Last February, Tone Deaf did some digging following the 40th Anniversary birthday and rebranding of The Mushroom Group and unearthed some interesting information suggesting that as part of the new-look Mushroom’s future plans would include the launch of a new music festival, it looks like our speculation was on the right track.

Originally registered as a creative trademark of Mushroom Marketing PTY LTD in the listings from Intellectual Property In Australia’s official website, and also as the owners of the domain name, Smokescreen Music Festival has started setting its wheels into motion.

There’s not much to go off at the moment, but marketing has started surfacing around Melbourne displaying a metal-inspired logo, and the phrase ‘The Most Dangerous Music Festival On Earth’, while the official website has turned up a new 16 second long teaser that has naught but a generic rock music soundtrack, some photos of crowds.

Mushroom have also playfully offered a ‘quote’ from festival promoter ‘Michael Mike Michaels’, which seems a rather un-subtle pseudonym for Mushroom’s own Executive Chairman Michael Gudinski, who promoted his son Matt to the role of Executive Director as part of the company’s ‘repositioning’ of its 20 subsidies in February.“All the killer acts you’ve been dying to see that will take your breath away.” – Michael Mike Michaels, Smokescreen Music Festival

Regardless, Mr Michael Mike Michaels promises “All the killer acts you’ve been dying to see that will take your breath away.” Both the name of the festival, and the Michaels quote, are inspired by another major facet of the forthcoming music festival, namely that its tied with a national health awareness campaign.

As we revealed in February, Mushroom earned a Federal Government grant from the Department of Health & Aging, with a grants report from the department listing funds of $236,500 towards Mushroom Marketing PTY LTD for “sponsorship of Smokescreen Music Festival National Tobacco Campaign.”

Signs point to a new national touring festival designed to promote health awareness over tobacco with the backing of the government and one of Australia’s most powerful music companies.

Mushroom certainly has the roster and connections to pull off such an event, with the industry launch for their February rebranding featuring sets from popular acts The Rubens, British India, Snakadaktal, Club Feet, Owl Eyes, newer signees to the Mushroom family such as City Calm Down and Vance Joy; as well as enough pulling power to nab a closing slot from UK band-of-the-moment, Alt-J.

But given its metal-looking logo and promise of being the world’s “most dangerous” music festival, perhaps Mushroom are looking at a harder, heavier event to compete with the likes of Soundwave?

Despite that theory, former Killing Heidi singer turned solo artist Ella Hooper has confirmed that she’s somehow involved with the festival:

Perhaps this is the first leaked act for the lineup, backed up by the fact that the Smokescreen Music Festival’s Facebook page’s only ‘like’ is for Ella Hooper.

You can view Smokescreen’s illusive marketing below and watch the teaser in the banner.

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