Amplifier NZ Music News

Official NZ Music Month Summit 2013

The NZ Music Managers Forum and the NZ Music Commission are proud to announce the return of The Official 2013 Music Month Summit on May 25th. The theme for this year’s summit is “Your Music As A Business”.
The Official NZ Music Month Summit Q Theatre, 305 Queen Street, Auckland Saturday May 25th 10am to 5pm.
The Summit is a FREE day of seminars featuring musicians, music industry specialists and traditional business practitioners who discuss and explain the behind the scenes intricacies of the New Zealand music industry and how you should look at treating your music as a business.

SEMINAR ONE - Your band as a brand
10.00am - 11.00am
How and where bands promote and distribute their music has evolved from the traditional, resulting in a need for a change in their approach to marketing. We ask why branding has become so important and challenge the thinking... if it's all about the music, is branding a band selling out?
In this seminar you will hear from experts who will give their thoughts on why considered marketing and appropriate branding is so important to the success of the music reaching it's audience.
Speakers: Mikee Tucker - LOOP (Fly My Pretties, Tommy Ill, AHoriBuzz), Ninakaye Taane-Tinorau - Tikidub Productions (Tiki Taane), Phil Bell - Mai FM, Pete Dick - Beck's.

SEMINAR TWO - Radio & the online world
11.30am - 12.30pm
With the changing music landscape and how people listen to music, we discuss how radio is still an important part of a band's branding strategy and marketing process. Does the public still listen to radio for the music?
Is it radio or online platforms that have contributed to the rise in single sales? This seminar looks at what the impact of online platforms has had on bands' approach to marketing.
Speakers: Chris Caddick - RIANZ, Scott Maclachlan - Universal Music, David Brice - The Radio Network, Brendan Smyth - NZ On Air.

SEMINAR THREE - International Trade Fairs
1.30pm - 2.30pm
International Trade Fairs - How important are they to your international business?
A panel of music industry professionals who have attended a variety of international trade fairs, discuss the pros' and con's of bands or managers attending: WOMEX, AWME, MIDEM, SXSW, Canadian Music Week, CMJ, Big Sound, The Great Escape, Reeperbaan, Muse Expo.
Speakers: Matt Coleman - Let The People Speak Management (Jupiter Project, Artisan Guns, Midnight Youth, Avalanche City, Tom Lark, Titanium, Sound The Ocean, Massad), Janette Searle - The Playground (Sola Rosa, Kara Gordon, Anna Coddington, Ash Graham), Ben Howe - Arch Hill, Flying Nun & Laneway, Alan Holt - NZ Music Commission.

SEMINAR FOUR - Be your own record company
3.00pm - 4.00pm
Traditionally releasing an album was left up to the major labels and intrepid independents. However there are many bands that have successfully self-released albums to extremely high chart debuts and critical acclaim.
In this seminar our panel will talk about putting together an album release strategy, giving you insight into the tools needed to self release your album and how to do it successfully.
Speakers: Ben Howe - Arch Hill, Flying Nun & Laneway, Janine Russell - Noise PR (Beastwars, Iva Lamkum, Clap Clap Riot, Tama Waipara), Kimi Coleman - Let The People Speak Management (Jupiter Project, Artisan Guns, Midnight Youth, Avalanche City, Tom Lark, Titanium, Sound The Ocean, Massad), Tana Tupai - Self-Managed Artist (Tomorrow People).

ONE ON ONE SPEED NETWORKING
For members of the Music Managers' Forum each seminar will be followed by the highly successful speed networking sessions, where members get the exclusive opportunity to speak one on one with a range of the day's speakers. If you are not yet a member but would like to take part in these mentoring sessions, you can become a member via www.mmf.co.nz prior to the day.

