MJF LAUNCH-A View from the stage....

[giannim]

I performed with the movin'n' groovin orchestra at the Jazz Festival launch on Tuesday night. We were at Zinc from 7:45 to about 10pm.Now bear in mind that I have a 5 week old baby and went straight from a rehersal to the gig (so maybe I am just grumpy)Here is a short list of highlights:
We arrive and noboby can tell us where the green room is. Not only that, but the many staff and waiters start getting very annoyed at all these muso's asking questions
When we finally find the "green room". It is devoid of anything resembling food or drink (there was a tap, but I couldnt get my feet into the sink to get under it comfortably). Finally a waiter comes with 3 soft drink bottles....but brings no glasses so we have to search around for coffee cups etc in cupboards to use..
As we are being taken on stage, we are told off for going through the kitchen by a very annoying little man (head waiter)
After we finish our first set (no one listens of course...but it is only a CORPORATE gig after all) we were supposed to go back to the green room. Apparently bands like to have a break between sets, But alas, Tracy Bartrum comes onto stage before we an get off, to start speeches (that no one listens to...I thought you at least listen to speeches at corporate functions..helps climb the ladder..) So we are stuck.
A few of us (brass of course) walk off (ducking under the huge screen showing footage of something) and find a cubic metre to squash into. God bless Ian Bell and Pete Slipper who manage to stop a waiter and smuggle 4 beers out of him.
While we are standing there, the great Tuba player Howard Johnson comes over for a chat. He wants to get numbers of local Tuba players to have a blow, Unfortunately, the annoying little man(head waiter) chooses this time to come and tell us off again about going through the kitchen (some of us were trying to get back to the green room..). Howard just looks bemused. Welcome to Australia.
We go back on and play...no one listens...go back to our empty green room.Pack up and go home...walking past tables and tables of people scoffing and drinking...but I guess they are the important people of the festival..
Julia Gilard (whom I like) made a short speech which included the line.."I don't know much about jazz..but I am willing to learn" Alas,her education did not start this night.

[Boris]

A good example of how removed the whole organisation has become from the music it is supposed to be supporting....
the launch was corporate with a capital C and one can only hope that with a new A D next year Miss Bartram will be pensioned off..Abdullah Ibrahim and Kurt Elling were in attendance and made us all look like a bunch of idiots...
One cannot help feeling that 'owning' a jazz fest such as this is like having a trophy on the shelf...

[ironguts]

You know Phil Slater wasn't even told about or invited to the dinner/drinks and he was one of the winners of the Bells (congrats Phil), what the fuck does that say about the respect shown to musicians?? They did fly him down and put him up, you'd think they could organize an invitation to dinner? Goes to show it's an event that is not about the artists, but as you say boris, a trophy on the shelf.
giannim, gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling hey? I once did the ABAF ( Aus Business Arts Foundation) night with the AAO and it was even worse than that, we went to the bar to have a pre dinner drink with the guests and there was an emergency call from the head person to our leader saying that there has been musicians sighted at the bar drinking and that we were to return to our room with only one drink, which of course was the cloak room! One would have thought that at such an event the chance to meet the artists displaying their wares might be a good idea for the event? Total cunts is all I can say.

[vickibonet]

This treatment of musicians, especially at a 'prestige' festival is poor form.

It's interesting to me, that the stupid article by Jim Schembri seems to have caused more outrage and action on the part of the OJF community. Is this because we're used to local musicians being treated so badly in Melbourne?

[mim]

Yes.