VIPNEWSPREMIUM > VOLUME 146 > APRIL 2012
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
11 12 6 14 4 4 VIPNEWS PREMIUM > VOLUME 146 > APRIL 2012 3 6 10 8 1910 16 25 9 2 VIPNEWS > APRIL 2012 McGowan’s Musings It’s been pouring with rain here for the last below normal levels. As the festival season weather! Still the events themselves do get couple of days, but it seems that it’s not the looms and the situation continues, we may covered in the News you’ll be glad to know. right type of rain, or there’s not enough of see our increasingly ‘green’ events having it because we are still officially in drought. to consider contingency plans to deal with I was very taken by the Neil McCormick River levels across England and Wales are the water shortages and yet more problems report in UK newspaper The Telegraph from lowest they’ve been for 36 years, since our caused by increasingly erratic weather. I’m the Coachella festival in California, as he last severe drought in 1976, with, according sure that many in other countries who still wrote, “The hairs went up on the back of my to the Environmental Agency, two-thirds picture England as a rain swept country neck…” as he watched the live performance ‘exceptionally ’ low, and most reservoirs where everybody carries umbrellas will find of Tupac Shakur…” This is perfectly it strange to see us indulging in rain dances understandable , as unfortunately, and not to over the next couple of months! put too fine a point on it, Tupac is actually dead. His apparently very realistic appearance Since the last issue of VIP News I have was made possible by the application of new journeyed to Canada, Estonia and Paris, and holographic projection technology. This all talking of strange weather, things on that puts a new slant on the phrase, You can’t front were not as usual. Having prepared recreate the Live experience ’ and opens myself to pack thermal underwear and ski up all sorts of quite bizarre and disturbing COLOPHON > wear for Toronto, having been told by old possibilities , as apparently you can do more hands at Canadian Music Week to expect than just holographically present a pre-filmed temperatures of – 10º and below, I discovered performance, it is now possible to work the VIP-News is published by: VIP-Booking on checking that shorts and swimwear were images to present something entirely new. 145-157 St John Street London Ec1V 4PW nearer the mark (especially as my hotel room We hear all the time that there is a lack of flooded on the first night – but that’s another new headliners, and about bands reforming Managing Director: Ronni Didriksen story!) and in fact the first day there turned all the time to sell out tours, but bringing rd@vip-booking.com out to be the hottest March day ever recorded acts back from the dead now seems at General Manager: at 21º. Estonia a few days later was cold, but least visually – and of course acoustically – Peter Briggs pb@vip-booking.com just above freezing, unlike last year when The possible? The Sonisphere show with Adam Writer and editorial: Great Escape’s Martin Elbourne managed to Lambert fronting Queen at Knebworth in the Allan McGowan am@vip-booking.com bring attention to himself, becoming Tallin UK was recently cancelled, seemingly due Music Week’s first casualty by skidding on to poor ticket sales – now if Freddy made Writer: Manfred Tari the ice covered pavement and breaking three a virtual comeback it may well have been a mt@vip-booking.com ribs. This year was happily as far as I know different story… For advertising enquiries injury free. Then a trip to Paris in connection please contact: Peter Briggs with this year’s MaMA event was positively So, with Frankenstein images and thoughts pb@vip-booking.com +44 870 755 0092 spring like! – Oh no! - I’ve just realised that of the Grateful Undead going through my I’ve done that most English of things and head – Ladies and Gentlemen – The News… spent the whole time talking about the 2 VIPNEWS > APRIL 2012 The UK Live Music Act Becomes Official Allan McGowan am@vip-booking.com It has been confirmed that The Live Music Jo Dipple, chief executive of UK Music Act will come into effect on October 1. said: “This act will reverse the damaging The implementation of the Act means that effec t the Licensing Act had on live musical performances of live amplified music with performances in the UK. Our most successful audiences of less than 200 people between musicians, such as Joy Division, The Sex Pis- the hours of 8am-11pm will no longer tols and the Rolling Stones all learnt their require local authority