Jim Carrollon music
New company helps bands make partnership deals
The music industry continues to invent new business models. The latest group to attempt to replace the traditional record label are Harvest Entertainment, a collection of high-powered media players who aim to be the middlemen between bands and brands.
There's nothing new about bands getting into bed with brands. Be it U2's love-in with Apple and the iPod, Paddy Casey's endorsement of a mobile phone, or a multitude of bands playing under the banner of various drinks companies, acts have always welcomed the cash or promotional lift afforded by the corporate sector.
But Harvest intends to take this relationship to a new level, by working with artists to market, release and exploit their music without the necessity of a record label or giving up their copyright.
In Harvest's world, artists will form partnerships with brands that will fund recording, production, marketing, promotion and the release of an album without the need for a label. As sales are no longer the key concern, music can then be distributed in any way possible, at any price, even given away free, or offered as part of any number of deals.
Harvest is headed by Ric Salmon, a former A&R executive at Warner Music.
"There's hardly an artist who doesn't have a sponsorship deal for their tour," Salmon said in an interview with music news service Record of the Day. "There's product placement in videos, endorsement deals. I don't think there are many artists who feel uncomfortable with it. Certainly, the artists we're talking to haven't batted an eyelid. In fact, they are very excited about the possibiity of partnering with a brand."
Salmon wouldn't disclose the names of potential Harvest acts, though he said the company will be working with "elite" artists. These are acts who've already established an audience and a profile thanks to many years and releases with a major label, and therefore no longer require the clout of a label's marketing and promotional machine.
In common with most new business models in circulation, there's little in the Harvest approach for bands on the lower rungs of the music industry ladder.
Instant Karma for new bands
David Barton and Kulpreet Singh believe that every struggling new band out there needs a Karmafan or two.
That's the name of the new service from the Dublin-based duo aimed at bands interested in seeing if Radiohead's tip-jar approach to getting fans to pay for music might also work for them.
Karmafan's free-to-use service allows people to make voluntary payments to bands if they like their music.
Fans can set up accounts with the service, top it up with a credit card or Paypal payment, and then spread the love among acts they like, provided the band in question are sporting a Karmafan button on their website, MySpace or blog.
Barton and Singh won't take a cent from these micro-payments, believing that the idea of tips also applies to them.
"If an artist believes that Karmafan has helped them, then they can give something back."
More information from www. karmafan.com
Ticket needs you
The end of the year is nigh, which can mean only one thing. Yes, it's time to recall the musical highs and lows of 2007.
To do this, we need your help. As well as our writers trying to recall what rocked and what didn't, we want to hear from you, the reader, for our review of the year. What albums made you smile? What gigs do you remember fondly?
The On The Record blog is the place to have your say. www. ireland.com/blogs/ontherecord
Ticket Gig of the Week
Canadian music might be flourishing, but it's not renowned for its hip-hop scene. Cadence Weapon, aka Rollie Pemberton, is single-handedly changing that. At a Nokia TrendsLab gig in Tripod on Wednesday, the former writer for the Pitchfork website won over the audience, twice leaping into the crowd for a dance with his new fans. Cadence is one to watch and Canadian hip-hop might have a new hero, but Mr Weapon is still only a support act and actually there was no stealing the show from the headline act: The Go! Team truly rocked.
Bruce'll be back
Bruce Springsteen has announced he will play Dublin's RDS Arena on May 22nd 2008. Tickets go on sale next Wednesday at 9am through Ticketmaster and will be priced at €81.25-€91.25.
Bruce kicks off his European tour this Sunday in Madrid. He will play a sold-out gig in the Odyssey Arena in Belfast on December 15th. His album Magic was released on October 2nd and was number one in the Irish album charts for four weeks.
Ri-Ra's week-long bash
This'll make some Ticket readers feel old: it's 14 years since Rí-Rá opened. Ah, we remember that night well. The club recently changed hands, but the music is still very much funk, soul, disco and indie. Guest DJs for the club's birthday bash this week include Ladytron (Monday), Snow Patrol's Nathan Connolly and Tom Simpson (Tuesday), Tim Sweeney and Tim Goldsworthy (Friday, 30th ) and Ninja Tune stalwart Bonobo (Saturday, December 1st).
