2011: The Year In News Pt 2

In the second installment of our two-part news wrap, we countdown the final six months of 2011, which saw Royal Headache get a bad review, among other significant events. Part one here.

July

[Historical image is withheld pending rights review.] Hottest 100 Australian Albums: Triple J Listeners proved that they had short memories and a preference for meat’n’potatoes rock when the station announced its hottest 100 Australian albums of all time. Powderfinger’s Odyssey Number Five took out the title, followed by silverchair’s Frogstomp and AC/DC’s Back In Black. The bankable likes of Crowded House and INXS filled out the list, along with recent triple j-sponsored success stories such as Hilltop Hoods, Gypsy and the Cat, and Art Vs Science. Strangely, Tasmanian black metal icon Striborg was nowhere to be seen. We ask what it all means.

New York Dolls tour up in smoke: The New York Dolls announce their return to Australia for a New York-themed festival called The Boroughs and a bunch of clandestine cigarette trade shows. When they accidentally post the dates on their website, all hell breaks loose and the promoters go to ground. The dates are eventually re-posted sans the trade events, of course.

[Historical image is withheld pending rights review.]

Mixed fortunes for record stores: Owner of Brisbane’s Rocking Horse Records announces it’ll stay open for the “foreseeable future”, despite reports it was set to shut imminently. Meanwhile, the future of Melbourne’s Missing Link doesn’t look promising following the departure of a long-time employee. M+N contributor Matt Shea asks whether there’s a future for music retail.

The Abercrombie resurrected: Sydney’s The Abercrombie, closed for redevelopment in 2010 by proprietors Frasiers Property, is set to be reopened after only “minor” renovations. The venue has hosted club nights and band nights in the past, but its future as a venue is unclear.

One Movement stiffs: Perth’s annual One Movement festival failed to make it three in a row after Chugg Entertainment and Sunset Events cancelled, citing multi-million dollar losses and a lack of commercial sustainability.

Middle East’s last waltz at Splendour: Townsville’s greatest ever folk-rock band split on stage at Splendour In The Grass. They issue a statement a few days later saying if they continued it’d be nothing more than a “money grab”. M+N writer Matt Shea pays tribute.

Wolfmother singer’s karaoke meltdown: Andrew Stockdale is fined $350 by a Brisbane court following a boozy night during which he reportedly bum-rushed the stage during a cover band’s performance of ‘Let It Be’.

August

[Historical image is withheld pending rights review.] Gotye ... kapow!: Gotye reveals to M+N how he felt deflated after penning 'Somebody That I Used To Know’, his first number one hit. When his album, Making Mirrors, goes #1 as well, he admits to being “overwhelmed”, “stunned”, “frightened” and “terrified”. Cue an endorsement from none other than Katy Perry.

Live music more popular than footy: The first comprehensive report into the contribution of the Victorian venue-based live music sector is launched at The Tote. Among other things, it reveals that from 2009-2010, Victorian venues hosted 5.4 million punters, compared to 4.3 million attendances at AFL games. Label boss and musician Andrew Keese writes an explosive op-ed in response, arguing that musicians are being exploited by the industry.

Soundwave Revolution cancelled: Three months out from the event, Soundwave Revolution is cancelled. No official explanation is given, but M+N categorically had nothing to do with it.

In memoriam: Melbourne musician Shane Walsh (Honeymoon In Green, Tex, Don and Charlie) dies tragically. Cold Chisel’s Don Walker, a former bandmate, pays tribute.

Another hair-raising moment: The cover of Fabulous Diamonds’ 2008 album 7 Songs is used without permission once again in ad for a Sydney hair removal business.

Other Tongues folds: “Irreconcilable” differences between business partners brings to an end the two-year reign of Sydney-based music company Other Tongues.

Tone dead: Gentrification claims another scalp with Surry Hills venue Tone forced to vacate its warehouse premises to make way, allegedly for a themed restaurant. On the plus side, Tone’s owners use the announcement as an opportunity to crack some truly average puns.

Upward trajectories: Australia’s new breed of chart-friendly guitar pop made significant gains internationally, with Little Red inking a US deal with New York indie True Panther, Cloud Control hooking up with Warner/Atlantic front Turnout, and The Jezabels agreeing terms with New York indie Mom+Pop. Bleeding Knees Club continue their remarkable run of form by signing with annoyingly-named indie IAMSOUND Records, while Hungry Kids of Hungary open up a new frontier by joining forces with Rough Trade Benelux.

Unearthed station launched: Our national youth broadcaster launches a digital station, which will broadcast unsigned and independent local music 24/7 in five capital cities and online. The station goes live in October.

