The music business, as such, has very few well-documented rules. And precisely because of its chaotic and wild nature, sometimes, its players need a gentle reminder that this game is ultimately about the artists who make music.
It’s crucial in Australia, where local acts’ access to overseas audiences is somewhat limited. The infamous “tyranny of distance” is mostly to blame. But other factors play a significant role in promoting Aussie music as well.
Hence, I welcomed the announcement about “Michael’s Rule” with arms wide open. Here’s why.
If the social mediaa algorithms have flagged you as an Australian music industry follower, you’ve probably seen heaps of posts about “Michael’s Rule” on your grid/wall lately. So, what’s this hype about?
There are no clear-cut rules for choosing a support act for a megastar’s world tour.
Some bands like to invite fellow musos who are also their mates. Others opt for artists starting to make waves in the business. Many stars have no say (or interest) in it because it’s decided on the promoter level. And finally, there are those who deliberately choose to promote local music.
When Harry Styles toured Oz in 2023, he brought Wet Leg – a UK band that won both Grammys and BRITs that year – to support him. This year, the rising American pop star Sabrina Carpenter was opening for Taylor Swift on the Australian leg of the famed Eras Tour.
It’s one way to do it. Here’s a different approach, though.
For her recent gigs in the land Down Under, Pink called on Tones And I – the local artist responsible for the international banger “Dance Monkey”. I also vividly remember a Milky Chance gig in Melbourne in 2017. The German electronic alt-rockers invited Amy Shark (back then, still an emerging indie muso Down Under) to get the party started. And QOTSA chose an Aboriginal bush punk outfit, Lonely Boys (that, unfortunately, no longer exists), to open up for them that same year in Darwin.
Sia, on the other hand, used a mixed formula. For her Australian tour in 2017, she invited two international artists, Charlie XCX and MØ. But there was a local addition, too (Amy Shark again). The last time they visited the country in 2023, Foo Fighters did a similar thing. Aside from bringing UK pop rock reps Hot Milk along, they also put the support spotlight on various Aussie bands, including The Chats, Teenage Joans, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers and Body Type.
Is any of those approaches better than the others?
Objectively speaking, probably not. We live in a free world, after all. Touring is many artists’ (and their associates’) largest source of income. So, theoretically, they can do whatever they want with their support spots. And the truth is, very few punters buy tickets because of the opening bands and not the main act, right?
But there’s one thing that makes me commend Sia, QOTSA, Pink and Foo Fighters. Supporting an overseas giant gives an exposure to up-and-coming local acts they would otherwise never even dream of. And that, ladies aand gents, is what “Michael’s Rule” stands for, in a nutshell.
This (old) new proposal is dubbed after Michael McMartin OAM. He was a Canadian-Australian music manager and businessman who, sadly, passed away in March this year.
In his long, successful career in the music business, he co-founded a record label (Trafalgar Records), managed a legendary band (Hoodoo Gurus), sat on the Support Act‘s board, chaired the International Music Managers Forum, and was a founder and lifetime member of Australian Music Managers Forum, and a patron of the Association of (Australian) Artist Managers (AAM).
Most importantly, however, he was a fierce artist advocate. He also defended the idea of making touring acts from overseas choose a local band as their support.
He described that concept when he received the Legacy Award at the (AAM) Awards in April 2023.
“(…) we reached an agreement with the Promoters Association that every artist that came out from overseas had to have an Australian support appearing on the same stage as them with adequate production. And they had to be nominated and appear in all of the advertising at the time that tickets went on sale because it’s not so much that people come and see you play a support slot, it’s seeing you on the posters, on the ads, hearing your name on the radio.”
It turns out the idea was born decades earlier. But it’s probably relevant today more than ever.
It’s no secret how difficult it is for artists to break through even nationally. Moreover, aside from the domination of a few (pretty obvious) music markets, they are now up against AI in their endeavour to make music and a living from it. Not everyone has the opportunity to showcase overseas, either. So, performing before an acclaimed international act is often the one thing that can make (or break) local musos.
Hence, AAM has recently revisited the late manager’s proposal. The organisation is now calling for the concept’s reinstatement, imposing the following three requirements:
- Every International artist must include an Australian artist among their opening acts.
- The Australian artist must appear on the same stage as the International artist using reasonable sound and lighting.
- The Australian artist must be announced at the same time as the tour so that they benefit from all the marketing and promotion.
Since its announcement, “Michael’s Rule” has received overwhelming support from the Aussie music community. Local music organisations endorsing it include APRA AMCOS, Chugg Entertainment, Laneway Festival, ARIA and Music Australia.
The number of artists who have backed the initiative is also quite impressive. Amongst them are the biggest names in Aussie music, like Tame Impala, Vance Joy, Amyl & The Sniffers, Midnight Oil, Baker Boy, Tash Sultana, The Amity Affliction, the Teskey Brothers, Kasey Chambers, and Paul Kelly. In other words, even the artists who don’t necessarily need that exposure are in favour of it.
Despite that widespread support, AAM goes even further in its quest to promote Australian music. Since it’s a “voluntary code”, it hopes promoters will simply accept it. Should it not be the case, “then the AAM will call on the federal government to step in and make it a condition of issuing visas that international artists touring Australia must agree to comply (…).” Quite a bold move, hey?
As an Australian music fan who’s made it her mission to promote artists from the land Down Under on her blog and has been doing that tirelessly for the past five years, I’m 100% for implementing “Michael’s Rule”, too.
To me, however, the essential question is not whether international stars and promoters should or shouldn’t be mandated to name a local act as one of the supports. It’s more along the lines of: Isn’t it just a nice, collegial gesture to shine a light on the music of the country you’re visiting if you’re SZA or Coldplay?
After all, those huge names were emerging local artists, seeking international recognition at some point in their careers as well.
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Silly McWiggles. A blog about Aussie music. 