Ola amigos. Wow man, what a topsy turvy year. Hope you're all keeping your head above water and back in the fray with live shows on your respective journeys.
It's been an XL year all considering for the Cartel, we've done our best to keep all of our artists on the road and busy along with branching out to extend the reach of our annual AFTERMATH Festival whilst introducing new minifest concepts of SONIC GRAVY (EAST COAST), PURGATORY (TAS) and many more.
On the back of new annual signings, we welcome Sydney heavy outfit BARE BONES and Brisbane Psych outfit ENDLESS VALLEY to the family, joining stable crew ASTRODEATH (NSW), MOUNTAIN WIZARD DEATH CULT (NSW), CAPTIVES (VIC), HAMMERS (QLD), TRANSVAAL DIAMOND SYNDICATE (QLD), RICK DANGEROUS & THE SILKIE BANTAMS (NSW), THE BLACK ARMADA (QLD) and FIGHT IBIS (QLD). For our minds, a bunch of the best bands in Australia with big moments past present and future. We're also starting to do some work with Gold Coast's RINSER, an amazing heavy Blues/Hard Rock outfit set for big things in the future.
We kicked off the year with a huge AFTERMATH minifestival in Sydney featuring 17 bands to a packed crowd at the Factory Theatre, the likes of Lo!, Black Rheno, Totally Unicorn and many more and have since taken the event nationally with shows in all Australian capital cities. We backed up recently for a Gold Coast AFTERMATH, featuring Desert OG's Stoner (Feat. Brant Bjork), Mario Lalli and the Rubber Snake Charmers (USA) and Sean Wheeler to a froth-filled crowd at our home base Mo's Desert Clubhouse. More plans for AFTERMATH in 2023, filling a void with our major 'on-hold' events MOJO BURNING (1000 cap) and the juggernaut that is DEAD OF WINTER FESTIVAL (3000 cap). These events will return when the market is right on the back of Covid industry changes.
Our second major touring event for the year was the inaugural SONIC GRAVY minifest, which dropped in QLD, NSW and VIC as a bit of a market test. We'll see if we resurrect that in 2023!
Our annual DOUBLE BAKED minifest dropped it's 2023 lineup yesterday, featuring 12 amazing local and touring acts gracing the stage of Mo's Desert Clubhouse on the Gold Coast on Saturday February 25, 2023. At four years of sellouts, the next incantation will be no different. Early Bird tickets available, check out the lineup HERE.
International Touring was placed on hold with market challenges (increased travel costs, market and travel uncertainty etc), we will fire up in 2023 with some international touring acts to be announced very soon. Watch this space.
Our home base venue Mo's Desert Clubhouse on the Gold Coast took out GC venue of the year for the 2nd time in a row, continuing to provide a 250 cap alt-space for touring acts in a supreme setting with some quality Northern hospitality alongside a newly installed podcast room, upgraded PA and lighting system and greenroom. Contact us to book your Gold Coast tour show in 2023, slots filling up quick for the first part of the year.
We also dropped our annual Beats Cartel Mixtape, releasing 2 raucous Mixtapes to support fellow musicians Australia-wide during the period of intense Covid lockdown. Featuring 21 of our favourite national and international artists, the overall track list is fire! Check it out HERE.
Teaming up with Support Act, Beats Cartel artists and friends have kindly donated their track time to the project.
For our bands individually and alphabetically:
ASTRODEATH - Sydney Power Duo
Haven’t died after a massive year of touring
Played to their biggest crowd ever at this year's Froth and Fury festival in Adelaide
Headlined their first outdoor music festival at Thrashville
Played a show in every Australian state including festival appearances at Aftermath, Sonic Gravy, Purgatory, Sunburn, Winter Magic and more along with supporting King Parrot, Whores (USA) and Dr Colossus
Made the trip to Alice springs for the amazing Blackened Festival
Released tracks Red Weed and Ceremonial Blood with Triple J play for both singles
Signed to YNGMGMT (Matt Young from King Parrot Management Agency) as well as Tuff Cuff Records (AUS) and Black Farm Records (EUR) for their upcoming full length release Vol.II
BARE BONES - Sydney Metal Outfit
Released single ‘House of Static’
Appeared at Halloween Hysteria, Aftermath, Winter Magic
Supported Steel Panther to a sold out Eatons Hill show along with a final farewell to their home stage, the ever-present Frankies Pizza to a capacity crowd
THE BLACK ARMADA - Gold Coast Stoner/Hard Rock
Went hard over a two month period to launch a whole new lineup and set, playing to a capacity crowd at AFTERMATH on the Gold Coast, supporting Stoner (USA) and Mario Lalli & the Rubber Snake Charmers (USA)
Teamed up with Queens of the Stone Age/Kyuss bassist Nick Oliveri to release track 'Up and Down Under', featured on Stoner/Desert radio stations all over the World
Started writing album material for a 2023 release with much more to come
CAPTIVES - Melbourne Punk'n'Roll
