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Night-time industries threaten legal action if COVID restrictions are extended beyond mid-July
Promoter and Greater Manchester Night Time Economy Advisor Sacha Lord has written to British Prime Minister 'Boris' Johnson threatening legal action if the UK government further pushes back the lifting of COVID restrictions beyond 19 Jul. Backed by the Night Time Industries Association and a plethora of entertainment, hospitality and event companies, the letter also calls for the extension of current COVID support measures given the four week delay in allowing live entertainment and night-time businesses to properly re-open.

Johnson confirmed on Monday that the remaining COVID restrictions in force in England would not now be lifted on 21 Jun, as had originally been planned. The delay - caused by concerns regarding the new delta variant of the coronavirus - means that the full capacity gigs, concerts and club nights that everyone hoped could resume on Monday will now not start up again until mid-July.

In a statement yesterday, the NTIA reiterated that "the change to the [COVID] roadmap came as a bitter blow to the sectors who were preparing to reopen fully on 21 Jun. The hospitality sector in particular is expected to lose £3 billion over the course of the four-week delay. Reports show the sector has already lost £87 billion over the past year and has accounted for a third of job losses during the pandemic".

The new letter put together by Lord addresses Johnson, and states: "We wish to put you on notice that Mr Lord and the representatives with whom he is in discussion are jointly considering taking legal action to challenge the government, should the easing of restrictions fail to take place on 19 Jul as promised. All of these industries have suffered enormously due to the repeated closures and reopenings, the ongoing lack of certainty, draconian social distancing measures and the illogical rules implemented and then removed, as areas have grappled with the constantly changing tier systems, and the local and national lockdowns".

"The restrictions with which these businesses have had to comply have often been entirely illogical and arbitrary in nature, and demonstrate a complete lack of understanding of how their various sectors function", the letter goes on. "It has been impossible for the affected sectors to operate anywhere near their pre-COVID levels, and for each day that the COVID restrictions remain in place, sectors such as hospitality continue to suffer enormous losses. The treatment of these sectors’ employees and business owners is deplorable and cannot continue. Industries such as hospitality, events, exhibitions and travel simply cannot endure further hardship".

Since it became clear that the 21 Jun restart date would be pushed back, reps for the live entertainment and night-time sectors have been calling for the planned reductions of COVID support due to begin on 1 Jul to also be postponed.

Rules introduced early on in the pandemic that provide protections to commercial tenants who are behind on rent payments - which were also due to expire at the end of this month - have now been extended through to March 2022. However, plans to reduce the financial support provided by government on 1 Jul have not yet been pushed back.

Lord himself - who has previously taken on the government over other arbitrary COVID restrictions, like the 10pm curfew that was in force for a time - says: "As of the end of the month, we'll not only see a 10% increase in furlough contributions, but the relief rate for hospitality drops from 100% to 66%. Factor in that huge parts of the nightlife sector are not even open yet, and we have a clear and inevitable crisis about to take place. We demand absolute confirmation we will reopen on the 19 Jul and we need urgent financial support to give businesses the best possible chance to survive until then".

Meanwhile, NTIA boss Michael Kill adds: "The eleventh hour delay to reopening announced by the Prime Minister on Monday was yet another devastating blow to nightlife businesses, and the government then rubbed salt into the wounds by indicating that support programmes like furlough and business rates relief would not be extended. Our sector simply cannot countenance another delay. That is why today – along with a number of trade bodies and businesses from other affected sectors - we are putting the government on notice that we intend to take legal action should they deviate from the extended roadmap with full reopening on 19 Jul".

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Warner acquires David Guetta's back catalogue
Warner Music has acquired the existing recordings catalogue of producer David Guetta, as well as agreeing a new deal to cover his future works, continuing their longstanding partnership.

"I'm super excited about the new music I'm working on", says Guetta. "And even more excited that I have started to play all this new music live to my fans again and they are loving it. This is the right time to renew my creative partnership with my trusted team at Warner Music. This deal is about having the best people around me to ensure I can keep innovating with exciting new projects, while also working my extensive catalogue and continuing to build my career".

"A lot of people approached us to express interest in David's catalogue", says his manager Jean-Charles Carré. "We decided to continue our partnership with Warner because they have a knowledge of and passion for David's music, with a global team that’s constantly working to place it in new contexts. We're super-excited about some of the deals they’re striking with new partners and their expansion into new territories. This is about proactively working David's catalogue and new music together".

