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Islington Assembly Hall // Assistant Bars and Duty Manager (London)

Today's music business news

TOP STORY

BMG announces restructure to "future proof" the business

BMG yesterday announced a restructure that is, we are told, "designed to future proof" the company and "further develop its ability to deliver for artists and songwriters on a global scale".

The big changes are on the recordings side of the business which, BMG says, is being rejigged to bring it in line with the publishing side. "The new structure for BMG’s recordings business will make a clear distinction between local expertise in artist relationships and global functions which serve them", it explains in a statement.

As part of all that, a new global catalogue function will be set up in LA, meanwhile - in Continental Europe - the company will be "renewing its frontline recorded business in a new ‘hub-and-spoke’ structure".

"Catalogue, sales and marketing will now become global functions", it adds, an approach already take with investments, tech, rights and royalties. Local campaign management will then “work with a new global marketing team responsible for analytics, content creation, and media planning and buying".

BMG boss Thomas Coesfeld says the changes are necessary because "music is going through another tectonic change".

He adds: "BMG has challenged the conventions of the music industry ever since we began … now new ways of creating and consuming music and looming changes in streaming economics are challenging us to do even better for our clients".

There have already been a number of changes at BMG since Coesfeld took over as CEO in July. The company ended a long-term partnership with Warner Music's ADA on distribution, bringing digital distribution in-house and allying with Universal Music on physical product.

It then announced a number of redundancies in October, impacting the firm's international marketing department and those involved in theatre and film projects, and its Modern Recordings label.

ONE LINERS

One Liners: Dua Lipa, FAC, Imagine Dragons + more

APPOINTMENTS

Bishi has been newly elected to the board of the UK’s Featured Artists Coalition. She replaces Dilys Uwagboe (aka Eckoes), who has stepped down after four years. Brix Smith, David Rowntree, John Robb and Marcus O’Dair were all re-elected. “Growing up in community art spaces, I understand the impact of artists standing together”, says Bishi. “I would like to take this opportunity with the FAC to further that commitment and learn more about the changing needs of artists today”.

RELEASES

Dua Lipa has released an extended mix of her recent single ‘Houdini’. “When I was in the studio working on ‘Houdini’ with my collaborators, we always had this dream of releasing a clubby, house mix of the record”, she says. “The song was already the perfect soundtrack to a sweaty night out, but the new third verse just takes it to a whole new level. We’re putting it out into the world a little earlier than expected, but the fans just couldn’t wait! Think of it as an early holiday gift from me to you”.

Holly Humberstone has released a new version of her song ‘Into Your Room’ featuring MUNA. “I’m obsessed with MUNA and have been wanting to work with them for ages, I’m so thankful that I finally get to have them bring their magic to one of my songs”, she says.

Yard Act have released new single ‘Petroleum’. “I lost it with the crowd in Bognor Regis and told them I was bored and I didn’t want to be there”, says frontman James Smith of the inspiration for the song. “Me and Ryan [Needham, bassist] had a row after and Ryan rightly dressed me down for the way I acted. It got me pondering the idea that, now this is a job, what are the requirements of it? People think they want honesty but they don’t, they want me to portray the version of honesty that they've paid to see and that’s part of the illusion”.

Anna Calvi will release her scores for the fifth and sixth series of ‘Peaky Blinders’ on 26 Jan. Out now is the track ‘Black Tuesday’. “Composing for ‘Peaky Blinders’ was about atmosphere and space”, she says. “There’s so much nuance when it comes to scoring to picture. It’s more about what you leave out than what you leave in. I had to let the voice of the actors do the talking but find ways of bringing out the emotion within that. I became completely obsessed with Tommy Shelby, I dreamt about him every night whilst I was working on the scores, I had to really inhabit the show”.

Alkaline Trio have released new single ‘Bad Time’. “‘Bad Time' was initially inspired by a friend and crush who happened to call me while I was on tour in El Paso, Texas as an active shooter situation was happening just across from where we were staying”, says frontman Matt Skiba. “We could hear gunshots and sirens as the situation escalated. My friend asked if it was a bad time to talk, and I said no - I really wanted to speak with her. It was actually a terrible and terrifying time, but it was never a bad time to hear her voice”. The band’s new album ‘Blood, Hair And Eyeballs’ is out on 26 Jan.

Genesis Owusu has released new single ‘Survivor’, which has been added to the tracklist of his latest album ‘Struggler’ on streaming services. Speaking about the track, he says: “The story never ends, the roach keeps roaching. Through space, time, fire and brimstone”.

Hello squirrels! Isn’t it time for… Hey Duggee’s Christmas single? Featuring vocals from Alexander Armstrong, Beardyman and the BBC Singers, the new song from the Children’s BBC show ‘Hey Duggee Deck The Halls’ is out now. “It’s been a huge honour to be involved in this”, says Beardyman. “Totally surreal and wonderful to be invited to be part of the funniest cartoon on TV. Everybody loves Duggee, and I will cherish the Christmas jumper I wore during the recording session for the rest of my life”.

