A new event in Merseyside takes place next month that seeks to underline the vast current array of Scouse talent that has permeated the nation’s musical consciousness over the last year or so, all courtesy of the Independent labels that have launched acts of the calibre of Cracatilla, Ladytron, The Relatives, and of course The Coral.
Amidst this melee of musical magnificence, the 4th of July sees the Inaugural Independents Day (like, duuur, geddit? Independents - Independence, hur hur). Indies Day is all about bringing together the diverse scenesters, labels, poets and wastrels that make the Mersey air sing with lust and lustrous freedom in sound. Which is nice.
The day's activities comprise of a series of afternoon events including free advice panels and seminars on everything from dealing with acts, trying to attain radio play, distribution agencies and basically everything that goes with running an Independent label.
Speakers at the seminars will be announced shortly, but are promised to include major industry players and many of the movers, shakers, drinkers and razordanger thinkers that – according to the press release anyway - make Merseyside "the most exciting place on this earth".
The live concerts in the evening of July the 4th will have a run-around feel, using all three floors in top multi-room live music venue The Masque, Seel Street. It will give the chance for the chosen Independent labels to show off one of their artists, renew acquaintance with old friends, meet new mates and maybe share a White Russian or two and put the musical world to rights under the midnight moon.
Registration for the seminars is free and takes place on the day.
The full list of labels have been announced as:
Invicta HiFi; Black Sheep; Spank Records; Honey Records; Probe Plus; Robot Records; Keith Records; Glasswerk Records; Digital Wings; Magic Lucy Music
The evening gigs will feature acts including:
Pop Levi & Snap Ant (DJs); Steven Kennedy; The Relatives; Marlowe; Former Miss America; Grampus Eight; Cadium; Santa Carla; JJ Precious
Further information can be found on the Independents Day website.
Independents Day: Indie Labels Festival
Re: Independents Day: Indie Labels Festival
12noon - 12.50pm The Creative Shoestring - Recordings from the bedroom to the big time
Whilst Major labels concentrate on the short term gain, investing money in the vacuous grinning gurners spat out in a series of interchangeable TV wannabe stutterbugs of the Plop Idolatry conveyor belt, it's fallen to the Independents to nurture other artists and spend time with the talent in development. Effectively this means that independent labels are working as unofficial A&R for the Majors, and after development on a small label, bands are often subsequently devoured by The Wo/Man in the continual feeding frenzy for Polished Product. This seminar highlights all the implications of starting and running an indie label, including working with / developing acts, recording, creativity and financial pressures - for good and for bad.
Chair – Dave Pichilingi (Tri Tone Publishing, Robot Records), Sean Adams (Drowned in Sound.com), Dave Harry (ESP, ex Oceanic), Jules Bennett (Invicta Hi-Fi) Charlie Galloway (Sanctuary Music) Matt Cadman (All Around the World / AIM Representative)
1.10pm - 2pm Show Me The Money!
Recently many artists have been happily and tearfully reunited with ol' friends - mostly greenbacks an twenny quid notes - in other words, royalties that have been lost, misplaced, ignored, cast asunder and generally fallen by the wayside over the course of a career in the music industry. Independent labels thrive on cashflow and getting it right is imperative. This hour or so deals with the implications of dealing with distributors, registration with royalty agencies, collection agencies, publishing and the legal side of things. Cilla would be proud.
Chair – Phil Jones (Phil Jones presents/ Artist Manager) Bob Bauer (ex MCPS), Jill Drew (PPL), Mark Jones - (MCPS/PRS), Pamra, Francis McEntagart (Brabners Chaffe Street), Michael Fuller (AIM’s Legal Advisor)
2.50pm - 3.40pm Access All Areas
OK, so you've got the best release since Moses came back down the mountain with the original manuscript of God's greatest hits. But how are you gonna get the rest of the world on your side? AAA is an in-depth discussion and outline of the various permutations of Distribution deals, the plusses and minuses of Independent distribution, negotiating contracts with distributors, working with your distributors and an overview of overseas territories and how it can all work.
Chair - Tracey Morgan (Black Sheep), Vital Distribution (TBC), Shellshock Distribution (TBC), Cargo Records (TBC), Francis McEntagart (Brabners Chaffe Street), Adrian Cooke (ex Shellshock, El Presidente, Concept Leisure), Henry Semmence (Absolute Marketing and Distribution / AIM Representative)
4pm - 4.50pm Radio Killed the Radio Star - why is mainstream airplay and press coverage so difficult to get?
We know we've got the blammo releases that are gonna blunderbuss the cotton pickin' ass of the charts. We’ve got the distro. But the press ain't bitin', the radio ain't pickin' up on it, the varmints. So we often go to PR Agencies and Radio Pluggers but them bandits don't necessarily get any darn results, even though we're plying them with the best gold in tham thur hills, an we're back at square one but now we've lost our house too. Can we do it ourselves? How can we get the press on our side? How can we get the music onto the airwaves? We want some answers, goddamn it!
Chair - Kevin Sampson (Artist Manager, Journalist, Writer), Conrad Murray (Century FM), Sean Adams (Drowned in Sound.com), Joe Shooman (Spank Press, The Fly, The Big Issue), Steve Dinwoodie (Raised on Radio), Alison Wenham (AIM)