An Open Letter To The Economist

Adding to a growing list of badly researched and, frankly wrong, pieces about the music industry, even The Economist is not immune to getting things badly wrong it would seem.

Have a read of this 'back of the bus' piece on the NME going free and see if you can spot the glaring errors. If you can't I got all Henry Root and sent them a letter which is below.

Whilst the initial set up of your article in the September 5th edition of the paper regarding the imminent relaunch of NME as a freesheet displayed correct analysis, your subsequent expositions regarding the fate of previous free music titles and suppositions regarding 'NME's readers' were unworthy of your well earned reputation for accurate analysis.

The Fly was not 'free for a short time' as you assert but ran from 1999 to 2014 as a free title and peaked at a readership of around 100,000. It was rightly regarded as an important source of coverage for bands large and small and was instrumental in the success of a huge amounts of now household names, including elbow who I have represented since 1999. The demise of the magazine was less to do with its free nature and much more to do with parent company MAMA Group's involvement with HMV and a distribution deal with the chain which, following the store group's collapse in 2014, left the title without a valid distribution network.

A short journey to Google would have revealed this to you via either this guardian story - http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/mar/07/the-fly-music-magazine-closes-after-nearly-15-years - or Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fly_%28magazine%29.

Stool Pigeon, which you cite alongside The Fly, (again being 'free for a short time'), as a harbinger of doom for the new NME, also ran for years, beginning in 2005 and ending in 2013. This, according to editor Phil Hebblethwaite, was not because of bankruptcy but rather that he was 'knackered' after eight years of running the paper. Again, this is public knowledge, see the Press Gazette piece at the time of closure - http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/print-edition-music-magazine-stool-pigeon-scrapped-after-eight-years.

As regards NME, you note that it will have to broaden the bands it covers to appeal to a wider market but a public statement from editor Mike Williams has already declared that 'music is "firmly at the heart of the brand" but there will also be "film, fashion, television, politics, gaming and technology".' (http://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/86702), suggesting that the editorial team are already focused on just such a strategy.

As a subscriber I value the analysis that The Economist offers in areas where I have no expert knowledge. In an area where I have some knowledge I find it disturbing that such copy could pass for publication with multiple glaring errors and naïve assumptions devoid of fact.

Best

Lewis Jamieson

DIRECTOR LOUDHAILER PRESS

JAKE EVANS LIVE SHOWS

LONDON, UPSTAIRS AT THE GARAGE 21^st JULY 2015

MANCHESTER DEAF INSTITUTE 25^th JULY 2015

DAY ONE – THE DEBUT ALBUM, 31^st JULY 2015

Following the announcement of the release of his debut album, former Bad Lieutenant singer and guitarist Jake Evans has announced a very special album release shows at Manchester’s Deaf Institute and London’s Garage to preview the release.

Jake will play the Deaf Institute in Manchester on the 25^th July and Upstairs at Highbury Garage on 21^st July. 

Tickets FOR MANCHESTER are available now from http://www.ticketline.co.uk/jake-evans#bio. 

Tickets FOR LONDON are available now from http://goo.gl/n7lBxA. 

‘Day One’ marks the first solo outing for Jake and was recorded at Big Red, his studio in Macclesfield, in between tours with Jimi Goodwin for his own solo project. Both Jimi and former bandmate and New Order founding member Bernard Sumner contributed to sessions for ‘Day One’, Jimi on backing vocals and percussion whilst Bernard sang on an alternate take of ‘This Is Life’ which will be made available with a special edition of the album and downloads purchased through Itunes. A video for the album version of ‘This Is Life’ can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuI2ulZIkpw. 

Over the ten tracks the album hints at gospel (‘Easy On My Soul’), dips a toe into psychedelia (‘Sun Goes Down’), flirts with the dancefloor (‘Telephone’) and nudges up against Augustus Pablo (‘Last One Standing’) but, at heart, is about Jake and his guitar.

Further dates will be announced shortly. 

