Big Apachee is an experienced Newcastle based promoter & booking agency run by Andrew Kelly and Marcus D Wright.

 

Big Apachee was established in 1998 when Andrew & Marcus became partners, touring local and international bands, hosting large scale events, booking venues and artists.

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In 1999 Marcus & Andrew started their own crewing service employing hundreds of people over the years. Big Apachee Crewing has supplied crew to many events including; Nickelback, Disturbed, Ace Frehley, Lionel Richie, Beach Boys, Neil Young, Queens of the Stone Age, Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, Leonard Cohen, Rhianna, Nine Inch Nails, Disney on Ice, Steely Dan, Grinspoon, Chris Isaak, Krusty Demons, Newcastle V8 Super Cars plus many more.

 

Both partners have individually, and now in partnership, worked in many roles within the music industry;

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Marcus D Wright: 

Marcus “Dice” Wright came up loud in the early ’90s, slinging bass in Newcastle outfits The Sickmen, Pivet, and Shank’d—cutting his teeth on East Coast tours and sharing stages with bands he grew up on. Then he flipped the script, stepping offstage and into the engine room of the music industry.

In ’94, he built The Music Production Factory from the ground up—a raw, working hub for bands to get loud and get heard. Teaming up with Andrew Kelly, he co-founded Reign Records in 2000, running it hard between Newcastle and Tokyo for a decade and backing 18 acts along the way.

After merging forces in ’98, Wright and Kelly went all in. Today they run Big Apachee, Bigtix, and Big Apachee Crewing—powering tours and live shows for artists hitting both local stages and global circuits.

Dice has been backing artists since ’92—managing, mentoring, and making moves. He’s spent over a decade teaching Music Business at TAFE and helped build the Newcastle Music Taskforce from the beginning.

Three decades deep and still pushing—no slowdown, no nostalgia trip. Just momentum, grit, and the sense that the biggest plays are still ahead.

 

 

Andrew Kelly:

One of Australia’s most well respected sound engineers, working with the likes of the Hilltop Hoods (nationally and internationally), Goons of Doom, Ain't That Swell and many many others. Member of Newcastle Music Taskforce, Promoter, booking agent, venue liaison, previously the tour manager for Soundwave, Handsome Tours, Select Touring and more, formerly the production manager for Newcastle University, production manager for Groovin The Moo. Andrew has extensive experience in all aspects of the industry.

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Carlie Lawler
Carlie first joined Big Apachee back in 1998, right as Marcus and Andrew teamed up, both in the office and at the legendary Music Production Factory. After a break from the music scene to raise her family, she rejoined the Big Apachee crew in 2019 and has been keeping the team on their toes ever since.

Nicknamed the “Minister for Finances and Affairs,” Carlie manages the important day-to-day operations while overseeing three original bands. Her passion for live music shines through her extensive industry expertise and experience.

Known to “Get the deal done” Carlie’s high standards are unmatched—if you’re not on top of things, you’ll likely be met with her trademark “seriously?”

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WHAT HAVE WE DONE?

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Artists Toured:
Vapors Of Morphine, Wheatus, Smash Mouth, Eiffel 64, David Hasslehoff, LA Guns,  Sprung Monkey, Venga Boys, S Club, Special Beat, Bad Manners, Agent Orange, The Blanks, Neville Staple, The Beat, Sandi Thom.

Big Apachee Events over the years;

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• 2020 - 2021  Wickham Park Blue & Roots Festival

• 2019 - 2021 Strike The Steel Metal Festival

• 2019 - Newcastle Rockabilly Festival

• 2018: Noisy Heeler Festival in association with Muswellbrook Council

• 2017: Neon New Year’s Eve in Association with Newcastle City Council

• 2017 – 2018: Newcastle Toy Run in association with the Red Cross

• 2015-16: New Year’s Eve Street Party in association with The Cambridge Hotel

• 2004 – 2018 Showdown at Sundown

• 2001 – Present: Supplying crewing services and production crew for Day on the Green.

• 1994 – 2010: Newcastle University Beach Parties

• 1998: Teepee Music Festival

• 1997,1998 & 1999: DOGBITE Festival in association with Maitland City Council