Live Music Exchange Digest – w/c 17/09/2012
Welcome to our weekly digest of live music news and events in industry, academia and more.
This week’s Live Music Exchange blog post:
Staying behind after the show… John Sloboda
Today’s guest contribution is by renowned scholar Professor John Sloboda, a leading writer on the psychology of music, Emeritus Professor at Keele University and Research Professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Here he introduces research into Understanding Audiences and post concert events which allow creative musicians to elicit feedback from audience members in a constructive environment.
Live music and the live music industries in the news:
Three people killed, including the driver, Colin Daulby and young musician Michael Molloy, as coach hits tree in Surrey returning from Bestival on the Isle of Wight to Merseyside. Ten others remain in hospital and it is conjectured that Daulby may have had a heart attack at the wheel, leading to the crash, and also that the coach may have been overloaded.
Spain’s Sonar Festival Debuting 8-City North American Tour in October.
Rhythms of the World loses Hitchin Priory as venue.
Tour gross figures put Coldplay at the top with a box-office total of $99.7 million for North American and European legs of 2012 world tour.
Controversy flares up surrounding Amanda Palmer’s request for local musicians to join her and her band for free at gigs on her tour. Steve Albini lashes out online, and then apologises. Palmer responds that fans are happy to join in and that the regular members of her Grand Theft Orchestra are paid salaries.
TUC supports motions by entertainment unions – BECTU, Musicians’ Union and Equity – for fair pay, as Musicians’ Union criticises Cafe Rouge ‘Vive la Musique’ charity evenings for asking musicians to play for free. The TUC has also agreed to an MU request to lobby government for terms and conditions to be standardised across the newly launched Music Education Hubs, bringing together music services and local organisations to ensure access to instruments and tuition for 5 to 18 year olds across the country.
Dispute over music in Scottish schools rumbles on as drop pupils taking tuition in Dumfries and Galloway revealed to be worse than first thought, Aberdeen City Council denies cashing in on music fees with Moray Council also hitting back against the claims as Education Secretary Mike Russell says that fees are undesirable but “difficult to avoid”.
In Harmony project brings orchestras into primary schools: Leading orchestras will be working with school children in Shropshire and Staffordshire in a £575,000 project.
Arts Council England launches £15 million scheme to combat unpaid internships.
Closure of Royal Opera House 2 ‘will not limit new work’ says director Kevin O’Hare: New Royal Ballet director has spoken publicly for the first time about the closure of ROH2, insisting that the move would not affect the amount of new work produced by the company.
Christopher Hampson announces his new direction for Scottish Ballet: In his first announcement since taking up the post, Hampson outlined his vision for the future of Scottish Ballet. As well as his own choreography, he aims to broaden its repertoire and produce new works.
Federico Colli wins £18,000 Leeds International Piano Competition.
Harvey Weinstein stages Finding Neverland in Leicester: Hollywood producer to launch £6.2 million musical at Leicester’s Curve Theatre.
AEG consortium acquires Front Gate Tickets: Live entertainment giant AEG and Outbox Enterprises have formed a joint venture with C3 Presents to purchase global ticketing firm Front Gate Tickets.
AEG ends legal dispute with Lloyds over ‘This Is It’ policy: Live music major AEG Live has dropped its $17.5 million insurance claim against Lloyds Of London with regard to Michael Jackson’s fated ‘This Is It’ residency in 2009.
Digital Domain, the company behind the Tupac hologram, file for bankruptcy, as creators of the Musion system used in the special effects announce hologram of ‘iconic British superstar’ for the Best of Brittania event in October.
Russian Prime Minister calls for the release of Pussy Riot trio: Russian prime minister condemns anti-Putin stunt by feminist punk group but says prolonging imprisonment is ‘unproductive” as tens of thousands turn out for anti-Putin rally.
Worldwide anniversary performances planned for 2013 to mark bicentenary of Wagner and Verdi and 100 years since birth of Benjamin Britten.
Underground concert remembers south Wales coal miners: coal mine in Blaenafon, south Wales will be the venue of an underground concert in honour of miners who lost their lives in mining accidents.
Charlie Simpson to play ‘world’s coldest gig’: Fightstar frontman is to attempt the world’s coldest ever gig in this November with a one-off, solo set to residents of Siberian town Oymyakon, which holds the record for the lowest temperature ever recorded in a populated area on earth – minus 72 centigrade.
Manchester’s ‘Lass O’Gowrie’ named best British pub and Best Music and Live Entertainment pub by Great British Pub Awards.
