Wednesday 24 January 2018, 12:08 | By

OfCom wonders how new ‘new music’ should be

Business News Media

OfCom

UK media regulator OfCom has announced it is going to have good long ponder over quite how new ‘new music’ needs to be to qualify as ‘new music’. The pondering is specifically in relation to the new music obligations of BBC stations Radio 1 and Radio 2.

OfCom is now responsible for setting each BBC radio station’s ‘operating licence’, which sets out public service requirements. The respective operating licences of Radio 1 and Radio 2 include an obligation to ensure a “significant proportion” of music output is ‘new music’. But what the fuck do we mean by ‘new music’?

Note’s OfCom: “To date, whether a song qualifies as ‘new’ on these stations has been primarily determined by the date it was physically released. In recent years, however, physical sales have increasingly given way to downloads and streaming services, and we consider it appropriate to amend the definition of ‘new music’ to take account of these changes”.

Sounds like fun. To that end, the media regulator has opened up one of those consultations everyone loves so much. “This licence variation consultation seeks views on our proposals to update the definition of ‘new music’ used to assess Radio 1 and Radio 2’s compliance with their respective requirements and to adjust the associated new music obligation for Radio 1”.

More information on the consultation is available here. Let’s all try to get ‘new music’ defined as “tracks uploaded to the internet yesterday”. That’d make things more eclectic on Radio 1 and 2 wouldn’t it? I mean, unlistenable, but more eclectic.

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Wednesday 24 January 2018, 12:06 | By

Classically Smiths shows called off as Joyce and Gannon pull out too

Artist News Business News Gigs & Festivals Live Business

Classically Smiths

Well, this has been quite the rollercoaster. On Monday morning it was announced that three former members of the Smiths were reuniting for a new orchestral live show. By the following afternoon the whole thing had collapsed. There will now be no show at all.

Following hints over the weekend that Smiths bassist Andy Rourke, drummer Mike Joyce and short-lived guitarist Craig Gannon were involved in a new project, on Monday morning it was announced that the three of them would be performing Smiths songs live, with the Manchester Camerata Orchestra filling in for Morrissey and Johnny Marr.

Three live dates were confirmed, with the promise of a UK tour to follow. Despite the lack of two fairly key members of the group, people seemed to be excited about the offering. People like those nostalgic orchestral shows, don’t they? The Manchester Camerata Orchestra did that Hacienda one too.

However, after the show was announced, Andy Rourke issued a statement claiming that he had no involvement in the show and had never signed up to take part in it at all. This despite being quoted in the press release saying how very excited about it all he was.

Now Joyce and Gannon have both pulled out too, resulting in the shows being cancelled. Both seem to have understood Rourke to be taking part until very close to the big announcement. They were then told not to mention their former bandmate at a press conference.

“I entered into agreement in good faith to perform these shows with Andy Rourke and Craig Gannon”, said Joyce in a statement. “Unfortunately it became apparent very late that Andy would not be taking part. I agreed with Andy that I would take part in the press conference and inform people that he would not be taking part”.

“Unfortunately”, Joyce continued, “on the morning of the press conference I was informed I would not be able to say this. I therefore agreed to take part in the press interviews but did so without discussing Andy’s participation in the venture at any point during all TV, radio and print interviews”.

He continued: “After much deliberation and soul searching I have decided that without Andy, an integral part of why I agreed to take part in the first place, I have come to this difficult decision”.

He signed off by saying that he hoped the shows were a success, despite his decision to pull out. But when Gannon issued his own statement a short time later, he announced that the shows were all off.

Gannon disputed Rourke’s claim that he had never agreed to be involved in the project, saying: “Five months ago myself, Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke all agreed to be a part of this project as the core three which was why it all went ahead. Unfortunately Andy pulled out at the very last minute”.

He too confirmed that he and Joyce had been told not to mention Rourke’s lack of involvement at the press conference, saying that “the last thing we wanted was to mislead anyone”.

In conclusion, he said: “This is disappointing as we were all really excited about putting on these shows. I for one have been working solidly on this project for the last five months and it’s a shame that it’s fallen apart in this way”.

Joel Perry of the company behind the Classically Smiths shows, Bad Productions, later confirmed via email that all the shows had been cancelled.

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Wednesday 24 January 2018, 12:03 | By

Slayer confirm split after farewell tour

Artist News Gigs & Festivals

Slayer

Slayer have confirmed that they are to split after a farewell world tour, nearly four decades since the band formed in 1981.

Talking up various achievements from over their 37 years, including “being one of the four bands that defined an entire musical genre and being the band that other heavy acts are measured against and aspire to”, the band said in a statement that “the age of Slayer, one of the greatest thrash/metal/punk bands of this or any age, is coming to an end”.

They confirmed that they “will do one last concert tour around the globe to thank their fans for all of their support over the years, for making the last three-and-a-half decades so packed with good times and unforgettable experiences, and will then move on”.

So far only North American dates for the tour, with support from Lamb of God, Anthrax, Behemoth and Testament, have been announced.

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Wednesday 24 January 2018, 12:02 | By

One Liners: Apple Homepod, Christian O’Connell, Britney Spears, more

Artist News Business News Digital Gigs & Festivals Industry People Labels & Publishers Media One Liners Releases

Apple Homepod

Other notable announcements and developments today…

• Universal Music Canada has promoted Kristen Burke to Executive Vice President and General Manager. She was previously Senior Vice President of Marketing. “Kristen is the coach and mentor that our artists want in their corner”, says CEO Jeffrey Remedios.

• Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Lewis has joined Sony’s Epic Records in the US as Executive Vice President of A&R, moving over from Universal’s Motown label. “I am excited”, says Lewis.

• Napster, which is still a thing, has named Venesa Hoffmann as its new VP Business Development & Operations for EMEA. “I’m THRILLED to join Napster at such an exciting time in the company’s history”, says Hoffmann.

• Apple’s HomePod speaker will finally go on sale in the UK, US and Australia on 9 Feb. Unless it doesn’t. But it looks like it will.

• Christian O’Connell has announced he is standing down as breakfast show host on Absolute Radio after twelve years with the station. Radio Today reckons he might be heading for a new radio gig in Australia.

• Lil Wayne has released new track ‘Big Bad Wolf’, taken from newly completed mixtape ‘Dedication 6 Reloaded’. No release date has been announced for said mixtape, the follow-up to ‘Dedication6’, released at Christmas.