For more information, visit www.mmf.co.nz

95bFM Present Fancy New Band Showcase

95bFM have announced the line-up for the 7th annual Fancy New Band Showcase, an event which is usually a pretty decent indicator for talent. This year, the event takes place Friday May 31st at the Kings Arms in Auckland, and features 6 young artists.
DOPRAH is the new project from Steven Marr (frontman of Ipswich), featuring trip-hop beats, floating ethereal vocals courtesy of Christchurch-based Marr and Auckland singer-songwriter Indi Force, and a dash of XX-like guitars. A debut album Wasting is in the works and babies are guaranteed be made to that soundtrack. Listen: "Whatever You Want" http://doprah.bandcamp.com/track/whatever-you-want SALAD BOYS also hail from Christchurch, comprised of members from T54, Bang! Bang! Eche! and the Dance Asthmatics. Fuzzy guitars, concise melodies, and an aesthetic most will recognize as "The Dunedin Sound" are hallmarks of this trio. They've recently opened for both David Kilgour and The Bats and are ready to turn the Kings Arms into a dreamy summer party for you. Listen: "Dream Date" http://saladboys.bandcamp.com/track/dream-date LTTLE PHNX - pronounced "little phoenix" - is Auckland's Lucy Beeler, commandeer of keyboards, dance moves, and sonically complex lovelorn songs. Drum loops, long synth chords, and bass tones will reverberate in your brain for days after her live set. Lttle phnx's debut album D'Esprit Luvrs is out now on Crystal Magic. Listen: "Infinity Kiss" http://crystalmagic.bandcamp.com/track/infinity-kiss BLOODBAGS are four dudes and they all stand over six feet. Select members from Bloody Souls and Dirtbags have combined here to produce a super-tall, super-loud, garage-punk experience for the ages. MUIRS is one of the latest experimental hip-hop, ambient beatmakers to emerge from the Kerosene Comic Book Collective (also home to Totems, Race Banyon, Career Girls, and more). Trap music is Muirs' wheelhouse, which he creates live with an Ableton/MPD setup. His latest body of work, TRAP CHAPEL, was released in March. Listen: "Treats In The Trapel" https://soundcloud.com/muirs-kcb Auckland five-piece TRUST PUNKS rose from the ashes of Cool Cult and Grass Cannons to sit pretty in the bFM Top Ten with their first single, "Amphetamine Psychosis" - a tightly-wound, dischordant track with blistering guitar and relentless drums. It's all topped off with surprisingly rich three- and four-part harmonies that are anything but predictable for a garage-indie outfit like this. Listen: "Amphetamine Psychosis" http://trustpunks.bandcamp.com/
95bFM PRESENTS THE FANCY NEW BAND SHOWCASE FRIDAY, 31st MAY at the KINGS ARMS Thanks to Coopers & TheAudience.co.nz.

Kiwi Music Video Game Launches

An innovative new digital tool is being used to promote Kiwi music during New Zealand Music Month this year. Indie Music Manager is an online and iPhone game which puts the fate of real Kiwi musicians in your hands. In a first for New Zealand music, players can experience the highs and lows of the music industry in a video game while promoting local music.
Players manage Kiwi acts Tiki Taane, I Am Giant, Street Chant or Princess Chelsea, choosing where to tour, which producer to work with and how to best hype their artists. Scandals must be managed and egos soothed, all the while listening to your artist's streaming music.
The game is available on the Apple AppStore or online at www.indiemusicmanager.com.
"I never thought I'd become a character in a video game so for me it's a real buzz," says Tiki Taane. "It's a new way to explore homegrown music and try your hand at managing an artist through all the challenges that the rock'n'roll scene presents. It was really cool to see the game progress and have an input to some of the game's creative."
Ben Howe, Chairman of Independent Music NZ and a NZ Music Commission Board Member, was part of the design team. "It is great to see the gaming industry and the music industry collaborating on this project. With the music industry changing so quickly and grappling with digital sales, this is a very forward thinking project," he says.
The game was funded through NZ On Air's digital funding. "Indie Music Manager breaks new ground for us," says NZ On Air Chief Executive, Jane Wrightson. "A game is an innovative way to support New Zealand music, engage new audiences and promote music discovery."
Stephen Knightly from InGame says anyone can play the game - as long as they're a fan of Kiwi music. "To succeed in the game you have to know your musicians inside out and make the right choices for them. The best producer, crew or venue for Tiki Taane might not suit a hardcore act like Street Chant.
"If people like what they hear, they can download the tracks from iTunes. We hope players will discover new acts to follow and help New Zealand music reach new audiences."
The game features 28 music tracks and 10 unique recording studios, venues, producers and roadies, all with their own strengths and weaknesses. Managers can hype their acts with publicity and PR, make cash from merchandising and licensing, and book support acts. Additional acts will be added to the game later in the year.
The game was developed by InGame and Tim Thorpe Consulting with art by Images & Sound.

