Music Business Student

The morning had arrived for my media interview, and the nerves were kicking in. I felt as if I had done a sufficient amount of research into each topic, but I did have two which I felt more confident talking about (timing or crisis management), which is strange as they were not the initial two I wanted to be questioned on (timing or food festival).

Going to the library to carry out some research on the timing scenario, I found myself reading it over and over and finding several different artist’s who had arrived late to a show. Madonna, Justin Bieber and Rihanna were the ones popping up everywhere, but I thought, this is not answering the questions I have been given? They were just explaining the reasons and arrogance they showed about them coming on late, nothing about how they apologised or compensated the fans. So I wrote down an answer for the question as if it was my own opinion and what I would do in the situation. Once I had seen the second question, I knew I needed to research more as it asked for legislations.The Agent of Change was an interesting principle that relates to the fact that the neighbourhood faced disruptions. Their aim is ‘the person or business responsible for the change is responsible for managing the impact of the change’.

I learnt many new things when researching about the food festival scenario. The answer to these questions were going to be more factual rather than an opinion, so I think this was the easiest to research. I noticed that the festival was based in High Wycombe, so I went to the Wycombe District Council website to see the type of license needed for this kind of event. I also had a printed out checklist ready, if I were to be questioned on this scenario and a brief knowledge on the HACCP system (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point). There were several different websites that explored food safety at events as it is important to know about when running a food festival.

Drug dealing at venues was difficult to find information about as venue owners dislike talking about it. Drugs are an increasing issue for many night time venues and it is almost impossible to tackle it. However, from the research I carried out, cooperation with drug users is beginning to happen. The Loop, is a drug testing/consultation service where people are able to get their drugs tested to make sure it is not cut with something deadly. Some view it as a brilliant idea whereas some view it as encouragement. If this was the scenario I was questioned on, I would be in two minds about The Loop being positive or negative. Eradicating drug dealing at venues is something I am quite passionate about, so I think if this was the scenario I had, more genuine passion would have been shown.

Crisis management was the interview I had to carry out, and I was very pleased. Even though, whilst I was completing my research on this, it was the one I hoped not to get. The questions given for this situation needed more of an opinionated answer, like the timing scenario. I realised when I was rehearsing that this was much easier to talk about instead of reeling off several facts. Lily Allen was a prime example of someone who posts political views on social media and the backlash linked to it (I will post the interview with her on here). She had so many negative comments thrown at her, and for all people in the public eye, this is going to happen.

Thinking back to the interview now, I can not remember the other two questions Alan asked me… all I remember is they were all quite similar. I felt nervous when walking in, but before the camera started filming I took a deep breath so I was not completely flustered throughout. I felt as if I kept professional by maintaining eye contact and trying not to fidget, and tying my hair back into a low bun was a great idea. Dressing up smart for the occasion enabled me to feel more businesslike, despite getting a blister from the heels I was wearing. I noticed that I did ramble on slightly, and I think Alan noticed this as well, but he still seemed pleased with my effort.

I had practised articulating my words and not using ‘umm’, ‘ahh’ or ‘like’ but the nerves got the better of me and ‘like’ came out way too much. I tried making the interview as conversational as possible instead of it sounding like I was reading from a script, I allowed my smiley personality to come through and hid the nerves as best as I could. I knew that Alan was going to ask if I had anymore to say at the end, so I used this opportunity to apologise once again as I think this was a simple but important thing to remember. Once the interview was over, I remember walking out feeling pleased that it was over but very happy about my performance.

The Rainbow, a popular nightclub in Digbeth, has had its license revoked due to two deaths in two years relating to narcotics. Dylan Booth died after attending a New Years Eve event in 2015 because he consumed a class A pill. In 2017, around Halloween, Michael Trueman took MDMA, where he then later died. Both of whom were aged under 20.

Birmingham has roughly 3,000 nightclubs, none of which have experienced what The Rainbow has. The question now is, can we educate the youth about the dangers that lie behind drug taking at venues or is revocation the only option left? 

The Licensing Act 2003 has four statutory objectives that all licensed venues must abide by to remain open to the public: 1. The Prevention of Crime and Disorder 2. Public Safety 3. The Prevention of Public Nuisance  4. The Protection of Children from Harm

With a club like Rainbow, all four objectives are relevant to the premises’ license. The two examples above relate to crime and disorder as well as public safety. The noise pollution that a venue of 11 different rooms must create, can be a cause of public nuisance, and under 18-year-old’s sneaking past security or showing a fake ID can be applied to protecting children.