Commenting for Warner, the major's CEO of Recorded Music, Max Lousada, says: "It's rare for an artist to not only define a genre, but transform it. David has been doing that for over two decades – igniting worldwide audiences and influencing whole generations of talent. He continues to have an extraordinary impact on the evolution of dance music, while innovating and collaborating with new voices in dynamic ways. For all he's achieved so far, there's so much great music, creativity, and originality still to come. All of us at Warner are very happy to expand our partnership with this global icon".

I think it's fair to say that everyone's very excited. And two decades into his career, Guetta is still incredibly prolific. So far this year, he's already released eight new singles with a variety of collaborators, including Joel Corry and Little Mix. His next single, the first under his shiny new Warner agreement, will arrive next month.

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Peter Jackson's Beatles film becomes three-part Disney+ series
Peter Jackson's long anticipated Beatles documentary film 'The Beatles: Get Back' is now Peter Jackson's long anticipated Beatles documentary series 'The Beatles: Get Back'.

Why? Well, partly because films are old hat in the post-COVID, stay-home, cinemas are smelly, video-on-demand age. And partly because Jackson had 55 hours of old footage to work with when making 'Get Back', and by turning it into a three-part Disney+ series he only has to lose 49 hours of it. Also, Jackson has a history of turning things that would have been fine as one film into an overlong trilogy.

Jackson's sad old film - sorry, super-duper Disney+ super series - has been edited together from footage of the Fab Four in the studio back in 1969 during recording sessions that culminated in the band's legendary performance on the roof of Apple Corp's Savile Row office in London. The album they created - 'Let It Be' - was then released eighteen months later, after the band had split up.

When the documentary project was first announced in 2019, Jackson said: "The 55 hours of never-before-seen footage and 140 hours of audio made available to us, ensures this movie will be the ultimate 'fly on the wall' experience that Beatles fans have long dreamt about. It's like a time machine transports us back to 1969, and we get to sit in the studio watching these four friends make great music together".

The film version of the 'Get Back' documentary - which is backed by The Beatles and their company Apple Corps - was meant to open in cinemas in September last year but was pushed back because of COVID nonsense. A 27 Aug 2021 release date was then announced, until yesterday's news that the movie has become a Disney+ series. It will be available to stream in three instalments on 25, 26 and 27 Nov.

Says Disney boss Bob Iger: "As a huge Beatles fan myself, I am absolutely THRILLED that Disney+ will be the home for this extraordinary documentary series by the legendary filmmaker Peter Jackson. This phenomenal collection of never-before-seen footage offers an unprecedented look at the close camaraderie, genius songwriting, and indelible impact of one of the most iconic and culturally influential bands of all time, and we can't wait to share 'The Beatles: Get Back' with fans around the world".

Meanwhile Jackson adds: "I'm very grateful to The Beatles, Apple Corps and Disney for allowing me to present this story in exactly the way it should be told. I've been immersed in this project for nearly three years, and I'm very excited that audiences around the world will finally be able to see it. Over six hours, you'll get to know The Beatles with an intimacy that you never thought possible".

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Bauer buys more local stations to expand Greatest Hits Radio on FM
Do you know what Greater Manchester needs? Yes, that's right, more Greatest Hits Radio. That's what. So praise the Lord, Bauer Media has just bought up yet more local radio stations - this time in the North West and East Midlands - to further expand the reach of its Greatest Hits Radio brand.

It's the Imagine Radio network previously owned by Stockport-based Like Media that is now being swallowed up by Greatest Hits, meaning that the Bauer station will become available on FM in Stockport and North Cheshire, plus also into the Peak District and down to the Derbyshire Dales.

Local radio nerds might like to know that Imagine's Stockport frequency was originally used by KFM before being bought by Stoke-On-Trent's Signal Radio and then relaunched under its current brand in 2000. The station split off from then Signal owner UTV Radio in 2009. The Derbyshire frequencies were previously used by High Peak Radio and Ashbourne Radio before coming into common ownership with and then rebranding as Imagine Radio.

Once merged into Greatest Hits Radio, all those frequencies will air mainly networked shows, most of them pumped out nationally, although there are regional opt outs around lunchtime, meaning at 1pm in Stockport people will hear a regional show hosted by Debbie Mac, and in Derbyshire a programme fronted by Andy Goulding.