Tommy Ill Releases New Album For Free Download

Wellington based rapper Tommy Ill has just released his new album, the brilliantly titled Fearless Bueller, the follow-up to his 2012 album New Hat and a Haircut. The album is avaliable for download for free from his Bandcamp page, tommyill.bandcamp.com.
The album is a follow-up to the Iron Gosling EP he released in June last year, which featured samples from the likes of Kimbra, Metronomy, and Carly-Rae Jepsen. Fearless Bueller follows suit with samples from Moby, Tame Impala and more. Tommy Ill will be supporting the new album with a series of parties nationwide.
Friday 17th May -Dux Live w/ Yvnalesca, Christchurch Saturday 18th May - Kings Arms w/ Suren Unka and Xuri Xruz, Auckland Friday 24th May - Puppies w/ Eyeliner and DJ Race Banyon, Wellington
Tickets on sale now from Under the Radar. Fearless Bueller is avaliable now at tommyill.bandcamp.com.

Smokefreerockquest Celebrates 25 Years of Music Success

The Amazing Black Fire and Oh Blok could be the hottest new sounds on the kiwi music scene if they hit the big time via the time-honoured pathway of Smokefreerockquest.
Now in its 25th year, New Zealand's only nationwide, live, all original, youth, music competition is about to kick off in Nelson, with the heats scheduled for 7pm, Saturday 11 May at the Theatre Royal.
Around 700 entries are expected to go through regional heats and finals in 23 towns from Invercargill to Whangarei. Founder and Director Glenn Common says while much has changed in the 25 years that SFRQ has been running, there are some things that remain the same:
"The enthusiasm of young people for their music, and the way they respond to having a platform to perform to their peers is one of the constants," he says. "These days they can put their video clips up on YouTube, but that hasn't taken the thrill out of getting up on stage in front of a real live crowd."
The Nelson bands currently entered to perform at the Theatre Royal on Saturday are:
Harrison Ford - Nayland College Laura Hammond -Waimea College Danaan Hunter-Brown - Garin College Lucia - Garin College Livvy and Anna -Garin College Element 6 - Waimea College The Black Spots -Garin College, Golden Bay High School, Nelson College For Girls Paper City - Nayland College, Garin College, Nelson College Third Wheel - Nelson College For Girls, Nayland College, Nelson College Oh Blok - Garin College The Amazing Black Fire - Waimea College Hypnotize - Nayland College Kinetic Anthem - Nayland College Laura-mae - Nelson College For Girls One Notch Higher - Broadgreen Int, Nayland Coll, Nelson Coll, Nelson Coll For Girls
This year there are separate categories for solo/duo acts and bands. The top two solo/duos will be announced at the heats. They will play off at the regional finals and will both go into the judging pool for the national final.
"We'll have regional winners in the solo/duo section and the band section, and the same at the national final," Glenn explains. "There will be more winners and more prizes and it means neither category will feel overlooked."
Glenn says this change has been made in response to comments from entrants and teachers, and brings SFRQ more in line with NCEA assessments where bands are assessed separately.
The regional events run every weekend until 13 July, then the top regional bands and solo/duos submit videos for selection as national finalists. Smokefreerockquest, powered by Rockshop, has national winners' prize packages for bands and the solo/duo winners, that include musical gear to a total value of $13,000 from NZ Rockshops and their suppliers, inclusion on the NZ On Air Kiwi Hit Disc, radio promotional support, and video play on youth music channel FOUR. There is also the MAINZ Scholarship for outstanding musicianship, the APRA Lyric Award, the Lowdown Best Song Award, the Smokefree Women's Musicianship Award and the Skinny People's Choice voted by text with the opportunity to open the SFRQ National final.
More info at http://www.sfrq.co.nz