During the New Years Eve event in 2015, The Rainbows event manual stated that 78 Security Industry Authority (SIA) staff should have been working that night, but only 38 turned up. This could have meant that body searches were not happening properly and the venue was not being guarded the way it should have been. Since this incident, new drugs policies and undercover SIA staff have been introduced to the venue. Random searches in socks, shoes, bags and belts and staff have been drugged trained by the West Midland Police. These new improvements have had a positive impact on the way the venue had been run during 2016 according to PC Ben Reader. 

But less than two years later another youngster died for the same reason. Can we blame the venue for this tragedy after they introduced all of these new protocols in order to abide by the four objectives stated by the licensing act? I can see both sides of the argument. 

People hide drugs in very intimate places and you can not strip search everyone who enters a club, it would be impossible. Perhaps introducing guarded toilets to prevent the use of selling and taking drugs as this is the easiest place to get away with it. But still, people will find a way to consume them. Closing down one of the biggest clubs in Birmingham, may not be the answer to death by drugs either. Inexperienced teenagers are going to go somewhere else, potentially a lot more dangerous and have no idea what people their mixing with or what drugs their taking. Revoking the license of a premises that was following the rules as best as they could, might have been a huge mistake. 

However, the club now has a reputation among non-clubbers about being a dangerous and drug infested place. The families of these two boys are grieving and to see the place where their sons died closing down, it may be a positive outcome for them. But public safety and prevention of crime and disorder are key objectives to a licensed venue and these were not fully addressed the nights these boys died.

Last Friday I saw Gaz Beookfield in Southampton at the Talking Heads. When I was walking there, the venue was among a load of houses and I thought this is strange? Am I in the right place? But yeah i was... we arrived fashionably late (of course) and the place was PACKED. We managed to push our way through to the bar and order the first round.

The first support act was playing and he seemed jolly, not the kind of bloke you would look at and call a musician but he was good. The second support act and second pint had begun and, again, not the kind of guy you would look at and say ‘musician’. He had handed out a lyrics sheet to the audience so we could join in. We also had to do this weird thing with our phones where we would call someone stood next to us and put them together to create a whistling sound, weird but it was actually quite cool. 

We were fed up of going to the bar now, so on our next trip we bought several pints at once. It worked until the alcohol began to kick in and we were slopping them everywhere. And your typical ‘small music venue loving, cider drinking, long haired, drunk man’ was dancing like Jack and Rose from titanic when they go to the working class bar, and was not aware of the people around him.

Anyway, Gaz Brookfield was here. He was a good looking chap and had had a haircut since the video I posted lat week was filmed. He brought out his whole band, so I knew I had to drink up these drinks because things were going to get loud and people were going to be dancing like crazy. His music was great, upbeat, folky and perfect for the kind of venue we were in. It was my boyfriends birthday and we were there with some friends. Gaz was told about this and started singing happy birthday and I swear, it was the happiest moment of my boyfriends life! (as well as him being very drunk at this point).

He played for roughly an hour and for my favourite song of his, The Diabetes Blues, he explained the story behind this. Logan, the son of one of the guitarists, was brought up on stage and Gaz explained that he was diagnosed with diabetes and the song was written from the boys perspective. The lyrics in the chorus read ‘I cant drink cider now it true, what is a west country boy to do’... Logan was about 9. 

The band had a good stage presence and actually spoke and kept the audience going between songs. That is one thing that I can’t stand about some of these big artists, they believe they have so much authority that they forget their fans are also humans and enjoy conversation to. Gaz’ repertoire continued and so did the pints, and you could tell everyone was having a great time, we were all dancing and laughing and just enjoying the music. 

The 22nd May will mark the one year anniversary of the tragic Manchester Arena terror attack, and the day that Chris Parker became a heroic icon for the city.. or maybe not.

Chris Parker, a 33 year-old homeless man was sat outside of the arena’s foyer the night the attack happened. He rushed inside to try and help save lives of those who had been brutally injured. What a man of courage! Putting his life at risk to help others. Offering a t-shirt to a young, injured girl, directing someone in a wheelchair to the exit and assisting a woman when she was talking to her husband were the good deeds that Parker performed. Over £52,000 was raised for this man by Manchester publicans to thank him and help his current living situations. Bearing in mind he has been without a roof for five years, and the man himself is blessed to be alive, what incentive did he have to help other people? Why, after five years of being homeless, without any companionship would this man save strangers’ lives?

This is why... 

Chris Parker has been jailed today for four years and three months for two accounts of theft and one account of fraud. He stole a helpless woman’s purse as she was cradling her dying grand-daughter, and a 14 year-old’s mobile phone where he declined several worried calls. Parker then thought of more ways on how he could boost his cash income and began taking pictures of the scene and victims to sell to the press. The credit card he previously stole was seen being used in McDonald’s a few days later.