• A$AP Rocky has released new track ‘Five Stars’, the first from an as-yet-unannounced new project.

• Fever Ray has released the video for ‘Wanna Sip’, from her 2017 album ‘Plunge’. The album will be available on physical formats from 23 Feb. She also has two UK live shows in London and Manchester coming up in March.

• Unknown Mortal Orchestra have released new single ‘American Guilt’. They’ve also confirmed that they will play four UK shows in May, kicking off at the Roundhouse in London on 24 May.

• Sleigh Bells have released the video for ‘Favourite Transgressions’, taken from their 2017 EP ‘Kid Kruschev’.

• Indoor Pets (fka Get Inuit) have released new single ‘So Soon’. “I wanted to just write a love song, and ignore the voices in my head that say that all signs of positivity need to be taken with a pinch of salt”, says frontman Jamie Glass.

• Britney Spears is set to play five UK concerts in August, performing her Las Vegas residency show ‘Britney: Piece Of Me’. The first will be part of Brighton & Hove Pride on 4 Aug, with the tour finishing at the O2 Arena in London on 24 Aug.

• Lil Simz has announced her second ‘Welcome To Wonderland: The Experience’ event at The Roundhouse in London on 4 Mar. As well as herself, it’ll feature performances from Junglepussy, Iamnobodi, Lioness, Ezra Collective, Tawiah, VanJess, Cleo Sol, OTG, McKay Felt, Corey Wash, DJ Mille and more.

• Jonny Greenwood has got himself an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score for his soundtrack to Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Phantom Thread’.

• Still with the Oscars, among the nominees for Best Original Song are Mary J Blige, Raphael Saadiq and Taura Stinson for ‘Mighty River’ from ‘Mudbound’, Sufjan Stevens for ‘Mystery Of Love’ from ‘Call Me By Your Name’, plus Common and Diane Warren for ‘Stand Up For Something’ from ‘Marshall’.

• Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily – updated every Friday.

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Wednesday 24 January 2018, 11:56 | By

Mogwai sponsor primary school football team

And Finally Artist News

Saint Roch's Primary‏ football strip sponsored by Mogwai

Mogwai are now sponsoring a football team. Specifically the football team of Glasgow primary school St Roch’s. The band seemingly stepped in after the school was unable to fund new kits itself.

The school tweeted pictures of the team wearing their new kit yesterday, thanking the band for helping them out.

Drummer Martin Bulloch later explained to the BBC that he and the school’s deputy head, Andy McDonald, are old friends. “He just texted me in November and said that the kids had been at a tournament and they were in some old kit and he was looking to get them some new stuff”, said Bulloch.

“He asked if we could help out”, he added. “I emailed the rest of the boys and they were delighted to do so. There is nothing in the school budget for stuff like that so you can only imagine what they were kicking around in – old kit from years ago”.

Mogwai aren’t the first band to do such a deal. In 2006, Motorhead sponsored a Lincoln under tens football team.

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Wednesday 24 January 2018, 10:52 | By

Approved: Baloji

CMU Approved

Baloji

Ten years after the release of his debut album – ‘Hotel Impala’ – Baloji is set to release the follow-up – ‘137 Avenue Kaniama’ – through Bella Union on 23 Mar.

A central theme to the lyrics of the new LP is his return to the Democratic Republic Of Congo to find his mother, having grown up without her in Belgium. The album’s title also refers to a story told in a spoken word piece on the record called ‘Inconnue a Cette Adresse’.

Baloji explains: “My mother’s house was originally on Avenue Kaniama in the Katuba neighbourhood of Lubumbashi. When I tried to meet her after 25 years, I couldn’t find her house number. The street just got smaller and smaller, until it couldn’t even be reached by car, so we thought it was dead-end. But then I got out and started walking, and in the end, I found her”.

Musically, the album brings together a wide range of influences, from Congolese, Nigerian, Zimbabwean and Ghanaian rhythms, to funk, house and hip hop. The results, particularly on new single ‘Soleil De Volt’, balance all these sounds brilliantly, turning up different genres for different effects.

You can catch Baloji live in London on 29 Mar at Omeara. Watch the video for ‘Soleil De Volt’ – an extract from Baloji’s short film ‘Kaniama Show’ – here.

Stay up to date with all of the artists featured in the CMU Approved column by subscribing to our Spotify playlist.

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Tuesday 23 January 2018, 12:56 | By

YouTube to start issuing ISNI numbers to creators

Business News Digital Top Stories

YouTube

YouTube has become a registration agency for the International Standard Name Identifier system, which means it will now start requesting and issuing ISNI codes from and to any creators who publish content via the video platform, including musicians and songwriters.

The ISNI system was launched in 2011 to deal with the fact that – because of a general lack of imagination amongst all parents ever – people who create stuff often have the same name as other people who create stuff. By using the ISNI code it makes it easier for distribution and publishing platforms to identify which exact people were involved in any one piece of content, which helps with attribution and royalty payments.

It wasn’t the first time it occurred to people that artists and songwriters having the same name could cause confusion. Other similar standards systems already exist in music for identifying specific performers and writers. In particular the IPN (International Performer Name) system for artists, and the IPI (Interested Party Information) system which is used by the music publishing sector and its collecting societies to identify songwriters, composers, arrangers and publishers.

The ISNI system is not specific to any one creative discipline, and codes can be allocated to anyone who contributes to a creative work. Which, according to the ISNI International Agency, might include “researchers, inventors, writers, artists, visual creators, performers, producers, publishers, aggregators, and more”.

Given that many musicians are also songwriters, and may also have careers as authors, actors, designers, producers and so on, the ISNI system is useful. Rather than having a code for each aspect of their career, they can have a single identifier. Or, as is more likely to happen – given how well established IPNs and IPIs already are – the ISNI could be used to unite all those codes that are specific to a creative discipline. Because you can never have too many codes.

Either way, YouTube will use the ISNI code to identify musicians and songwriters on its platform, allocating numbers to those who don’t already have one. It also plans to share those codes with any one creator’s business partners, such as record labels and music publishers, to encourage wider adoption of the identifier system.

Thinking about it, it would be a whole lot more efficient if everyone could just start writing, producing and performing under their ISNI code. In this social, sharing, blockchain age, we really should be moving beyond old fashioned names. I mean, I’d wear 0000 0001 1479 1200 on a t-shirt, and I’m not even a fan of Justin Bieber.

