Poll Says Barton Was Right To Sell Cream

Cream founder James Barton was right to sell his company to Live Nation, according to a delegate survey at the International Music Summit in Ibiza, Spain, May 25.

Forty-eight percent of the delegates thought Barton and majority stakeholder Ingenious Media Active Capital were right to take the $22.4 million offered for the UK music company, although only 49 percent felt LN’s involvement would be good for the electronic dance music scene.

Founded in 1998, Cream has organized artist tours, nine Creamfields Festivals in the United Kingdom, various others overseas and many club events. It has booked artists including David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, Tiesto and others.

The deal was announced May 9 and sees Barton join Live Nation as its new president of electronic music and to lead the company’s expansion in that area.

The IMS, now in its fifth year, attracted just fewer than 500 international dance industry delegates – about 50 more than last year – to the island’s Ibiza Gran Hotel May 23-25.

Other questions in the poll included who was in favour of the formation of an industry body to represent electronic music (79 percent), whether the American dance music explosion is just a fad (52 percent) and whether “Simon Cowell should fuck off and leave dance music alone” (96 percent).

Producer and former member of Chic Nile Rodgers was the subject of one of the keynote artist interviews, while panelists included Barton, internationally known Spanish promoter Pino Sagliocco, Metropolis Music promoter and former Amy Winehouse manager Raye Cosbert, Chase & Status manager Jho Oakley, and William Morris Endeavour agent Obi Asika.

Artists that popped up on various panels included Grammy nominee Diplo, Luciano, Carl Cox, Above and Beyond, Professor Green, Paul Oakenfold, and Seth Troxler.

The three-day summit addressed issues affecting electronic dance music with the goal of consolidating it as a serious business.