Competition regulator approves Live Nation's IOW Festival purchase
The UK's Competition & Markets Authority has approved Live Nation's acquisition of the Isle Of Wight Festival, concluding that the live giant's latest expansion of its festival portfolio does not raise any competition issues.

As previously reported, the CMA announced it was investigating the IOW Festival deal back in April. Yesterday the competition regulator said it had sought views from across UK the live industry about the acquisition, as well as surveying several thousand former IOW Festival attendees. Following concerns raised by third parties, it also investigated the impact the latest Live Nation deal might have in terms of artist bookings, in addition to whether or not consumer choice would be negatively affected.

In a statement yesterday, the CMA said: "The evidence collected indicates that the Isle Of Wight Festival and Live Nation's existing festivals were not competing particularly closely for customers. After the merger, people will continue to be able to choose between festivals owned by Live Nation and a variety of competing festivals. The fact that festival-goers also choose between going to a festival and other activities will also ensure that Live Nation continues to face sufficient competition".

As for the possibility of the deal giving Live Nation an unfair advantage when it comes to booking talent, the CMA went on: "Following concerns raised by third parties, the CMA also investigated whether the merger would enable Live Nation to stop rival organisers of live music events - both festivals and concerts - from being able to book the range and quality of artists that they need to provide a competitive proposition".

On that point the regulator concluded: "The evidence indicates that the merger will not materially strengthen Live Nation's position in booking artists, and that a sufficient range and quality of artists will continue to be available for rival organisers of live music events".

As also previously reported, while the CMA's investigation was ongoing, the Association Of Independent Festivals published research into Live Nation's position in the UK festival market, noting that the live giant controls nearly a quarter of the country's large festivals (events with a 5000+ capacity). To that end, it proposed the CMA extend its IOW Festival inquiry to consider Live Nation's increased dominance of this sector.

Responding to yesterday's ruling, AIF's Paul Reed said: "Firstly, I want to make it clear that we didn't start the fire - AIF decided to conduct some research looking into festival market share once the investigation was in motion. We were surprised by the results, with a
single transnational entity headed rapidly towards ownership of 25% of festivals in the UK over 5,000 capacity".

The AIF report also noted that Live Nation is a significant player in tour promotion, artist and venue management, and primary and secondary ticketing, which gives the UK division of the US firm an even stronger hold on the country's live sector.

Reed's statement yesterday went on: "It is disappointing that the CMA has not take the opportunity to broaden the scope of the investigation into Live Nation's overall position. That said, I think the research AIF published shines a light on the current and future structure of the live music market and the genuine concerns from grassroots independent festival organisers around consolidation and Live Nation's vertical integration, with tentacles across all aspects of the business".

He concluded: "The question is, how many festivals do Live Nation need to acquire before the CMA take this seriously and give the issues the proper scrutiny they deserve?"

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BPI welcomes digital minister's value gap commitments
Record label trade group the BPI has welcomed comments made by the UK's Digital Minister Matty Hancock regarding that pesky 'value gap' that the music industry's lobbyists have been banging on about so much in recent times.

Hancock gave a speech to the super fun sounding UK Internet Governance Forum earlier this week, which covered a wide range of digital matters, along the way name-checking the various new rules and regs currently being considered by the British government in the digital domain, including those that are copyright based.

Stating that, among other things, the government's new Digital Charter aims to ensure "there is a fair economic landscape online", Hancock said: "We are supporting further copyright reform, to support rights holders and help close the value gap. Where value is created online, it must be appropriately rewarded".

Closing the value gap basically means reforming the copyright safe harbour so that services like YouTube no longer enjoy that kind of protection from liability for copyright infringement, forcing them into higher-rate licensing deals with the music industry.

Such reforms are already part of the draft European Copyright Directive, though quite what the reformed European safe harbour will look like remains to be seen, plus - of course - post-Brexit, UK copyright will likely be divorced from the European IP regime.

