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Transcript of VIP-News Premium - Vol 164 January 2014
VIPNEWS PREMIUM > VOLUME 164 > JANUARY 2014
®
vip-booking.com
VIPNEWS > JANUARY 2014
McGowan’s Musings
Welcome to the first VIP News of the year,
I hope you all had a great holiday and that
you’re now in the process of setting up a
successful and happy 2014! As ever the
new year conference season kicked off
with another sold out edition of Eurosonic/
Noorderslag in Holland. The VIP team were
out in force and though the weather in
Groningen was not great – too much rain
and an excess of grey, the atmosphere in the
Oosterport and in the venues and bars was
to say the least lively and spirits were high.
Although certain territories were still feeling
the economic pinch throughout 2013, many
companies and individual s were reporting very
good and in some cases best ever results from
the year, entering 2014 with high expectations
and a great deal of optimism. A first day panel
looked at the rising international touring
figures with the help of Pollstar and promoters
from the UK, Holland and Germany were very
positive. Although there had been reports
from the German promoters Association
the BDVA, that there had been an overall
decline in the live business, this was not the
experience of FKP Scorpio, with MD Stephan
Thandscheit reporting a record year. As the
first major trade event of the year Eurosonic
is something of a barometer for the state of
the current and ongoing business in general
and without taking too much for granted the
readings seem encouraging. (See report in this
issue.)
On the downside Ingela, wife of Eurosonic
organiser Ruud Berends suffered an
unfortunate accident in Groningen, and
had to be hospitalised after falling down a
metal staircase in the early hours of Saturday
morning , she is happily now back at home
and we, and I’m sure many of you, wish her a
full and speedy recovery.
Back at home the rain still fell and everything
seemed damp – but then I do live by the
sea! But you’ll possibly be glad to know
that the seagulls are up to their old tricks,
on my first day back in the office I heard a
tapping at the window, oh no I thought it’s
Shitty back to annoy me, but no, it is I think
(huge resounding horror film organ chord
goes here…) Son of Shitty! Not yet white, still
grey and mottled of feather, but somehow -
presumably genetically - aware of the art of
infuriating window tapping… I see trouble
ahead!
Sorry about that diversion, but I’m aware that
some people like to know these things… In the
world of the live music industry much seems
to be happening in the UK, with a new UK/US
Agency joint venture being announce d, a UK
Conference taking itself off to New York (See
stories in this issue), and Festivals falling over
themselves to announce their 2014 line ups
even before the Christmas turkey has been
digested!
So, all we need now is a bit of sunshine and
the future for 2014 looks bright, as ever make
sure that you let us know how things are
going with your business and in your territory
in general, so….excuse me, someone seems
to be tapping at the window, I’ll have to go.,
in the meantime Ladies and Gentlemen – the
News!
COLOPHON >
VIP-News is published by:VIP-Booking145-157 St John StreetLondon Ec1V 4PW
Managing Director:Ronni [email protected]
General Manager:Peter [email protected]
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2
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VIPNEWS > JANUARY 2014
3
VIPNEWS > JANUARY 2014
Here Come the
2014 Conferences!Allan McGowan [email protected]
Following on from Eurosonic the next two
major industry events take place in Cannes,
South of France and London.
MIDEM, the longest running of all the industry
events has moved back slightly this year, so
maybe the sun will shine on the Croisette
in Cannes as in olden days, following pretty
grey weather in the past couple of years.
MIDEM will run from 1-4 February, and The
VIP team will be in attendance alongside
luminarie s such as Marc Geiger, Global Head
of Music at William Morris Enterprises (WME)
US, Lyor Cohen – Founder 300 – US, Jean –
Michel Jarre – Composer/Producer and now
President of CISAC.
Then of course the 26th edition of the
International Live Music Conference (ILMC)
returns to the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington,
London from Friday March 7-Sunday March 9.
You have to be invited to attend the leading
event of the live industry, but if you can get
two industry figures that have previously
attended to recommend you, then you are
welcome to register. Although ILMC proper
starts on Friday, Thursday sees the third edition
of the ILMC Production Meeting (IPM) and in
the evening The ITB Showcase takes place
at the Archangel while things take off at the
Royal Garden with the IPM Closing Drinks.
ILMC is famous for each edition having a dif-
ferent theme – this year it’s Circus,
But I’m pretty sure no animals, apart from
the odd promoter driven wild by the antics of
Agents, will appear on the Conference floors,
in the corridors or the bars where the non-
stop networking will take place!
We’ll bring you more news on the Confer-
ence Agenda in the next issue.
For full details so far go to www.ilmc.com or
to register apply to [email protected]
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VIPNEWS > JANUARY 2014
UK and US Agencies Announce Joint Venture Allan McGowan [email protected]
In a Press Release from London and Los Angeles earlier this month
the UK’s CODA Agency and the US based Paradigm have announced
the setting up of a joint venture partnership. This formalisation of a
global alliance sees Paradigm acquire a 50% stake in the company
CODA Agency Limited.
CODA Music Agency celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2012 and
has grown rapidly in recent years representing over 500 artists and
DJs from numerous genres. The company’s Directors are Agents Alex
Hardee, James Whitting, Marty Diamond, Rob Challice and Tom
Schroeder supported by Greg Bestick, Dave Hallybone and Managing
Director Claire Horseman. The company currently works with artists
including: Bastille, Bon Iver, Disclosure, Ellie Goulding, Emeli Sande,
Imagine Dragons, Jake Bugg, Rudimental, The XX, The Lumineers and
many others.
