David J Pichilingi's Blog #4

By DavidJPichilingi on 23 September 2009

Very excited today since we just confirmed trip Hop legends De La Soul for Dubai Sound City. They join what is now a truly amazing line up for the launch of our amazing festival in the winter sun........Definitely getting very excited now!

This week I am off to Hamburg to the Reeperbahn Festival.  I have never been to this festival before.  You really could go to one of these things every week if you wanted.  I think that is part of the problem and this is why the lovely Sound City people strive to give you much, much more than just your run of the mill festival.

That said the line up looks interesting with personal highlights including Biffy Clyro, Das Pop, Fight Like Apes and most surprisingly Dinosaur Jnr.  Really looking forward to seeing J Mascis and co as I think it is, near as damn it the original line up.  While I am over there I will be taking part in the music business conference aspect of the festival by debating on a panel entitled ‘Festevolution’.  No idea what I will be talking about but I am sure I will get into the swing of it when I am there.  I think I will just be really contentious and wind people up.....always seems to work. Which brings us nicely to Dubai Sound City.  As you maybe aware Sound City is not just about presenting the most amazing bands we can muster up in one place.  Over 3 days in the stunning setting of Emirates Towers Hotel we will present a truly international music business conference that will bring together a sterling list of the mavericks, movers, shakers and money makers that make the music business go round.  Once again this is a first for this region of the world.

Speakers taking part in the conference to be held at the prestigious Jumeirah Emirates Towers, which was recently voted the “World’s Leading Business Hotel” by the World Travel Awards will include Julian Wall, the BPI’s Director of International Events & Independent Member Services, Bobby Talwar director of Only Much Louder an event and music management company that recently put on Indian’s first international festival, The Big Chill, Goa, Shun Mori from Japanese publishers Fujipacific, Mazher Ramzanali who founded artists mangement company 21 Tigers in India, PRS for Music director Myles Keller, The Agency Group’s Geoff Meall who represents acts including Razorlight, Doves and The White Stripes, Crispin Hearn and Matt Bates from Primary Talent, who represent Oasis, Babyshambles, Ladytron, The Wombats and many more, Spek Hassan from International Music Publishing house Fairwood Music Publishing, Brian Neilsen from Danish agents Skandinavian Bookings and Music Producer, A&R Executive, Songwriter and musician, Jeff Blue who has A&R’d Linkin Park and Macy Gray amongst others.

Featuring conference panel formats interlaced with roundtable discussions topics, day one will include; “Communication Breakdown?” looking at the social media networks that are really the key to connecting with audiences and whether mobile downloads could be the way forward globally. “All Around the World” which will offer sage advice on dealing with the trials and tribulations of touring outside your own backyard. “Publishing as We Know it?” with a marked difference in their copyright laws how do the Middle East publishers compare to music publishers from around the world? “All You Need Is Cash - Money Can Buy You Love!” which will highlight the weird and wonderful ways to raise finance.

Whilst day two’s discussions on will include “The Secret World of the Agent”, In a time where live music becomes ever more popular there couldn’t be a better time to go on the road, just what is it the agent actually does? “Dubai and India: The Titans of the Middle East and Asia” with over 50% of India’s 1.2 billion population being under 25, is this the key market for music in the future?  Can Dubai, UAE and India be serious contenders for a new emerging market with the West?  “Sync – The Answer to Our Prayers or a Hollow Victory?” With the bottom falling out of recorded sales and touring fees not what they used to be, is the only way to make serious money through syncs? And “MUSIC IS FREE, MUSIC IS FREE, MUSIC IS FREE” how many times do we have to say it before the Majors begin to understand it?  If we accept it maybe we can move on and try to make some kind of sense for the future of the industry. Or should we accept it at all and could we turn it around and make the consumer see the value in purchasing music once more?

CLICK HERE FOR DUBAI SOUNDCITY CONFERENCE NEWS

If you want to be part of Dubai Sound City and everything we are serving up we will also shortly be offering the chance to win two VIP passes plus free hotel and flights.  For those of you who do not want to miss out then check out our website for details of flight and hotel deals.

Anyway off to pack my bags now for Hamburg, then off to Dubai next week for our official launch of Sound City with the God like Ian Brown.

Will tell you all about it in a couple of weeks time and might do some sort of photo/video exclusive if you’re lucky too, along with telling you more details our exclusive Virtual Festivals competition.

Happy hunting
David J Pichilingi

For more information relating to tickets and travel visit our website at:
www.dubaisoundcity.com
www.liverpoolsoundcity.co.uk

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