SXSW Official Event - Melbourne’s Masterplan: COVID Safe Live Music
Published 3 March, 2021
Melbourne (Australia) is renowned across the world for being a live music destination. On a regular Friday or Saturday night, an average of 110,000 fans flock to music venues across the city. Live music came to a standstill right internationally in March 2020 and was felt deeply by the music industry, musicians and audiences alike. Later that year, emerging from lockdown, the city of Melbourne was tasked with reactivating live music and reigniting audiences in a COVID safe way.
Join our panel of industry experts as we unpack the case study that’s of international interest, including the highs of executing large scale shows successfully, the lows of lockdowns and cancellations and how the industry adapted, in order to survive. The panellists have direct experience working on events that brought music back to Melbourne, including Live At The Bowl, Malthouse Outdoor Stage, Untitled Day Parties, Sounds Better Together and more.
SPEAKERS: Helen Marcou AM – Bakehouse Studios (Moderator), Christian Serrao - Untitled Group, Dion Brant - Mushroom Group, Emily York - Penny Drop, Stephen Wade - Select Music Agency / ALMBC.
DATE/TIME:
Wednesday 17th March, 5.00 PM - 6.00 PM CST (Austin, TX)
Thursday 18th March, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM AEDT
Please note, this event is only available to SXSW delegates.
The VMDO are now accepting applications for a funded delegate badge (worth USD $399 at the full rate) from Victorian music industry professionals. Applicants should be established within the music industry, with a minimum of 3 years experience. This opportunity is best suited to businesses/music industry professionals who are export ready and are clear on what they want to achieve by attending SXSW Online 2021.
Applications close at 5.00 pm AEST on Thursday 4th March 2021
Panellist bios:
Christian Serrao – Untitled Group
With a decade behind him, Christian Serrao has cemented a prolific position in the music and events industries, delivering some of the country’s most iconic experiences to date. Now one of the directors of Untitled Group launching in 2017, Christian and his partners are responsible for some of Australia’s favourite festivals including Beyond The Valley and Pitch Music & Arts. Today he and his partners are responsible for selling over 250,000 tickets annually including the nationally touring Grapevine Gathering - a winery-esque festival, and Wildlands Brisbane that launched in 2019 and selling out in its very first year.
Dion Brant – Mushroom Group
From booking bands in high school to his role as Chief Operating Officer of Live Touring at Mushroom Group – Australia’s biggest independent music company – music and audiences have been part of Dion Brant’s whole life. Bringing the experience of three decades in commercial radio, ticketing and sports and entertainment, Dion works with Chairman Michael Gudinski to drive the day-to-day operations, strategy and future direction of Mushroom live touring brands, including Frontier Touring, Chugg Entertainment, A Day on the Green, and Illusive Presents. During the pandemic, Mushroom has moved from the big stage to the small screen, producing ground-breaking and critically acclaimed television and streaming programs to support the Australian industry and its artists. So far, that includes a televised live concert “Music From the Home Front” (Nine network), two series of online program “The State of Music”, and two series of “The Sound”, a live performance TV program airing in prime-time on Australia’s national broadcaster (ABC). In January 2021, Mushroom partnered with the Victorian State Government to produce a series of concerts and a three-hour television special celebrating the return of live music and audience in the state.
Emily York – Penny Drop
Emily York is the Founder of Penny Drop, a Melbourne-based Australian live music business. Penny Drop looks after Australian live touring for a curated roster of respected artists from around the world. Recent tours include Aldous Harding, Khruangbin, Leon Bridges, Mac DeMarco, Maggie Rogers, Steve Lacy and New Order. Penny Drop also provides contemporary music consultancy and programming for festivals, special events and broadcasts, with clients including ABC TV, Arts Centre Melbourne, Zoos Victoria and many more. As a business, Penny Drop strives to create events that are inclusive, innovative, wide-reaching and entertaining.
Helen Marcou AM – Bakehouse Studios
Helen Marcou AM has spent decades at the coalface of music culture. Alongside her longterm partner Quincy McLean, she co-founded grassroots movement SLAM (Save Live Australia’s Music) and Melbourne’s Bakehouse Studios. In 2019, she was recognized with an ‘Order of Australia’ for her contribution to music and the arts. Helen was an inductee to the Victorian Women’s honour roll in 2017, a recipient of the Sidney Myer performing arts facilitators award, one of the ‘Power 50’ of Australia’s most influential people in the Music Industry 2018 and 2019. A curator, speaker, mentor and agitator.
Stephen Wade - Select Music Agency / ALMBC
30 years in the industry. CEO & Senior Agent at Select Music Agency looking after the careers of the biggest acts in Australia from Rufus Du Sol, The Presets, Amy Shark, The Temper Trap, Xavier Rudd, Thelma Plum & many others. Founder and current chair of the Australian Live Music Business Council set up to give businesses a voice with Government at federal and state levels in the fight for our industry’s survival during COVID.