Robert Horsfall from leading UK based music and media legal firm Sound Advice provides a dynamic inside view of the Australian music market. It comes after his recent visit to Perth for the One Movement Festival and conference in Australia. Without further ado enjoy the read!

There seems to be some East vs West rivalry in Australia and before setting off for the One Movement Festival my Sydney and Melbourne friends described Perth as “Dullsville,” just as, back in February, they dismissed Darwin as being “Prawn and Porn”. They were wrong on both counts. Both are vibrant cities with fascinating local histories and burgeoning music scenes.

The One Movement Festival was a triumph and everyone who participated in it was glad to be there. Perth can now stand shoulder to shoulder with its East coast neighbours as a city of influence in the music industry. SXSW now has a serious rival in the making.

Perth is an ultra modern city in a physical setting akin to Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town. The work-life balance seems enviable. It’s a cyclist’s and jogger’s paradise and beaches abound. Just 15 miles south is the cool, arty, bohemian world of Fremantle (“Freo”), with its glorious mix of modernity and Victorian and Edwardian architecture.

“You can only get to Perth by flying…”. And that is exactly what 800 delegates from multiple different countries and around 200 non-local bands did. Why? To participate in a triple whammy of events – the AIR’s Independent Times, Musexpo Asia Pacific and a live music festival on the Esplanade overlooking the Swan River.

The dynamic Perth-based David Chitty (at Sunset Events), the City of Perth government, Michael Chugg, Sat Bisla and Saskia Doherty should be loudly applauded for having the vision, energy and balls to bring the global music industry to Perth, for shining bright spotlights on the Australian and Asian music “pools” and for pulling in a great selection of dignitaries from the global music business.

Perth is the most isolated capital city in the world, nearer to Asia than it is to Sydney. It’s perceived to be the “gateway to Asia”. Hence the journey to Perth for the participants from Asia and Africa was an easier one for them than it was for those from the East Coast of Australia and from the USA and Europe.
Australia’s current population of 22 million is expected to double in the next 30 or so years. It’s a bubbling melting pot of cultures. It is rich in natural resources, particularly so in Western Australia. It’s not suffering from the world recession in quite the way we are.

There were three days of panels, workshops, master classes, interviews, showcases, label parties, all sitting alongside two days and nights of music on The Esplanade and more music in the city’s bars and car parks.

On the “talk show” front, we were blessed to have a VIP gathering including familiar faces and voices such as Seymour Stein, David Holmes, Tom Windish and Steve Strange.

From the Australian executive clan we had the likes of Richard Kingsmill (from Triple J radio), tastemaker supreme Richard Moffat, publishing supremos Ian James (Mushroom) and Damian Trotter (Sony ATV), Iain Shedden (journalist), managers such as Bill and Edrei Cullen (Paul Kelly et al) and Ross McPherson (Birds of Tokyo), major label heads Mark Poston (EMI) and Ed St John (Warners), Paul Pittico (Dew Process), Phil Stevens (Jarrah Records), Sebastian Chase (MGM Distribution), David Vodicka (pre-eminent lawyer), Colin Daniels (Inertia), Michael Harrison (Frontier Touring) and industry veterans such as Michael Smellie and Scott Murphy.

There was an equally impressive gathering of speakers and delegates from Thailand, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, South Africa, China, India and Singapore. Many of these territories may well predominantly favour local repertoire and / or may have rampant piracy problems but they are healthy dynamic markets for live shows for international acts and are all embracing new technology with a passion.

Just as keen as Australia is to export its music so too are all these countries. Bands such as Buiret (South Korea), Tigarah (Japan), Pentagram (India), Tata Young (Thailand) and Tookoo (China) all played, won new fans, forged new business relationships and won new recording and live opportunities. Many sung in their local tongues. Tata Young can be compared to Beyonce in her look, style, “polish” and stature, and has sold a staggering 14 million plus albums throughout Asia. Tigarah appointed CAA and has live bookings in Australia for 2010.

