Lisa Mitchell Wins AMP

Lisa Mitchell was touring the UK when her gold-awarded Wonder album won The Australian Music Prize 2009 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney before 150 guests. Her manager Duncan Byrne (pictured) from Scorpio Management accepted the $30,000 cheque from the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA). She also gets $30,000 on-air advertising package from Channel [V]. Both [V] and MAX will also be airing an artist special of the 19 year-old singer. In the shortlist of nine were Sarah Blasko, Urthboy, Bertie Blackman, The Mess Hall, Black Cab, Kid Sam and Lucie Thorne. Arts Minister Peter Garrett in his speech acknowledged their concerns, adding that Australians artists’ lack of success was not due to lack of “effort, passion or drive” but to their “access to resources” such as management or labels, which is why the Rudd government added arts to the educational curriculum.

Changes At Dew Process

Brisbane record label Dew Process announced their new Head of Marketing as Michelle Mossfield, effective in April. She was based in Sydney where she was Site Editor for Bigpond Music, a music programmer, writer, netballer, drummer and extra on Home & Away (she was cut before it went to air). She is contacted at .

She replaces Graham Ashton who is continuing his own business Footstomp Music and joins Big Sound as their Executive Programmer. (It runs Sep 8 to 10 this year). Ashton, though, will maintain ties with Dew Process. He continues with the label part-time overseeing their international licenses and consulting on marketing.

Tempo Showcasing On Tuesdays

Hotel operator Steve Hammond who bought old Dooley’s Hotel four weeks ago has changed its name to The Tempo. He wants a place to showcase young acts from around South East Qld, and provide them with lighting, PA production and sound engineer. So from this Tuesday (March 16) the upstairs area will in the afternoons (from 3 pm) become Escalate. The address is 388 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley. Bookings are through Al “Fretfest” Buchan on 0438-386237, and each act gets 90 minutes. Two acts will be chosen from each week for a monthly showcase, and Hammond and Buchan will team them up with music instrument suppliers, record studio owners and sponsors. Buchan tells this column he wants Escalate to become an event where music industry types come down to check new blood.

Sound Relief Tips To $9 Million

At the first anniversary of the massive Sound Relief shows in Sydney and Melbourne for flood and bush victims, the 4-DVD set grossed $1,046,496.24 since its October 2009 release and sold 50,000 units. This brings the grand total of funds generated by the shows to $9,080,672.24. The additional $1 million will go directly to Red Cross to develop programs and resources to better prepare communities for bushfires and floods. See www.soundrelief.com.au.

Things We Hear

The second indigenous Hip Hop Bump Awards look like heading to Melbourne in November, after the first was held last year in Sydney.

A board coup at the Yothu Yindi Foundation has seen Yothu singer Manduwuy Yunupingu lose the chairmanship to his brother, and Yothu manager Allan James resign as its CEO.

St. John Back As Aria Chairman…

Warner Music Australia President Ed St John has been re-elected to his role as Chairman of ARIA for 2010, his third consecutive year in the post. Others on the board are: Denis Handlin AM  (Chairman & CEO, Sony Music Entertainment  Australia and NZ),  George Ash  (Managing Director, Universal Music Australia), Mark Poston  (Country Chairman, Australasia & Senior Vice  President Marketing, EMI Music Australasia), Sebastian Chase  (CEO, MGM Distribution), and David Vodicka  (Director, Rubber Group Of Companies).

…George Ash Reappointed As PPCA Chair

George Ash, Managing Director, Universal Music Australia, was re-elected as Chair of the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia Ltd (PPCA). The rest of the board for 2010 are: Bill Cullen – Artist Management Representative (One Louder Entertainment); Denis Handlin (Sony); Dinah Lee – Artist Representative; Lindy Morrison – Artist Representative; Mark Poston (EMI), Ashley Sellers – Licensor Representative – (CEO, Inertia Group of Companies); and Ed St John (Warner).

LifeLines

Arrested: Neal Horsley, 65, who founded the Creator’s Rights Party, for standing outside Elton John’s Atlanta condo with a sign reading “Elton John must die” in protest against the singer’s recent “Jesus was gay” comments.

Sued: Fishbone because the singer took a stage dive during a Philly show and fractured a woman’s skull and broke her collarbone.

Died: John Shepherd, former 2UW journalist, Parkinson’s Disease.

Kylie: Hand On My Wallet

Reports in the UK media reveal that Kylie Minogue (pictured) made £4,114,071 (A$6.7 million) in the year to April 2009, according to company accounts filed. This is the most she’s made, and equates to £11,200 (over $18,000) a day. Much of this money came from her 2008–2009 world tour, which brought in £2.8million ($4.6 million), with the rest coming from record sales and royalties. She took £1.2million ($1.9 million) in salary for herself last year.

Got ‘Live’ If You Want It

A new 10-week music program by the Gold Coast Council targets teen musicians wanting to play in a rock band.  The A-Venue Making Music Live! Initiative, which starts Saturday March 20, gives 14 to 19 year-olds the experience of jamming, rehearsing, and finally, playing a live gig together. It starts with a jam session, participants then rehearse a night a week for nine weeks, with the course culminating in a live gig for family and friends on Jun 24. The program commences with registration and a jam session on Saturday Mar 20 from 12pm to 3pm at Mermaid Beach Community Centre, 2439 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach. To reserve your place at the orientation/jam session, register with Bianca Svantesson by phone 5581 6075 or email by Mar 18. Bookings are essential and a commitment to attend all sessions is required. More info www.myspace.com/avenuegoldcoast.

Free Gold Coast Workshop

A free Q Music-faciliated songwriting, recording and production A-Venue workshop runs 10am to 4.30pm on Saturday Mar 27. Sabrina Lawrie (pictured, The Hunting Party) and Eddie Jacobson (Butterfingers) will talk about the different ways songwriters approach their craft. Producer Magoo will deconstruct a finished song on his laptop, giving an inside view on how a professional producer works within a digital studio. It’s held at Southport Community Centre, 6 Lawson St, Southport. Open to all Gold Coast residents aged 30 years and under.  To register phone 55816075 or email , Registrations close Mar 25.

Bradnam, Nova, Part

Ash Bradnam failed to convince the powers that be at Nova that he’d got over the problems which led to his drink driving arrest six months ago while driving home from the station. They’re looking for a replacement to team with Meshel Laurie and Tim Blackwell. Media insiders say they’ll have to look outside Brisbane because all the half-decent talent is under contract already.

Ripe Noosa Hassles

Does the Ripe Noosa Festival need permission from Sunshine Coast Council to run the May 29 event, which has Grinspoon (pictured) and The Cat Empire as headliners? The Sunshine Coast Daily says the council is insisting it does, that traffic and management plans were needed. But the festival is run by the Wheel Chair and Disabled Association of Australia, operating as House With No Steps, which leases the 64-hectare site at Fellowship Lane, Doonan. Last year Ripe ran without council involvement. Council says that last year the festival ran two hours over the deadline and they had complaints from neighbours.

Contact

News, submissions and industry scuttlebutt for consideration in this column should be sent to no later than 5pm Fridays.

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