Also on the Brands in Music Panel at In The City was Andrea Moore, Marketing Director of Levi’s UK. At a personal level, Andrea is passionate about music. At a business level, I believe that she has been involved in one of the most credible examples of Brands and Bands coming together over the last 10 years. So I asked her to relay the story of Levi's and the MC5 at the conference to demonstrate how a band can work with a brand to the benefit of all, including the fan… Levi’s back in 2002 was about to launch a range of limited edition Ts with Gary Grimshaw doing the designs. Gary was the man behind some of the iconic MC5 and Grateful Dead posters/album sleeves of the 60s. Well, this T with MC5 was designed, but Wayne Kramer of the MC5 heard about this and got upset that they were not consulted… Now most brands would get their lawyers on to it and go ‘oops, here’s a cheque’. Not Andrea. She talked to him and found out that Wayne really wanted to reform the MC5 (well the 3 of the 5 still with us). ‘So how can we help?’ was Andrea’s response. The outcome was the MC5 playing their first gig for over 20 years. When Wayne was first contacted, the guys were hardly on speaking terms let alone playing together. The gig was announced through the core fansites of MC5 and amongst those musicians who look up to their music. The three of them played the 100 Club in March 2003 with Lemmy, Dave Vanian, Mani and others in support. It was a special moment. I know I was there, and I have their scribbled set list as proof. After the gig, they started touring, their back catalogue was reissued and Wayne is often contacted for comment in many music mags. They are rightly more widely known than ever before. When a certain music magazine had a go at them for taking the brand $, Wayne hit back at his detractors.

When a certain music magazine had a go at them for taking the brand $, Wayne hit back with this statement:

If I declare myself to be a messenger of change, to protest what I know is wrong in the world or in myself, then actually be the person I represent myself to be, my critics seem to be compelled to needle me for not being downtrodden enough, not oppressed enough. There's a perverse thing going on here with critics and fans. It's especially peculiar to me that, when I was rotting in Federal Prison, the British music press revered me. Maybe they'd be happier if I'd never work again and be a glorious petrified legend. True to form, rather than step up to the plate this time and explore the decisions made by us, they tried to make us look bad. I would be disappointed if they didn't. It's predictable and it's cheap and it's their usual lazy journalism not backed up by any political ideology or theory one way or the other. It's about filling column inches with as little effort as possible, and they have a right to do so. It's as if we were accountable to a different standard that anyone else. If you shine a light on injustice, you can't have a nice, clean house?

This quote is still on their website, and you can read his full thoughts on the subject here.

As for the fans, there were people who travelled from Sweden, Japan and the States to that 100 Club gig, with the hope of getting in.

Given Jazz Summer's intense attack on record labels at the In The City conference, it was no mean feat by Marcus Engh of Sony BMG Europe to defend the label’s position robustly. With impeccable calmness, he stepped in to rain on Jazz’s parade. He referenced a host of deals that SonyBMG have constructed with brands where the artist AND the manager were appreciative of. Furthermore, he stressed that the band management see the label as partners who add immense value in such deals. Now this is getting complicated. Labels and Band Managers getting on and working together to secure brand partnerships for their acts. Each playing to their strengths. So that is a second business model that is working, one where label, artist and artist management get on fine. On a personal note, a big thank you to Marcus for stepping in at short notice and rushing up to Manchester to be with us. citizensound says:

It is all too easy to point the finger at record companies and say they are all at fault and they add nothing. The DIY panel we ran (see previous posts) demonstrated that even the most independent minded artist will still need certain skills around them to make it. And many artists stay with labels or want a deal with labels exactly because they believe that labels are better suited to delivering on these functions (under one roof) than anywhere else. Clearly there is a rise of alternative models though which are challenging the record labels to up their game. These models may not be new, but nevertheless are more readily available to the artist than ever before. As Ahmet Ethegun is for me one of the heroes of music, I have an issue with this black and white depiction of record labels. Of more interest is focussing on the right kind of people and skills that an artist needs, not what kind of company they work for.