Paradigm is one of the entertainment industries major talent
agencies , with 130 agents in Beverly Hills, New York, Nashville
and Monterey, guiding the careers of an elite roster of clients in
motion pictures, television, music, theatre, comedy, publishing,
digital media , physical production, commercials and voice-overs.
Considered a taste maker in the Music business, Paradigm represents
a wide range of highly respected artists including; Aerosmith, Black
Eyed Peas, Coldplay, Dave Matthews Band, Ed Sheeran, Eli Young
Band, fun., Imagine Dragons, Janelle Monae, Jason Mraz, Phish and
Toby Keith amongst many others.
The agreement with CODA will be the second joint venture partnership
for Paradigm, following their agreement with AM Only, a leading
electronic dance music agency representing such international stars
and Grammy winning artists as David Guetta, Skrillex and Tiesto, in
January 2012.
Marty Diamond, Paradigm’s Head of its East Coast Music Division
said, “We have been working closely and successfully with CODA
for many years and share common values and a deep commitment to
artist development. This new partnership is the next logical step as we
continue to carefully grow our Music Division with the artists interests
always at the forefront of our planning.”
Sam Gores, Chairman and CEO of Paradigm said, “We could not be
happier to start the New Year with this partnership with CODA, a
terrific group of agents who are dedicated to growing artists careers
the right way. This furthers our strategy of aligning with agencies
around the globe that share our values and our commitment to the
highest quality representation.”
VIP News spoke to Coda MD Claire Horseman and Director/Agent
Rob Challice about the new joint venture:
Claire Horseman only took over as MD at CODA in March last year,
having previously had a successful career working for BMG and
Columbia .
Rob Challice,Coda Agency
Claire Horseman,Coda Agency
4
VIPNEWS > JANUARY 2014
How did your move to Coda and into the Agency business
come about?
– Horseman: Someone said to me I’ve seen a job that’s got your name
written all over it! So I went in and met all the Partners. I only really
knew Alex Hardee (Coda Director/Agent), we worked together on
Calvin Harris’s debut album project. He was probably the only Agent
who I worked closely with back then. I had never thought that labels
worked well, or closely enough, with Agents (except perhaps if you
were working indie/rock acts), and when marketing budgets got
squeezed the need for tour support always got questioned. Now it’s
much more integral, and of course live is a massive part of an artist’s
development and career.
How has it been since you took over looking after the Coda
business?
– Horseman: It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster ride since moving from
the record industry side to the live business, but it’s allowed me to
bring in some fresh ideas and a new approach, and the deal with
Paradigm has certainly followed on from that.
What do you think was the main reason for this deal coming
together when it did?
– Horseman: The two Agencies have worked together for quite a
while and there is a lot of mutual respect. Following the completion
of their deal with AM Only, Paradigm was looking for other areas in
which to expand, and it seemed quite natural to approach CODA.
Other Companies had made approaches, but Paradigm has a very
similar style and there was a lot of common ground. CODA was set up
as an LLP, so we formed CODA Agency Ltd as the entity to complete
a 50/50 partnership.
What do you think are the main strengths of the coming
together of these two Agencies?
– Horseman: For a start, unlike some Agencies, the Directors are
all still Agents, Marty Diamond of Paradigm is also on the Board of
CODA and it’s my job to run the business side. Both Paradigm and
CODA are very strong in an A & R sense and tip each other off when
they come across something of interest. The main thing is that with
both Companies the main motivation is whatever’s right for the artist.
The joint venture will enable the two agencies to pool their expertise
and resources on a global basis.
I was wondering whether this deal would be exclusive enough
to stop you working with other agents in the US or will it allow
you to continue working relationships with other agents that
you have worked with previously?
– Rob Challice: Coda will continue sharing clients with other agencies
in USA, i.e. where we book an act in Europe and they book the act
in North America. The same applies to Paradigm, where they have
clients they book in North America and there are other agencies
booking the band here. We firmly believe in managers placing their
artists with the most appropriate agents in respective territories. Also,
we don’t want to go down the route of ‘making’ one of our agents
represent a band that they don’t believe in, that ethos remains at the
centre of how we make decisions.
5
Sam Gores,Paradigm Agency
Marty Diamond,Coda Agency
6
VIPNEWS > JANUARY 2014
The’ Take Away Concert Experience’ continues.... German company
Bleeker Street Entertainment will join Simple Minds on their European
tour and provide fans with instant live recordings on USB-sticks
throughout the UK act’s upcoming tour.
Every concert will be recorded, mastered and made available for
purchase by fans immediately following each show. This special
audio-merchandise -item will consist of recordings delivered in an
MP3-format and delivered on 4 gigabyte USB-sticks.
The ‘official bootleg’ costs 30 Euro and will be offered in the
concert venues or can be bought afterwards on the web site
www.bleecker-street-shop.com/
Concert-To-Go with Simple MindsManfred Tari [email protected]
BACK TO GROWTH?
MAKE IT SUSTAINABLE!