What kind of deplorable human being could take advantage of wounded/dying victims minutes after a harrowing terror attack? How could Chris Parker be so evil? Being homeless must be such a daunting experience but so easy to fall in to. 189 people were found sleeping rough in Manchester in November 2016, and these figures keep rising. All I can think is that he must have sunk to such a depraved level to commit such heinous crimes. The compassion he showed to the few victims he helped was minimal compared to the animosity he caused.

Photograph by Kevin Kohjus

Photograph by Kevin Kohjus

Photograph by Kevin Kohjus

‘To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time.’ A quote from Leonard Bernstien, an American composer. If one quote was to sum up Winterland, this would be it. Picture it, 20 new students who have never come across one another, all moved from various parts of the country, all trying to make new friends and settle into their new surroundings and the majority being in a constant state of ‘hungover’, and you are told to put on an event that had a capacity of 2,000 people the previous year.

AGHHHHHHH…

During the beginning planning stages when everybody was throwing in all their ideas (whether they were awful or not), we would all say something along the lines of ‘oh that’s a promising idea’ or ‘yeah that could work’ with that awkward kind of grin on your face. But, by the final week, we were getting angry voice messages saying, ‘if you’re not in the workshop now, I don’t know what I’m going to do to you’ or ‘I’m actually fuming, get your arses here now’. So, we had to adapt to each other’s personalities fairly quickly, which I thought was the toughest part.

We were all split up into four separate groups: talent, marketing, production and logistics. I was the talent team leader, and the main roles we had to do for the event was find the live talent. A problem we faced at the beginning was what music would be suitable and within our budget. Due to us having different music tastes as well, we did not want to be rude and knock each others musical preferences. So we sat down and decided to think what would best suit our audience, and came up with an Elsa impersonator! Yes, this was going to be pricey, but it would be worth it. As a class, we then decided we needed Olaf to accompany her, so there would be a male character. So, I contacted a princess hire company to ask for some prices, they were fairly reasonable, but very slow in replying. I left it too long. Two weeks before the event and they cannot do it... So I stepped in as ‘plan C’ but luckily we found a perfectly singing Elsa!! Sadly no Olaf though. 

My group co-operated extremely well and managed to get things done when it needed to be.  Every Tuesday when we would have a group discussion of what our group had achieved during the week, I was so glad I had the people I did. Being a team leader, delegation is a key role. I believe I displayed this satisfactorily.

The main problem which slowed our team down was having all performers sending back their letters of engagement. We waited ages. I think if we followed these emails up more promptly, it would have sped things up. However, once all the information had been sent back, I created a new document showing the technical specifications for the sound crew. If we had more time, I think this would have been less tense, as I would have had time to contact all the acts again to confirm the equipment needed.

Co-hosting my own radio show for the event was the highlight of the planning stage, I loved it! Organising a live performance, four different interviews and never having spoken on the radio before was a slight stress, but in my opinion – it could not have gone any better and I enjoyed it tremendously!

The main concept for Winterland was to provide a family friendly, wintery, fun day out. I believe we achieved this as it was the most successful BucksLive event yet, with a capacity of 3,500 people. The final few days before the 9th December, I did not think for one second that we would attract anywhere near that amount of people and I certainly did not think it would pan out as smoothly as it did.

Being the stage manager, host and one of the performers drained me. In hindsight, we left finding a host till the very last minute, so next time that should be more of a priority as I felt as if my original role (stage manager) was compromised. However, after lots of rushing around and the help of my staging team, it was a success! One downside though, was the cold weather. All the children and parents preferred to be in the inflatables hall which was inside, and a lot warmer.

In the 1700s, mixed race people were only seen as useful if they were owned as a slave. Whilst the African Americans were working on plantations day in and day out, they used to sing. Partly because their owners would tell them to, but also because it was a way of communicating and socialising with each other as they were punished if they would talk, they were known as ‘field hollers’.

The songs they sang would all be improvised and usually upon the subject of either religion, work or recreation. Their themes tended to either be joyous or sorrowful, and would express their emotions and anger about the situation they were forced into. African American slaves were the first people to create the ‘call and response’ pattern that we still use today, as that was their way of communication.

When they sang together as a collaboration, it would boost their morale and make their hard working days go faster. Other musical techniques thought of by black Americans included; hums, moans, foot patting, intricate rhythms and out of key notes. All these techniques are used in modern day African music, for example; Lady Smith Black Mambazo.

Not only were these unfortunate people forced into working by their ‘owners’, but they were also separated from anyone they knew (i.e friends and family) and anyone who shared the same ethical beliefs. When creating chants and songs, this was difficult as they would all have different beliefs and views. However, slave owners converted the African Americans to Christianity even if they refused. This was so they were able to create songs with a more ‘positive’ outlook on life, as they believed Christianity was a more positive religion.