Just returned from Dfest. The event was truly awesome. Tom and Angie, the power couple behind the Tulsan extravaganza, cut no corners and personally addressed every detail to ensure one of the most enjoyable and professionally productive weekends I have had in a very long time. I am confident that this sentiment is shared by my fellow panelists and the 30,000 odd music fans who congregated to bear witness to the likes of Cake, The Black Crowes, Citizen Cope, Gogol Bordello, and many many others. Whether you’re an industry pro, musician or music fan, make sure that Dfest is in your schedule for next summer!
ArtistForce, an online CRM solution and marketplace for the entertainment industry, made a controversial appearance at SXSW with a racy promotional campaign involving a hot blonde in a liquid latex sheath passing out flyers with “Thousands of artists get screwed every day. Protect yourself with ArtistForce.com” printed on them and attached with complimentary condoms.
Founded in 2006, ArtistForce provides an online environment for entertainment industry professionals and talent to conduct negotiations directly, manage their business administration, track activities, and more, through proprietary technology applications and consultation services.
Remember Hanson? Well, they’ve been operating independently for some years now and been doing so with as much flare and vigor as any bootstrapping hero taking the stage today. Their self-released album, “Underneath”, which debuted at #1 in the Billboard Top Independent Albums in 2004, remains one of the most successful indie releases of all time. Hear them now.
This year, SXSW, the Austin mega music festival, will showcase a rare collaboration indeed: former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist, James Iha; Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos; Fountains of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger; and Hanson’s very own Taylor Hanson taking the mic. Ladies and gentleman, Tinted Windows have arrived!
The ridiculous feud between Gene Simmons and Bob Lefsetz came to a head at Canadian Music Week yesterday and has since been getting a lot of coverage. The entire exchange portrays both parties as ungainly and slapdash, and the issues neither relevant nor compelling. Just silly… but a good laugh. See for yourself if you haven’t already.
As an artist, getting your ass on stage and performing to as many people as often as possible is key. In the US, SXSW is arguably the largest draw of both music fans and artists, certainly independent artists. Should you get on a SXSW stage? Of course you should. However, assuming that you are not yet well known, playing live at an over-crowded and super competitive event has its limitations. Sometimes, you have to get off the stage in order to truly make an impact and, year after year, I’m seeing more independent artists attending music conferences, on their own behalf, and with their business hat on. Although the largest of the lot, Midem in Cannes and Popkomm in Berlin, also offer a variety of live performance opportunities to acts big and small, the true event value is in the aimless wondering between the booths and random handshakes with industry professionals. I’m not joking. You’ll meet a lot more people on the floor than on stage. If you meet someone who wants to hear you play, both Midem and Popkomm have listening rooms big enough for you to perform acoustically. If nothing else, attending these events will teach you a lot about the current music market and provide you with the confidence to approach prospective partners who may [or may not] invest in your next recording, touring, licensing, or writing initiative. You never know.
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