1-4 February, 2014Palais des FestivalsCannes, France
Midem, the leading international business event for the music ecosystem. Register now and save €100 on midem.com(Special rates for artists, students and young companies)
To exhibit, advertise or showcase your product, call Javier Lopez now on 020 7528 0086 or [email protected]
Meet rising start-up stars
& VCs at MidemLab
Source new international talent
Case study Rita Ora’s
success with VEVO’s ‘Lift’
video platform
Get inspired by Marc Geiger
Global Head of Music –
William Morris Endeavor
Entertainment (USA)
Place your music with Nike, Microsoft, Philips…
Gain insight, make connections and accelerate business.
MIDEM_MusicWeek_224x155_1312.indd 1 03/01/14 16:27
VIPNEWS > JANUARY 2014
7
Glastonbury Festival has announced the
details of this year’s emerging talent
competition , which gives unsigned artists
from the UK and Ireland the chance to
compete for a slot on one of the main stages
at the festival.
Scouting For Girls, Stornaway, Treetop
Flyers and The Subways to name a few
have all taken part in previous editions of
the competition . Last year’s winners Bridie
Jackson and the Arbour played five sets at
Glastonbury last year.
Acts will be able to enter the competition
between 20 and 27 January via
www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/information/
emerging-talent-competition-performing/”
festival’s website.
Once entry closes, a panel of around 40 of
the UK’s top online music writers will help
compile a longlist of 120 acts. The longlist
will then be whittled down to a shortlist of
eight artists by judges including Glastonbury
organisers Michael and Emily Eavis, before
a live final showcase in April decides the
winning act.
Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis said:
“We get very excited about new music, and
the emerging talent competition is just a
brilliant way for us to discover fresh talent.”
“Our stage bookers come down to the live
finals, and dozens of the acts who’ve entered
over the years have been given a slot at the
festival.”
“We can’t wait to see what this year’s
competition brings.”
Last month Arcade Fire were announced as
the first headliners for this year’s festival,
which will take place between 25 and 29
June at Worthy Farm in Somerset.
Glastonbury Festival Emerging Talent Competition Allan McGowan [email protected]
Emily Eavis,Glastonbury
14 -17 januarY 2015
groningen, nl
The
platform
Europeanmusic
The
platform
Europeanmusic
The
platform
Europeanmusic
The
platform
Europeanmusic
EUROSONIC NOORDERSLAG WORDT GEORGANISEERD DOOR SPONSORENEUROSONIC NOORDERSLAG WORDT GEORGANISEERD DOOR SPONSORENEUROSONIC NOORDERSLAG WORDT GEORGANISEERD DOOR SPONSORENEUROSONIC NOORDERSLAG WORDT GEORGANISEERD DOOR SPONSORENThank you for attending
Eurosonic Noorderslag 2014
See you next year
Early bird registration and
act submission open May 1, 2014
Act submission closes September 1, 2014
Previous edition in numbersTotal amount of visitors (sold out) . . . . 38,500Conference visitors (sold out) . . . . . . . . 3,275Nationalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Acts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337Number of stages @ Eurosonic . . . . . . 36Number of stages @ Noorderslag . . . . 11Media & journalisten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307EBU radio stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30ETEP festivals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89International festivals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
VIPNEWS > JANUARY 2014 > INDEPTH STORY > EUROSONIC NOORDERSLAG 2014
Eurosonic Noorderslag 2014 - Peace, Love & Business Allan McGowan [email protected]
Groningen in January has become a
lovely tradition. A host of players from the
Europea n live music business and even from
further afield, make this pilgrimage to the
famous town in the North of the Netherlands
each year, celebrating the start of the new
year with a stimulating trip involving talents,
tokens and travel adventures...
Without any doubt, Eurosonic Noorderslag is
one of the best music conventions in Europe.
With a slight increase in concert goers and
officially 25 more international delegates,
another sold out edition of this convention
yet again provided a fresh opening to the
business agenda for a new year.
There is certainly no lack of talent. As usual
Eurosonic Noorderslag provided a well-
chosen bill of new artists and for the business
buddies an interesting line up of keynote
and panel speakers and interviewees such
as CAA’s Emma Banks, Lucy Dickens of ITB,
Folkert Koopmans of FKP Scorpio, and a
video message from a well known German
promoter at the European Festival Awards.
Memorable moments? Stefan Lehmkuhl
from Melt Booking confessing while winning
the price of the festival line up 2013, that
he never expected to win an award for a
money losing festival and Ivan Milivojev of
Exit Festival who sharply concluded regarding
RFID-systems for festivals “I am using it to
make money, not to promote it!”
With the ‘beer crate sessions’ Eurosonic has
created a new conference format, presenting
single speakers in a cross between a lecture
and a personal Q&A session. The informal
character of these sessions actually seems to
work better than the more official speeches,
such as the keynote by Karel Barták from
the European Commission, who presented
Creative Europe, the new culture support
program from the EU.
Apropos Creative Europe, following the
demise of the European Music Office (EMO)
which was forced to file insolvency in October
2013, a group of 17 music export offices met
during the convention and agreed on to join
forces in order to fill the gap left by the closure
of the office. The new network will be known
as ‘European Music Exporters Exchange’ but
it is not yet known whether this organisation
will install and maintain an office in Brussels,
the political and administrative nerve centre of
Europe, to continue to lobby for the benefit
and the needs of popular music.
