Live Music Exchange Digest – w/c 22nd October 2012
Welcome to our weekly digest of live music news and events in industry, academia and more.
Click to jump to:-
This Week’s Blog Post
One from the Archives
Live Music News
Live Music Features
Live Music Exchange Events
Other Live Music-related Events
This Week’s Blog Post:
The Brudenell Social Club in Headingley was formed as a ‘gentleman’s social and recreational club’ in 1913. It is still a members’ club and has built a reputations as one of Yorkshire’s most respected venues, winning NME Best Small Venue in Yorkshire/North East in 2011. Nathan Clark, general manager and promoter at the venue, talks here about its history, its unique status and the DIY ethic at its heart.
One from the Archives:
Seeing the Stones in 2003: Why? – Martin Cloonan
With all the furore over tickets for the Rolling Stones’ 50th Anniversary Tour, the blog from the archives this week is from Professor Martin Cloonan, and is a candid examination of his experiences of seeing them live through the years. This post examines his motivations for wanting to see the band live, set against a wide ranging account of how their career has intertwined with his own life, alongside the popular culture and society of the UK.
Live Music News:
Following last week’s announcement that the Rolling Stones will play gigs in London and New York to mark their 50th anniversary, comes the not unsurprising news that ticket prices have gone through the roof. Following initial reports that Rolling Stones concert tickets will cost up to £375, then that the London concerts could set you back over £1,000, it is revealed that some tickets on secondary site Seatwave could cost as much as £11,000. Unsurprisingly, fans are furious as ‘secondary’ sites get their sticky fingers on Rolling Stones tickets.
However, as one critic, taking an historical perspective, points out: The Rolling Stones ticket prices might disgust you – but what did you expect? In a similar vein, The Daily Telegraph has produced an interactive graphic: Rolling Stones – how ticket prices compare.
Keith Richards on live show payday: “£16m sounds about right to us”: Appearing on BBC 6Music, Richards addressed rumours that the band will personally pocket £16m from the run of live shows, saying: “I haven’t looked at the figures – numbers can get greatly exaggerated. I just wanna do some shows and I don’t want to charge over the bloody top. I’m a bit out of the loop with showbiz. £16m sounds about right to us.”
Rolling Stones concert to air as live pay-per-view via World Wrestling Entertainment: WWE will distribute the final of four Rolling Stones concerts this year as a live pay-per-view event entitled “One More Shot.”
AEG UK ticketing service confirmed: Live music giant AEG is set to go head-to-head with Ticketmaster in the UK as it begins the rollout of its AXS.com online sales platform worldwide. In the States, AEG is to allow booking of adjacent seats to make it easier to book concert and sports tickets for friends without having to pay for them all at once.
Ticketmaster criticised over £2.50 home-printing fee according to consumer watchdog Which?
The price is (really) right: ‘Dynamic ticketing’ could transform the way we pay to see live events: Is it fair for music or football fans to pay twice as much as the person sitting right next to them?
Meanwhile, a Muse gig in the States saw scalpers thwarted by paperless tickets as what was expected to be another scalper bonanza appeared to have been prevented by non-transferable paperless tickets, which Muse used for the general admission floor area.
PRS for Music has revealed that British music revenue abroad has doubled since 2002: During 2011, UK songwriters and composers earned £187.7m globally up 10.6% on 2010 (£169.6m).
Taking Part – a lot to be pleased about: DCMS quarterly figures show that a ‘whopping’ 79 per cent of adults had ‘engaged in the arts’ compared to 76 per cent the year before.
Four million flock to Edinburgh festivals despite rain and Olympic Games: The city council’s annual audit of the capital’s flagship events reveals that ticket sales were down just 0.5 per cent this year – but attendances at non-ticketed events rose 5 per cent compared with the main season in 2011.
A Greener Festival announces first round of 2012 awards including the shortlist for a new Green Inspiration award, nominated by a team of volunteer green auditors.
Julie’s Bicycle asks festival organisers to complete a survey into The Impact of Weather on Outdoor Events, which will collate information about how outdoor events where affected by the weather and what actions were taken by organisers in response.
