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Cuts For The Biz
Filed in Welcome to my World by Tom Artrocker at 12.55pm on 21 October 10Artrockers,
Today I can announce to the house where we need to make cuts in order to make good the massive debt left to us by the past stupidity of the music business.
Firstly, having cravenly handed over the crown jewels to a failing computer company who pay royalty rates comparable to starvation wages and further allowing them to create a real monopoly, we suggest that, in the interests of competition, this company be restricted to the manufacturing of slick and unreliable trinkets for people who have nothing better to spend their money on. This will entail job cuts, any record company executive who thought that this was a good idea will be shown the door.
Not content with this madness, it was decided that giving music away for virtually nothing was a good idea and that agreeing to royalty rates even more derisory than those paid by the failing computer company would solve all the problems. We were assured that this would be a service restricted to PCs, but now you can get it on your phone. This must stop. It is madness.
We will revive the stumbling Live scene by ammending the smoking ban and allowing human beings to actually make their own decisions about their own lives. This will result in jobs cuts in the w**ker sector.
We will monitor with interest the trend for music publications to offer their in-house production services, just in case this is 'paying for coverage' (surely not) which would signal the end of an independent music press. Should these suspicions be confirmed there will be job-cuts. And we will be looking out for the next step along this dodgy road, music publications creating their own PR companies so that they can PR product to their own journalists. You have been warned.
We will make it difficult for 'gap-year-rockers' to ponce about being in a pretend band 'til they go into daddy's legal business by the simple expedient of cutting their fingers off. There will be digit loss.
The PRS-MCPS Alliance will make the system of royalty collection and payment simple, straightforward and reliable, rather than wrapping the system in coils of mystery and accountant speak that, should you follow them, lead nowhere. There will DEFINITELY be job cuts.
We are well aware that none of the above will actually save the industry, but we do believe it would make us feel a lot better about it all, and at least we could toast our marshmallows on the ensuing bonfire of the idiots.
Tom ArtrockerGamesRocker Plus »
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Trailer
Filed in GamesRocker Plus at 12.28pm on 19 October 10
The Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare expansion featuring a full new single-player story with all new gameplay and multiplayer modes – along with new weapons, zombie animals, mythical creatures and even a brand new secret location – the Undead Nightmare Pack will be available very soon for download via Playstation Network (£7.99) and Xbox Live (800 Microsoft Points).
Paul's London Diary »
Opening this weekend .... ‘The Nest’ in Dalston
Filed in Paul's London Diary by Paul Artrocker at 11.04am on 15 October 10Claimed by some to be the most exciting and creative new area in London and by others as simply being 'Hoxton overspill' it can never be a bad thing that London has two new venues arriving on the scene in quick succession.
Perhaps more high profile is a complete overhaul of a venue much loved and often used by the most avant garde and underground of bands and promoters, Bardens Boudoir in Dalston.
The Nest is a new bar, club and live music venue opening in Dalston to the public on Friday 15th October 2010. Occupying the former site of Bardens Boudoir, behind The Nest are Fabric founder Steve Ball alongside Riz Shaikh, who already run many of London’s finest venues, including The Old Queens Head and Paradise By Way of Kensal Green.
The promoters, whose other venues are not primarily live music venues claim,
"The Nest will act as a figure head to a new breed of clubs that have the diversity and talent to embrace the new rather than hold on to the old, embracing Dalston’s fantastic creative scene, and supporting the best in live music, art and fashion, whilst also introducing worldwide new talent into an area which has fast become London’s hottest night spot.All of this will take place within a fantastic space, designed by Riz Shaikh, who has captured a dark and industrial feel using bare exposed concrete and neon lights. With bespoke lighting designed by award winning Alex Randell, The Nest will be full of intimate cubby holes and caged alcoves."
The Nest launches this weekend and it will be interesting to see ift he launch events reflect the balance of commitment at the venue between club acts and events and live music.
October 15th features DFA co founder Juan Maclean alongside Big in Japan resident Capita! and Jac the Disco.
October 16th lines up new comers Flight Facilities from Australia and remixers C90s and Kid Who
October 17th finally features some live music in the shape of Artrocker faves and soon to be Klaxons tour support, Fiction, alongside Phantom, Bones, EVRYONE.
These nights are free entry before 10pm on Friday and Saturday and 8pm on Sunday.
