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Tuesday 25 February 2014, 12:17 | By Aly Barchi
Susan Boyle to voice lighthouse TV diva
Artist News Media
Following a small film role as a churchwarden’s lady wife in ‘The Christmas Candle’ in 2013, Susan Boyle is to take on another acting part, this time on TV.
Whilst Boyle and cast have only so far shot a pilot of the show, which has the working title ‘Diva’, Susan nonetheless plays a ‘singing lighthouse keeper’ in a storyline following a girl from the Channel Islands who wants to become famous. It’s still awaiting commission.
Though some bigmouth source has told the Sun: “Susan is set to play this sort of crazy lighthouse lady. It’s a unique role. There has been a lot of interest in it. Some of the big broadcasters are very keen”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Susan Boyle
Tuesday 25 February 2014, 12:16 | By Andy Malt
UK Music announces apprenticeship scheme meeting
Business News Education & Events
UK Music is inviting music industry employers to attend a breakfast meeting next week, to find out more about its apprenticeship scheme and related grants of £3500.
Attendees will meet with Minister Of State For Skills And Enterprise, Matthew Hancock MP, and apprentices already working in the music industry.
The event will take place at the Department Of Business, Innovation And Skills’ Conference Centre on 5 Mar from 8.45am to 10pm. Anyone wishing to attend should email [email protected]
READ MORE ABOUT: UK Music
Tuesday 25 February 2014, 12:15 | By Andy Malt
Bob Casale 1952-2014
Artist News Obituaries
Devo guitarist, keyboard player and producer Bob Casale die last week from heart failure. He was 61.
Born in 1952, Casale trained as a radiologist before being recruited by his brother George to form Devo in 1973. Nicknamed Bob 2 – Bob 1 being frontman Mark Mothersbaugh’s lead guitarist brother – Casale was a continuous member of the group, playing on all nine of the band’s albums, up to 2010’s ‘Something For Everybody’. He was also involved in the production of many of their records.
Outside of Devo, Casale also worked on a number of albums by other bands, and worked on music for TV and film in both performer and engineer capacities, including Wes Anderson films ‘Rushmore’ and ‘The Royal Tenebaums, and kids TV show ‘Rugrats’.
Announcing his brother’s death last week, Gerald Casale said: “As an original member of Devo, Bob was there in the trenches with me from the beginning. He was my level-headed brother, a solid performer and talented audio engineer, always giving more than he got”.
He is survived by his wife Lisa, their son Alex and daughter Samantha.
READ MORE ABOUT: Bob Casale | DEVO
Tuesday 25 February 2014, 12:14 | By Aly Barchi
The Horrors light up Luminous new LP
Artist News Releases
It’s official: The Horrors’ fourth LP, the band’s first since 2011’s ‘Skying’, is called ‘Luminous’, and will come out on 5 May. Congratulations all round.
Talking to the NME about the album’s title in particular, Faris Badwan said: “It’s a powerful image: giving off light and releasing energy. It sums up a lot of the ways we make music. One thing that’s always been central to the band is that we’ve kept the same level of intensity since the beginning”.
Still chatting away, Faris added this of the ‘Luminous’ sound at large: “This is the album I’ve been most excited about releasing. I think it would be misleading to say it’s got more guitars or more synths, because half the time the guitars sound like synths anyway. Is it fair to say there’s more of everything?”
Yes, I’d say it’s fair. More than fair, in fact. And now it’s time to bathe in the blinding light of the LP’s lead single, ‘I See You’, which had its world’s first play last night thanks to BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe:
READ MORE ABOUT: The Horrors
Tuesday 25 February 2014, 12:13 | By Aly Barchi
Release Round-Up: Eagulls, La Luz, Jamie Isaac and Kitsuné’s New Faces
Artist News Release Round-Up Releases
Rounding up the latest release news…
Snappy Leeds pack Eagulls are streaming their very first LP, the ingeniously-titled ‘Eagulls’, via Pitchfork’s vaguely annoying Advance player, in ‘advance’ of its real release in a week’s time. Player aside, the album is worth a spin (provided you’re into loud, angry punk), so do that now at this link.
Also with an album out soon, it’s approved lo-fi pop troopers La Luz, whose debut ‘It’s Alive’ will have its UK coming-out-party via Hardly Art on 31 Mar. Fall for its Mazzy Star-bright, 1960s-style girl-group charms right now c/o this video tape, for one of its tracks ‘Brainwash’:
Croydon artist Jamie Isaac (pictured), a contemporary of King Krule, has just handed over the official clip for his fine single ‘She Dried’, which is listed on his new ‘Blue Break’ EP. The latter is released on 24 Mar, a date Isaac will anticipate tomorrow via a show at the Waiting Room in London. Watch the vid here in the meantime:
And as if we weren’t all spoilt for streaming choice, tres hip French dance label Kitsuné is previewing its latest ‘New Faces’ compilation, as features tracks by fresh acts like Superfood, Kilo Kish, Rosie Lowe, Hyetal and George Fitzgerald, exclusively via Dazed & Confused. It’s in shops now, but if you’re too young and poor, or old and poor, you can groove and rejuvenate whilst you save up to buy it via the Dazed Digital stream:
READ MORE ABOUT: Eagulls | Jamie Isaac | Kitsune | La Luz
Tuesday 25 February 2014, 12:12 | By Chris Cooke
150 more acts confirmed for this year’s Great Escape
Artist News Gigs & Festivals The Great Escape 2014
In a busy day for festival news, make sure you take note of the 150 – yep, 150 – new bands added to the line up of The Great Escape, Europe’s leading festival for new music.
