Frontier Touring

The company originated after Michael Chugg, a freelance tour co-ordinator with Paul Dainty, visited the United Kingdom, when he was taken by Kevin Borich to see a performance of the Police in London. Upon return to Australia, Chugg was unable to convince Dainty to back a local national tour by the Police, which led to Chugg forming a partnership with Michael Gudinski, his former boss at Consolidated Rock Agency.{{Cite web | url = http://www.milesago.com/industry/chugg-michael.htm | title = Michael Chugg – Promoter, agent, manager, 1970s-present | publisher = Milesago : Australasian Music & Popular Culture 1964-1975 (Ice Productions) | last = Kimball | first = Duncan | accessdate = 17 November 2013}}

The Frontier Touring Company was founded in November 1979 by Gudinski, together with Chugg, Phil Jacobsen – a "financial expert and artist manager", Ray Evans, Sam Righi "operations manager of Harbour Booking Agency", Frank Stivala "operations manager of Premier Artists", Glenn Wheatley, Robbie Williams and Steve Wright.{{Cite book | title=The Promoters: Inside stories from the Australian Rock Industry | last=Coupe | first=Stuart | authorlink=Stuart Coupe | year=2012 | publisher = Hachette | location = United Kingdom | isbn=978-0-73362-925-9 }} When Wheatley and Wright wanted to concentrate on promoting Little River Band in the United States, the other partners bought out their share. In the mid-1980s Williams left the company after falling out with Righi. Gudinski was the face of the Frontier Touring Company, due to his profile with his other business ventures; whilst Chugg was the company's general manager, and Jacobsen was the financial director.{{Cite magazine | title=Mushroom 25 – 8000 Recordings by 400 Artists | magazine=Billboard | publisher=Billboard Music Group | last=Eliezer | first=Christie |date=14 February 1998 | page=46}}

The first tour arranged by Frontier was the UK Squeeze in January 1980, which was followed a month later by The Police,{{Cite web | url=http://www.themusicnetwork.com/michael-gudinski-thirty-year-frontier/ | title=Michael Gudinski - Thirty Year Frontier | publisher=The Entertainment Media Group |work=The Music Network | last=Brandle | first=Lars | date=15 February 2010 | accessdate=15 November 2013}} the latter of which remain on Frontier's roster until this day.{{cite web|url=http://www.muzic.net.nz/news/1565/the-frontier-touring-company-celebrates-30-years-of-live-music |title=Music News - The Frontier Touring Company celebrates 30 years of live music |accessdate=2013-11-14}} The next year Frontier arranged Gary Numan's first Australian tour and a second tour by The Police. In October 1980 Chugg justified the promotion of overseas artists by his company when describing how "[i]t's given work to local bands who play the support spots, and also to rock-'n'-roll service industries who have become incredibly proficient in the last couple of years".{{cite news | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article125626414 | title = Timespan: Still money to be made on the road | newspaper = The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) | date = 8 October 1980 | accessdate = 17 November 2013 | page = 31 | publisher = National Library of Australia }} In August 1981 Glenn A. Baker of Billboard described how the company was "building fringe acts and bringing them up slowly".{{cite magazine | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=dyQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22frontier+touring%22+glenn+a.+baker&pg=PT59 | title = International: Frontier Booms Via Diverse Acts – Australians Building Diversified Promo, Booking Firm | last = Baker | first = Glenn A. | authorlink = Glenn A. Baker | magazine = Billboard | publisher = Prometheus Global Media | date = 8 August 1981 | page = 60 | accessdate = 16 November 2013 }}

In 1999, after twenty-five years with the company, Chugg left Frontier and formed his own entertainment company the following year. Soon after Chugg's departure Jacobsen also decided to leave Frontier although he continued as a financial consultant to the company. In December 2002 Righi resigned as manager of the Frontier Touring Company and as a director of the Harbour Agency.{{Cite web | url=http://www.qmusic.com.au/bigsound2008/index.cfm?action=dsp_speaker&ID=355&contentID=311 | title=Sam Righi - Owner, Big Deal Inc (AUS) | publisher=Queensland Music Network Inc | work=Q Music | accessdate=15 November 2013 | archive-date=30 December 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230233649/http://www.qmusic.com.au/bigsound2008/index.cfm?action=dsp_speaker&ID=355&contentID=311 | url-status=dead }}{{Cite web | url=http://www.indieinitiative.com/ifShowHeadline.asp?ID=263 | title=Sam Righi Resigns as Frontier Manager | publisher=Indie Initiative | accessdate=15 November 2013}}

