Newtown’s Sandringham Hotel, a famous live music venue in Sydney’s inner city, has been the subject of plenty media coverage over the past 12 months.
The Sando [as it is affectionately known] last changed ownership in 2005 at the height of Australia’s commercial property boom. The valuations of live music venues have plummeted since the Global Financial Crisis, primarily due to restrictive anti-smoking and gaming legislations introduced in Australia during the past decade. The proprietor of The Sando simply isn’t generating enough cash flow to pay his loans, thus his Bank has decided to foreclose on the debt and sell the business.
There have been plenty of famous local musicians attempting to rally support to “Save The Sando”, due to its history and importance in the Sydney live music industry, however despite these best endeavours the actions have been in vain.
Let’s delve deeper into the sagging fortunes of Australia’s live music venues.
The live music scene peaked in Australia in the early 1980’s, when pubs and clubs were packed like sardines 7 nights a week with enthusiastic audiences. There were never enough bands and solo artists to meet demand, and Australia’s music fortunes were flying.
Over time, the introduction of the Internet changed everything. Our lives are so much busier in the present day; we simply don’t have time to go out 2-3 nights a week to see a live music performance. The Internet is a more convenient [and cheaper] form of entertainment.
It has never been tougher than now to make a living in the music industry, and this comment also extends to proprietors of live music venues. The local music scene has changed significantly in the past 5 years, with the electronic medium swiftly overtaking our historical values.
The Sando isn’t an isolated case; there are plenty of live music venues sitting dormant around Australia since 2008. These venues will most likely be converted into residential apartments, as this is an investment which will never go out of fashion.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Sunday, September 9, 2012
AND WHO SAID THAT DRUMMERS DON’T MAKE MONEY IN THE MUSIC GAME?
Continuing in the same vein as my previous article [“Song Writing Bass Players”], I recently read with interest that The Beatles’ Ringo Starr is the wealthiest drummer in the world [$300M].
It’s common knowledge that Ringo didn’t write The Beatles’ hits [or many songs at all], however the phenomenal level of artist royalties collected by Starr over the past 40 years fully justifies his top perch on the skin-bashing ladder. Let’s face it, The Beatles are in their own stratosphere when it comes to sales and popularity.
Who else features in the Top 5 wealthiest drummers in the world?
• Phil Collins [$250M] – the former Genesis drummer and solo superstar was everywhere throughout the 1980’s. A fair chunk of Collins’ wealth can be attributed to the large global tours undertaken by the British prog rock group, and as a solo artist.
• Dave Grohl [$225M] – isn’t he the singer & guitarist with The Foo Fighters? Whilst Grohl will have earned a minor mint from his stint with Nirvana, it is fair to suggest that he has profited most from his current band.
• Don Henley [$200M] – if his solo work was more frequent, The Eagles’ beat maker would be nudging Ringo for the top spot. Henley co-wrote all of the country-rock group’s big hits from the 1970’s, and The Eagles’ profit significantly from their ever frequent “reunion” world tours.
• Lars Ulrich [$175M] – Metallica’s huge album sales and monster global fan base can justify his estimated wealth. The California-based metal rockers like to tour relentlessly on a BIG scale.
Who features in the balance of the Top 10 wealthiest drummers?
• Charlie Watts [The Rolling Stones]
• Larry Mullen [U2]
• Roger Taylor [Queen]
• Joey Kramer [Aerosmith]
• Chad Smith [Red Hot Chilli Peppers]
It is TOUGH to make money in the music business, especially if you are a drummer [because drummers rarely write songs!!]. Whilst Collins, Henley & Taylor have all written Number One hit songs [i.e. very lucrative royalty streams], the 10 drummers listed above share one common thread which defines their wealth; they are all members of very popular rock groups who perform [or performed] in large stadiums across the globe.
In the present environment, big profits are made from big rock tours…
It’s common knowledge that Ringo didn’t write The Beatles’ hits [or many songs at all], however the phenomenal level of artist royalties collected by Starr over the past 40 years fully justifies his top perch on the skin-bashing ladder. Let’s face it, The Beatles are in their own stratosphere when it comes to sales and popularity.
Who else features in the Top 5 wealthiest drummers in the world?
• Phil Collins [$250M] – the former Genesis drummer and solo superstar was everywhere throughout the 1980’s. A fair chunk of Collins’ wealth can be attributed to the large global tours undertaken by the British prog rock group, and as a solo artist.
• Dave Grohl [$225M] – isn’t he the singer & guitarist with The Foo Fighters? Whilst Grohl will have earned a minor mint from his stint with Nirvana, it is fair to suggest that he has profited most from his current band.
