14VIPNEWS > NOVEMBER 2011 9 11 6 13 4 VIPNEWS PREMIUM > VOLUME 141 > NOVEMBER 2011 5 14 7 15 21 16 13 2 17 VIPNEWS > NOVEMBER 2011 McGowan’s Musings On the way to the AIF reception at London’s much in need of a couple of beers, some son, are about to return to the fray. I keep Royal Festival Hall last week I was distracted pleasant conversation, and the reassurance thinking, are there any bands left to reform, and then somewhat traumatised by the that some people do actually devote their and sure enough – there’s another one! World Press Photo Awards display in the time and efforts to putting together events foyer. After an excess of images of severed designed to provide other human beings A large part of the industry news in 2010, heads, bloated corpses, shootings and more with enjoyable and uplifting experiences - so was taken up with speculation as to whether death, disaster and mayhem, I was very thanks AIF! the powers that be would allow the creation of a live music behemoth as a result of the In fact I’ve spent the last week or so in the union of Live Nation and Ticketmaster , and company of a lot of festival folk as the UK the effects this would have on the business. Festival Awards took place in London on It now looks as though we may see similar the day after the AIF bash. The Conference disquiet in the recording sector in 2012 took place at The Forum in Kentish Town, following on from Universal’s purchase of a venue I used to frequent when it was EMI. Many think that the newly engorged known as The Town & Country Club. This Company will be in a position to manipulate was followed by the Awards and Dinner at the business in ways that will shoulder smaller the Roundhouse , another venue which took players aside. US regulators don’t appear me back to my youth and seeing The Doors to have a problem with the situation, and COLOPHON > and other legendary bands, plus getting Universal has started to make arrangements involved in certain things best glossed over, for regulatory approval, but trade bodies when the amazing UFO club was resident in such as Impala are obviously hoping that VIP-News is published by: VIP-Booking this former locomotive turning shed. A good their misgivings will be recognised and acted 145-157 St John Street London Ec1V 4PW time was had by all, apart perhaps from two upon by the European authorities. It should comedians who probably wished they’d be noted that Live Nation Entertainment Managing Director: Ronni Didriksen stayed at home watching TV, as opposed to and Universal recently entered into an artist [email protected] going down like the proverbial lead balloons! management joint venture, so let’s not General Manager: Peter Briggs assume that the live industry can watch from [email protected] A lot of discussion time at these festival the sidelines as this all plays out. Writer and editorial: events and elsewhere is devoted to new and Allan McGowan [email protected] up and coming talent – or more precisely, the Still, let’s face it even giants can be lack of. It seems ‘new’ headliners are actually vulnerable , at a time when whole countries Writer: Manfred Tari old bands and that that reformations are still are desperately trying to sort themselves [email protected] providing aging artists with pension funds. out, perhaps the best thing is to stay alert For advertising enquiries please contact: The Stone Roses are to grace the festival and just get on with things, which is exactly Peter Briggs circuit next year, earning themselves a few what we’ll do… Ladies and Gentlemen – the [email protected] +44 870 755 0092 million, and apparently most of the original News! Van Halen line up with the addition of Eddie’s 2 ® connected by music artists, you are the heartbeat of the music business: we’ve got your back! • meet with A&Rs, promoters, brands & tech, to engage with your fans and monetise your music • gain expert advice on marketing issues and career management • apply for your chance to perform at a “midem off” concert Discover the first ever + 120 concerts in the city with We’ve made midem more affordable than ever. Register on midem.com/artists January 28-31, 2012 Cannes, France midem.com VIPNEWS > INDEPTH STORY > NOVEMBER 2011 London Venue News Allan McGowan [email protected] London’s small and mid sized venues have experienced varying However there are some grounds for optimism; The Flowerpot started fortunes in the last couple of years with economic and licensing up again at The Wheelbarrow on Camden High Street and two new problems making life very difficult for many. live music venues open this month: Clashbar a 100-capacity venue situated in the basement of one of London’s biggest backpacker The future of yet another long time fixture of the