In 2008 according to Pollstar, the industry's trade publication, the Frontier Trading Company was listed as No. 1 Australasian Concert Promoter and at No. 15, internationally.{{cite web|url=http://www.undercover.fm/news/7334-frontier-touring-named-no-1-promoter-of-2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110091410/http://www.undercover.fm/news/7334-frontier-touring-named-no-1-promoter-of-2008 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=10 January 2014 |title=Frontier Touring Named No. 1 Promoter of 2008 | last = Cashmere | first = Paul | authorlink = Paul Cashmere | publisher = Undercover (Paul Cashmere, Ros O'Gorman) | accessdate = 17 November 2013}} Main event for Frontier Touring in 2009 was helping stage Australia's Sound Relief event.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/global/1267400/oz-touring-awards-honor-sound-relief-gudinskis-frontier |title=Oz Touring Awards Honor Sound Relief, Gudinski's Frontier | last = Brandle | first = Lars | magazine = Billboard | publisher = billboardbiz.com (Prometheus Global Media) | date = 27 June 2009 | accessdate = 18 November 2013 }} In 2010, Frontier Touring celebrated its 500th tour with Tom Jones.{{cite web|url=http://www.undercover.fm/news/10338-frontier-touring-turns-500-with-tom-jones |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131114072840/http://www.undercover.fm/news/10338-frontier-touring-turns-500-with-tom-jones |url-status=usurped |archive-date=14 November 2013 |title=Frontier Touring Turns 500 With Tom Jones |publisher=Paul Cashmere |accessdate=2013-11-14}} Frontier Touring also were responsible for the first show in a renewed Hanging Rock in Victoria's Macedon Ranges, the company has an exclusive license at the site until 2018.{{cite web|last=Eliezer|first=Christie|title=More Shows For Hanging Rock|url=http://www.beat.com.au/music/more-shows-hanging-rock|work=Beat Magazine|publisher=Furst}}

In 2011, Frontier released a comprehensive poster book, Every Poster Tells a Story: 30 Years of the Frontier Touring Co. to commemorate the 30 years in operation.{{Citation | others= Foreword | author = Frontier Touring Co | title=Every poster tells a story! : 30 years of The Frontier Touring Co | year = 2011 | publication-date=2011 | publisher=The Frontier Touring Co | isbn=978-0-646-54014-6 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.readings.com.au/news/the-story-of-my-book-michael-gudinski-on-every-poster-tells-a-story-30-years-of-the-frontier-touring-company |title=The Story of my Book: Michael Gudinski on Every Poster Tells A Story - 30 Years of The Frontier Touring Company |publisher=Michael Gudinski |accessdate=2013-11-14}}{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/still-creating-a-buzz-stars-may-fade-but-their-posters-live-on-20111013-1lmxp.html|title=Still creating a buzz: stars may fade but their posters live on|date=14 October 2011|first=Bernard |last=Zuel|work=The Sydney Morning Herald}} In 2013 they were ranked the 16th biggest music promotions company in the world, based on ticket sales,{{cite news|url=http://www.tonedeaf.com.au/news/local-news/324868/guess-biggest-aussie-promoter-2013.htm|title=Guess Who's The Biggest Aussie Promoter Of 2013 So Far|first=Al |last=Newstead |date=18 July 2013}}

In March 2014 Frontier's Australian tour of The Rolling Stones was postponed due to the sudden death of Mick Jagger's partner.

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.frontiertouring.com/}}

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Category:Australian companies established in 1979

Category:Mass media companies established in 1979

Category:Companies based in Melbourne

Category:Event management companies of Australia

Category:Entertainment companies established in 1979