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Backstage Banter
Amy Shark Got Played & AI Streaming Fraud | Backstage Banter #040
Season 1, Ep. 40
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Backstage Banter Episode 040
FORTY EPISODES! š We've officially gone over the hill, and somehow, nobody has pulled the plug on us yet. Welcome to Episode 40 of Backstage Banter, where the music industry continues to provide more entertainment than we ever could. This week, we're diving into the hilarious and slightly concerning Amy Shark and Olivia Dean saga. Sharky was led to believe British superstar Olivia Dean had covered her hit I Said Hi at Madison Square Garden, thanks to a fake setlist entry. Things got even more awkward when ChatGPT confidently confirmed the performance had happened. Spoiler alert: it hadn't! Has AI officially become the world's most confident liar, or should we all be a little more careful about what we believe online?
We also unpack the bizarre world of AI music streaming fraud, as Michael Smith receives an 18-month prison sentence for allegedly racking up millions of fake streams using bots. Is 18 months behind bars a fair punishment, or has the music industry made an example of him? Then it's back into the wonderfully ridiculous world of tribute band names, from Powderstreet to Frogstompers and Discovery, the Daft Punk tribute act. Who's winning the cover band naming championship? And finally, we're exploring the fascinating world of overconfident social media musicians. You know the ones. Confidence through the roof, musical ability potentially still loading. But does confidence matter more than talent in today's algorithm-driven music industry?
Throw in our favourite new music releases, questionable opinions, terrible jokes and the usual Chris and Brett nonsense, and you've got yourself another episode of Backstage Banter. 40 episodes down. Absolutely no signs of improvement.
For all your music news, tour announcements, new releases and culture, head to aaabackstage.com and sign up to the AAA Backstage newsletter. https://mailchi.mp/d1086e851ce4/aaa-newsletter-sign-up
Follow the Weekly Catch Playlist: https://hypeddit.com/5j1ekk
Backstage Banter is now available everywhere you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, as well as right here on YouTube. If youāre loving the show, donāt forget to like, comment and subscribe. It helps us more than you know.
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39. Kelly Clarkson's $15 Million Bird Drama & Coachella Lineup | Backstage Banter #039
42:40||Season 1, Ep. 39Backstage Banter Episode 039Welcome back to another week of Backstage Banter, where the music news gets weirder and our opinions get progressively worse.This week, we're diving headfirst into the bizarre Kelly Clarkson $15 million bird controversy. Yep, you read that correctly. A Brooklyn boutique, a novelty bird that wasn't for sale, and suddenly a $15 million price tag? Who's in the right here, and how did we even get to this point?We also kick off the ultimate Australian Music Civil War, putting some of Australia's biggest bands head-to-head in a brutal game of musical 'This or That'. Which Aussie bands deserve legendary status, and which could disappear from music history without anyone noticing? Brett's questionable game format makes things even more chaotic.With Coachella 2027 rumours starting to heat up, we're throwing around some potential artists who could be appearing on next year's lineup. Who's likely to make the cut, and who's just wishful thinking?Meanwhile, our quest to create the world's most annoying music festival continues. Perth is locked in, Bendigo is apparently close enough to Melbourne, and public transport? Absolutely not. It's already shaping up to be a logistical nightmare, and that's exactly the point.For all your music news, tour announcements, new releases and culture, head to aaabackstage.com and sign up to the AAA Backstage newsletter.https://mailchi.mp/d1086e851ce4/aaa-newsletter-sign-upFollow the Weekly Catch Playlist: https://hypeddit.com/5j1ekkBackstage Banter is now available everywhere you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, as well as right here on YouTube.If youāre loving the show, donāt forget to like, comment and subscribe. It helps us more than you know.š§ Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotifyš° More music news: https://aaabackstage.comš¤ Powered by https://gigsync.com.au https://www.instagram.com/aaabackstage/https://www.tiktok.com/@aaabackstage