Ian Grenfell, founder of Silentway Management, was also on the panel that citizensound ran at In The City this year. Representing such artists as Simply Red, Ian has distanced the artist from a major record label, with the artist having greater control (and responsibility) for their future success and development. So, with a little glint in his eye, he asked his fellow panellist Jazz Summers why his acts (such as The Verve) are still with labels, if he thinks record labels offer little for the artist. He suggested to Jazz that, rather than talk about how bad the labels are, Jazz should do as Ian has already done and build an alternative. Seems that Jazz has plans, so he might be following Ian’s lead on this one.

citizensound says:

Ian is a great example of the opportunity that exists in music right now. If the business model doesn’t fit, then go and work one out that does. Don’t wait for a book to be written or the government to legislate for it…DIY is more than making music it is making your own destiny. That is what Ian did. Just don't think it is easy. Also don't assume that all record labels offer little. For many artists and managers, labels offer immense service and support. It's not black and white.

The answer to this was pretty clear from Jazz Summers. For him, brands waste their time with anyone other than the Band Manager. Everyone else is a messenger as far as he is concerned, often with little to add except their percentage. In the end, the brand would have to talk to the manager, so they might as well start there. Ultimately, he is right, as the role of the manager should be to look after the interests of the artist in all aspects of their career. He attacked the labels and anyone else in the middle of the process, such as marketing companies (he was looking at me as he said this!), as he believes that they don't understand what goes inside the heads of the artists, unlike the manager. So far so good. The panel was rocking, and this was only 10 minutes in! Ed Averdieck, Managing Director of Nokia Music Service agreed, confirming that he wished to have much more direct dialogue with managers, rather than going through thrid parties, no matter the fame of the band. For him, using third parties was not efficient. For those agencies who presently advise Nokia on music deals, this might come a bit of a shock! 15 minutes in and things are hotting up. citizensound says:

This is all well and good, but we see the reality as somewhat different. There are clearly band managers out there who are completely at ease with dealing with brands, and understand how they think. However, not every manager can do or wants to. Or they know they do not have the insight on brands that others may have. For some, leaving this in the hands of others is ok. Works for brands too. Brand people and managers are also stretched for time. So inevitably, there is a need to look to others for support. Control and responsibility rests with these two parties, but to say that all people in the middle are either inefficient or a waste of time is a very narrow position to take. Whilst taking ultimate responsibility for the outcome of any deal, many will inevitably depend on third parties who may or may not understand what goes on in the heads of the two parties, but CAN find an effective solution for both parties to benefit.

citizensound organised and moderated a panel that goes to the heart of what we do. Bringing brands and artists together with one thing in mind: ensuring that Brand, artist and fan all benefit from any deal constructed. We convinced the In The City organisers that the growing links between the Brand music worlds needed to be investigated with a panel that would share tips on how to make a Brand/Band relationship work. So we constructed a cracking panel with the following: Ian Grenfell, founder Silentway and manager Simply Red Jazz Summers, founder of Big Life Management, manager Richard Ashcroft, and until recently Snow Patrol Marcel Engh of SonyBMG Europe, responsible for constructing brand deals for their artists Carl Sharples, Head of Customer Propositions, The Co-Op Bank Andrea Moore, Marketing Director, Levi Strauss Ed Averdieck, Managing Director, Nokia Music Service So a wonderful panel, but would they conjure up a lively debate, and help the audience with tips for the future? Too right they did. More on this in the next few posts.

The music journalist Lloyd Bradley interviewed Jazzie B at In The City this year. Great conversation (see recent post).

I had to have a chat with Lloyd about how it was his fault I nearly went broke, thanks to him writing Bass Culture.

What a book. The definitive guide to reggae. You read it and spend your time writing down tunes you ‘need’ to have.

Near the end of his conversation with Jazzie B, he encouraged the audience to join him and Jazzie B in the DIY panel that Nick and I were running straight after theirs.