• Don Henley [$200M] – if his solo work was more frequent, The Eagles’ beat maker would be nudging Ringo for the top spot. Henley co-wrote all of the country-rock group’s big hits from the 1970’s, and The Eagles’ profit significantly from their ever frequent “reunion” world tours.
• Lars Ulrich [$175M] – Metallica’s huge album sales and monster global fan base can justify his estimated wealth. The California-based metal rockers like to tour relentlessly on a BIG scale.
Who features in the balance of the Top 10 wealthiest drummers?
• Charlie Watts [The Rolling Stones]
• Larry Mullen [U2]
• Roger Taylor [Queen]
• Joey Kramer [Aerosmith]
• Chad Smith [Red Hot Chilli Peppers]
It is TOUGH to make money in the music business, especially if you are a drummer [because drummers rarely write songs!!]. Whilst Collins, Henley & Taylor have all written Number One hit songs [i.e. very lucrative royalty streams], the 10 drummers listed above share one common thread which defines their wealth; they are all members of very popular rock groups who perform [or performed] in large stadiums across the globe.
In the present environment, big profits are made from big rock tours…
Saturday, July 28, 2012
SONGWRITING BASS PLAYERS
Just how accurate is the “bass player/ drummer” syndrome in the history of popular music?
The long held belief that bass players earn their income solely from live performances [due to the fact that you can’t write a song on a bass guitar] can be put to the test when you examine the following list of songwriters who are well known for playing bass:
• Paul McCartney – one of the top 5 greatest songwriters in the history of music, firstly with The Beatles and then his solo career and Wings.
• Sting – the principal songwriter for The Police, who has also enjoyed a commercially successful solo career.
• Roger Waters – let’s face it, he wrote Pink Floyd’s most identifiable songs, “Money” and “Another Brick In The Wall [Part II].
• John Paul Jones – the “quiet one” in Led Zeppelin, albeit a key collaborator in the body of the group’s work.
• John Deacon – the “quiet one” in Queen. His compositions “Another One Bites The Dust”, “You’re My Best Friend” & “I Want To Break Free” are 3 of the British supergroup’s most enduring songs.
• Steve Harris – he writes all of the hits for Iron Maiden.
• Lemmy – what would Motorhead sound like without Lemmy’s input?
• Geezer Butler – whilst Tony Iommi is assumed to be the key writer in Black Sabbath’s golden era, Geezer was an equal contributor.
• Tony Mitchell – Sherbet were Australia’s most popular band in the mid-1970’s. “Howzat” forms part of Mitchell’s catalogue.
• Peter Cetera – the jazz-influenced group Chicago had many songwriters, however their 2 big hits “If You Leave Me Now” and “Baby What A Big Surprise” were penned by their bass player.
Let’s be realistic in acknowledging that the abovementioned artists are all multi-instrumentalists, as most popular songs are composed on guitar or piano/ keyboard. The “X-Factor” which makes bass players great song writers is that they understand the groove of a song. When this is combined with a memorable melody, you have the formula for a winning composition.
The long held belief that bass players earn their income solely from live performances [due to the fact that you can’t write a song on a bass guitar] can be put to the test when you examine the following list of songwriters who are well known for playing bass:
• Paul McCartney – one of the top 5 greatest songwriters in the history of music, firstly with The Beatles and then his solo career and Wings.
• Sting – the principal songwriter for The Police, who has also enjoyed a commercially successful solo career.
• Roger Waters – let’s face it, he wrote Pink Floyd’s most identifiable songs, “Money” and “Another Brick In The Wall [Part II].
• John Paul Jones – the “quiet one” in Led Zeppelin, albeit a key collaborator in the body of the group’s work.
• John Deacon – the “quiet one” in Queen. His compositions “Another One Bites The Dust”, “You’re My Best Friend” & “I Want To Break Free” are 3 of the British supergroup’s most enduring songs.
• Steve Harris – he writes all of the hits for Iron Maiden.
• Lemmy – what would Motorhead sound like without Lemmy’s input?
• Geezer Butler – whilst Tony Iommi is assumed to be the key writer in Black Sabbath’s golden era, Geezer was an equal contributor.
• Tony Mitchell – Sherbet were Australia’s most popular band in the mid-1970’s. “Howzat” forms part of Mitchell’s catalogue.
• Peter Cetera – the jazz-influenced group Chicago had many songwriters, however their 2 big hits “If You Leave Me Now” and “Baby What A Big Surprise” were penned by their bass player.
