Live Nation boosts data mining

Ticketnews.com reports that Live Nation has hired an Internet and music industry veteran to help boost its new data analytics initiative with media measurement company BigChampagne. The live entertainment and ticketing company recently hired former Warner Music Group senior vice president Ethan Kaplan as vice president of product development, and he will help oversee Live Nation's move toward increased data mining.

Adele tops Spotify in 2011

Soulful British sensation Adele has swept Spotify's year-end charts, appearing in more country-by-country top tens than any other artist. Her album "21" ended the year having sold more than 5 million copies, a feat no U.S. album has achieved since Usher in 2004.

Vinyl makes a UK radio comeback

The BBC's 6Music has announced that it will be having a vinyl day on January 1st 2012. Vinyl has been rarely used on BBC Radio since CDs were introduced in the early 1990s, and digital tracks have been used since early on in the 2000s. DJs and guest presenters including Jarvis Cocker and Richard Hawley will use only vinyl on all shows with the stations editor, Paul Rodgers, saying "vinyl is still close to the hearts of many music lovers".

More news from Live Nation!

Following the news that Live Nation had opened a new division in South Korea, CMU Daily reports that the live music, ticketing, label, venue and management group is planning a new partnership for the Japanese market in 2012. It seems there are plans for a joint venture with one of the country's leading promoters Creativeman Productions, headed up by CEO Naoki Shimizu, to tour major Live Nations acts with U2 and Madonna rumoured to be on the cards.

Live Nation launch in South Korea

Live Nation has launched a new division in South Korea , headed up by Steven Kim and Yongbae Cho, both veterans of the country's live industry. Confirming the new office, to be based in Seoul, Live Nation head honcho Michael Rapino said "We see great opportunity for concerts around the world and our move into South Korea represents another step in the growth of this business. Our strategy is to continue our international expansion into under penetrated regions and identify new markets to deliver our unique live experience product".

Goebbels back at RT

Martin Goebbels is returning to entertainment industry insurer Robertson Taylor from rival insurance firm Apex Insurance. He will bring with him his existing clients and his team at Apex, Pamela Choat and Holly Leary.

Eavis to get top gong at EFAs

Michael Eavis, organiser of the Glastonbury Festival, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the January 2012 European Festival Awards. The ceremony will be held at the Eurosonic Noorderslag festival on the 11th of January. Commenting on the announcement, Eavis said: "After 41 years, to win something of this magnitude is something to be incredibly proud of. To still be doing this after that amount of time is no mean feat". Festival Awards MD James Drury added: "Since founding one of the most famous and long lasting festivals in the world, Michael has dedicated his life to Glastonbury and the millions of festival goers which have attended the event over its 41 year history. Glastonbury is the grandfather of the incredible festival market which Europe enjoys, and Michael is cited as an inspiration by almost every festival organiser I speak to across the world. This is why he is so deserving of this honour".

HMV calls in suppliers for emergency talks

The Observer reports that HMV, the UK high street retailer and now live music group has called in suppliers tomorrow (December 19th) for an emergency meeting and is expected to announce first half losses of £38 million. Despite selling the Waterstones book retailer chain for £53 million, the Simon Fox led group is now apparently valued at just £16 million - although Christmas would usually be its busiest time. HMV brought the MAMA Group for £46 million in 2009.

Farewell to .....

Howard Tate, The brilliant US Soul singer who disappeared for nearly three decades before being rediscovered in 2001 has died aged 72. And farewell to Dick Sims, Eric Clapton's long term keyboard player who featured on classic tracks such as I Shot The Sheriff, Cocaine, Lay Down Sally and Wonderful Tonight who has died aged 60. And also farewell to country music legend Billie Jo Spears who had hits in the 70s with Blanket on the Gound and Misty Blue and had an an enduring career. She has died aged 74.

Beach Boys Back

After decades of ill will, rancour and legal disputes, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Brian Wilson have announced that they will reform the Beach Boys, fifty years after their original formation. The trio, along with Bruce Johnston and David Marks, have set aside their differences and said they patched things up during a recent rerecording session of Do It Again for a planned new album.

SO HERE IT IS, MERRY CHRISTMAS

Can we wish all of our readers, musicians who celebrates Christmas a very very merry festive season 2011. And to everyone of whatever their religion, creed, beliefs or code, can we wish you a happy and healthy 2012. “Live long and prosper”.

McFly double??

McFly never cease to impress me with clever and inventive ways to keep what probably should have been a rather short boy band career going. Apart from adopting novel ways to get their music to fans using all sorts of tricks like an amazing 2.4 million cover mounts on the Mail on Sunday, they have taken reality TV by storm - in a reasonably dignified way. First of all guitarist and vocalist Danny Jones had a pretty good run on 'Popstar to Opera Star' and then more recently bassist Dougie Poynter won ITV's 'Im A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here' and was crowned King of the Jungle. Will drummer Harry Judd make it a double on BBC1? Harry's up against Jason Donovan and actress Chelsee Healey in the final of Strictly Come Dancing, but he's odds on favourite with partner, professional dancer Aliona Vilani, and looks set to win. What about a hat trick I say to missing vocalist Tom Fletcher?!!