So two things to thank him for. The book and the promotion for our panel. Thanks Lloyd.

So many young bands were looking for their first break at In the City. Many paid their own way there to showcase their art, in the hope that some music industry person will spot the talent and sign them up. I have heard at recent panels on the future of the music industry, where someone who has been in the industry some time inevitably state that ‘well, it’s easier now to get your music out there…in my day…’. To get the music out is one thing, to get heard is another, to get a fair hearing is yet another. Yet at the A&R panel at In The City, a number of the panellists rightly suggested that sending in a CD and hoping is not enough for a band to get noticed. There is a responsibility for the artist to put the effort in too. And there was no artist more committed to making people aware of their music and name than the wonderfully named Red Star Rebels. If ever a name summed up the music it is this one. Pure unadulterated rock. Loud, fast, and tight…very tight. These guys performed on the last night at In The City to a packed audience mixed with hardcore fans who had travelled to see them along with music industry folk and quite frankly some who were trying to work out what they were witnessing! No band at In The City worked the stage like these guys. Complete entertainment, not just strong music. And this is from someone who is not known to be a fan of such music! For three days solid, you could not go anywhere in Manchester without seeing the Red Star Rebel flyers. The band were out morning afternon and night putting up their flyers. If not doing this, they were chatting to everyone they could at the event, sneaking into the hotel lobby and mingling non-stop. Plus some business contacts of mine received e-mail promotions from the band, quoting that I was a big fan - the cheek of the Rebels! The guys were non-stop. Whether it is a record company, a brand or a VC looking to invest in talent, you can’t ask for any more from a band than this. An immense live performance backed up with a 100% commitment to what they do. I salute the hardest working band in the business - the Red Star Rebels

Saw these guys at In The City. Beautiful sounds floated around the venue, almost cinematic. And they used an ironing board on stage too - great music and practical…what a mix!

On top of that a name that defies logic: Tim and Sam’s Tim and The Sam Band with Tim and Sam

Saint Jazzie of B was a highlight at In The City. He was interviewed by Lloyd Bradley (more in him later!) and talked about how Soul2Soul started out.

Two things struck me whilst he was talking. Firstly, that Soul2Soul was very much music of the community - created, produced, refined and promoted by the community. It was rooted in the live experience, not the product form of vinyl or CD. Very similar to folk music where musicians would test their songs in bars and social gatherings in the community. Music as social commentary, not music as product.

In itself, the roots of Soul2Soul came out of the sound systems where musician/music/listener were joined. The sound systems created their ’specials’ - a tune that for all connected to the sound system would define that sound system against others. In effect is was their sonic branding. Everyone would know that tune belonged to that sound system.

Yet Soul2Soul understood the power of branding in more ways than the power of the sonic logo. Their visual emblem is still one of the most recognised logos in music, whilst the collective delivered not just the music but also their merchandise (with their own retail outlet too).

Very much a music collective ahead of their times, balancing smart branding techniques with the need to keeping close to their community roots…and making great music too.

In these times of 360 business models, Soul2Soul is a model that others can learn from.

A great Keynote Panel at In the City, with Daniel Miller, founder of Mute Records. He was asked for his views on the future of the record industry given the recent news about Radiohead asking their fans to pay what they wish for their music and Madonna doing a deal with Live Nation. For Daniel, it felt like a return to the days of 30 years ago, when indie distribution was starting, giving an opportunity to those who had no industry background to put stuff out…be they artists or people like Tony Wilson (Factory) or Geoff Travis (Rough Trade). He stated that there has always been the opportunity for artists to do it themselves. For some reason though, he has seen many that decide not to go down the DIY route partly because

they want to have some money, have some support…international backup…they don’t want to run their own business.

With regards the record company, he stated that there will always be a role for some expertise such as A&R and marketing and promotion, whether it takes the form of a record company is another matter. Finally, he noted that the two key people in all of this are the artists making great music and the people who listen. This is the most important thing to focus on. Everything else is up for discussion.