The phone rang.

Craig Harrison’s voice came over the line “… we just wanted to inform you before emails are sent out, that B2M have been selected to attend ShowBroker. We love them and the selectors’ love them. We want to give them a 25-minute spot right at the start. Do you think you might be able to get all of them down to Adelaide for this?”

ShowBroker is Australia’s newest performing arts market borne out of a nationally recognised need for tour-ready Australian works to be able to come together with presenters from all over Australia in the one room. From the conversation with Craig, Executive Officer and Special Projects Manager for Arts South Australia, we understood that a panel of 21 presenters and venues strategically chosen from states and territories around Australia, had shortlisted 200 pitch applications to 38 participants. Of these 38 successful candidates, B2M were the only NT artists to be chosen.

“We’d like to make it worth your while,” Craig continued “By seeing if we can arrange an additional performance at another venue while they’re all down there.”

We of course accepted, and then began the mad scramble to gain support (aka “funding”) for this trip.

Thanks to Arts NT, Arts SA and in-kind support from Skinnyfish Music, B2M were able to make it to Adelaide for this huge networking opportunity.

Among those representing B2M, and the NT arts sector for this pitch spot were Louise Partos, Liz Rogers, Mark Grose, Daniel Cunningham, Damien Narul, Darren Narul, Greg Orsto, Shelton Murray, Jeffrey Simon, Fabian Kantilla, Caiti Baker and James Mangohig.

5pm Sunday 26th of February, the band flew into Adelaide and headed straight to sound check at ShowBroker. An hour later they were back in the van and heading for Adelaide Fringe Festival’s Fringe Club for the next sound check. While the old “one-two-one-two” was happening, Liz and Louise headed out to buy pizza and throat soothers for the band before their gig at the Fringe Club began at 11pm.

What a hit! Fringe artists were rocking the dance floor at the club and even made way for Shelton to jump offstage and do some locking and popping with them.

8am, Monday 27th we were all back in the van ready for the big day at ShowBroker.

B2M were in their element! Imagine the auditorium filled with ‘number-crunchers’ who actually started to tap their feet… backstage the venue staff weren’t so shy to dance and some came up to us asking for a copy of B2M’s CDs. Their pitch, which opened up the conference, was being talked about days (and even weeks) later. We at Artback NT couldn’t be happier with this response.

B2M and Skinnyfish Music have returned to Darwin to finish their new album and build a theatre show for a national tour in 2018. Meanwhile, Artback NT are behind the scenes advocating for these NT artists nationally and building an itinerary for their national tour in 2018.

From little things, big things grow.

We can’t wait to be able to update you further on this new project. Stay tuned!

Interested in B2M? Have a read of their touring specs and costings.