‘Day One’ is available to pre-order on the following formats from http://jakeevans.tmstor.es/:

‘Day One’ Signed CD with exclusive bonus CD.

‘Day One’ Signed Vinyl album with CD insert and exclusive bonus CD.

FOR MORE INFORMATION                                         -              LOUDHAILER PRESS

Lewis Jamieson                                                                 -              lewis@loudhailerpress.com / @LewJam

                                                                                                                07718 652582 / 020 8714 0139

www.jakeevansmusic.co.uk

Power, Corruption And Lies

Sepp Blatter. The very words are still making me laugh, almost as much as the commentators and social media wonks who lost their marbles over the idea that he could be voted back in to position. Anyone with a working knowledge of power structures knew very well that boat had sailed long ago.

On Radio 4 this morning in discussion of the new government suggestions for free childcare for under 3s I hear a woman tell the reporter she is 'lucky' as both her and her husband work full time. No one asked the child whether it felt lucky to be in wraparound care but no doubt had they a parade of 'experts' would have appeared to confirm that, yes, children in structured play environments from an early age (particularly from 'deprived' backgrounds) do make greater headway in early stage learning than their counterparts. Presumably the first stage to attaining that luck of their parents to be in full time work with their partner years hence allowing them to also put their child in wraparound care. No one would have asked whether parents not seeing their child for five days a week, 50 weeks a year was beneficial to either party nor whether emotional intelligence was being measured alongside cognitive ability.

I do understand what the woman meant.  She is reflecting a version of normal that FIFA delegates were reflecting when reinstalling Blatter. Orthodoxy is a powerful tool. Tony Blair lies about invading Iraq, we all know he's lying, we know the dossier is rubbish yet we march and fail and acquiesce and shoot barbs from the corner of a virtual room. We fail to enact real change because we shrug and say, 'what can we do?' In the case of Blatter we are left with the idea that the power of those titans of ethical responsibility, MacDonalds, Mastercard and Coca-Cola should do our work for us. We are bought into the idea that working is good, leisure is earned through work, children are best left to semi-independence from a young age. We are modifying the idea of upper class living into a beige, 21st century version that, paradoxically, makes us less free than our great grandparents who had to fight for votes and unions and healthcare and freedom from the tyranny of an establishment explicitly designed to contain them. To add to the irony the free market is placing our children into a context that would be perfectly at home in the state knows best dictatorship of an orthdox Communist entity, albeit with the party politics leached out.

For nannies read state assisted childcare. For cooks read Marks & Spencer ready meal. For staff read minimum wage cleaner, for butler or ladies maid read personal shopper, for real social provision read Children In Need and Comic Relief. It is a Soylent Green version of freedom, a tyranny of meaningless choices masking a reality of no choice at all. A trade of the real aspirations of the post war generations of 1919 and 1946 for an 'on demand' fascimile of that which they aspired to achieve. We are so in thrall to the pantomime that is created for our entertainment that in a few weeks, Blatter will be replaced by a new Punch or Judy, the social networks will once again go into meltdown and nothing will happen.

SERGIO! SERGIO! ON MY RADIO

Always good to start Friday with a touch of Bolshevik inspired Heimat romance, Russian dancing and gorgeous acoustic versions of songs you already love.

Agreed? If so scroll down.

The former is supplied by the Ally Kerr film for A New International's 'Once Upon A Time In The Revolution', the track that takes Leone to Leon (Trotsky) for tea. At least one Sergio is in my good books this week.



The latter requires a little more effort but to access session versions of both 'Come To The Fabulon' and 'When I Walked The Earth' recorded for The Culture Show (oh aye, they know their culture) go hear and then fast forward to one hour in until you hear 'Valentino', then sit back and enjoy

And, as if that wasn't enough, you can hear the whole of 'Come To The Fabulon' hear. If you haven't heard the album yet then, really, what have you been doing?

STARBENDERS - ROCK N ROLL BOYFRIEND

Loving this from Atlanta's Starbenders

And, lucky me, just got some new tracks so keep your eyes open for more later....

