How Do the Promoters of Independent UK Music Festivals Organise And
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How do the promoters of independent UK music festivals organise and implement events? Danny Hagan BA (Hons), MA SuBmitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy London College of Music University of West London August 2019 Abstract The promoters of music festivals form part of an under-researched and somewhat neglected topic in the academic literature. Focus on events has largely centred on the needs and motivations of audiences, and on the consumption of festivals within a participatory culture. The emphasis in music studies has also Been concentrated on the recorded music industry, with the live sector often viewed as a secondary or less important area of study, despite the continued growth of the music festival industry. This thesis, therefore, redresses the Balance in Both these related areas, By exploring the practices and motivations of the Behind-the-scenes promoters who organise and implement these social and cultural events. The thesis looks first at the structures of the contemporary music industry and the place of independent UK music festivals in the live music ecology. It then considers, through the phenomenological perspective of the promoters, how music festivals are organised through a weB of social, economic and political relations and initiatives, and argues for the key role of the promoters in the production and distriBution of these experiential goods. Finally, it considers the individual practices and motivations of the festival promoters as the mediators of physical and social spaces, and questions the effects of implementing events on their mental health and wellBeing. 2 Table of contents Abstract ........................................................................................................... 2 Table of contents ............................................................................................ 3 Abbreviations ................................................................................................. 8 List of figures .................................................................................................. 9 Acknowledgements ...................................................................................... 10 Author’s Declaration .................................................................................... 11 Chapter One: Introduction .............................................................................. 12 Aim and approach ....................................................................................... 16 Defining music festivals .............................................................................. 17 Context of study .......................................................................................... 18 Structure of the thesis ................................................................................. 21 Chapter Two: Literature Review .................................................................... 25 Introduction ................................................................................................. 25 Practices and discourses within Festival Studies ....................................... 28 Event Tourism ......................................................................................... 29 Event Management ................................................................................. 31 Classical .................................................................................................. 33 Production of Culture Perspective .............................................................. 34 Festival Promoters ...................................................................................... 44 Summary .................................................................................................... 49 Chapter Three: Methodology ......................................................................... 50 Introduction ................................................................................................. 50 Why music festivals? Experience and interest ........................................... 51 Research questions .................................................................................... 53 Why methodological approach was adopted .............................................. 53 Ethnography ............................................................................................... 54 Other Approaches ....................................................................................... 60 Qualitative research .................................................................................... 64 Research Design ........................................................................................ 65 Sampling Strategy ...................................................................................... 67 Respondents ............................................................................................... 71 Interview questions ..................................................................................... 77 How the interviews were conducted ........................................................... 78 Data Analysis .............................................................................................. 83 Limitations ................................................................................................... 89 3 Ethical considerations ................................................................................. 93 Summary .................................................................................................... 94 Part One: Music Industry Structures ............................................................ 95 Chapter Four: Recorded Music Industry ...................................................... 95 Introduction ................................................................................................. 95 Cultural Economy ....................................................................................... 96 Music and the Creative and Cultural Industries ........................................ 100 Music Industries ........................................................................................ 108 How the Recorded Music industry works .................................................. 103 Control of Circulation ................................................................................ 109 Four Networks ....................................................................................... 111 The Value Gap ...................................................................................... 116 Copyright Directive ................................................................................ 117 Summary .................................................................................................. 120 Chapter Five: Live Music Industry .............................................................. 121 Introduction ............................................................................................... 121 How the Live Music industry works ........................................................... 121 Mass media ........................................................................................... 123 Technical advances .............................................................................. 125 Live music legislation ............................................................................ 126 Concert industry ........................................................................................ 127 SFX Entertainment ................................................................................ 129 Live Nation Entertainment ..................................................................... 131 Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) .................................................. 132 Independent Music Venues ...................................................................... 134 Secondary Ticketing .............................................................................. 137 Summary .................................................................................................. 138 Chapter Six: Music Festival sector ............................................................. 139 Introduction ............................................................................................... 139 How the Music Festival sector works ........................................................ 140 Festivalization of culture ........................................................................... 152 Three Discourses ...................................................................................... 155 Organisational Structures ...................................................................... 156 Event Tourism ........................................................................................... 157 Growth in music festivals ...................................................................... 157 Impacts of music festivals ..................................................................... 160 Event Management ................................................................................... 163 Event Manager ...................................................................................... 163 Planning ................................................................................................ 165 Location ................................................................................................