The Music Industry Explained

If the opening-day panel titled "The Music Industry Explained" really does what it’s promising, it’s likely that thousands will be flocking to Brighton’s The Great Escape conference-turned-festival May 17-19.

British Phonographic Industry (BPI) director of independent services John Webster and Phil Patterson, a former Chrysalis Records international director and now music industry specialist for the government’s U.K. Trade International organization, are the ones who’ll be doing the explaining.

This is the second annual three-day gathering that the Barfly venue chain – whose parent company MAMA recently acquired London’s Hammersmith Apollo and The Forum from LN-Gaiety – has staged in the south coast seaside town.

The three days of panels and three evenings of live music are expected to attract 1,250 delegates. About 750 delegates attended last year’s inaugural Great Escape.

Thousands more will see the evening shows, which are spread across some of the town’s most popular venues, including the Brighton Centre’s East Wing, The Pavilion Theatre, The Corn Exchange, Arc, Concorde 2, Core Club, Hectors House, Komedia, Ocean Rooms, Pressure Point, Prince Albert, Sumo and Zap.

The conference sessions will be held in a range of Brighton buildings including the Old Victorian Court House, The Dome, Queens and Udder Belly.

The lineup of panelists includes some topical choices as EMI, which has just decided to remove DRM protection from the product available on Apple’s iTunes, will have Barney Wragg from the company’s digital section on a day-long conference discussing the latest and forthcoming developments in the digital music and media worlds.

Another "Digital Day" panel has Charles Caldas, who was appointed chief exec of Merlin (the indies’ new controversial download platform) at Midem 2007.

Caldas, a former chief exec of Australia’s Shock Entertainment Group who’s now relocated to London to take up his Merlin role, isn’t so much a controversial choice to run it. But the way the company was set up – with Warner Music money – has come under fire from such major U.K. indie labels as Ministry of Sound and Gut.

Alison Wenham, chief of U.K. indie organisation AIM and the main target for the MOS and Gut protests, will speak on "Paralleled Problems In Access To Radio," a panel that will debate whether special measures are needed to protect diversity on the airwaves.

Other panels include "Hip Hop State of The Nation," where panelists will discuss the genre’s current standing in the U.K., and "Japan Marketing In 2007" – an examination of the country’s music market that has further input from Patterson.

On the last day, as if to make sure the first day’s "The Music Business Explained" message has really sunk in, Phil Barton (Rounder Records), Paul Birch (Revolver Music) and Phil Nelson (First Column U.K.) are on what’s being called a "Reality Check Panel." The main theme is that predicting the future is easy, while dealing with reality is not.

More than 150 bands will be playing showcase sets, with Denmark’s Oh No Ono and Belgium’s The Goose, which are doing well securing summer festivals from this year’s European Talent Exchange Programme, and Finland’s The Crash among the international acts.

The British talent is headed by The Magic Numbers, The Noisettes, The Rakes, British Sea Power, Art Brut, The Pigeon Detectives, and Archie Bronson Outfit.