WWW.VIP-BOOKING.coM VIP- News›› ›› PREmiUM VOL. 127 AUGUST 2010 McGowan’s Musings: Like many of you – although I know a lot tell from Ticketmaster’s industry number, of you are workaholics and rarely take time for them to be down 15-16% across an in- off from your efforts of achieving live mu- dustry, that would tell you it would have sic industry domination (!) -. I have been to hit all segments of the industry.” Rapino on holiday, and were you able to see me also warned that the second half to 2010 you would I’m sure be impressed by my could be slow. Cheaper tickets seem to be suntanned and relaxed good looks, but the order of the day for tat least the rest of you’d have to make it quick – the pasty the year. Watch this space white chap with the harassed demeanour will be back in this seat soon! The holiday Allan McGowan The picture is not looking quite so bad in was great, I thoroughly recommend the the UK, the recently released Adding Up joys of the Greek island of Ikarea, but not warned that increasing ticket prices for big The UK Music Industry 2009 report from so the Athens Metro where some light fin- name artists would eventually backfire on PRS indicate that Live music revenues have gered bastard lifted my wallet on the very the live sector, though it never quite hap- increased 9.4% to £1.5bn including direct first day! pened, now it seems that the chickens have ticket sales, secondary ticketing and ‘on come home to roost and the US live indus- the night’ spend. However this increase has Oh, and while I’m having a moan - the try is struggling this year as a result of ever slowed from 2008’s outstanding growth of seagulls, yes you remember Shitty and his increasing ticket prices combining with 13%.< crew, have been dive bombing people, the continued impact of the recession. As and are now a recognised menace as far a result the giants of the concert industry Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden believes inland as London – I’m not making it up, are contemplating emptier pockets, their years of ticket price hikes are to blame for it’s in the newspapers! I tried to warn them, own, their investors and those of the ticket the number of major gig cancellations that but would they listen? – These screeching buyers. But they are not the victims of pick- have taken place this year, especially in the raptors live on rubbish and refuse and use pockets on crowded Metros, according to US live music market. He is reported as say- newly washed cars as toilets, so this is an Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino a drop in ing, “It’s a massive commitment to come ideal world for them! (Calm down!- Ed.) ticket sales is hitting all segments of the to see a band. They [the fans] deserve not market, “The bottom line across all busi- just a great show but they deserve a rea- Anyway, back to the wonderful world ness, whether it’s a club or an amphithea- sonable ticket price. Other people have of live music; for years now many have tre, was fewer tickets per show - as you can inflated ticket prices to obscene levels 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 2010 and it’s just not right. It’s a rock n roll show, it’s not a cash cow.” Popkomm Showcase Although the festival market – with a few weeks still to go – seems to be faring Festival 2010 reasonably well, Spain’s summer music Allan McGowan [email protected] festival, Benicassim (FIB), purchased out- right this year by Vince Power, suffered Having been absent from the interna- a 40% slump in attendance this year, tional music market calendar last year, dropping to 127,000 from the record Popkomm returns to Berlin in Septem- 200,000 at last year’s 15th annual event. ber under the umbrella of Berlin Music International attendance dropped 10% Week. and Spain’s economic problems, includ- ing high unemployment, are likely to The Popkomm Showcase Festival will have affected Spanish attendance. take place in the Berlin suburb of Kreuz- berg on 8 and 9 September 2010. 60 Well, after that we should really con- artists and bands will be featured over clude the Musings with some festival the two days at 14 locations on the site good news. A couple of issues back we at the legendary Tempelhof Airport in reported on the first of the Association Berlin as well as in the adjoining neigh- of Independent Festivals twinnings, bourhood. pairing Norway’s Bergenfest and Sum- mer Sundae in Leicester, UK. After the This year a number of bands that are success of Bergenfest in May, organiser appearing at the Showcase Festival can of its twin, Rob Challice tells me that, also be seen on the main festival stage: “Summer Sundae went incredibly well. Cast of Cheers, De Staat, Jesse, Rich Au- We had over 17000 attendees over the coin, Spleen United, The Megaphonic weekend. Despite heavy rain on Friday Thrift, Therese Aune and Yes Cadets and Saturday the site held up well. The will also be on stage on 10 September sun came out Sunday and we had our at Tempelhof Airport during the Berlin biggest crowd ever for Mumford and Festival. The rest of the showcase line- Sons. up features bands from Scandinavia Our Bergenfest twins arrived on Satur- such as Familjen, I Got You On Tape and day and had a great time, vowing to be Murmansk, as well as Iiris from Estonia, COLOPHON ›› back next year. All in all a very successful Film from Greece, and Budam and The 10th Summer Sundae.” Ghost from the Faroe Islands. VIP-News is published by: VIP-Booking 26 York Street It’s good to hear about people coop- The Showcase gigs will be available to London W1U 6pZ erating and things going well! So, with Popkomm delegates and tickets Fes- that uplifting thought, Ladies and Gen- tival are available to the public for ten Managing Director: Ronni Didriksen tlemen - The News! euros. Tickets for the Berlin Festival on [email protected] 10 and 11 September also entitle hold- ers to admission to Popkomm on 10 General Manager: Peter Briggs September. [email protected] More information: Writer and editorial: Allan McGowan www.berlinfestival.de [email protected] Writer: Manfred Tari [email protected] For advertising enquiries pls. contact Peter Briggs [email protected] or +44 870 755 0092 Lay-out: Pekaye Graphics, Phuket – Thailand [email protected] Popkomm at Tempelhof 2 VIP-BOOKING.COM VIP- News - August 2010 Everything is new at Popkomm 2010, new tainly new for you in your role as part of the As a visitor to previous Popkomm events, I location, new partnerships, new aspira- team. What exactly is your role and how did personally felt it was a sprawling jumble of tions, and a new team. Paul Cheetham has you come to take it on? parties, gigs, fairs, conferences and events been appointed to head up the manage- all over the city which was always great fun ment of the Showcase Festival. VIP-News Paul Cheetham: I was recommended to but ultimately difficult to achieve anything talked to him about this new challenge in Popkomm by the guys behind Berlin Fes- from a business perspective. So now I want his varied career. tival, which is one of Popkomm’s partners to give the programme a definite epicentre under the new Berlin Music Week umbrella. of usefulness and significance for the visit- VIP-News: What, briefly, is you background I saw the offer to work on the event as an ing delegates, in order for them to do busi- in the business, I know you’ve worked in opportunity to try to make a positive contri- ness effectively and immediately. various territories for some time now, was bution. The job involves all the aspects I en- it always your intention to move around, or joy – live music, promoting, artist develop- First, the number of slots for Popkomm art- did it just work out that way? ment, and communicating with people all ists is drastically reduced to only 60 places. over the world. Although I was aware there This gives us the possibility to introduce Paul Cheetham: I’ve been involved in the would be obvious difficulties in bringing firm criteria to raise the quality of artists, as business for almost 20 years as a promoter, the event back, I accepted this as the kind well as the opportunity to promote each agent and artist manager. I worked in Lon- of challenge I thrive on. Initially I took the artist effectively. don for the Mean Fiddler before moving to role of Festival Coordinator on a one-off ba- Scandinavia 11 years ago and working for sis to help organise the music segment of Second, these are all showcasing artists the EMA Telstar group that eventually be- Popkomm 2010. As things progressed, I got who are in the position of wanting to be came Clear Channel. When it was bought more involved, and was able to introduce a seen and heard in order to find partners by Live Nation I left to set up my own man- clearer, more defined direction for the fes- and opportunities to get to the next level in agement consultancy and worked as an tival to take, and became Festival Manager this, and surrounding, markets.