‘Amazonification’ of Australian live music industry hurting artists and crew, inquiry told

Australia’s union for performing artists has accused the world’s largest live entertainment company of anti-competitive behaviour and called for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to investigate the industry.US-based multinational Live Nation became the focus of a parliamentary inquiry into the struggling live music sector on Friday, after previous public hearings identified sluggish recovery from Covid-19, rising insurance costs and changing audience habits as the causes behind the cancellation of dozens of music festivals over the past two years.The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance told the inquiry on Friday the Australian live music industry had fallen victim to “Amazonification” by Live Nation and its main competitor TEG, through vertical integration business models that allow large corporations to control venues, ticket sales, merchandise and the artists themselves.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads“This industry has always been about control and in particular control of artists and access and distribution,” the president of MEAA Musicians, Kimberley Wheeler, said.“But the difference in the past was that those controlling interests were at least based here and had some sort of connection to our society and our social fabric

Stephen Colbert on JD Vance: ‘Why the hell did Trump pick him?’

With other shows on holiday, the Late Show host celebrates new favorable polls for Kamala Harris and looks into the shortcomings of JD Vance.“I’m a little worried,” said Stephen Colbert on Wednesday evening, “because since Sunday afternoon, I haven’t been that worried. And that is deeply troubling. I personally blame our next president, Kamala Harris.”“Everybody has been buzzing about her ascent to the top of the Democratic ticket,” the Late Show host continued, “and now we have some hard data to back up all that enthusiasm

Why is Donald Trump so obsessed with Hannibal Lecter?

If the rumours are true, and Donald Trump really is becoming increasingly displeased with his choice of running mate, JD Vance, then it can only be a matter of time before he replaces him. And when he does, there is only one figure that he can possibly choose. A figure with a clinical mind. A figure with a sharkish ruthlessness. The figure who haunts Trump’s every waking thought

Amanda Abbington reveals death threats after pulling out of Strictly

The actor Amanda Abbington has revealed she and her daughter received rape and death threats after she withdrew from Strictly Come Dancing.Abbington pulled out of last year’s series in October and has since alleged that the behaviour of her professional dance partner Giovanni Pernice was “unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean”.Pernice, who left the BBC show last month, has previously denied any accusations of abusive or threatening behaviour.On Wednesday, Abbington told Channel 4 News the online abuse had been “brutal, relentless and unforgiving” and she received dozens of threats a day.She said: “The aftermath has been something that I wasn’t expecting, you know, the death threats and the rape threats towards not only myself but my daughter, and the threats of death to my son

‘A life too immense for only one book’: Cher announces two-part memoir

Cher’s two-part memoir finally has a release date. Cher: The Memoir, Part One will be released on 19 November by Dey Street Books, an imprint of the William Morrow Group at HarperCollins Publishers.Part Two will follow in 2025, the publisher announced on Wednesday.“After more than 70 years of fighting to live her life on her own terms, Cher finally reveals her true story in intimate detail, in a two-part memoir,” the publisher said in a statement. “With her trademark honesty and humor, Cher: The Memoir traces how this diamond in the rough succeeded with no plan and little confidence to become the trailblazing superstar the world has been unable to ignore for more than half a century

Stephen Colbert to Trump: ‘If you want to steal Biden’s thunder, all you have to do is drop out’

Late-night hosts talk Kamala Harris memes, the new phase of the presidential election and Donald Trump’s disappointment over positive coverage of Joe Biden.Stephen Colbert checked in on a warp-speed news cycle on Tuesday evening. Less than two days after Joe Biden stepped aside as the Democratic presidential nominee and endorsed Kamala Harris, the vice-president secured enough delegate endorsements to win the Democratic presidential nomination. “She became the presumptive nominee in 48 hours!” the Late Show host exclaimed. “To put that in perspective, it’s been more than three years, and we still don’t have a new James Bond