Association of Artist Managers calls for major international tours to feature local artists as support acts

Australia’s live music industry, including trade associations and major organisations, has backed an initiative that will require international touring artists to include a local support act.

The touring proposal, named ‘Michael’s Rule’ after the late Michael McMartin, was announced at this year’s AAM (Association of Artist Managers) Awards as part of a posthumous lifetime achievement award for music industry manager.

Aiming to help bolster the ailing live music sector, the proposal calls for international touring artists to feature a homegrown Australian act as support on tours - formalising a long-standing practice in the music industry that has fallen by the wayside in recent years.

Michael’s Rule, as proposed, includes three elements:

1. Every International artist must include an Australian artist among their opening acts

2. The Australian artist must appear on the same stage at the International artist using reasonable sound and lighting

3. The Australian artist must be announced at the same time as the tour so that they benefit from all the marketing and promotion

AAM - whose members represent major artists such as Tame Impala, Vance Joy, Courtney Barnett and Sampa The Great - have been backed in the call by the Australian Live Music Business Council (ALMBC), The Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA), The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and the newly formed Music Australia while concert promoters Michael Chugg, Danny Rogers and Ben Turnbull have also supported the initiative

AAM Executive Director, Maggie Collins advised “everybody knows that there are less Australian songs on the charts right now that at any time since the early 1960s.

“Local artists and their managers are also facing other historic challenges including a slew of recent festival cancellations.

“These challenges have been recognised by governments across Australia in recent years. Promoters received significant public funding during the pandemic and they understandably continue to receive public support for some of their major events.

“We think it is only reasonable that, in return, they should ‘do their bit’ to help give Australian artists a leg up by the simple means of including at least one local act on every international tour.”

Alastair Burns and Jess Keely, AAM Co-chairs, added “every time this happens it is a major missed opportunity to allow local audiences to discover local artists.

“In memory of Michael McMartin OAM we are therefore making this public request today to every major promoter and we eagerly await their reply.

“If they are unwilling to reinstate ‘Michael’s Rule’ as a voluntary code then we will be making formal representations to government to use the visa system instead.”

Artists represented by AAM members have also endorsed the proposed rule, including Tame Impala, Amyl & The Sniffers, Budjerah, G Flip, Powderfinger, Teskey Brothers, Paul Kelly, Spiderbait, Alex the Astronaut, Kate Miller-Heidke, Graace, Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil, Birds of Tokyo, Gotye, Missy Higgins, The Presets, Panama, Touch Sensitive, Ta-Ku, Chillinit, George Alice, One Four, Telenova, Styalz Fuego, Ball Park Music, Kasey Chambers, Andy Golledge, Miss Kaninna, John Butler Trio, The Waifs, San Cisco, Thelma Plum, Karnivool, The Paper Kites, Grinspoon, Electric Fields, Dobby, Grievous Bodily Calm, Ngaiire, Wallace, Eleanor Dixon, RVG, Good Morning, The Avalanches, Sampology, The Living End, Something For Kate, Paul Dempsey, Baker Boy, Vika & Linda, Liz Stringer, Vacations, Alex Lahey, Folk Bitch Trio, breathe, WALKER and Yb.

Image: Midnight Oil, whose management are backing the call to reinstate ‘Michael’s Rule’. Credit: Oliver Eclipse.