| CMU Daily - on the inside Wednesday 3rd October |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- SonyBMG merger approved... again
- Digital Music Awards
- Wu Tang: first ever legal Beatles' sample
- Master P (for philanthropist)
- Zeppelin to fight touts
- Radiohead site struggles
- Blur's "best record" yet
- New Morrissey album
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs drummer's free jazz
- Rolling Stones tour grosses over half a billion
- In The City line-up
- The Verve extend tour
- Enter Shikiri tour
- Live Nation enter partnership with Viagogo
- Microsoft launch new Zune players
- Fopp London to open after all
- Sky respond to commission ruling on ITV shares
- Jo Wiley phone-in scandal
- Boss day!
- Sex Pistols' Matlock: no swearing
- Courtey: Kurt hated grohl
- Laura Marling busks
- Chili Pepper child
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TOP BIT RECOMMENDED
A new thing to recommend to you today, though it is the all new night from the Kill All Hippies team, so you know you're in safe hands. Kill All Hippies have teamed up with Year Zero to create Twisted licks, where, and I quote, "guitars go deviant, keyboards turn filthy and girls and boys go to do the things they shouldn't".
Like Kill All Hippies, Twisted Licks will offer a brilliant mix of bands and DJs, and for the first ever night, ie this Friday, there's something extra special because - and this has just been confirmed to us - The Rakes will be headlining. Add to that The Bishops and Assembly Now live, plus on the decks DJ Rhysmix and Mark Beaumont, and we know already this is going to be a goodun.
It all takes place at 229, a brilliant new venue next to Great Portland Street tube station, this Friday, 5 Oct, from 8pm till late. Tickets are £6 in advance and before 10pm, £8 after (£6 NUS) - and draft beer will be £1.50 a pint until 10pm - hurrah.
For more info on all things Twisted Licks check http://www.myspace.com/twistedlicks or http://www.229thevenue.co.uk. Press info from nick@10xbetter.com.
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SONYBMG MERGER APPROVED... AGAIN
And to think, I was looking forward to finding out just how SonyBMG would manage to undo their three year old merger. But they won't have too, because the European Commission has, for a second time, given the all clear to proposals by Sony Corp and Bertelsmann to combine their recorded music operations - and with no conditions.
As much previously reported, Sony and Bertelsmann's record label divisions won EU clearance for their merger in 2004 and promptly merged to create Sony BMG Music Entertainment. But then pan-European indie label body IMPALA took the decision to the European courts who said that EC competition commissioners had not investigated the impact of a merger sufficiently in order to give it the go ahead, which meant the Commission had to reinvestigate the whole merger again, even though the merger had, by that time, taken place. It was a ruling with left SonyBMG with the daunting prospect of possibly having to demerge their operations, and which threw fresh doubt on whether a merger of EMI and Warner - something that was being discussed at the time - would get regulator approval.
SonyBMG remained confident its merger would be approved second time round, and they proved to be right. Confirming the merger had been given the go ahead again and commenting on the investigation they had undertaken this time round, EC Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said in a statement: "[Our new investigation] clearly shows that the merger would not raise competition concerns in any of the affected markets. [This time] the Commission was able to evaluate the actual impact of the merger on the market since 2004 and was not limited, as is usually the case, to an analysis of likely effects on the market in the future".
No doubt the indie community will have much to say about the decision, and we'll gather their thoughts for tomorrow's Daily.
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DIGITAL MUSIC AWARDS
It was the BT Digital Music Awards last night. I couldn't go, and I've just remembered I forgot to RSVP to that effect. I'm really bad at that kind of thing. It's a wonder I ever get invited to anything. Anyway, these are the awards that celebrate all things digital music. And here is a list of the winners...
