Music industry instigates final push ahead of big vote on EU copyright reforms tomorrow
With the final, final, final, final vote on the bloody European Copyright Directive due to take place in the European Parliament tomorrow, the music community is having one big last push to try to persuade MEPs to back the copyright reforms. That, of course, includes the safe harbour reforming article thirteen, which seeks to increase the liabilities of user-upload platforms like YouTube, and which the tech sector continues to lobby against hard.

One group of campaigners on the tech lobby side recently told MEPs that they'd be updating all of the law-makers' Wikipedia entries with how they vote tomorrow. And a vote for the directive would be a vote against "the freedom of the world wide web", those campaigners added, while also pointing out that all MEPs are up for re-election in May.

The music industry, of course, has accused Google and its supporters of spreading lots of misinformation about the directive and the potential impact of article thirteen. YouTube will just have to pay the music industry something closer to the market rate for the music it streams, reps argue, it will not be the end of the internet as we know it.

In an open letter last week, trade groups for artists, songwriters, managers and independent music companies also expressed concern about how Google has exploited its platform to get its arguments out to the masses, so to drown out those with opposing viewpoints.

The music bodies wrote: "No other media company in the broadcast business would be allowed to use its airwaves to get a competitive advantage over others in terms of advertising or to resort to political messaging in that way. Has YouTube abused its dominance? The answer is surely yes and this flags a much broader issue than copyright - who wields power in today's online world and the extent to which it can be abused. This is a fundamental question for truth and democracy in Europe and the rest of the world".

Like the open letter sent to YouTube boss Susan Wojcicki by GESAC and IMPALA last week, this actually takes the debate beyond the directive and onto the next big debating point in Brussels, ie the power and responsibilities of the big tech platforms.

But for now, getting the directive through remains the top priority. Debbie Harry is one of the bigger names to enter the debate on the music industry's side at the very final stage, while a bunch of younger musicians are communicating their message to EU law-makers via a cover version of Snow Patrol's 'Just Say Yes'

The vote is due tomorrow around lunchtime.

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Dubai denies that R Kelly has shows booked in Dubai
Dubai's government has denied that R Kelly has any concerts booked in at a venue in the emirate or that the musician is set to meet any members of the sheikhdom's royal family.

Legal reps for Kelly last week asked the US courts for permission for their client to travel to Dubai to play five shows there. The musician was forced to rescind his American passport, of course, when he was bailed on sexual assault and abuse charges last month.

Lawyers said that Kelly was struggling to earn a living in the US at the moment, because of the controversy surrounding the flurry of abuse claims levelled against him, and so he was keen to make good on a commitment to play the shows in the United Arab Emirates.

Few details about said shows were given in last week's legal filing, but attorneys said that they had been arranged prior to his arrest. It was the same legal papers that also said there were plans for Kelly to meet royalty while in Dubai.

However, according to the Associated Press, the Dubai government's media office issued a statement over the weekend that said: "Authorities in Dubai have not received any request for a performance by singer R Kelly nor are there any venues that have been booked". It then added that the controversial musician "has not been invited by the Dubai royal family for a performance".

Asked about the statement by the AP, Kelly's lawyer Steven Greenberg insisted his client had signed a contract with a promoter for the Dubai shows, and that all the information provided in last week's court filing came from that contract.

The attorney said: "Mr Kelly had a signed contract with a legitimate promoter and any information that was included in the motion to travel was from that contract. We did not say he was invited by the royal family, but the contract did provide that he would make himself available to meet with them".

It remains to be seen who the "legitimate promoter" is, what's the current status of the five planned shows, and why the Dubai authorities are not aware of them.

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Music library for YouTubers et al adds the EMI production music catalogue
SoundVault, a service that provides lots of lovely music to the makers of YouTube videos and other user-generated content gubbins, has announced a new deal with Sony/ATV's EMI Production Music unit, making the music publishing major's production music library available to video-makers via the sync licensing platform.