Says YouTube’s Technical Program Manager FX Nuttall: “By adopting ISNI, artists, songwriters and other creators will be unambiguously identified, enabling better visibility and tracking on YouTube. Bringing the ISNI open standard to music opens the door to more accurate credit for creators, discovery for fans, and transparency for the industry”.

Speaking for the aforementioned ISNI International Agency, which oversees the identifier system, its Executive Director Tim Devenport said: “We’re delighted to partner with YouTube on such an ambitious effort. Many organisations active in the music sector have already shown interest in using ISNI identifiers as part of the infrastructure they need to manage rights and royalties effectively”.

He added: “Working closely with YouTube, ISNI is very pleased to contribute its experience and skill-sets to these critical objectives. We view this as a transformative opportunity to offer the music industry a valuable identifier scheme and in so doing, to deepen ISNI’s knowledge of this domain and improve its technical facilities and approaches”.

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Tuesday 23 January 2018, 12:54 | By

Shakira investigated by Spanish tax authority, as she announces world tour

Artist News Legal

Shakira

Shakira announced that she would play her first UK show since 2010 yesterday, which, for a few hours, was Monday’s big Shakira news. Then tax authorities in Spain announced that they are investigating the musician for possible tax evasion.

According to La Vanguardia, the Colombian pop star, who is married to Barcelona football player Gerard Piqué, became a full resident, and therefore tax payer, of Spain in 2015.

However, the authorities reckon, she should also have been paying tax on her worldwide earnings between 2011 and 2014. They reckon that she was basically resident in the country then too, even though she had not declared herself as such. Anyone who spends more than six months of a year in Spain is considered liable for tax in the country.

Various sources argue that she has not, in fact, done anything wrong, adding that the pop star’s tax affairs were managed properly throughout. Either way, her case has been passed by the country’s tax authorities onto prosecutors, who will now decide whether or not to pursue any legal action against her.

It seems this is all the result of wider scrutiny into the earnings of footballers by the Spanish government, which has seen several players prosecuted in recent years. Last year, Piqué’s teammate Lionel Messi was sentenced to 21 months in prison, although a quirk of the Spanish legal system has meant he’s never actually been locked up.

With Shakira planning to head out on a world tour this year – including her 11 Jun show at the O2 Arena in London – a prison sentence would not be ideal. Though a prison sentence that never actually involves any jail time would be less of a hassle.

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Tuesday 23 January 2018, 12:52 | By

Hotel California is still Hotel California after settling Eagles lawsuit

Artist News Legal

The Eagles

Hotel California in the Mexican town of Todos Santos will continue to operate under the name of Hotel California after it settled a lawsuit with The Eagles last week.

The Eagles sued Hotel California last year, claiming that the hotel was implying to guests that it was in someway endorsed by the band. It did this, the band, not only by sharing its name with one of The Eagles’ most famous songs, but by piping their music around the building and selling merchandise that suggested some sort of official connection.

The bricks and mortar Hotel California was actually named such long before The Eagles wrote their song, it being located on the Baja California Peninsula that runs alongside the Gulf Of California. See, there’s more to California that just California.

However, it changed its name at various points in the latter half of the 20th century before reverting to Hotel California in 2001. It is since then, The Eagles alleged, that marketing materials have falsely implied an association with the band and/or their song.

Things actually went legal after Hotel California, which already owns trademarks in that brand in Mexico, tried to trademark the name in the US. Last week’s settlement of the lawsuit followed the news the hotel had withdrawn its trademark application north of the border.

Terms of the deal are not known, though the hotel confirmed it would continue to operate under its current name. It’s not clear whether it will stop selling all that merch that the band specifically objected to. A lawyer for the hotel did state that his client “claims no association with The Eagles or with [their] song and record album ‘Hotel California'”.

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Tuesday 23 January 2018, 12:50 | By

Sony/ATV extends deal with Jack Antonoff

Artist News Business News Digital Labels & Publishers

Sony/ATV

Sony/ATV has extended its deal with in-demand songwriter and producer Jack Antonoff. So that’s good news for all of them.

“Jack is a much-loved part of the Sony/ATV family and I couldn’t be prouder of his success, especially over this past year when he has enjoyed a run of number one successes as well as receiving two Grammy nominations”, says Sony/ATV boss Marty Bandier. “He is one of the most talented and successful songwriters in music today, which is why so many of the world’s biggest artists want to work with him. I am very happy that Jack will continue to be part of our team”.

Antonoff adds: “Sony/ATV has believed in me before I had any songs on the radio or any songs that sold more than a couple hundred copies. That means the world to me”.

Releases Antonoff had a hand in last year included albums by Taylor Swift, Lorde, Pink and St Vincent. Not a bad run. He also has his own joint venture with Sony/ATV – Rough Customer – which he launched in 2015, making Grimes his first signing in 2016. So that’s all great, and the busier he is, the less likely it becomes that his own band Fun will release any more music. Everyone’s a winner.

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Tuesday 23 January 2018, 12:48 | By

Childish Gambino allies with Sony Music’s RCA

Artist News Business News Deals Labels & Publishers

Childish Gambino

Childish Gambino is allying with Sony Music for his next record, which will be put out by the major’s RCA US division via a partnership with the actor/rapper’s LA-based management firm Wolf & Rothstein.

The deal sees Gambino – aka Donald Glover – shift over to Sony from Glassnote, which released his previous three albums, backed up by Universal Music distribution.

The Rothstein of Wolf & Rothstein said that they were attracted to Sony because the major was willing to enter into more of a partnership with the management firm. According to Variety, Fam Rothstein noted “being malleable is important to us, and that’s what this partnership allows”.

Meanwhile RCA CEO Peter Edge says: “Donald is undoubtedly one of the most talented, multi-faceted, young entertainers of this era. We are excited to join forces with him and Wolf & Rothstein to usher in the next phase of Childish Gambino’s musical career”.

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Tuesday 23 January 2018, 12:46 | By

Warner/Chappell signs Moss Kena

Artist News Business News Deals Labels & Publishers

Warner/Chappell

Warner/Chappell has signed a worldwide publishing deal with rising singer-songwriter Moss Kena, who came to wider attention via a soulful cover of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘These Walls’. The publishing deal comes as she preps the release of a new EP – ‘Found You In 06’ – via Sony Music’s Ministry Of Sound label.

Confirming the deal, Warner/Chappell’s Katie Vinten said: “Moss Kena is an incredible talent who approaches songwriting with a fresh and forward-thinking style. The world has only experienced a small taste of the powerful music Moss has to offer, and we are so excited to help amplify what is already a rapidly growing career”.