Best Pop Artist: Natasha Bedingfield
Best Rock/Indie Artist: Muse
Best Urban Artist: Lemar
Best Electronic Artist or DJ: The Chemical Brothers
Best Podcast: Hospital Records' London Elektricity
Best Radio Station: BBC 6 Music
Best Music Store: iTunes
Best Music Magazine: NME.com
Best Music Community: Live Nation's Download Festival community
Best Artist Promotion: The Rakes - Ten New Messages Flash Mob
Best Digital Service: Now Play It
Best Mobile Campaign: Ludacris
Breakthrough Artist Of The Year: Enter Shikari
Breakthrough Artist Of The Year: Enter Shikari
Artist Of The Year: Funeral For A Friend
Best Innovation: SliceThePie.com
Best Music Hardware: Vocalist Live 2
People's Choice Award for Best Music Blog: David Gilmour - The Blog
People's Choice Award for Best Unofficial Music Site: Stop Crying Your Heart Out - Oasis fansite, UK
People's Choice Award for Best Official Music Site: Keane official site
Outstanding Contribution to Digital Music Award: Thomas Dolby
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WU TANG: FIRST EVER LEGAL BEATLES' SAMPLE
This is interesting. The Wu Tang Clan have been given permission to sample a Beatles track, which is news because it is notoriously hard to get permission to sample anything from the Beatles catalogue. The Clan have been cleared to use bits of the George Harrison track 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' off the 'White Album' (famously sampled, unofficially, on Dangermouse's 'Grey Album' of course). The Clan have recently been collaborating with Harrison's son Dhani Harrison, which might explain how they got the clearance. The sample forms part of the Wu song 'Gently Weeps', off the rap collective's new album, '8 Diagrams'. The song also features Red Hot Chili Peppers' guitarist John Frusciante and towering R'n'B and soul singer Erykah Badu, which should make for one interesting collaboration. '8 Diagrams' is released on 4 Dec.
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MASTER P (FOR PHILANTHROPIST)
Hip hop entrepreneur Master P has been in a charitable mood recently, donating money to impoverished city areas and upping his moral quota by forming a 'clean' record label, 'Take A Stand Records', that will only sign artists that pledge not to use explicit lyrics in their songs. He shows no sign of stopping either, having just announced that he will be piling cash into the P Miller Youth Centers (Percy Miller being his real name) that he has set up in some of the United States' poorest inner city areas.
According the rapper come music mogul, he expects the centers - expanding to New Orleans, Chicago, Detroit and LA - to include a gymnasium and library that can be used by kids in the community. P said: "Our goal is take kids off the streets, provide education, financial literacy, and hope for a real future. We want our kids to pick up a book or a ball and put down the guns. It is time to save our kids... let's give them a better vision".
The multi-million selling star is, of course, the ideal candidate to teach the virtues of good financial practice having not only built his empire from scratch, but also released a book, 'Guaranteed Success', that details exactly how he got there.
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ZEPPELIN TO FIGHT TOUTS
Led Zeppelin reunion promoter Harvey Goldsmith has vowed to fight the ticket touts that are already re-selling tickets and codes to buy tickets for the band's much hyped reunion, part of the tribute event being held in honour of the late Atlantic Records' boss Ahmet Ertegun.
Despite Glastonbury-esque precautions being taken over the sales of tickets themselves, the codes that allow people to buy the tickets have already begun to appear on online auction sites such as eBay, fetching as much as £500 per code - even though the code only allows you to purchase two tickets, they are not the tickets themselves.
But Goldsmith has warned fans who lost out on the actual lottery for tickets against trying to gain access to the gig via the auction site route. He told reporters: "No tickets are being issued until the day before the show. Every name that was selected at random has a code attached to it. Those people that were selected were given that pass code - they had to follow the instructions on how to pay for those tickets. Unless the pass code and the original name match up, those people who have bought those tickets on eBay or anywhere else will not be allowed in. You have to turn up with your ID and pass code to collect your ticket, unless all three pieces of information match, you will not be allowed into the concert and you certainly won't get a ticket".
So that's you ticketless Zeppelin fans told, then. All of those who entered the lottery for tickets who have been successful have now been notified to that effect, and told how to go about buying their tix.
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RADIOHEAD SITE STRUGGLES
The demand for Radiohead's new album, 'In Rainbows', is proving too much for their site's servers to cope with, the band have admitted. Which isn't so surprising, given one of the country's most popular bands are offering their new release at whatever price the consumer chooses to pay. Not just that, but the band have given fans just less than a week to pre-order the record, meaning that anticipation is at a premium. Plus did I mention that it's essentially free?
Guitarist Johnny Greenwood has been speaking about the technical problems with the website where fans register for the new long player, confirming: "Just to let you know...w.a.s.t.e [who operate the site] are working on the current gear-grinding at Inrainbows.com...it's getting busy in there - busier than they expected. So, if you please bear with us, it should get cleared out soon. I sound like a bouncer. Get behind the rope. No denim. Thanks for your patience with the site + interest in the record."
