Thirsty Merc Stalk Voters!

About 150 people voting at the recent elections at the Queenscliff Surf Life Saving Club in Sydney were startled when Thirsty Merc loomed out and played a surprise acoustic set. Rai Thistlethwayte, Phil Stack, Matt Smith and Karl Robertson played In The Summertime, The Hard Way and Mousetrap Heart, among others, as part of Channel [V]’s Guerilla Gig series.

QMUSIC, D-Star, Launch QLD Radio Airplay Charts

Q Music has launched the Queensland Radio Airplay Charts. It is compiled each week by D-Star Spins’ forensic radio monitoring system. It provides real-time results of airplay for Queensland artists across commercial, major community, Triple j and ABC radio across the Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Gold Coast, Central Coast, Newcastle and Geelong radio markets. The first chart is topped by Stan Walker’s Choose You.  Powderfinger have seven tracks in the Top 20, Walker has three. Other acts include Dead Letter Circus, Ball Park Music, Bernard Fanning, Washington, The Boat People, Hungry Kids Of Hungary, Wolfmother and Kate Miller-Heidke.

Harbourlife For Coast?

Sydney dance promoters Fuzzy Events will know by now if they have permission to hold their Harbourlife festival on the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast Council was meeting on Monday to discuss its application to hold the 18+ event on November 28 at Broadwater Parklands. About 9000 are expected to attend. The Council’s community and cultural committee has already recommended it go ahead. The Temper Trap, who are already abroad for the Sydney Harbourlife festival the week before, are expected to play at the Qld show. Fuzzy Events runs events such as Summafieldayze and Parklife.

Marcus Seal Joins Live Nation

Former Shock CEO Marcus Seal has joined Live Nation Australia as Head of Marketing & Communications. He worked at PolyGram, BMG and SonyBMG. He joined Shock in 2006, during which time he set up their touring company Ragged Company, and chaired the AIR Awards Committee. He’s contacted at  (03) 8632 2500 and .

Hawker Exiting As EMI A&R

Craig Hawker is exiting EMI Music’s VP, A&R Labels Australasia on Nov 16. He signed Empire Of The Sun and The Cat Empire who sold half a million records each, Operator Please, Bob Evans, Faker and Paul Dempsey. Becoming a music fanatic at 14 after Triple j arrived in his hometown Cairns, he set up a fansite for Grinspoon, did work experience at Murmur Records and at 18 joined as a talent scout at EMI. He wants to “re-charge the batteries, and ultimately look for different challenges” adding, “I’ve spent my entire twenties in A&R roles at EMI.”

Life After Stomp

Since departing Stomp Entertainment in April as its General Manager, Tom Pandzic has set-up a label management and marketing company called Balance Music. It will be the Australian home to labels such as Global Underground, Ministry Of Sound UK, Fabric and the Balance Series. Balance Music will be distributed through EMI. Meantime, Stomp’s former Label Manager and Publicist, Walter Juan, has started his own publicity company. Called I Like The Noise It Makes, he will represent artists and brands like Ben Frost and the Balance Series, and other electronic labels. He can be contacted on in regards to queries for Balance Music.

Caruso Leaves Triple M

Triple M Brisbane’s morning announcer John ‘JC’ Caruso has to become the new Program Manager of ABC Coast FM Maroochydore.  His replacement at Triple M is Johnno Keetles, formerly at KOFM/NXFM Newcastle.

12 Busted In Download Scam

A gang of 12 urban music producers and remixers in Britain – including a club DJ – has been arrested and charged over an alleged half a million pound credit card scam. Police say that the 12 uploaded twenty of their own music tracks onto iTunes and Amazon. They then used stolen or cloned American and UK credit cards to buy them back between September 2008 and January 2009. They earned about Australian $814,000 (£469,000) in royalties from iTunes and Amazon. They face fraud and money laundering charges on Sep 15 in London.

Things We Hear

Triple J’s magazine has changed its name from jmag to Triple J Magazine. Its part of a relaunch that includes a new masthead, new design, more input from J’s on-air yackers and a greater push to attract more brand-focused advertising.

Aussie alt-country expat Anne McCue says she’ll be touring here in November, following the release of her Broke Promise Land album on Laughing Outlaw.

Among the names Hamish & Andy came up with to replace them: Kyle Sandiland (“he wants extra work”), Ben Cousins, Tom Cruise and a thawed-out Walt Disney.