“But why is the new EP called ‘Found You In 06’?” is the question you’re all surely not asking but which I’m going to answer anyway. 2006 is “basically the time in my life when I really had my musical awakening”, says Kena. That was partly via Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back To Black’ album, she adds. “I really felt I had found music I connected with [and] that started to shape my musical identity”. So now you know. You’re welcome.

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Tuesday 23 January 2018, 12:43 | By

Apple Music to launch analytics for artists

Business News Digital

Apple Music

Apple has announced the launch of Apple Music For Artists, which is like Spotify For Artists, but on Apple Music rather than Spotify. I’m glad to have cleared that up. It aims to provide artists and managers with stats and data to better understand their fans’ listening and buying habits.

The new stats dashboard offers data on streams and iTunes downloads dating back to the 2015 launch of Apple Music. It also identifies key milestones as bullet points for specific tracks or an artists’ entire catalogue. Stats can further be broken down by country, city and demographic.

Currently in beta, the feature will initially only be available to a few thousand artists, in order to test it out and highlight any improvements required. A full roll out is expected in the spring.

Apple Music is quite late to the ‘let’s provide some stats to artists and managers’ party. As well as Spotify, companies including Pandora and YouTube already offer data and analytics directly to artists. In part it’s a means of trying to stop those pesky artists from constantly moaning about how small their royalty payments are.

Of course, anyone who wants to know how licensing and royalties on streaming services work, should buy a copy of ‘Dissecting The Digital Dollar’ from Amazon.

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Tuesday 23 January 2018, 12:42 | By

Neil Diamond retires from touring, following Parkinson’s diagnosis

Artist News Gigs & Festivals

Neil Diamond

Neil Diamond has announced that he is retiring from touring, following a recent diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Taking immediate effect, the announcement means the cancellation of the remainder of his 50th anniversary tour.

In a statement, Diamond said: “It is with great reluctance and disappointment that I announce my retirement from concert touring. I have been so honoured to bring my shows to the public for the past 50 years. My sincerest apologies to everyone who purchased tickets and were planning to come to the upcoming shows”.

He assured fans that he was not retiring from music altogether, saying: “I plan to remain active in writing, recording and other projects for a long time to come. My thanks go out to my loyal and devoted audiences around the world. You will always have my appreciation for your support and encouragement. This ride has been ‘so good, so good, so good’ thanks to you”.

Diamond had been scheduled to perform a string of shows in Australia and New Zealand in March and April this year.

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Tuesday 23 January 2018, 12:33 | By

One Liners: Relentless Records, Warner/Chappell, Migos, more

Artist News Awards Business News Gigs & Festivals Industry People Labels & Publishers Management & Funding One Liners Releases

Migos

Other notable announcements and developments today…

• Relentless Records has named Lloyd Murray as its new A&R Manager. Murray says this is a “dream come true”, while company president Shabs Jobanputra is “THRILLED”.

• Warner/Chappell has made Javier Dean A&R Director at Warner/Chappell Music Spain. “I’m very excited”, says Dean.

• EMI Production Music is launching a new show on Soho Radio called ‘The Music Library’. It’ll feature a mix of new and old tracks from the library music label’s various catalogues. The first show is on 24 Jan at 4pm.

• Eight composers have been selected to take part in PRS For Music’s new Accelerate initiative. The seven men and one woman will develop new works for a concert in November. They are: Daniel Chappell, Michael Cryne, Eloise Gynn, Robin Haigh, Patrick John Jones, Robert Laidlow, Matthew Olyver and George Stevenson.

• The latest recipients of funding from the Momentum Music Fund have been announced. They are: Abi Ocia, Black Honey, Caro, Flohio, Hak Baker, Inheaven, Leon Vynehall, Litany, Lyla Foy, Nilufer Yanya, Nimmo, Only Girl, Orla Gartland, Ralfy, Rina Sawayama, Suspect, Swimming Tapes, Szun Waves, Tempa and Whyte Horses.

• Migos have released new track ‘Supastars’, taken from their imminent new album ‘Culture II’.

• Julian Casablancas’ band The Voidz have released a new single, ‘Leave It In My Dreams’. There’ll be an album later this year apparently.

• Vic Mensa has released the video for new single ‘We Could Be Free’, taken from his 2017 album ‘The Autobiography’.

• Tricot have released new single, ‘On The Boom’. The performance in the video was filmed as part of Japanese TV show ‘Live Tips’.

• Ed Sheeran is joining the big BRITs Week party. He’ll play IndigO2 on 19 Feb. As with all the pre-BRITs live shows, tickets will be given out by ballot. To be in with a chance, you’ll have to donate £5 to War Child. More info here.

• Run-DMC will play the Hammersmith Apollo in London on 5 Jul. Tickets go on general sale on Friday.

• It looks like Slayer are splitting up – or at least not touring anymore. They have announced a “final” world tour, with support from Lamb Of God, Anthrax, Behemoth and Testament.

• Art School Girlfriend has announced that she will play the Sebright Arms in London on 13 Mar. She’s also released the video for ‘Measures’, from her 2017 debut EP.

• Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily – updated every Friday.

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Tuesday 23 January 2018, 12:14 | By

Andy Rourke denies involvement in Classically Smiths show

And Finally Artist News Gigs & Festivals

Classically Smiths

Well, the (sort of) Smiths reunion is going well. Already lacking a Morrissey and a Marr, now Andy Rourke says he’s not taking part.

Yesterday, the Manchester Camerata Orchestra announced a new show featuring orchestral versions of Smiths songs. Like the orchestra’s Hacienda Classical show, a big selling point is the involvement of some of the people originally involved in the music being performed. In this case, the big names are Smiths bassist Andy Rourke, drummer Mike Joyce and guitarist (for a few months in 1986) Craig Gannon.

In a press release, Rourke was quoted as saying: “To have been there the first time round and seen it first hand, and to still be such a big fan of The Smiths today, I am both THRILLED and excited to be involved in Classically Smiths. I’m really proud of the band’s work, and being able to present those songs again in this particular production format promises to be a real gift for audiences everywhere”.

Except he’s now claiming that he didn’t say that at all. In fact, he says, that whole quote – even the bit about being THRILLED – had nothing to do with him.

