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This website brings you the latest Australian country music news. News releases can be sent to news@countrymusicbulletin.com.au |
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FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 2018 Junior Academy of Country Music Twenty-three aspiring young artists will converge on Tamworth next month for the 2018 Academy of Country Music junior course. The Academy is run by the Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA).
Photo: Travis Collins "in class" with the class of 2018, students and parents. Students this year – nine boys and 14 girls – hail from NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and New Zealamd and will spend a week learning all there is to know about the music industry. They are Freddie Bailey-Cook (from Tamworth NSW), Piper Butcher (West Wallsend NSW), Billy Carnaby (Waterview Heights NSW), Lili Crane (Merewether NSW), Jorja Dalton (Hillston NSW), Felicity Dowd (Bega NSW), Bella Mackenzie Fenlon (Eimeo Qld), Charlie Fittler (Armidale NSW), Shelby Grace (Rose Valley NSW), Zac Griffith (Nelson Lakes NZ), Daniel Henwood (Wangaratta Vic), Shyanne Irwin (Muswellbrook, NSW), Abbey Johnson (Mittagong NSW), Benjamin Johnston (Bulli NSW), Tom Manning (Tamworth NSW), Cassi Marie (Caboolture Qld), Rory Phillips (Tumut NSW) Maranda Pugh (Charters Towers Qld), Emmagen Rain (Murwillumbah NSW), Josie Rains (Hallett SA), Brooke Roberts (Townsville Qld), Sophie Volp (Meringandan Qld) and Brendan Wright (Mareeba Qld). Parents and carers who accompany the students attend a business and industry course of their own. Leading the course will be Director and award-winning artist Lyn Bowtell, General Manager and award-winning singer/songwriter Roger Corbett, group leaders David Carter, Jayne Denham, Simon Johnson and Liam Kennedy-Clark with guest lecturers Allan Caswell, Travis Collins and Amber Lawrence. The academy has seen graduates the likes of 2017 The Voice winner Judah Kelly, Jessica Mauboy, Sam and Brooke McClymont, The Sunny Cowgirls, Sara Storer and many more. It runs in Tamworth leading up to and through the Hats Off To Country festival. Weblink – www.country.com.au. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2018 CCMA salute to Rex Legendary country singer and yodeller Rex Dallas will be the focus of this year's Capital Country Music Association Tribute during the Hats Off to Country Festival in Tamworth.
Born in 1938 in Wallerawang, a small mining town near Lithgow, NSW, Rex began his career as an entertainer at local dances making his first radio appearance at the age of 16. In his childhood, he would rise early to listen to the 5.30am program "Hillbilly Trail" on the old home town radio station 2LT Lithgow. Later he was to co-host this program. Through the 1950s and '60s, Rex appeared at numerous venues and locations, on the then famous Lee Gordon Shows, with Ted Quigg, Buster Noble, Trevor Day, Bill Kelly, Rick & Thel Carey and Buddy Williams and also appeared on the Bandstand television program. In 1956, Rex wrote Yodelling Cowboy Joe and won the Reg Lindsay Talent Quest in Bankstown. His first hit record was Bicycle Wreck in 1960. He wrote his most notable hit song Old Wallerawang in 1971 but didn't record the song until 1972 when he moved to Tamworth and put down tracks at Hadley Studios in 1974. The song won Rex his first Golden Guitar at the 1975 Australasian Country Music Awards. Another of Rex's notable songs is The Australian Hot Meat Pie which he also recorded in 1974. In 1975, Rex recorded his Harry Torrani yodelling" albums with Hadley. In 1976, he won the Best Male Vocal Golden Guitar for My Lancashire Yodelling Lass. Numerous other awards and accolades came his way including the Golden Guitar for Song of the Year in 1982 with His Spurs Are Rusty Now, co-written with son Colin. He was inducted into the Hands of Fame at Tamworth in 1977 and elevated to the Australasian Country Music Roll of Renown in 2000. In 1989, Rex and his wife Adrienne bought the Moonbi property Gully Park which became one of the most popular venues of the country music festival in January for many years. Rex is still touring and recording although not perhaps as much as he used to. His most recent album release was The A-Z Of Rex Dallas, Vol 1 in October last year. The Rex Dallas tribute concert gets underway at Country Music Capital's South Tamworth Bowling Club at 1pm Sunday July 15. Admission is free.
MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2018 The Ekka's Country Music Showdown The Royal Queensland Show (aka The Ekka) is running its Country Music Showdown on Saturday August 18 at the Brisbane Showgrounds. A $10,000 prize pool will be shared between two categories (junior and open) in an event that has helped launch the careers of a number of up and coming Queensland country artists over the past five years.
Last year’s junior winner Blake O’Connor (pictured, top) will feature at this year's show, as will competition judge country star Adam Brand (pictured). Blake, who went on to win Most Promising Future Star at this year's Australian Country Music People's Choice Awards, is set to release his self-titled EP later this year and has just finished touring Australia with country music couple Adam Eckersley and Brooke McClymont on their Highway Sky Tour. This year’s Showdown will be emceed by country artist Brooke Schubert (pictured) who was a contestant on the popular television show The Voice in 2017. In addition to Adam, judges will be QMusic Chief Executive Joel Edmondson, Country Music Association of Australia Chairman Dan Biddle and Native Tongue music publisher Cecil Coleman. “The Ekka competition has unearthed fantastic talent and allows people to experience all that country music has to offer," said Chief Executive of the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA) Brendan Christou. “It also provides emerging artists with a chance to be heard and it wouldn’t be the Ekka without country music.” Entries in the Showdown close on Friday, July 13. Weblink – www.ekka.com.au. FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018 New from Adam Adam Harvey will release hislatest album – The Nashville Tapes – next month. The official release date is Friday July 27. The first single from the album – I'd Rather Be A Highwayman – has been released to radio and is available on iTunes. The full album is also available for pre-order.
The new album fulfills a lifelong dream for the artist, according to a spokesman. "Adam jetted off to the bright lights of the immortal Music City to record (his) masterful 10th studio album with producer Nash Chambers, armed with a brace of new songs couched in the classic country sounds that most capture his imagination." "It’s one of those things that’s been on my bucket list for probably 20-odd years," Adam said, "to actually go and record an album over there in Nashville. “I thought, I want to make a '70s country album: that’s my favourite era in country music. While everybody else is heading further and further away from classic country music, it’s a good step for me to not only follow my passion and my heart, but also to go the other way!" The beating heart of The Nashville Tapes is the anthemic first single I’d Rather Be a Highwayman. "Nothin' makes me give a damn more than country can, I’d rather be a Highwayman than a Rolling Stone," Adam sings. Weblink – www.adamhatvey.com.au. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018 Support Act Wellbeing Hotline Australia's music industry benevolent organisation Support Act has announced the launch of its "long-awaited" Wellbeing Helpline, a free and confidential service available to anyone working in Australian music who needs to talk to someone about any aspect of their wellbeing. Made possible with support from Alberts’ The Tony Foundation and Levi Strauss Australia, the Wellbeing Helpline can be accessed by calling 1800 959 500. "The launch of this service is in direct response to requests from our colleagues working in music to help improve overall mental health and wellbeing," said Clive Miller, Support Act Chief Executive Officer.
The Support Act Wellbeing Helpline is staffed by professional counsellors via AccessEAP, a leading not-for-profit employee assistance program provider with close to 30 years experience in mental health and workplace wellbeing. Support Act's Wellbeing Helpline has been designed especially for people in music in partnership with AccessEAP who will offer expertise in all areas related to mental health including depression, anxiety, addiction and suicidal ideation as well as issues which can be mental health related such as loneliness, relationship breakdown, financial worries, illness and workplace conflict. The service will also offer specific urgent support for people who may be a risk to themselves or others. It is accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. "We are thrilled to see this idea brought to fruition in less than 12 months under the dynamic leadership of Jo Cave and the team at Support Act,” said Emily Albert, Executive Officer at The Tony Foundation which provided seed funding for the initiative. "We have gone from initial conversations at the BIGSOUND Mental Health Summit last September around how to best support wellbeing in the music industry, to the helpline being made available this week. "Alberts is delighted to have been able to contribute to enabling this vision to become a reality and to making this much needed service available to people working across the music industry in Australia." Nicky Rowsell, Marketing Manager of Levi Strauss Australia & New Zealand, which has provided additional funding and expertise, said: "Levi’s is proud to be a part of such an important initiative that will see our local musicians and music industry workers receive Australia’s first mental health and well-being help line. "This is a critical first step in a longer journey that Levi’s is heavily invested in; to really give back to the music (and wider) creative community in a meaningful way that we hope will make a real difference. "We look forward to continuing to work with Support Act on breaking down stigma and raising awareness around mental health. If this work can help to save lives – then I think we all need to make it a priority to protect the future of the music industry itself." Weblink – www.supportact.org.au. MONDAY, JUNE 18, 2018 New from Kora Rising star Kora Naughton will launch her debut album – Ride Or Die –in Tamworth next month. The launch will take place at Moonshiners in Bridge Street at 1pm Saturday July 14 during the Hats Off to Country festival. Kora, a graduate of the Australian Junior Academy of Country Music, won Independent Rising Star Female at the Australian Independent Country Music Awards at Mildura last year. Weblink – www.koranaughton.com.au.
FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 Brad's 2018 tour Golden Guitar winner Brad Butcher has announced dates for an extensive tour through June, July, August, September and October.
Brad will be touring with fellow Golden Guitar winner Aleyce Simmonds as well as a number of "side" supporting the likes of Adam Eckersley & Brooke McClymont and The McClymonts. The tour kicks off at Mt Isa on Friday June 22 concluding at Mackay with The McClymont's on Saturday October 20. A number of performances will be at this year's Gympie Muster in August. Full details can be found on Brad's website www.bradbutcher.com. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018 NZ Gold Guitar Awards Arun O'Connor (pictured) from Invercargill has taken out the major honour at this year's New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards being named Overall Winner.
Jaydin Shingleton, Westport, was named Overall Runner Up. Intermediate Overall Winner was Molly Goodeve of Cambridge while Junior Overall Winner was Gracie Young of Dunedin. Organisers of this year's Awards, held earlier this month, say they were delighted with a successful event which concluded a week-long festival of country music. The Otago Daily Times reported a sellout audience of 1200 gathered to see 41 finalists "duke it out" for the prestigious senior finals award. Event convener Philip Geary said judges had been impressed with the "very high calibre" of competitors across all categories. "I know our judges had a hard time picking out winners from a talented bunch of youngsters at our junior and intermediate contests, and it’s been a similarly hard task with the seniors. We’ve been delighted to see 712 entrants vying for honours this year." That number was the third-highest in the history of the awards, which had been running for 44 years, he said. He put the boosted entry numbers down in part to a "first class" prize package, introduced last year, and targeted at launching the winner’s country music career. The overall winner would receive prizes totalling $15,000, including a music video, professional photos, a recording contract, $3500 prizemoney and a year’s professional mentoring. "We introduced a 'New Country' open section for the first time this year which has proved very popular across all age groups. In addition, we ran the MLT Music Round Up at multiple venues, operated by our naming sponsor, the Mataura Licensing Trust, which was a universal sellout." Both elements were likely to return next year, he said. With the country music dust finally settling, he, his committee and the event’s "dedicated" volunteer corps were now looking forward to a break before planning for next year’s event began. "It’s gone pretty good. No major hiccups, and happy faces." More information can be obtained from the website www.goldguitars.co.nz. MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2018 OAM to Eric A little over a week ago, Country Music Capital's Eric Scott was being congratulated for winning his home town of Tamworth's Volunteer of the Year award. Today, he has been announced as a recipient of an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in the Queen's Birthday honours list.
Hadley became the quintessential country music recording studio hosting sessions for many of the early greats of country music including Slim Dusty, Tex Morton, Nev Nicholls, Shirley Thoms and Buddy Williams. In June, 1972, Hadley released a four track EP (extended play vinyl record) containing four songs written and recorded by country singer/songwriter Slim Newton. One of those tracks – Redback On The Toilet Seat – gained the attention of radio and ended up selling more than 100,000 copies of the record. The song rose as high as number three on the official pop chart of the day. Hundreds of sessions and recordings were made at Hadley before Eric and Hilary called it a day in 2002. The studio notched up 10 Golden Guitar wins during its time. In addition to Slim Newton, Hadley artists have included the likes of Rick & Thel Carey, Rex Dallas, Trevor Day, Dusty Rankin, The Singing Kettles, Jean Stafford and Eddie Tapp. Eric spent many years as a broadcaster, from 7LA Launceston in Tasmania to 3AW Melbourne, 2VM Moree and 2TM Tamworth as well a number of years on the northern NSW regional ABC Radio. He was presented with the Country Music Capital Award during the Australasian Country Music Awards in January 1980 and inducted into Tamworth's Country Music Hands of Fame in 1997. To Olive Well known Victorian country artist Olive Bice has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal in today's Queen's Birthday honours.
