’ll regularly be bringing you news that gets passed down through the industry grapevine.
BIGSOUND Live Applications Extended
Widely recognised as the largest and most important gathering of the music industry in Australia, as musicians, managers, publicists, professionals and experts alike converge on Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley for three days in September, BIGSOUND is also renowned for its impressive musical contingent, BIGSOUND Live.
With applications for performers first opening in early February, due to popular demand, the organisers of BIGSOUND have extended the deadline for bands and artists looking to apply to BIGSOUND live 2013 for an extra two weeks, now closing on May 20th.
Come May 9th, the first details of the BIGSOUND 2013 program will be announced, listing some of the great list of music movers and shakers headed to Brisbane’s entertainment precinct for the annual industry conference.
With early bird ticket rates available now, there’s no better time to register than ahead of the mammoth announcement coming on May 9th! This discount price is available until the May 20th deadline only and affords entry all BIGSOUND conference sessions, parties, after-parties, and BIGSOUND live music events – taking place this year over the two nights of the 11th and 12th of September.
The two-night music festival puts up-and-coming artists in front of hundreds of local, national, and international music industry delegates, and it’s a music lover’s wet dream. As our writer on-ground at BIGSOUND 2012 wrote: “unless you’re in possession of a time machine, or have several musically astute clones of yourself – there’s no way one person can take in [everything].”
Highlights from last year’s lineup included the EMI Music Party with sets from Something For Kate, Ball Park Music, and Oh Mercy, a riveting showcase at from Candians The Darcys, the textural guitars of Melbourne’s I, a Man, the ‘casual rock’ antics of Courtney Barnett, Jeremy Neale’s spy rock, a ripping return from Violent Soho, Adelaide’s Sincerely, Grizzly thrilling assault, the moody five-piece The Trouble With Templeton, and many, many more.
It’s the place to be to catch breaking artists, with previous BIGSOUND events featuring the likes of The Temper Trap, Flume, Clare Bowditch, Boy and Bear, The Jezabels, Children Collide, DZ Deathrays, Cloud Control, Emma Louise, The Getaway Plan and Lanie Lane.
Conference registrations and BIGSOUND Live applications are open now exclusively through the official BIGSOUND website at www.bigsound.org.au
Read our BIGSOUND 2012 coverage including the BIGSOUND Blog: Day One, Day Two, the BIGSOUND Live Wrap-Up: 1st Night, the 2nd Night Live Wrap-Up; as well as reviews of the EMI Music Party and Jeremy Neale @ Ric’s Bar.
The Cat Empire’s Felix Riebl Joins Alberts
Best known for providing the smooth vocals and scintillating percussion up front of The Cat Empire, Felix Riebl has been welcomed to the family of music publishers, Alberts, signing a new deal that sees the works of the songwriter being represented exclusively by the independently owned company.
The deal excludes Riebl’s back catalogue for APRA territories until 2016, but sees the Cat Empire frontman joining Alberts’ roster, that includes established acts such as AC/DC, Wally ‘Gotye’ DeBacker, Megan Washington and young high-fliers like Hungry Kids of Hungary and San Cisco.
He also joins fellow Cat Empire founding member/co-frontman/horn hero Harry James Angus, who is also represented by Alberts.
The deal was inked days before the genre-melding collective announced their biggest world tour to date, covering nearly 70 shows at home and abroad, in locations in the USA, Canada, South America and Europe. The tour comes in in support of their comeback album, Steal The Light, The Cat Empire’s fifth studio album, released worldwide May 17th through the band’s own independent label Two Shoes Records.
The first taste of the album, lead single ‘Brighter Than Gold’, has already proven a hit with fans, as well as a crowd favourite at the band’s headline slot at St Kilda Festival. Riebl’s decade of writing and performing with the Cat Empire, including platinum record sales, music industry awards, and countless headline tours and festival appearances goes hand-in-hand with the performer’s own solo achievements.
Namely his first ever solo album, 2011’s Into The Rain, (produced by fellow Alberts writer and arranger Roscoe James Irwin), and composing music for award winning short film Two Men, as well as The Commonwealth Games, Australia Day Ceremonies, The Dream Festival and his role as musical curator of the 24-hour arts and music event, White Night Festival in Melbourne.
The Amity Affliction Goes Gold With Chasing Ghosts
Chasing Ghosts, the third studio album for homegrown hardcore act The Amity Affliction, has officially reached Gold status sales in Australia. The Amity Affliction raised eyebrows when their album debuted at #1 on the Australian ARIA Chart beating out favourites The Presets for the top spot . While it was the band’s first #1 debut, it was also the first time a local hardcore band has taken the #1 honors in the ARIA chart’s history.
Chasing Ghosts came in at #2 on Triple K’s Short Fast Loud album of the year while the band were also Blunt Magazine’s Band Of The Year for 2012. A Tone Deaf reviewer said of the album, ” The screams are rough and breakdowns are tight, with the atmospheric synthesiser creating a compelling dynamic that differentiates the group from their hardcore contemporaries.”
The Amity Affliction have also been busy tearing it up on the live scene with countless shows and tours including their biggest national headlining tour and playing Soundwave 2013, where we caught up with them back stage for a video interview.
A Tone Deaf reviewer also headed to their recent show in Sydney and gushed that “The Chasing Ghost tour has been one of the best to hit Australia this year. The diversity of the bands provides an amazing gig for everyone and for anyone who hasn’t attended yet – you are missing out.”
While they are currently on the road with Groovin The Moo Festival, The Amity Affliction are heading back to the US for the Vans Warped Tour.
Melbourne Fringe Festival Wants More Music
After celebrating 30 years of independence and art in 2012, Melbourne Fringe is rebooting and preparing for the future. As a multi-art, open-access Festival, Melbourne Fringe exists at the intersection of a broad range of ideas and practices.
This year Melbourne Fringe is encouraging independent musicians and bands to register a show (or season of shows) in the Music category of the Festival’s Independent Arts Program. Building on a pre-existing partnership with Darebin Music Feast, the intention is to develop the Melbourne Fringe music program into a wide-ranging platform for innovative, collaborative and dynamicmusical performance.
As Independent Arts Manager Felix Preval (who has been a busy bee after being signes to Alberts as reported above and curating Melbourne’s first White Night Music Festival) says, “It’s a fantastic opportunity for musiciansto put themselves out there and get their work heard by new audiences. Melbourne has among the most dynamic independent art and music scenes in the world, and the potential for audience crossover is huge.
He continues, “If you’re thinking about registering a show, I would say – just do it! It might feel different to organising a standard gig, but I don’t think it’s possible to regret getting involved. There’s just such a great community around the Festival.”
Musicians from all genres are encouraged to participate, from rock to pop, electronic, hip hop, world, jazz and beyond. The Festival provides a platform for taking creative risks, broadening awareness of your music and opening doors into working with different artists.
In particular, if you’re an independentmusic artist planning a special album or release launch event, a gig involving cross-artform collaboration (for example, with dance or video art), or an underground or alternative tribute show, registration with Melbourne Fringe will expose your work to a large, committed and responsive audience.
Artists and musicians wishing to participate can register at the 2013 Melbourne Fringe Festival Registration Site from 3 May. (Accessible via www.melbournefringe.com.au)
