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WWW.VIP-BOOKING.coM VIP- News›› ›› PREmiUM VOL. 138 AUGUST 2011 McGowan’s Musings: Usually, as you know, this opening section being light hearted evaporated with this tends to be in the main quite light hearted, further terrible incident and I and all at VIP and in fact I had already written a piece would prefer to use this space to convey that was at least partially in that vein. It our heartfelt condolences to all those di- was definitely more sombre than usual as rectly affected by these terrible events and it referred to the deaths of three important to all of their families and friends. and well-loved members of the live music community – we include obituaries in this We hope that all of you that are involved issue. I also mentioned the recent rioting with those open-air events still to take and looting that went on in London and place are favoured by the weather and all the rest of England and its awful and last- proceeds safely and successfully. ing effects on individuals, and communi- ties and businesses, including the inde- pendent record industry as a result of the fire at the Sony warehouse that stored the stock of a huge number of independent record companies. Allan McGowan Then came reports of stage collapses in the US, with the worst disaster being at the Indiana State Fair, with five killed and many badly injured. But then as all was due to go to print came the news from Bel- gium with more horrifying evidence of the destruction that the elements can bring, with further deaths and multiple injuries at the Pukkelpop Festival. All thoughts of The VIP-Booking European Live Entertainment Book Advertising in the VIP Book will make you visible to 10.000 business professionals all over Europe. You will find no better place to expose your company to the whole European Live Entertainment Industry. ›› RESERVE yoUR AD NOW ON WWW.VIP-BOOKING.coM 1 VIP-BOOKING.COM VIP- News - August 2011 Obituaries Allan McGowan [email protected] Willie Robertson: Willie Robertson, who died of cancer aged 67 on Saturday the 9th July, virtually sin- gle-handedly created insurance cover for entertainers in the 1970s, when he intro- duced non-appearance and equipment cover for rock’n’roll bands. With his part- ner Bob Taylor, he went on to create an international company – Robertson Taylor – that insured almost every big concert Willie Robertson (including Michael Jackson’s last series in 2009 at the O2 arena). An omnipres- Although Michel never presented himself ent and charming figure at the ILMC and as an industry power player in the pub- other events Willie was a true legend from lic spotlight, he was always behind the the live music industry, and both at work scenes moving miraculously big things. and at play was a charming, considerate, He was the opposite of power-hungry entertaining and hardworking friend, a power brokers being too unselfish, which most excellent host, and a valued col- distinguished him. As the foster father of league who will be so very much missed the Bureau Export De La Musique Fran- by so many. caise he had already developed structures in the early nineties which much of the French music industry still benefits from Jean-Francois Michel today. He was one of the very few persons with an institutional background that for Founder of the Bureau Export De La Mu- the first time provided access to public sique Française and head of the European funding for popular music artists and the Music Office, died at the age of 69 on 23 business behind them. Funding which July in Paris. was previously reserved for public cultural institutions. He succeeded in creating ac- With the death of Jean Francois Michel not tually quite transparent and equally fair COLOPHON ›› only the French but the whole European conditions for all eligibility criteria. music community lost one of its most ar- VIP-News is published by: dent advocates. Jean Francois was also a staunch support- VIP-Booking 145-157 St John Street er of the European ideal. Even on the po- London Ec1V 4PW Even if the definition of lobbyists is some- litically sophisticated parquet in Brussels, times considered a critical term, Jean where he operated besides professional Managing Director: Ronni Didriksen Michel represented the exception in this bodies such as CIESAC, IFPI or IMPALA, he [email protected] type of profession. Almost incompara- opened up doors for the support of pop ble, Michel seemed to work like no one music . He opened up minds in a highly General Manager: Peter Briggs else for the good of the music industry, bureaucratic environment for music is- [email protected] first in France and later at the European sues. He belonged to those who man- level. He was definitely not one to make aged for the first time to raise awareness Writer and editorial: Allan McGowan a big fuss about himself; on the contrary, among the rank and file in politics and the [email protected] Michel was more of a subtle diplomat administration for the profession and the who worked in the background. Right art of popular music. Together with Otto Writer: Manfred Tari up until recently, Michel was still taking Donner, the former chairman of the Finn- [email protected] care of business, working on the various ish copyright collection society Teosto he projects he often started or was involved set up the European Music Office. He suc- For advertising enquiries pls. contact Peter Briggs [email protected] in, too many to mention in this obituary. ceeded in even convincing the EU Com- or +44 870 755 0092 Yes, Michel was a functionary, but a func- mission to promote the European Border tionary that impressed by his integrity, his Breaker Award, the one and only pop- Lay-out: Pekaye Graphics, Phuket – Thailand perseverance, reliability and foremost by cultural project on the official agenda of [email protected] his personality. the EU. He was also an important pioneer 2 VIP-BOOKING.COM VIP- News - August 2011 and supporter of the European Talent Ex- change Program of the Dutch Buma Cul- tuur foundation and Noorderslag Founda- tion in the political world of Brussels. The death of Jean Francois is unfortunate- ly a very sad occasion on which to value his work and his legacy. Much of what he has done for the music industry in France, in Europe and even in Africa is not self- evident. He was a musical cosmopolitan, very open-minded and remarkably free of vanity, someone who has actually self- lessly created things and championed causes that can be considered as truly sustainable and meaningful, even in the fast-paced music industry. Jean-Francois Michel A close associate, who met him the day be- fore his death, reports that Jean-Francois Emmanuel Legrand, to them the relevance of European reper- Michel was still concerned with upcom- Journalist: toire. Jean-Francois Michel was for me a ing projects and plans. He was still full of very inspirational person and it was very hope and confidence that these projects Jean-Francois was a friend and someone impressive to see that he worked with a will grow positively. With this in mind, it I knew I could rely on. I’ve known him long term vision regarding collaborations is probably quite likely that he certainly since I started in journalism in the mid- that are of benefit for music. wished that his colleagues and former 80s. He was then running the FCM. We and current employees will be able to started working on projects together continue his work, maintaining the mean- when, alongside a few partners, I had the »Jean-Francois was a ing and spirit of the admirable attitude of crazy idea to celebrate the bicentennial of charismatic fighter for the Jean-Francois Michel. the French Revolution on July 14, 1989 in European idea to let music New York with French artists. Jean-Fran- cross borders. He was a great The funeral took place on 30 July in Nor- cois backed the project immediately and leader for the European mandy. In September there will also be a helped us go through the hurdles of the Music Office« commemorative ceremony at the Eglise financing. The event was a success and - Christof Huber Saint-Eustache Church in Paris. helped him “sell” the idea to the music in- dustry and the French government to set Statements and Comments on the loss of up the FMO. Christof Huber, Jean-Francois Michel General Secretary Yourope: We have since seen each other as regularly Maria Agnes Beau, as our schedules allowed. I always enjoyed Jean-Francois was a charismatic fighter BAM! Global Music Services: our encounters. We always had projects to for the European idea to let music cross discuss, but once the order of the day was borders. He was a great leader for the Eu- So much to say about Jean-Francois, espe- over, we would engage in long conversa- ropean Music Office. We have taken the cially after working for 12 years with him tions about “tout et rien” as the French news of his death with great sadness. He launching the French Music and European say, “everything and nothing”, over tasty will be missed! offices. A true visionary; one of his great- food and a good bottle of wine.* est talents was to gather the most diverse people around a table to set up very im- * Taken from: John Northcote: probable but necessary co operations: he legrandnetwork.blogspot.com created the first joint venture between the John Northcote, Chief Operating Officer French government and the music indus- Peter Smidt, (CEO), Academy Music Group (AMG), try which worked as a model and led to Buma Cultuur: passed away on Wednesday 10th August the European Music Office and Diversites.

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