Perhaps surprisingly (though perhaps not, given how obsessive the Radiohead faithful are) the £40 box sets that are also on offer are reportedly proving more popular than the (almost) free download as yet.
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BLUR'S "BEST RECORD" YET
After all that long-running reunion chatter, the confirmation that Blur were to reunite was pleasure enough for most fans, but hold back some excitement just for the moment because bassist Alex James has told Gigwise that the as-yet-unconfirmed-but-we're-excited-anyway new record could be the band's best yet. Yep, furrowing the back catalogue to rehash the past simply won't do for James, as he believes that they could still knock out a cracking record, claiming: "I'm still conceited enough to think that we can make our best record. You know, we'll have to have lunch first, see what happens".
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NEW MORRISSEY ALBUM
Morrissey has a new album in the pipeline, which he is set to release in September of next year, according to the BBC. Morrissey says this: "The plan is to make a new album after this tour. It's absolutely written and completely ready". Mozza's last two critically acclaimed albums were released by then struggling indie Sanctuary Records, which is now part of Universal. But Morrissey isn't planning on working with the recently absorbed now-major label, though he is reportedly in talks with another major - Warner. Though whether he really would go the major route remains to be seen - after all, he likes to remind us: "I'm outside the mainstream, and the mainstream never let me in".
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YEAH YEAH YEAHS DRUMMER'S FREE JAZZ
Yeah Yeah Yeahs' drummer Brian Chase has only gone and released a free jazz solo album, which may or may not prompt a revived interest in a much-maligned genre. Coupling up with fellow musician Seth Misterka for the long player, entitled 'Duo', the album has been described by someone on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' official site (perhaps Chase himself?) as "Free jazz for all of you pop music fans (most of the tracks aren't much longer than 3 mins - just like your favourite songs)! Art Stars? Yes, indeed!" The album, available now, can be bought from http://www.myspace.com/heathenskulls
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ROLLING STONES TOUR GROSSES OVER HALF A BILLION
Rolling Stones promoter Michael Cohl has told Billboard that the legendary band's A Bigger Bang tour, which toured the world between Autumn 2005 and August 2007, made over half a billion dollars in ticket sales, making it by far the highest grossing tour in rock history. The tour grossed $558,255,524 over 144 shows, with 4,680,000 ticket buyers attending, all of which is almost disturbing.
Looking back at the tour, and in particular Keith Richards' now infamous palm tree accident, which caused some dates to be postponed, Cohl told Billboard: "It was a long tour, but more than anything it was fantastic. We had to overcome a lot; this was like Homer's Odyssey. The accident in Fiji was part of this tour, it's not like it was some previous tour. There were all sorts of difficulties to overcome and it turned out to be just one amazing triumph".
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IN THE CITY LINE-UP
We've talked about the speakers, now let's plug the bands. Here is a long list of bands due to play at this month's In The City convention in Manchester from 20-22 Oct. More info at http://www.inthecity.co.uk.
Alan Pownall
Amy Crowther
An Orange End
Blind Archery Club
Code Pie, Cohesion
Colum Regan
Connan & The Mockasins
Dirty Circus
Ed Laurie
Elle S'Appelle
Eugene Francis Junior & The Juniors
Fiona Bevan
Fourteen Corners
Freerunner
Godwits
Jakokoyak
James Yuill
Kidkanevil
Kojo
Kowalski
Little Engine
Look See Proof
Lovvers
Mayday
Model Radio
Noah & The Whale
OK Tokyo
Paul Marshall
Riff Raff
Rosie Taylor Project
Sam Isaac
Sargeant
Sister
Sky Larkin
Smallwhitelight
Tellison
The Alones
The Author
The Dodoz
The Flaws
The Joy Vegas
The Moths
The Naturals
The Nut Bros
The Officers
The Old Romantic Killer Band
The Slips
The Sugars
The Sylvias
The Winchell Riots
ThisCity
Tim and Sam's Tim and the Sam Band with Tim and Sam
Swedish for Beginners
Tom Hatred & The Angry Band
Twisted Wheel
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THE VERVE EXTEND TOUR
Another reunited band, The Verve, have extended their tour, proving the continued popularity of living in the past amongst British music fans. They will now visit:
2 & 3 Nov: The Academy, Glasgow
5 & 6 Nov: Empress Ballroom, Blackpool
9 & 8 Nov: The Roundhouse, London
13 Dec: O2 Arena, London
15 Dec: SECC Centre, Glasgow
17 Dec: Odyssey Arena, Belfast
20 Dec: Central, Manchester
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ENTER SHIKIRI TOUR
Enter Shikiri also announced some additional tour dates yesterday, which might just include their biggest sized venues yet as headliners (I'll check). The still unsigned (though published through Universal) noise mongers will visit:
21 Oct: Leeds Uni
22 Oct: Manchester Apollo
23 Oct: Machester Apollo
25 Oct: Newcastle Academy
26 Oct: Glasgow Barrowlands
28 Oct: Wolverhampton Civic
29 Oct: Wolverhampton Civic
31 Oct: Cardiff Uni
1 Nov: Southampton Guildhall
2 Nov: Brighton Dome
3 Nov: Plymouth Pavillions
5 Nov: Norwich Uea
6 Nov: London Brixton Academy
7 Nov: London Electric Ballroom
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LIVE NATION ENTER PARTNERSHIP WITH VIAGOGO
While the live music industry remains divided on attempts to legimitise the secondary ticket sales market, live music major Live Nation has entered into a partnership deal with one of those companies, Viagogo.