Meanwhile, Sound Advice’s very own Joe Echo (Northern Ireland) struck gold: mining an agent (Steve Strange), a publisher (Mushroom), label interest and bookings for Australian festivals for 2010.
This truly was a Global Gathering and just as there is no language barrier to the enjoyment of music there was no language barrier in the sharing of knowledge, insights, tips and in the relaxed networking.
The Australian music sector is in a buoyant, confident and – it would seem – harmonious state right now and that mood spread throughout the conferences and the music festival.

Ralph Simon’s “Parkinsonesque” and enthusiastic grilling of Dianne Warren about the art and craft of songwriting will be forever remembered by all present. She paid homage to Malcolm Gladwell’s “10,000 hours of practice” theory and inspired us all by her (even now) pursuit of perfection. Of course, we all know that “it’s all about the song” but this was a compelling reminder of that and I have urged the organisers to make the interview publicly available, as it should be compulsory listening for all A&R executives, artists and managers.

Perth and Fremantle have a long history of spawning great talent – Bon Scott from AC/DC, the Farris Brothers (INXS), Hoodoo Gurus, The Triffids, Eskimo Joe, John Butler and, most recently, Pendulum, The Waifs and Birds of Tokyo. That list sits nicely alongside Australia’s roll call of iconic stars such as Midnight Oil, Men at Work, Savage Garden, Paul Kelly, Jet, Split Enz, Kylie Minogue, John Farnham, Delta Goodrun, Keith Urban and many more.

Right now, the Australian talent pool is a deep one and rich in minerals – Empire of The Sun, Architecture in Helsinki, The Presets, Daniel Merriweather, Gabriella Cilmi, Cut Copy, The Temper Trap, Wolfmother, The Drones, The Vines and Sneaky Sound System and, as they say, “watch this space” for Hilltop Hoods, Art vs Science, Kate Miller-Heidke, Sarah Blasko, Clare Bowditch, Dan Sultan, Lenka, Little Red, Vanessa Amorosi, Philadelphia Grand Jury, Michael Parisi’s latest discovery, Caterina Torres and many many more.

Moreover, Australians love music wherever it comes from and not just their home grown produce – whether from the USA (Kings of Leon, Jason Mraz, Black Eyed Peas and Pink), Hawaii (Jack Johnson), New Zealand (Crowded House and Santigold), Canada (Diana Krall) and, from the Poms, Robbie Williams, Coldplay and, now, Muse and Mumford & Sons.

Significantly, one of the first overseas promotional commitments Robbie Williams agreed to for his new album was to appear at the forthcoming ARIA Awards in Sydney (26th November). Australia is now a “must go to” part of global touring itineraries: promotion coupled with touring leads to significant sales, sometimes disproportionate to the relatively small population compared to the UK and the USA.
Overall, one was left with a general sense that Australia is in good shape and not troubled in the way the industry is elsewhere. Why is that? Space does not permit a full analysis of this but the following headlines / soundbites will give a flavour of some of Australia’s current USPs/DNA.

All five of the major cities have healthy music sectors, supported by good live music resources, local festivals, free music press, local radio. Put simply, Sydney is the home of the majors, Melbourne the home of the indies but Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide are now on the map too – as are Byron Bay and Darwin.

There is a strong group of independent labels (Inertia, Modular, Remote Control, Liberator / Liberation, Dew Process), either operating in a DIY fashion or partnering up with the majors for distribution/ marketing / finance. Similarly there are strong local publishers such as Mushroom and Albert Music, some of whom are now funding first phase recordings.

The DIY mentality within the artist community is a strong one and it is commendably supported by distribution powerhouses like Shock and MGM. The EP / mini album/ live album are all strong formats. Digital penetration is good.

The indie labels and the DIY mentality are both being fuelled by a realisation / acceptance that the “Big Four” are overloaded with their glut of overseas and domestic rosters – hence, a growing propensity for “Australia – only” record deals with the “Big Four”.

These local dynamics also facilitate low-cost, early phase career development unlike the “chew ‘em up, spit ‘em out” mentality that can prevail in the UK and USA.

The retail sector – compared to the UK and USA at least – is in pretty good shape (both majors and indies) and supermarkets do not dominate. The world economic recession has not impacted too severely on Australia – the consumer dollars still go on records, gigs and festivals. Pricing has held steady – ie music has kept its value.