The second big announcement from Team TGE includes details of the second ‘Dome show’ at this year’s festival, which will feature Wild Beasts, These New Puritans and Adult Jazz. Meanwhile all of the following acts have now been confirmed to play:
A Plastic Rose, Afterpartees, Ages And Ages, Aisha Orazbayeva, Albert Hammond Jr, Alec Benjamin, All We Are, Angel At My Table, Anna Meredith, Ásgeir, Augustines, Azekel, Barbarossa, Bat And Ball, Bear Hands, Beaty Heart, Best Friends, Big Sixes, Big Ups, Blessa, Bloody Knees, Bokka, Boy Jumps Ship, Brawlers, Bridie Jackson And The Arbour, Bryce Hackford, Casual Sex, Cats On Trees, Champs, Cheerleader, Coasts, Death At Sea, Deathcrush, Dry The River, East India Youth, Eaves, Electric Eye, Elli Ingram, Emilie Nicholas, Eva Stone, Eyedress, Famy, Fé, Fickle Friends, Frank Hamilton, French For Rabbits, Gallery Circus, Gambles, Generate, George Barnett, George Ezra, Girl Band, Glass Owls, Gnarwolves, Go Wolf, Gorgon City, Grand Analog, Gδrtmδlen, Harleighblu, Hawk House, Hero Fisher, Hey Rosetta!, Hozier, Hudson Taylor, James Bay, Jamie Isaac, Jaws, Jimi Goodwin, Joel Baker, Joel Compass, Jon Hopkins, Kan Wakan, Kiesza, Kit, Kyan, Lake Street Dive, Laura Welsh, Lazytalk, Le Vasco, Let The Machines Do The Work, Little Matador, Lizzo, Louis Aguilar And The Crocodile Tears, Love Zombies, Lyger, Lyla Foy, Mighty Oaks, Milky Chance, Mirel Wagner, Mirror Signal, Mnek, Moodoïd, Neøv, Nothing But Thieves, Oliver Coates, Only Rivals, Pablo Nouvelle, Patten, Phantogram, Phoria, Port Isla, Ps I Love You, Pup, Rae Morris, Rah Rah, Raleigh Ritchie, Ratking, Rebeka, Rm Hubbert, Ryan Vail, Sam Fender, Say Lou Lou, Sea Change, Sean Mcgowan, Shiny Darkly, Sivu, Solids, Southern, Spring King, Stonefield, Sun Glitters, Suvi, Syd Arthur, Taymir, Telegram, Tennis, The Bohicas, The Clameens, The Districts, The Dumplings, The John Steel Singers, The Neighbourhood, The New Tigers, The People The Poet, The Trouble With Templeton, Thomas Azier, Tigertown, Tristesse Contemporaine, Trust, Unknwn, Von Hertzen Brothers, We Were Evergreen, Weed, Wild Cub, Wonder Villains and Years And Years.
The Great Escape also features, of course, a CMU Insights-programmed convention, which this year will present six in depth half-day strands plus a series of in conversations, parties and networking events. Two strands are already confirmed – Maximising Music Rights and Global Digital Markets – with details of the other four plus the in conversation guests this year all due to be announced very soon.
Meanwhile, to get into all of the festival and convention elements of TGE, you need to get yourself a delegates pass, which are still available at the ridiculously cheap price of £145, but only until Friday. Rooms are also going fast in the official convention hotels – The Queens and myhotel – so you might want to get booking those this week too.
READ MORE ABOUT: The Great Escape
Tuesday 25 February 2014, 12:11 | By Aly Barchi
Eels announce summer shows
Artist News Gigs & Festivals
States-based alt brigade Eels have announced a round of UK shows to go with their latest LP ‘The Cautionary Tales Of Mark Oliver Everett’.
The album’s namesake, also the band’s frontman, bills it as “an extraordinarily vivid and intimate document of a personal struggle”, one fans can share in once it’s out, any time after 21 Apr. But no sooner.
And those shows I was just talking about run thus:
15 Jun: Oxford, New Theatre
16 Jun: Manchester, Bridgewater Hall
17 Jun: Glasgow, Royal Concert House
18 Jun: Cambridge, Corn Exchange
19 Jun: Bexhill, De La Warr Pavillion
30 Jun: London, Royal Albert Hall
1 Jul: Dublin, Olympia
And one more thing, a clip introducing you to the LP:
READ MORE ABOUT: Eels
Tuesday 25 February 2014, 12:10 | By Aly Barchi
Echo & The Bunnymen add May live dates
Artist News Gigs & Festivals
Echo & The Bunnymen are shooting off a round trip, to ‘The Killing Moon’ and back, of the UK, in May. It’s actually more to ‘Liverpool’ and back, and supports the band’s latest LP, ‘Meteorites’, which is due an announcement tomorrow.
For the time being, you’ll have to make do with the tour’s dates, which are:
2 May: Leamington Spa, Assembly Rooms
10 May: Oxford, Academy
11 May: Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall
13 May: Newcastle Tyne Theatre
14 May: Manchester Ritz
16 May: Edinburgh Queens Hall
17 May: London Shepherd’s Bush Empire
18 May: Bristol, Academy
20 May: Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall
READ MORE ABOUT: Echo & The Bunnymen
Tuesday 25 February 2014, 12:09 | By Andy Malt
Festival line-up update: Bonnaroo, Benicassim, Melt! and more
Artist News Festival Line-Up Update Gigs & Festivals
Highlights of today’s somewhat unruly-sized FLUU are Warpaint’s DIY-confirmation for Glasto, Bestival’s Sunday night headliner, the first stage of artist additions at Benicassim, a bumper update at the USA’s super-pop-marathon Bonnaroo, and a whole lot more.
Let’s get straight to it…
2000TREES, Upcote Farm, Withington, Cheltenham, 10-12 Jul: Public Service Broadcasting, Itch, Blitz Kids, Hawk Eyes, The Virginmarys, Winter Villains, VerseChorusVerse. www.twothousandtreesfestival.co.uk
BENICASSIM, Recinto De Conciertos, Benicassim, Spain, 17-20 Jul: Kasabian, Tinie Tempah, Jake Bugg, Chase & Status, MIA, Tame Impala, Manic Street Preachers, James, Klaxons, Sub Focus, Of Montreal, Courteeners, The Charlatans, Presidents Of The United States of America, The 1975, Kodaline, Telegram. www.fiberfib.com
BESTIVAL, Robin Hill Country Park, Isle Of Wight, 4-7 Sep: Chic featuring Nile Rodgers. www.bestival.com
