Category: News

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Peking Duk Become Children’s Authors

Looking for a cool Christmas gift for the little bookworm in your life? Peking Duk have you covered with their brand new children’s book, DJ Duks.

DJ Duks follows the adventures of Adam and Roobs, two feathered DJs dreaming of writing a banger and making it big in Bling City. But will fame and fortune fulfil them or will they learn true happiness is waiting for them back home in Ducklands? You’ll just have to read and find out!

“This is a very special project for us, we are proud of DJ Duks and excited to see how kids of all ages react to it. It’s been a pleasure working with the team at BMG and the super talented illustrator Alex Lehours on bringing this vision to life” said co-author and one half of Peking Duk, Adam Hyde.

Pre-order your copy of DJ Duks in a limited edition Banger Bundle or Fuegobundle online now for delivery before Christmas.

Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

New Talent Showcased at The Collective

Some of the hottest emerging acts in the country are converging on Sydney next month. Dubbed The Collective, this event gives new artists a chance to showcase their talents and punters the opportunity to discover some Aussie music legends in the making.

You might not know Clews, Totty, The Buoys, Cry Club, or Spit Chewy just yet, but I’ll wager that one of these New South Wales acts will be your new favourite band.

The Collective hits The Lansdowne Hotel on December 8. Tickets are on sale now.

Image used with permission from Beehive PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Listen Up Music: Songwriters’ Festival Celebrates Local Talent for Mental Health

Australia has produced some sensational songwriters over the years. Names like Vanda and Young, Don Walker, Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, and Sia barely scratch the surface. Discover the next great songwriting talent at the Listen Up Music: Songwriters’ Festival.

Each year entrants create a song which spreads positive messages about mental health and suits the annual theme; in 2018 that theme is “I am here.” Three finalists have been chosen from each event in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney, along with three wildcard artists. The final 12 songwriters, are as follows (in alphabetical order):

  • Abbey Gardner – “War Child” (NSW)
  • Ben Leece – “Stuck To My Guns” (NSW)
  • Ben Stafford – “Breaking Point” (WA)
  • Chelsea Cullen – “Edge of Myself” (WA)
  • Jess Stillone – “Fall” (NSW)
  • Leonie Kingdom – “Night Terrors” (QLD)
  • Old Cities – “Again” (NSW)
  • Romisounds – “Inclination” (NSW)
  • Seb Mont – “Who I Am” (VIC)
  • SPENCER – “Another Girl” (NSW)
  • Sung Loh – “Someday” (VIC)
  • Talitha – “I’m Right Here” (QLD)

See all these talented acts perform their songs at the Listen Up Music: Songwriters’ Festival grand final at the Factory Floor in Marrickville on November 15. Listen Up Music Ambassador Mitch Garling will MC the night, which will be judged by an all-star panel featuring Alfie Arcuri, Imogen Clark, LANKS, and Socratis Otto. Tickets are on sale now from the Factory Theatre website. The event helps support R U OK Day, so it’s a great opportunity to support some up-and-coming talent and a great cause.

Image used with permission from Listen Up Music

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Get Ready for Ausmusic T-Shirt Day

Ausmusic T-Shirt Day is upon us, a day where we show off our favourite Aussie band T-shirts to raise awareness and funds for Support Act. This important charity supports musicians and music industry workers experiencing financial hardship and physical or mental health issues. Funds from this year’s event will expand Support Act’s Wellbeing Helpline.

On November 16, Ausmusic T-shirt Day, you’re invited to donate via the official website, snap a selfie wearing your favourite Australian band T-shirt, and share it on your socials using the hashtags #ausmusictshirtday, @supportact.

“The cool thing about the website is that it enables artists and music lovers to create teams so they can get their workplace, school or social media networks involved in the campaign,” said Support Act CEO Clive Miller. “It’s a really simple and fun way to raise funds for a great cause and we really hope that music fans across Australia can be our ambassadors and get their workplaces involved; and that artists can mobilise the support of their fans.”

Don’t have an Australian band T-shirt yet? I’d suggest you need to spend more time at merch counters! But Support Act has you covered, with specially commissioned band tees available through the Levi’s online store. Proceeds from the sale of these shirts go straight to Support Act.

Image used with permission from Ferris Davies PRM

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Levi’s & Support Act Release Web Series For Music Industry Mental Health

Levi’s and Support Act have teamed up to help improve mental health in the local music industry. Together they’ve created Tune Ups, a six-part webseries offering tips on mindfulness and other strategies to combat mental health concerns while highlighting the new Wellbeing Helpline for people working within the music industry. The online videos feature appearances from key music industry figures including Briggs, Alex the Astronaut, Joel Birch from Amity Affliction, and heaps more. Take a look at the video below to learn all about it.

“We are very grateful to Nicky Rowsell and Levi’s for being the driving force behind the campaign,” said Clive Miller, the chief executive officer of Support Act. “Tune Ups highlights how important it is for all of us to be aware of our mental health, and provides some great examples of how people in our industry manage their wellbeing. We hope it inspires anyone who may be doing it tough to know that they are not alone, and that they can reach out to our free, confidential Wellbeing Helpline at any time on on 1800 959 500 if they want to talk to someone about any aspect of their wellbeing.”