Government support – national and local – is strong and Export Grants are available to facilitate artists leaving their home shores. Music education has for a long time been a core part of the schooling curriculum.

The climate is a perfect one for music festivals and is more conducive to the open enjoyment of music than the solitary enjoyment in colder climes of computer games! The “Big Day Out” is a perfect “travelling circus”, allowing stellar gatherings of acts to tour a vast continent in a cost effective way. The vineyards are perfect homes for picnics and live music. The “Laneway Festival” tours college campuses: check out the 2010 “early adopters” line-up – www.lanewayfestival.com.au. “Bluesfest” is Australia’s very own Glastonbury (600 artists, 90,000 fans). For the full encyclopaedia of Australian festivals go to www.thebigticket.com.au (many of them are free community festivals but, nevertheless attract good line-ups and gatherings).

Australia has a young population. Sydney has the “pink pound”. Triple J is a national tastemaker / early adopter radio station. The Australian propensity to globetrot opens the mind to “world music” (in its broadest sense). That DNA also has a strong work ethic but one that is combined with a zealous pursuit of the work- life balance.

Local pride supports the local music scene; national pride supports the “making it / made it big” scene but cross-country success is mostly not enough now, and ambition and the pursuit of “acceptance” stimulates acts to have global success.

Music and politics can combine on environmental issues – the live / festival circuit is proud of its “green” credentials. Peter Garrett (ex Midnight Oil) is now Minister of the Environment, Heritage and Arts in the Labour Government. Andrew Farriss (INXS) is an evangelist for aboriginal / indigenous music and issues. Australia had its own “Live Aid” in March 2009 for the Melbourne Bushfire Disaster. Aboriginal music now has its own global superstar in the making in Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. Jessica Mauboy, from Darwin, but half East Timorese / Indonesian, is now a household name in Australia.

AAM (Association of Artist Managers) is helping produce a savvy and entrepreneurial group of managers.
THE early adopter of the 360 model was not, as us Poms think, Sanctuary Music but Michael Gudinski’s Mushroom Music (now in its fourth decade). Other businesses have followed that model such as Paul Pittico’s Dew Process having a sister management company (Secret Service (Powderfinger)) and ownership of the Splendour in the Grass festival.

Record labels are now actively working with the live sector, using innovative ticketing and music-giveaway schemes.

Looking back to my (early) childhood I had two “Guilty Pleasures” in my singles collection –“Two Little Boys” and “I’m Jake the Peg” by a bearded fellow called Rolf Harris (from Perth). Forty or so years on, Australia has spawned two new generations of great artists. Rolf Harris also played the didgeridoo. Gurrumul refuses to play the didgeridoo and is currently taking Continental Europe by storm, further proof of the fact that there are no language or cultural barriers with the enjoyment of music.
Yes, England won The Ashes in 2009. Other Australian sport (such as swimming and athletics) is currently also at a low ebb compared to previous years. Maybe Australia is enjoying its music too much? More seriously, Australia has many reasons to be very proud. And Asia is coming up fast. Are we at a Tipping Point, perhaps?

The facts speak for themselves
ACDC: in February 2010 they will embark on an 18 month world tour, playing to 3 million people. “Back to Black” has now sold in excess of 50 million albums, second only to “Thriller”. In 2008 AC/DC sold more catalogue albums worldwide than…. The Beatles (6 million units).

Kings of Leon: “Only By The Night” has sold 350,000 albums in Australia, compared to its 250,000 in the USA.

Pink: 2006’s “I’m Not Dead” has sold 700,000 albums in Australia. She recently completed a 58 show tour of Australia, playing to 660,000 people and grossing $80 million. Even industry veterans there are still struck dumb by this. “Funhouse” is currently 6 x platinum (420,000).

Jason Mraz: his latest album is approaching 175,000 sales in Australia (compared to 240,000 in the UK). He has toured all 3 album releases and is now seeing the benefit.

The message is clear: ignore Australia at your peril. It’s no coincidence that Pink (from America) is managed by a very astute Australian, Roger Davies.

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Event Report – ‘Live & Kicking’ At OpenMusicMedia (London)
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