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THE CMU GREAT ESCAPE BIT It's The Great Escape this week in Brighton, and to celebrate each day we will be chatting to one of the artists playing, plus delving into the Same Six Question archives to find out what some of the other bands playing would say to you if you were hearing their music for the very first time at the convention. |
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THE GHOST OF A THOUSAND Formed in 2004, The Ghost Of A Thousand have quickly risen up the ranks of the British hardcore scene and bagged a record deal with Epitaph earlier this year. The band's second album (the first under that new deal), 'New Hopes, New Demonstrations', is set for release on 1 Jun. This weekend they'll be heading back to their hometown of Brighton to play The Great Escape before supporting Gallows at their upcoming London Forum show later this month. We spoke to frontman Tom Lacey. |
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Q1 How did you start out making music? Q2 What inspired your latest album? Q3 How do you go about creating a track? Q4 Which artists influence your work? Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time? Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future? THE GHOST OF A THOUSAND AT THE GREAT ESCAPE>> 16 May at Revenge (1st Floor) |
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TGE-SSQ: What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time? Emmy The Great: "Tape it onto cassette and listen to it that way" Brute Chorus: "Not much. We don’t try to influence people’s opinion of us or care what they think. We want the music to speak for itself. If they don’t like it; no sweat. If they do; see you at the next gig. Bring yer mates" Johnny Foreigner: "Do you like it? I did that bit. Do you like it? DO YOU?" Thomas Truax: "Thank you for taking a chance on something other than Celine Dion, I hope you won't be disappointed!" THREEWEEKS BRIGHTON FESTIVAL MUSIC REVIEWS Doolally and Oxjam do the Fringe, at Doolally Music on 10 May Dusk In The Luxembourg Gardens, Ty Jeffries on 10 May Orkestra Del Sol + Magic Number, at The Parlure Spiegeltent & Garden on 10 May |
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FRENCH SENATE PASS THREE-STRIKES FOR THE SECOND TIME As reported yesterday, music companies the world over will now be watching France carefully. If the French can make the three-strike system - whereby persistent online copyright infringers could be disconnected from the internet - actually work, and if concerns raised by ISPs and consumer rights groups that such a system is filled with complications, and will result in innocent web users being cut off, don't prove to be founded, then the case for introducing the so called "graduated response" system to combat piracy will be much stronger. Whether it will actually stop people from file sharing, and if so, how many disconnections there will have to be for the rules to actually become a deterrent, remains to be seen. As also previously reported, hardcore file-sharers are already employing technology that masks their infringing activity. Needless to say, while ISPs and consumer rights groups predicted the new laws in France will be at best ineffective and at worst inequitable, the content industries welcomed the French government's bold move in tackling the online piracy issue once and for all. Speaking for the global music industry, John Kennedy of the International Federation of The Phonographic Industry told reporters: "Creative industries everywhere, including music, film, TV and books, are facing a fundamental challenge from the way online piracy is eroding the ability of creators to get rewarded for their work. In France the government has understood better than any other country the crisis which is looming if firm action is not taken to address the problem. The new French law takes the right approach and sets an example to the rest of the world. It will introduce sensible, proportionate measures that will have a real impact on piracy while respecting ordinary legitimate internet users". ------------------------------------------------- SELECT COMMITTEE SAYS AXE 696 As much previously reported, the 696 form has been criticised for asking for too much personal data about artists due to perform at gigs, and for enquiring very specifically about what genre an event would fall under, information possibly used by police and licensing officials to make prejudicial judgements about what kind of people any one gig might attract. UK Music chief Feargal Sharkey brought the form to more widespread attention when giving evidence to the aforementioned committee's investigation into the impact of the 2003 Licensing Act. It is under powers given to local authorities under that act that the form has been adopted across London. Sharkey fears the form may be adopted by councils elsewhere in the UK too. Sharkey and others have called for the form to be scrapped, and yesterday the Committee backed that proposal. The Committee has also backed two more of the live music business's big proposals regarding the new licensing legislation - that venues with a capacity under 200 should be exempt from the rather bureaucratic licensing