BONNAROO, Centeroo, Manchester, Tenessee, USA, 12-15 Jun: Elton John, Kanye West, Jack White, Lionel Richie, Vampire Weekend, The Avett Brothers, Phoenix, Skrillex, Arctic Monkeys, Frank Ocean, The Flaming Lips, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Kaskade, Damon Albarn, Neutral Milk Hotel, Wiz Khalifa, SuperJam with Skrillex and friends, Ed Helms’ Bluegrass Situation, Disclosure, Cut Copy, The Head And The Heart, Jake Bugg, Chance the Rapper, Dr. Dog, Yonder Mountain String Band, The John Butler Trio, Little Dragon, City and Colour, The Glitch Mob, The Naked And Famous, Taran Killam, Phosphorescent, Drive-By Truckers, Washed Out, Danny Brown, Warpaint, Funkiest Dancer, Chromeo, Broken Bells, Tedeschi Trucks Band, James Blake, Bobby Womack, Umphrey’s McGee, Ice Cube, Ben Howard, Slightly Stoopid, Fitz and the Tantrums, Cake, Janelle Monae, Grouplove, Amos Lee, Chvrches, Cage The Elephant, Die Antwoord, Andrew Bird, Mastodon, Capital Cities, Sam Smith, A$AP Ferg, Darkside, Seasick Steve, Shovels & Rope, Lucero, Carolina Chocolate Drops, The Wood Brothers, Master Musicians of Jajouka, Pusha T, Meshuggah, Polica, DakhaBrakha, Goat, ZZ Ward, Seun Kuti and Fela’s Egypt 80, Blackberry Smoke, MS MR, Hannibal Buress, First Aid Kit, Rudimental, A Tribe Called Red, Omar Souleyman, Bouncing Souls, Greensky Bluegrass, Ty Segall, Sarah Jarosz, Vintage Trouble, Okkervil River, White Denim, Jonathan Wilson, Robert DeLong, Cloud Nothings, Typhoon, Thao with The Get Down Stay Down, Valerie June, King Khan And The Shrines, Cherub, Banks, Break Science, The Black Lillies, Real Estate, The Lone Bellow, Caveman, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Jon Batiste, La Santa Cecilia, Classixx, Allah-Las, Cass McCombs, Vance Joy, Haerts, J Roddy Walston & The Business, Those Darlins, Deafheaven, Lake Street Dive, St Paul and The Broken Bones, The Wild Feathers, The Preatures, Blank Range. www.bonnaroo.com
DETESTIVAL, Queen’s Social Club, Sheffield, 18-20 Apr: Sleepy Sun, Turbowolf, PINS, Slaves, Lola Colt, God Damn, Brown Brogues, Vladimir, Happyness, Big Difference, Bad Guys, JazzHands. www.facebook.com/detestival
FM4 FREQUENCY, Green Park, St Polten, Austria, 13-16 Aug: Bastille, Biffy Clyro, Imagine Dragons, Babyshambles, Jan Delay & Disko No 1, Woodkid, Marteria, Milky Chance, Stromae, Broilers, Millencolin, Skindred, HVOB, Brody Dalle, William Fitzsimmons, Satellite Stories, Claire, The Eclectic Moniker, Bo Ningen, Giuda, Fritz Kalkbrenner, Pendulum & MC Verse. www.frequency.at
THE GREAT ESCAPE, various venues, Brighton, 8-10 May: A Plastic Rose, Afterpartees, Ages And Ages, Aisha Orazbayeva, Albert Hammond Jr, Alec Benjamin, All We Are, Angel At My Table, Anna Meredith, Ásgeir, Augustines, Azekel, Barbarossa, Bat And Ball, Bear Hands, Beaty Heart, Best Friends, Big Sixes, Big Ups, Blessa, Bloody Knees, Bokka, Boy Jumps Ship, Brawlers, Bridie Jackson And The Arbour, Bryce Hackford, Casual Sex, Cats On Trees, Champs, Cheerleader, Coasts, Death At Sea, Deathcrush, Dry The River, East India Youth, Eaves, Electric Eye, Elli Ingram, Emilie Nicholas, Eva Stone, Eyedress, Famy, Fé, Fickle Friends, Frank Hamilton, French For Rabbits, Gallery Circus, Gambles, Generate, George Barnett, George Ezra, Girl Band, Glass Owls, Gnarwolves, Go Wolf, Gorgon City, Grand Analog, Gδrtmδlen, Harleighblu, Hawk House, Hero Fisher, Hey Rosetta!, Hozier, Hudson Taylor, James Bay, Jamie Isaac, Jaws, Jimi Goodwin, Joel Baker, Joel Compass, Jon Hopkins, Kan Wakan, Kiesza, Kit, Kyan, Lake Street Dive, Laura Welsh, Lazytalk, Le Vasco, Let The Machines Do The Work, Little Matador, Lizzo, Louis Aguilar And The Crocodile Tears, Love Zombies, Lyger, Lyla Foy, Mighty Oaks, Milky Chance, Mirel Wagner, Mirror Signal, Mnek, Moodoïd, Neøv, Nothing But Thieves, Oliver Coates, Only Rivals, Pablo Nouvelle, Patten, Phantogram, Phoria, Port Isla, Ps I Love You, Pup, Rae Morris, Rah Rah, Raleigh Ritchie, Ratking, Rebeka, Rm Hubbert, Ryan Vail, Sam Fender, Say Lou Lou, Sea Change, Sean Mcgowan, Shiny Darkly, Sivu, Solids, Southern, Spring King, Stonefield, Sun Glitters, Suvi, Syd Arthur, Taymir, Telegram, Tennis, The Bohicas, The Clameens, The Districts, The Dumplings, The John Steel Singers, The Neighbourhood, The New Tigers, The People The Poet, The Trouble With Templeton, Thomas Azier, Tigertown, Tristesse Contemporaine, Trust, Unknwn, Von Hertzen Brothers, We Were Evergreen, Weed, Wild Cub, Wonder Villains and Years And Years. www.escapegreat.com
GLASTONBURY, Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset, 25-29 Jun: Warpaint. www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk
GREENWICH MUSIC TIME, Old Royal Naval College, London, 20-23 Aug: Goldfrapp, Russell Watson, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Jools Holland And His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, Mel C, Marc Almond. greenwichmusictime.co.uk
HENLEY FESTIVAL, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, 9-13 Jul: Bryan Ferry, Joss Stone, Burt Bacharach, The Jacksons, The Radiophonic Workshop, The Mariachis, David Mumford, Will McNicol, The Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain, Close to You, Rotait, na-mara, Rick Wakeman, Serpentyne, Mike Davies, D’lys. www.henley-festival.co.uk
HIGH DEFINITION FESTIVAL, Eridge Park, Nr Tunbridge Wells, 5 Jul: Carl Cox, All About She, Brockie & MC Det, B Traits, Charlie Hedges, Dj Die & Mc Inja, Dusky, Filsonik, George Fitzgerald, Gorgon City, Hannah Wants, Harry Shotta Show, Jon Rundell, Joy Orbison, Logan – D, Mampi Swift, Mc Eksman, MC Ic3, Midland, Mistajam, Ms Dynamite, My Nu Leng, Oneman, Ratpack, Roska, Route 94, Sam Supplier, Shy FX, The Martinez Brothers (6 Hrs), Tom Rio, Will Saul, Zinc b2b Artwork. www.highdefinitionfestival.co.uk
HOP FARM FESTIVAL, The Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Kent, 4-6 Jul: Bellowhead, Eliza Doolittle, Marc Almond, Full English, Chaz N Dave, Scouting For Girls, Slow Club, Family Rain, The Beat, Midlake. www.thehopfarmmusicfestival.com
ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL, Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle Of Wight, 12-15 Jun: Suede, Fall Out Boy, Katy B, Tom Odell, Ella Eyre, The Pretty Reckless, Anna Calvi, Starsailor, Boy George, The Struts, Alison Moyet, Amber Run, Inspiral Carpets, The Doors Alive. www.isleofwightfestival.com
MELT!, Ferropolis, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, 18-20 Jul: Darkside, Pretty Lights, Four Tet, Bombay Bicycle Club, SBTRKT, Pantha Du Prince, Clean Bandit, DVS1, George Fitzgerald, John Grant, Ja, Panik, John Talabot, Jungle, Markus Kavka, Kid Simius, Of Montreal, Pantha Du Prince, Planningtorock, SOHN, Son Lux, Tale Of Us, Tourist, WhoMadeWho, Wolf Alice. www.meltfestival.de/en.html