38. Powderfinger Are BACK! | Backstage Banter #038
48:00||Season 1, Ep. 3838 EPISODES! Somehow, we're still here, still talking absolute nonsense, and still haven't been cancelled. Welcome back to another episode of Backstage Banter!This week, we're diving into one of the biggest Australian music announcements of the year! Powderfinger are officially reuniting, returning to the live stage after more than 15 years away. Is this the comeback Australian music fans have been waiting for?Meanwhile, Nickelback have announced a massive world tour, and we're once again asking the question nobody seems capable of answering. Are Nickelback actually cool now? Were they ever uncool? Or were we the problem all along?The Knotfest Australia 2027 rumours refuse to die, with more potential lineup leaks surfacing. Are we getting closer to the real deal, or is the festival even happening?We also get ridiculously creative with cover band names (KISS tribute band called Smooch, anyone?), while Tame Impala kick off their latest live shows, sparking another heated debate. Are they Australia's biggest musical export?For all your music news, tour announcements, new releases and culture, head to aaabackstage.com and sign up to the AAA Backstage newsletter.https://mailchi.mp/d1086e851ce4/aaa-newsletter-sign-upFollow the Weekly Catch Playlist: https://hypeddit.com/5j1ekkBackstage Banter is now available everywhere you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, as well as right here on YouTube.If youāre loving the show, donāt forget to like, comment and subscribe. It helps us more than you know.š§ Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotifyš° More music news: https://aaabackstage.comš¤ Powered by https://gigsync.com.au https://www.instagram.com/aaabackstage/https://www.tiktok.com/@aaabackstage #powderfinger #nickelback #tameimpala #musicpodcast
37. Knotfest Australia 2027 Lineup LEAKED?! | Backstage Banter | #037
48:26||Season 1, Ep. 3737 episodes deep and somehow we're STILL finding ways to annoy people every single week! Welcome back to another episode of Backstage Banter, where the music industry gets weirder and our opinions get louder.This week, we're diving into the Knotfest Australia 2027 drama! Is the festival making a comeback? And have we stumbled across a potential leaked lineup? We unpack the rumours and speculate on what's coming.We also chat about Aussie superstar Sia selling half her music catalogue to an ABBA legend, and ask the question nobody thought we'd be asking in 2026: Are Nickelback actually cool again?! With listening parties popping up everywhere, something strange is happening!Plus, we discuss Madonna's bizarre VMAs appearance, dive into some fresh new music and continue our questionable retro album reviews with Right Said Fred's debut album. Is it a forgotten masterpiece? Probably not, but we're here for it! All that and plenty more ridiculous music industry banter!šļø Proudly brought to you by GigSync.šµ Discover new music on our Weekly Catch playlist.š° For all your music news, head to aaabackstage.com.For all your music news, tour announcements, new releases and culture, head to aaabackstage.com and sign up to the AAA Backstage newsletter.https://mailchi.mp/d1086e851ce4/aaa-newsletter-sign-upFollow the Weekly Catch Playlist: https://hypeddit.com/5j1ekkBackstage Banter is now available everywhere you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, as well as right here on YouTube.If youāre loving the show, donāt forget to like, comment and subscribe. It helps us more than you know.š§ Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotifyš° More music news: https://aaabackstage.comš¤ Powered by https://gigsync.com.au https://www.instagram.com/aaabackstage/https://www.tiktok.com/@aaabackstage#KnotfestAustralia #Knotfest2027 #Nickelback #BackstageBanter
36. The Strokes Australian Tour, Calvin Harris Sells Out & $300 Concert Tickets | Backstage Banter #036