process introduced by the Act, and that up to two acoustic musicians should be allowed to play in a bar without a licence. The Committee's chairman, John Whittingdale, said yesterday that he thought the 2003 Act had, on the whole, been a success, but that some problems had arose which should now be addressed. He told reporters: "Broadly speaking the Licensing Act has in our view been a success. The Act has simplified the licensing system, bringing together a number of different regimes into one licence. There is also a greater diversity of premises on the high street and the Act's emphasis on partnership working is welcome. However in some areas it is clearly not working. The licensing requirements are still too bureaucratic and costly - particularly for non-commercial groups such as sports clubs, not-for-profit establishments and organisers of occasional events. We were also particularly concerned to hear of the way the Act may be hampering live music performances especially by young musicians, who often get their first break though performing live at small venues such as pubs. Our Report calls on the Government to relax restrictions in this area, which in some cases are unnecessarily draconian, and in others simply absurd". The report will please the live music sector, endorsing as it does, three of their proposals. Sharkey, who in his previous job as head of the Live Music Forum closely monitored the impact of the new Act on the live music community, said yesterday: "I am delighted with the Committee's report. There is little doubt that the Licensing Act 2003 has hindered the staging of live music and created unnecessary barriers to the promotion of live events. This is particularly true at a grass roots level. In the midst of recession and with an increased emphasis placed on our creative industries to stimulate the economy, it is paramount that we should be pulling together and creating opportunities. Live music can have a hugely positive economic impact both locally and nationally. I call on government as a matter of some urgency to take heed of the Committee's views and take quick and assertive action". Of course that latter point is the crucial one. The Committee's support is valuable to the live sector, but it remains to be seen if government follow its recommendations and tweak the licensing laws accordingly. -------------------------------------------------- JACKO SHOW WILL BE ACE, HONEST Phillips said: "We're using technology that's never been used before in live entertainment. Originally we tried to keep the show down to 90 minutes, but Michael has so many must-do songs in his repertoire that the shows now will be two-plus hours. Michael's in incredible physical shape, he's got tremendous stamina, he's been working out aerobically preparing for this, and he is totally engaged. He sounds like Michael Jackson. He is laser-focussed on making this the greatest entertainment event that fans have ever seen". Which would be good, because at the moment it's looking like being the most sued entertainment event there's ever been. -------------------------------------------------- MITCH WINEHOUSE: I CAN'T HELP WITH AMY'S DRINKING He said: "After she almost died twice from drug related problems, to see her walking, smiling - she has progressed so much. But now, if it's alcohol instead of hard drugs - I don't think I can go through that again. I've decided to distance myself, and whatever happens, happens. She said to me, 'Dad thank you for pulling me out of drugs'. I said to her, 'But you are the one who decided to pull out. You can do it again and stop drinking'". -------------------------------------------------- LENNON'S MURDER OUTFIT TO GO ON SHOW Ono said of the clothes, which were given to her in a plastic bag by police after their investigation in to the murder was closed, that they were "hard to include", but added: "It's important people understand what violence is about". PIRATE BAY PLAN TO BANKRUPT LAWYERS WITH FINE PAYMENT Gottfrid Svartholm, one of The Pirate Bay Four, has launched a new campaign to carry out this plan. Dubbed the 'internet-avgift' (a play on the name of Sweden's TV license fee, the TV-avgift), he is calling on TPB supporters to help him pay off the fine in 10 million separate hits of one Swedish kronar (about 8p) at a time. The money will all go to legal firm Danowsky & Partners, who represented the music industry in the trial. Svartholm reckons that the processing fees charged by the firm's bank will cripple and possibly even bankrupt them. As little as a 1000 transactions, if made in close succession, could cause the lawyers and their bankers issues, or so he says. It's sneaky and, on one level, a little bit admirable - you've got to admit that these guys are persistent in their attempts to annoy the music industry and stick it to the man. However, like their defence in the trial, where they claimed they had no idea their website was being used for anything illegal after years of blatantly encouraging their users to infringe, this could still backfire. Courts usually deem large bank charges incurred during the payment of fines the responsibility of the payer, rather than the payee. So after The Pirate Bay have paid off this fine, they may well find