Taking care of Business

Rip It Up, Issue 241, 1 September 1997, Page 34

Taking care of Business

GOLDSMITH PCMC KEYNOTE SPEAKER Top UK promoter Harvey Goldsmith CBE is the keynote speaker at the Sydney Pacific Circle Music Convention (Sept 20-25). Goldsmith’s career in concert promotion and production includes such groundbreaking concerts as Concert For Kampuchea (1978), Live Aid (1985), the Wall concert in Berlin (1990) and the Wembley Freddie Mercury tribute concert (1992). BUSH HEADLINE FREE FESTIVAL AT PCMC Universal Records and Grudge Records are doing a free Grudge Festival concert to coincide with the Sydney PCMC Conference. Headlining the show are Bush with two special guests to be announced plus Australian bands Grinspoon, Cactus Child and Floyd Vincent & the Child Brides. The concert takes place in Prince Alfred Park, Redfern from noon to 8.30 pm on Saturday Sept 27. Organisers hope that concert patrons will make a donation to the Sydney City Mission. LIVID FESTIVAL LINE-UP The annual Livid Festival takes place in Brisbane at the

Showgrounds Saturday Oct 4. Artists appearing on the mainstage include Devo, Dinosaur Jr, Veruca Salt, Ween, Bloodhound P~WW«P“ k 'THBBT* B I ~ Jl4 aMBMr —«MMN —■MMM Gang, Ben Folds Five, Sneaker Pimps, Ammonia, Powderfinger, Spiderbait, Shihad and Super Jesus. Ticketek Australia sell Livid Tickets. AUSTRALIAN MUSIC BIZ SITE For the latest Australian music business news, check out the Immedia site. Every week two news updates are posted — Who’s Where & Why by Phil Tripp in Sydney and In Music & Media by Christie Eliezer in Melbourne: The site also contains Phil Tripp’s entertaining industry raves under the apt title “Loose Cannon.” http://www.immedia.com.au 96.d0t.1 IN HAMILTON Auckland’s new rock radio station that broadcasts at 96.1 FM in Auckland is also transmitted in Hamilton but on 94.6 FM. UK CREATIVE TASKFORCE The UK government has founded a “creative taskforce” of people from the music, movie and fashion industries. The Tony Blair government acknowledges the contribution to employment and exports made by the growing creative industries. Members of the panel include Richard Branson (Virgin founder), Alan McGhee (owner of Oasis label Creation), Paul Smith (fashion designer) and David Puttnam (movie producer). The group will meet four times a year. MUSICAL CHAIRS Victor Stent resigned as MD from Polygram Records for personal reasons, to pursue his own business interests. The new MD is lan Watson who was previously Director of Sales & Marketing . ... expat Simon Baeyertz who was managing Frente and representing Australia’s Mushroom label in New York has joined the Interscope label’s International Department... Mark Ashbridge has left Festival Records to take the Mushroom label manager job at BMG. A second Auckland Mushroom employee will be announced soon ... Manu Taylor has left Polygram to join Mai FM as Programme Director. FOREIGN MOVES The underperforming Motown CEO Andre Harrell has left the company. Polygram who own Motown have not named a successor. Harrell moved to Motown after creating the very successful

Uptown label. His first controversial move was an ad campaign featuring himself sitting in a plush chair, smoking a cigar... the Volcano (Tool, Matthew Sweet, O’Jays) and Rowdy (Joi) labels have merged to create Freeworld Entertainment. Volcano was previously known as Zoo ... the USA Alligator blues label has moved its distribution in Australia from Festival , to Shock ... in the USA the American label owned by Rick Rubin is expected to move to Sony. ORIENTATION 1998 Applications are now being taken for bands, solo performers, comedy acts etc. to be part of the 1998 University Orientation programme. For more information t ' nfnwiuii—i. 1 ' ‘■■■■r contact your local university activities manager, or Stephen Hall-Jones at OUSA, PO Box 1436, Dunedin. The Orientation website address is www.ausa.auckland.ac.nz/staff/ sao/nzcan/main.html NZ ON AIR Music Videos The acts who have received NZ On Air video grants at the August meeting are: Eye TV Dynamite (Antenna) Darcy Clay In The Middle (Antenna) Propeller Refrain (Chronic) Breaks Co-operative Sound Advice (Deepgrooves) Muckhole Kooza (Felix) Stereo Bus Be A Girl (Festival) Bike Welcome To My World '■ (Flying Nunj|HRMMH Garageland Feel Alright (Flying Nun) Mary I’ll Be Seeing You (Panty) Strawpeople Trick With A Knife/Remix (Sony) Exponents Change Your Mind (Sony) .1, . Bic Runga Suddenly Strange (Sony) Indigenous Funk Company People Of The Sun (Tangata) King Kapisi Sub-Cranium (Third Hand) Dead Flowers I Don’t See Anyone (Wildside) Second Child Freeze (Wildside) NZ ON AIR Radio Hits Funding The following NZ artists qualified, due to “significant airplay achieved”, for funding by the NZ On Air Radio Hits Scheme: Moizna Just Another Day (Urban Pacifika) Darcy Clay Jesus I Was Evil (Antenna) Stereo Bus Shallow (Festival) Headless Chickens Magnet (Flying Nun) Mutton Birds April (Virgin) Bike Circus Kids (Flying Nun)