This year’s BIGSOUND music industry gathering in September has bolstered its speaker list with two of the industry’s global leaders. Named as one of the 20 most influential people by industry bible Billboard, Marc Geiger is a partner and Head of Music WME Entertainment. He looks after live bookings for some of the world’s biggest names including Jack White, Tony Bennett, Neil Diamond, The Flaming Lips, Jane’s Addiction, Lady Gaga, Janelle Monae, Nine Inch Nails, Tom Petty, Pixies, Trent Reznor and Rihanna. Prior to WME Geiger served as the Executive Vice President of A&R, Marketing and New Media at American Recordings and later launched ARTISTdirect. He also co-created Lollapalooza, which has since expanded to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Germany.
Jessica Hopper is one of the world’s most influential music journalists as senior editor of global music bible Pitchfork and is one of the leading female voices in the music industry having penned the books ‘The Girls Guide to Rocking’ and ‘The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic’ which was recently named by Amazon as one of the best books of 2015 so far.
They join previously announced keynote speakers former parliamentarian and Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett and revered Muslim rapper and activist Brother Ali as well as a dozen new additions to the program including agents Rob Zifarelli from The Agency Group (Canada), Sarah Casey from the Leighton Pope Organisation (UK) and Joe Schiavon from Global Live (UK) as well as Australian music identities necessary to make the party hum including I OH YOU’s Johann Ponniah, radio plugger Darryl Bailey and Deathproof PR’s Emily Kelly and Rebecca Reato.
“BIGSOUND 2015 is shaping up to be incredibly diverse,” said QMusic Executive Officer Joel Edmondson. “The calibre of global industry leaders who can help the careers of the artists showcasing has never been more exciting.”
BIGSOUND has been the breeding ground for some of the biggest Australian acts of the last decade, with national and international industry and punters converging on Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley to scout the next big thing. BIGSOUND alumni includes Courtney Barnett, Flume, Seth Sentry, Sheppard, The Jezabels, The Naked and Famous, The Temper Trap, The Aston Shuffle, The Church, Adalita, Ball Park Music, Jungle Giants, Boy & Bear, Clare Bowditch, David Bridie, Closure in Moscow, Kingswood, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Megan Washington, with nearly a thousand bands playing over BIGSOUND’s fourteen year history. The first live artists announced for 2015 included Stonefield, Muscles, Gang of Youths, Holy Holy, Katy Steele, Cosmic Psychos, The John Steel Singers, High Tension and more, with nearly a hundred acts still to be announced.
This year’s event will take over Fortitude Valley from September 9th-11th, with special rate tickets available from www.bigsound.org.au until July 31. BIGSOUND Live tickets are available now through Oztix.
Stage and Screen is the Official Travel Partner for BIGSOUND 2015. As Australia’s leading entertainment travel specialist the Stage and Screen team will be hard at work to negotiate fantastic accommodation rates for all delegates and attendees.
BIGSOUND 2015 INDUSTRY SPEAKERS / BUYERS
NEWLY ANNOUNCED
Marc Geiger (USA) – William Morris Endeavour – Keynote
Jessica Hopper (USA) – Pitchfork – Keynote
Adam Bauer (USA) – Fleming Artists
Adam Lewis (USA) – The Planetary Group
Andy Farrow (UK) – Northern Music Co.
Ben Martin (AUS) – Golden Era Records
Danny Zook (USA) – Alien Music Services
Darryl Bailey (AUS) – Six Boroughs Media
Dean Bein (USA) – True Panther Sounds
Emily Kelly (AUS) – Deathproof Presents
Joe Schiavon (UK) – Global Live
Johann Ponniah (AUS) – I OH YOU
Kate Hennessy (AUS) – Freelance Journalist
Kween G (AUS) – Artist
Matt Ash (USA) – Raw Power Management
Michael Goldstone (USA) – Mom + Pop Music
Michael Nieves (USA) – Sugaroo! & Native Tongue America
Niki Roberton (USA) – IAMSOUND
Paul Sloan (AUS) – Billions Australia
Rebecca Reato (AUS) – Deathproof Presents
Rob Zifarelli (CAN) – The Agency Group
Robb Nansell (USA) – Saddle Creek Records
Sarah Casey (UK) – Leighton Pope Organisation
Si Jay Gould (AUS) – Wondercore Island
Tyler Childs (USA) – Sony ATV
Tyler Treeves (USA) – Double C Promotions
ALREADY ANNOUNCED
Peter Garrett (AUS) – Keynote
Brother Ali (USA) – Keynote
Ashanti Abdullah (USA) – Rhymesayers Entertainment
Alex Maxwell (USA) – Troubadour
Amy Morgan (UK) – Beggars Publishing / Glass Animals
Avery McTaggart (USA) – The Windish Agency
Ben Munro (JPN) – Hostess
Ben O’Connor (AUS) – Chapter Music
Eric Barleen (USA) – Another Planet Entertainment
Guy Blackman (AUS) – Chapter Music
Jacob Daneman (USA) – Pitch Perfect PR
Jacqueline Saturn (USA)– Harvest Records
Josh Moore (USA) – Bowery Presents
Julia Wilson (AUS) – Rice is Nice
Justin Sweeting (HK) – WME / Clockenflap
Laura Snapes (UK) – Freelance Writer
Lesley Olenik Golindo (USA) – Goldenvoice
Lio Kanine (USA) – Kanine Records
Lorrae McKenna (AUS) – Remote Control Records
Marshall Betts (USA) – The Windish Agency
Meg Helsel (USA) – Grandstand Media
Melissa Yong (SGP) – Other Sounds / Village Sounds
Meredith Fraser (USA) – Panache Booking
Paul Buck (UK) – Coda Agency
Phil Waldorf (USA) – Secretly Group
Rachel Cragg (USA) – Nettwerk Music Group
Robin McNicol (USA) – Superfly
Sat Bisla (USA) – A&R Worldwide
Talya Elitzer (USA) – Capitol Music Group
Tunji Balogun (USA) – RCA Records
BIGSOUND LIVE 2015 FIRST ARTIST ANNOUNCE
Aldous Harding / All Our Exes Live In Texas / Ali Barter / Astral Skulls / Ayla / Babaganouj / Baro / Ben Salter / Big White / Born Lion / Caitlin Park / Caulfield / City Calm Down /
Cosmic Psychos / Donny Benét / Ella Thompson / friendships / Gang of Youths / Gordi
Grenadiers / Harvey Sutherland / High Tension / Holy Holy / Jaala / JACK THE STRIPPER /
Jesse Davidson / Jonny Telafone / K21 / Katy Steele / Koi Child / Luke Howard /
Major Leagues / Methyl Ethel / Moonbase Commander / Muscles / Pearls / Rainbow Chan /
RaRa / Slum Sociable / Stonefield / Sui Zhen / Sunbeam Sound Machine /
Super Best Friends / Tempura Nights / The John Steel Singers / The Snowdroppers /
Tiger Choir / Timberwolf / WAAX / Yukon Blonde
FOR CONFERENCE SPEAKERS AND ALL OTHER BIGSOUND LINEUP DETAILS, VISIT www.bigsound.org.au