that they've got a bank chasing after them asking for a large amount of money as well. Though presumably they'll just tell the bankers that they "can't and won't pay". It's entertaining in a way, though you have to wonder how long they can get away with these stunts before the authorities really do put them in prison. EDDIE ARGOS PUTS BACK OUT Argos told the NME: "We were in Amsterdam and I completely collapsed in a restaurant. I was carried out crying. The doctor said anything can bring it on - stress or unusual movements. And I said, 'Like skipping with a microphone lead on stage? Would that have done it? Is that an unusual movement?' I was just showing off a bit on stage". He added: "I can't drink or anything because I'm on these painkillers, so bizarrely even though I hurt my back I'm the healthiest I've been in ages. Because we're in foreign countries I don't think people understand I'm not dancing because I've got a bad back - they just think I'm trying to be really cool". PAUL RODGERS AND QUEEN SPLIT Rodgers told VH1: "We did a world tour, we did a second tour of Europe and the Far East and Eastern Europe and we did a studio album and I think we're kind of leaving it there gently. It's out there for us to do things in the future if there's something, a huge charity say like Nelson Mandela, I'm always open to that, but I think we are pretty much done". -------------------------------------------------- KAJAGOOGOO REFORM FRANK TURNER SIGNS TO EPITAPH Epitaph founder and Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz told CMU: "Frank Turner's music is a revelation to me. I can't stop listening to it. It's a real privilege to get out there and help Xtra Mile spread the Frank Turner gospel". Meanwhile, Turner said via MySpace: "It's been a little frustrating, the last year or two, trying to figure out the best way to get my stuff released properly in Europe and the USA. I never imagined that it'd be Epitaph who would be releasing stuff though, as I thought they were out of my league. Now I feel like a nerd who just laid the head cheerleader. Being on Epitaph is the fucking bomb. And to top it all, I've been asked out on tour with one of the bands who introduced a whole generation of kids, myself included, to the illicit joys of punk rock. I have, essentially, peed myself. It's going to be a good year!" ![]() NEW MONKEYS ALBUM NEARLY DONE Helders told BBC 6music: "We haven't picked titles or anything. It's just a case of tying it up now, picking what order everything's in". -------------------------------------------------- NEXT FLAMING LIPS ALBUM COULD BE A DOUBLE He said: "Somewhere along the way it occurred to me that we should do a double album. Just this idea that you can kind of weave a couple of themes into there and you can sort of sprawl a little bit. Our past couple of records we've always had this little dilemma, like how many songs do you put on? How many instruments do you put on? What's the focus?" He added: "And some of my favourite records - thinking Beatles 'White Album', Zeppelin's 'Physical Graffiti' and even some of the longer things that the Clash have done - part of the reason I like them is that they're not focused. They're kind of like a free-for-all and go everywhere. It's not necessarily because we're prolific, I think we always stay in a sort of perpetual panic of like we never have more songs than we need and we always wonder if any of them are any good to begin with. I do think we probably work best in a panic, so maybe it's best that I planned it this way". JARVIS COCKER GETS PART-TIME JOB IN HMV Cocker will be serving customers and offering advice on purchases at HMV's Oxford Street store in London on Monday from midday. He will also be giving special carrier bags to everyone who buys his album on vinyl. Yeah, that's right, carrier bags. Don't all rush at once. -------------------------------------------------- WILCO STREAM NEW ALBUM Listen to it here. Oh, and here's the tracklist: Wilco (The Song) STEEL PANTHER ANNOUNCE CLUB SHOW And if you've not yet discovered the joys of this band, check out this short documentary, which brings you up to speed with the last 20 years (apparently) of debauchery: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMSEeNJpHrk DOWNLOAD DENY LYING ABOUT FNM EXCLUSIVITY Download Festival Director John Probyn told eFestivals: "We don't tell lies, we give people information based on facts at the time. What's the point in me misleading a fan, is that going to make them want to buy tickets in the future?" He also said that the arrival of rival metal festival Sonisphere on the scene has not been a problem: "It hasn't affected me, or the set up of Download at all. Every year we have competition from someone and if I allowed myself to get all bitter and twisted over how well another festival was doing, or what effect it might have on me, then life would be very short - and sad". -------------------------------------------------- MICHAEL EAVIS PRAISES GLADE In an open letter to fans, Eavis said: "About ten years ago I persuaded Luke Piper, Glade Festival Director to run a new area at Worthy Farm called The Glade. 'Why the glade', Luke said. 'Sounds like a perfume'. 'An opening in the woods', I said. 