Hancock added: "As the UK leaves the EU we will ensure we have one of the most robust systems for protection of intellectual property anywhere in the world, for all civilised societies are based on the fair and equal protection of property rights".

Welcoming these albeit pretty vague commitments from Hancock, BPI boss Geoff Taylor said yesterday: "It's encouraging that our government has expressed the firm view that online platforms are not a special case in our society. Rather, they have a duty to act responsibly to prevent harm to others, including creators who own copyright. In addition, the government has been clear that the value gap must be addressed, so that creators can be appropriately rewarded for the value they generate".

Taylor added: "The Digital Minister's speech yesterday set out clear principles for the government's Digital Charter, which will establish a new framework for the internet that continues to encourage rapid digital innovation and growth whilst fairly protecting the citizens and businesses that use it. This would be fantastic news for Britain's world-leading creative industries, including music, and for the UK economy as a whole".

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Sony/ATV promotes Dan Nelson
Sony/ATV has announced the promotion of London-based Dan Nelson to the role of SVP International.

Confirming the appointment, the music publisher's President of international stuff, Guy Henderson, says: "Dan and I have worked together for many years, both in records and publishing. Not only, therefore, does Sony/ATV benefit from Dan's wide industry experience but also from his smart, astute and practical approach to our business operations".

Nelson himself adds: "As chance would have it, [Sony/ATV CEO] Marty Bandier and I started at Sony/ATV on the same day, so as you can imagine it's been an exhilarating journey over the last ten years. It's been an honour to be part of the transformation that has shaped Sony/ATV into the leading music publisher it is today".

As there noted, Nelson has been at Sony/ATV for a decade now, having joined as International Finance Director in 2007.

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Google and SoundCloud join board of Entertainment Retailers Association
The Entertainment Retailers Association held its Annual General Meeting in London yesterday, with renewed optimism and increased collaboration the main themes, with both high street and online entertainment sellers and services feeling somewhat more buoyant of late. ERA, of course, brings together a diverse range of entertainment retail businesses from across the music, video and gaming sectors.

In the formal proceedings of the meeting, big bad Google was elected to the board of the body in its guise as an entertainment provider, with Eduard Castello - Music Content Partnerships Manager for both Google Play and YouTube in the UK and Ireland - representing the web giant within the trade group.

Other new board members included Raoul Chatterjee, who was previously Chair of ERA while at 7digital, and who is now repping his current employer SoundCloud. Meanwhile, newly appointed to the ERA board from the independent sector was Tony Boothroyd, owner of Huddersfield-based Vinyl Tap.

Commenting on the new recruits to her board, ERA CEO Kim Bayley said: "For 29 years ERA has represented entertainment retailing in all its diversity. As we enter our 30th anniversary year, I am delighted to welcome three new and significant members to our board".

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K2 acquires Factory Music
Booking agency K2 has acquired Factory Music Management And Agency, it has been announced.

The deal will see Factory Music founder Sharon Richardson and her team join K2 on 1 Oct, bringing a roster of rock and metal acts with them, including Sepultura, Steve Harris' British Lion, Helloween, Acid Reign, Hammerfall, Akercocke, and Dark Angel. They join K2's existing roster, which includes Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slayer, Mastodon, Gojira and more.

K2 Agency CEO John Jackson says: "We have known and worked with Sharon for many years and when the opportunity arose for her to join I jumped at the chance. She will be joining the K2 team headed by Jane Miller, who has worked with me since the early 80s, and Leo Benton, who joined us four years ago from Newcastle University.

Richardson adds: "We are extremely THRILLED at having the opportunity to join and be part of the K2 team after working with and knowing John for many years. It felt that joining the K2 team is more than a positive step forward and we are delighted to be bringing our roster of artists over to K2. I am very fortunate to be joining such a respected company that prides itself on a top quality service to their roster of artists and I look forward to an exciting and successful future at K2".

