Dedicated to the Business of Contemporary Live Music
Many an aspiring artiste dreams of their first festival appearance and others see repeated festival appearances as a way to attract more followers, but it’s a big leap up from pubs and bars, and a bad performance can do serious harm. Rob Sandall reports Festival slots for unsigned and…
Read moreEVOLUTION EMERGING, Generator’s festival, held in numerous venues across Newcastle, has for the first time added a free conference programme at Sage (cap. 300) in Gateshead. Talent development manager Charlie Dancer says that the conference will be largely aimed at emerging artistes, but notes that it will also be applicable…
Read moreTHE LABEL Lodge, an Association of Independent Music (AIM) initiative that sees members host weekly pop-up residencies in Jäger Soho (cap. 200), London, has gotten underway to enthusiastic reactions. Following its debut last year, the space will feature residences by UK independent labels including 4AD, Sunday Best, Holy Roar, Wichita,…
Read morePRS FOUNDATION’S (PRSF) Momentum Music Fund, created to offer grants of between £5,000 and £15,000 to emerging UK artistes, has generated £13 million for the British music industry, according to the findings of an independent evaluation. PRSF CEO Vanessa Reed says that the report confirms that seed funding can have a…
Read moreIn a world of DIY development, the emerging artiste might be forgiven for assuming that the odds of getting an early record deal are slim, Rob Sandall finds out if that is the case There’s been much rhetoric over recent years concerning the role of the indie record label….
Read moreTHE MULTI-VENUE Liverpool International Music Festival (LIMF) is gearing up to select new inductees to its much-lauded Academy, an initiative created to help local emerging talent between the ages of 16 and 25. Music manager and creator Yaw Owusu says that the Academy has been setup in an effort to…
Read moreThe humble pub has seen its place in live music questioned in recent years, but remains the starting point for many acts. Rob Sandall talks to the landlords and promoters providing a crucial platform. Those with a significant amount of experience under their belt might just about remember…
Read moreCLOTHING BRAND Superdry has announced its entry into the emerging live music market, teaming up with Vision Nine – the group responsible for events including Boardmasters (cap. 50,000) and NASS festival (15,000) – which will involve the curation of stages across numerous European festivals. Boardmasters’ business development director Les Seddon-Brown,…
Read moreBRIDGEND’S TOURING potential might not be immediately apparent to emerging acts, but Dean Whittaker, in-house booker for Hobos (cap. 220) and owner of promotions company Imperial Music, is always on the lookout for new acts. Whittaker, who began promoting in 2008, says that the overall experience for acts visiting Bridgend…
Read moreBROADWICK LIVE, the company behind festivals including Truck Festival (cap. 10,000), South West Four (20,000), Kendal Calling (25,000) and Y NOT (25,000), has announced that in addition to taking part in AIF’s Drastic on Plastic campaign, numerous events within its portfolio will be further adhering to their own self-imposed standards. Director…
Read moreTHE 10,000-capacity Black Deer festival will be hosting a battle of the bands for acts of the ‘roots-based’ persuasion vying to join a line-up including Passenger, Iron & Wine and Jason Isbell. The acts, says industry veteran Gill Tee of EnterTee, will be picked by judges to represent a balance…
Read moreTHOSE LOOKING to book shows in the Southampton and Bournemouth areas would do well to contact Ricky Bates who hosts regular shows for acts of the rock and punk persuasion. Operating in venues including The Joiners Arms (cap. 200), for which he acts as head booker, The 1865 (750) and…
Read moreONLINE MUSIC distribution platform Ditto, designed for independent artistes, managers and labels, has announced a new one-day unsigned music conference and networking event, Ditto X. Mike Murphy, who manages the ‘record label in a box’ side of the platform, says that the goal is to build panel discussions that help independent…
Read moreEKLECTICA, A new 8,000-capacity festival taking place in Isle of Wight’s Robin Hill County Park is encouraging local artistes to take the warm-up slot for headliners The Hoosiers. Clare Ross, marketing manager of Vectis Ventures (VV), says that the event will provide a unique opportunity for the winning act. “VV…
Read moreMULTI-VENUE showcase and conference Wide Days has announced the full programme and speaker list for its forthcoming event in Edinburgh. Founder Olaf Furniss says that the programme, which covers topics including A&R, ticket touts, streaming and label models, has been designed to create a level playing field for newer members…
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