Australian Festival Fever: Gatecrasher Goes Mainstream as Godskitchen Fills the Gap

Australian Festival Fever: Gatecrasher Goes Mainstream as Godskitchen Fills the Gap
Gatecrasher have split from leading Australian club promoters Future Entertainment, to team up pop/rock specialists Agent Mad and leading local gig promoter Michael Gudinski. "We are trying to create a new atmosphere," Gudinski said this week in a statement. "You only have to look at these big rave parties and see how big the sales of electronic music has become to realise this culture is here to stay. It's not something for the future - it's already happening."

Gudinski has previously promoted tours for the likes of Bon Jovi and Madonna and his involvement "is another indicator of the rave movement's influence on mainstream pop," one local report claimed. Gatecrasher's previous promoters Future Entertainment (who also stage Australian events for Creamfields, Renaissance, Trade, Perfecto and Godskitchen) issued a subsequent press release that challenged the Sheffield superclub's all important credibility.

"After several successful tours with Gatecrasher, we at Future Entertainment feel it is time to move on to exciting and a lot less commercial new projects," they said. "We would like to thank Gatecrasher for the licensing and use of their brand and logo at our associated events,(and) at this point we would like to advise, that all the production, a majority of DJ bookings international and local, and all promotion, was carried out by Future Entertainment and other associated interstate and New Zealand tour promoters for all Gatecrasher events and shows."

While Gatecrasher's global plans began unfolding, the Sheffield superclub continued to face repercussions from their recent drug raid, in which 160 riot cops stormed the whole club. Seven magazine this week issued an apology to the club for implying that Gatecrasher had colluded with cops before the raid. "As Simon Raine firmly stated in our article, the raid came as a surprise and a shock to both him and the club," they stressed.

Following the raid, Raines claimed his club's international reputation had been a factor in prompting it in the first place, though judging by Home's closure earlier this year, all superclub brands are increasingly at risk. This Saturday (June 16th) their Summer Sound System outdoor rave goes ahead as planned (click below for soundcasts)
http://www.gatecrasher.co.uk
Jonty Adderley

Tags

• GodsKitchen