OBSCENE EXTREME, Trutnov, Battlefield, Czech Republic, 16-20 Jul: Brutal Truth, Morgoth. www.obsceneextreme.cz
ØYA, Tøyenparken, Oslo, Norway, 6-10 Aug: Todd Terje, Little Dragon, Darkside, Brody Dalle, Highasakite, Farao, John Wizards. oyafestivalen.com
ROCK WERCHTER, Leaven, Rotselaar, Belgium, 3-6 Jul: Warpaint, White Lies, Milow, Parov Stelar, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Melanie De Biasio, Reignwolf. www.rockwerchter.be
SOMERSAULT FESTIVAL, Castle Hill Estate, North Devon, 17-21 Jul: Amadou & Mariam, Fink, Bombino, Crowns, Neil Hastead, Nick Mulvey, Half Moon Run, Sierra Leone’s Refugee Allstars, Catfish And The Bottlemen, Hiss Golden Messenger. somersaultfestival.com
SONISPHERE UK, Knebworth Park, 4-6 Jul: Wilko Johnson, Electric Wizard, Dog Eat Dog, Anti-Flag, Black Spiders, Brutality Will Prevail, Emp!re, Krokodil, Raging Speedhorn, Reckless Love, Stampin Ground, Tesseract, The Defiled, The Hell, The Hype Theory, The Safety Fire. sonisphere.co.uk
SOUTH WEST FOUR, Clapham Common, London, 23-24 Aug: Alesso, Jamie Jones, Sasha, Magda. www.southwestfour.com
STANDON CALLING, Standon Lordship, Hertfordshire, 1-3 Aug: Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Maximo Park, Clean Bandit, Peace, The Heavy, Ella Eyre, TOY, Charli XCX, Leisure Society, Easy Star All Stars, The Cuban Brothers, The Other Tribe, Beans On Toast, Saint Raymond, Imperial Leisure, Amber Run. www.standon-calling.com
STOCKTON CALLING, various venues, Stockton-on-Tees, 19 Apr: Chris Helme, CoCo And The Butterfields, Baby Strange, The Lost Boys, The Alice Charmers, Silver Trees, Dinnernanny, Little Mirrors, The Big Heave, Tusk, Sam Fender, Andy Jones, Alistair Sheerin Band, Reva, Cellar Door, Be Quiet Shout Loud, Violet Deep. www.stocktoncalling.co.uk
TAURON NOWA MUZYKA, Katowice, Poland, 21-25 Aug: Dixon, Mouse On Mars, Jackson And His Computerband, Ben UFO, Kelela, BOKKA. www.festiwalnowamuzyka.pl
T IN THE PARK, Balado, Kinross, 11-13 Jul: Paolo Nutini. www.tinthepark.com
UK LIVE, Sunderland Stadium Of Light, 22 Jun/Ipswich Chantry Park, 28 Jun/Weston-Super-Mare Beach, 29 Jun: Katy B, Neon Jungle. www.uklive.co.uk
WAY OUT WEST, Gothernburg, Sweden, 7-9 Aug: Pusha T, Brody Dalle, I Break Horses, Shlohmo, Forest Swords, Holly Herndon, Chloe Howl, Machinedrum. www.wayoutwest.se
READ MORE ABOUT: 2000Trees | Benicassim | Bestival | Bonnaroo | Destestival | FM4 Frequency | Glastonbury Festival | Greenwich Music Time | Henley Festival | High Definition Festival | Hop Farm Music Festival | Isle Of Wight Festival | Melt! | Obscene Extreme | Oya Festival | Rock Werchter | Somersault Festival | South West Four | Standon Calling | Stockton Calling | T In The Park | Tauron Nowa Muzyka | The Great Escape | UK Live | Way Out West
Tuesday 25 February 2014, 12:08 | By Chris Cooke
Big One Direction news
And Finally Artist News
One Direction are not, repeat, are not, I mean, please, take note of this, and believe me when I say what I say, and I urge you to stop anyone, anywhere, whoever they may be, and whatever sources they may cite, from ever even thinking that this might be so, because, you see, and this really is very important, in fact you ought to all write this up on your office whiteboard, and if you don’t have an office whiteboard, you really ought to buy one, because they are especially useful for recording any ideas that come up during team brainstorming sessions, as well as for writing up important news like this, so that everyone who works for your organisation isn’t under any misapprehensions whatsoever, though I do admit that a flip chart will suffice for this purpose too, providing this particular message is always at the top of whichever page is showing at any one time, because you wouldn’t want even your one-afternoon-a-week book-keeper to miss out on this bit of information, nor that intern who comes in two days a week, but totally legally because you’re either paying them minimum wage or you’ve fulfilled the criteria set out by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs for unpaid interns, but they need to know this information, and frankly you telling them this is probably worth four hours of free labour, because then they’ll know that One Direction, and this is the bit you have to really listen to, One Direction are NOT, I say, NOT on the verge of breaking up.
Look, this is what Harry Styles told The Sun. “We’re not breaking up”.
I bet you feel really silly right now. And if you’re one of those people claiming that you never even said or thought or reckoned that One Direction were on the verge of breaking up, well, all I can say is you’ve never got to deadline and realised you had no And Finally story, thrown a tabloid newspaper in the air and gone with which ever bit of music gossip you found first, however pointless it might be. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is journalism. Well, it would be if I’d written this as a list and stolen a few photos off Twitter.
READ MORE ABOUT: One Direction
Monday 24 February 2014, 11:48 | By Aly Barchi
Approved: Ramona Lisa
CMU Approved
Having hit the big(ish) leagues both with Chairlift, and latterly by writing ‘No Angel’, the most steely and skeletal track on Beyonce’s ‘Beyonce’ LP, Caroline Polachek has, since this time last year, been making appearances as her new solo alias, Ramona Lisa. ‘Disguised’ (barely) in a fringed wig and an extra pair of eyes, she/Ramona will release her/Ramona’s first LP, ‘Arcadia’, on 14 Apr.
Its lead single, title track and first-listed song, available here as a free MP3 is, apparently, typical of the rest of the record in that its vocals were taped in a cupboard or at an airport, is about love, and also holds lots of ‘natural’ symbolism. It’s bare and abstract, like a palette washed pale of its paint, and shaded-in again with madrigal organ bars, loops of cloistered courtyard noise and, ringing out above it all like a sad chime, Polachek’s fine-boned soprano.