In a statement, Rourke says: “I am deeply saddened that during the week of the death of my dear friend Dolores O’Riordan, that false statements are made on my behalf. At no time did I give my consent for anyone in connection with this Classically Smiths project to act on my behalf or my name and nothing was ever confirmed, approved or contracted by me or my team”.

In a further statement, a spokesperson for Rourke says: “At no point in time did Andy Rourke agree to participate or otherwise license or authorise the use of his name, likeness or any personal quotes in any manner in connection with this Classically Smiths project. The parties involved were advised of this on multiple occasions prior to them going to press. A press conference and press release were scheduled and serviced to the media without Andy Rourke’s or his team’s knowledge or approval”.

“Any quotes by Andy Rourke that were attributed in any press materials in regards to the Classically Smiths project were not provided, authorised or otherwise approved by him or his representatives”, they add.

Neither production company Bad Productions or the Manchester Camerata Orchestra have offered any comment as yet. Nor have Joyce and Gannon, although they have been pushing the show, including Rourke’s involvement, on social media.

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Tuesday 23 January 2018, 11:29 | By

Approved: Computer Magic

CMU Approved

Computer Magic

With a lengthy list of EPs to her name since 2010, Danielle ‘Danz’ Johnson is set to release her second album as Computer Love on 23 Feb. Titled ‘Danz’, the new LP will be released on her own Channel 9 label.

She closed 2017 with the release of the first single from that new album, ‘Amnesia’, which works colliding breakbeats and urgent synths into something altogether more laidback than that sounds.

Now she’s followed that up with ‘Delirium (Don’t Follow The Sheep)’, a darker track in a similar vein that sets things up nicely for an exciting new album.

Listen to ‘Delirium’ here.

Stay up to date with all of the artists featured in the CMU Approved column by subscribing to our Spotify playlist.

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Monday 22 January 2018, 12:38 | By

Kim Dotcom sues New Zealand government for billions over 2012 MegaUpload raid

Business News Digital Legal Top Stories

Kim Dotcom

Kim Dotcom marked the sixth anniversary this weekend of the shutdown of his file-transfer platform MegaUpload by suing the New Zealand government for billions of dollars in damages because, well, of course he did.

Dotcom’s home in his adopted country of New Zealand was raided by police in January 2012, just as authorities in the US swooped to shutdown his MegaUpload business, which was accused of knowingly facilitating rampant copyright infringement.

Assets and domains were seized as the MegaUpload websites went offline. Meanwhile Dotcom and his fellow MegaUpload managers were arrested and charged for alleged money laundering and racketeering in addition to copyright crimes.

Six years on, efforts to extradite Dotcom and those other MegaUpload execs based in New Zealand continue to go through the motions. Courts in the country have ruled that extradition can go ahead, but Dotcom et al are yet to exhaust all routes of appeal.

There has been plenty of legal wrangling over those six years in relation to the case against Dotcom. His lawyers have argued that copyright infringement isn’t covered by America and New Zealand’s extradition treaty; that the US is wrong to continue depriving their client of his former assets; and that the New Zealand authorities broke their own rules when raiding the MegaUpload chief’s home all those years ago.

It’s the latter claims, which have been aired plenty of times before, that are at the heart of new civil proceedings filed by Dotcom against the New Zealand government.

As the sixth anniversary of the MegaUpload raid began, Dotcom declared on Twitter: “Today, six years ago, the New Zealand government enabled the unlawful destruction of MegaUpload and seizure of my global assets. I was arrested for the alleged online piracy of my users. Not even a crime in NZ. My lawyers have served a multi-billion dollar damages claim against the government today”.

He added later: “Our damages claim against the government is strong. Any jury will be absolutely shocked by the malicious and unjust persecution that my family had to endure in the last six years. The bullying will result in an unprecedented award of damages and full exposure of those responsible”.

Actually, it turns out, Dotcom’s lawyers started that lawsuit last month. His chief legal rep Ira Rothken told Torrentfreak: “We confirm that our legal team filed a statement of claim in the New Zealand High Court for monetary damages on 22 Dec 2017, on behalf of Kim Dotcom against the United States and NZ governmental entities, alleging that defendants pursued with malice and material non disclosure an erroneous arrest warrant”.

As Rothken states, the new legal claim again argues that the arrest warrant issued for Dotcom was invalid. It then criticises the New Zealand authorities for collaborating with the Americans in their bid to shut down MegaUpload.

Those actions, the legal papers argue, cost Dotcom not only his freedom but also his business that – they add – was worth billions and which – with plans underway in 2012 to IPO – could have delivered a handsome pay-day for the MegaUpload chief later that year.

Hence the claim for mega-bucks damages now. An exact figure isn’t provided in the legal filing, though it says a conservative valuation for the MegaUpload company as of January 2012 was $2.6 billion and Dotcom had a 68% stake in the business.

It remains to be seen how this latest bit of MegaUpload legal shenanigans plays out. Current New Zealand Prime Minister played down the new lawsuit, telling reporters: “This has obviously been an ongoing matter, so no it doesn’t surprise me”.

Meanwhile, given this marks the sixth birthday of our extensive coverage of the MegaUpload shutdown, let’s all celebrate by reminding ourselves how the often controversial file-transfer service got its first mention in the CMU Daily. Yes, let’s all listen to the MegaUpload Song!

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Monday 22 January 2018, 12:35 | By

Stormzy’s #Merky label joins Warner’s Atlantic UK division

Artist News Business News Deals Labels & Publishers

Stormzy

Stormzy has signed a new deal with Warner Music to bring his #Merky record label under the umbrella of the major’s Atlantic UK division.

Announcing the deal on Instagram, the rapper said that it was the “beginning of a new chapter”, adding: “Looking forward to delivering more music, more bodies of work and to start developing and working on new talent on the #Merky roster. Let’s work”.

In a statement, Warner’s recorded music boss Max Lousada said: “Stormzy and #Merky are a cultural force whose music makes everyone listen. Talent, truth, energy and relevance – they represent music at its most powerful. We’re proud to have them in the family”.

The deal extends Stormzy’s existing alliance with the mini-major. Released through #Merky last year, his debut album ‘Gang Signs & Prayer’ was distributed by Warner’s label services unit ADA.

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Monday 22 January 2018, 12:33 | By

Parliament to put spotlight on live sector

Business News Legal Live Business

Houses Of Parliament

As the UK government confirmed last week that it was going to incorporate the agent of change principle into planning rules, Parliament’s culture select committee announced it was launching a new inquiry into other challenges affecting the British live music industry, especially at the grassroots.

