Australian musos demand regulation that will force superstars like Taylor Swift to use local support acts when playing Down Under
Pop superstars such as Taylor Swift may soon be forced to use Australian talent as support acts during their tour Down Under.
A music industry lobby group has proposed visa restrictions and a quota system as ways to ensure Aussie talent gets a spot on international tours.
If a superstar like Swift, who earned $100 million playing four shows in Sydney on her recent Eras tour, refused to comply, they would be denied entry under the proposed settlement.
Practicing international acts using Down Under groups and solo artists while playing major arenas and concerts in Australia was the ‘done thing’ for decades.
But it was unregulated anyway and international acts including Taylor Swift and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have used non-Australian artists on their tours.
Pop superstars such as Taylor Swift (pictured) may soon be forced to use Australian talent as support acts during their tour Down Under. A music industry lobby group has suggested visa restrictions and a quota system as ways to ensure Aussie talent gets a place on international tours
Pearl Jam, Blink 182 and SZA also ignored local talent and recently toured with international acts when they played Down Under.
Swift used American artist Sabrina Carpenter on her Eras Tour, while in 2013 she had Guy Sebastian as her support, while Vance Joy scored a performance with her in 2015.
According to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday, the Association of Artists Managers is pushing hard for regulation of international acts.
Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke told SMH that the government wanted to add restrictions on international acts, adding: “It shouldn’t be too much to ask for an Australian supporting act.”
International acts including Taylor Swift and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have used non-Australian artists on their tours in the past year. Guy Sebastian supporting Taylor Swift in 2013 (pictured in Sydney in 2023)
The proposed new regulations would mean huge exposure for local artists in a live music sector that is currently struggling. Pictured: American singer Sabrina Carpenter supported Swift during the Australian leg of her Eras tour
The proposed new regulations would mean huge exposure for local artists in a live music sector that is currently struggling.
New figures released by the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance report that musicians earned an average of a paltry $6,000 or less in 2023.
It comes after the Australian leg of Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour ended with the star raking in a huge sum of money, both for herself and the NSW economy.
The pop sensation, 34, reportedly earned $25 million per show in Sydney, meaning she took home $100 million after four concerts at Accor Stadium.
Swift also injected a whopping $145 into the NSW economy as thousands of local and interstate fans flocked to the city for the must-see event of the year.
The pop sensation, 34, reportedly earned $25 million per show in Sydney, meaning she took home $100 million after four concerts at Accor Stadium. (pictured in France this week)
Meanwhile, tax lawyer Harry Dell revealed Swift allegedly paid 30 percent tax to the Australian Taxation Office on her concert income.
This means the Australian government collected approximately $10 million in taxes from Swift during her four Sydney shows.
In Victoria, Swift injected a whopping $174 million into the state’s economy after her three shows in Melbourne.
Thousands of fans collectively spent $86 million across the accommodation, hospitality and tourism sectors, with CBD spending up 30% compared to the previous month.
It comes as Swift ended her series of concerts in Sydney earlier this year.
She dismissed the audience with some very warm words, causing the audience to cheer with delight.
“Looking at this crowd, the biggest crowd we’ve had in our four shows here!” she told her fans.
More than 600,000 people attended the Australian leg of her Eras Tour.