As much previously reported, an increasing number of live music promoters have been concerned about the growth of ticket touting online, where touts or customers resell tickets via websites or online auction sites for profit. A handful of companies, and most prominently Viagogo, have launched what they call legitimate secondary ticketing services, arguing that they want to work with the live sector and wider music industry to capitalise on the opportunities offered by secondary ticketing, though some promoters argue there are few opportunities to be had, accept for Viagogo, who can build their business around the growth in touting.
But Live Nation Netherlands have agreed to work with the secondary ticketing company, who will provide the 'official' website for anyone looking to resell Live Nation tickets in the country, and in the UK, where the Viagogo service will also be offered to Live Nation customers.
Confirming the deal, Viagogo chief Eric Baker told reporters: "We applaud Live Nation Netherland's commitment to creating a market-leading partnership that will deliver benefits for fans and both companies alike. Thanks to this agreement, fans now have the most secure access to the widest range of live events in the Netherlands".
Speaking to UK website mad.co.uk, he added: "The music industry has realised that it needs secondary ticketing and that it needs to make it safe. What we are doing it complimenting what they are already doing, not threatening them".
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MICROSOFT LAUNCH NEW ZUNE PLAYERS
Microsoft showed they haven't, as yet, given up the fight against Apple's iPod and iTunes yesterday with the launch of a new line of Zune digital music devices and the announcement of upgrades to their Zune Marketplace download service.
There were three new players, two of which are flash based devices, the first time Microsoft have released economy line players. The other is an 80GB hard drive model. All three have a touch screen control and include the WiFi sharing feature that was key to the original Zune player, although the sharing function has been revised lifting certain restrictions - users can only listen to shared tracks three times, but there is now no time limit for using the preview, and users can share already shared tracks with others (previously only someone with a bought track could share it).
The Zune etail operation, the Marketplace, is also being reinvented, with the addition of music videos and a social networking component called Zune Social.
Microsoft say they have sold 1.2 million Zune players to date, putting them in second place in the hard drive based player market, albeit someway behind Apple. Billboard say Microsoft now want to achieve second place in the flash player market, though there they will have to compete with a significant second place player in SansDisk, who hold a 10% market share, second to Apple's 74%.
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FOPP LONDON TO OPEN AFTER ALL
The all new Fopp, you know, HMV in disguise, have announced they will, after all, open a branch in London. HMV had had troubles persuading the landlords of Fopp's old Covent Garden store to let them stay on there, but the landlords have had a change of heart and let the record shop stay. As previously reported, HMV have taken over seven of Fopps stores since the indie record chain went into liquidation earlier this year. The six shops, in London, Edinburgh, Cambridge, Manchester, Nottingham and Glasgow (two there), will all open next week, and will keep the Fopp name, brand and, HMV promise us, ethos. Fingers crossed, we always liked Fopp.
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SKY RESPOND TO COMMISSION RULING ON ITV SHARES
BSkyB have indicated that they might take legal action if they are forced to sell their share in ITV at a loss. As much previously reported, the satellite broadcaster bought a 17.9% stake in ITV last year, just as NTL (now Virgin Media) were talking about mounting a takeover bid for the then CEO-less commercial broadcaster.