She has also toured with many other well known artists such as Rick & Thel Carey, Lee Conway, Slim Dusty, The Hawking Brothers, Wayne Horsburgh, Jimmy Little, Reg Poole and Buddy Weston and has numerous awards and honours to her credit. Olive was inducted into Barmere'a Avenue of Honour (Rocky's Country Music Hall of Fame) in 1989, Tamworth's Hands of Fame in 1990 and was named Bendigo Citizen of the Year in 1995. She has numerous Victorian Country Music Awards to her credit as well as a number of songwriting awards. And to Phil The late Phil Emmanuel has been awarded a posthumous Order of Australia Medal for service to the performing arts, particularly through music. Phil – recgnised as one of Australia’s greatest electric guitar players – died suddenly a little over two weeks ago from a sudden asthma attack. Luckily, the way the Australian honours system works, he would have known he was to receive the OAM recognition.
"Phil's passion is illuminating; his ability is breathtaking. While his brother Tommy plays it sweet; Phil plays it from the street." While most children were playing childhood games in their backyards, Phil was touring with his family band. At the age of nine, he was already working as a professional musician in that band, variously named The Emmanuel Quartet, The Midget Surfaries and The Trailblazers. Phil played lead and Tommy played rhythm guitar, along with their brother Chris on drums and their sister Virginia on slide guitar. The Emmanuel siblings earned the family’s sole income for several years. They travelled Australia for six years (1960 to 1966). After their father died, The Emmanuel family was approached by Australian country music star Buddy Williams who took them on the road until they were forced by the Australian child welfare department to stop travelling. After completing his schooling, Phil returned to Sydney where he scored a gig at the Texas Tavern (Kings Cross) entertaining American servicemen, it’s there that he developed his love of country music. During his long career, Phil has played with artists including the band America, Jimmy Barnes, Don Burrows, Eric Clapton, Dire Straits, Slim Dusty, Duane Eddy, John Farnham, Lee Kernaghan, Reg Lindsay, Hank B Marvin & The Shadows, Midnight Oil, James Morrison, Ian Moss, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Bonnie Raitt, Carols Santana, The Ventures, Tammy Wynette and Hank B Marvin himself. In 1991 he was inducted into the Country Music Hands of Fame in Tamworth. In 2008, he was named Musician of the Year at the Australian Country Music People's Choice Awards. The release of his first album – Kakadu Sunrise – in 1992 saw Phil pushed into the limelight as a result of nationwide media attention. He toured Australia with brother Tommy as The Emmanuel’ Brothers, playing in every major city in Australia with sell out concerts every night. What followed was the rise and rise of the Emmanuel Brothers, with the long awaited Sony Records release of Terra Firma in 1995 celebrating 35 years of guitar playing. Terra Firma was nominated for an ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary and for a Golden Guitar for Best Instrumental. A highlight for Phil came in the year 2000 when he performed to a worldwide audience of 4.5 billion at the Closing Ceremony of the Sydney Olympics with Brother Tommy, INXS, Vanessa Amorosi, Savage Garden and Midnight Oil. Also in 2000, Phil experienced another highlight with his second tour of Europe when he was invited to headline Issenden, the worlds largest guitar festival. 2010 marked the 50th Anniversary of Phil and Tommy’s musical careers when they embarked on a nationwide tour to celebrate their five decades of success. In 2013 he played to packed houses in Singapore. Phil and Tommy were elevated to the Australasian Country Music Roll of Renown in January 2011. SUNDAY, JUNE 10, 2018 Vale – Alan Clement
Alan spent a lifetime in radio as a presenter and manager at numerous stations including 2TM Tamworth, 3REG FM South Gippsland, 4GY Gympie and 5PI Port Pirie. "He was a huge advocate for country music," said long time friend and editor of Tamworth's Country Music Capital News magazine Cheryl Byrnes Brown. Alan was the compere of the Capital Country Music Association Jamboree for many of its 50 plus years, only relinquishing the role in the early 2010s. By special request, he did return for the 50th Jamboree in January 2016. He was inducted into Country Music Capital's Hands of Fame in January 2013. While in Tamworth in the 1970s, Alan created Teenage Country Style – a group of teenagers featuring artists including the late Gary Brown, The Denning Sisters (Chris and Trish) and Deniese Morrison. "To our family, he was one of my Mum's best friends," Cheryl said. "They laughed and laughed every time they were together." FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 2018