AWARDS

Imagine Dragons have received a Hall Of Fame award from US collecting society SoundExchange. “Imagine Dragons is one of those bands that you know will be around a long time”, says CEO Michael Huppe. “Since their 2012 debut, they’ve churned out hit songs like ‘Radioactive’, ‘Demons’ and ‘Believer’ that continue to influence their genre. SoundExchange is happy to recognise Imagine Dragons as Hall Of Fame artists for their enduring creativity and popularity”.

ARTIST NEWS

Shane MacGowan dies

Shane MacGowan has died, aged 65, following a recent stay in hospital after being diagnosed with encephalitis last year.

In a statement yesterday, the musician’s family said: “It is with the deepest sorrow and heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our most beautiful, darling and dearly beloved Shane MacGowan. Shane died peacefully at 3.30am this morning with his wife and sister by his side. Prayers and the last rites were read during his passing”.

Born on Christmas Day in 1957, MacGowan was best known as frontman of The Pogues, the band he formed in 1982. The band had a string of hits, including ‘Dirty Old Town’, ‘The Irish Rover’ and perennial Christmas song ‘Fairytale Of New York’.

MacGowan began his career in punk band The Nipple Erectors - later The Nips - which he joined in 1976. He formed The Pogues - originally known as Pogue Mahone - in 1982 following the break up of The Nips, with the band taking influence from traditional Irish music.

He fronted the band until 1991, when he was fired due to erratic behaviour as a result of his heavy drinking. He then went on to form Shane MacGowan And The Popes. He reunited with The Pogues in 2001 and continued to perform with them until 2014.

Kevin Gore, President of Global Catalogue And Arts Music at the Pogues’ longtime label Warner Music, is among those who have paid tribute to MacGowan.

“Warner Music has been blessed to work with Shane MacGowan for more than four decades”, he said. “We are honoured to have helped share his passionate, ambitious music with the world. We will proudly celebrate his legacy for years to come”.

MacGowan's passing has also resulted in a surge of listening for his seasonal hit 'Fairytale Of New York'. It was streamed nearly 400,000 times on Spotify in the UK yesterday, 200,000 times more than the previous day.

LIVE

UK government pauses the blocking of the proposed London MSG Sphere - even though MSG has given up on the plan

The UK government has declared that a final decision on the plan to build an MSG Sphere venue in East London should not be made just yet. Because Michael Gove wants to consider whether he should also consider the plan, even though MSG has already given up on the idea of building a Sphere complex in the capital.

A letter from Gove's team this week said a final decision should not be considered final so that he can consider whether he should consider what the final decision should be - or, in government parlance, "consider whether he should direct under Section 77 of the Town And Country Planning Act that the application should be referred to him for determination".

However, MSG CEO James Dolan has confirmed that his company doesn't want or need the UK government to intervene on this. Because it’s already decided to abandon the London Sphere project and sell the land on which it would have been built. “It really is the end of the line for London”, he told the Evening Standard, before musing: “Why doesn’t London want the best show on earth?”

MSG wanted to build a big blob venue, like the one it recently opened in Las Vegas, right next to the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. The Sphere venues come with lots of high-tech wizardry, including an LED skin with turns the entire building into a massive screen. The impact that would have on local residents was a key reason why MSG's plan proved controversial.

The planning authority that oversees developments in and around the Olympic Park, the London Legacy Development Corporation, initially approved the plan, but last week London Mayor Sadiq Khan overturned that decision.

Gove - in his current 87th ministerial incarnation as Secretary Of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities - issued a so called 'holding direction' in relation to the MSG Sphere proposal earlier this year, giving him the right to intervene.

At the time those campaigning against the building of the new venue hoped that that might provide another route to block the plans if Khan happened to approve them. It would be ironic if Gove now did the opposite. Though given MSG's current position, that seems unlikely.

LEGAL

US court blocks Montana's TikTok ban

An American judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the TikTok ban that was due to go into effect in the US state of Montana at the start of next year.

Both TikTok itself, and a group of TikTok creators, filed legal proceedings against the ban after it was passed by lawmakers in Montana earlier this year.

Among other things they claimed that the ban violates free speech rights in the US constitution, an argument accepted by judge Donald W Molloy this week.

In his ruling, he writes that SB419 - the statute that prohibits use of the social media app in Montana - "bans TikTok outright and, in doing so, it limits constitutionally protected First Amendment speech. Accordingly, SB419 must pass at least intermediate scrutiny review. Plaintiffs have demonstrated that it is unlikely the law will be able to do so".

It's not only politicians in Montana that have issues with TikTok, of course. Politicians in multiple countries have expressed concern that the Chinese government has access to TikTok user data via its China-based owner Bytedance.