'A perfect venue'. And so it was. So successful was The Glade, he asked to borrow the concept for a site in Newbury which worked too". He continued: "Now, after a good few years the site has moved from Newbury to Winchester, a beautiful farm in a natural amphitheatre with lots more room - better access, and a lot less people living close by. The Glade Festival has lots of Glastonbury connections with thrills and feelings not dissimilar to our own, including programming and atmosphere that has form and reputation. If you couldn't get a ticket for our show here at Glastonbury, thank you very much for trying, but would you mind me suggesting that you give Glade Festival a try? I don't think you'll regret it!" SINGLE REVIEW: Datarock - Give It Up (Nettwerk) Release Date: May 18 Buy from iTunes BLACK EYED PEAS TO HEAD UP GUINNESS 250 CELEBRATIONS ![]() UK MUSIC BACK GOVERNMENT MUSIC PLACEMENTS PROGRAMME UK Music man Feargal Sharkey confirmed his body's involvement in the new venture, while calling on the government to fund many more such initiatives. He told reporters: "I am hugely hopeful that we are beginning to see some of government's strong verbal commitments towards the creative industries translate into action. After discussions with the live music sector, our initial ambition is to secure skills-based placements of at least six-months for a significant number of long-term unemployed. But, I would reiterate this is very much a first step. What we need now is a much more substantive push. The UK music industry has an enormous amount to offer this country, economically, culturally and socially. When it comes to developing these initiatives, our door is always open. I call on government to match that energy and enthusiasm with commitment to delivering joined-up, sustainable and long-term planning in the weeks and months ahead". -------------------------------------------------- IMAGEM NAMED SECOND BIGGEST UK INDIE PUBLISHER Bigging his own company up after they were identified as the second biggest music publisher in the UK earlier this week, Imagen's UK boss Tim Smith told CMU: "Given the fact that Imagem Music has only been in existence for one year, being recognised as the second largest independent music publisher in the UK is a remarkable achievement. It is perhaps worth noting that had we started representing our Zomba US catalogue at the start of 2008 there is a very good chance that we would actually be number one but that is academic and we are delighted to have achieved so much in such a relatively short space of time. We are determined not to become complacent however and remain fully focused on building on this success moving forward". ORANGE PARTNER WITH RUBBISH NOKIA THING As we've mentioned a few times, ComesWithMusic offers unlimited music downloads to those who sign up to it, but tracks are heavily DRM-ed and only available for the life of the mobile phone or PC they are downloaded to. Also, with the Orange deal, while tracks downloaded over the air to users' mobile phones will be free, the user will be charged for the actual download (ie the bandwidth it uses) at the standard mobile rate, which anyone who's not got an iPhone yet will know can be a little on the pricey side. MANSON DISSES BORLAND Manson told Kerrang!: "We almost made the mistake of having Wes play guitar but he re-joined Limp Bizkit. That move forever eradicated my feelings on his choices in life as an artist". Asked why he thought Borland had decided to go back to Limp Bizkit, something he'd said he'd never do just days before he did, Manson said: "That is what I find myself asking when I urinate sometimes. He said he would never go back. If the reason is money, then I'd rather roll up a $5 note and shove it up my urethra. I'd rather set my dick on fire than join something that I hated". |
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SUBSCRIPTIONS>> CMU Daily is a free daily e-bulletin for people working in the music industry and music media, delivered direct to your PC each morning. If you want to stop receiving this e-bulletin click the 'unsubscribe' button below and follow the instructions. If any of your colleagues want to receive the CMU Daily tell them to email their name, company, job title and email to [email protected]. If you would like to recieve the CMU Daily as a text email, send a blank email from the email address you are registered at to [email protected]. MEDIA PEOPLE>> If you are looking for an independent quote on anything to do with the music business, or you need someone to come on your TV or radio show and talk music business, then we can help. There's nothing we don't know about. Email requests to [email protected] or call 020 7099 9050. CMU is published by and (c) UnLimited Media - www.unlimitedmedia.co.uk Send news stories to [email protected]. If we don't respond directly, we do apologise, only we get sent hundreds of emails a day and don't have time to respond to every one of them. However we do check every email sent to the musicnews email address, and do pull out stories that we feel are relevant to our readers. Send CDs for review to CMU, UnLimited Media, 221-222 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6PJ. |
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