And so this is Christmas?
Merry Christmas to everyone out there. 2021 has been an up and down year for myself and Hostile Entertainment, Turn Up Event and David Dean Events with the restrictions and lockdowns as well as everyone else that I know and work with. It has been 12 months since I moved into my own unit in Nambour. I can’t believe that it has gone so quick. I have enjoyed living by myself now that I am all settled in.
My health hasn’t been too bad in 2021 and I have been training a lot at the gym this year and my strength and fitness as well as my flexibility and mobility has got a lot better and I have made some good improvements to it all this year and I look forward to keeping to doing this and getting better with it all in 2022.
In October 2021 my Diabetes Specialist and Diabetes Educator decided to change the type of insulin that I am now having. I now have to inject myself four times a day. One-shot is long-lasting insulin that will work in the background for 24 hours that I have when I wake up in the morning and the other type of insulin I now have three times a day and it is short-lasting insulin which I have before I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the two months that I have been using this different kind of insulin my levels have been better and not so around the place which is good.
Hostile Entertainment had a big year with working with two new bands that we took on who were Krave and Lagerstein as well as still working and booking more shows for Mayah, 8 Ball Aitken as well as many other local and national touring acts/bands on the Sunshine Coast and south-east Queensland. We worked with The Black Sorrows and Russell Morris for gigs on the Sunshine Coast in 2021 that sold well. Once again we had to cancel, postpone and re-announce a few different touring acts/shows/dates in 2021 because of lockdowns and the virus but let’s hope this doesn’t happen again in 2022 but who knows what is possible.
It was so great to see and help in 2021 Krave release five singles with video clips as well as two EP’s and them getting signed to MGM Distro as well as getting their latest EP into some local Brisbane JB HiFi shops in 2021. Krave played a lot of shows around Queensland in 2021 and have built up a really good fan base and momentum this year. I look forward to working with the band again with shows and seeing what new music/videos they put out in 2022. Hopefully, this band can tour interstate as well next year now that the borders are open.
It was great to meet and work with the Lagerstein crew on the May Banana Bender Pub shed gig and then start helping them more throughout the year and seeing their dreams come true to start and run their own weekly Twitch channel that is growing as well as start their own alcohol line with a co-branded beer with the crew at Black Flag Brewery on the Sunshine Coast as well as sell-out their Christmas show at The Triffid, Brisbane the other week. I look forward to working more with this band with some great shows/festivals to be announced very soon around the country that they are playing in 2022 and new alcohol/music/video releases to come out next year. The word ahoy has been come part of my vocabulary since working with this band as well as knowing what shoeys and beer bongs are. This band is really fun and hard working. I enjoy being involved with this band and working with this crew.
I have enjoyed working with Mayah more in this year and seeing her releasing two new singles/videos as well as playing more local shows/events around the Sunshine Coast and surrounds and building her fan base as well as growing as a performer and songwriter. I look forward to working with Mayah again and seeing where she goes in 2022. Also, Mayah played her first gigs with a band in 2021 as well which she will play more within 2022 as well as release new music and videos.
It has been great to see 8 Ball Aitken return to Australia in 2021 and play lots of gigs/events/festivals all around Queensland and NSW this year as well as release two new albums of music and video clips for singles off these albums. It has been great to work with this prolific artist and see the numbers at his shows grow.
Turn Up Event was not able to do an in-person conference this year once again but the Turn Up Crew have brought you two different online free video sessions throughout 2021 which you can still watch on our Youtube channel which the list of them both are below. We hope to be able to return and do some in-person panels in 2022. Both I and Andrea spoke at some of the Live And Local PD music panels in September and October in three of the five council areas that this program was done in.
Online video acts and dates are as follows:
Ashy: Monday 19 July 2021.
https://www.facebook.com/ashleypelsmusic/
The Fins: Monday 26 July 2021.
https://www.facebook.com/thefinsmusic
Irukandji: Monday 2 August 2021.
https://www.facebook.com/Irukandji-101113194846378/
ZUBRISHEN: Monday 9 August 2021.
https://www.facebook.com/zubrishen/
The list of online video topics and presenters each week were as follows:
Monday 15th November: The Importance of Networking with David Dean (Hostile Entertainment) and Zubrishen.
Monday 22nd November: Managing a Portfolio Career with Eloise Gallagher and Andrea Kirwan (Peace Run Records).
Monday 29th November: Everything Grant Writing with Andrea Smith (Applause Genie) and Lucas Riguccini
Monday 6th December: How to Write a Bio with David Dean (Hostile Entertainment) and Irukandji.
Monday 13th December: Scheming for Streaming with Eloise Gallagher, Dr Andy Ward (University of the Sunshine Coast) and Justin Sheppard (SheppaRed Productions).
Monday 20th December: Dressing for Success with Andrea Smith (Applause Genie) and Cindy Vogels (Racy & Lucky).
Thank you to the supporting and funding organisations who were part of making these two projects and filming possible who were: stART Grants, QMusic, Arts Queensland, Sunshine Coast Council, The Sunshine Coast Creative Alliance, Peace Run Records and Cindy Vogels.
David Dean Events co-promoted the events and gigs of both Hostile Entertainment and Turn Up Event in 2021 which both sit under this brand. I have been working on some other projects and new business to hopefully announce in the new year which these new brands will also sit under David Dean Events.
I have been doing a lot more promo and posts on all of my social media pages for my three businesses/events throughout 2021 as I have had both Neelam and Rick working with me on this over the past year which has been so great to have their help with all of this as it is something that I can’t do myself and very important when you are promoting gigs/events/venues/acts/bands. Also, thank you to Marc who also looks after and updates my websites.
I hope you and your family have a very safe and Merry Christmas whatever you get up to for it as well as some time off work to rest and reflect on the past year and the upcoming one. I will be having some time off work and the gym to rest and catch up with my family and friends over this time. I look forward to bringing you all some great shows and acts in 2022. Stay up-to-date with all the acts/bands and venues/gigs/events/dates on my social media and websites. Thank you, happy new year and keep it live, loud, local and see you out at an event/gig very soon.