“You don’t go into this line of work unless you have some kind of rock star ego and ambitions. There’s a part of you that’s always been waiting to step out on that stage and strut your stuff,” Cromack says. “But no one wants to see an Oasis cover band get up there. So we’ve got to be true to ourselves and our own artistry, play the songs we’re proud of and that have worked for us all these years.”
This is also important for Australian music more broadly, Hanson adds. Local acts have been sinking further down Triple J’s annual Hottest 100 list, streaming fragments audiences, and iconic Australian venues shutter, such as the Gasometer Hotel in Melbourne and Brisbane’s The Zoo.
Ball Park Music will open for Oasis in October and November this year.
“Reaching new fans is becoming more and more difficult by the day, and we have so much incredible music being made here at home in Australia,” he says. “It’s also difficult to export music overseas from this giant island in the middle of the ocean, so putting the spotlight on some of our great homegrown talent right here, right now can give us all a massive boost.”
Among the efforts to support local artists is the Association of Artist Managers’ Michael’s Rule campaign – named for the late Hoodoo Gurus manager Michael McMartin – which is seeking a mandate that Australian artists must be included on international tours as an opening or supporting act. Such rules within the arts feel like “sacrilege” to Cromack, but he says he understands the need.
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“It’s not about saying Australian music is better than anyone else’s, but rather celebrating it because it is indeed ours. It celebrates who we are,” he says.
“This rule could have systemic benefits. We’re not so idealistic to think we can just plod on and it’ll all work out, or the cream will always rise to the top. If we don’t have policies like this, we can expect to see Australian culture increasingly stuck in a fight to survive.”
Despite how big this opportunity is for Ball Park Music and the industry, Cromack says they’re trying to keep their expectations in check.
“It’s a bit like looking forward to your birthday. Sometimes you get very excited, but the party ends up leaving you with mixed emotions … But it is a mind-boggling, full-circle moment. I remember little Sam with his eyes glued to the TV watching Rage, just waiting for the Oasis songs to come on. It’s hard to put the excitement into words.”
Ball Park Music will open for Oasis in Melbourne from October 31 to November 4, and in Sydney on November 7 and 8.
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