Selected comment and features:
Where did punk begin? A cinema in Peru: Jonathan Watts and Dan Collyns look at the history and resurgence of ‘Los Saicos’ whose punk sounds and spirit emerged from cinema matinee performances a decade before the Ramones or Sex Pistols.
Spotlight on Safety for Shows Outdoors: James C. McKinley Jr, in The New York Times, examines the campaign to improve safety in the outdoor event industry, spearheaded by the Event Safety Alliance.
Business Matters: Can Seth Goldstein’s DJZ Disrupt As Well As Entertain?: Billboard‘s Glenn Peoples notes that dance music startup is looking towards venture capital firms more usually associated with technology than music.
The Amanda Palmer Kerfuffle: Industry analyst Bob Lefsetz on the controversy surrounding invitation to musicians to join singer onstage, for free.
Dirt off His Shoulder: President Obama and Hip Hop- Run DNC: Ethnomusicologist and teacher Jason Lee Oakes on the role of music in political campaigns.
Springsteen in the USA: 40 Years of Touring as a Study in Spatial Diffusion: Geographer Brian Timoney uses a map based graphical representation of Springsteen’s US touring career to illustrate the geographical spread of phenomena like large scale rock bands.
Twenty years of Later… with Jools Holland: The Observer‘s Tom Lamont speaks to the presenter, guests and programme makers in celebration of the iconic live music television show.
Events:
Generator Music Clinic – Sunderland: Free one-to-one session with music business advisors.
The Bunker, 29 Stockton Road, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR2 7AQ, Tuesday 18th September, 10am – 5pm.
Musicians’ Union Tax Advice Workshop: The Conference Room, MU HQ, Clapham Road, London. Wednesday 19th September 2012.
Arts Marketing Association Network Meeting – London: Royal Academy of Dance, London. Thursday 20th September, 4pm-6pm (open to non-members).
Thinking With Jazz: A One Day Symposium: LICA Building, Lancaster University, Friday 21st September, 10am – 5pm.
This is a one-day symposium in which well-known jazz journalists, practitioners, and academics engage with issues of nationalism in jazz, the cultural politics of jazz, and the meaning of improvisation. This free event is informal and open to the public. Speakers include Alyn Shipton (BBC Radio 3 and author of A New History of Jazz), Professor George McKay (author of Circular Breathing: the Cultural Politics of Jazz in Britain), Dr. Catherine Tackley (author of The Evolution of Jazz in Britain), Professor Alan Rice (author of Creating Memorials, Building Identities: The Politics of Memory in the Black Atlantic), and Professor Tony Whyton (author of Jazz Icons), Adam Fairhall (Imaginary Delta), Kathy Dyson (Emily Remembered), Christophe de Bezenac (Trio VD), Professor Walter van der Leur (author of Something to Live For: A Life Billy Strayhorn), Professor Tim Wall (author of Studying Popular Music Culture).
The London Acoustic Guitar Show 2012: Olympia Conference Centre. Saturday 22nd – Sunday 23rd September.
Arts Marketing Association Network Meeting – Nottingham: Theatre Royal, Nottingham. Tuesday 25th September, 6.45pm
Band Aid – The MU Presents an MOT for your Band: Brighton Komedia, 44-47 Gardner Street. Thursday 27th September 11am – 3pm
A workshop giving your band the full MU MOT. We will look at who owns your name, who owns your equipment, contracts, copyright, and songsharing. Steven Fisher from Northrop McNaughtan Deller Solicitors will be on hand to talk you through the legal minefield that is partnerships in Bands.
The second part of the day sees Paul Checkley from The Musicians’ Hearing Service on Harley street joining us for an interesting and informative chat about the importance of your hearing in your career, giving you details on what you can do to protect your most important asset.
The event is free to MU members or anyone attending as a guest of an MU member. Otherwise we ask for £5 on the door
Federation of Entertainment Unions: You’re Hired – How to present yourself more effectively to get that next job: Musicians’ Union, 60-62 Clapham Road, SW9 0JJ, Friday 28th September.
UK National Drum Fair 2012: Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre, Alcester Road South, Kings Heath, Birmingham, Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th September
This year will be the 10th Anniversary and to celebrate there is a very special programme of events which includes 50+ stalls of custom and vintage drums, cymbals and accessories with displays from the NDF own Vintage Vault. On the Saturday at 1pm there will also be a lunchtime concert presented by the Fat Chops Big Band with guest drummers Pete Cater, Neil Bullock, Malcolm Garrett, Sticky Wicket and Garry Allcock.
On the Sunday, from 12pm, there will be performances from the winner of this year’s ‘Young Drummer of the Year’, Calum Blair and finalist Charlie Vasiliou.
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