Mark Smith – manager
T: (08) 8981 1995 E: marksmith@musicnt.com.au E: manager@musicnt.com.au
Mark Smith has come to Music NT from a long history in performing and managing bands in the NT.
Mark was a founding member and manager of Drum Drum who went from performing at the Uni Bar to touring over 15 countries, including four tours of the States. He also performed with – and managed – hip hop group Culture Connect, who achieved national radio and television airplay. Currently Mark is working with Yillila band as their drummer and international booking agent. Prior to starting as Music NT Manager in April 2008 Mark worked as Youth Officer at Darwin City Council.
Mark’s favorite all time NT artist is “Cinco Loco, a groove/electro band who were big in the NT a few years back.” His favorite NT gig? “The Elements Hip Hop Festival that a few of us put on 4-5 years ago. It brought all these hiip hop guys out of the woodwork to battle out for a pretty cool trophy.”
“The thing I love most about music culture in the Territory is its independence in both sound and spirit and the support that musicians across the Territory show to one another.”
Megan Spencer – marketing/web/special projects
Megan came to Music NT early in 2009. She brings with her a vast background in media and the arts.
Megan has worked as a TV and radio broadcaster at triple j radio, ABC Local Radio Darwin & Sydney, SBS -TV (“The Movie Show”), Foxtel (“Project Greenlight Australia”) among others. She has worked as a critic, independent filmmaker and as an artistic director with arts and film festivals.
Megan brewed her passion for NT original music when she moved to Darwin at the start of 2008. When she wasn’t interviewing artists and bands on her Drive program, she was out seeing the latest NT music had to offer at all sorts of ‘gin joints’ and original music venues… She has big music crushes on NT bands Straight Skirt, Jess Ribeiro & The Bone Collectors and Cooperblack. She also loves Stir Fry Music, 2 Cats 1 Hat, Horse Trank and the band ‘formerly known’ as Moses. Her favorite NT gigs so far have been “a Horse Trank house party at the ‘Darwin Cultural Centre’ in Smith Street, and experiencing Bill Searle and Roddy Balaam from The Presley Boys improvise a distortion soundtrack to short films at Happy Yess.
Her favorite gigs? “The first time I saw Neil Murray play at the Sailing Club was amazing, and Sleeveheads sneak gig at the Railway Club during iNTune 2010.” Her biggest regret is that she never saw the Swamp Jockeys play.
The thing she loves most about music culture in the Territory is “…it’s sound, fearlessness and wild sense of possibility.”
Phillip Eaton – member services/project officer/rehearsal space
T: 0428 380 029 E: phillipeaton@musicnt.com.au
Phillip has been in Darwin for a for donkeys and started playing music as soon as he arrived.
In the same week he arrived, Phil joined two groups: playing didj with Wild Water and percussion with Drum Drum. He DJ’d at the Uni Bar and got involved with the club “Kongo” crew. In 1999, Phil got his first bass guitar!!!! He says “I’ve been really lucky to play with great musicians who all are great friends.”
Phil’s favorite NT artist is “Letterstick. I like them because they’ve got a fantastic grooves, melody and feel to their music.” His favorite gig? “The Sunrize Band at the Dolphin Hotel in 1995, the wildest venue with the heaviest rockers in the NT at the time.”
“For me, the thing I love most about music culture in the Territory is the multi-cultural music collaborations that I’ve experienced, making the NT a truly multi-cultural place.”
Lisa Buchanan – administration
T: (08) 8981 1995 E: admin@musicnt.com.au
Lisa is a printer and designer and started a club called Kongo in Darwin that has been around for 13 years.
Lisa returned to work at Music NT “from kid ‘la-la land’” and has plans to to kick off Club Kongo again at a new venue in Darwin. Her favorite NT artist is Wild Water. “They have the coolest reggae dub with a little bit of a rock sound – with the smoothest singing – that just makes you want to dance and dance keep on dancing.”
Favorite NT gig? “The first solo concert of the singer from Warumpi Band at The Esplanade with Bomba, 2004 (opening night concert, Darwin Festival). He was the Arnhem Land Jim Morrison.”
“The thing I love most about music culture in the Territory is that it is supportive of all musicians and a great place to get started. Great mob of people and great outdoor gigs!”
Paul ‘Djolpa’ McKenzie – Indigenous music development officer
Photo: the Black Arm Band website
T: (08) 8981 1995 E: paul@musicnt.com.au
Rapidly becoming a household name in music across Australia, and winner of ‘Artist of the Year’ at the 2011 NT NAIDOC Awards, Djolpa is well-known in the NT music community for his work in legendary NT band Wildwater, and nationally as a member of the Black Arm Band.
Djolpa brings to the position a solid background working with mentoring, music and social programs in Northern Territory communities.
His favorite NT band is “The Letter Stick Band” in which his elder brothers also play, and from whom he learned to be a mentor. His favorite artist “is Franky Yamma”.
He says that his most memorable gig in the NT “would be when I was a young teen back in ’88, The Sing Loud – Play Strong Concert” with The Tableland Drifters and Yothu Yindi.
And the best thing about music culture in the NT? ” Well it’s a small place, and you get known very quickly when you start your own band. You also have freedom to express yourself the way you want!”
Djolpa is based in the Darwin office, but will be racking up the miles traveling around the Territory, supporting and helping to develop music in NT communities.
Nico Liengme – Alice Springs coordinator (temp)
T: (08) 8952 0322 E: nico@musicnt.com.au
Nico is taking the place of Milyika Scales while she is on extended leave, studying in the US.
Nico brings to the role a strong history of event management and is an important member of the local music sector through his work with Top End Terror and Shamzine. He is also a musician and an award-winning music photographer.
Nico says his some of his favorite NT bands are ” ZEDMAJOR and Burrfoot, as far as sheer songmanship is concerned. I cut my teeth banging my head to Quilter’s Bane so they hold a pretty high place for me, but as far as sheer balls-out performance goes, it’s hard to beat Unbroken Expanse from Tennant Creek.” He’s also a fan of Nhulunbuy-based musician Kris Keogh. “Kris Keogh/Blastcorp has never ceased to melt my mind..” he says.
As a prolific music photographer Nico has also photographed a ton of live Territory gigs. ” My most memorable gig was the last Noonamah party in 2002. I love the idea of bush gigs with fires and sweat and dust. It’s totally primal.”
He reckons the best thing about NT music culture is the “do it anyway” attitude. “People here have come to realise that if they don’t do it themselves, it won’t get done. Institutions like Happy Yess and SHAMZINE in Darwin and groups like the Black Wreath in Alice are totally indicative of that frontier attitude that makes us so unique”.
Milyika Scales – Alice Springs coordinator
T: (08) 8952 0322 E: milyika@musicnt.com.au
Milyika Scales started at Music NT in February 2010. Her role is to support music and musicians in the Alice, Central Desert and Barkly regions of the NT.
Milyika brings with her many years experience working in the arts, music industry and festivals within the Alice region, including Wide Open Space Desert Festival, Red Dust Theatre, CAAMA Music and as a Music NT Board member from 2008-2010.
Milyika says she doesn’t have a “favorite” NT band as such, as she is having too much fun “listening to the 27 bands and artists from the Central Desert and Barkly regions who have their music up on on triple j Unearthed – what a diverse and talented bunch!”
One of her most memorable NT music gigs was Wide Open Space 2009 at Ross River, which included local artists Utju Band, Dr. Strangeways and Tjupi Band. They were “rocking it on the best-looking stage and a sublime sound system!”
And for Milyika, the best thing about NT music culture is that it is “diverse, original and accessible – what more could you want?!”