Let’s be realistic in acknowledging that the abovementioned artists are all multi-instrumentalists, as most popular songs are composed on guitar or piano/ keyboard. The “X-Factor” which makes bass players great song writers is that they understand the groove of a song. When this is combined with a memorable melody, you have the formula for a winning composition.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
VALE BOB WELCH
The untimely passing of highly respected American singer-songwriter Bob Welch has come as a shock to his many fans around the globe.
Welch, who took his own life in his Nashville
It is often overlooked that Bob Welch was a contributing member of Fleetwood Mac in the 1st half of the 1970’s, and his departure saw the recruitment of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks assist in taking the British-American band to enormous success, primarily on the back of 1977’s multi-platinum LP “Rumours”.
Whilst Welch may be viewed as having missed out on the financial rewards of Fleetwood Mac’s stellar commercial years, he himself enjoyed critical & commercial solo success in the late 1970’s. His 1977 LP “French Kiss” achieved platinum sales in the USA
As is all too common in the entertainment world, Welch’s life took a downwards turn when the adulation died down in the 1980’s, with some well publicised substance abuse problems interrupting his creative output. Welch wasn’t invited to partake in any of the lucrative Fleetwood Mac reunion tours from the late 1980’s onwards, thus one can only assume that he may have felt that his departure from the band was a career-changing mistake.
It goes without saying that Bob Welch will be missed. It can never be denied that he was an extremely talented songwriter and guitarist, and his body of work will live on.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
THE WIGGLES VERSION 2.0 – A SENSIBLE STRATEGY
The recent media announcement of The Wiggles’ member change at the end of 2012 has the doomsayers talking about “poor career choices”, however this may just be a very sensible strategy for Australia’s most lucrative children’s entertainment brand.
Come 2013, Jeff Fatt [the purple “Wiggle”], Murray Cook [red] and Greg Page [yellow] will step away from playing a public role in the group, and Emma Watkins, Simon Pryce and Lachlan Gillespie will join founding member Anthony Field as the ongoing faces of The Wiggles. Fatt and Cook will maintain their equity in The Wiggles corporation [allegedly worth tens of millions of dollars], whilst Page will join the aforementioned Fatt and Cook and continue with song writing and production duties for the supergroup.
So, why is the personnel change in The Wiggles a sensible strategy?
Age – let’s face it; the original members of The Wiggles are all on the cloudy side of 40 years old, and being a Wiggle is a very draining vocation. The group tours the world for 9 months of the year, whilst the balance of time is spent “being creative” – writing and recording news songs, designing new stage sets, et al. Greg Page and Jeff Fatt have both experienced very public health problems in recent years, and Murray Cook simply wishes to spend more time with his family. Anthony Field is passionate about The Wiggles; he focuses on maintaining peak physical & mental fitness in order to fulfil his ambitions for the group.
New faces – the unique factor of The Wiggles’ “brand” revolves around their ever-changing fan base. Once a child reaches 5 years of age and begins to lose interest in the group’s appeal, there is a steady supply of new fans being born to replace them! Whilst it is important to maintain some continuity by way of Anthony Field, the attraction of 3 new personalities [including a first time female Wiggle] will be a breath of fresh air for the group’s audience.
Public Relations – the replacement of recent yellow Wiggle Sam Moran by founding member Greg Page in early 2012 was terribly handled, and the media pounced upon the apparent “disharmony” within the Group. Further reports about The Wiggles’ financial losses in the past 2 years did nothing to quell the storm of controversy about the group’s future. In short, “something different” was required in order for The Wiggles to regain public favour.
Whilst the announcement of the personnel changes may appear to be contrived and rather hasty on the back of the early 2012 “controversy”, the change in strategy is most likely to prolong The Wiggles’ brand. Time will tell as to whether the group will remain as popular as the world-famous quartet of Field, Page/ Moran, Fatt & Cook; I’m supportive of their progression.
Come 2013, Jeff Fatt [the purple “Wiggle”], Murray Cook [red] and Greg Page [yellow] will step away from playing a public role in the group, and Emma Watkins, Simon Pryce and Lachlan Gillespie will join founding member Anthony Field as the ongoing faces of The Wiggles. Fatt and Cook will maintain their equity in The Wiggles corporation [allegedly worth tens of millions of dollars], whilst Page will join the aforementioned Fatt and Cook and continue with song writing and production duties for the supergroup.
So, why is the personnel change in The Wiggles a sensible strategy?