You can find the videos on the Support Act website, Vice Music channel Noisey, and other social platforms. While they’re made for music industry professionals, there’s plenty there for anyone who’s struggling with mental health issues. If you or someone you know is struggling, please make sure to take a look.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Phil Jamieson’s Magic Castle Raising Money for Headspace Port Macquarie

Grinspoon frontman and all-round good dude Phil Jamieson has put together a fantastic fundraiser night, dubbed Magic Castle, for headspace Port Macquarie. Happening December 13, the musical extravaganza will raise money to support the vital work headspace does supporting the mental health of young people in Port.

Along with a headlining set from Phil, punters will also enjoy music from Byron Bay punk act Mini Skirt, Newcastle singer-songwriter Grace Turner, and Port Macquarie’s own Royal Chant, Genes, and Vena Klymo.

Tickets are $30 plus booking fee, a steal for a night’s entertainment that’s all for a good cause. Get yours at the venue, Panthers Port Macquarie, or Oztix.

Image used with permission from Wonderlick

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Melbourne Getting a New Live Music Space

With countless live music venues around the country closing their doors, it’s exciting to hear of anything new opening up. Geddes Lane Ballroom will breathe new life into Melbourne’s historic Showgirls Bar 20 venue. It’s only fitting as before the strippers moved in, the site was the Grainstore Tavern, the place that launched John Farnham’s Whispering Jack album and hosted household names like Daryl Braithwaite, INXS, Little River Band, and Tina Arena.

Ben Thompson and Ashlea O’Loughlin (The Venue Collective, 170 Russell, East Brunswick Club) will take charge of booking talent. Acclaimed chef Shannon Bennett will preside over the food and beverages to leave our tastebuds satisfied. Lorenz Grollo, the CEO of the Grollo Group, rounds out the team.

“We’re excited to be bringing live music back to one of Melbourne’s most popular venues throughout the 80s and 90s”, enthused Ben Thompson, “It’s been a hidden gem, centrally located, close to trains and trams and a big carpark with a fantastic tried-and-tested band room. We’re doing some acoustic treatments, putting in a world class PA and cleaning the place up. Live music fans will love it. With the loss of so many live music venues over the last 10 years including quality smaller rooms like Ding Dong Lounge and Shebeen, there aren’t many options out there. People need the option to come into the city and experience original live music. The venue will be open to all conceivable genres of music from local, national and international acts and we have some surprise shows planned for summer.”

Geddes Lane Ballroom promises to open to some serious next month with an iconic Melbourne rock act. Make sure you follow their social pages for news of that as it breaks!

Image used with permission from On the Map PR; photo credit Jason Edwards Herald Sun

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sia & Dolly Parton Release Song For Netflix Film

Country legend Dolly Parton has teamed up with our own Sia for “Here I Am,” the ultimate torch song and first track lifted from the upcoming Netflix film Dumplin’.

Released on November 30, Dumplin’ tells the story of a plus-size teen who signs up to her mum’s beauty pageant to protest the impossible beauty standards and starts a revolution in her small Texas town. The soundtrack also sounds incredible, with Dolly collaborating with other celebrated acts like Mavis Staples, Elle King, Alison Krauss, and Miranda Lambert.

The soundtrack will certainly be worth checking out, but until then, how do you think Sia sounds with Dolly?

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Dragon Does Countdown Hits at Crown

Legendary adopted Aussie act Dragon are ringing in the silly season with a very special show at Melbourne’s Palms on Crown. Called The Best of Countdown Chartbusters, the gig will take the audience on a trip down memory lane with songs from the Countdown era. Songs like this!

Along with all your favourite Dragon hits, you can expect to hear covers of some smash singles from the United Kingdom, America, and Australia. Think the songs of Michael Jackson, The Knack, David Bowie, Little River Band, and Madness, to name just a few, done as only Dragon can.

“When we go to the merch desk and talk to the crowd and do photos, everyone is so connected to Countdown,” explained bassist Todd Hunter. “You can really see how the show affected their lives.”
There’s not a lot of lead time on this one, with tickets going on sale tomorrow morning at 9am from Ticketmaster for the December 21st gig.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Tom Thum Releases Fascinating New TEDx Talk

Do you know who’s behind the most watched TEDx talk ever? A politician perhaps, or social activist? No, it’s Brisbane beatboxer Tom Thum, who clocked up more than 66 million views on his first TEDx talk. With his first talk going gangbusters, expect a lot of eyeballs on his latest TEDx talk “What Happens in Your Throat When You Beatbox.”

The talk sees Tom teaming up with Dr Matthew Broadhurst for an up-close and personal look on what the body does when it’s beatboxing. It’s the first time in the world a doctor has ever performed a live on stage laryngoscopy on a beatboxer, a practice that will reveal more about Tom Thum than you’ve ever seen before!

Tom’s own curiosity inspired the presentation. “Basically I wanted to get a deeper understanding (in the most invasively literal way) of how my artform worked,” he explained. “I realised that beatboxing had been relatively understudied compared to other vocal styles and I wanted to be part of the story in my own weird way.”

Turn it on and I promise you won’t be able to look away! Science meets music in this fascinating TEDx talk.

Image used with permission from Beehive PR