45:55||Season 1, Ep. 36Weāve somehow made it to Episode 36 of Backstage Banter ā although not without a little technical drama. Apparently Chris (Brett) forgot to record the original audio. Chris (Brett) feels terrible about it. Brett promises it definitely wonāt happen again. Probably.Once we finally hit record, there was plenty happening in Australian music this week.The Strokes have announced their huge Australian tour for 2027, and those February dates have us asking a few questions about what else might be happening while theyāre in the country. We break down the announcement, the Sydney Summertime show and whether there could be more to their Australian visit.Then thereās Calvin Harris, whose Australian tour has been selling at a ridiculous pace, with additional shows added after huge demand. But with concert ticket prices seemingly getting higher and higher, we ask the important question: if you only had $300 to spend on concert tickets, who are you seeing?And with AFL Grand Final week upon us and Kylie Minogue taking on the pre-game entertainment, we look back at some of the best ā and worst ā Grand Final performances from years gone by and decide who would make the ultimate pre-game act.Plus, we dive into some of our favourite new music releases, questionable opinions and everything else happening in the music world this week.Itās Backstage Banter Episode 36 ā somehow recorded, saved and uploaded.For all your music news, tour announcements, new releases and culture, head to aaabackstage.com and sign up to the AAA Backstage newsletter.https://mailchi.mp/d1086e851ce4/aaa-newsletter-sign-upFollow the Weekly Catch Playlist: https://hypeddit.com/5j1ekkBackstage Banter is now available everywhere you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, as well as right here on YouTube.If youāre loving the show, donāt forget to like, comment and subscribe. It helps us more than you know.š§ Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotifyš° More music news: https://aaabackstage.comš¤ Powered by https://gigsync.com.au https://www.instagram.com/aaabackstage/https://www.tiktok.com/@aaabackstage
35. Hayley Williams at Laneway 2027? Calvin Harris + Ed Sheeran Chaos | Backstage Banter #035
52:45||Season 1, Ep. 35Backstage Banter is back for Episode 35 and somehow, against all odds, weāre still going.This week, Chris and Brett dive into a massive week of Australian tour announcements, led by Hayley Williams and Calvin Harris. Hayley Williams has announced intimate solo shows in Sydney and Melbourne for February 2027 ā but with the dates falling suspiciously close to Laneway Festival 2027, could the Paramore frontwoman still be heading our way for Laneway?Meanwhile, Calvin Harris has announced his first-ever Australian headline tour, bringing one of the biggest catalogues in dance music to Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. But despite the size of the announcement, why does it feel like everyone is losing their minds over Hayley?Then thereās the Ed Sheeran and Macklemore tour controversy. With Macklemore removed from the tour and multiple supporting artists subsequently pulling out, Ed might need to jump onto the GigSync marketplace and start recruiting a whole new touring crew.And because apparently we havenāt talked about Ed Sheeran enough, this weekās retro album review dives into Ed Sheeranās Ć· (Divide). Does it slap? Does it suck? Or is Brett about to upset millions of Ed Sheeran fans?Plus, weāre spinning some of our favourite new music from The Weekly Catch, talking music news and delivering the usual questionable opinions.For all your music news, tour announcements, new releases and culture, head to aaabackstage.com and sign up to the AAA Backstage newsletter.https://mailchi.mp/d1086e851ce4/aaa-newsletter-sign-upFollow the Weekly Catch Playlist: https://hypeddit.com/5j1ekkBackstage Banter is now available everywhere you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, as well as right here on YouTube.If youāre loving the show, donāt forget to like, comment and subscribe. It helps us more than you know.š§ Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotifyš° More music news: https://aaabackstage.comš¤ Powered by https://gigsync.com.au https://www.instagram.com/aaabackstage/https://www.tiktok.com/@aaabackstage
34. ONEFOUR, Jimmy Barnes & Our Ultimate Supergroup | Backstage Banter #034
44:23||Season 1, Ep. 34Episode 34 and somehow they still keep letting us back into the studio.This week on Backstage Banter, weāre building the ultimate music collaboration supergroup, inspired by ONEFOURās wild Like A Version team-up with Jimmy Barnes and Jessica Mauboy for a cover of Phil Collinsā classic āIn The Air Tonightā. If those worlds can collide, surely anything is possible.Ā We also dive into the controversies surrounding Burning Man 2026 and the bigger question facing the event: has Burning Man grown too far beyond the community-driven, countercultural festival it started as, or are people simply being too sensitive about what it has become?Ā Then thereās the Jonas Brothers, who decided to have a crack at John Farnhamās āYouāre The Voiceā during the NFLās massive Melbourne debut at the MCG. An ambitious choiceā¦ but did they actually pull it off?