6 Damn weeks and stuff

Been away. Kept the wolf from the door and Camdemonium upped sticks for a while.

Anyhoo..

Universal continue their Dominance over here, buying V2 last week for 7 million.

Will the last competitor please turn out the lights?

Morgan Stanley 2005 = £300m+
Universal 2007 £7m

Key signings: Paul Weller, Bloc Party, Stereophonics

Dear Mr Morgan Stanley. I have a collection of spoons that clang in various tones depending on the region from whence they came. Lots of people are into my spoons (though, not as many as there used to be) and sometimes pay to hear them clang.

On a side note: I heard the chief at Universal has a non-scouting policy. Well, unless you count just outbidding every other label to beat it to signings. Lucien’s not a Chelsea fan is he?

On another side note: bumped into a lovely fellow at Glasto who gave me some free tees.

Big plug to Aaron @ Guerilla Pimp. That A for Ox is sho’ nuff dandy.

Glastonbury 2008 LEAKED

The following text was found on papers left backstage at the festival this weekend. Seems some people have some great plans for the festival next year…By great I mean huge, not in terms of grandeur or how popular they may or may not be….thoughts please.

Glastonbury / Rowley Wood 2008

1 – Tarmac/asphalt the entire site.
This will alleviate the mud/rain issues and more importantly allow easy access and mobility for our key demographic of the over 50s and to keep rain to a minimum, a roof to be installed over the site

2 – Pyramid Stage to be renamed Emirates Stage. This branding will bring in £20 million in revenue for the next 4 years. The Other Stage will be handed over to 02, who have put forward a fee in excess of £30million over the next four years

3 – Removal of all trees apart from the perimiter area, which should help reduce the amount of people who can see in without paying. There is also the removal of risk for those who climb these deathtraps with the intention of getting a better view of the stages. This is a revenue stream we cannot control, without removing them. Which is in the saftey interests of all.

4 – Glasto Webcast. For the 200,000+ people who didn’t manage to gain access we can charge them £15 – £25 per day to see any band they want from the comfort of their own home.

5 – Reduction of the overall size of the event by 1/3rd. We will use this space to build four high rise apartment towers renting out at £800 for the Glastonbury event. Included in this price will be two tickets. The space we will reclaim will be the Green Fields, which are the least profitable in terms of revenue.

6 – The possible movement of the event to Slough. Creating a bypass from the M4 (easy access from Heathrow for our ClearChannel Bretheren) allows Londoners, the most important visitors to the festival a quick in/out. We have identified the Rowley Wood area of Berkshire as a potential site.

7 – With all this work that we are planning on doing for the benefit of festival goers and those who want to keep the great Glastonbury Spirit, we will need to raise admission prices by at least 30%, going up to £230 next year.

“I remember when this was all fields….”

New Radiohead album. In the cutting room..

Johnny or Thom?

It’s not hard to get Camdemonium excited about Radiohead. About *holds finger and thumb together* this much will do it….Are they gong to be on EMI? Not sure if this issue was resolved..

Swings and roundabouts. The decline of Hip Hop

Reading this over at Coolfer got me thinking about Hip Hop sales in the UK. Same story?

Research by the BPI BPI Stats 2006 shows a 10 year high in 2004, with Hip Hop accounting for 6.5% of UK album sales that year. Last year that figure was reduced to 3.3%. The biggest sellers in the genre on our side of the pond were Black Eyed Peas and The Streets – No, nor me.

Rock incidently went from 29.8% in 2004 to 40.6% in 2006. Contemporary rock takes the majority of that slice with 25.5% and Metal, Prog and AoR taking the remainder.

Album sales are not what they were in the heyday of the mid-late 90s, but the fact remains Hip Hop is down. But not with the kids..

Is this cyclical, or a trend showing the demise of the genre? What about UK Hip Hop apart from The Streets?

More tbc…

Hurrah for Camdemonium!

Camdemonium is born.

Not as an homage to all things Camden, but more reflections and thoughts on the flux in the music industry, pints, tunes and life in London.

Hurrah!