Eurosonic Noorderslag has reached a level
where many things occur simultaneously –
it’s busy! It has become almost impossible to
follow up on all of the developments, notabl e
information or concerts during this event.
Meanwhile the event continues to deliver an
ongoing flow of valuable issues and encounter s
that are essential to the present and future of
the European music business. With all this in
mind, the Eurosonic Noorderslag team once
again delivered an extremely well produced
and fruitful convention.
There was only one real gripe which
concerned the RFID-payment-system in
the delegate bar on Saturday evening (the
Noorderslag show which concentrates on
Dutch talent) in the main venue Oosterport .
In reference to Ivan Milivojev’s previous
statement this RFID-system needs to be
improved , as the payment-procedures took
three-times longer than a beer is be tapped...
Networking at Eurosonic 2014
9
The Winners Of the European Festival AwardsYES Group H&S Innovation AwardPresented in association with the YES Group and ICM&SSPaleo Festival
Best New FestivalB.my.Lake
Festival Anthem of the YearDaft Punk - Get Lucky
Best Indoor Festival Metal Hammer Paradise
The Green Operations AwardIn association with the GO Group Way Out West
Best European Festival Line-UpBerlin Festival
Newcomer of the YearIn association with Eurosonic NoorderslagImagine Dragons
Artist’s Favourite European Festival Lowlands
Headliner of the YearArctic Monkeys
Promoter Of The Year FKP Scorpio
Best Small Festival FUSION Festival (Romania)
Best Medium-Sized FestivalIn association with Eventbrite Melt! Festival
Best Major Festival in association with Intelligent Venue SolutionsEXIT Festival
Lifetime Achievement AwardMarek Lieberberg
Marek Lieberberg
The First ETEP-Chart 2014
Jungle / 7
Royal Blood / 5
Milky Chance / 5
Sam Smith / 4
George Ezra / 4
Eurosonic Noorderslag
in figures
Total visitors ESNS (sold out): 38.500
(previous year: 35.000)
Conference visitors (sold out): 3,275 (3,250)
Nationalities: 39 (45)
Acts: 337 (304)
Number of stages at Eurosonic: 36 (36)
Number of stages at Noorderslag; 11(12)
Media & journalists: 307 (404)
EBU radio stations: 30 (31)
ETEP festivals: 89 (78)
International festivals: 419 (417)
The Winners of the European Border Breaker Awards 2014The EBBA’s celebrates European artists that have achieved cross border success with their first international release.
Disclosure (UK),
Icona Pop (SE),
Jacco Gardner (NL), Envy (NO),
Zedd (DE),
Lukas Graham (DK),
Kodaline (IE), – also won the celebrated
EBBA ‘Public Choice Award’
GuGabriel (AT),
Asgeir (IS) and
Woodkid (FR).10
VIPNEWS > JANUARY 2014 > INDEPTH STORY > EUROSONIC NOORDERSLAG 2014
The Return of Barnaby Harodd to Eurosonic Noorderslag The delegates at this edition of Eurosonic Noorderslag ranged from
RFID-providers from New Zealand and tekkie masterminds from
SXSW Interactive in Austin/Texas. However, VIP News picked on
Barnaby Harodd from Mercury Wheels in Madrid and asked him
about his experience of the current edition of this convention:
What is your impression of Eurosonic Noorderslag 2014?
– It’s great, crazy madness that is my impression. It’s good crazy
madness !
Are you here for the first time?
– No, I came here like 10 years ago and then I stopped coming
because early January is the only time where I can have my holidays
and where I can turn my mobile-phone off. But now they’ve changed
to a later date, I think it’s now nearly the third week, it that means I
can come again. It’s changed a lot, it’s much bigger now.
Do you come more for business relations or to see bands here?
– I came mainly for business; how should I put this….we’ve drafted
a couple of agreements. We haven’t signed anything yet, but one is
about to confirm. But we have also made some deal proposals that
we will take up again on Monday and Tuesday next week. I’m working
with Daniel Poveda who has been doing a festival in Northern Spain,
the Vida-Festival. It is a much loved and well respected festival, it’s
been running for 10 years and in the last 3 years it’s been sold out. It
started as a small festival for about 1.500 people, but now Danny’s
got to move to a bigger capacity for about 10.000 people. I’m doing
the international booking for this festival. So one of the reasons why
I’m here is to check out possibilities and availabilities for bands for the
summer season.
In terms of the economic situation in Spain these days, how is
it when you are talking here to UK agents or other European
agents?
– We made an offer, a very big offer, I can’t say who it is, but it was
a big act. In the end it didn’t happen because the offer from another
bidder was twice as much as what I was offering. I thought my offer
was already a high one and when I called the agent he took the
phone and said “Ah, Barnaby, the guy from the other country ran out
of money.” I think that says it all.
But what matters most for you, looking for talent or rather to
meet the right people that can ensure a proper future for your
company?
– I think it’s both, you know. We meet a lot of people and it’s always
good to see people that you’ve been in contact with by e-mail. I’ve
seen a lot of people this weekend who I only exchanged e-mails with
before. And that’s a very good thing, when you see someone you
can look them in the eyes, you can actually relate to somebody a
lot more, it’s very helpful. So, when you send the next e-mail next
Tuesday or even a few weeks later, you already have a closer bond
with this person because you’ve seen him, you’ve had a beer with
him, you’ve laughed. That’s important.