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That one-off Wu-Tang album might not be a Wu-Tang album at all
So, here's a thing to know before you bid on that one-off Wu-Tang Clan album on eBay: it might not actually be a Wu-Tang album at all.

As previously reported, the one and only copy of Wu Tang's album 'Once Upon A Time In Shaolin' was sold to 'pharma bro' turned jailbird Martin Shkreli for $2 million in 2015. He recently decided that he'd had enough of owning it, and put it up for sale in an auction that is due to end just after 3am tomorrow morning, UK time. Bidding is currently at a little over $1 million.

But Bloomberg has done some asking around, and reckons that while the album was created by some associates of Wu-Tang, it was not originally intended to be released as an album by the group, rather as a solo album by producer and long-time opening act at Wu-Tang live shows Cilvaringz.

At least, that's what one contributor to the record, Killa Sin, says he believed he was contributing to at the time, while the manager of Wu-Tang member U-God, Domingo Neris, said that it is "not an authorized Wu-Tang Clan album [and] it never was".

The manager of another Wu-Tang member, Method Man, James Ellis adds: "When we did the verses, it was for a Cilvaringz album. How it became a Wu-Tang album from there? We have no knowledge of that".

Certainly when it was originally put up for sale, both Wu Tang's RZA and Cilvaringz were named as co-producers and the record was very much positioned as a Wu-Tang release. Plus the group's logo appears prominently in the CD's lavish case.

Exactly when the record was deemed to be a Wu-Tang project is unclear. In a statement to Bloomberg, Cilvaringz simply said: "The album and its concept were an evolutionary process that spanned six years, too complex to explain in a soundbite. All participating Wu-Tang artists were paid in advance while RZA and I bore the financial risk of the project".

If it turns out that 'Once Upon A Time In Shaolin' is more a collection of recordings featuring guest appearances by some members of Wu-Tang and their associates rather than an actual record by the group, well, that would be an amusing twist in the ongoing story of Shkreli - who is currently awaiting sentencing for fraud.

Asked for a statement, Shrekli said: "hahahahahahahahahahahaha"

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Husker Du's Grant Hart dies
Lead singer and drummer of Husker Du, Grant Hart, has died after being diagnosed with liver cancer. He was 56.

In a statement, Hart's former bandmate Bob Mould said: "We stopped working together in January 1988. We went on to solo careers, fronting our own bands, finding different ways to tell our individual stories. We stayed in contact over the next 29 years - sometimes peaceful, sometimes difficult, sometimes through go-betweens. For better or worse, that's how it was, and occasionally that's what it is when two people care deeply about everything they built together".

He continued: "The tragic news of Grant's passing was not unexpected to me. My deepest condolences and thoughts to Grant's family, friends, and fans around the world. Grant Hart was a gifted visual artist, a wonderful story teller, and a frighteningly talented musician. Everyone touched by his spirit will always remember. Godspeed, Grant. I miss you. Be with the angels".

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Sampha wins 2017 Mercury Prize
Sampha only went and won the bloody Mercury Prize last night. The judges totally ignored the fact that I've been confidently predicting that Loyle Carner would win ever since the nominations came out. Or perhaps they did it to spite me. Either way, congratulations Sampha.

Best known as a guest artist on tracks by Beyonce, 2016 Mercury winner Stormzy, and 2017 Mercury rival Ed Sheeran, Sampha released his debut album, 'Process', in February. The LP was written following the death of his mother from cancer, and throughout the record its songs see him processing his grief. At the ceremony, he performed the song, '(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano', about the instrument his mother taught him to play on in his childhood home.

"At the time it was quite important for me to write music", Sampha told the BBC of writing the record. "It helped me through everything. So it's this weird kind of document. But it's nice, I guess, because I'll have it for the rest of my life".

Eleven of the twelve nominees performed live at the event - Ed Sheeran phoning in some excuse about being on tour in another part of the world. Of them all, Kate Tempest stood out, turning in an incredibly powerful performance of 'Don't Fall In'. It really was quite something.

