Eurosonic On A Shoestring

Close to 2,000 delegates are expected to turn up to this year’s Eurosonic-Noorderslag weekend, arguably making it the biggest and one of the most important gatherings in the European live music business calendar. But event director Peter Smidt doubts any of them will notice it’s been run on a shoestring budget.

Delays in sorting out the European Union cultural budget means the January 11-13 conference-turned-showcase has had to do without its community funding.

The money it had to run projects like the European Talent Exchange Programme (ETEP) for a three-year pilot period has run its course, and, due to the delays in Brussels, it hasn’t been possible to extend it in time for the 2007 event.

The fact the full weekend programme goes ahead as usual is down to backers like The Noorderslag Foundation, the Buma Cultuur organization, the European Music Office and other partners, who have all dug a little deeper into their coffers to ensure continuity while Smidt tries to get more EU money.

He’s quick to stress that Brussels isn’t to blame, and that ETEP and the rest of the Groningen-based gathering’s cultural initiatives have support within the European Commission, but said the finalizing of budgets is the problem.

Some EU members, particularly the smaller states that have entered in the last five years, believe they’re paying too much to the EU’s cultural budget and would prefer to spend some of it on local culture.

Until the EC had finalized the budget, and the European parliament had ratified it, it was impossible to start allocating it.

Smidt is confident that the ETEP scheme, and the continued support of such European music organizations as the International Music Managers Forum, Yourope (the European festival platform) and Network Europe (the European conglomerate of independent live music bookers, promoters and agents) will show that Eurosonic-Noorderslag has done enough to justify future EU support.

Smidt has already prepared his case for 2008 and beyond and is hopeful of getting a positive answer during the summer.

The 2006 ETEP figures indicate the number of participating festivals passed the 50 mark and 46 bands had foreign outdoor shows they otherwise wouldn’t have.

Over the years, Franz Ferdinand, The Kooks, Editors, The Go! Team, Infadels, Soundtrack of Our Lives, Seeed, Ralph Myerz & The Jack Herren Band, Wir Sind Helden, Kaizers Orchestra, Puppetmastaz, Moneybrother, The Beatsteaks, Donots, T. Raumschmiere, Anouk, Under Byen, Within Temptation, and 2Raumwohnung have been among the bands to benefit from the scheme.

The lineup for this year’s Eurosonic showcase is already in place, with Larrikin Love, The View, and Shitdisco the best-known so far of the U.K. contingent.

The full list of panels has been finalized and includes tax wizard Dick Molenaar and former Pink Floyd manager Peter Jenner.

Molenaar will do a Dutch-speaking panel that will discuss Holland’s decision to abolish withholding tax and will do another English-speaking panel on the effects of "the Scorpio case."

It will be the first time the industry has had chance to discuss the European Court of Justice’s October 3 ruling saying artists are entitled to deduct expenses at source and only be taxed on their gross profit.

Jenner’s panel will take the form of an interview in which he’ll no doubt get a chance to air his views on the state of the business.

Apart from managing Floyd, he’s also looked after Syd Barrett’s solo career, not to mention T.Rex, The Clash, Ian Dury, Disposable Heroes, and Billy Bragg.

He’s also secretary general of the International Music Managers Forum and a founding member of the European Live Music Forum (ELMF), which was started at Eurosonic-Noorderslag 2005.