Lawmakers in Montana raised other issues too, though the China data thing was the big one. Which Molloy also noted in his ruling. Because, he said - while SB419 is presented as consumer protection law - it’s really related to the foreign policy of the US at large, which is a federal rather than state matter.

TikTok said it was "pleased the judge rejected this unconstitutional law".

 Meanwhile, the office of the Montana Attorney General stressed that the ruling is preliminary and "the judge indicated several times that the analysis could change as the case proceeds and the state has the opportunity to present a full factual record”.

The Attorney General’s spokesperson then added: "We look forward to presenting the complete legal argument to defend the law that protects Montanans from the Chinese Communist Party obtaining and using their data".

LEGAL

Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband and former manager ordered to return $2.6 million in commissions

Kelly Clarkson's former manager - who also happens to be her ex-husband - has been ordered by the California Labor Commissioner to return $2.6 million in commissions he was previously paid. We know this because the manager and the management company he works for are appealing that order in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The professional dispute between Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock of Starstruck Entertainment began in 2020, the same year the musician began divorce proceedings. She filed a petition with the California Division Of Labor Standards Enforcement, while Blackstock and Starstruck filed a lawsuit.

Clarkson’s petition focused on whether or not Blackstock had violated California's Talent Agencies Act by acting as an agent as well as a manager when negotiating TV and brand deals for the musician. In California agents need to be licensed. Therefore, any deal-making in relation to Clarkson's TV and brand projects should have been handled by her agents at CAA, not Blackstock and Starstruck.

According to Law360, although not entirely siding with Clarkson, a special hearing officer at Labor Standards Enforcement nevertheless concluded that Blackstock violated the Talent Agencies Act by acting as an agent without licence on a number of occasions. That includes in relation to Clarkson’s deals with 'The Voice' and the 'Billboard Music Awards', and some brand partnership deals.

Therefore, according to the ruling of the Division Of Labor Standards Enforcement, Blackstock is not legally due the commissions he earned on those deals. And it's that ruling that Starstruck is now appealing.

DIGITAL

TikTok launches new promo tools for artists

TikTok yesterday launched a number of new promo tools for musicians on the platform under the banner Artist Account. Basically artists can post and sign-post more content to promote their music to TikTok users.

"With the introduction of the Artist Account", says TikTok's Head of Music Partnerships & Programming, Paul Hourican. "We are proud to further empower artists by providing them with the tools they need to reach new heights on TikTok".

Among the tools on offer for musicians who sign up for an account is an 'artist tag', highlighting to TikTok users that they are a music-maker, plus a 'music tab' that allows them to curate their music within the TikTok ecosystem.

Artists will also be able to highlight new releases, pin a preferred post to the top of their discovery page, and post content under the banner 'Behind The Song', where they can "share the stories and inspirations behind their songs, fostering a deeper connection with fans".

Hourican adds that with Artist Account - as well as the recently launched Add To Music App function, which allows users to save tracks heard on TikTok to their personal Spotify or Amazon Music libraries - "we're seeing how these features can deepen engagement whilst creating unique opportunities for fans to connect with their favourite artists in meaningful ways, driving music discovery on the platform".

AND FINALLY

SZA calls for an amnesty on hating Nickelback

Wondering if I should re-evaluate the back catalogue of Nickelback isn’t something I thought I would be doing today. But I guess when SZA tells you that you should do something, you’re going to do it.

Discussing the music that influences her in a new interview with Variety, she says: “The other day you know what I pulled up? Creed, Nickelback, Train ‘Drops Of Jupiter’, just a whole bunch of that”.

When interviewer Jim Aswad expresses surprise/dismay at those musical choices, she adds: “I know, I know! Wait, you know what’s crazy? Do white people hate Creed and Nickelback? Why? Black people love them! They rock! That shit is bomb! Why do you all hate it so much? That voice…”

It’s all a bit cliched though, muses Aswad. To which SZA counters: “But I like Creed so much - ‘Higher’? Why are you hating on it? Have you ever felt more inspired and uplifted in your life?”

“I’m in the car and I’m blasting ‘Higher’”, she continues, “I feel like it’s a gospel song, the vocals are going crazy and it’s also somehow slightly romantic, it just feels so fun. Because even if it’s cliche, he’s so fucking dead ass!”

“I will be a Creed fan forever”, she concludes. “Like, it started just on a whim in the shower, ‘Oh, let’s play this’, and then it became a week of Creed and Nickelback”.

I think I heard one Creed song about 25 years ago and they haven’t figured in my life since, but while you were reading that I’ve been having a good think about whether I should try to enjoy the work of Nickelback.

I have a friend who every year prays that they will be announced as a Glastonbury headliner. And maybe she’s right to do that. Maybe they’re just good, clean fun. No frills, just good music done well.

No, of course that’s not true. I don’t know what we were all thinking. Nice try, SZA.