Confirming its new live music inquiry, the select committee stated: “The British live music industry attracted over 30 million music fans in 2016, with music tourism contributing £4 billion to the UK economy that year. However, despite the fact that festival and concert attendance continues to grow, the number of grassroots music venues have seen a drastic decline”.

Although getting agent of change into planning rules is a good step forward – reducing the potential negative impact of new residential developments being built next to existing music venues – plenty of other challenges remain for the grass roots music circuit. Yet pretty much everyone agrees that circuit is key for helping future music talent develop and find a fanbase.

The wide-ranging new review will cover things like the status of small music venues, the impact of music tourism, the potential impact of Brexit on live music, and the link between music education and the live sector. Oh yeah, and good old secondary ticketing. Again.

The culture select committee has looked at ticket touting before, of course, with the secondary ticketing sites not coming across particularly well at the committee’s public hearings on the issue. Viagogo, meanwhile, just didn’t show up, a highly unusual move for a company with significant operations in the UK.

Those investigations were cut short by the 2017 General Election, something the select committee notes. It states: “MPs will use this inquiry to continue investigating [the ticket touting] problem, since the 2017 General Election cut short the previous committee’s inquiry looking into ticket abuse. This inquiry launched today will aim to incorporate the findings and evidence that were submitted previously, and MPs will once again invite ticket reselling companies such as Viagogo to contribute evidence”.

Commenting on the wider inquiry, committee chair Damian Collins MP said: “The committee welcomes the government’s announcement today that the agent of change principle will form part of the National Planning Policy Framework for housing. As part of this new inquiry, we’ll be exploring other ways in which the government can support upcoming artists and grassroots venues that form such a crucial part of the music scene in the UK”.

More information about the inquiry and how to submit evidence is available here.

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Monday 22 January 2018, 12:32 | By

Birmingham’s Rainbow Venues launches campaign to help fund appeal against closure

Business News Education & Events Legal Live Business

Rainbow Venues - Educate Not Revocate

Birmingham’s Rainbow Venues has launched a campaign to raise funds for its legal battle against the revocation of its licence last year.

Similar to the situation in which London’s Fabric found itself in 2016, the Rainbow Venues complex had its licence revoked in November following a drug-related death on its premises. Nineteen year old Michael Trueman died at a Halloween event due to the drugs he had taken, and was the second person to die at the venue due to drugs in two years. A police spokesperson said that this left them with “no option but to call for Rainbow’s licence to be revoked”.

However, like Fabric, Rainbow had very strict anti-drugs policies and had worked with police to try to limit the amount of drugs that entered its venues. Despite this, the local council decided to revoke the company’s licence, effectively putting it out of business.

The venue argued that this was counterproductive in many ways. Closing down a club will not stop people from taking drugs, and may put them in more dangerous situations, where specialist medical support is not on hand. Also, it added, it had invested a lot of money in regenerating warehouse buildings that were previously derelict, and invested profits from its main venue into cultural events less likely to make money.

Launching its Educate Not Revocate campaign last week, Rainbow called for donations to help it launch an appeal against the decision to take away its licence. As well as paying for lawyers, the company says, money raised will go towards covering rent and rates while the venues are out of action, and supporting the venues’ suppliers, who are at risk of going out of business themselves while the venues are closed.

The company also plans to launch a new festival, aiming to improve drugs education, change government and local authority views on youth culture and nightlife, and encourage investment in the nighttime economy.

“The authorities need to acknowledge the huge significance The Rainbow Venues have, to millions of visitors to Birmingham, and what impact [the closure] will have on the city’s nighttime economy”, says The Rainbow Venues in a statement. “We want our voice to be heard and we want to see if we can make a difference”.

On its appeal, the company says: “We did not breach our licence conditions, we were informed that we were completely compliant, yet still had our licence revoked. This is why we will be appealing”. However, it goes on, the appeal may take up to four months and cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Similar to calls made on national government by Fabric during its campaign, Rainbow also adds: “Premises in Bristol and Plymouth have also had tragic losses of life [but] they haven’t had their licences revoked. We need some consistency across the country”.

It goes on: “If someone breaks the law, should the premises lose its licence or should the individual be held accountable? The Rainbow Venues has some of the most stringent drugs policies and measures in place in the country to help prevent the use of illegal drugs. Is closing down venues that pro-actively [work on drug safety initiatives] the sensible thing to do?”

You can donate to the campaign here, and watch a video detailing the effect the closure of The Rainbow Venues has had here:

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Monday 22 January 2018, 12:28 | By

Independent Venue Week documentary in production

Business News Education & Events Live Business

Independent Venue Week

A feature length documentary about this year’s Independent Venue Week is in production, it has been announced. With the working title ‘The Long And Winding Road’, the aim is to screen the final film during next year’s event.

Producer Rob Taylor, who also worked on independent record shop documentary ‘Last Shop Standing’, says: “‘The Long And Winding Road’ will open a window onto the amazing and often quirky world of the UK’s smaller independent venues, both past and present, interviewing the venue owners, industry insiders, and the emerging and established artists for whom the venues were, and are, an essential part of their development. The film will stay relevant by looking at contemporary issues, challenges and obstacles as well as being historical and biopic”.

Independent Venue Week founder Sybil Bell adds: “People that own and run music venues are, first and foremost, huge music fans. They aren’t in the business for fame or fortune – they’re passionate about music. These people are some of the most charismatic, driven and maverick people you could ever wish to meet. ‘The Long And Winding Road’ will introduce you to these personalities as well as artist, promoters, local music fans and those from the industry who rely on these spaces to develop careers. Get a glimpse of places you’ve heard of but never been to”.

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Monday 22 January 2018, 12:26 | By

Tom Petty died from accidental overdose, coroner’s report confirms

Artist News

Tom Petty

Tom Petty died from an accidental drugs overdose, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed on Friday. The musician’s death was recorded as “multi-system organ failure” due to a “mixed toxicity” of seven prescription medications. The manner of death is documented as “accidental”.

Petty was found unconscious in his Malibu home last October and died later in hospital. His death came shortly after completing a Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers 40th anniversary tour.

In a joint statement, Petty’s wife Dana and daughter Adria said: “Unfortunately Tom’s body suffered from many serious ailments including emphysema, knee problems and most significantly a fractured hip. Despite this painful injury he insisted on keeping his commitment to his fans and he toured for 53 dates with a fractured hip and, as he did, it worsened to a more serious injury”.