For those of you feeling down that more local radio stations have been swallowed up by a national network, you're forgetting that the people of North Cheshire, the Peak District and the Derbyshire Dales will now be able to tune in to - and enjoy in glorious FM stereo - a drive time show hosted by a Member Of The Most Excellent Order Of The British Empire!

Says Bauer Radio Group Managing Director Dee Ford: "Greatest Hits Radio is home to much-loved presenters, including Simon Mayo, who has just been announced as being the recipient of an MBE for his services to radio broadcasting. Having expanded FM coverage of the station into London, we’re delighted to be able to bring even greater access to the station to listeners in the North West and East Midlands".

"Creating further scale for advertisers, we’re also committed to ensuring listeners have access to local information and news for the long-term", she went on, before adding: "We'd like to thank the passionate and dedicated team at Imagine Radio, and look forward to working closely with them over the next few weeks".

Confirming the deal from his side, the MD of the Like Media Group, Ryan Davies, said: "It's been great fun developing Imagine Radio over the last couple of years, and working with the fantastic team that we have and I know each of them will continue to thrive. The sale wasn't an easy decision for us, however it allows the remaining Like Media Group team to fully focus on the other projects that we have underway. We would like thank Dee and the Bauer team and wish them all the very best with the Hits Radio Brand network".

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Jax Jones shares experience of miscarriage on new track, Crystallise
Jax Jones has released new track 'Crystallise', which discusses his and his wife's experience of miscarriage. The track is taken from his upcoming EP, 'Deep Joy', which is set for release through his new WUGD label next month.

"'Crystallise' is the second track from my 'Deep Joy' EP and it's the perfect song to be played peak time at a festival", he says. "I'd also call it a sad banger as it’s equally about the joy of the dancefloor whilst helping me deal with some personal stuff in the lyrics".

"My wife and I had a miscarriage eighteen months ago and it was so difficult", he goes on. "We are fortunate enough to have a beautiful baby girl now, but the fact that one in four pregnancies in the UK result in a miscarriage is not spoken about enough. So to everyone else that has been through something similar I see you and I feel you, and I'm making a donation to Tommy's, a UK charity which leads research in complexities surrounding pregnancy".

"I believe dancing is the perfect antidote to sadness, so that's why the drop on this song is so crazy", he concludes. "I wanted to make the sickest switch up in a song to help you snap out of the sad times and go crazy on the dancefloor. That's what deep joy is all about".

'Crystallise' follows 'Feels', which came out earlier this month and was the first track released on WUGD - a joint venture between Jones and his manager Dan Stacey with Universal's Polydor label.

That new venture is not just a vehicle to release Jones's own music though. Plans are underway to launch a bursary and mentorship scheme for emerging artists. The label is actively calling for demos now, which you can send to demos@wugd.co.uk.

'Deep Joy' is out on 2 Jul. Listen to 'Crystallise' here.

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Efterklang to release new album Windflowers this autumn
Efterklang have announced that they will release a new album, titled 'Windflowers', this autumn. The LP will be their first for City Slang.

First single, 'Living Other Lives', is out now, of which vocalist Casper Clausen says: "'Living Other Lives' started out as a jam in my Lisbon studio during spring 2020 lockdown. I was playing around with my 404 sampler and I found that kind of groove that makes my head bop - put some samples on it and I could listen to it forever - a good sign. So I was just having that on loop while scrolling through my Instagram feed".

"The lyrics sort of came out of that moment", he goes on. "Living other lives, imagination jumping from one life/image to another, revisiting, updating myself, absolutely bodiless, while scrolling up and up with my thumb. It's a fascinating world we're living in, so strangely symbiotic and aware of what everybody's doing, I feel I'm living multiple lives all at once. Watching all these people expressing and changing themselves far away, out there around the planet".

'Windflowers' is set for release on 8 Oct. Coming up later this month, Efterklang will livestream the first show of a week-long residency on the Danish island of Møn on 27 Jun. Book tickets here.

Watch the video for 'Living Other Lives' here.

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APPOINTMENTS

Believe and TuneCore have opened a new Benelux office to be led by Nikolaas De Belie. "Due to the pandemic, digital growth in Benelux has accelerated", he says. "More than 80% of Dutch music revenue now comes from streaming, with independent artists and labels becoming stronger than ever before. With our expertise, data and technology in Benelux, Believe and TuneCore are uniquely positioned to quickly become the leading digital music distribution partner of the independent music community here".