See Caroli… sorry, ‘Ramona’ running around Rome in a flasher mac and stroking a pillar amid a biblical swarm of creepy crawlies in the ‘Arcadia’ video, which she co-directed:
READ MORE ABOUT: Caroline Polachek | Chairlift | Ramona Lisa
Monday 24 February 2014, 11:47 | By Chris Cooke
Dutch anti-piracy group to appeal ruling that pulled down the web-blocks
Business News Digital Legal Top Stories
Dutch anti-piracy group BREIN intends to take its web-blocking efforts to the Supreme Court in the Netherlands, after the country’s High Court overturned blockades instigated against The Pirate Bay.
As previously reported, in 2012, on its second attempt, BREIN secured a web-block injunction against the infamous file-sharing website, ie a court order which told Dutch internet service providers Ziggo and XS4All that they must block their users from accessing the Bay. But, whereas in the UK the net firms have generally accepted and complied with such injunctions, even if a little reluctantly, the Dutch ISPs appealed the web-block ruling, and last month succeeded in the High Court.
For the music and film industries in several countries, web-blocking is becoming the most important weapon in the battle against online piracy. Such blockades are not without controversy, of course, and opponents always point out that it’s actually quite easy to circumvent the web-blocks. Though the rights owners increasingly hope that if they can also force the search engines to stop listing blocked sites – and any proxies set up to help get round the blockades – then actually such a system will deter more casual web-users from accessing unlicensed content sources.
But the Dutch High Court ruled last month that the blocks were “ineffectual” and “constitute an infringement of [people’s] freedom to act at their discretion”. BREIN Director Tim Kuik confirmed to the website Tweakers that the organisation would continue to fight on the issue, though admitted that the next round of appeal could take eighteen months to go through the motions. Kuik said: “Depending on the type of appeal it can take a year to eighteen months before a decision. Moreover, there are still questions for the European Court Of Justice so it might take even longer”.
The Pirate Bay blocks in the Netherlands will come down in the meantime.
READ MORE ABOUT: BREIN | The Pirate Bay
Monday 24 February 2014, 11:46 | By Chris Cooke
Minaj sued by former wig-making collaborator
Business News Legal
When wig maker Terrence Davidson announced he was ending his creative partnership with Nicki Minaj just over a year ago, he said “it has been an amazing experience offering me a chance to express my creativity and exhibit my love for the art form of wig design”. But now he’s suing the rap lady, claiming that she’s nicked his wig creations and cost him $30 million in lost deals by making unfulfilled promises.
Davidson’s lawsuit, filed with the US District Court in Atlanta last week, claims that he turned down other media and design work because Minaj said she wanted to launch a reality TV show and a wig line with the designer. But, says Davidson, despite implied contracts in relation to those projects, he found himself increasingly shut out of Minaj’s projects, until the two ultimately parted company last year. She then set up her own wig line exploiting Davidson’s designs, he alleges.
According to Billboard, a legal rep for Davidson, Christopher Chestnut, claimed of Minaj: “She lied, cheated and stole from him – [and instigated] a misappropriation of his intellectual property”.
The rapper is yet to respond to the legal claims.
READ MORE ABOUT: Nicki Minaj | Terrence Davidson
Monday 24 February 2014, 11:45 | By Chris Cooke
Warner’s ADA announces Mute deal for North America
Business News Deals Labels & Publishers
Warner Music’s label services company ADA announced on Friday a new deal with UK-based independent Mute, which will see the major-label division provide distribution services to the indie in the US and Canada.
Confirming the deal, ADA Worldwide’s Kenny Weagly told CMU: “It is a true honour to welcome Mute into the ADA family of labels. For the past 35 years, [Mute boss] Daniel Miller and the Mute roster have epitomised the independent label spirit, leading the way in fearlessly signing groundbreaking artists that not only span genres, but have often created them. All of us at ADA are thrilled to be partnering with a true beacon of the independent music community, and we’re looking forward to working with everyone at Mute as they continue to champion artistic freedom and creativity”.
Meanwhile, Miller added: “We’re excited to bring Mute back to ADA, whom we worked with 20 years ago – it’s a great home for the label and our artists. We feel confident this partnership will support Mute’s continuing vision!”
The ADA deal in North America is in addition to Mute’s deal with [PIAS] over here, which was renewed last year.
READ MORE ABOUT: ADA Worldwide | Mute | Warner Music
Monday 24 February 2014, 11:44 | By Aly Barchi
Le1f signs to XL/Terrible for new EP
Business News Deals Labels & Publishers
So you’ve probably danced to his 2012 hit ‘Whut’ in tha cluhb, and now, off the back of that and other past singles, NYC rap man Le1f has signed jointly to XL Recordings and Terrible Records.
The MC, born Khan Diouf, will release a five-track digital EP titled ‘Hey’ via the labels on 11 Mar, with a vinyl pressing set to follow in May.
Says Le1f via Billboard: “I’ve dreamed of recording for XL since I was like fifteen and I’m super excited to be working with all of my Terrible labelmates. I’ll be doing the same stuff that I’ve been doing but on another level. It’s an interesting challenge and I like that”.
Terrible Records’ Ethan Silverman, who runs the independent with Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor, adds: “Hip hop is probably the genre that I personally listen to the most, if I’m being honest. It’s always been something that I was passionate about and this felt appropriate. Le1f fits perfectly into the Terrible spectrum of personalities”.
And what finer way to end this than by previewing ‘Hey’ track ‘Boom’?
READ MORE ABOUT: Le1f | Terrible Records | XL Recordings
Monday 24 February 2014, 11:43 | By Aly Barchi
Alan McGee signs Jaq Gallier, Sourya and Mz Moxy to 359 Music
Business News Deals Labels & Publishers
One-time Creation/Poptones don Alan ‘maverick’ McGee has announced some signings to 359 Music, the label he launched last May as a JV with Cherry Red Records.
Joining the books at 359 as part of this latest consignment are Nottingham singer-songwriter Jaq Gallier, Parisian indietronica artist Sourya, and gogo-pop lady Mz Moxy.
Sourya’s first single for 359, ‘Winterwind’, will blow in on 7 Apr, whilst Mz Moxy’s new track ‘Sugar’ is released 19 May. Gallier’s ‘Higher Love’, meanwhile, which falls from above on 5 May, sounds like this:
READ MORE ABOUT: 359 Music | Alan McGee | Jaq Gallier | Mz Mox | Sourya
Monday 24 February 2014, 11:42 | By Chris Cooke
Live Nation takes complete ownership of Dublin O2 venue
Business News Live Business
Live Nation has acquired complete ownership of the O2-branded arena venue in Dublin in a 35 million euro deal that values the building at 70 million euros.
The live music conglom already owned half of the venue, Ireland’s biggest indoor arena, but recently utilised its ‘first refusal’ right to buy the rest of the equity in the venue venture, which was in the control of the Irish government’s National Asset Management Agency following its dealings with the original co-owner of the complex, Dublin Docklands developer Harry Crosbie.
