“Last year was our most successful year in terms of outcomes for artists,” says Raynor. “So we’ve had at this stage, 42 artists that have directly benefited (Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Ngaire and Shaolin Afronauts have been booked for Glastonbury). They’re being booked at festivals including Glastonbury, Montreal Jazz Festival, Winnipeg Festival, Calgary; all around the whole world including Australian festivals like Byron Bay, Port Fairy, Apollo Bay, (and) tours of Japan, New Zealand and Europe coming up as well.”
Focusing primarily on roots and world music with a distinct interest in Indigenous artists, AWME bridges the gap between local artists and potential local and international management, labels and agents. “The main focus is really pushing Australian acts for international and national touring and making those business networks around the world,” says Raynor. “It’s a vehicle for marketing products from a certain region to an international market. I think that’s been difficult in the past. How do you make that step from an Australian act or a Melbourne act? How do you then get discovered or make those networks or contacts with the international market, whether it’s an agent that can introduce you to other territories or a label who can start distributing your material to other territories?”
Obviously the artist spots at the expo are highly contested with those who are lucky enough to be invited to showcase their material benefiting greatly from the potential contacts on offer. As Raynor points out, benefits for local bands and artist are numerous. “The benefits are on a national level as well,” he muses. “If you start touring nationally, how do you start linking up all the shows, the agents, the promoters, the venues? That’s what AWME is setup to do, to make those links, to make those networks, to make those business contacts across Australia and around the world. So it’s a great vehicle to assist artists in their career development.”
Australian roots and world music artists, both big and small, are being encouraged to apply. But AWME is also open to local DJs, record labels and booking agents as well. “Generally we get a huge, diverse mix of applications; around 500 per year,” confirms Raynor. “Across those applications we can generally say, ‘Ok, there are some headliners for a Hi-Fi show, for the Arts Centre, and then there are shows that we can program into the Toff or the Ding Dong Lounge.’ So it’s pretty diverse and also the profile of the artists varies across the applications as well.”
By day, AWME acts as a place where both local and international artists, managers, labels and the like can meet over coffee and discuss future business deals. By night, the expo transforms into a festival of sorts, where artists and bands perform to attract and impress possible backers but also where local punters can get along and catch whichever artist happens to take their fancy.
Although Raynor admits it can at times be a daunting task putting the AWME program together, the sheer talent of artists in this country at least makes the task a little easier. “It’s always a juggling act to pull it all together program wise, but there’s so many amazing acts out there it definitely makes the job easier.” As program director, I ask Raynor what he feels is the key attribute of AWME and other similar events and their role within today’s ever changing music industry.
“It’s a great way of supporting the artists,” he muses. “And then supporting the industry and assisting those artists in their careers.”
BY JAMES NICOLI