Confirming the deal for the Sony/ATV side, Alex Black said: "Enabling easy sync access to our incredible catalogue of production music for the new breed of video creatives has long been a target for EMI Production Music. We've been impressed with SoundVault's vision for the management of sync rights in the UGC community and are looking forward to seeing how their technology enhances the licensing process for rights owners and video creators alike".

Over at SoundVault, CEO Graham Gabie added: "SoundVault is proud to find a partner in Sony/ATV who shares our values. Protecting artists and writers' rights online and opening up new revenue streams in licensing is our aim. We are now bringing solutions into the marketplace so that YouTubers and channels can license the music they've been searching for, and all rights holders are paid accurately".

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7digital appoints new CEO
B2B digital music and radio services company 7digital has appointed a new CEO. John Aalbers takes over from Simon Cole, who has led the firm since it merged with his radio production business, UBC Media, back in 2014.

Cole says that his departure has been planned since last year, though in the end he stayed on longer to deal with challenges posed by a key client - German consumer electronics giant MediaMarktSaturn - changing is digital music plans late last year.

Confirming Aalbers' appointment this morning, Cole said: "This transition was planned last year when we felt that 2018 would mark the successful growth into profitability after four years. In the end, the events surrounding MediaMarktSaturn's sudden strategic changes in December had a profound effect on the company and I felt I could not leave until that position was resolved and satisfactory settlement had been achieved".

"Now that has been done", he went on, "I leave 7digital in good shape and in good hands. I have enjoyed this adventure and, in particular, leading an extraordinarily talented and dedicated group of people".

Commenting on the change in executive leadership, the company's Chair, Don Cruickshank, added: "The board wishes to give profound thanks to Simon for his insights and vision in seeing that many companies and brands would wish to support and nurture their business models with music delivered by streaming technologies, and that they would need access to a neutral, efficient and cost-effective platform".

Also noting recent challenges, Cruickshank went on: "That is what 7digital now provides and, after some turbulent years, it is very well positioned to thrive in the streaming-based music market of the future. We wish him well in his future endeavours".

He then added: "We now welcome John Aalbers to the role of CEO. His career is distinguished with success in a number of not-dissimilar challenges to those facing 7digital, all based on sector focussed software and platform services. The board looks forward to working with John to build the company both in scale and scope of business".

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Bandsintown acquires Hypebot
Tour listings and gig recommendation service Bandsintown has acquired music industry blog Hypebot and its MusicThinkTank spin-off. Both blogs will continue to be run by editor Bruce Houghton. He will also join Bandsintown as an advisor, with a view to getting more independent artists using the platform.

"Hypebot was created as a guide to understanding the new music industry - not just labels and tech companies; but more importantly, the artists and music that give it life", says Houghton. "Working with a successful artist-centric team like Bandsintown will give Hypebot the resources to expand on our mutual mission of empowering artists".

He adds: "I look forward to contributing to Bandsintown's ongoing effort to help more artists and managers build a successful and sustainable career in music, with live music at its centre".

Bandsintown's Fabrice Sergent says of the deal: "We believe indie and emerging artists are a transformative and a vibrant component of the music industry. We share the same passion for independent and DIY artists. By welcoming Bruce and Hypebot into the Bandsintown family, we enhance the breadth of our support to the artists and further contribute to artists' career growth and success".

Houghton has been running Hypebot since 2004. He is also president of booking agency Skyline Artists Agency.

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BASCA becomes the Ivors Academy
The British Academy Of Songwriters, Composers And Authors is no longer the British Academy Of Songwriters, Composers And Authors. Which is good news, because it's quite hard work typing in the British Academy Of Songwriters, Composers And Authors all the time. Try it. British Academy Of Songwriters, Composers And Authors. See, hard work.

From this point onwards the professional organisation for, well, songwriters, composers and authors - but musical authors, mind - will be known as The Ivors Academy.