“On the day he died he was informed his hip had graduated to a full on break”, they added. “It is our feeling that the pain was simply unbearable and was the cause for his over use of medication”.

Saying that they “feel confident that this was, as the coroner found, an unfortunate accident”, they went on to say that they recognise that the confirmation of the cause of Petty’s death “may spark a further discussion on the opioid crisis”

“We feel that it is a healthy and necessary discussion and we hope in some way this report can save lives”, they said. “Many people who overdose begin with a legitimate injury or simply do not understand the potency and deadly nature of these medications”.

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Monday 22 January 2018, 12:25 | By

George Ezra announces new album, Staying At Tamara’s

Artist News Gigs & Festivals Releases

George Ezra

I can barely leave the house these days without someone asking me when George Ezra is releasing another album. “When will George Ezra release another album”, they clamour, a look of pained desperation in their eyes.

Some of these people are in a really bad way. Some have been there, sitting outside my house, for months now. I suspect that at least one has died and has been eaten by the others. And yet each day there are more of them demanding information, and each day I have to tell them that I have none. I do not know when George Ezra will release a new album.

Today was different though. When I stepped outside this morning to manoeuvre the bins around the still sleeping bodies of all those George Ezra fans on my drive, one of them stirred. He whispered, still half asleep, “Please sir, any word?”

“Yes”, I replied. “The new George Ezra album will be released on 23 Mar, and it will be called ‘Staying At Tamara’s’. The first single, ‘Paradise’, is available to stream and download now”.

A single tear formed in the corner of the man’s eye. As he broke into a sob, the others awoke. Could it really be true? Had the day finally come? Was there really word of a new George Ezra album?

“Yes”, I told them. “After all this time, I would not lie to you. By the end of March you will have your new George Ezra album”.

The relief I saw spread over the crowd filled me with a sense of enormous pride, even though I knew that all I had done was deliver the message. The real hero was George Ezra himself. Still, I couldn’t help but feel that I’d played a small role in all this, as I watched the people who had for so long meant I’d had to park my car up the road a bit rise up as one and walk away, finally contented.

“I just hope the release doesn’t get pushed back”, I thought to myself, as I turned and walked back into the house. Seeing my wife in the kitchen, I informed her too of the joyous news that George Ezra will release a new album, called ‘Staying At Tamara’s’, on 23 Mar.

“Ugh”, she bristled. “His voice is too deep for his face”.

I decided not to tell her that George Ezra had also announced tour dates for March and April. I hadn’t told the people outside either. But then, they had never asked.

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Monday 22 January 2018, 12:20 | By

The Smiths (minus a couple of members) reunite for classical show

Artist News Gigs & Festivals

Classically Smiths

It’s happened. It’s finally happened. They said it never would – perhaps never could – but everyone has their price. That’s right, The Smiths have announced a reunion. OK, sure, not everyone’s involved, but how much input did Steven Morrissey and Johnny Marr ever really have in that whole venture anyway?

Andy Rourke, Mike Joyce and Craig Gannon (the former Aztec Camera bassist who was briefly a member of The Smiths in 1986) are getting back together, replacing the other two with the Manchester Camerata Orchestra. Together, they will tour a new show by the name of Classically Smiths.

“To have been there the first time round and seen it first hand, and to still be such a big fan of The Smiths today, I am both THRILLED and excited to be involved in Classically Smiths”, says Rourke. “I’m really proud of the band’s work, and being able to present those songs again in this particular production format promises to be a real gift for audiences everywhere”.

Enthusing further, Joyce adds: “I’m really looking forward to fans being able to hear the songs in a way they’ve never been heard before, either on record or live. On the stage, or out front, this is going to be quite an experience for us all”.

The Manchester Camerata Orchestra is currently best known for its Hacienda Classical show, a collaboration with DJs Mike Pickering and Graeme Park. Whether performing orchestral version of Smiths songs can have the same success remains to be seen.

There will be performances of the show in Manchester, London and Edinburgh in June and July, followed by a full UK tour later this year. Tickets for the initial dates go on sale on Friday. More info here.

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Monday 22 January 2018, 12:15 | By

One Liners: Drake, U2, Rudimental, more

Artist News One Liners Releases

Drake

Other notable announcements and developments today…

• Drake went and released two new tracks at the weekend. Just like that, out of nowhere. He’s a tricky one, that Drake.

• Say what you like about U2.

• Sorry, I ended that last one a bit early. I meant to say, you can say whatever you like about U2.

• Right, I’ll have another go. It’s quite hard to add a ‘but’ to this, but you can say whatever the hell you want about U2 as far as I’m concerned.

• Hang on, that wasn’t the ‘but’. Look, I think the new U2 video is alright. Okay? There, I said it. Are you happy now?

• Rudimental have released new single ‘These Days’. It features Jess Glynne, Macklemore and Dan Caplan.

• Laurie Anderson and the Kronos Quartet have released another track from their upcoming ‘Landfall’ album. Here’s ‘The Water Rises/Our Street Is A Black River’.

• There’s a new IAMX album coming out on 2 Feb, called ‘Alive In A New Light’. Here’s a preview of the title track ‘Alive In A New Light’.

• Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily – updated every Friday.

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Monday 22 January 2018, 12:10 | By

Ed Sheeran to quit music once he has children

And Finally Artist News

Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran has said that he will quit music the second he and now fiancée Cherry Seaborn have a baby.

According to The Daily Star, Sheeran said: “My ambition is going to go to zero as soon as I have kids. I am going to be like, ‘I do not really care anymore as I have another life to take care of'”.

I think if there’s one thing parents know, it’s that you can’t really predict how becoming one is going to affect you. But, to be fair, if we could all use our kids as an excuse to quit our jobs we probably would.

“It is totally understandable”, he goes on, “because you have children and your ambition shifts to be like, ‘I want to be a good father'”.

Sure, Ed. Sure. Although, having all quit our jobs (financial implications aside), how long it would then take for each of us to go and beg for it back would depend on the parent I guess. And the job I suppose. Let’s just say, I think we can fairly confidently expect an album from Ed within six to twelve months of delivery.

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Monday 22 January 2018, 11:38 | By

Approved: Kareen Lomax

CMU Approved

Kareen Lomax

When an email arrives proclaiming someone to be “the new Tracy Chapman”, you can’t help but wonder if they’re not setting themselves up for a fall. But anywhere you look for information on Kareen Lomax, you’ll find references to Chapman, so clearly she and/or her people think it’s a comparison worth highlighting.

