WAM: Michael Chugg’s Best Quotes Of The Conference

Veteran promoter and now label head Michael Chugg delivered the keynote speech at this year's WAM Festival today in his typical blunt, honest and hilarious fashion.

Hosted by theMusic.com.au's Leigh Treweek, the panel covered his early days to current opportunities for Australian bands and succession plans.

Some of the best quotes:

ON WHY HE STILL ATTENDS CONFERENCES

“My ex partner Michael Gudinski used to say I talked too fucking much, that's just the way it is.”

“Giving back [knowledge] is part of life… maybe that's why I'm still here at 66 and a lot of my peers are in the great concert hall in the sky.”

ON AUSTRALIAN BANDS

“I've been watching Australian bands try to break it internationally for 30 years. Right now it's the most exciting time for Australian bands ever. Some of my peers and some of the most important people in the industry tell me that the most exciting bands, for two years, now are coming out of Australia and New Zealand… and we own New Zealand anyway.”

“I can't believe how close Tame Impala are right now, it's amazing.”

ON HIS LABEL CHUGG MUSIC

“We started Chugg Music with a three year plan… and we're all smiles because we've achieved that three year plan in 14 months.”

“We call it happy music, certainly I get a fuckin' smile when I hear it on the radio.”

“I said I wouldn't talk about Sheppard. I think I've lost $100 bet.”

ON AUSTRALIAN RADIO

“One of the things about Australia is the quota is a joke on commercial radio and nobody yelling or screaming can make any difference there… triple j have a fairly defined style of what they want, so there's a lot of music they don't play. Which is fine.”

“Our radio's a little narrow on what they play, whereas in Europe and America they just play good songs.”             

“[Commercial Radio are] playing eight songs a day to get their advertising dollars because the pricks paid too much for the stations!”

AMERICA'S OPINION OF US

We were watching The Griswolds and [American music executive] didn't know I was working with them. He said, “They're an Australian band.' I said, 'How do you know?' 'They can play their fucking instruments'.”

ON LIVE NATION

“Good luck to them, sooner or later it'll all go to shit and we'll get on with things.”

ON LANEWAY SINGAPORE

“Better than [Laneway Detroit] was four years ago taking Laneway to Singapore and being told there were no indie kids on Singapore [chuckles]. They fuckin' came out of the woodwork, then.”

ON GOVERNMENT

“It's only through different people sniffing around that we found out there were grants around in the first place.”

ON THE AMID POWER 50

“I'm very happy to be number three, I was happy to be number thee last year and ill be happy to be number three again next year. Gudinski and AJ and Piticco can bash each other up, I'm happy to be number three.”

CHUGGY'S ADVICE

“If you believe in something bang your head against the wall and the wall will eventually fall down. You may not be able to think or do anything after, but that wall will fall down.”

“Get a real job.”