Brisbane Rocks in 2007!

I just read with interest an article that Dad sent me from the local “Courier Mail” newspaper back home today titled, “Brisbane bands rock”.

It seems that respected trade magazine “Billboard” has listed my hometown as being one of a handful of cities around the world that are expected to be a hotbed for musical talent in 2007.

I’m no stranger to the LIVE music scene in “The Valley” back home, and I have known for a while that we’ve had some gems just waiting to shine. I guess it’s now official and I sincerely hope that the Billboard exposure will help to accelerate the transition from the weekend pub scene to the international stage for some of our upcoming acts.

Here’s the full article from “News.com.au”:

Brisbane Bands Rock

By Emma Chalmers (23 Jan 2007)

BRISBANE has rocked its way on to the international music map, being named as one of 2007′s top music hot spots by an influential industry publication.

Billboard trade magazine rated Brisbane as one of its five cities to watch for exciting new sounds this year, along with Beijing, Birmingham, Berlin and Marseilles.

It is a remarkable turnaround for a city that was viewed as culturally backward during the iron-fist days of the Bjelke-Petersen government.
The international success of homegrown bands such as Powderfinger, singing twins the Veronicas and soloist Pete Murray has rocketed Brisbane up the music must-watch chart.

While recognising the likes of the Bee Gees and Savage Garden, Billboard said the city’s current crop of talent was threatening Melbourne as Australia’s main music city. It predicted singer/songwriters Andrew Morris, Kate Miller-Heidke and Kate Bradley were ones to watch, along with bands Butterfingers and the Butterfly Effect.

Q Music president Matt Connors said the article would shine a spotlight on the music scene Queenslanders have always known to be among the world’s best.

“Queensland has been producing amazing music for many years, but the growing strength of the local industry, with steady backing from government, is starting to reap rewards,” he said.

He credited the live music scene developed in Fortitude Valley as being a key to Brisbane’s musical prowess and said Q Music’s annual conference was now regularly attracting the cream of the international music industry crop.