NZMC Australian Booklet 20PGS:Layout 1 25/05/09 9:19 AM Page 1
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
NZMC Australian Booklet 20PGS:Layout 1 25/05/09 9:19 AM Page 1 NEW ZEALAND MUSIC COMMISSION TE REO REKA O AOTEAROA GUIDE TO TOURING AUSTRALIA NZMC Australian Booklet 20PGS:Layout 1 25/05/09 9:19 AM Page 3 WELCOME TO YOUR POCKET GUIDE TO TOURING AUSTRALIA. This guide was written for the NZ Music Commission by David Benge*. David Benge started out working as campus activities co-ordinator for Victoria University doing events like Orientation week when he was a student. He moved on to perform in bands himself (D-Super) and work as the full-time manager for Fur Patrol. In 2002 David moved with the band to Australia and managed other artists, from both Australia and New Zealand. With a couple of like minded friends he started the company Speak n Spell, which has grown to a full service music company incorporating artist and producer management, touring, a record label and distribution company with a publishing arm – Etch n Sketch - added in 2004. Speak n Spell now have offices in Melbourne, Sydney and a recently added London base. David continues to work with both NZ and international artists across all aspects of their music businesses. THIS IS NOT A BE-ALL AND END-ALL DEFINITIVE GUIDE. You will no doubt have friends in bands that The best thing to do is to decide which venues have already been to Australia and played at are the best fit to your music and call them venues that are not featured in this guide. It is well ahead of time to see if they have a line very much a guide primarily aimed at young up you can join, or perhaps a weekly/regular up-and-coming bands that are looking to night where they are looking for acts like make their first or second foray into Australia. yours. From here you can begin to build some other dates around these. In general the venues listed here are between the 100 and 400 capacity room size. There are It is worth noting that Australia has a long numerous venues that are a lot bigger, how- history of rock bands and has a really strong ever as this is planned as a guide for begin- “Pub Rock” scene, in my opinion more so ners I’ve kept the focus on the smaller rooms. than in New Zealand. Bands like AC/DC, The Angels, The Skyhooks, Radio Birdman etc This guide is also primarily suited to pop/rock made their names by relentlessly touring bands. I have endeavoured to include ven ues through Australia, and – while we are focus- that are suitable for singer/songwriter types, ing on the main centres here in this guide - experimental artists (and I use that term in its purely due to the population size and the loosest sense), hard rock acts through to vastness of the country itself, it definitely more roots/dub/reggae outfits as well. feels like there’s a different attitude and I have also attempted to note which venues approach to touring in Australia. are more suitable for DJs/hip hop acts, etc. *All efforts were made to ensure the accuracy of this guide at the time of printing. No responsibility is accepted by the NZ Music Commission or David Benge for information that is incorrect. It contains his own information and opinions, based on his experiences. This does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the NZ Music Commission. NZMC Australian Booklet 20PGS:Layout 1 25/05/09 9:19 AM Page 4 TOURING TO GET INDUSTRY ATTENTION When touring Australia it is important to people rely on each other. For example, decide on what it is you are wanting to achieve a booking agent is going to be a lot more by going on the tour, prior to booking your interested in working with you if you already flights and putting your instruments in hard have a record label involved. A record label cases. If you’re wanting to develop or increase is going to be more interested if you’ve got a a fan base, then your approach will be good booking agent involved – and so the somewhat different to someone who is trying chicken and egg situation begins. to gain industry attention from a record label, publisher, booking agent, or promoter. Depending on whether finances allow (and there is an Outward Sound Phase One grant If your aim is to gain industry exposure first, you can apply for, for this very purpose) it you can be a little more selective about the may not be a bad idea to send someone over cities you travel to and the length of time ahead of you to meet with people, hand over you spend in them. The vast majority of music your demo, and put an overall face to the industry people including independent labels band name. It’s always harder for people through to majors, booking agents, publishing to turn you down when you’ve developed a companies, publicists, and promoters, all relationship with them. operate out of Sydney and Melbourne. Showcase type shows in these two cities Don’t expect too much from your first primarily to gain industry attention can be meeting, but make sure you’ve gone in with very useful. a good demo that is representative of where the band are at now. You don’t necessarily In my personal opinion, if you want to have need to bother with lengthy bios about a serious go at making your mark in Australia winning your high school band competition it helps to have some people on the ground or opening for another band that the person there to further your cause. Getting the in question hasn’t heard of before. Let the attention of these people is the tricky part music do the talking and explain you’ll be and again comes down to having an overall out with the band in three or four weeks for plan of what it is you want to achieve. some showcase type shows and you’d love The internet has made things a lot easier for them to attend. Make sure your demo and when it comes to prep work – and I cannot bio includes contact details that are clear and stress enough how important preparation obvious in case they want to get hold of you. work is. If you have a good music video that you think represents you well, include that too. Ideally you should start planning your trip no less than three months out from your date of Doing these things a month out will give the arrival. Identify the type of people you want person you’re meeting with enough time to to come to your showcase and then start get to listen to the music but not so much the long, slow process of contacting them time that they forget who you are. Even the (some of these contacts specifically relating fact they’ve had two or three conversations to touring are listed further on in this guide). with you about the meeting and then have a The truth of the matter is that a lot of these follow-up note from you thanking them for 1 GUIDE TO TOURING AUSTRALIA - TOURING TO GET INDUSTRY ATTENTION NZMC Australian Booklet 20PGS:Layout 1 25/05/09 9:19 AM Page 5 their time, will help solidify your band name Again, this will help avoid people getting in their head. frustrated at you before they’ve even heard the music! A couple of weeks after your initial meeting, follow up with an email asking what they Check with the venue that you’re showcasing thought of the demo and reminding them at to see how many people you can have on about your impending dates. If the your guestlist. Chances are likely that you’ll company has other offices in other cities be opening up for someone else, so check (i.e. Melbourne and Sydney), ask them if with the headlining act too. there are contacts that you should invite along to the show in the other city too. See if you can arrange an “industry” list whereby you can purchase tickets for your Be aware that the music industry is fickle contacts and put their names on the door. and music industry people often have to Don’t explain to any of the invited industry change their plans at the drop of a hat. that this is what you have done, just tell them They may have had best intentions of seeing their name is on the door. There’s no point in you play and have had to change their mind spending all the money to get there and then at the last minute. This happens ALL THE worrying about the $8 per head it’s going to TIME to everyone… It’s not you, it’s just the cost to get industry in – just do it! Of course, nature of the game. it might be worth checking with the pro- moter/venue ahead of time to see if you can If you can’t afford to send someone ahead of get your money back if they don’t attend. you, all is by no means lost. Luckily Australia and New Zealand’s time zones are only two Like I say, if industry is your focus then that’s hours out from each other, so simply keep mainly going to be Melbourne and Sydney. persisting by phone and email. Give it three If, on the other hand, you’re aiming to create or four days between notes and messages.