Location: Westminster Room, Royal Garden Hotel
15.30

Present:

• Michael Bisping A.S.S. Concert & Promotion/IDKV
• James Sellar Music Managers Forum, U.K.
• Keith Owen Production Services Association, UK
• Gunnar Lagerman Rock Party, Sweden
• Roberto Meglioli Asso Musica, Italy
• Carole Smith Concert Promoters Association,UK

Introductions were made and it was agreed that, in the absence of a formal agenda, those present would report on matters of interest and concern in their areas.

Michael told the meeting that IDKV is a member of the European Music Office (EMO) and he had attended a meeting during this year's Midem. Representatives from France and Germany talked about possibilities between neighbouring countries to encourage people to engender more opportunities between their countries, and to discuss what could be done to change the focus of EMO to pop, rock and jazz music. The outcome was not concrete, however Michael reported that for the first time he felt there was an awareness in the meeting. It was agreed that it was wrong to concentrate on the issues of the past couple of years, which were everything to do with commercial music and commercial product as that is what makes waves, makes money and puts pressure on politicians.

Many EC members were present at the EMO meeting. The result is that EMO are now trying to come up with strategies in terms of financial backbone.
Ideas were requested on:

• exchange of product
• exchange of touring
• exchange of artistes

The EMO were made to understand that popular commercial music relies on publicity - the first priority is to bring an act to the public via radio, television - and all aspects of the work which needs to be done before an artiste reaches touring level. Michael said the EMO seemed to recognise that there is a level of how things are connected, but was unsure how it would turn into any financial backup, as these matters take time.

Gunnar reported that he had very positive meetings with the EMO in April 2001. They wanted to see projects and research. The first conference in Brussels concerned the Belgian Presidency, when a joint position paper was presented. They wanted to get the IFPI involved. Gunnar objected as there was no representative from live music. Gunnar felt that they finally recognized the special needs of the music industry, and that the EMO was not only back on track, but better than ever. Gunnar pointed out that he represents all the concert promoters in Norway and lobbies EMO on behalf of all of them.

Gunnar reported that he had been working on an educational pilot in Norway and Denmark. This has been proposed to the EC as a possible pilot scheme. Nothing can be more important today than safety of the audience, artiste and the staff.

Michael reported that since August 2001 there has been a scheme in place in Germany whereby the skills of promoting can be learned. This is official education which ends with an exam and certified qualifications, which takes two and a half to three years to complete. The success of the scheme cannot be judged as it is still too early, but Michael reported that there is an enormous amount of interest from people wishing to work in promoting, venues, conferencing; i.e. events.
Courses are being conducted in every city in Germany. IDKV's involvement has been in teaching the teachers. Michael predicted that it would take 5 - 6 years for the scheme to be properly established and evaluated. Throughout Germany there are many clubs, stadthalles, and concert venues who need to employ well trained people.

Gunnar reported on his work towards harmonized training standards. Two pilots have been proposed to EMO. 'Music As A Business' will be presented in Brussels in April. Gunnar advised that research had been carried out by GFK and the figures included were certified information. He felt that this will make politicians take notice. Live music represents more money than the record industry and employs more people. All kinds of music from rock to classical are covered.

James told the meeting that the government in the UK is finally recognizing the importance of the music industry. There was going to be an all party group, however Peter Wishart did not get the job and the role has now gone to someone who knows nothing about music, which summed up the problems in the UK. Michael said he thought it would be easier here, as for instance, in Germany there are 15 separate Ministers rather than one Minister for Culture. James told the meeting that the group had been somewhat hijacked by the BPI, however the BPI have been persuaded to involve other sectors of the music industry.

Keith reported that the Event Industry Group made up of ten associations are lobbying the government for recognition via the Department of Media, Culture and Sport as the event industry is very keen to maximize its potential.

James reported that another scheme which has come in useful in the UK is one organized with trade partners, whereby international Consulate Officers are bring brought to the UK to be trained in UK practices. The MMF will advise on matters concerning artiste managers. This is designed to build up a knowledge base about the industry. The trainees are made aware of what are the concerns of other countries.

Gunnar suggested involving the PSA and MMF in his Pilot Action 1 as he felt certification should be harmonized. The first test of the pilot will be carried out during Spring/Summer with implementation scheduled for October 2002.