Slim Dusty Day this year will be celebrated on Saturday June 16 with official celebrations kicking off at the Slim Dusty Centre at Kempsey at 10am. A highlight on the day will be performances by young country music artists Keely Johnson and Tyson Lucas (pictured below), "both of these talented young musicians set to have an incredible career in country music," according to a spokesman from the Centre. Keely is mentored by Lee Kernaghan and has performed all across Australia. She was recently in Nashville where she was being coached by Renee Grant-Williams, who has worked with artists such as Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban. In addition to her music career, Keely has raised more than $700,000 for children’s cancer charities and founded her own “The Golden Octopus Foundation” which is raising money to allow children to be able to stay in their own home towns across Australia instead of having to travel and stay for long periods at major hospitals in the state.
Tyson Lucas released his first EP – It’s OK To Be Me” – at this year's Tamworth Country Music Festival. "I want to bring the focus back to classic country in Australia," Tyson, who is known for his love and respect of traditional country music, said. The award winning singer/songwriter has successfully released two singles, one of which – We Just Want To Be With You – reached Number two on the Country iTunes Chart. In addition to the live music, Slim Dusty Day at the Cenre will also feature a barbecue and other activity. Slim’s wife and partner of more than 50 years, renowned country singer/songwriter Joy McKean will be in attendance on the day. Slim's actual birthday – he would have been 91 if he was still with us – is Wednesday June 13. Joy and son David will be at the Centre on the 13th to share some birthday cake. Every family or couple attending on the day will receive a free book to have signed by Joy and David with their Museum entry.
The Slim Dusty Centre is the home of the Slim Dusty Museum. As well as paying tribute to Slim, the Centre helps to tell the story of Australia and its history. It also has a travelling exhibition gallery and function centre with an on site cafe and gift shop selling Slim Dusty merchandise, souvenirs and locally made products. The Centre opened its doors to the public on October 17, 2015 with more than 200 people per day visiting the multi-purpose facility in its first weeks. Since opening the Centre has received multitudes of visitors of all ages from all over Australia, and has also welcomed many international visitors through its doors. Weblink – www.slimdustycentre.com.au. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 2018 Riverland Festival underway The 40th Riverland Country Music Festival is underway at Barmera in South Australia.
Numerous activities are included in the packed program which can be viewed at the Festival website www.riverlandcountrymusic.com. A number of awards will be presented to two local men... Darin Warner, recognised as a leading international artist on the country music circuit overseas, and Peter "Sarge" Warner, as well as Darin's mentior, a leading guitarist within the industry. Former Riverland Festival committee member Phil Turpin is being inducted into the Maple Avenue of Honour at the official opening of the festival which will be held in conjunction with the Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday. Another major program item is the Festival talent quest which returns this year. Tribute to Rocky The late Rocky Page is recognised as the "Father" of the Riverland Country Music Festival and special tribute will be paid to him during this year's event. Dean "Rocky" Page was a successful country music entertainer/singer/hypnotist/music teacher/horse trainer and radio announcer who began his early stage career touring outback and regional areas of Australia appearing with carnival performers and such greats as Smoky Dawson and Slim Dusty.