Live Nation is yet to comment on the deal, which was actually agreed late last year, but which has come to light via Ireland’s Independent newspaper this weekend.
READ MORE ABOUT: Live Nation | O2 | The O2 Dublin
Monday 24 February 2014, 11:41 | By Andy Malt
Indie musician Ron Pope cheers for Spotify
Business News Digital
There’s money to be made from Spotify, or so says indie musician Ron Pope. And, unlike a lot of artists who’ve weighed in on this debate, he has numbers to back up his argument.
In an article for The Huffington Post last week, Pope wrote: “My music was added to Spotify in September of 2010; through the most recent report, which runs through November 2013, I’ve had over 57 million plays and they’ve paid me out $334,636, with over $200,000 of that coming in 2013. I’m getting over a million streams in Sweden alone most months”.
Of course, not every artist is getting those sorts of play counts. But, says Pope, having a broad catalogue of work available on Spotify has been key to growing these numbers. Also, as we’ve so often said before, he highlights the importance of artists tapping into a number of different revenue streams, not just recordings, and making sure they all work together.
In particular, he talks up the gigs he’s been able to secure as a result of the newfound popularity of his music that Spotify has helped to build. “When I played in Norway in early 2012, I sold around 100 tickets; since then, my music has exploded on Spotify there”, he said. “My upcoming show sold out at 450 tickets more than three months in advance”.
On how his recording-based revenues have changed in recent years, he added: “Until a few years ago, I was deriving 95% of my income from selling digital singles; if there’s anyone who should be afraid of streaming, it’s me. Instead, I’m watching my fanbase grow exponentially as my fans utilise social networking and streaming sites like Spotify to create an honest to goodness grassroots movement. These fans are consuming my entire catalogue rather than one specific single”.
Read Pope’s article in full here.
READ MORE ABOUT: Iggy Pop | Ron Pope
Monday 24 February 2014, 11:40 | By Chris Cooke
Iggy Pop gets regular show on 6 Music
Business News Media
After a couple of guest spots on the station over the Christmas period, Iggy Pop is to front a regular show on the BBC’s 6 Music from 16 Mar through to the end of the year. Pop’s show will air from 4-6pm on Sunday afternoons in what has been traditionally the Jarvis slot, the Pulp man taking a sabbatical from his radio show.
Confirming his new job as radio DJ, the punk icon and occasional insurance salesman told CMU: “I had a great experience doing the shows for BBC Radio 6 Music over the holidays. To be honest commerce, critics, crooks, and creeps have conspired over time to knock the stuffing out of my soul as I become ever more removed from the joys of feeling music. The act of revisiting my library and memories to share the tunes I have treasured with a radio audience has relit a flame for me. So I was kind of hoping the Beeb would ask me to do some more. So I guess I did alright, because I’m gonna. Watch out for me”.
6 Music boss man Bob Shennan added: “BBC Radio 6 Music is incredibly proud to welcome Iggy Pop to the network, an artist who is renowned the world over for breaking the rules and providing an alternative soundtrack to people’s lives. I’d like to welcome him to Sunday afternoons on 6 Music, where he will be a valuable and hugely exciting addition to the station’s array of trusted music guides”.
READ MORE ABOUT: BBC Radio 6 Music | Iggy Pop
Monday 24 February 2014, 11:39 | By Andy Malt
Crime At Major UK Music Festivals conference this week
Business News Education & Events Gigs & Festivals
The Crime At Major UK Music Festivals conference is to return for its sixth year, this week.
The annual event provides a platform for music festivals to share information and expertise, with speakers this year including West Yorkshire Police Chief Superintendent Andy Battle and Festival Republic MD Melvin Benn.
The conference will take place at the Royal Berkshire Conference Centre at the Madejski Stadium in Reading on Thursday, 27 Feb.
READ MORE ABOUT: Festival Republic
Monday 24 February 2014, 11:38 | By Chris Cooke
Kiss call off Hall Of Fame performance to overcome ex-member tensions
Artist News Awards
Kiss have announced that they won’t play at their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame later this year, after some potential squabbling over what version of the band’s line-up should take to the stage.
The current incarnation of the band, which includes founder members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, issued a statement about the upcoming Hall Of Fame event after fellow founder member Ace Frehley, originally with the band until 1982, and again between 1996 and 2002, expressed disappointment in a radio interview that the current plan was for the current members of Kiss, rather than the original line-up, to play at the awards event.
Frehley told New York’s Q104.3 FM: “I don’t think Kiss fans are gonna be too excited and happy about the news, cause at this juncture Paul and Gene have decided to perform with [current Kiss members] Tommy [Thayer] and Eric [Singer], and it looks like the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is going along with it”.
He went on: “The last time I was on [this radio show], it was a very exciting and happy call. And the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was very excited about having the four original members who are being inducted to perform at the ceremony. And that was shot down by Paul and Gene”.
But in a statement on the band’s official site, Stanley and Simmons insisted they hadn’t explicitly refused to play with any of their former bandmates at the Hall Of Fame show, but that given the growing tensions they’d decided it would be easier to just not play at all.
In their statement, the current Kiss set up wrote: “Our intention [at the Hall Of Fame show] was to celebrate the entire history of Kiss and give credit to all members including long time present members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, and additionally Bruce Kulick and Eric Carr, all who have made this band what it is, regardless of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s point of view”
“Although Kiss has moved forward far longer without them, Ace and Peter are at the very foundation of what we have built and this would all be impossible had they not been a part of it in the beginning. It is over thirteen years since the original line-up has played together in make-up and we believe the memory of those times would not be enhanced [by a reunion at the Hall Of Fame. But] contrary to claims made through the media we have never refused to play with Ace and Peter”.
The concluded: “This is understandably an emotional situation where there is no way to please everyone. To bring this to a quick end, we have decided not to play in any line-up and we will focus our attention on celebrating our induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. We are excited and are looking forward to seeing you all on the Kiss 40th Anniversary worldwide tour”.
Nirvana, Peter Gabriel, Hall And Oates, Cat Stevens and Linda Ronstadt are all due to be inducted into the US industry’s Hall Of Fame on 10 Apr alongside Kiss.
READ MORE ABOUT: Kiss | Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
Monday 24 February 2014, 11:37 | By Aly Barchi
Lily Allen names silly album
Artist News Releases
The Lily Allen wince–fest hit a new, slightly excruciati… I mean ‘well edgy’ high last Friday when the singer revealed her new LP’s title.
You’re probably aware of it by now, but just in case you’re all like, “Huh? What? What title? I know of no title” – the title was and in fact is; ‘Sheezus’. Like ‘Yeezus’, only feminist. Or at least, female. See what I mean? Edgy. On the very edge of edginess itself. And at least it’s got us all talking, right?
