In almost twenty years as an A&R person in the record industry I've seen plenty of Battle Of The Bands competitions come and go. Did I ever think to show any interest in any of the artists that came through these competitions, not really. Was I unusual, certainly not. So why is the music industry so disinterested in these brands initiatives, at a time when shows like X Factor are making their creators millions?

By focussing purely on the competition angle in 'Battle Of The Bands' style competitions brands enter the arena at one point and often leave soon after. While the bands seem to enter a revolving door where they are spun around for a moment and then left either back where they started, or in slightly different place. Dizzy with raised expectations, but in reality no better off.

Timing is key to a band or an artist becoming successful, and yet there is no judgement of where a band is at in their early stage of development in any of these competitions. The music being good should be enough, everybody thinks so, but in reality it's not. History is littered with amazing artists who never sold many records in their careers, only to be revived decades later as a cult artist. Music is not alone in this, as it happens in all avenues of culture from authors to painters, many of whom die before they are discovered. 

But all is not lost, its a question of looking at strategy. The competition is only a small part of the equation.

It's not just winning a competition that matters. What matters is what other things are going on for the band, and in particular how the media perceives them - be it the press, radio or TV. None of the Battle Of The Bands competitions are respected by these institutions, or for that matter by the music industry, all of whom are critical to any ongoing success for any artist. In fact winning a competition can sometimes impact negatively on the winners credibility. It doesn't seem to matter if you win Pop Idol, but how would that change if it was Rock or Rap Idol, would you still be taken seriously? 

It's the same in the MySpace world, where millions of bands, both signed and unsigned, are easily accessible at the touch of the button. How do you distinguish between them all? What makes one band successful, and not another? It's partly down to the music, but its also about the ideas that surround the band and more importantly the infrastructure. Without this a band can win as many competitions as they like, but their careers wont go anywhere, because they don't have the basic tools they need to develop their careers.

citizensound says:

Nowadays there are different ways of developing an infrastructure, but any competition that pays no attention to this, and lacks any form of follow through will fail in the eyes of both the bands and the fans, and become valueless. It's like trying to build a house by starting with the roof, without ensuring that it has the foundations to support it.

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

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.

Great night out with Nick where we took in a number of bands at In The City.

On Sunday night we accidently stumbled across one bar where some sweet sounds of trumpet were making their way out on to the street.

Inside we found The Rosie Taylor Collective, providing an enjoyable evening for all there. Have a listen yourselves here and enjoy the photos of them below.

Word had obviously got out that The Rosie Taylor Project was one to watch, as the camera was on this band. rightly so, as they have a great sound.

When they finished, the cameraman packed up and went on his way to film another act on his hitlist. Did he make a big big mistake though, as next up was a highlight of the week-end.

After enjoying The Rosie Taylor Project at In The City, Nick and I stayed behind to see this unassuming guy take the stage with a guitar and a box of tricks.

He was billed at The Chemical Brothers meets Nick Drake

We citizens at citizensound had to see this, as no-one can deliver on this, could they?

Up came this quiet young guy called James Yuill who said hi and suggested we stick around to hear the next artist as ‘he is really good’!

Then came the aural onslaught of…well…Chemical Brothers meets Nick Drake really. If live music is about surprises, then this epitomises live music. Fabulous. When James dug into his box of 80s/90s box of digital tricks, the sounds he created were perfectly described by Nick as ‘dirty digital’. Bang on.

James absolutely had the audience with him. Huge reaction, and rightly so. He was one of the highlights for many. When he wrapped up, the cameraman came back to film the next act. If only he knew what he missed.

Take time out to go and see him. I have been listening to his CD a lot, but you must try and catch him live too. Find out more about him here

The title of the In The City conference this year was Brand New Dance…but I don't know it's name. Beautifully reflects the confusion and opportunity that is the music industry right now. citizensound was asked by In The City earlier this year to help them assess what the key concerns were in the music industry. We sensed that the speedy reshaping of the industry around the growth of the DIY music culture seemed a good place to start. Artists who have decided to control their own destiny without the support of a major record label are not doing anything new, so understandably another discussion on the rise of DIY music might have been a bit 'so what'. However, DIY music means many things. It could mean DIY in the sense of the era of skiffle music in the 50s where young musicians used what they could find at home to make music (spoons, washboards and more). It could mean a Punk attitude, where making the right notes were not as important as getting up there and not holding back. Right now, the IT in Do-it-yourself is more about the investment, marketing and distribution of music, rather than just the creation. It is about artists wanting control over all of these elements. (more…)