NTL, and others, argued that BSkyB's stake in ITV gave them considerable influence there, and that they could use that influence to ensure ITV acted in BSkyB's interest - ie by blocking any proposed Virgin Media/ITV merger (not that any merger is currently on the table) because a combined Virgin/ITV would be a considerable competitor to Sky.
Virgin/NTL reported Sky to the Competition Commission who this week said that, while BSkyB are entitled to a 17.9% stake in ITV under media ownership rules, the stake could be used to influence ITV's strategic direction, and that could be anti-competitive.
Following that ruling, Business & Regulatory Reform Secretary John Hutton will now have to decide whether Sky should be forced to sell their share in ITV. A forced sale may lose Sky money, and the Guardian reports that one Sky non-exec director has told them that if money is lost then the company is "bound to" seek legal redress to block the forced sail or recoup their loss from the government.
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JO WILEY PHONE-IN SCANDAL
More fake phone ins, this time on Radio One where a staff member pretended to be a caller on a pre-recorded edition of the Jo Wiley show. The BBC says that Wiley knew nothing about the scam, which is very possibly true. Though presenters do seem to be getting off lightly on all of these phone in scam scandals - I find it hard to believe no presenters working on pre-recorded shows realised that phone ins designed for live radio were rigged. They'd have to be pretty thick to not work it out. The Beeb confirmed the Radio 1 phone in scam, but said that measures had already been introduced to stop it happening again as part of their reaction to the wider phone in debacle.
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BOSS DAY!
I've always said that you can only truly say you've 'made it' when you have a day dedicated in your name - honestly, I have. I said it just the other day. And that rule means that Bruce Springsteen has just made it (though I have a vague feeling he might have had a day in his honour before) after the state of Connecticut announced that yesterday (2 Oct) would be 'Bruce Springsteen Day'. The title has been bestowed upon the music legend, who released new album 'Magic' this week, after he kicked-off his tour in the Connecticut town of Hartford, clearly the biggest event to happen there for a good few hundred years.
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SEX PISTOLS' MATLOCK: NO SWEARING
Sex Pistols' bass player Glen Matlock has told the rest of the band to keep their language clean on the band's forthcoming reunion tour because his son will be at some of the gigs. However, John Lydon is seemingly having none of it, despite being a bit more understanding than he perhaps would have been in his younger days. He told reporters: "[Glen's] been saying that all this swearing should stop. I understand he's a father and doesn't want his son to have to hear foul language. [But] I wrote in 'Bodies', 'Fuck this and fuck that / Fuck it all, and fuck the fucking brat' and I don't think there's a clearer song about the pain of abortion. The juxtaposition of all those different psychic things in your head and all the confusion, the anger, the frustration, you have to capture in those words". So I guess that's a no then, Glen.
The Pistols' November reunion tour, in celebration of 30 years since 'Never Mind the Bollocks' was released, visits:
8, 9, 12 Nov: Brixton Academy, London
17 Nov: MEN Arena, Manchester
19 Nov: Brixton Academy, London
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COURTEY: KURT HATED GROHL
So, the Dave Grohl/Courtney Love feud is properly reignited, after Grohl brought up his issues with Love again in a recent interview where he talked about his song lyrics. Love has responded full on, writing on her MySpace that "Kurt loathed him [Grohl] more than anyone else (except a journalist). In his [Cobain's] will he made a codicil that Grohl was no longer a member of Nirvana. I just ignored the guy and will continue to. Dave knows this, and he takes it out on me! Hey, it wasn't MY band and it wasn't MY idea! It's funny he 'hates' me since I don't think about him".
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LAURA MARLING BUSKS
Young singer songwriter Laura Marling was prevented from completing a gig at the Soho Revenue Bar in London on Monday after they found out that she was 17 when the bar's policy is over 18s only. Determined not to have her evening spoiled, however, Marling busked to fans on the streets before rushing over to The Exchange Bar, also in London, to complete the gig, while support act Noah And The Whale selfishly continued without her at the original venue. Just shows who your true friends are, eh.
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CHILI PEPPER CHILD
Finally, some joyous news, with Red Hot Chili Peppers' frontman Anthony Kiedis becoming a father yesterday after his girlfriend Heather Christie gave birth to a baby boy in an LA hospital. The as yet unnamed (or at least the media doesn't know yet) baby will presumably dent (in the nicest way) Chili Peppers' fans' hopes of a new record soon, as Kleidis and co take a well earned break from the mammoth touring efforts from their last album, 'Stadium Arcadium'.