Released sophomore full length album “Return to Mars” along with an East Coast tour, playing a packed out Melbourne home show at the Gasometer
Held their own sold out Festival in Tassie “Running on Empty”
Toured Japan for third time to capacity crowds
Joined the roster at Ichigo records, also housing Metalcore outfit Crystal Lake
ENDLESS VALLEY - Brisbane Psychedelic Outfit
Embarked on their first tour down the East Coast of Australia
Hosted Jambala Stage as jam ambassadors at Jungle Love Festival
Played their first interstate shows alongside Adelaide band Sons of Zoku, Sydney's Robot God and Melbourne's Spawn along with performing at Aftermath Festival and Sonic Gravy
Hitting the studio for the first time since the Covid period to begin recording new album, set for release in 2023
FIGHT IBIS - Brisbane Indie Rock
Picked up the tools after a quiet Covid period and a full band member change to dial in a tour of QLD and NSW including performances at The Golden Weekend Festival
Released new single and clip for 'American Android' to solid review along with a selection of rare tracks entitled 'The Black and White Days' independently
HAMMERS - Gold Coast Hard Rock
Played Blacken Fest in the Northern Territory to a mega vibe
Played Running on Empty fest in Tassie along with Sonic Gravy in Melbourne and Aftermath on the Gold Coast, Wallapalooza with the likes of Grinspoon and The Butterfly Effect and Halloween Hysteria
Finally completed East Coast ‘Try Again Tour’ for their EP ‘Kicking Goals’, numerous attempts before that were cancelled due to Covid and lockdowns
Played the Frankie’s Farewell gig to a capacity crowd
Began writing their next feature album, due for release in 2023
MOUNTAIN WIZARD DEATH CULT - Sydney Progressive Sludge/Doom
The band's biggest year of touring to date, performing headline shows all over Australia
Invited to take part in this year's BIGSOUND
Smashed sets at some the best festivals in the country including Blacken, Froth n Fury and Halloween Hysteria
Released latest single Initiation along with livestreams, film clips and a solid merch game
Completed their debut record, slated for release in 2023
RICK DANGEROUS & THE SILKIE BANTAMS - Sydney Party Rock
New guitarist
Released latest single/clip 'Braaap', paired with an East Coast tour
Sold all remainder of stock through quiet times including T shirts, mugs, cum rags, brothel creepers, stickers and the new Braaap tee
Supported The Bennies to a sold out crowd on the Gold Coast as well as appearing at Sonic Gravy and playing the iconic Cherry Bar
Finished the year in style to a packed final set at Frankies Pizza featuring new guitarist. RIP!
New material in the works with a change of sound/direction/image for 2023
TRANSVAAL DIAMOND SYNDICATE - Brisbane Blues Rock
TDS returned to the fray after a break to perform at the Caloundra Music Festival as well as a short QLD run to road test the new large-scale lineup, supporting the likes of 19-Twenty
Their single release 'Estranged Blues' hit 14million views on YouTube
Headlined Sonic Gravy on the Sunshine Coast to a full crowd featuring the likes of Zong, Rinser and Lotus Ship
RINSER - Gold Coast Heavy Psych Blues *Development Band
Released the first two singles from the forthcoming album, Existential Exodus and Stale, capturing the raw essence of the band
The band dialled their first headline tour for the launch of the album title track “Existential Exodus” in September with shows in Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast, Gold Cost and Brisbane including a packed out Mo's Desert Clubhouse show
Despite being flat out on the album promo train the band still found time to write some new progressive material, with more singles due in 2023
Last week we dropped the details of Smoke Screen Merch, offering ready-to-sell hand screen-printed tees waiting on the merch table for pickup at Mo's Desert Clubhouse or ready to post. Check out the current specials HERE.
Finally for the year, we'd like to give a massive shoutout to Sydney icon Frankies Pizza who closed it's doors last weekend after 10 years in the biz. An amazing home for underground and touring bands who truly lived and repped the Rock'n'Roll ethos and then some. Kudos to Jordan and the team for some amazing times indeed... that we can remember. They will be sorely missed.
Wishing you a rad Christmas and New Year's period, hoping you can get a break and come back firing in 2023 after a random few years. We have more touring plans for our bands next year, along with repeating our regular minifests and planning for the return of international touring and large-scale festivals in the periods to come. Much more surprises instore!
Take care and take it easy.
Christian and Rick
Beats Cartel
AGENTS
CHRISTIAN TRYHORN (email)
Astrodeath / Mountain Wizard Death Cult / Rick Dangerous & The Silkie Bantams
Transvaal Diamond Syndicate / The Black Armada / Endless Valley / Rinser
Mo's Desert Clubhouse / Aftermath / Mojo Burning / Dead of Winter Festival
RICK TREWAVAS (email)
Hammers / Captives / Bare Bones
Sonic Gravy