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Lana Del Rey, Craig David, Joss Stone, more

Other notable announcements and developments today...

• Lana Del Rey has released a new video for 'White Mustang'.

• Craig David has announced that he'll release a new album, 'The Time Is Now', on 26 Jan next year. New single, 'Heartline', is out now.

• Joss Stone and Nitin Sawhney have announced a new collaborative venture, Project Mama Earth. They'll release an EP on 10 Nov. Here's first single, 'Mama Earth'.

• The artist who inexplicably still agrees to be known publicly as Naughty Boy has a new single out, 'Dancing Machine', featuring Laura Mvula.

• Kali Uchis has released the video for 'Nuestro Planeta', featuring Reykon.

• Mercury Prize nominee J Hus has released a new live performance video of 'Spirit'.

• Confidence Man are back! Woo! Here's the video for new single, 'Better Sit Down Boy'.

• Ibeyi have released new single 'Me Voy', taken from new album 'Ash', which is out at the end of the month.

• James Heather will play the Servant Jazz Quarters in London on 4 Oct, with DJ sets from Coldcut's Jon More and First Terrace Records.

• King Henry will play his first ever UK show at London's Basing House on 12 Oct. Tickets on sale now.

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

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CMU Beef Of The Week #372: Saunagate
Well this was a whirlwind 24 hours or so. It started with a club night announcing it was booting an artist off the line-up after his agent threatened to bite them, then quickly escalated into something they're calling #saunagate.

Up until Wednesday morning, all seemed to be going smoothly. The team behind Edinburgh's Tweak club night were preparing for the launch of their new night Abstrakt, which is due to take place tonight. Booked to headline was French DJ Jeremy Underground. As a casual observer, you'd have assumed that everything was sorted, and that all that was left to do was put up the bunting and start buttering sandwiches ready for the party.

But no. Behind the scenes shit was going down. There was talk of bloodshed, withheld money and saunas.

"It is with regret that we have decided to cancel the performance of Jeremy Underground at this Friday's Abstrakt launch party", came an announcement on the club's Facebook page, just before midday on Wednesday. "We have done so as a point of principle, against certain DJs/artists bullying small promoters and holding them to ransom over ridiculous demands".

Blam! I'll wait while you go and get popcorn.

The demands began, said Abstrakt, when a room was booked for Jeremy Underground at a four star hotel in Edinburgh, as per their contractual agreement. However, the DJ's agent, Lionel Marciano at Real Tone, said that they did not approve of this hotel, asking for a "five star hotel with a sauna and gym".

It transpired later that approval was in fact required from the agent prior to any hotel being booked, which may be why Abstrakt agreed to book another room in a better hotel for three nights, instead of just one. But new booking in place, that hotel was also rejected, with a final stipulation that Jeremy Underground would only agree to stay in Edinburgh's Sheraton Grand.

By this point the hotel cancellation fees were mounting up in addition to the costs of the new grander hotel. "The agent did say that the artist would reimburse us for two of the three nights at [the second] hotel, but given that the Sheraton Grand's cheapest room was £614 per night, we stood to lose £1551 on the artist's hotel room alone".

After some wrangling, Abstrakt's organisers decided that this wasn't going to work, and so wrote back to the agent to cancel Jeremy Underground's performance and began work on a new last minute line-up for the event.

Marciano made attempts to rectify the situation, saying that Underground would cover the cost of his hotel, but by this point it was too late. "We are simply not prepared to work with this agency/artist and would rather lose money and let people know the truth of a situation that is all too common in the modern scene", said Abstrakt promoter Simon Bays.

At this point, Underground's travel costs and 50% of his booking fee had already been paid. Bays said that Abstrakt planned to pay the remaining 50% of the fee, despite the cancellation, but then all hell broke loose.

"You are fucking us", wrote Marciano in an email screen-grabbed and posted along with the aforementioned Facebook post. "I am going to bite you! I swear I am going to put all my energy on you. I am telling you! You have no idea! I am on your case. I am telling you I am on your case".