Meanwhile, just down the road another new venue opened in Dalston last weekend at The Victoria in Queensland Road. A pub with a "tragically un-used 150 capacity back room, decent stage and PA" kicked off with a 5 band lineup featuring Cowbell, Barringtone, Lot Lizards, Daddy LongLegs and the Loveburns.
With perhaps a more rough and ready approach, The Victoria shows its foward looking booking policy with a show on 22nd October featuring the very hip Youthless, Ghostcat and Rory Atwell.
It looks at least like there is a chance to 'take your pick' now in Dalston. With these new developments, the onus is now on you, dear reader, to get out there to some gigs !
Paul ArtrockerWelcome to my World »
Gary Numan and Star-Struck Tom
Filed in Welcome to my World at 12.37pm on 13 October 10Artrockers,
I'm not a big fan of conducting interviews by phone, but last night I spent a most enjoyable hour talking to Mr Gary Numan . And I can report that the 'Numan' is very 'Human'; chatty, disarming, humble, amusing, wistful, honest and perceptive. Not what I expected at all. What did I expect? Awkwardness, mumbling, an unwillingness to answer questions, a guy, in short, troubled by Aspergers and apart from the world. I couldn't have been more wrong. When will I learn? Every time I have to speak to somebody 'famous' who's music is important to me I go through all sorts of horror-scenarios involving them throwing a glass of something over me, walking out on the interview and having me beaten up by their inevitable heavies. And it's never like that, the 'stars' are generally polite, patient and grounded. I arrive a bag of nerves and leave thinking: 'What a nice person!' And I reliase that no matter how long I'm around this crazy business, and take it from me it's been a while, I never get over being 'star-struck'. I'm just a great big teenage fan flapping about, winding myself up about actually meeting the folks who have soundtracked my life.
I hope I never get over it, every time the 'big' interview comes up I become 16 again, and short of the fountain of youth or a time machine I know of no better way to re-discover the
adolescent me in his poster lined bedroom, the fan, surrounded by the images of his heroes.
If I ever lose that feeling I'll give it all up and never write another word about music, but I can't see it happening. I'm hoping to talk to Phil Oakey and John Foxx soon and I can assure you I'm already bricking it. Maybe they'll throw their drink over me...
Tom ArtrockerWelcome to my World »
Spotify & Boring Cities
Filed in Welcome to my World at 17.02pm on 28 September 10Artrockers,
First, an apology, Jonas, John Power, Charlie, Daniel and about 50 others all noticed my 'deliberate' mistake last week - yes indeed, George Michael was sentenced to eight weeks in jail and not, as I stupidly claimed, eight months. And many pointed out that he'd been canned not because he was a toker but because he's a danger behind the wheel - which is certainly the case, he does seem to like driving under the influence but hey, it must be some awesome weed 'dude', wherever he gets it I can tell you for a fact that it isn't South London, there hasn't been anything worth rolling round these parts for months, just nasty rubbish that seems to have been sprayed with a perfume called 'Vaguely Like Skunk'. Yuck! But I did get this response which makes it all worthwhile: 'Very moved by your excellent piece on the jailing of George Michael.
'Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?' indeed. Thank you. -BP Fallon [bpfallon.com]
Thanks BP.
I saw an advert for Spotify on TV last night, still offering free membership, which prompted the question once more: Why would I buy music? Now they're advertising it on TV I guess we might as well pack up and go home. I have yet to have one person explain to me why Spotify is a good thing for the industry or the artists - can somebdy enlighten me please?
And news just in: London gas failed to make the top 50 of the most liveable cities (whatever the hell that means), the top 10 are; Vancouver, Canada- Melbourne, Australia - Vienna, Austria - Geneva, Switzerland - Perth, Australia - Adelaide, Australia - Sydney, Australia - Zurich, Switzerland - Toronto, Canada - Calgary, Canada. Which is a major coincidence because that just happens to be my list of the most boring cities in the world, so by 'liveable' they must mean 'incredibly dull', plus New York of course, or at least Manhattan which carries off the prize for going from 'most exciting city in the world' to 'most boring, smug and middle-class city anywhere in the universe'. Why do people go to NY? To shop. Cultural hot-spot to shopping destination in one generation - quite an achievement.
Tom Artrocker
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