The rebrand acknowledges the fact that, although BASCA has been going since 1944, its big annual awards event, The Ivors, has a higher profile in the world at large. Hence, BASCA is now The Ivors Academy. Which, now I've started abbreviating BASCA as BASCA, I actually realise takes more time to type in. So it turns out I'm not a beneficiary of this rebrand after all. But to be fair, that possibly wasn't the main priority.

BASCA bosses, by which I mean Ivors Academy bosses, say that "the name change is the start of an exciting drive to further build membership and champion the interests of music creators through [our] work in campaigning to protect and promote music creators, celebrating the incredible achievements of outstanding songwriters and composers, and cultivating the next generation of talent".

Confirming the name change, which was previously alluded to at the organisation's AGM, BASCA Chair, by which I mean Ivors Academy Chair, Crispin Hunt, says: "The future needs a powerful collective voice for music writers. The Ivors Academy of music creators is the future-facing, fit-for-purpose evolution of BASCA's great legacy. Our mission is to innovate, inspire, inform, empower and celebrate musical creativity: connecting a global membership towards a flourishing musical future for every genre and every future genre".

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Scott Walker dies
Scott Walker has died, aged 76, his record label 4AD announced this morning.

Born Noel Scott Engel in 1943, Walker first came to prominence in the 1960s as a member of pop trio The Walker Brothers. Although from the US, the band enjoyed particular success in the UK. When they split in 1968, Walker then released a quick succession of solo albums - 'Scott 1', 'Scott 2', 'Scott 3' and 'Scott 4' - considered by many to be the high point of his career.

The Walker Brothers reformed in the mid-70s for a trio of records, including the highly regarded 'Nite Flights'', which deviated from their usual sound. The album was more a collection of solo tracks by each member than a cohesive Walker Brothers release. It was also their last, the band splitting again in 1978.

Walker was relatively inactive in the 80s, although he did release one solo album, 'Climate Of The Hunter'. It was in 1995 that he made his proper return to music with the LP 'Tilt', a wildly avant-garde album, mixing rock and classical music, it showcased the dark, foreboding sound that typified the latter part of his career.

However, although he continued to work, it was more than a decade before he recorded another solo album, 'The Drift', in 2006 - his first for 4AD. In recent years, he composed various pieces for dance and film, releasing his final solo album, 'Bish Bosch', in 2012. He also released a collaborative album with Sunn o))) in 2014.

Walker's music was reappraised numerous times during his lifetime, becoming hugely influential for many artists, including David Bowie, Radiohead and more. In 2017, the BBC Proms included a performance of Scott Walker songs by Jarvis Cocker - who had worked with Walker when he produced Pulp's 'We Love Life' album - John Grant, Richard Hawley and Susanne Sundfør with the Heritage Orchestra.

In a statement, 4AD said: "For half a century, the genius of the man born Noel Scott Engel has enriched the lives of thousands, first as one third of The Walker Brothers, and later as a solo artist, producer and composer of uncompromising originality ... We are honoured to have worked with Scott for the last fifteen years of his life".

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Idles respond to Sleaford Mods and Fat White Family
Idles have responded to Sleaford Mods frontman Jason Williamson's accusation that they are "appropriating a working class voice".

Speaking to The Guardian last month, Williamson said that he "felt a bit cheated" when he discovered that Idles were "not working class". He added: "I also became jaded by this idea that we were a band that was campaigning for social justice, when we're not, we're just talking about what's around us. Music can't solve political problems. And I think their take on it is cliched, patronising, insulting and mediocre. And that's why I have a problem with them".

Fat White Family then chipped in, calling Idles "self-neutering middle class boobs telling us to be nice to immigrants" - although they also then laid into Sleaford Mods a bit for balance.

In a new interview with The Sunday Times, Idles guitarist Mark Bowen and frontman Joe Talbot have responded.

"If you're angry about inequality, you have to preach equality as an alternative rather than go, 'fuck you, you're wrong'", says Bowen. "Because you're not going to get anywhere with that. The fact that we're still talking about the same stuff punks were dealing with in the 1970s means that 'fuck you' thing didn't work".

"There's no authenticity in just being a prick to everyone", adds Talbot.

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