The Veils Announce NZ Tour

The Rhythm Group in association with Jägermeister are thrilled to announce The Veils will be touring New Zealand this July.
Friday 19th July - Sammy's Dunedin Saturday 20th July - Dux Live, Christchurch Friday 26th July - Bodega, Wellington Saturday 27th July - Studio, Auckland Hot off the release of their highly anticipated fourth LP Time Stays, We Go - The Veils bring their exhilarating craftsmanship and fearless live performance to New Zealanders once again.
Time Stays, We Go is the The Veils at the pinnacle of creative prowess, instantly dazzling in New Zealand, already racking up significant radio play and critical acclaim.
Time Stays, We Go is excellent, one of the best local act albums so far this year: evocative, intelligent, brim full of melodies, atmospherics and excellent performances" - Amanda Mills, NZ Musician. "This album is the best yet, from The Veils. Once played it urges one to give it further spins where more delights unfold. Highly memorable and richly rewarding" - Stephen Scott, Waikato Times/Sunday News. "Every Veils album is a gift" - Nick Atkinson, Radio NZ
Recorded with Devonport charm and London grit in the dark sunshine of Seedy Underbelly studios, Los Angeles, and produced by lead singer/songwriter Finn Andrews and Adam Greenspan.
Time Stays, We Go marks the beginning of a captivating new era for a band already hailed as "The best and most unsettling thing I've seen in music this year" by The LA Times and "Quite possibly the most underrated band on the planet" by NME.
Currently on a 14-date tour of North America, The Veils are ecstatic to be returning to New Zealand after a four year hiatus. "We're all so excited to be able to finally head back home for this tour - I'm going to fashion a raft out of mince and cheese pies and grain waves and float into the middle of the Waitemata Harbour with a great big grin on my face." - Finn Andrews.
The Veils' Time Stays, We Go out now via Rhythmethod.
Tickets on sale now from here at UTR and in-store at Real Groove Auckland, Rough Peel Music and Slowboat in Wellington and Cosmic in Dunedin and Christchurch.

Tiny Ruins Tour Dates

Tiny Ruins have recently released a six-tracker titled Haunts, & we are set to play a number of shows around New Zealand. Some of these places we've never played; some we haven't been to in a while. Please spread the word, invite your friends, & join us at the reputable venues listed below:
NEW ZEALAND TOUR MAY 2013
May Sat 11th, Leigh Sawmill, w/Carnivorous Plant Society, Leigh
May Wed 15th, The Dome Cinema, Gisborne
May Fri 17th, Space Monster, w/Fuyuko's Fables, Whanganui
May Sat 18th, Puppies, w/French For Rabbits, Wellington
May Sun 19th, Major Tom's, w/Luke Thompson, Mount Maunganui
May Wed 22nd, Porthole Bar, w/Marlon Williams, Lyttelton
May Thurs 23rd, The Grainstore, Oamaru
May Fri 24th, Taste Merchants, Radio 1 Presents: 91Club w/A.J. Sharma Dunedin
May Sat 25th, Darkroom, w/Aldous Harding, Christchurch
May Fri 31st, Venue tbc, w/Herriot Row, Raglan
June Sat 1st, The Wine Cellar, w/Emily Edrosa, Auckland
June Sun 2nd, The Wine Cellar, w/Steve Abel, Auckland