The program ran for many years and was listened to by music fans all around South Australia and in NSW, thd Northern Territory and Victoria. In order to allow his students the opportunity to perform on stage to a live audience and to compete against other young musicians and singers in a talent quest, Rocky set up the Riverland Country Music Festival, and ran it for the next 20 years until his untimely passing. During this time, he called on all his mates who had become stars in the country music industry, to come along and perform at the festival for "mate’s rates" and to have their hand prints placed in the Festival's Avenue of Honour. Slim Dusty was the first to be recognised and one of his famous hats is in the Hall of Fame established by Rocky in the main street of Barmera. More than 200 people have been acknowledged in the concrete guitars which form part of a giant guitar in the grounds behind what is now known as the SA Country Music Hall of Fame. Rocky himself was inducted ito the Australasian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1998. From 8am on Saturday, the band Workin' Overtime will be playing in the street and many of Rocky’s former students will be performing as part of an ongoing tribute to him. A special tribute to Rocky will be performed at the Sunday Spectacular with the former Kingston Kids, Ricky and Tammy, who were students of Rocky’s before becoming successful in the entertainment industry around Australia, will be performing. Peter Healy, a former announcer at 5RM and co-worker with Rocky, will also fly in from Sydney for the tribute. TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 2018 Gympie announces workshops, panels In its 37th year, the Gympie Music Muster aims to present "a festival experience like no other" with the introduction of educational workshops and panels in addition to the huge roster of country and blues performers. "The Muster has been the scene of countless memories, friendships forming, musical mateships and careers being launched," said a Muster spokesman. "It is an institution on the Australian festival calendar and legendary among Queensland events. "The Muster has something for everyone, from the tiniest tacker to the wisest veteran." Among the workshops will be renowned harmonica player Ian Collard leading a harmonica workshop for all skill levels and ukelele workshops aimed at helping novice players gain some skills.
Lindi Jane from Snap's Kakadu Club will be conducting boot scooting sessions "for the little ones" and there will be guided line dancing and rock 'n' roll dancing sessions for older patrons. Brad Butcher, Beccy Cole, Matt Cornell, Drew McAlister, Melinda Schneider, Sara Storer and others will share the songs they wish they’d written from a multitude of genres and eras in a Festival session on the Muster Sunday titled "Songs I Wish I’d Written". Pictured at right (clockwise from top left): Brad, Beccy, Drew, Sara, Melinda and Matt. Traditional Muster "Songwriters Sessions" will hear from writers including Casey Barnes, Travis Collins, Tania Kernaghan, Sara Storer and John Williamson. Many favourite activities return including The Vox Guitar Jam on the Saturday and Back to the Bush Ballads every day in the Muster Club. The Muster Talent Search will also run as usual... "nurturing new artists and a universal love of music, the talent search is the competition that helped kick start the careers of Mark O’Shea, Drew McAlister, Liam Brew and Brooke McClymont". Topping the prize pool is "a once in a lifetime trip" to Nashville. Dates for Muster 2018 are Thursday to Sunday August 23 to 26. Weblink – www.muster.com.au. MONDAY, JUNE 4, 2018
The following blog article was written by Sammy Andrews at We are including this article as a reference mainly for music industry participants as an on-going dialogue on future trends... The future looks brilliant for the music industry. Gone are the years of doom and gloom and in are the innovators, the dreamers, the creators and the streamers. In my job as CEO of Deviate Digital we are at the forefront of new tech and new innovations across the board from marketing tools and ad tech to, AR, VR and industry infrastructure like blockchain. We’re lucky enough to work with all sectors and increasingly the live sector as they realise the importance of data and the connection to the record industry and fans. I’m all about joining the dots. Whether that means coming up with a kick ass marketing plan for an artist or a label or future proofing global promoters, at Deviate we thrive on challenges and innovation. In five years time I suspect our industry will be largely unrecognisable from today. Truth be told, it’ll be unrecognisable in a year. We are already seeing a shift in power from the traditional gatekeepers and that’s going to continue. Artists have more freedom and options than ever before — the majors increasing bids for label and artist services shows that — and beyond that, we’re seeing services themselves increasingly take a role that their predecessors did not. Tech and software plays a huge part in all of these developments, as does hardware. But as we see rights management, licensing and payment procedures shift into new and efficient infrastructures this will change further.