Gunnar pointed out that in Europe you cannot be a promoter without a licence.

James: Ideally any kind of education system put in place will include some kind of monitoring.

Gunnar said that he wants to include Associations across Europe in his education programme. He would like the programme to be offered to people when they are able to do it, with a degree of flexibility.

Gunnar reported that Yourope now has 28 members. His goal is to increase this number to 35 this year.

Michael told the meeting of the problems of breaking new acts in Germany because of restricted radio playlists. Keith confirmed that this is also the case in the UK. Gunnar - European Broadcast Union (EBU). Need to bring the talent to where you have the audience.

Roberto reported on the matters of concern being discussed between promoters, agents and record companies in Italy.

• Who owns the music these days?
• The unbelievable lack of new talent being experienced in Italy.
  • Who is dictating the taste of the people?
  • There is concern that radio is orientating the taste of the people.
  • Some acts who have heavy, or more than heavy, rotation on radio do not sell a concert ticket.
• Education: Who is responsible for this?
• Globalisation: Who is responsible for this? Who is driving the car at the moment?
• Clear Channel: Concern was expressed, not in terms of commercial power, but in terms of the power of control.

Keith said he felt the live music scene had been strangled. People do not go to see bands in pubs any more. One reason for this is that if two people perform, there are no restrictions, but if three or more people perform, a licence is required. It was confirmed that this has happened everywhere.

Michael said he felt there was no lack of new talent in Germany, however we are not looking after new talent any more. As promoters, are we willing to risk our money on young acts, or are we waiting until the point has been reached where it is not a risk any more? We would do it if there was money to be made by nurturing a new band. Michael's company has a reputation for breaking new acts in Germany over the past 12 years, but it is becoming harder and harder. Keith felt people don't want to make the emotional involvement. If Associations were to take the cultural aspect more into account rather than a good tour business approach, perhaps this would be a good start. The cultural approach was seen as being the more long term approach.

Gunnar pointed out that at his festival he has one stage for unsigned bands only. This has proved hugely popular, and about 25% of the bands get signed afterwards.

Roberto told the meeting that at present only one in 400 records released in Italy breaks even, according to the Record Company Association. This was generally seen as the result of the short termism attitude which has been evident over the past few years.

Keith warned that the writing is on the wall if we carry on like this. On a positive note, he told the meeting that the outlook on the equipment side was brighter as they are able to diversify, e.g. for a car launch the same equipment would be used as for U2. He said that record companies should have maximized on the potential of technology such as MP3. Gunnar gave an example of how this can work, as two weeks prior to a festival, he sends out a sampler.

Concerns of the CPA include the reduction of ambient noise levels by Brussels.
This has implications for everyone.

Keith said that the PSA are trying to get the Government to recognise the size and scale of the event industry and not to see it just as 'Arts and the Media', although it does have a crossover. Ten different associations are involved in this initiative.

Gunnar: "We should try to move forward by establishing an informal kind of network, e.g. by encouraging the European Festival and Events Association (which is not really about music) and the European Arenas Association to exchange information." Keith said that compiling a list of all Associations would be very helpful. Gunnar referred Keith to the Globetrotters Guide.

It was agreed that those present should exchange e-mail addresses and should write to each other twice a year to pass on information.

Carl Leighton-Pope

 

Starting right at the beginning: It's Friday afternoon at the ILMC and Carl Leighton-Pope is talking up his Talking Shop. He shouldn't need to be an agent because he's not a bad act himself. He's glib enough to be a talk show host and he's an ILMC enthusiast but this year, it was a tough gig. The brief appears to have been to discuss what has happened over the last 12 months, and that's difficult ground. It includes what's now known as 9/11 and, if an incident can be understandably referred to by its date rather than what actually happened, then everybody already knows enough about it anyway.

Acts got brown-trousered and cancelled their tours. American acts, in particular, pulled European dates, thereby showing that they felt it safer to stay in the country where the disaster happened, rather than fly to a place where it didn't. That was probably just the strange logic of the paranoid. It's understandable because they must have felt it like a shock of cosmic magnitude.