BMG has promoted Shane Cosme to SVP International Marketing in the US. "I am pleased to have such a strong international team in the US and the promotion of Shane Cosme is well deserved", says Fred Casimir, EVP Global Repertoire & Marketing.

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LABELS & PUBLISHERS

300 Entertainment has launched a DIY distribution platform called Sparta - albeit a DIY distribution platform with a selection process a bit like AWAL. "Sparta empowers independent artists to plug into two of 300's core tenets: speed and flexibility", say the firm's Kevin Liles and Rob Stevenson. And whose doesn't love a bit of speed and flexibility?

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RELEASES

Olivia Rodrigo has released new song 'The Rose Song'. The track will appear in an upcoming episode of 'High School Musical: The Musical: The Series', in which Rodrigo stars.

Skepta and Pop Smoke have released their contribution to the 'Fast & Furious 9' soundtrack, 'Lane Switcha'. The track also features A$AP Rocky, Juicy J and Project Pat.

Vince Staples has released new single 'Law Of Averages'. The track is taken from his new album, 'Vince Staples', which will be out on 9 Jul.

Bullet For My Valentine are back with new single 'Knives'.

As we edge closer to the release of her new album, 'Pink Noise', on 2 Jul, Laura Mvula has released a new collaboration with Biffy Clyro's Simon Neil, called 'What Matters'.

Kojey Radical has released two new tracks, '2FS' and 'Woohaa'. "Hard food not fast food; the album is being prepared but I wanted to serve up something to hold the appetite", he says. "Eat up - these two [songs] are friendly reminders I can rap circles around your favourite as a snack. I'm a problem when I'm hungry".

Idris Elba has released new single 'Fudge', featuring Eliza Legzdina.

Tove Styrke has released new single 'Mood Swings'.

Banks is back with 'The Devil'. That's a single called 'The Devil', just to be absolutely clear. She says of the track: "The devil is about being stronger than the demons that haunt you. About rebirth and transformation into the forces of nature we were born to be".

Bad Boy Chiller Crew have released new single 'Free'.

Peyton has released new single 'Don't U Wanna Fly'.

Kat Von D has released new single 'I Am Nothing', taken from her new album 'Love Made Me Do It', which is out on 27 Aug.

Scandal have released new single 'Ivory'.

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GIGS & TOURS

Mastodon will play an acoustic livestream show from the Georgia Aquarium on 16 Jul. Tickets here.

Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily - updated every Friday.

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Logic officially announces the end of his retirement after eleven months
When Logic announced his retirement from music, I don't think anyone expected it to last very long. Although, to his credit, he stuck it out for almost a whole year. Or, at least, he did so as long as you're willing to ignore all the music he released during that time. But now it's official. He's back. Look, "I'm back", he says in a statement.

The rapper announced that he was retiring to focus on being a full time parent in July last year, saying that his 'No Pressure' album would be his last.

Three days later he announced that he had signed a deal to become Twitch's first official music partner. The following September he released a free beat tape of instrumental tracks created on his Twitch channel, called 'TwitchTape Vol 1'. And then earlier this year he revealed that he and producer Madlib had recorded a whole new album together during lockdown, under the name MadGic.

As yet, that album has not been released, but one of two tracks posted to YouTube - 'Raddest Dad' - does actually address all of this activity that looks suspiciously like the work of someone who hasn't actually retired. Albeit in a snippet that you have to play backwards in order to hear the words.

In the backwards message placed in the track, he said: "I retired, but I've been making music every single day since I retired because I love it. And then I think what I realised was that I don’t like the industry. So I think I want to retire from the industry. That's why I wanna do this music for free".

"Sometimes I wanna come back, but I don't know if I should come back", he went on. "I mean if I did, I'd want to be independent. That'd be pretty cool, being a major artist and actually retiring from the industry instead of music in itself. I don't know, I think about a lot".

That was in May. Now, a few weeks later, it seems that he has completed all that thinking. In a social media post mimicking basketball player Michael Jordan's famous 1995 "I'm back" statement, Logic confirmed that he is returning.

Following his brief statement, Logic provides more information about his return on new track, 'Intro', which arrived this morning. Listen to that here.

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