Was he finished? No, he was not. Another email followed: "I consider you as fucker now. You owe the artist this money. I will let everyone know. I am going to bite you. And believe me you are going to lose some blood".

Just in case these two emails weren't clear enough, the agent began sending text messages too: "You want to fuck us? I am on your case. Make the payment ASAP. I'm going to fuck you, man".

I hope they make a film about this.

Clearly, the words "I'm going to bite you" were too good to stop this whole thing from going viral, fast, as soon as Abstrakt had published Marciano's messages. Attempting to take ownership of the situation, Real Tone then put out its own statement, damning Abstrakt's organisation.

"Our contract and initial agreements ask for hotel approval ahead of booking", said the company. "A hotel was booked without our approval. Once we asked to change it, Abstrakt agreed to meet our needs and all was settled, but in the end, it was not done. When trying to fix the issue, Abstrakt shut us down, immediately cancelling the gig, just a few hours before the departure and a few days before the gig".

It went on to claim that the cancellation "was used as fake pretext", because of "slow ticket sales and potentially losing money", adding that Abstrakt "had no intentions of paying their remaining balance that was due and that their cancelation was a way to remove themselves from the situation with as little damage as possible. This is the truth".

However, it added: "With all that being said, the words used on our end were not justified and for that, we apologise. They do not represent us or artists well - our apologies have since been sent to the promoter as well and we are hoping to move on from this".

Just to recap, those unjustified words related to biting people who don't pay their debts until they bleed.

But what of the artist himself, who may well have been oblivious to this disagreement over his accommodation? Well, Jeremy Underground also posted on Facebook, saying that he didn't see what all the fuss was about.

"My agent got a bit angry", he said. "And yes things got out of control. I know he already apologised to the promoters. I apologise on behalf of him as well. I understand the anger - and I'm the first one in this whole situation to feel fucked - but insults are never a good choice. I just want my comfort. I'm a stressed-out dude, I want my sauna the day after the gig".

Yeah, come on, can the man not have his sauna? All he wants is a flippin sauna. I think we all like to sit in a hot, dark, sweaty room for a little while after a hard evening standing in a hot, dark, sweaty room. Amazingly, Underground pointing out his sauna needs didn't bring all the chatter about this spat to an end.

But that was Wednesday. We all know Wednesday is a tough day. It's really hard to find time to sit in a sauna on a Wednesday and as a result people tend to get a bit angry and bitey. Thursday was better.

"We'd like to state publicly that Jeremy Underground has reached out to us and apologised for the actions of his agent and what seems to have been a mix up on behalf of the agency with regards to the hotel bookings", came a new statement from Abstrakt yesterday. "We have also received an apology from the RT Agency".

It continued: "Jeremy has had the agency refund his artist fee, agency fee, and has offered to refund the Apex hotel (but the hotel have already kindly given us a refund outside of the cancellation period). He has also agreed to reschedule a show and play for free, donating all proceeds to charity. We accept his apology, feel there is nothing more that he could do to help rectify the situation and would like to call on anyone making threats in his direction to stop - this is (and always has been) totally unacceptable, no matter what the actions of his agent".

With Abstrakt now no longer out of pocket, its organisers announced that all profits from the show tonight will be donated to Shelter. Because everyone deserves a good night's sleep, not just DJs.

Also enjoying a clearer head in the morning - it's unclear if he'd been in the sauna or not - Jeremy Underground made a new statement on Thursday too. Having spoken to Abstrakt promoter Simon Bays, he said that "this [whole] mess started to make more sense". It had been, he said, a series of miscommunications and misunderstandings between him, his agent and the club night. But now everything was fine and everyone was friends again.

He also confirmed that he'd returned the fee already paid to him, and that he had offered to play another Abstrakt night. So in the end, there was a happy ending. Some money is going to a worthy charity, and nobody actually got bitten.

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