Australia’s music industry has united to campaign for a new policy ensuring major international tours feature local artists as support acts to help bolster the ailing live music sector.
Over the past 12 months, international superstars such as Taylor Swift, SZA, Blink 182, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and Pearl Jam have all toured Australia and brought overseas support acts rather than booking local bands.
Taylor Swift invited label mate and compatriot Sabrina Carpenter to open for her on her most recent tour to Australia.Credit: Getty Images
Ensuring local support acts was once a widely accepted industry practice after lobbying by artist managers in the 2000s, however, it was never made official and has increasingly been overlooked – particularly as Australia’s live music sector has become dominated by international touring companies.
The renewed push is being led by the Association of Artist Managers and is named Michael’s Rule in honour of Michael McMartin, the late artist manager of the Hoodoo Gurus and one of the key figures responsible for creating the original agreement.
“It was previously a self-regulated code of conduct,” says Maggie Collins, executive director of the Association of Artist Managers. “Michael was a big part of making that happen. Everyone respected it, but my understanding is that it wasn’t governed in any way.”
The association is calling for promoters to work with the industry to devise a voluntary code of conduct. If they do not engage in that process, the association will ask the federal government to intervene.
“Visa requirements are one idea we have had; international touring artists can only be issued visas if they comply with Michael’s Rule,” explains Collins. “We’ve also discussed quota systems for tours, similar to what exists for local TV and radio, so international acts have to meet a local quota.”
Minister for the Arts Tony Burke is reluctant to add another layer of regulation .
In response to questions over whether the government would become involved in an official capacity, federal Arts Minister Tony Burke told this masthead: “The government doesn’t want to have to add another layer of regulation here; it shouldn’t be too much to ask that there be an Australian support act.”
“The best outcome would be for all visiting artists to make this gesture to show respect for the high quality of the Australian music industry.”
Industry veteran John Watson, whose management company represents Birds of Tokyo, Gotye, Midnight Oil and Missy Higgins, believes the market dominance of foreign-backed tour companies makes local tour slots harder to come by as support acts become part of a global strategy.
Live Nation brought Pink’s Summer Carnival tour to Australia this year, on what it claims was the biggest tour by a female artist (selling more tickets even than Taylor Swift, albeit over many more shows).Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
“Tours have become increasingly bundled up internationally, and many promoters have global ownership,” says Watson. “So deals are done with global booking agencies, you get two acts from the same stable, with no consideration of the local market.”
The three dominant forces in Australian live music are Live Nation, whose third-biggest shareholder is Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, TEG (owned by US private equity firm Silver Lake) and AEG, another US-based touring company.
Frontier, which operates in a strategic partnership with AEG, was responsible for this year’s record-breaking Taylor Swift tour, which featured Swift’s labelmate, US pop star Sabrina Carpenter, as support. When Live Nation toured Pink this year, Australian artist Tones and I joined her sold-out Summer Carnival tour.
In a statement provided to this masthead, Mark Vaughan, senior vice president, touring, at Live Nation Australia, said: “Live Nation is dedicated to supporting local artists and looks forward to working with the AAM and the wider industry on any measures to promote and nurture our home-grown heroes.”
The Association of Artist Managers argues that Michael’s Rule won’t prevent artists and tour companies from using international support acts but is a “modest and simple step” to boost Australian live music.
“Harry Styles can bring Wet Leg, Swift can bring Sabrina Carpenter, but let’s also add an Australian act at the start of the night,” explains Collins.
Last year, the Foo Fighters toured Australia, joined by UK outfit Hot Milk, but each city featured a different Australian band. Canberra rockers Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers were tapped to join the Melbourne leg of the tour, an experience that had a tangible impact on the band.
“The publicity alone was insane; having our name on that poster boosted our Instagram followers and Spotify listeners and made the media want to talk to us,” explains guitarist Scarlett McKahey.
“Plus, we were introduced to a new audience, and our fee per show increased from playing that gig, so we’re making more on royalties.”
Find more of the author’s work here. Email him at thomas.mitchell@smh.com.au or follow him on Instagram at @thomasalexandermitchell and on Twitter @_thmitchell.
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