General Admission Entertainment, a prominent name in the South Australian music scene, announced the launch of a new, innovative booking agency today. This initiative aims to amplify the presence of South Australian artists across the national landscape, which has historically been a challenging endeavour due to geographical limitations.
Founded in 2007 by Gareth Lewis and Aaron Sandow, General Admission Entertainment has long advocated for local talent, being involved in several facets of the industry from managing venues and festivals to artist management. Their work spans some huge events including Parklife, Soundwave, and Groovin’ The Moo, as well as managing operations at the UniBar ADL. Their expertise spans across venue owner, festival promoter, talent booker, licensee, site management service and artist management, and now booking agency.
The latest venture serves up a unique model for artist bookings. It offers traditional roster management as well as an innovative self-managed service, allowing artists to control their own bookings while still benefiting from General Admission’s broad network and professional expertise.
The system allows artists to tap into the General Admission Entertainment technology and resources by engaging only to contract and collect/distribute payments from venues, promoters and festivals. This second ‘self-serve’ tier gives artists the power to control their own opportunities and not be tied to a single booking agent or agency whilst having the resource of a professional team to execute the business side of their live careers.
General Admission has curated an exciting line-up for its initial roster. This includes internationally celebrated drummer and producer Alexander Flood, the genre-melding band TONIX (pictured above), and Australian punk-rock revivalists LOLA. These artists are a showcase of the agency’s commitment to propelling local talent onto a broader stage.
This week’s announcement has also introduced of the Future Sounds Residency at UniBar ADL. Supported by Live Music Australia, a government initiative, this project focuses on nurturing emerging artists. The residency offers mentoring, professional development, and performance opportunities, with applications now open for interested South Australian artists.
Gareth Lewis spoke about this week’s launch, saying, “Since 2007, Aaron and I have observed firsthand the difficulties faced by local artists here in Adelaide. Our aim with this new agency is not only to enhance the careers of local artists but also to equip them with the tools to manage their own pathways successfully.”
General Admission Entertainment is now actively inviting artists from all over Australia to join their agency, promising support and an opportunity to be part of a new movement in the music industry. Interested parties can find more information about the agency’s services, the artist roster, and upcoming events on their newly launched website at gaentertainment.com.au, which also hosts further information on the Future Sounds residency and festival.
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