There are definite similarities between Lomax and Chapman, both vocally and in Lomax’s performance. It’s hard to know if this is by design, or how much it would have been noticeable if thoughts of Chapman weren’t placed so prominently in your head before listening.

The truth is, there’s plenty of Kareen Lomax as a personality in her own right within her music. And there would be more, given a few different production choices. Her lyrics tell her own engaging stories that make me keen to know more and hear more.

Of new single ‘Been In Love’, she says: “‘Been in Love’ came at a time in my life where I wished I was somewhere else. I’ve always thought of love as an actual place two people are in, instead of just an emotion, so the concept came easily and the song wrote itself in a way”.

The song is taken from Lomax’s third EP, ‘There’s A Place For Us’, which is due out imminently. Listen to ‘Been In Love’ here:

Stay up to date with all of the artists featured in the CMU Approved column by subscribing to our Spotify playlist.

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Monday 22 January 2018, 09:07 | By

Setlist: Songkick, Notorious markets, Nando’s

Artist News Business News Digital Labels & Publishers Legal Live Business Setlist

Songkick

CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last seven days, including the disappointing end to Songkick’s long-running legal battle with Live Nation, the US government’s latest Notorious Markets report on online piracy, and how you can find musical inspiration by watching some people eat chicken. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.

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Stories discussed this week:

• Songkick settles Live Nation litigation
• Stream-ripping, Pirate Bay and even vKontakte appear in US government’s annual piracy report
• Nando’s opens recording studio in Soho restaurant

In brief:

• UK government to put ‘agent of change’ into planning rules
• Nearly 40 million Americans now using smart speakers, research finds
• S Club 7’s Paul Cattermole discusses selling BRIT Award

Also mentioned:

• Buy Chris’s new book on how streaming music services are licensed and where the money goes right here on Amazon
• China, AI and music education in the spotlight as CMU Insights returns to The Great Escape

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Friday 19 January 2018, 13:24 | By

UK government to put ‘agent of change’ into planning rules

Business News Labels & Publishers Legal Top Stories

Agent Of Change

The UK government has announced that it will add the so called ‘agent of change’ principle to the National Planning Policy Framework. That’s the thing local authorities must follow when considering planning applications by property developers.

This should mean that any developer sticking a big fuck off new luxury residential block next to an existing music venue will have to identify and assess future noise issues that may occur when all those rich fuckers move in next door, and make sure that they take measures to mitigate such problems during the initial build.

The aim is to stop that silly scenario where people say “this area of town looks like a cool place to live, what with all the music and cultural shit that’s going down, I’m going buy a posh apartment here, and then moan relentlessly about all the music and cultural shit that’s going down, until the local council changes all the venues’ licensing terms ensuring they go out of business”.

To that end, agent of change can be classified under the legal category of “such a fucking obvious thing to do, the only reason it isn’t already law is that everyone assumed it was anyway”. Except, I guess, the sneaky property developers who got to throw up shoddy new buildings without modifying their designs to suit the local environment, and then sell them on for millions to idiots, before fucking off and letting other people deal with the resulting shitstorm.

So, hurrah for agent of change finally becoming the norm. The music community has been increasingly vocal about needing agent of change incorporated into planning rules in recent years, of course. And that resulted in some serious campaigning by the Music Venue Trust, Musicians’ Union and UK Music. Progress was made last year with the principle being discussed in Parliament, government confirming it was investigating the matter, and London mayor Sadiq Khan incorporating it into his plans in the capital.

Then earlier this month Labour MP John Spellar proposed specific legislation to make agent of change law. Bills put forward in Parliament by backbench MPs, rather than government ministers, rarely go through. But it was hoped that, by showing that this common sense proposal had widespread cross-party support and few opponents willing to speak out on the matter, government could be pressured into making some formal commitments on the agent of change point.

And that they did. Yesterday. When the Ministry Of Housing, Communities & Local Government stated: “Housing developers building new homes near music venues should be responsible for addressing noise issues in a move to protect both music venues and their neighbours”. To that end, it added, “The National Planning Policy Framework, which local authorities are legally bound to comply with, will now be clarified to include detailed reference to the ‘agent of change’ principle, and will be consulted on in spring”.

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid then chipped in, saying: “Music venues play a vital role in our communities, bringing people together and contributing to the local economy and supporting the country’s grass roots music culture. I have always thought it unfair that the burden is on long-standing music venues to solve noise issues when property developers choose to build nearby”.

Noting commitments already made by the government in this domain last year, he continued: “That’s why I consulted on this in February last year as part of the housing white paper. I am pleased to finally have an opportunity to right this wrong and also give more peace of mind to new residents moving into local properties”.

Needless to say, this announcement was welcomed by Spellar and the music community. The former confirmed that he would now put his bill on hold while Javid’s department goes about adding agent of change into the National Planning Policy Framework.

Meanwhile UK Music boss Michael Dugher said: “This is a seismic victory for all those who fought so hard to safeguard the future of music venues across the UK – from grassroots community activists to Britain’s global music stars who have spent years calling for agent of change and recently supported the Spellar Bill”.

He added: “We are delighted the government has thrown its support behind our agent of change plan and is strengthening the rules to protect grassroots music venues. It’s a tremendous boost for the live music industry”.

Dave Webster, the Musicians’ Union’s National Organiser For Live Performance, then added: “This is welcome news and we are pleased that the government has listened to the music industry. The pledge to strengthen the National Planning Policy Framework will give Musicians’ Union members places to play and audiences to support them, and give venues the protection they so desperately need”.

And finally, the Music Venue Trust stated: “Following the huge support for John Spellar MP’s private members bill, Music Venue Trust warmly welcomes this move by the government to adopt agent of change. Too many of our music venues have been lost to poor developments that haven’t recognised the cultural importance of grassroots music venues”.

Of course, while Javid has now made a formal commitment to introduce agent of change, the devil is always in the detail. The music community needs to keep a close eye on how the principle is actually introduced, to ensure it isn’t watered down under any possible pressure from the property sector.

Which is something MVT acknowledged. It went on: “We look forward to working with the government to ensure that these new measures provide robust protection, which presents clear guidelines for developers and local authorities”.

So, a big step forward, but likely more debate to come. Meanwhile, premium CMU subscribers can check out a new CMU Trends article explaining agent of change in more detail, and reviewing how we got to this point.

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