September

Raggamuffin ragga-cancelled: “Australia’s favourite reggae festival” fails to show up to its own fifth birthday, after disappointing ticket pre-sales. The decision, by promoter Andrew McManus, seems to confirm that a) Australians don’t like that reggae that much, and b) Australia has waaaay too many festivals.

Pizza before rock: The Drones’ Gareth Liddiard tells M+N he’ll think about writing a new Drones album once he finishes building a pizza oven. Meanwhile, The Drones prove they’ve still got it, selling out three Corner Hotel shows in Melbourne.

[Historical image is withheld pending rights review.]

Goodgod going strong: In a rare piece of positive venue news, Sydney’s Goodgod Small Club celebrates not only surviving but thriving in its new premises with a 1st birthday bacchanal. Belles Will Ring, Twerps and Oscar + Martin are among the performers.

Missing Link Closes: In sad, but fairly unsurprising news, the owner of long-running Melbourne record store Missing Link announces plans to cease trading. However, the store is to continue under the management of Collector’s Corner at a new location, which turns out to be 50 metres down the street.

Stepinn for sale: After changing hands in August, Fortitude Valley’s Stepinn is once again put up for grabs. While the new owners have voiced their commitment to live music, licencing issues and the uncertainty inherent in such situations means that anything is possible.

The Public Bar closes: Coming off the loss of the Arthouse, North Melbourne loses another venue with the announcement of the Public Bar’s closure.

Royal Headache get a bad review: The Shame Cauldron ignites when much loved, much hyped Sydney four-piece Royal Headache are described as being symbolic of “a movement with a message, and a rather mundane one at that.” The album ends up placing first and second in our Readers and Critics poll, respectively. (See below)

The state of live music: Accounting firm Ernst & Young submits a report on the state of live music in Victoria. The report mostly confirmed what was already known; a) a lot of people see live music, b) there’s not much trouble, but c) pokies are more profitable and d) musicians get paid bugger-all. What was surprising was the declaration that live music contributes $1.2 billion to the Australian economy, while providing 14,800 full-time jobs.

In memoriam: Ballarat icon Patrick John O’Driscoll (aka “Paddy-O”) passes away suddenly, aged 39. M+N contributor Nick Argyriou writes a moving tribute.

Big news at BIGSOUND: Creation Records founder Alan McGee causes a media stir and raises the ire of promoter Michael Chugg for a provocative keynote address that reverberates around the world. The conference also sees the Brisbane debut of M+N’s Lunchbox series, while we cover the whole thing using nothing but graphs and pie charts.

October

Pinching a loaf: Ageing burlesque-rocker Meat Loaf stuns attendees of the 2011 AFL Grand Final with a spot-on impersonation of a career going down the gurgler, reportedly receiving $500,000 for his troubles. AFL chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan labels the piece “so bad it was almost good”, comparing it to Angry Anderson’s Batmobile catastrophe. Meat Loaf calls the AFL “jerks”.

Phoenix rises: A long-standing anomaly is corrected with the demise of the decidedly average Spot and the rise of the Phoenix Public House. The refurbishment provides the otherwise well-stocked Sydney Road with its only dedicated band room.

The Prince in peril: St Kilda live institution the Prince of Wales is bought by a gastro-pub consortium, and long-time employee and current bandroom booker Steve Kingi flies the coop a month later. Though it looks like the writing’s on the wall for the iconic venue, the Melbourne Pub Group consortium then hire Jamie Bennett of Adelaide’s Rocket Bar as their new booker, before further proving their commitment to live music by confirming the return of live music to the front bar.

Stonefest turns over new leaf: In a remarkable move, Canberra’s long-running Stonefest decides to ditch its entire line-up and start again. With the rock-centric likes of Jebediah, The Grates and The Vines failing to excite discerning Canberrans, organisers of the 43-year-old festival try again with a more hip-hop and beats-oriented line-up of Aston Shuffle, Illy and Flight Facilities.

Barnsey hates triple j: In his first ever interview with M+N, Cold Chisel’s Jimmy Barnes lambasts triple j for not supporting them since the Double J days of the mid- to late-1970s. Thank God for Austereo.

The Jezabels exhibition: After a wild year or so of existence, The Jezabels look back with a retrospective of Christopher Doyle’s artwork and photography for the band. The exhibition features artwork from their album Prisoner and all three EPs.

Kylie and The Wiggles inducted into Hall Of Fame: Following 2010’s cred-heavy inductees The Church, The Models and The Loved Ones, ARIA goes down a more populist path in 2011 with the induction of Kylie Minogue and The Wiggles.

