New visa costs will hot Australian live sector

The introduction of a new online visa processing system in Australia will act as a “major disincentive” to international acts touring the country, live industry body Live Performance Australia (LPA) has said. LPA’s chief executive, Evelyn Richardson, says the new visa application process – which will do away with the long-standing group discount for touring bands – will “hit the financial viability of international tours, leading to fewer tours, reduced job opportunities for Australian performers and workers in the live performance industry and higher ticket prices”. “Visa processing fees are being increased by up to 600%,” she explains, “which could stop touring artists from coming to Australia altogether.”

More on IQ magazine here

Australian 'Three Strikes' moves closer

Australia's telecoms sector has submitted the final draft of its plans for a three-strikes system to combat online piracy in the country. The draft was submitted to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, after input from over 370 interesting parties and the planned moves will see ISPs sending warning letters to suspected file-sharers. Australian ISPs have resisted the move, but the country's government forced action late last year. As with other three-strikes programmes, a series of letters will be sent to web-users who rights owners suspect of accessing unlicensed content, the first  being educational, but with subsequent correspondence 'graduating' to more severe. However the third strike will mean that the personal details (of those who ignore letters) being  handed over to the rights owners, who will then be able to take legal action for copyright infringement. Web-users who get to stage three will have the right to appeal, The current set up also puts a cap on the total number of warning letters that can be sent each year, with 200,000 the current limit. Though that's really a financial arrangement, and rights owners could push for more letters to be sent if they can agree financial terms with the ISPs. The ACMA will now consider the draft proposals which need Federal government approval 

Rolling Stone’s Australian tour cancellation claim in dispute

L’Wren Scott’s tragic and unexpected suicide prompted the Rolling Stones to cancel a number of Australian dates and resulted in a claim against the bands $23.9 million insurance policy and Mick Jagger was "diagnosed as suffering from acute traumatic stress disorder" and advised by doctors not to perform for at least 30 days. However, underwriters have apparently argued that Scott might have been suffering from a pre-existing but undeclared mental illness at the time the insurance policy was agreed, which would, they argue, render cover in relation to her death invalid. It's emerged that the insurers have currently refused to pay out $12.7 million on the claim – resulting in a further legal claim in the London courts by the band.  However the matter has come to wider attention because of legal efforts in the US by the insurers to gain papers relating to Scott's mental health prior to her death. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, a court in Scott's home state of Utah have given underwriters permission to gather testimony and documents from her brother Randall Bambrough and that similar court filings have been made by the insurers in the federal courts in new York to gain access to documents held by Scott's former PA, the executor of her estate and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. It also appears that the underwriters are also arguing that it appeared that Jagger had not actually been personally examined by the doctor who provided the medical note and further that doctor and was not a psychiatrist. In addition, the underwriters pointed to provisions in the policy that Scott’s death by suicide by her own hand was "not beyond her control", invalidating the claim.

The Stones recently cancelled a November 8th Australian concert after lead singer Mick Jagger was diagnosed with a throat infection, promoters said. Tour promoter Frontier issued a statement on their website saying the 71-year-old Jagger was under a doctor's strict order to rest his vocal chords for the next few days to recuperate for the remainder of the tour with the band saying they were 'disappointed'.

UPDATE. The Times (15.11.14) reported that the Stone's multi million pound claim had been settled but the band said that they were "deeply upset" that confidential details were made public. 

http://www.sltrib.com/news/1794055-155/scott-jagger-stones-death-underwriters-font

Intelltix launch in Australia

Intellitix has opened an office in Australia, and is set to announce its first shows within weeks. Having activated 2.5 million RFID chips since it formed in 2011, Intellitix says it will bring its fully integrated access control, social media and cashless payment solutions to the Australian market, " dramatically improving the fan experience". The company’s Sydney office – its fourth after Montreal, Denver and London – has been established by Turnkey Management Group Director Dion Brant who has also been appointed Director of Business Development, Intellitix Australia. Brant, who previously worked as Business Development Director of Ticketek and was a Senior Consultant at Coffey International, said: “Intellitix brings a wealth of new ways to connect fans, friends, artists, brands and even exhibitors. It’s a system that has been proved rock solid at some of the most high profile events in the world, while generating new sources of income. It’s a perfect compliment to what we do at Turnkey Management Group and we believe this technology will redefine the live event experience in Australia.”  Intellitix will  be exhibiting its RFID solutions at the inaugural Electronic Music Conference (EMC) in Sydney, from 27-28 November. Intelltix's client's include  AEG, Live Nation, C3 Presents, and ID&T and festivals include Coachella, Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Lollapalooza and Tomorrowland as well as corporate clients including Samsung, Adidas, Ford Motors and Mercedes
.

http://www.intellitix.com/intellitix/home/

Anxious George cancels Oz

George Michael has cancelled the Australian leg of his current tour, admitting that he is suffering from "major anxiety" following his battle with pneumonia at the end of last year. Michael says that  he underestimated the mental strain of recovering from his life-threatening pneumonia, which saw the star spend a month in a hospital in Vienna, where he had been due to perform before falling ill at the time, and he has pulled all nine Aussie dates but is expected to go ahead with planned UK dates later this month.

Australian Event Safety Alliance launches

The Event Safety Alliance Australia (ESAA) has launched, in response to the increasing need for a universal code of best practise in the live events industry.   With news of accidents at events increasingly common around the World, the Alliances has been formed to address these issues and the ESAA intends to bring together all the players in this diverse market – from performing arts to broadcast - to develop a truly representational voice for the Australian industry. The ESAA's founders say that the challenges of safety and emergency management that face people in the events industry are not just regional nor national, but truly international.  The ESAA says it plans to engage with professionals and other organisations worldwide to work toward providing mutual support, with the goal of developing the best solutions for the industry, wherever it operates.

For more information visit the website and register your interest.

http://www.eventsafetyalliance.org.au/mission.html

Enquiries: media@eventsafetyalliance.org.au

Chugg calls for new ticketing laws

Australian promoter Michael Chugg has called from new 'anti-scalping' laws after tickets for Radiohead's latest tour sold out in minutes and fans fumed over tickets at inflated prices posted on eBay. As fans took to social media to vent their frustrations, prompting Chugg Entertainment to release a statement advising against buying from unauthorised sources. Chugg says action needs to be taken on a national level, including co-operation between promoters, federal and state government and websites, to curb the ongoing issue of ticket on-selling saying "The federal government should be bringing in a blanket policy but the state governments also need to act," Chugg told AAP. But Live Performance Australia, which sets policy for the music industry, continues to oppose any moves to make scalping illegal with Suzanne Daley, Director of Policy and Programs for LPA saying "Scalping is a very difficult practice to monitor and stamp out" adding "We believe resources would be better focused on educating consumers around the risks rather than trying to prevent it via legal means." Scalping comes under commercial law which is decided at a state level. The practice is illegal only in Queensland and only after a scalper makes a profit of 20 per cent over face value.