Letting the world in on her thinking re ‘Sheezus’, Lily told Graham Norton on TV: “It’s a confident title choice – and a little nod to Kanye West”.
Well, I did figure. Anyway let’s waltz in circles with Lily in her silly new viddy ‘Air Balloon’:
READ MORE ABOUT: Lily Allen
Monday 24 February 2014, 11:36 | By Aly Barchi
Fierce Panda details weepy anniversary LP feat The Walkmen, Art Brut and I Like Trains
Artist News Releases
Hey, English indie Fierce Panda will have been in the label game 20 years this year, having begun in a London pub in 2004, and gone on to release early material by The Macabees, Idlewild, Placebo, Ash, Keane and, of course, Coldplay. And in ‘celebration’, kind of, the label has placed its ‘weepiest’ ever singles on one definitive LP, apparently the “saddest album in the world”.
‘Endangered: Fierce Panda 2004-2014’, as it’s titled, will carry eighteen FP-released tracks in all, from past and present signees like The Walkmen, Art Brut, The Raveonettes, The Crookes, Tom Hickox and I Like Trains. It’ll be available as its own individual thing on 7 Apr, and as of today will also be given away as a goodwill gift with every music purchase made via www.fiercepanda.co.uk
This is its tracklisting in full:
Woodpigeon – The Saddest Music In The World
Milo Greene – Son My Son
Goldheart Assembly – Last Decade
The Walkmen – In The New Year
The Hosts – Would You Be Blue
The Crookes – Howl
Acres Of Lions – Collections
Dingus Khan – Made A List
Art Brut – Rusted Guns Of Milan
The Raveonettes – Last Dance
Hatcham – Social Sidewalk
Department M – J-Hop
Hey Sholay – The Bears The Bees The Clocks
The Spinto Band – They All Laughed
Melanie Pain – How Bad Can It Be
Tom Hickox – Let Me Be Your Lover
I Like Trains – A Rook House For Bobby
Ultrasound – Sovereign
READ MORE ABOUT: Fierce Panda
Monday 24 February 2014, 11:35 | By Aly Barchi
Gigs & Tours Round-Up: Cate Le Bon, Action Bronson, Shlohmo and Polar Bear
Artist News Gigs & Festivals Gigs & Tours Round-Up
Rounding up the latest gig news…
Hi. Cate Le Bon has chalked up some new shows on that great, imaginary pop-board in the sky. The tour, which is in support of Le Bon’s new LP ‘Mug Museum’, begins on 26 Jun at St Mary’s Church in Ashford, and includes her biggest date yet, at London’s Koko on 11 Sep. The last of all the shows, which you can see listed here, is on 18 Sep at Plug in Sheffield. In relevant news, Kate is giving away free MP3s of her new, non-LP track ‘He’s Leaving’, so get your copy here:
Veering at speed far, far away from Cate, it’s over to statuesque Queens rapper and real-life dope chef Action Bronson, who only the other day confirmed five ‘select’ solo shows. Taking place in light of the Vice-signed Bronson’s ‘Saaab Stories’ EP of 2013, latter ‘Blue Chips 2’ mixtape, and a looming new LP, the trip kicks off on 12 May at Manchester’s Academy 2, and wraps 17 May at the Forum in London. And for the uninitiated, this is AB in action (ha ha ha) in the official clip for his big springtime hit (also of 2014), ‘Strictly For My Jeeps’:
A native to LA, production wonderboy Shlohmo (pictured), aka Henry Laufer, is coming over Europe-ways in March, making a pair of UK PAs at Dublin’s Twisted Pepper (5 Mar) and London’s The Laundry (6 Mar). He’ll spin beats like this one, which is the basis of R&B star Banks’ single ‘Brain’:
Shaggy jazz cats Polar Bear, who’ve actually taken a turn away from jazz to make their new album ‘In Each And Every One’, will introduce that same record on a tour spanning late-March and a bit of April. It runs off on 20 Mar, from Manchester’s Band On The Wall, and grinds to a halt at its ultimate date, SJE Arts in Oxford, on 3 Apr. Full listings are on this page. ‘In Each And Every One’, since you ask, is out on the Leaf Label on 24 Mar.
READ MORE ABOUT: Action Bronson | Cate Le Bon | Polar Bear | Shlohmo
Monday 24 February 2014, 11:34 | By Andy Malt
Artist And Manager Awards announces Pioneer and Peter Grant prize winners
Awards Business News Industry People
Organisers of the Artist And Manager Awards have announced the winners of two more of this year’s prizes, ahead of the event in April.
The Peter Grant Award for artist management will go to One Fifteen’s Paul Loasby, who currently manages Jools Holland, David Gilmour, the Syd Barrett estate, Deacon Blue and Ruby Turner. Meanwhile, the Pioneer Award will go to Unconvention founder Ruth Daniel, for her work “to build communities in the grassroots music industry”.
On Loasby’s win, MMF Chairman Brian Message told CMU: “Paul has been a long time MMF member and supporter of artists rights and we are delighted to present this award to him”.
FAC Board Member Martyn Ware said of Daniel: “When the whirlwind that is Ruth Daniel entered my life, I was overwhelmed by the energy, commitment, determination and sheer chutzpah with which she conducts her innovative and trailblazing work. She is a shining example of how to make ideas reality by simply doing them, and I am in awe of her energy and her humanitarian heart. In short, this award could not go to a more deserving person”.
This year’s Artist And Manager Awards will take place at The Troxy in London on 3 Apr.
READ MORE ABOUT: Artist And Manager Awards
Monday 24 February 2014, 11:33 | By Chris Cooke
Katy Perry booed after late arrival at Milan Fashion Week
And Finally Artist News
Katy Perry was reportedly booed while appearing on the catwalk at Milan Fashion Week last week, the fashionistas apparently unimpressed that the pop star arrived 50 minutes late for a showcase of the new Moschino range designed by the singer’s mate Jeremy Scott. Apparently there’s a difference between being fashionably late and just late.
Perry, however, hit back at the boo-makers, shouting at the amassed audience at the exclusive ‘let’s all watch some people wearing clothes’ show: “You’re all going to get your picture, so shut the fuck up”.
It’s not actually clear whether the fuck was, indeed, shutted up with immediate effect. But we’d hope so.
READ MORE ABOUT: Katy Perry
Friday 21 February 2014, 12:40 | By Paul Vig
Approved: Tru Thoughts Fifteenth Birthday at Koko
Club Tip CMU Approved
The Tru Thoughts label celebrates its fifteen years in the game this Saturday with a night of live and DJ sets from some great names from its roster. These include the UK queen of soulfulness Alice Russell, Rodney P, the hugely underrated Ty, CMU favourite Wrongtom with the awesome Ragga Twins, and label head honcho Robert Luis.
