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Articles : Face the Music – Music Industry Conference

By on November 23, 2012

Face The Music – The Art Centre, Melbourne – Friday, 16th November

Needless to say I was excited to be attending this year’s Face the Music conference. With guest speakers such as; Michael Chugg, AJ Maddah, Luke Loggeman, Edwin Tehrani and many more of Australia’s most influential industry professionals. I was sure to have all of my queries and speculations about The Industry answered.

The front doors of the Melbourne Art Center was bustling with energy, The Push volunteers running back and forth assisting the media and general guests with their queries. The most important question being answered, “Where do I get my media pass?” Up two flights of gold lined stair case I ascend and enter the waiting room, greeted by smiling faces of pretty things. My first impressions? Well they were golden really, I will go so far as to jump straight to the conclusion that this event was run very professionally and went out without a hitch. I commend the efforts of the entire crew! Although some coffee and biscuits for media and invited guest speakers would have been nice. Nothing over the top, some blend 43 and Arnotts assorted would have been nice…. Much nicer than the $5 small flat-white I purchased from the café out the front later in the day. However gripes aside, allow me to get on with the show.

First panel of the day was one I was very intrigued with; “Call Your Agent” as it was affectionately titled listed the A Class of Australia’s booking professionals and hosted by none other than Jaddan of Destroy All Lines. This panel set to answer the question of what is a booking agent. What are the roles and responsibilities of the men and women behind our greatest artists and what is it that makes their roles so important. Very generally they touched on the fact that the booking agent’s role is quite broad in our world, their responsibility to the artist should be to find the most promising and active lineup or tour that will suit the artist and properly transform them into greatness. It is true, however most of the time one will find managerial responsibilities or counseling responsibilities or even tour managing. It’s a crazy world out there and it seems the agents are right in the thick of it all, from the down and dirty to the downright crazy. My personal stand out speaker? That would have to be Scotty of Premier Artists, his at tentative nature and well confessed truths about what it really takes to make it was the more profound/real perspective. Plus he really dressed the part you know? If he wasn’t a booking agent I think he would make a great MC… Perhaps one day I will attempt to talk him in to it.

Next thing that happened was that I got lost, struth be told the Art Center is fairly large and there aren’t very many signs to ATM locations. Which is funny, you would think that with the prices listed on the purchasable items they would want you to find the ATM’s easily, perhaps a neon flashing sign or friendly Alfred type butler to show you the way… one can only wish.

I eventually found my way to the next room which was an in depth discussion regarding heavy scene band House vs Hurricane. I won’t state that there were too many extremely interesting notes from this discussion except that their Youtube single release had 30,000 hits within 12 hours. That’s awesome, I don’t care who you are! But this was the room in which housed the panel we were all waiting on AJ Maddah.

An interesting bloke to say the least, as this was my first time seeing him in the flesh I had my pre conceived notions of what he may look like- We’ve all heard stories of him and I can tell you now, he is not the 2 horned, cloven hoofed, snake tongued electric jelly fish everyone had made him out to be!
He had presented himself in a very real manner, no tricks or shiny Rolex watches. What sat in front of me was a real man, a real man with what must be a real high level of stress. I know this because he had brought along with him a packet of Strepcels and Panadol, which sat silently on the table in front of him.

AJ told us about his beginnings, the efforts he had put in as a young wanna-be. Working the coffee catcher jobs and Russel Crow baby sitter positions that only got given to the bottom of the barrel workers. But he pressed on a point that resonated from all speakers that day “persistence and hard work payoff in the end”. It was no accident that Soundwave is as large as it is today, it’s due to the efforts of a small but powerful team of people lead by the man himself who is always striving to outperform his own efforts. Aj had made a comment that he was looking to do the perfect festival, he even presented an auspicious idealism based on that of an experience he once had in Europe…. Sadly I believe AJ forgets that he is not in Europe. Fuckin Australia Cunts! Whatever…. What’s more important is the ever present elephant in the room. A question that I wasn’t even able to get out before the interviewer had posed it first. Why does Soundwave not support Australian metal?

“Soundwave is not the Australian Idol of metal”. His words and I can see where he’s coming from…. Take off your passionate muso hat for a second and don on a fedora, you’ll get the vibe. There have been a very many number of Australian heavy music acts on Soundwave in the past though and even more in 2013; Death Audio, The Amity Affliction, Northlane, Carpathian, House Vs, Hurricane, Double Dragon and more. “But wait!” They aren’t metal bands! Time to get over it, these bands are metal or at least so heavy and influential that it can sell 300 tickets minimum in a rural town show…. This is why they play Soundwave and I’m not eluding that this is a bad choice made by the team.

Wrapping up the interview I was able to ask a question to AJ himself. As he had made comment to the fact Soundwave was always looking for the perfect festival, could he paint a picture of what the perfect festival was. He had mentioned that he thinks he got very close with Harvest… which might have been true if the powers of the nibiru wasn’t causing such havoc.

In the end I feel that the entire event is well presented, it’s a step in the right direction for the Australian music Industry. With the way that we are being noticed around the world, and more importantly how well we are being received and how seriously we are being taken by our own people. So much so we are invited to attend, speak and be a part of Face The Music. When you bring together the people who’s lives and passions are united under one roof, and with some free drinks at the end I might add. I commemorate the team’s efforts and look forward to attending next year.

Metal Obsession.net urges all local bands, big or small, to attend Face The Music and many other conferences like it. They will help you understand the inner workings of the music industry and give you helpful tips in making a name for yourself and your music. With the likes of AJ Maddah, Tom Johannesen, Michael Chugg, Rebecca Reato and other key note speakers attending the music conference its no surprise that Melbourne’s premier music conference, Face The Music,  was completely sold out, with over 800 music lovers in attendance.

Head on over to the Face The Music website for more details – www.facethemusic.org.au

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