We’ve also seen some acts we really like, so we’re looking for talents as
well and we’ve made a lot of deals. So, pretty much all of it, checking
out talents, making business deals and seeking new partners.
What’s the next convention you’re heading to?
– Texas, South by Southwest. Oh, actually no, the next convention is
the annual meeting of the Spanish promoter association APM, that’s
in mid February. It’s going to take place in Saragossa and there will be
some new promoters I think. There I will sit down with all the Spanish
promoters, some of them are really rivals, you know, we’re fighting
about bands. But when we meet and have a nice glass of whatever
then we are friends again.
Has the market in Spain got a little bit better?
– They say it’s getting better, we had a 0,3 percent growth in the last
quarter, but I still think our problem in Spain is the VAT, which went
up from 8 up to 21 percent.
Do you expect that APM will be able to find a way to resolve
this tax issue?
– They’ve tried very hard, we’ve had some fairly good answers from
the Government, there are couple of ministers that say that maybe
it was a bad idea to increase V.A.T. on culture tickets. APM will join
up with the cinema and the theatre people and will create a single
culture lobby. We will continue to raise awareness and we will show
them how many jobs are being lost. We’ve got nearly 50 percent less
tours, that’s too much for everybody. Some promoters are going out
of business; some promoters have laid people off. We pay 30 percent
on tax and royalty deductions, so what shall we do? Our rivals in
France are paying 11 percent. So, of course I lose tours and I lose
bands. That’s more a problem for us than the actual financial crisis.
For more information please check www.mercurywheels.com
11
VIPNEWS > JANUARY 2014 > INDEPTH STORY > EUROSONIC NOORDERSLAG 2014
At the Bar with Robert Meijerink
It is one of these traditions at Eurosonic
Noorderslag, catching up with Robert
Meijerink towards the end of the event.
Meijerink is the booker of the Eurosonic
festival and as such the most relevant talent
supplier or coordinator for the European
Talent Exchange Program
VIP News: Are you happy now?
– Yes, I am really happy, yes.
What have been the biggest pleasures
and what were the most unlikely things
that you experienced at this edition of
Eurosonic Noorderslag?
– To answer the first question: When we
started booking this festival, we asked
ourselves how we could move it up to
another level. How can we re-invent the
heart of Eurosonic and try to make things
better, learn from the faults of the previous
year. That’s always a good position to start,
but when it comes to booking you have to
deal with lots of music and you have many
choices. Every year, in that process, it’s
alway s hard to find a way; but in the end
we do find our way. Now about the negative
things – we had to deal with difficult things
in the booking-process, like, the confirmed
venue Huize Maas was badly damaged by
a fire last year. As a booker you look at the
entire festival from a helicopter perspective.
You try to give every artist the best spot that
is possible and ensure that the people, not
only the delegates, can find their way, so
they can enjoy the program in the best way
possible . When the cancellation of a venue
comes so late in the game, it’s like you really
have to start all over again.
When did this news reach you?
– In mid September and the deadline is first
of November. Normally we start with the EBU
(European Broadcasting Union) program first,
every EBU act was confirmed, and so we had
to re-schedule every act from the Huize Maas
to other venues. In the end we succeeded, we
managed to have the Magic Mirror and also
the Der AA-Kerk. That’s just a particular thing
affecting the booking-process , this is not a
game that you play every year; every year
Robert Meijerink – Booker at Eurosonic
12
it’s something different . Music first, there
are many upcoming talents, so how you are
going to book the festival, who is going to
be selected and why? When I start booking
the festival then I rely on the venues we
have, and as one big venue like Huize Maas
is gone…wow, that was my personal biggest
set-back of the year. It was really like a slap in
the face, it pushed me not in a wrong way, of
course, but we had to deal with it and I think
we’ve found a great solution by having both
venues to accommodate the acts. No one
was talking about the ‘Huize-Maas-Effect’,
so I think that is a good thing.
I only noticed today that the venue was
not in the listings for this year.
– Yes, I was there one week after the fire, it’s
not totally destroyed but it’s badly damaged.
I’ve been told that Eurosonic Noorderslag
was sold out in fifteen minutes. Can you
confirm that?
– Yes, that’s right
Is that normal or is it a record?
– No, it’s like last year.
Have you had problems with secondary
ticketing?
– Yes, of course. I think that secondary
ticketin g is an unacceptable way to make easy
money. They are not doing their job, they are
profiting from the efforts of someone else.
How was it that there was a StubHub
reception in the Oosterpoort ?
– I don’t know. That’s really interesting, that
is new to me, really. Secondary ticketing is
a hot topic, as you know. Not only in the
Netherlands , it’s all over Europe.
I’ve seen so much of a media presence
here; maybe I’m wrong but it seems far
more than previously. What does it mean
to you in terms of productions? Do you
have a higher number of requests from
media companies or is it pretty much as
usual?
– We have more requests than before, it’s
developed over the last few years. I think it
is important to have media on board and
I’m really glad that we have group media
attending Eurosonic, because we have so
many acts that are investing in their careers.