The biggest wins for the industry I believe are rooted in innovation and the ability to move with the times. For far too long our industry hid from the future and it has catastrophic implications that led to the global decline of the music industry for a decade. Those days are gone, people like me, futurists… are now not only embracing tomorrow but helping to build it. The old guard are slowing leaving and smart, creative and inventive new blood is rising to the top. There’s a NOFX song called “Dinosaurs Will Die” that was released in 2000… it talks mostly about the death of the majors and when I was a kid starting in music and operating fully DIY (I was in bands, ran venues, set up a label and released a record all before I was 20) it put fire in my belly for invasion and change that has lasted my entire career… I still listen to it often. But removing the connotations of the majors, I kind of feel it applied then, and still applies now top a much broader scale to the industry as a whole. The old industry is dead. Welcome to tomorrow. Some of us have known for years that the archaic rule books needed burning. They’re been re-written as we speak and the industry changes in a million ways every day, it’s a full time job in itself keeping up with progressions and that’s partly why I started Deviate Digital. That’s what we do every day for our clients, and not just within the music realm, we monitor and analyse all manner of other industry innovation looking for exciting and relevant application to ours. The age of experimentation is here, and I for one can’t wait to see where it takes us. |
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The tribute show will feature the man himself with tribute artists including Rob Breese, Shannon Dallas, Sandra Humphries and Brian Larkin. Colin Dallas will feature on drums.
The prize pool includes $2,000 cash, a recording session, an Academy of Country Music Scholarship, four photo shoot packages, a paid performance at Ekka 2019 and the $2,500 Troy Cassar-Daley scholarship.
Adam's concert on Saturday July 14 during the Hats Off To Country festival in Tamworth will be the launch of a national tour for the multi Golden Guitar winning star. The Voice winner Judah Kelly will support Adam on the tour.
"Based on our consultations and research, we believe that a specialised service specifically tailored to the unique challenges faced by artists and music workers will be of enormous benefit to all people working in our industry."
The announcement comes hot on the heels of another accolade that came the singer/songwriter's way last month, the Queensland Music Award for Country Song of the the Year.
The Awards are conducted as a prestigious talent quest with a number of different sections.
Eric, who has served as President of the Australian Country Music Foundation (operators of the nation's Country Music Hall of Fame) since 2009, was a key player in the creation of the Country Music Capital branding in the 1960s and operated (together with his wife Hilary) the successful Hadley recording studios for more than four decades from the 1960s.
Olive – whose award is for service to the performing arts, particularly through country music – is a prolific performing and recording artist having featured on labels including Birubi, Hadley, Morning Mist and R&H.
"Phil’s musical prowess is so astonishing that there are times when the man becomes the guitar and the guitar becomes the man," according to Australian music writer and personality Glenn A Baker who himself, co-incidentally, received an AO (Officer of the Order of Australia) today.
Long time broadcaster and Australian country music industry personality Alan Clement died this morning following complications after lung surgery.
Slim Dusty Day 2018
Keely, who is currently recording her first album, was awarded the Queensland Young Achiever Award in 2017 and has been nominated for the Young Australian of the Year.
Dianne Lindsay and Peter Simpson (pictured at right) will be providing entertainment on Wednesday from 10am.
Running up to and including Monday June 11, the Festival is featuring artists including Bill Bedford, Olive Bice, Bill Chambers, Don Costa, Guido Davis, Alison Hams, Peter Healey, The Hoffmans Duo, Bob Magor, Murray Mac, Ricky & Tammy, Mark Tempany, Peter "Sarge" Warner, Darin Waters, Brian "Chooka" Williams" and bands Bernie & The Bandits, Heartland, Workin' Overtime.
Many years ago, Rocky and his wife Viv settled in Berri in the Riverland to raise their family while he continued to perform and teach local music students and ran a music shop. He became an "Icon of the Air" via his country music program on 5RM.
A panel titled "The Business of Music – how to thrive in a world beyond CDs" will have a panel of industry experts discussing how to thrive in the Australian music business in a world beyond CDs.
The old industry is dead. Welcome to tomorrow
I’m confident intuitive and wearable tech will have a part to play in the music industries future as will new marketing options and utilisation of data in a positive way for both fan and artist. Also AI: we are learning more than every before with smart software and algorithms, hell… we even have software making (worryingly good) music itself already. That will of course present its own set of challenges, but I suspect on the whole it will be a welcomed new addition to the business and our related sectors, like film and gaming.