Sanicki Scores X-Factor Gig

Melbourne-based legal eagles Darren Sanicki Music & Entertainment Lawyers (www.dslawyers.com.au) have been selected as legal representatives of X-Factor for 2010. The firm was selected as Australian Idol legal rep in 2009.

Pledge Launch Sets Up Date

A few months ago, this column exclusively revealed that UK’s Pledge Music – the website which arranges for fans to invest money so that bands can make records or tour – was looking at entering the Australian market. At the time, its CEO and founder Benji Rogers had visited the country to speak to managers and artists, and told this column he was delighted with the local response. The Australian operations will launch on Sep 8 – when Rogers visits the country to speak at the Big Sound summit. Among the acts who use the service are Gang Of Four, Funeral For A Friend, Duke Special, Natty and Aussie expatriates Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo, who raised $7000 in 60 days.

Mark Muggeridge of Evil Genius Media will liaise with Australian acts and managers to assist them use the platform to their best advantage. His contact is .

Tokyo Birds Go Gold

Birds Of Tokyo failed to topple Eminem’s four-week stay at #1 on the ARIA chart when their self-titled third album came in at #2. Last week it was also #2 on the AIR chart. Four weeks down, the album has gone gold for sales of 35,000. Their national tour with Silversun Pickups and fellow Perth band, The Chemist sold over 5000 tickets in the first 24 hours.

Lord Mayor Fellowship Opens

Applications are open for the Lord Mayor’s Young & Emerging Artists Fellowships. It provides support for emerging Brisbane artists and arts workers aged 17 and 30 who want to join national or international training and development programs through participation in training programs, mentorship or structured experience. Deadline is Monday Oct 11 for projects beginning after Feb 14, 2011. All information at www.brisbane.qld.gov.au.

Live Theatre For Coast?

The Courier Mail reported that a foreign billionaire has indicated he will put up the $190 million needed for a state-of-the-art live theatre venue on the Gold Coast. Politicians are discussing if two ha of Crown land near Sea World would be appropriate. The government could earn $150,000 a year in rent. The idea is that a thousand people will pay $95 per show with a banquet style seating.

APRA Seminar

APRA is holding a seminar on the role of publishers. Linda Bosidis, Mushroom Music; lawyer Brett Oaten; artist Tim Levinson (Urthboy, The Herd); and manager Will Larnach Jones look at the dos and don’ts of deals, basics, trends and income sources. It’s Wednesday Sep 8, 6pm – 8pm at the Judith Wright Centre as part of Big Sound.

Shenannigan’s For Sale

Shenannigan’s in Cairns, which showcases live music acts, is for sale in mid-September. See www.cbre.com.au.

LifeLines

Ill: Poland metal band Behemoth frontman Nergal has been diagnosed with leukaemia.

Injured: four clubbers at Townsville’s Mad Cow needed minor attention when a 20-year old, who’d been thrown out, tried to sneak in again through the ceiling. Alas it gave way, and he crashed down on to the dance floor, bringing bits of ceiling down on them as well. Club owners plan to charge him for damages.

In Court: Sydney club DJ Scott Pullen placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond over an assault on DJ Kate Monroe at the Oxford Hotel in February. The judge also told him not to accept gigs that would bring him into contact with Monroe.

In Court: Amnesty International activists arrested outside U2’s Moscow show, with police claiming they had no permission to hand out leaflets. Meantime, U2 were fined £14,723 for playing too loud at their gigs in Barcelona.

In Court: Sydney nightclub operator Justin Hemmes is heading to the Land and Environment Court over opening hours for his Ivy club. He was recently allowed to keep it open until 4am until 2012 – but wants it extended to 2015.

Sued: Eminem is being hit with two lawsuits. One is by a Michigan couple asking for unspecified damages after his tour bus (which he was not on) crashed into their tractor trailer in July. Meantime, two of the rapper’s relatives said he reneged on a deal to give him a home if they relocated closer to his Detroit home.

In Court: Aaron Fagan, drummer with British band N-Dubz was found guilty of sexual assault – groping two women’s breasts and posteriors after a gig. He claims miscarriage of justice, as there was no CCTV evidence.

Died: US songwriter George David Weiss, who co-wrote hits such as What A Wonderful World, Can’t Help Falling In Love and The Lion Sleeps Tonight, 89, natural causes.

Call For Rock The Schools

Rock The Schools is looking for up and coming bands to take part in a 4–5 week tour between May and August 2011. See www.rocktheschools.com.au. One band that’s applied formed after the initiative visited their school in 2006.

Contact

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

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