Melbourne Festival: A varied, but decidedly international contemporary music program occupies The Forum and other venues for the month of October. The likes of Mono, Black Dice and Okkervil River offer up quality performances, but someone fails to find Jello Biafra’s “off” button. (Photo by Leah Robertson)

[Historical image is withheld pending rights review.]

November

Festival delights music fans and queue aficionados: AJ Maddah’s boutique indie festival Harvest kicked off with great bands, some spellbinding performances by the likes of Portishead and TV On The Radio and a whole lotta teething problems. While the sites in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane were well-chosen, logistical dramas stalked the festival up the east coast, as transport arrangements, drink shortages and the much-maligned coupon system raised the ire of punters. (Photo by Greg Bricknell)

[Historical image is withheld pending rights review.]

BDO split: Vivien Lees ends one of Australian music’s longest-running partnerships when he announces he is stepping down as co-producer of the Big Day Out, just shy of the event’s 20th birthday. Lees cited a desire to pursue other interests and to spend more time with his family as his motivation.

Tim Rogers’ journo smackdown: A Townsville Bulletin journalist has a whinge about a You Am I gig, prompting a typically self-effacing response from Tim Rogers, which is published as a letter-to-the-editor.

Failure to launch: Canberra’s Mission To Launch lands in the great festival wastepaper bin just over a month out from its inaugural event. Apparently, it is not market saturation or a lame line-up that doomed the festival, but the GFC.

Triple J vets depart: Rosie Beaton relinquishes her role as host of Super Request after a “decade of talking to stoned blokes asking for Tool”; while Andrew “Haugy” Haug, long-running host of metal show The Racket, departs as well.

Hi-Fi comes to Sydney: After opening in Brisbane a couple years back, The Hi-Fi announces its expansion to Sydney. The venue will be housed at the Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park, the site of the now defunct Forum.

ARIA snubs Front End Loader: A fairly uneventful ARIAs – by last year’s standards at least – fires up the shame cauldron when it’s revealed a speech by rock battlers Front End Loader is inexplicably cut out of the telecast. It would’ve surely been a highlight.

[Historical embedded media is withheld pending rights review.] Front End Loader ARIA acceptance speech (courtesy triple j) by Mess+Noise

December

New Beginnings is dead on arrival Though not surprising, the demise of the zombie-themed New Beginnings festival comes as sad news, particularly for the hardcore Vengaboys fans of Australia. Luckily, promoters put on a series of mini festivals in and around Newcastle on January 14, so that fans of Mississippi garage act, Bass Drum of Death, Spice Girls tribute band The Herbs and the rest of the lineup can still get their fix.

Meredith turns 21: Meredith celebrates its 21st in time-honoured fashion; with plenty of smoochin’, groovin’ and imbibin’. Some good bands played, too. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Unknown Mortal Orchestra are among the picks on day one, while Oscar + Martin, Icehouse and the smarmily excellent Dennis Cometti brought smiles through days two and three. We review the festivities in animated GIFs. (Photo by Leah Robertson)

[Historical image is withheld pending rights review.]

Grinding to a halt: Nick Cave shocks 11,000 punters when he calls time on Grinderman – the sleazy rock outfit formed with fellow Bad Seeds Warren Ellis, Martyn Casey and Jim Sclavunos in 2006 – after a typically brutal set on the last night of Meredith. In an interview with M+N sister site FasterLouder, Sclavunos says they wanted to devote more time to primary bread winner The Bad Seeds.

Venue doom and gloom: Despite early reports that it was “business as usual”, bookers of Melbourne’s East Brunswick Club announce the closure of the popular bandroom at the end of summer. Meanwhile, and with developers circling, owners of Sydney’s Annandale launch a buy-a-brick campaign to save their pub.

Good golly, Molly: Former Countdown host and certified Aus music legend Ian “Molly” Meldrum gives everyone a pre-Christmas scare when he falls three metres from a ladder while putting up Christmas lights. While he’s still not out of the woods, there are some encouraging signs when he opens his eyes.

M+N Poll Honours: In the end of year wash-up, Jack Ladder’s ‘Cold Feet’ is the polarising choice for track of the year, while HTRK’s Work (work, work) gets the nod for the critic’s album of the year. Meanwhile, in the all-important reader’s poll (you’re welcome, guys) Royal Headache’s debut album took the lollies. In even more subjective news, we unveil our worst album covers of the year, while clip of the year goes to All India Radio’s ‘Rippled’.

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PART ONE: We look back on the first six months of 2011