Asho, who started in music as a not-excellent punk singer before moving behind the scenes, has worked in seemingly every facet of Australia’s rock music industry over the past twenty years. Quite recently setting up Footstomp, an artist’s services company that works with the like of Glenn Richards, You Am I and newcomers The Adults, Busby Marou, Asho has just completed putting together his second [the event’s 10th] Big Sound program. After 12 months of preparation – putting together the biggest music conference and showcase in Australia – it’s go time. For the next three days, he will gain extreme satisfaction from seeing the Australian music industry coming together to watch and discuss that intangible thing we all love: music.
The creative industry, when you’re trying to get started in it, can be very isolating. You can spend hours alone, or with a very small bunch of people or bands, working on a very specific projects for months on end. That’s why, I tell Asho, it was particularly inspiring for me to walk on Swanston Street with 20,000 people as part of the S.L.A.M rally: all of a sudden there was an actual visual of your community and what you are a part of.
Graham agrees: “Using the word ‘community’; that’s exactly what it is. It’s exactly what we’re working hard to inspire. After last year’s conference, I think we really achieved it. This year looks even better; it’s got a natural momentum. Last year we had [about] 200 artists apply to showcase and we had 60 who ended up showcasing. This year, we had 500 apply and we have 80 showcasing. It all comes from there: the artist’s enthusiasm to participate. Once you get the music right, the rest will just fall into place.”
There’s a certain amount of national pride, too. As well as the cream of Australia’s music professional crop, and new wave of about-to-breakthrough talent, Big Sound handpicks international experts in their field to speak to the throng about their specialised area. Although in it’s tenth year, Big Sound is a strong indicator that the cultural cringe the Australian music industry went through is far behind us.
“Absolutely,” says Asho. “A lot of the big international names who were here last year – and I feel very flattered by it – a lot of their feedback was that it was the best they’d ever been to. Being in Queensland, Australia, in the spring time, probably didn’t hurt. Also, the proximity of the venues is amazing. You literally can see two songs from eight different bands inside an hour. If you want to, you can see a little bit of every band that’s playing.”
Artists unloading their Taragos over the three-day event include Jordie Lane, DZ Deathrays, Eagle And The Worm (yes, they are, happily, everywhere), Papa Vs Pretty, Guineafowl and Trial Kennedy. Before the music kicks off though, attendees can soak up knowledge regarding every aspect of the game from performance to paperwork and how to handle all of it.
“For me,” says Asho, “It’s the one gathering of the tribe for the entire Australian music community each year. That’s what I’m most excited about. You’ve got eighty bands playing… and if you look at the bands who played last year: Boy & Bear, Children Collide, Washington, The Jezabels, The Naked And Famous, among many others, they’re the five who flew on the back of last year’s Big Sound…and this year’s eighty are the next in line. As well, you’ve got pretty much the entire ‘behind the scenes part’ of the community, littered with a heap of internationals, altogether at the same time.”
With the albeit small-scale Beat Backstage events that we’ve run, I tell Asho, it is extremely rewarding to receive emails from young artists who are thankful that they picked up even one tip on how to approach their band’s business. Or, even, hearing stories of how they connected with another artist on the night and are now working on something together. For me personally, it has been very striking to find that most experienced industry people are generous with their knowledge; it’s something I have been incredible grateful for.
“Well, that’s great, you know. Like, there was none of this when I was a kid trying to find my way in this business,” Asho points out. “Now, everyone I talk to I just try and minimise their mistakes. I just go, ‘Look, I made all your mistakes ten times for ya; don’t do it.’ It’s almost as simple as that – for artists or people aspiring to work behind the scenes – ‘I’ll tell you some funny stories about the mistakes that I’ve made so that you don’t make ’em.’” It’s this attitude, I presume, that sparked the idea of a mentoring arm of Footstop. And with his experience, it’s little wonder Asho won the gig to program the entire Big Sound timetable; “the conferences, the showcases; the themes and the topics. It’s a big job,” he says. “It’s really a year [in the making]. I’m not sure whether I’ll be doing it next, but I’m hopeful that I am.”
Is he already thinking about it? The emphatic reply is: “Yes.”
