Awesome, Bad Pony, Canadian Music Week, CMW 2017, Quivers, Silver Love Club, Tenderfoot, The Dead Love, The Lazys Entertainment, Music
For an Aussie, Marcelo Garibotto has a very Canadian nickname. The man they call Moose works hard in the music industry, as a manager, advocate, entrepreneur and more.
And during Canadian Music Week 2017, Garibotto acted as a show booker, putting together the Aussie Night Out at The Hideout when the traditional CMW Aussie BBQ wasn't booked for the festival. We hung out with Moose that night, talking shop, talking music, and listening to some great talent from the other side of the world. And we realized that he had some insight to share that we weren't going to find here at home.
So, with thanks to Marcelo, here's a Q&A we put together that sheds some light on the Australian music scene, why bands keep coming to Toronto, who we should be listening to next, and more...
Here we go!
Q) Set the scene for us, what's the music industry situation like in Australia right now? We've heard it's rough for bands trying to play and make a go of it, is that true? (get political if you want. talk about venues closing, attitudes, etc., whatever you want)
MG) Well it's kind of a tricky question to answer, YES it's hard at the moment but I think it's hard everywhere, the game has changed a lot over the past 10 years, labels have been on a downward spiral, economies collapsing and the whole music landscape changing. In saying that, I think it's a good time to be in the game, we've had an increase for the first time in a decade, 6% up. It's still down several billion dollars from what it was but up is always good right? In Australia and especially Sydney there have been venues being shut down left and right, but at the same time others have opened up! I think the biggest issue we have in Australia is that we are supersaturated with a lot of music all around the world and no real protection system to nurture Australian talent, not like in Canada... Anyway that's my 5c worth, I could be wrong everyone has their own theory about it all.
Q) What do you think makes Toronto and Canadian Music Week so inviting or tempting to Australian bands?
MG) The fact that everyone here (Toronto) is very accommodating, it feels like people want to go out and watch music and there is a lot of camaraderie here for Aussies, I mean we are a pretty likeable bunch all over the world but it feels like what our home should be like when we visit here... Not sure what the rest of Canada is like, looking forward to exploring it as well... There is lots of love here and we certainly feel it!
Q) We've seen bands like Silver Love Club, The Dead Love and The Lazys make the long trip to play their music - to the best of your knowledge, has it been worth it?
Q) With no afternoon Aussie BBQ organized for CMW this year you stepped up and put together the Aussie Night Out at The Hideout, why was it important to you that the show came together and went on in 2017?
MG) Well I think it was super important to have an Aussie Showcase of some sort, to travel 20+ hours literally to the other side of the planet and not have a showcase for Australian acts would of been a real shame... When I was notified that it wasn't going to happen (The Aussie BBQ) I was gutted, it was a pretty low point. But me being me, I thought to myself "Nah stuff that" (stuff being replaced with a word starting with F) I can do it, I can put something together and I know I can pull in all the Aussies I know to get it done, so I did! I might of been the instigator but there were a lot of people in the background that supported the event, Geoff Trio form Code One and Larry Heath from The AU Review supported the event as well... It was so important that we had to have 2 showcase in the same night!!! The Aussie Night Out @ The Hideout and The Aussie Breakfast @Rivoli, so the 20th of April 2017 was the day that the Aussies took over Toronto!!
Q) Success can be measured in many forms, in your own words and your own way, do you think the Aussie Night Out was a success?
MG) Absolutely, first of all to see the quality of the bands that played and how good the crowd was for the show, for a last minute put together showcase that very little advertising and marketing I think it was a great night! Most of the bands that could of played did and some of them had 2 shows on the same night so if you missed out on one you knew you could see them at the other venue.
Q) And if there isn't a BBQ in 2018 (or maybe even if there is) do you think you'll put together a follow-up to this year's show?
MG) I think that if there is an Aussie BBQ next year I will leave it to Sounds Australia to do it, they are the best at it. Sounds does an amazing job ALL around the world putting on Australian showcases at these kinds of events (Midem, SXSW, CMW, CMJ etc..). It's not my core business, if I put on a showcase next year, its will probably have more of an international feel, I like to connect artists, industry, general fans from all over the world, it's what I do. So if I was to do something I wouldn't want to compete, I would like to compliment and add value.
Q) Help everyone find some new music to listen to... give us a list of 5 Australian artists we should all give a listen to.
MG) Oh ok, this is putting me on the spot... I will give you 5 other bands that were not at CMW.
