Abstract
This chapter is based on fieldwork conducted in Australia, the UK and the US from April 2010 until December 2011 during my tenure as co-manager/promoter of Australian band Boy & Bear. It draws on participant observation and secondary interview data featuring the perspectives of other Australian and international agents, artist managers and concert promoters. It argues that due to the establishment of the company Dirty Pool Management in the late 1970s, the Australasian case is different to that of other Anglophone countries, such as the US and the UK, in terms of who takes the risk on promoting, and then either incurring a loss or reaping a return from, the unique localised experience of live music. At the entry to mid-level of the Australian live music industry it is common for a combination of the artist and their management to promote their live shows themselves, without the assistance of a promoter. There is an historical precedent for this. This chapter will argue that the management company Dirty Pool changed the way in which the Australian music industry operated and this has had lasting ramifications.
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Notes
- 1.
Boy & Bear consists of five band members: David Hosking (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Hart (drums, banjo, guitars, backing vocals), Jacob Tarasenko (bass guitar and backing vocals), Killian Gavin (lead guitar and backing vocals) and Jonathan Hart (keys and backing vocals).
- 2.
For example, the Sandringham hotel in Newtown is a 100 person capacity venue and the Cat and Fiddle hotel in Balmain is a 120 person capacity venue.
- 3.
A significant number do not pay the door charge, including guests of the bands, media and music industry personnel.
- 4.
From the perspective of the bookers of two key Sydney originals venues, Brent Lean of the Annandale Hotel (450 capacity) and Scott Leighton of the Gaelic Club (900 capacity), this is absolutely crucial because they make a living through their commission of door takings (MMF Forum, 28/9/04).
- 5.
In London, local bands have to pay the venue £100 as a guarantee. They then need to recoup this from the door takings. Fortunately, Sydney’s local music scene does not operate like this – yet.
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Morrow, G. (2013). The Influence of Dirty Pool on the Australian Live Music Industry: A Case Study of Boy & Bear. In: Tschmuck, P., Pearce, P., Campbell, S. (eds) Music Business and the Experience Economy. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27898-3_9
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