Hyde Park ‘eyesore’ to be cleared up by Live Nation: Whilst Live Nation will begin restoring the park in the spring, within a time frame agreed with the Royal Parks, The Times called the Park a ‘royal mudbath’ and said the site was a ‘national disgrace’.
Edinburgh’s Bongo Club to take on Underbelly space outside Fringe: After having its licence revoked by the University of Edinburgh, the Bongo Club has been granted a temporary licence to occupy the space underneath the city’s Central Library until June 2014.
Major revamp of Edinburgh arts venues to put culture at heart of the capital: A blueprint to bring unused buildings back to life as cultural spaces and raise the profile of the capital’s world city of literature status has been revealed.
Leeds City Council embroiled in Arts Council England cover-up: ACE attempts to distance itself from accusations that rules were broken have been undermined by revelations that the Chair of Leeds City Council’s Cultural Olympiad task group, Catherine Blanshard, sounded out ACE Yorkshire on the likely reception to a bid by an arts consortium of which it was a member.
Metropolis Studios launches first Metropolis Indie Music Festival: Metropolis will offer access to studios and its team of award-winning engineers at a reduced rate for a three-week period to a select group of emerging artists that are self-funded or signed to independent labels.
Virgin Group announces live promotion venture with Dainty Group: Virgin Live aims to “shake up live touring by putting the fan’s experience right at the heart of every show they promote.”
New folk-focused booking agency launches: Phil Simpson, formerly an agent with Yorkshire-based Adastra, has announced the launch of a new booking agency focused on acoustic, folk and roots artists.
John Smith is re-elected as MU chief after a decade in the job.
MU and Equity reiterate West End car parking fears, arguing that affordable parking remains a key concern for their members.
After last week’s announcement that Welsh National Opera will perform a new collection of operas in the UK after receiving $2 million (more than £1.2 million) in private funding, the chief executive of the Welsh National Opera (WNO) has defended the decision to put on a Gordon Getty opera after a donation from the Getty family, claiming the decision was purely ‘artistic’.
Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber calls on Government for ‘serious investment’ in arts education, saying funding arts in schools has produced “enormous returns” for the Treasury. In a similar vein, Marcus Davey argues that the arts offer young people a lifeline – but only given the right funding, while the benefits of a classical education are highlighted at an inner-city comprehensive, Highfield Grove.
Music industry backs courses to help young unemployed: For the first time, PRS for Music (Performing Right Society) are offering “springboard” scholarships for music-related diplomas. Meanwhile, musician Ed Sheeran opines that college may not be the best way into the music business.
Sting ditches concert venue over plans to uproot trees: Protests over projected uprooting of 182 trees at SM Mall of Asia in the Philippines prompt Sting to relocate December gig.
Stone Roses’ film has world premiere at London Film Festival: Based around The Stone Roses’ legendary Spike Island concert, the film has been dubbed a “love letter to Manchester and the band.” Producers have confirmed that the film will get a cinema release.
Girls Aloud to call it quits after 10th anniversary tour and release of a greatest hits album, according to Cheryl Cole.
Metallica replace Green Day at Voodoo festival: Metal band step in to ‘help out’ Billie Joe Armstrong who is in rehab.
Grimes cancels shows due to hearing problems, blaming tinnitus and loss of hearing.
Fleetwood Mac confirm details of reunion tour and hint at new material in 2013.
Russia sends Pussy Riot women to camps east of Moscow: Two convicted women from the Russian punk band Pussy Riot are on their way to two prison camps far from home, their lawyers and supporters say.
Another US orchestra is locked out: Players in the St Paul Chamber Orchestra joined their colleagues in the Minnesota Orchestra last night by being locked out of their place of work and left without wages or health care as yet another US management seeks to force through radical pay cuts.
Woman to be named music director of Arab orchestra: The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra is about to appoint Han-na Chang, the Korean cellist, as music director.
American visa report published: Advice on how musicians can successfully navigate the American visa system has been compiled by Musical America.
Bruce Springsteen to join Obama campaign trail. The Guardian asks: Can Bruce Springsteen do it again for Obama?