Perhaps the real lesson to be learned is to remember the phrase, "Know your enemy." The Western world didn't do that. It thought it knew that the other lot is crazy, but it didn't know it's that crazy.

The terrorists have often been referred to as "fundamentalists," and a quick glance at a dictionary will tell us what that actually means. Even a cheap one will explain that fundamental is "complete, underlying and effecting everything." The same dictionary says nothing to suggest that analysis doesn't include crashing big aeroplanes into even bigger buildings. The Western world was more than a little surprised to find that out. That's because the Western world assumes there's a limit. Fundamentally, there isn't.

Asking Leighton-Pope to start with a review of the year means he can easily get himself into a position where he ends up explaining what's happened to everyone in the last twelve months, potentially falling down, because didn't all of us know that anyway?

The trouble was that this year, Leighton-Pope changed his approach, inviting others to talk, so it turned out to be like just any other panel. Somehow, its character was diluted. Leighton-Pope does The Talking Shop better when he does it solo, although guests like Fritz Rau (last year) add an extra sparkle to it. The special guests are best saved for the special occasions; otherwise, it just ceases to be special.

That doesn't mean those who went up onstage didn't speak well because, without exception, they did. But what's usually a short, sharp blast of an opening meandered around and around looking for a spark. It works best when Hopewell and Leighton-Pope say, "Welcome to another ILMC," amuse us with good humour for an hour or so and then tell everyone to get out and mingle, and get their meetings and greetings ... well, meeted and greeted.

Still, any criticism of this year's Talking Shop is like saying it's my favourite band, but I'm a bit disappointed with the latest album.

Some good came out of it. There was a discussion on 9/11 cancellations and postponements, but there was also the impression that it was something a few unhappy promoters would feel better about once they'd got it off their chests.

The general tide of opinion said these cancellations needn't have happened, and Claudio Trotta from Italy's Barley Arts / Friends & Partners went as far as coining the exquisite phrase "an American exaggeration". Maybe it is quite strange that more U.S. acts canceled Europe than European acts cancelled America unless, of course, the Americans are convinced they're a target wherever they go.

There was the obvious gripe about the promoter having to pick up the tab for the show costs, but agency contracts have always been loaded against promoters because it's the artists that the agents are representing. Seeing agents as being genuine intermediaries is hopelessly naive. The promoters and insurers are governed by what's in the contract, although the future may hold a day when both parties start taking a closer look at what's left out of it as far as cancellation clauses are concerned.

Pete Wilson from Triple A, Stuart Galbraith from Clear Channel and Paul Fitzgerald from Concorde International Artistes provided an interesting diversion by getting on to the subject of the "comfort factor" at gigs, but that's hard to discuss without talking about the "money factor" as well. Wilson's Route Of Kings Shows in Hyde Park, and the ones that Galbraith has added in the provinces, are designed around the idea of actually looking after the punter. Ultimately, the punter has to pay for it well, it's only fair that you get what you pay for as long as you're prepared to pay for what you get.

The best way to describe these shows is to say that they're very civilised. They're a wonderful vehicle for the U.K.'s middle classes to be hip for a day. See, they even have a sociological benefit. They're an excellent invention and DEAG's Ossy Hoppe said inventiveness is the birth of creativity, which makes perfect sense if you can manage to strangle the German English out of it.

Even at the end of the session, Leighton-Pope was still trying to probe and prod to give the panel a lift. Would it over-run because panelists were still talking, but also looking a bit confused over what they were supposed to be talking about?

Once before, quite famously, Leighton-Pope let this session over-run, leaving no time to discuss what was then the rather important subject of the formation of a European Promoters' Association. As the room finally emptied, a gaggle of somewhat bemused European promoters were left shrugging their shoulders at each other and wondering how and why Leighton-Pope had managed to monologue their European Promoters' Association slot let's call it the EPA right off the agenda.

Leon Ramakers of Holland's Mojo Concerts, who was one of the main instigators of this idea, has said the fact that the EPA never happened is one of the greatest regrets of his career.

Never mind that along came Clear Channel with an EPA of its own, and then Ramakers joined that one. If you think about it long and hard enough, it's possible to extrapolate this theory that Clear Channel's success in Europe is entirely due to Carl Leighton-Pope.

Photorial:

• Talking Shop - A Review Of The Year