For me as a booker it is very important to
have the right people at the right place,
because I care about the acts who come
with a growing ambition, with a strategy, a
dream, however you want to call it. Media is
very important but not only the media, the
professionals in general, people who come
to discover the talents and invest in them, of
course. It all makes sense.
In the past you had concerts presented
by Visions and particularly Intro in
Germany . What happened to them?
– Well, we don’t want to grow bigger in terms
of selling more tickets. It’s almost impossible
in terms of the past years, in regards to the
conference and also the live-show cases, we
do need every single thing in order to fulfill
the bookings. It was fine to work together in
the way we did, with, for example, Visions
or Intro, who were always great and helpful
partners, in order to present the new acts,
but we also want to work with the media in
a more targeted situation as we did this year.
We think that it makes more sense. If you
have an Intro night, it’s always a great night,
well-attended, great musicians, but at the
end it’s not about Intro, it’s about the artists,
you know?
Looking back at the ETEP edition in 2013,
are you pleased with the results of the
Programme and the EBBA Awards? Was
there any highlight for you, something
that surprised you in any way?
– Oh, that’s a pretty hard question. There
were quite a few acts who broke through.
Kodaline won an award, Ásgeir played his
first show outside of Iceland, and exactly one
year ago he was an EBU act. He is just 18 years
old and for me it is great because I discovered
this act in Iceland and in cooperation with the
radio station RAS we confirmed him as an act
to play at Eurosonic. We discussed whether
it was really the right moment or should we
wait for one year. He had a massive success
with his debut-album in Iceland. I saw him
on stage in Iceland and I thought this is really
everything an act needs in order to make the
next step, not only content-wise. His father,
who is a famous poet in Iceland, wrote his
lyrics. It’s a big story and he’s a great musi-
cian backed up by his friends, maybe more
experienced and also great musicians. It was
a great show at Eurosonic but not everyone
was aware of that fact. He played twice and
one year later he earned so much success,
John Grant from Canada translated his lyrics
and a UK Label released a UK edition.
And he also won an award…
– Yes, he did.
Would you say that the ties between
EBBA and ETEP are a little bit closer than
before?
– I think it’s hard to say. I think Ásgeir is an
exception and also a great example of how
we would love to see a development, like a
total unknown act who is upcoming, new, it’s
not about winning an award, it’s more about
the fact that he is touring as an headliner act
through so many territories around the world
right now.
Are you also in contact with the festiva l
bookers of ETEP, do they tell you, for
example , that they have a certain
demand for dancehall or alternative
artist s?
– I’ m in touch with a few of them; of course I
like to talk with them about their preference s.
There are so many festivals involved at ETEP,
so many genres. It’s about there being so
much diversity Europe. Eurosonic is focused
on pop music in general, dancehall and metal
is always a part of it but we don’t have a rich
history in booking metal acts.
What is next on the agenda?
– Finishing this edition, surviving this evening ,
celebrating the success. Every year a couple
of weeks after Eurosonic we sit together and
we review what we did and then we look
ahead to the next edition.
VIPNEWS > JANUARY 2014 > INDEPTH STORY > EUROSONIC NOORDERSLAG 2014
13
On the Move with Fabien Miclet Manfred Tari [email protected]
Fabien Miclet is one of the very few people in the music business
who has a decent awareness about what really goes on in Brussels .
Although , to be accurate there is a lot going on in the political
universe of the European Parliament and the European Commission,
but unfortunately very little in favour of the music business.
Till November 2013 Miclet was project manager of the European
Musi c Office (EMO) and handled the business of the organisation
until it unfortunately went into administration. It has to be noted that
Miclet took over this post after the financial problems had already has
been caused. Nevertheless it was he who handled the last months of
this so far one and only office that until now was the one and only
organisation that actually undertook at least some lobbying efforts
for popular music. And this in an political environment that is very
well known for mainly supporting large scale farming, financial or
chemical industries.
After EMO you started working for the concert venue Ancienne
Belgique in Brussels. What are you actually doing there?
– I’m currently coordinating an application for EU funding for a
very exciting project involving AB and 12 more likeminded music
venue s from all across the European continent. Our idea is to create
a platform of concert halls and clubs encouraging the circulation
of emerging artists. It will work through a bonus system: the more
emerging European acts you book, the more money you get. On
top of this, we’re also striving to build a sustainable, ever-growing
networ k of venues working together and learning from each other.
We will submit an application for EU funding in March of this year.
You are probably one of the very few persons in the music
industry that have an idea of what is going on in the political
cosmos of the European Parliament and the European
Commission and its related administrative bodies in Brussels.
Please let us know what is happening there that might affect
the music industry...
– Well, there are many subjects on the table in Brussels that have a
direct impact on the music industry. A European directive on collectiv e
rights management is being discussed at the moment. The new 2014-
2020 cultural funding Programme, Creative Europe, has just been
launched. The negotiations on the free trade agreement with the US
started last year, and the European Parliament elections are going
to take place in May. The composition of the new Parliament will
be important for the music sector; this institution is responsible for
voting on a great variety of legislations, some of which have a direct
impact on the music industry, in a variety of policy fields including
copyright, licensing, taxation, visas, work permits, broadcasting rules,
and many more subjects.
Creative Europe is the new culture support program by
the European Union. Do you see a difference between the
forerunner programme and the new one?