Newtown Rocksteady's Goin' Steady EP release tour

April 2013, Wellington: Newtown Rocksteady is releasing its second EP, 'Goin' Steady' this April hot on the heels of their performance at this year's Womad NZ. 'Goin' Steady' was recorded at the Boardroom, an offshoot of Wellington's legendary recording studio, The Surgery in February and March of this year. Recorded live and mixed collaboratively by band members and engineer, Ryan Prebble it documents the band's already well-developed live sound. The EP's title pays homage to the growth of the group, over the last three or four years, into a solid unit and one which looks set to keep rocking steady. Put together thirteen close friends and experienced musicians in a moodily-lit underground bunker with an array of classic microphones and other venerable gear as well as enough brass to keep your grandmother polishing for days on end and you set the stage for a fine musical collaboration. Add to this a lack of time restraints and this band's vast experience performing live together and you see the context in which this album was recorded. From light, up-tempo rocksteady riddims to dark and stormy dub/reggae grooves this album is both history lesson and natural progression. About The Band: Comprised of highly active members of Wellington's vibrant music scene, Newtown Rocksteady has a great depth of experience to call upon. Its members are involved in numerous other groups including The Nudge, Brockaflowersaurus-rex, Roy G and the Bivinators, Fly My Pretties, Bella Cajon, Roseneath Centennial Ragtime Band, Urban Tramper and Zirigidum to name a few. The band has its roots firmly embedded in the traditions of Jamaican rocksteady, ska and reggae music and is further nourished by its connection with its community. Hailing from the Wellington suburb of Newtown, 'Rocksteady' as it is known to many of its fans, began its existence playing at community events and stonking house parties; as such the band is well-versed in the art of getting bodies on the dance floor. Following recent performances at this year's Newtown Festival, Marchfest Nelson and Womad NZ the band will be touring to promote its new EP this April and May. The shows kick off with an EP release party on April 26th at San Francisco Bath House, Wellington and continue with gigs in New Plymouth, Raglan and Leigh on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of May respectively. Copies of their EP will be available at all their live performances, at selected retail outlets and online from bandcamp.com and amplifier.co.nz. A full list of upcoming performances is available at myspace.com/newtownrocksteady/shows. Tour Dates 26th April San Francisco Bathouse, Wellington 2nd May The Mayfair, New Plymouth 3rd May The Yot Club, Raglan 4th May Leigh Sawmill, Leigh

In Memory of Dave McArtney

Dave McArtney, founding member of iconic New Zealand band Hello Sailor, passed away last night.
McArtney formed the group in 1975 in collaboration with guitarist-vocalist Harry Lyon and harmonica-playing frontman Graham Brazier.
Hello Sailor were responsible for such Top 10 hits as 'Blue Lady', 'Gutter Black', 'Latin Lover' and 'Lying in the Sand'. Their career spanned 40 years.
McArtney also formed The Pink Flamingos sone time after Hello Sailor, and worked as a tutor at the music teaching institute MAINZ for the last ten years.
He is survived by two adult children.

Big Day Out Returns to Auckland

What makes a great music festival?
It's the magical mix of tribes that come together - music fans united, a line-up of superstar acts and must-see newcomers, art, culture, performance, entertainment and a sense of celebration.
The team had been bringing the Big Day Out to New Zealand for 18 years. When it hit its straps, there was no denying it was a great music festival. And no denying we all missed it in 2013.
"We strongly felt that there was real desire for the event to return to Auckland," says Auckland BDO promoter Campbell Smith.
"And more than anything else that really whet the appetite. We became determined that if we could, we should bring it back. We have spent the summer working with the Australian Big Day Out team and American partners, C3, the promoters of other major festivals including Lollapolooza, on a plan to bring the BDO back to life in New Zealand."
But this is not a resurrection. This is a brand new day. A new event for Auckland.
In January 2014 Auckland will host a multi-stage music, art and culture event created and curated specifically for its New Zealand audience. It will have its connections to the event happening over the Tasman, but it won't be the same and it will have its links to the past, yet it will be different.
This will be something fresh and new. Something better. But it can't be called anything else other than a Big Day Out because that is exactly what it will be. It will be Big Day Out NZ.
Try this for size:
An event produced to the highest contemporary standards - unmatched in New Zealand.
A line-up topped by some of the biggest international and local names in rock, pop, alternative, hip hop and dance music.
A broader presentation of New Zealand art and culture.
A new home - the team want the Big Day Out NZ in a venue that brings a completely new vibe, creating a brilliant new environment for the enjoyment and spectacle of the country's greatest festival. The team want that home to be Western Springs Stadium and Park.
Mayor Len Brown says he would be thrilled to welcome a Big Day Out NZ back to Auckland. "Any world class city has a constellation of events to cater for the tastes of all of its residents - young and not so young. Returning a Big Day Out to our calendar in 2014 would fill a huge hole and the proposed relocation to Western Springs would bring this significant music and culture event right into the city for residents and the thousands of visitors it draws to Auckland."
It's back. Fresh. The Big Day Out NZ: Auckland, January 2014.