From The Inside with Peter Rix

Michael Chugg – aka ‘Chuggy’ - is one of the legendary characters of Australian music and the founder & executive chairman of music and touring company, Chugg Entertainment. Having managed and toured bands since the 60s, Chuggy’s life in music has seen him work with many of Australia and the world’s biggest music artists. From starting out promoting bands and dances in Launceston, to the world’s great acts such as Guns ‘N’ Roses, Robbie Williams and Elton John, Michael’s commitment to music has been unending and unrelenting. 

In Part 1 of Peter and Michael’s conversation, they look at Michael’s start with music in Launceston, his jump to Melbourne and then on to Sydney. These were the early days of the modern day business of music management, promotion and touring. Chuggy gives Peter his inside glimpse on those days. By learning on the job, Michael and counterparts set the stage for the music and touring business that is alive and thriving today.

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The 1970s meant a new era of Australian music. The Sunbury Rock Festival in the early 1970s was Australia’s equivalent to Woodstock. Around the same time, the touring scene started to take off in Sydney after years of decline with Michael one of those leading the charge. The late 70s then saw a new wave of touring from the UK, with acts such as The Police. This was a period where Michael established his touring and management credentials for both Australian and overseas acts. Peter Rix and Michael Chugg look back at what happened to Chuggy at Sunbury, the growing music and touring scene through the 70s and his work in helping take Aussie acts overseas and bringing a new wave of British acts down under.

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The modern day era saw Michael Chugg’s music life take on different turns – touring new acts and new genres, breaking new artists in Australia and a return to managing artists. Chuggy had to get hands on with artists - playing a role in breaking Robbie Williams and Sheppard into Australia. In Part 3 of their conversation, Peter and Chuggy look at the ups and downs of modern day touring and the music business. It’s not common for a touring man to help break artists onto the radio and into the charts, but it was a challenge Chuggy took up.

 Peter and Michael also look back at the infamous moment where Chuggy took to the stage at the Guns N Roses concert at Sydney’s Eastern Creek and how he might have done things differently a second time around.

 Note: This interview was recorded prior to the passing away of country music promoter Rob Potts and musician and journalist Iain Shedden in late 2017.

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This conversation is one very close to Peter Rix's heart. One of his early artist management jobs was with the glam rock band Hush. The mid-1970s saw the band take on constant performing, touring, radio airplay and regular appearances on 'Countdown' - giving the band chart success and Countdown's #1 Song of 1975. Les Gock was the lead guitarist and co-songwriter in the band.

In Part 1 of their conversation, they look back at how Les started out in music and in the band, and what it took to build a following, get on 'Countdown' and achieve touring and chart success in the 1970s.

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This conversation is one very close to Peter Rix's heart. One of his early artist management jobs was with the glam rock band Hush. The mid-1970s saw the band take on constant performing, touring, radio airplay and regular appearances on 'Countdown', giving the band chart success and Countdown's #1 Song of 1975. Les Gock was the lead guitarist and co-songwriter in the band.

In Part 2 of their conversation, Peter and Les share their stories of Hush hitting the road and touring. There were many memorable moments and a bunch of not so memorable moments as well. It was a period of camaraderie with the other Australian bands of the time.

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Even while touring, performing and being on TV as a 'rock star' in the 1970s, Les was already thinking about the future and where he would go next in life. While working on his re-invention after the end of Hush, Les discovered that being in a successful Australian band in the 70s didn't open as many doors as one would expect; he would need to carve out his own path for the next phase of his life.

In Part 3 of Peter and Les's conversation, they look at Les's re-invention as a successful and award-winning sound and brand designer, including his work at founding music and sound design business Song Zu. It is a story that is equal parts about music and about one's own power to create personal change; a story that is just as relevant for today.

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John Watson is best known as the manager of an astonishing roster of recording artists from Silverchair to Missy Higgins, Birds of Tokyo, Paul Mac, The Presets, Gotye, Dustin Tebbutt and these days, Cold Chisel and Midnight Oil. John also runs his own recording and publishing outfits via Eleven: A Music Company.

In Part 1 of their conversation, Peter and John look back on his start in the business in Townsville, his time in the record business and how he came across three teenagers from Newcastle Silverchair.

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In Part 2, Peter and John look at the role of the manager in the life and career of a recording artist: when to stay close, when to keep your distance, how to deal with the big highs and the big lows. Each artist that John has worked with over the years has required a different approach - especially in the new era of social media and music streaming. They also look at John's current work with Cold Chisel and how that came about.

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Nowadays John also co-manages Cold Chisel and manages Midnight Oil, in addition to his work with artists such as Gotye, The Presets, Birds of Tokyo and Dustin Tebbutt. In Part 3 of their conversation, Peter and John look at how Cold Chisel came back with the hunger they now have, the endless global drive of Midnight Oil, and his own personal highlights from over two decades of managing Australian recording artists.

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This story is one hell of a ride. John Woodruff has played many roles over the years. From agent to manager to venue proprietor to music publisher to record label owner to magazine publisher. After experiencing success in the 70s and 80s through booking and management - in particular with The Angels - it was in the 90s that this converted into global success with John as manager of rock group The Baby Animals and then pop superstars Savage Garden. In Part 1 of this rare conversation, Peter and John look at the days starting out in Adelaide, the changing face of booking and management that John helped create in the 70s via Dirty Pool Management and the heady days of The Angels including their appearance at the Narara '83 music festival.

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