Live Nation Offers Support To Local Artists With New Initiative Next On
Adelaide venues Divide and Hindley Street Music Hall are both involved.
Image Sam D'Agostino
Live Nation get a fair amount of stick for creating a monopoly on live music venues, which is fair, but they are also trying to support local artists with initiatives like Next On.
Launching in Australia and New Zealand, this program aims to allow emerging artists to perform in Live Nation venues free of charge. Artists will be able to set the ticket price, keep as much of the money they earn from ticket and merch sales as they want and have the full Live Nation PR and marketing machine behind them.
One of Live Nation’s premier venues will play host to a showcase of local talent every month, with the venues involved including Melbourne’s Palais Theatre, Brisbane’s The Triffid and The Outpost, Thirroul’s Anita’s Theatre, Adelaide’s Divide and Hindley Street Music Hall and Auckland’s Tuning Fork.
Mark Vaughan, Senior Vice President Touring, Live Nation Australia and New Zealand said, “We’re handing over the keys - giving artists the stage to own, and fans the story to tell. Next On tears down some of the barriers so developing artists can shine, keep 100% of what they earn, and fans can say, ‘I saw them here first.’”
Artists can apply to be part of Next On here, while more info is available at livenation.com.au.
ARIA Award-winning artist and advocate for developing talent, Kate Ceberano, said,
“My career began in pubs, clubs, and the small rooms where Australian music has always found its heartbeat. Those early stages teach you everything - how to test your material, how to win an audience, and how to build a fan base not through hype, but through real connection.
“Giving young artists the chance to stand on iconic stages early, to find their voice and confidence in the right environment, is invaluable. I’m 100% behind it, and I’m thrilled to see these sorts of initiatives help make this possible. This is how we build a healthy industry - one strong foundation at a time.”
Missy Higgins commented, "When you’re starting out, what you need most is a chance - to get on stage, connect with fans, and be supported by the industry. ‘Next On’ delivers that.”
You Am I frontman Tim Rogers said, “Taking a punt on a new act, a new group, a book reading, a theatre show that is not necessarily on the popular culture radar WILL make you a more fulfilled human. While the rush of being part of a spectacle is palpable, to engage with an artist as they begin makes you, more than ever these days, part of the experiment. To be a fan, a participant, a patron is a noble thing. You are not just an audience. You were involved, and joined the community. Welcome, Onward we go.”
Adelaide’s pop punk duo Teenage Joans added, “Growing up in Adelaide, we were lucky to have a few initiatives that gave us a leg up in those early days, and we know how much that help matters. Later, in the US, we benefited from Live Nation’s On The Road Again program, which supported developing artists with financial benefits - the kind of support that really keeps you going between gigs. Next On takes that same spirit even further here at home - taking the pressure off and giving developing artists space to grow on real stages. Support like this can genuinely change the path for new bands.”
Seb Szabo, rising Australian songwriter, said, “Having the chance to play a venue as iconic as the Palais at this point in my journey is incredible, especially after having seen my third ever show (Glen Hansard) here with my dad years ago. Next On is providing such a unique opportunity for developing artists to dream big & be inspired about possibility at a crucial early career stage, and it's an opportunity I know I won't soon forget.”
Artists can apply to be part of Next On here, while more info is available at livenation.com.au.