permission in England trade and earned their livings in small clubs and Wales. Also there will be no audience and bars. Reversing overzealous licensing limit for performances of unamplified live regulations will create new opportunities for music. British artists. The Rose & Crown in Totteridg e Park and The Constitution in Camden Town The Private Members Bill which became the will be - thanks to this Act - full of music and Live Music Act was introduced by Liberal seedbeds for talent. Tomorrow’s headline Democrat Peer, Lord Tim Clement-Jones and acts will grow from these seedbeds which is was championed in the Commons by the great for music lovers and for the wider UK Member of Parliament for Bath Don Foster. economy.” Jo Dipple The intention and the hope is that the Act will encourage more pubs and small venues John Smith, MU General Secretary, said: will be a real boost for live music, and we to host live music events in 2012 and beyond. “The MU is delighted to be hosting this thought it was right to celebrate it with a live event alongside UK Music. Personally, I music party in Parliament.” VIP News attended the party held hosted have been campaigning on this issue ever by UK Music and the Musicians Union at since the Licensing Bill first started going Lord Tim Clement Jones told VIP News, Westminster to celebrate, as did musicians through Parliament in 2002-03, and once “After a campaign lasting several years it was such as Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera, the Licensing Act came into place in 2003 hugely satisfying to see the Bill go through folk artists Show of Hands and producer our members immediately started telling us on the 20th January, especially when no-one Trevor Horn along with various MP’s and that the number of gigs being held in small except Don Foster seemed to understand representatives of the music industry. There venues was going down. the procedure! I am sure the Act will make a weren’t that many small venue operators real difference especially to young musicians that I was aware of, but presumably they “The exemption that the Live Music Act will and local small venues. It’s high time we were at their desks preparing for more gigs! bring in is fantastic news for musicians and celebrated not regulated our musical talent.” 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 3 VIPNEWS > APRIL 2012 > CONFERENCE ROUND UP Canadian Music Week Allan McGowan am@vip-booking.com Harvey Goldsmith at CMW 2012 Neill Dixon This was the 30th edition of CMW and CMW is truly international and as far as sense, these insights may be life-or-death it’s taken me this long to actually gets Europe was concerned this year Portugal – especially in the face of the exponential there. For the last few years the event has and Spain were featured territories. The growth of social networking, mobile web, unfortunately clashed with ILMC, but a International Market Place was the main viral marketing and online TV. Competitive strategic rescheduling to allow international meeting point for the out of Canada guests, executives need an “edge,” and CMW is professionals to fit in both SXSW and CMW and the room in the Tardis like Fairmont Hotel the place to acquire it. Of course have not made it possible for me to make it to Toronto was one of the main networking places. forgotten our roots and CMW continues to – and I’m glad I did! be Canada’s biggest, internationally-focused Speakers included Harvey Goldsmith, Slash new music fest showcasing over 1,000 bands The event is big… nearly 3000 delegates and Paul Rodgers of Free and Bad Company from 40 countries” attended . CMW incorporates the Conference, fame. The panels were full and active, with Awards Shows a Trade Show, and Comedy, the Festivals session attracting 400 plus - one Next year’s CMW European focus will be Film, and of course Music Festivals; featuring of the best-attended panels I’ve ever seen! on Northern Europe’s Nordic Countries – international and home grown acts in 35 Norway , Iceland, Finland, Denmark and venues over three nights.. There are a lot of CMW President Neill Dixon told VIP News, Sweden – and the associated regions of good bands coming out of Canada and I was “For Canadian Music Week’s 30th anniversary the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Aaland. particularly impressed by Half Moon Set from and beyond our goal is to be on the forefront Japan the second largest music market in the Montreal (playing at Brighton’s Great Escape of issues and trends shaping both the digital world, just after the US will also be featured.