Old state rivalries have been cast aside in favour of better serving the gig-going Australian public as Sydney's Oxford Art Factory and Brisbane's Woolly Mammoth have announced a new deal that will see the venerated live-music houses consolidate their booking efforts into a singular force.
As well-established mid-size rooms, the two venues occupy similar spaces in their respective cities' live landscapes, which has seen the spaces thus take the logical step of having the Oxford Art Factory assume responsibility for handling bookings for the Mammoth's Mane Stage in the new financial year (although the existing in-house music and events booker, Uda Widanapathirana, will stay on to handle local publicity and event co-ordination).
"[OAF] have been setting the bar very high for live music over the past nine years, and have a stellar reputation," Woolly Mammoth owner Lachlan Bird effused in a statement.
"We are excited to be partnering with them to bring some of that quality and reputation in live production to the people of Brisbane."
OAF's owner, Mark Gerber, echoed Bird's sentiments in his own comment on the deal, remarking, "OAF is now able to maintain a presence further north than ever before and looks forward to collaborating [on] many upcoming tours and events."
The Oxford Art Factory and Woolly Mammoth are both key locations in the Sydney and Brisbane music communities; recent acts to have come through the OAF's doors include Elizabeth Rose, Urthboy, The Matches, L D R U, Alpine, Totally Unicorn, UV boi, Opiuo, With Confidence, The Bennies and more, while the Mammoth — a staple destination for punters and delegates at BIGSOUND every year — has played host of late to Custard, Alex Gow & Dan Kelly, The Underachievers, City Calm Down, Jeff Mills & Derrick May and countless other acts.
For further information about the new joint venture between Oxford Art Factory and the Woolly Mammoth, see their respective websites (OAF/WM).