Age – let’s face it; the original members of The Wiggles are all on the cloudy side of 40 years old, and being a Wiggle is a very draining vocation. The group tours the world for 9 months of the year, whilst the balance of time is spent “being creative” – writing and recording news songs, designing new stage sets, et al. Greg Page and Jeff Fatt have both experienced very public health problems in recent years, and Murray Cook simply wishes to spend more time with his family. Anthony Field is passionate about The Wiggles; he focuses on maintaining peak physical & mental fitness in order to fulfil his ambitions for the group.
New faces – the unique factor of The Wiggles’ “brand” revolves around their ever-changing fan base. Once a child reaches 5 years of age and begins to lose interest in the group’s appeal, there is a steady supply of new fans being born to replace them! Whilst it is important to maintain some continuity by way of Anthony Field, the attraction of 3 new personalities [including a first time female Wiggle] will be a breath of fresh air for the group’s audience.
Public Relations – the replacement of recent yellow Wiggle Sam Moran by founding member Greg Page in early 2012 was terribly handled, and the media pounced upon the apparent “disharmony” within the Group. Further reports about The Wiggles’ financial losses in the past 2 years did nothing to quell the storm of controversy about the group’s future. In short, “something different” was required in order for The Wiggles to regain public favour.
Whilst the announcement of the personnel changes may appear to be contrived and rather hasty on the back of the early 2012 “controversy”, the change in strategy is most likely to prolong The Wiggles’ brand. Time will tell as to whether the group will remain as popular as the world-famous quartet of Field, Page/ Moran, Fatt & Cook; I’m supportive of their progression.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
JUSTIN BIEBER – CAREER ENHANCEMENT BY VIRTUE OF MARKETING
Justin Bieber is a big boy now; there is no room in his busy schedule to be singing songs solely for the pre-teen female market. One would assume that Bieber’s management will strategically leverage off the “mentorship” of superstar Usher, and the world will see the young Canadian transform into an R & B artist.
Thus far, we have witnessed snippets of this much-anticipated “transformation”. Bieber’s 2011 CD release “Under The Mistletoe” featured some songs in the talk-rap vein, and Justin has subtly changed his clothing & famous hairstyle to resemble a successful [and wealthy] young adult decked out in the latest “funky” gear.
The “music” and the “look” are progressing well, but what about the “music video”?
The enormous popularity of YouTube has made the concept of the music video very, very important once again. We have essentially gone full circle back to the 1st half of the 1980’s, to the extent that the quality/ aura of an accompanying music video can make-or-break the success of a song. With this event in mind, why has Bieber’s latest single “Boyfriend” been released without an accompanying music video?
It’s all in the timing of the release of the music video…
The release of “Boyfriend” is essentially the most important step in the successful transformation of Justin Bieber’s career. The accompanying music video needs to be seen as an “event”, in order for Bieber’s audience to expand. This is a risky approach to take, however the concept of “playing safe” spells career death.
“Boyfriend” peaked at Number Two on the Billboard Hot 100 sans music video, however the song progressively dropped to Number Five after the initial rush of Bieber’s loyal fan base ceased buying the single. Bieber’s recent appearance on the US version of “The Voice” gave him the opportunity to reveal a “sneek-peek” of the “Boyfriend” video to a massive television audience [predominantly 18-49 years age group] in order to build the hype around the video’s full release.
The video has finally been released to MTV, and “Girlfriend” has moved back up to Number Four on the Hot 100 singles chart. This is the power of marketing.
At this time, it’s all about Justin Bieber finding [and keeping] a new audience. We all know about the horror stories of Leif Garrett and [to an extent] Britney Spears, and the extreme difficulties at play in recreating a child music star into an adult entertainer. I’m particularly interested to watch as to how Bieber’s management handle the situation.
Thus far, we have witnessed snippets of this much-anticipated “transformation”. Bieber’s 2011 CD release “Under The Mistletoe” featured some songs in the talk-rap vein, and Justin has subtly changed his clothing & famous hairstyle to resemble a successful [and wealthy] young adult decked out in the latest “funky” gear.
The “music” and the “look” are progressing well, but what about the “music video”?
The enormous popularity of YouTube has made the concept of the music video very, very important once again. We have essentially gone full circle back to the 1st half of the 1980’s, to the extent that the quality/ aura of an accompanying music video can make-or-break the success of a song. With this event in mind, why has Bieber’s latest single “Boyfriend” been released without an accompanying music video?
It’s all in the timing of the release of the music video…
The release of “Boyfriend” is essentially the most important step in the successful transformation of Justin Bieber’s career. The accompanying music video needs to be seen as an “event”, in order for Bieber’s audience to expand. This is a risky approach to take, however the concept of “playing safe” spells career death.