capital’s music pub hostels , Clink78 in King’s Cross, launches on November 24. Islington circuit is now in question with North London gig venue the Bull & Assembly Hall, was an important venue in London’s post-war years, Gate coming up for sale, if you’d like to ensure that it continues as it has recently been refurbished and the main hall will seat up to 170 an important gig you’ll have to find £2.7 million or so. The sale gives people cabaret-style or 230 people theatre-style, with additional another signal that things are difficult at the grass roots end of the seating is available for another 200 people in the upper circle. It is live industry. North London has seen several previously long running now being run by AGMP, whose founder Adrian Gibson has promoted venues disappear, Kentish Town lost the Tally Ho a few years ago and concerts in London since 1989. The Flowerpot more recently, and Kilburn’s Luminaire has now closed down. The Flowerpot Need to know who is touring Europe ® Go online - www.vip-booking.com vip-booking.com 4 VIPNEWS > INDEPTH STORY > NOVEMBER 2011 Festival Feature UK Festival Awards 2011 Winners The Awards were decided through a combination of online fan votes and music industry experts: Best new festival: Wilderness Best major festival: Glastonbury Best metropolitan festival: Tramlines Fans’ favourite festival: Bestival Best dance event: Creamfields The lifetime achievement award: Steve Heap Best overseas festival: Outlook (Croatia) Mrs Casey Music/ Best family festival: Beautiful Days Towersey Village Festival Best breakthrough artist: Ed Sheeran The grass roots festival award: Y-Not Festival Line-up of the year: Sonisphere Concession of the year: The Beat Hotel Headline performance The greener festival award: Shambala of the year: Paolo Nutini - Latitude Best toilets: Y-Not Festival Anthem of the summer: Chase and Status - Blind Faith Best sponsor activation: Capitalize - Bacardi Agent of the year: Steve Strange The extra-festival Promoter of the year: Secret Productions activity award: Bearded Kitten Best small festival: End of the Road Outstanding contribution to festival production: The Event Safety Shop Best medium-sized festival: Secret Garden Party James Drury, Managing Director of Festival Awards, Ltd, said, “The Festival Awards is all about recognizing the hard work everyone in the industry puts in, and sharing the thanks and love from the public for those efforts. Everyone involved - not just the winners - should be rightly proud of what they’ve achieved in a year that has been more challenging than others.” 5 VIPNEWS > INDEPTH STORY > NOVEMBER 2011 Conference: It’s an Ill Wind… of the 2011 Festival season were of course the global festival industry this year, drought, Rudi Enos the reports of the fatal disasters caused floods, storms, will occur more often.” In a by extreme weather conditions, and not kenote interview Melvin Benn, MD of Festival surprisingly one of the main panels at the Republic, said, “Perhaps we should now Conference preceding the 2011 UK Festival make allowances for and instigate procedures Awards addressed the unpredictable and for much worse weather than previously horrific effects that the elements can have on anticipated ,” he told delegates. “Tents and the best planned events, called ‘Weather – stages can be better stabilized and supported . Or Not’, The crucial fact that more equipment and time will be needed means the cost will rise The panel agreed with Rudi Enos (see but that’s a fraction of the festival takings.” below) that, “We can make all sorts of allowances for the stresses and strains The ‘Weather’ session was preceded by a very of structures, but what we can’t always pertinent speech from Rudi Enos, of Sheffield make allowances for is the weather.” It based Rudi Enos Design, one of the senior was also agreed that it was not only more designers of portable structures in the event weather that needed consideration, but industry. VIP News spoke to him at the event This year’s edition of the Conference the increasing number of events obvi- and he has since kindly sent us a transcript of included panels on Social Commerce, on the ously upped the risks. The Ops Director of his speech and given us permission to include increasing number of hats festival promoters Julie’s Bicycle pointed out from the floor it in this edition of The News. have to wear, the competition for sponsorship that, “It’s what global warming causes that between sports and festivals in the year of the matters , it is getting windier and the violent Olympics. The outstanding news headlines and extreme weather events that affected A Changed World Since the summer of 2011, with the disasters on the consequence of failure rather than operated.