Now to find a way to get them over to the UK.........

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE BELOW

EDDIE ARGOS

Tells You How He Formed A Band And The Inside Track On Rock n Roll

SPOKEN WORD TOUR MAY / JUNE 2015

Pop music, as we all know, can be an uncertain business. Whilst a chosen few achieve their dreams of riches, world travel and mass adoration for many a spot at their local battle of the bands is the limit of their fame. 

In October of last year Eddie Argos, world renowned lead singer and songwriter with Art Brut, the London band that have spent the last decade redefining the meaning of stardom, entertained a select audience in London’s Islington with the tale of how he created Art Brut and forever changed the face of popular music.

Now the whole of the UK will have the opportunity to hear his tales of a life spent in rock n roll, from playing the vacuum cleaner onstage to lying to people in London about how he could sing like Aretha Franklin. This is his story.

Dates are as follows, tickets are available now via usual agents or links below.

May
Saturday 23rd Edinburgh, The Voodoo Rooms (Speakeasy)
Sunday 24th Glasgow, Broadcast
Monday 25th Aberdeen, The Lemon Tree
Tuesday 26th Manchester, Gullivers
Wednesday 27th Birmingham, The Rainbow
Thursday 28th Cardiff, The Globe
Friday 29th Bristol, The Birdcage Door Sales Only
Sunday 31st Leicester, The Musician

June
Tuesday 2nd Norwich, Arts Centre
Wednesday 3rd Cambridge, Portland Arms
Tuesday 16th Brighton, Komedia Studio
Wednesday 17th London, Courtyard Theatre

FOR MORE INFORMATION - LOUDHAILER PRESS
Lewis Jamieson - lewis@loudhailerpress.com / @LewJam / 07718 652582

MORE ABOUT OUR SPEAKER

Eddie Argos grew up fantasising about being the singer in a band that would tour the world, despite the fact he can't really sing. Somehow he managed it and now he is going to tell you how. Heartwarming story or cautionary tale? You be the judge.

https://www.facebook.com/eddie.argos

https://twitter.com/EddieArgos
http://www.the-eddie-argos-resource.blogspot.com
http://www.artbrut.org.uk/
http://www.eddieargos.com

LONGFELLOW SCORE A & R WORLDWIDE'S VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Our favourite South London Alt-poppers Longfellow have had their quite remarkable video for the current 'Medic' single heralded as VIDEO OF THE WEEK from those nice folk at A & R WORLDWIDE. Coming on the back of lists at 6 Music and Radio 2 here is further proof (if you need it) that Longfellow are making all the right moves as 2015 swings into action. Their headline show at London's Borderline on 26th February is all set to be one of those gigs.

A&R WORLDWIDE’S "VIDEO OF THE WEEK" – LONGFELLOW


South London’s Longfellow consists of Owen James Lloyd (vocals), James Thomas (guitar), Ali Hetherington (keyboards), Lewis Fowler (bass) and Tom Warhurst (drums) who create melodically charged alt pop. They invaded the UK’s airwaves with their singles “Siamese Lover,” which was supported at radio by the likes of Steve Lamacq on BBC Radio 6 and Jo Whiley on Radio 2 and “Kiss-Hug-Make Up” which was included on the Radio 2 playlist for three weeks, which led to a special Fierce Panda X-Posure show for Xfm’s John Kennedy last May. As Longfellow gets closer to the launch of their new EP in April, they’ve unleashed the new single “Medic.” The song has appeared on the playlists of Xfm, Radio 2 and 6, which is quite the accomplishment for an unsigned band. The video clip is nothing short of amazing with the animation and positive story. Longfellow has upcoming gigs in London at The Social tomorrow night and at The Borderline on February 26th. Watch the clip for “Medic” HERE and contact Simon Williams of Fierce Panda at simon@fiercepanda.co.uk for available opportunities, as Longfellow is available for signing, publishing and synch opportunities worldwide.