– Yes, and I would say that progress has been achieved since the
Culture Programme’ - 2007-2014. To begin with, music is now
recognized as an actual sector in the eyes of the EU, while it was
considered only as one among other components of the ‘performing
arts’ in the last Programme. In the past, popular music projects had
to compete directly with theatre, ballet, opera and other art forms
which traditionally heavily rely on public funding and have decade s
of experienc e in securing subsidies. Another improvement we have
triggered is that the new Creative Europe Programme will now
includ e topics such as new business models, access to finance, and
touring in its guidelines. This wouldn’t have been conceivable a few
years back, when the priority of the Culture Programme was mostly
to provide funding in support of the ‘intrinsic value’ of culture and the
preservation of cultural heritage.
Within the proposed budget for Creative Europe, 55 percent
of the 1.46 million Euros is dedicated to the film sector. Any
idea why the designers of Creative Europe are so crazy about
Fabien Miclet
VIPNEWS > JANUARY 2014 > INDEPTH STORY > EUROSONIC NOORDERSLAG 2014
15
16
supporting the film and movie industry and thereby neglecting
other creative sectors?
– It’s safe to say that the cinema industry is way ahead of most
cultura l and creative sectors when it comes to securing EU fundin g.
In fact, before the Creative Europe Programme, the audiovisual sector
had its own distinct Programme, called the MEDIA Programme, which
was concentrating on most of Europe’s cultural funding. All financial
envelopes have now been merged through the Creative Europe
Programme , but cinema is still vastly over-represented within this new
system. There are various reasons explaining this ‘patronage ’ in favor
of the film industry. The first that comes to mind is that all components
of this sector (directors, actors, authors, studios, etc.) have been
lobbying together in Brussels for much longer than other cultural
players. The cinema industry holds a well-established, well-endowed
and panoramic lobbying position in Brussels. This discrepanc y in the
allocation of funding within the Creative Europe Programme is the
result of a 30-year old collective lobbying effort. No other cultural and
creative sector has invested that much for so long in its presence in
the environment of the European institutions.
The support schemes for the film sector are well developed
and serve exactly the needs of this industry. The needs of
the music sector are to even a very far extent not so well
specified and documented as thoseof the film industry. What
went wrong?
– Far too recently the music sector became aware of the importance
of advocating its case in Brussels. Besides, its lobbying effort is too
disparate, torn between larger organizations focusing exclusively on
piracy and copyright, others advocating for music as a non-industrial
sector, and those who try to have a more streamlined impact on the
industry as a whole. Another thing is the industry’s relative timidity
regarding investment in lobbying compared to the cinema sector. A
structure like EMO, which had a transversal approach to the issues
faced by the European music sector, as well as an unmatched sectorial
grasp of EU funding mechanisms, was shut down recently due to lack
of funding. The popular music industry needs to realise that Brussels
is where a large part of its future is being decided: be it for structural
funding, digital rules or trade and export regulations, many important
decisions are now made at EU level, not in the Member-States. I hope
the initiative launched last week at Eurosonic (the idea of creating a
new European network of national music export offices) will go in
that direction.
Looking at the document ‘Commission Staff Working Paper for
establishing a Creative Europe Framework Programme’ the term
‘film’ is mentioned 220 times, the term ‘music’ 41 times. Digging
a bit deeper, the term ‘cinema’ 65 the term ‘concert’ 6 times. The
document itself consists of 170 pages. With other words, this
document even proves that the creators of Creative Europe are
obviously film enthusiasts and created a program that is very
unbalanced. Would you recommend that in particular the live
music sector now should launch a political campaign regarding
the unfair policies of EU-burocrats and politicians?
– This is a very interesting question. At the core of the cinema
industry’s lobbying strategy, you find three principles: teamwork,
differentiation and visibility. Teamwork means that all branches of the
sector will speak with one voice on certain subjects (and of course,
funding is one of these). Differentiation: in all aspects of the advocacy
work, the film sector presents itself as substantially distinct from
other cultural sectors, arguing the peculiarities of its value chain and
its relativ e economic importance. And perhaps the most important
point is visibility: Often when an important subject is discussed at EU
level, the film sector invests in briefing movie stars and acclaimed film
director s and bringing them to Brussels. And guess what: EU officials
will always prefer a chat in person with Lars Von Trier, Almodovar, or
Daniel Bruhl over reading yet another policy paper on private copy
levies or cross-border licensing. Can you blame them?
There is no objective reason why popular music should be treated
with less regard than the film sector. They’re equally useful soft-
power tools for Europe, they are both essential for cultural diversity
and they contribute to the EU’s economy in equivalent proportions.
If the music industry manages to put together a comprehensive and
catchy advocacy strategy, it will achieve better results. But the sector
would first need to invest much more in lobbying, to start working
together, to believe in itself and to mobilise its artists and creators as
often as possible. To answer your question, yes, ambitious campaigns
should be launched, but complaining about ‘unfair’ policies won’t
solve much. We need to do more in order to achieve more.
Since the end of December it is possible to apply for funds
within the various sub-programs of Creative Europe. Within
the previous culture program only a handful of popular
music -related projects actually received funding. The formal
requirements are tough, the bureaucratic burdens even
tougher. Does it make sense to submit an application within
such a pop-music -hostile-environment?