“Boyfriend” peaked at Number Two on the Billboard Hot 100 sans music video, however the song progressively dropped to Number Five after the initial rush of Bieber’s loyal fan base ceased buying the single. Bieber’s recent appearance on the US version of “The Voice” gave him the opportunity to reveal a “sneek-peek” of the “Boyfriend” video to a massive television audience [predominantly 18-49 years age group] in order to build the hype around the video’s full release.
The video has finally been released to MTV, and “Girlfriend” has moved back up to Number Four on the Hot 100 singles chart. This is the power of marketing.
At this time, it’s all about Justin Bieber finding [and keeping] a new audience. We all know about the horror stories of Leif Garrett and [to an extent] Britney Spears, and the extreme difficulties at play in recreating a child music star into an adult entertainer. I’m particularly interested to watch as to how Bieber’s management handle the situation.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
GOTYE – AUSTRALIA’S MOST UNLIKELY GLOBAL CHART-TOPPER
Belgium-born and Australian citizen Gotye [real name: Wally De Bakker] reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 last week with his single “Somebody That I Used To Know” [featuring New Zealand solo artist Kimbra]. Gotye is now part of a select club of Australian artists [Helen Reddy, Olivia Newton-John, Rick Springfield, Men At Work, INXS and Savage Garden] who can proudly claim to have held the Number One single in the USA for at least 1 week.
This is an incredible feat; let’s have a look at some of the compelling statistics generated by Gotye’s seminal song:
• The single sold 500,000 copies in the USA alone last week
• Sales of the single have now reached 5,000,000 worldwide
• Asides from the USA, the single has reached the Number One position in another 32 countries
• The accompanying CD “Making Mirrors” is presently sitting in the USA Top Ten CD Chart
• “Making Mirrors” has sold 1,000,000 units worldwide.
“Somebody That I Used To Know” is a catchy pop song [albeit sounding very much like Peter Gabriel], however the most interesting aspect of the single’s global success revolves around why it has been so successful. The accompanying music video is quite unique, with records indicating that it is one of the most viewed music videos on You Tube at this time. One feels that the concept of this music video has been the catalyst for Goyte’s massive popularity presently in play. In a sense, Goyte’s success in Australia [the song was Number One for 8 weeks during 2011] has “gone viral” and spread to the rest of the world.
Goyte’s European heritage has also been of benefit in helping break the song in the United Kingdom and the Continent, where it has enjoyed much success. This being said, all roads lead to the USA, and “Somebody That I Used To Know” made steady progress up the USA Charts during the initial months of 2012 to reach the Top Ten in early April. On the back of some strategic marketing moves [the song was recently featured in an episode of “Glee” and Goyte performed the song on “Saturday Night Live” earlier this month], Australia is now enjoying the success of its most unlikely global music superstar.
So where to now for Goyte? His music can be described as “experimental” pop at best, thus we may be looking at another One Hit Wonder. Let’s hope that Goyte enjoys the financial benefit of writing & performing a monster hit single, whilst being allowed to progress as a musician on his own terms.
This is an incredible feat; let’s have a look at some of the compelling statistics generated by Gotye’s seminal song:
• The single sold 500,000 copies in the USA alone last week
• Sales of the single have now reached 5,000,000 worldwide
• Asides from the USA, the single has reached the Number One position in another 32 countries
• The accompanying CD “Making Mirrors” is presently sitting in the USA Top Ten CD Chart
• “Making Mirrors” has sold 1,000,000 units worldwide.
“Somebody That I Used To Know” is a catchy pop song [albeit sounding very much like Peter Gabriel], however the most interesting aspect of the single’s global success revolves around why it has been so successful. The accompanying music video is quite unique, with records indicating that it is one of the most viewed music videos on You Tube at this time. One feels that the concept of this music video has been the catalyst for Goyte’s massive popularity presently in play. In a sense, Goyte’s success in Australia [the song was Number One for 8 weeks during 2011] has “gone viral” and spread to the rest of the world.
Goyte’s European heritage has also been of benefit in helping break the song in the United Kingdom and the Continent, where it has enjoyed much success. This being said, all roads lead to the USA, and “Somebody That I Used To Know” made steady progress up the USA Charts during the initial months of 2012 to reach the Top Ten in early April. On the back of some strategic marketing moves [the song was recently featured in an episode of “Glee” and Goyte performed the song on “Saturday Night Live” earlier this month], Australia is now enjoying the success of its most unlikely global music superstar.
So where to now for Goyte? His music can be described as “experimental” pop at best, thus we may be looking at another One Hit Wonder. Let’s hope that Goyte enjoys the financial benefit of writing & performing a monster hit single, whilst being allowed to progress as a musician on his own terms.
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