Says Luis about the night: “As we kick off our birthday celebrations, toasting fifteen years of being an independent label, I am looking forward to bringing together both the new and established artists on Tru Thoughts for a show packed with a real variety of top quality music. The last sold out shows we did at Koko were so enjoyable and brought many great memories, and I am sure this one will be another special night”.
Also on the bill are Nostalgia 77, Harleighblu, Anchorsong, Titeknots, and Werkha. Should be a great one.
Saturday 22 Feb, Koko, 1a Camden High Street, London, NW1 7JE, 9pm-3am, £15.50-£17.50, more info here.
READ MORE ABOUT: Alice Russell | Anchorsong | Harleighblu | Nostalgia 77 | Ragga Twins | Robert Luis | Rodney P | Titeknots | Tru Thoughts | Ty | Werkha | Wrongtom
Friday 21 February 2014, 12:39 | By CMU Editorial
Global Digital Markets strand added to The Great Escape, Dan Le Sac and CMU to survey artist community on all things digital
Business News Education & Events The Great Escape 2014 Top Stories
Following this week’s stats from the BPI confirming that half of the UK music industry’s recorded music income now pretty much comes from digital, let’s have some details about the second CMU Insights-programmed convention strand taking place at The Great Escape in Brighton this coming May: Global Digital Markets.
This half-day session will explore how digital is performing in all the key markets around the world, with insights on what kinds of digital services – download v streams, subscription v ads, web v mobile – are making an impact where, in terms of both users and revenues. A focus will also fall on two of the big questions of the moment: ‘Are streaming services simply too expensive to go mass market?’ and ‘What do artists really think about digital?’
To answer the latter question, CMU Insights is teaming up with artist and producer Dan Le Sac to conduct an exclusive survey on the UK artist and manager community over the next two months, questioning creators about royalties, upsell and other digital matters. Le Sac will then present the findings as part of the Global Digital Markets strand in May.
Says Le Sac: “Whether or not you agree with Thom Yorke and Nigel Godrich, the debate they initiated in the artist community about Spotify et al has been an important one. As new digital services rush to sign up labels and publishers, the artist community often gets left out of the conversation. I look forward to finding out what digital issues concern artists and managers in 2014, and where the artist community sees the opportunities as digital becomes the primary way we distribute our music”.
Leading the debate on whether streaming can now go mass market will be the founders of two digital services who reckon their alternative approaches have more mainstream potential, Oleg Fomenko, founder of Bloom.fm, and Chris Gorman, founder of O2 Tracks operator MusicQubed. After which a panel of experts from across the music community will discuss the digital challenges and opportunities they anticipate in the next five years.
Officially announcing the latest convention strand, TGE Director Kat Morris told CMU: “In the eight years since The Great Escape launched, digital music has evolved rapidly, those changes being documented each year in our convention. With digital now accounting for half of the record industry’s income in the UK, and even more in a number of other markets, we look forward to discussing where it’s all heading next this May, and in ensuring artists are part of that debate”.
As previously reported, CMU Insights will present six half-day strands as part of this year’s TGE Convention, including the already announced Maximising Music Rights, supported by PPL and PRS For Music. On top of that there will be a programme of conversations and networking events, plus, of course, the small matter of the parties, showcases and 400+ great new bands that will play in Brighton over three days. A delegates pass getting you entry to all this is currently available at the special early bird rate of £145, but not for much longer, so get yours today here.
READ MORE ABOUT: Chris Gorman | CMU Insights | Dan Le Sac | Oleg Fomenko | The Great Escape
Friday 21 February 2014, 12:38 | By Chris Cooke
19 Entertainment sues Sony over royalties
Business News Digital Royalties Timeline Labels & Publishers Legal Media
The owner of the ‘American Idol’ franchise is going to battle with its original record industry partner Sony Music in a $10 million lawsuit. 19 Recordings alleges that the major has short-changed both it and those ‘Idol’ champions signed by the label by underpaying royalties and adding too many deductions.
The claims made by 19 are pretty standard royalty gripes really (and include the increasingly common squabble over what cut artists should get on streaming income), though them being made by a high profile entertainment firm rather than individual artists makes this a bigger case, as does the fact some of the recordings on which royalties have been allegedly underpaid were the major releases to stem from the ‘Idol’ phenomenon.
According to The Tennessean, 19 claims that it discovered what it calls “systemically incorrect calculations” on royalty payments during two separate audits, though adds that it is yet to fully audit the income of all the recordings in which it has a stake because Sony has allegedly not given them access to the files.
19 insists that it has tried to reach a deal with the major on these issues, but that the record company won’t negotiate. 19 Entertainment’s Worldwide Head Of Music Jason Morey says: “We did not want to have to file this lawsuit, but Sony left us no choice, so this became necessary to protect our artists. Our complaint lays out the claims in great detail. Everything we have to say about the case is set forth in it”.
Originally founded by ‘Idol’ creator Simon Fuller, the 19 Entertainment business is now owned by the Core Media Group. And since 2010 the ‘Idol’ franchise’s record label partner has been Universal rather than Sony, which, of course, owns a slice of the rival ‘X-Factor’ brand via its stake in Simon Cowell’s Syco business.
The major is yet to respond to the 19 Entertainment lawsuit.
READ MORE ABOUT: 19 Entertainment | American Idol | Sony Music
Friday 21 February 2014, 12:37 | By Chris Cooke
Raid on Dotcom’s Mega home legal, says New Zealand appeals court
Business News Digital Legal MegaUpload Timeline
The New Zealand Court of Appeal has reversed a lower court ruling over the dramatic 2012 raid on the home of MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom, which occurred in the country as the US authorities were busy shutting the controversial file-transfer company down.
Since the MegaUpload shutdown, Dotcom has been fighting legal battles on various fronts (while also launching two new digital ventures, Mega and Baboom). The US authorities still want to extradite him to face charges of racketeering and copyright infringement in relation to the MegaUpload business.
Back in New Zealand, though, Dotcom’s legal team alleged that the raid on his home was illegal because the authorities there got the wrong kind of warrant. And in June 2012 the courts agreed with that argument. But the matter subsequently went to the Court Of Appeal, which this week did not concur, ruling that – while it was true the warrants used in the raid were “defective” in some respects – the issues were not sufficient to deem the paperwork invalid.
The appeal judges said in their ruling: “We are satisfied that the defects in the search warrants have not caused any significant prejudice to the respondents beyond the prejudice caused inevitably by the execution of a search warrant”.
The appeals court did, however, uphold the high court’s decision regards the sharing of digital evidence grabbed in the raid with the US authorities. Said data should not have been taken out of the country according to New Zealand law, the appeal judges confirmed. Prosecutors from the States took copies back home with them.
Dotcom has already said he plans to appeal the appeal ruling, while continuing to fight extradition attempts by the US.
READ MORE ABOUT: Kim Dotcom | MegaUpload
