A young female DJ seeking industry contacts and more performance opportunities was stunned after a fellow DJ she approached for career advice sent her a disturbing message.
Noosa entertainer Tiarna Hanson contacted Melbourne DJ Ryan Mattiazzo, who performs under the name “Mattix”, after he had previously shown interest in booking her.
However, the exchange soon took an uncomfortable turn when Mr Mattiazzo allegedly indicated that he expected something in return.
“The message was disgusting and degrading,” Ms Hanson told Daily Mail. “This is how we are treated as females in the industry. If I don’t give him what he is insinuating, then I’m not getting a gig. I’m not getting a contact either.”
The 21-year-old first contacted Mr Mattiazzo on social media in May as she looked to secure work interstate.
She had recently performed at her first festival and was eager to take on her next professional challenge.
“I idolised him and reached out in particular because he had messaged me previously asking when he could book me in Melbourne,” she said.
“At the time, I didn’t feel capable enough to play in a different city, but he worked in the same DJ scene as me and I thought he was a decent person to contact.”
Noosa entertainer Tiarna Hanson (pictured) contacted Melbourne DJ Ryan Mattiazzo, known as “Mattix”, after he had expressed interest in booking her.
The conversation soon took a disturbing turn when Mr Mattiazzo allegedly made it clear he expected something in return.
“In the first voice message, he said it was more about who you know rather than email addresses, but in order for me to get them, he wanted something from me.”
At first, Ms Hanson chose to overlook the implication in the voice message and pressed ahead with her request.
‘Feel free to share them,’ she replied.
‘Only if you hit me up,’ Mr Mattiazzo responded.
When Ms Hanson questioned what he meant by that, he replied: ‘I want you in my DMs, look at you x.’
Standing her ground, Ms Hanson tried once more to steer the conversation back to business, adding:
‘You’re not my type sorry. I thought this was a DJ to DJ thing.’
Mr Mattiazzo then sent a final response via voice note, apparently mocking her rejection.
‘Not my type…. God, I could help you with so many gigs right now and then you go and say s**t like that.’
Ms Hanson (pictured) continually tried to steer the conversation back to business
Mr Mattiazzo’s final voice message said: ‘Not my type…. God, I could help you with so many gigs right now and then you go and say s**t like that’
Ms Hanson, who brands herself as ‘your favourite Barbie DJ’, bought her first set of decks as a teenager after attending a festival and falling in love with the music scene.
She says she loves dancing, singing and the energy music brings, and began playing at venues across the Sunshine Coast last year.
While she admits to using her long blonde hair to help build her brand, she describes herself as a ‘girls’ girl’ and says she plays for a predominantly female audience.
‘Pretty privilege definitely exists, but I wish that I could be seen entirely for my talents and not the way I look,’ she said.
‘Any time I get opportunities, the question always in the back of my mind is, am I getting this because of what I do and what I bring to the table or is it because of how I look?’
Frustrated, Ms Hanson decided to speak out about the message and the treatment of women in the industry, hoping to help others. She posted Mr Mattiazzo’s message to her social media account.
‘I was aware that my career could be over for speaking up, but I was prepared to lose all of it,’ she said.
‘I thought in 2026 this behaviour would be over with but clearly not. It’s almost as if it’s a currency. Why do men in higher positions think that they can get away with this behaviour? Why do they even think they are entitled to it in the first place?’
Ms Hanson who brands herself as ‘your favourite Barbie DJ’ bought her first set of decks as a teenager after going to a festival and falling in love with the music scene
‘And it hurts because they can’t care about my music, or how well I perform – they just wanted something out of it for themselves.’
Hours after uploading her video, Ms Hanson said she was inundated with messages from girls who had similar experiences.
‘It was heartbreaking, truly heartbreaking,’ she said.
‘I had so many stories shared with me, women with similar experiences, in the DJing world and not.
‘I was proud to be the voice that spoke up for these women and encourage them to share their stories too, but I had to take a break from social media because it was painful to hear what others endured.
‘And many said they didn’t want to speak up because they weren’t sure what repercussions they would receive.’
Days later, Mr Mattiazzo publicly addressed his behaviour.
‘I want to sincerely apologise for my actions and for the situation that has occurred,’ he wrote in a statement posted to his social media.
Mr Mattiazzo apologised for his behaviour
‘While my behaviour and comments were intended by me as flirty banter and joking around, I fully understand that they may have made someone feel uncomfortable or crossed boundaries and I take responsibility for that.’
‘I am not asking anyone to defend me, support me, or feel sorry for me regarding this situation.
‘I understand why people may be disappointed in me and I genuinely apologise to anyone I have hurt, upset, or let down through my actions.
‘Moving forward, I will reflect on this properly and learn from it so I can be more respectful and aware of how my behaviour can affect others.’