Neil Diamond to be honoured as ‘Legend of Live’ at 2012 Billboard Touring Awards.
How to get your symphony concert seen by one billion viewers in China.
Blind jazz prodigy wows Bolivia: Jose Andre Montano Baina is just seven-years-old but already displays an incredible musical talent that has enabled him to play at some of the top venues in Bolivia.
And finally, Eton Gangnam style: the story of a viral sensation. Pupils at the hallowed school have had a huge online hit with their comedy dance video. The Guardian asks whether it is possible that they’re really just like the rest of us? Sadly not … Eton’s Gangnam Style lingo is explained here.
Pop music replaces hymns at two-thirds of funerals: Co-op survey finds that Frank Sinatra’s My Way remains funeral favourite for seventh year running, with Always Look on the Bright Side at number 13. Meanwhile, the blacklist of songs at funeral parlours is also revealed, which includes The Trammps’ ‘Disco Inferno’ (“burn baby burn”) and John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ (“imagine there’s no heaven”).
Live Music Features:
Following last week’s announcement by English National Opera’s ‘dress down for the opera’ campaign, this article asks what should you wear at the theatre? On the other hand, The Telegraph argues that ENO’s approach is misguided in Dumbing down won’t attract youth to the opera.
Carrack shows you can just rock on… and on: Middle-aged musician Paul Carrack tours at mid-sized venues in the regions, more than likely goes down a storm and moves on without fuss.
Annie Mac: ‘Skream & Benga are like the Sex Pistols!’: The Radio 1 presenter is lifting the lid on a new generation of superstar DJs for a TV doc and gives us her rules of the booth.
Forget Madchester, it’s all about the B-Town scene: Birmingham is gaining a reputation for its indie music explosion.
Five tips for starting a new arts festival by a promoter about to launch the new Scottish vocal festival, St Andrews Voices.
Thirteen tips for those working in arts PR: going beyond the press release.
The producers born to be collaborators: For independent music producers, cultural collaboration has long been a way of life and of making great work.
Live Music Exchange Events:
Live Music Exchange, Cardiff
Saturday 10th November 2012
ATRiuM, University of Glamorgan, Cardiff
A conference with a difference, the Live Music Exchange gathers together leading academics with people working directly (and indirectly) with live music, to exchange ideas about how to encourage and assist a vibrant and sustainable live music ecology.
Panels on: Live music policy, skills & training and more, plus round-table discussions.
Keynote Speaker: Professor George McKay (Professor of Cultural Studies, University of Salford and AHRC Leadership Fellow, Connected Communities Programme)
Panellists include: Fiona Stewart (Green Man Festival), Simon Dancey (British Council), Huw Williams (founder Welsh Music Foundations), Arts Council Wales, John Rostron (SWN Festival), and many more.
See here for the latest programme.
Please get in touch with contact@livemusicexchange.org for further details.
Other Live Music-related Events:
National Rural Touring Forum AGM and members meeting: Thursday 25th October, The Public in West Bromwich.
Generator’s Music Futures Conference: Live Theatre, Broad Chair, Newcastle, Thursday 22nd November, 10am – 6pm. Includes Alison Wenham, Jeannette Lee and Tony Wadsworth In Conversation.
The Association of Festival Organisers Conference 2012 is to be held between Friday 16 November to Sunday 18 November 2012 in Eastwood, Nottingham.
Festival Awards UK 2012 at the Roundhouse, London, on Monday 3rd December 2012. Voting now open.
Royal Musical Association Research Students’ Conference: Call for papers and works. Thursday 3rd to Saturday 5th January 2013, University of Southampton.
Rhythm Changes Jazz Research Seminar will be held on Friday 8th February, 4-6pm at the University of Salford.
The Clore Leadership Programme – Emerging Leaders Course. Sunday 17th – Friday 22nd March 2013 at Craxton Wood Hotel, Chester.
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Whilst Live Nation will begin restoring the park in the spring, within a time frame agreed with the Royal Parks, the Times called the Park a ‘royal mudbath’ and said the site was a ‘national disgrace’