– I agree, these forms are quite heavy, and the requirements to
become eligible for funding are sometimes difficult to work with. But
it’s really worth it, and I see no reason why successful EU-funded
initiatives like ETEP or the EBBAs should be the only ones out there.
Moreover, as I said, the new Programme is now less unfavourable to
the music sector, the focus is more business-oriented and competition
is less distorted with the other performing arts sectors. Unfortunately
EMO isn’t there anymore to help with the paperwork and to give
advice for projects, but there are specific ‘Creative Europe Desks’ in all
EU countries which are very helpful. It always makes sense to submit
an application as long as you have a good idea. It’s never a piece of
cake, but if you get through, financial support can be consequent. No
pain, no gain…
VIPNEWS > JANUARY 2014 > INDEPTH STORY > EUROSONIC NOORDERSLAG 2014
VIPNEWS > JANUARY 2014
Ralf Scheffler and the Rebirth Of Batschkapp Manfred Tari [email protected]
After 37 years the well-known concert venue Batschkapp in Frankfurt
has found a new home. It is one of these rare stories of a re-location
of a famous concert club that has existed for ages starting all over
again in new location. VIP News spoke with Ralf Scheffler, boss and
business mastermind of Batschkapp:
What led you to re-locate Batschkapp?
– Our aim was to obtain a capacity up to 1.500 people. In fact we
have been aware of the fact that extensive renovation measures were
necessary to keep the ‘old’ Batschkapp in business. So we thought it
is more reasonable to invest our money in a new project.
When planning the new Batschkapp, what have your priorities
been for the new venue?
– We wanted to obtain a better room and technical facilities for artists
and for the audience as well.
Have you or the architect had to consider many new obligations
and requirements by the building authorities?
– Well, we had to consider the very well known and highly respected
„Versammlungsstätten Verordnung“. (A German masterpiece and
untranslatable word for a well designed guideline of health and safety
settings for venues and locations.- Ed.)
Planning and opening a new concert location always comes
along with some surprises.
– Any exciting examples that caused your astonishment?
Not really - except one perhaps: the fire brigade requested an
emergency power supply for the smoke extractor, two very big
ventilators that start working in the case of fire and suck in smoke in
the, from my point of view unlikely event, when a power black out
in the town district occurs by sheer chance at the same time a fire
starts... A quite unlikely coincidence that would eventually only occur
in the case of war or a terror attack. However, this requirement wasn’t
to be discussed...
How big is the investment and are you pleased with the
backing by your bank and the local authorities in Frankfurt?
– The investment is around 2.7 million Euros. The real estate office of
Frankfurt purchased the premises exactly for this purpose as the City
of Frankfurt was highly interested in keeping us in the city. The banks
actually played no role at all within this process, in fact the entire
investment has been done completely without any support by a bank.
In particular our bank, which we worked pleasantly together with for
37 years, has covered itself in this regard with particular fame.
For further information please check
www.batschkapp.tickets.de/de
Ralf Scheffler
Batschkapp
17
VIPNEWS > BUSINESS > JANUARY 2014 MUSIC IN SHARES
Music in SharesManfred Tari [email protected]
No exciting mind blowing news by the corporate concert companies when this newsletter went to print. Only some variations within the share
price overview are to be reported:
CTS Eventim passed the 40 Euro border:
40.60 Euro for a CTS Eventim share on January 24 compared to 36.79
Euro on December 24...
One Nil Less for DEAG:
But also commas could make a difference on figures... 4.60 for DEAG
compared to 4.19 Euro on Christmas Eve.
Live Nation above $21
$19.82 for Live Nation one month ago, this time already at $21.26
SFX Entertainment - Where has the Christmas Bonus Gone?
From $11.45 on Christmas Eve, down to $9.91...
18
ORBITAL ñ 25th year anniversary tour in 2014 Territory: The World excluding USA / Period: May onwardsAgency: Value Added Talent / Agent: Dan SilverPhone: +44 207 704 97 20E-mail: [email protected]: www.vathq.co.uk
Alan Parsons Live Project Territory: Worldwide / Period: 2014Agency: World Entertainment Associates of AmericaAgent: John Regna - Artist Agent/ManagerPhone: +1 407-993-4000E-mail: [email protected]: www.AlanParsonsTourPromo.com
Pacifico BluesTerritory: EuropePeriod 2014Agency: Specific MusicAgent: Chantelle DuncanPhone: +442074834440E-mail: [email protected]: www.pacificoblues.com
THE ORCHESTRA starring ELO former membersTerritory: Worldwide / Period: 2014-2015Agency: World Entertainment Associates of AmericaAgent: John Regna - Artist Agent/ManagerPhone: +1 407-993-4000E-mail: [email protected]: www.THEORCHESTRAonline.com
The AllStars Collective Territory: EuropePeriod: 2013 / 2014Agency: Specific MusicAgent: Paul PacificoPhone: +442074834440E-mail: [email protected]: www.theallstars.co.uk
AC ANGRY Territory: EuropePeriod: Winter 2013 & 2014Agency: Dr. Music ManagementAgent: Torsten Wohlgemuth & Miriam GuiguenoPhone: +49 2331 127 46 25E-mail: [email protected]: www.acangry.com
MORE ARTIST AVAILS ON:WWW.VIP-BOOKING.COM
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ARTIST AVAILS
Orbital
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