Ā Plus, thereās new music, questionable opinions and another deep dive into a supposedly āclassicā pop album. Is it actually deserving of classic status, or have we all collectively remembered it a little too fondly?For all your music news, tour announcements, new releases and culture, head to aaabackstage.com and sign up to the AAA Backstage newsletter.https://mailchi.mp/d1086e851ce4/aaa-newsletter-sign-upFollow the Weekly Catch Playlist: https://hypeddit.com/5j1ekkBackstage Banter is now available everywhere you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, as well as right here on YouTube.If youāre loving the show, donāt forget to like, comment and subscribe. It helps us more than you know.š§ Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotifyš° More music news: https://aaabackstage.comš¤ Powered by https://gigsync.com.auĀ https://www.instagram.com/aaabackstage/https://www.tiktok.com/@aaabackstage
33. DO NICKELBACK ACTUALLY SUCK? | BACKSTAGE BANTER #033
38:56||Season 1, Ep. 33Back from the madness of BIGSOUND 2026, Chris and Brett return to Studio BAAAnter for Episode 33 ā and this week, weāre talking superstars.Bruno Mars is heading back to Australia, and apparently the entire country wants a ticket. With demand sending the tour into additional-show territory, we unpack the hype surrounding one of the biggest pop stars on the planet.Then thereās the Stella Lefty controversy. Is she really copying other artistsā music, or are people hearing similarities where there arenāt any? We dive into the debate and attempt to work out where inspiration ends and imitation begins.But the main event comes courtesy of a listener suggestion: Nickelback.For years, theyāve been one of the internetās favourite bands to hate ā but do Nickelback actually suck? Or have we all spent the last two decades pretending a band with an outrageous number of massive songs is somehow terrible? We dive into their catalogue and put the Nickelback hate to the test.Plus new music, questionable opinions and all the usual Backstage Banter chaos.For all your music news, tour announcements, new releases and culture, head to aaabackstage.com and sign up to the AAA Backstage newsletter.https://mailchi.mp/d1086e851ce4/aaa-newsletter-sign-upFollow the Weekly Catch Playlist: https://hypeddit.com/5j1ekkBackstage Banter is now available everywhere you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, as well as right here on YouTube.If youāre loving the show, donāt forget to like, comment and subscribe. It helps us more than you know.š§ Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotifyš° More music news: https://aaabackstage.comš¤ Powered by https://gigsync.com.auĀ https://www.instagram.com/aaabackstage/https://www.tiktok.com/@aaabackstageĀ Ā
32. BIGSOUND 2026 | Backstage Banter #032
20:56||Season 1, Ep. 32Backstage Banter is coming to you live from BIGSOUND 2026!Episode 32 takes us out of Studio BAAAnter and into the heart of Fortitude Valley after a mammoth week at Australiaās biggest music industry gathering. Weāre wrapping up the week that was ā from some of our favourite live sets and standout artists to the interesting characters, conversations and chaos we encountered along the way.We also took one very important question to the people of BIGSOUND: if you could attend an impossible music festival with Prince, Nirvana and Avicii all headlining at the exact same timeā¦ who are you watching?Prince? Nirvana? Avicii?We thought we knew how people would answer. We were very wrong.Join Chris and Brett as we unpack BIGSOUND 2026, share our highlights from across the week and attempt to make sense of everything we witnessed along the way.For all your music news, tour announcements, new releases and culture, head to aaabackstage.com and sign up to the AAA Backstage newsletter.https://mailchi.mp/d1086e851ce4/aaa-newsletter-sign-upFollow the Weekly Catch Playlist: https://hypeddit.com/5j1ekkBackstage Banter is now available everywhere you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, as well as right here on YouTube.If youāre loving the show, donāt forget to like, comment and subscribe. It helps us more than you know.š§ Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotifyš° More music news: https://aaabackstage.comš¤ Powered by https://gigsync.com.auĀ https://www.instagram.com/aaabackstage/https://www.tiktok.com/@aaabackstageĀ Ā #BIGSOUND2026 #BIGSOUND #BackstageBanter #AustralianMusic #MusicPodcast #Prince #Nirvana #Avicii