Live Nation buys Big Champagne

Live Nation has bought BigChampagne, the US-based research company which specialises in monitoring and assessing online media consumption. BigChampagne have become increasingly prolific in monitoring social media activity in recent years and Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino says that "We love the basics of what they've created, and love the idea of taking an incredible amount of fan data off and online and merging that into a relevant database of what artists are most popular and relevant to today's consumer".

Clive Robbins dies

Clive Robbins, the inspirational music therapist, has died aged 84. His death was confirmed earlier this week by the music therapy charity that bears his name, Nordoff-Robbins. We also have to sadly confirm that John Atterbury, gunned down in LA last week, has died from his injures.

LA Music executive gunned down

An LA-based producer and former music executive is in a critical condition in hospital after being the victim in a random shooting on Sunset Boulevard on Friday. John Atterberry, who worked with the likes of Jessica Simpson, Brandy and the Spice Girls, was shot three times in the face and neck after gunman Tyler Brehm fired at his and other cars. Brehm fired his gun randomly into traffic on the LA street, also wounding Hollywood Reporter photo editor Chris Godley. Brehm was shot dead by police. An off-duty officer working at a movie set and a detective confronted and shot him, police said.

New research says women spend more on music

New UK research from IPC Media says that women are bigger spenders on music than men, though only when tickets and merch are taken into consideration. The new survey by the NME and Uncut publisher found that while the average man spends more than the average woman buying actual recordings (£381 versus £327), women spend more on live music and merchandise, so overall they spend £803 on music products, versus £793 for men. The Great British Music Survey also claims that Britons spend on average 51 days a year listening to music, that 82% of Brits listen to music every day, that radio and personal recommendation are the most important music discovery routes, and that 61% of us talk to our friends at least once a week about musical matters.

Metallica Pump The Zone

CMU Daily is speculating that Metallica newly announced 2012 festival dates, following had on the heels of alive appearances over the last two years, are a result of fears of a Eurozone meltdown. CMU also point to what looks like a premature celebration of the band’s ‘The Black Album’ which is 21 in 2013, rather than 20 in 2012 (though U2 might disagree having just celebrated 20 years of Achtung Baby). It seems Metallica will prioritise Europe in 2012 with Asia and Latin America being targeted in the years following 2012. Manager Cliff Burnstein has admitted that Europe's faltering currency has impacted on the way he has scheduled Metallica's live plans for the coming years, telling the Wall Street Journal: "We're a US export the same way Coca-Cola is. We look for the best markets. And you have to ask yourself, what's the best time to be doing what, when and where".

CPA Welcomes the PRS Status Quo

The UK’s Concert Promoters Association has welcomed the recent announcement by PRS For Music that it will keep the royalties it charges the live sector at the current rate of 3% of box office receipts after a lengthy consultation. CPA Chairman Stuart Littlewood issued a statement supporting that move yesterday, telling reporters: "We are extremely pleased that the consultation has been persuasive in assisting PRS For Music in deciding to abandon an increase. The potential ramifications of the proposed increase - for both live music fans and people within the industry - were massive" adding "Any increased tax on musical performances would have been directly passed onto music fans up and down the country. If live music is to survive, we need to ensure that we are keeping ticket prices at an affordable level, not least given the current harsh economic climate".

UK Live Music Bill Just Three Steps Away from Becoming Law

Tim Clement Jones’ Live Music Bill, which aims to roll back almost a decade of licensing restrictions on small live music events has now passed its 'second reading' stage in the UK Parliament on Friday 25 November 2011. The Bill was introduced in the House of Lords last year by Lord Clement-Jones, a Lib-Dem peer and it will make it easier for musicians in England and Wales to perform by allowing small venues like schools, colleges and village halls to hold concerts without needing a licence. Other measures in the Bill will make it easier for venues with an existing licence – such as pubs – to put on live music events.

Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive of the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), the professional association for musicians said “'The deregulation of live music is something the ISM has been campaigning for some time as part of our role in protecting the rights of musicians and the progress of the Live Music Bill – further than ever before – is fantastic news for musicians across the UK” adding “
This Bill will free up musicians from endless bureaucracy and red-tape allowing them, and their venues, to put on events without jumping through so many hoops beforehand. We must now make sure the Bill – which is further-reaching than the Government's consultation – makes it into law before Easter.”

UK managers push for ticket resale legislation

Concert promoters and artist managers in the United Kingdom are calling on the country's culture secretary to back a proposal that would cap resold ticket profits at 10 percent above face value. The plan was initially proposed in Parliament earlier this year by member Sharon Hodgson, but it has since languished but was kicked back into play at a meeting with Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt where industry representatives including Muse manager Anthony Addis and Iron Maiden manager Ron Smallwood called for action. A 2010 Government report said that the secondary ticket market could police itself – and after the meeting the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) released a statement saying that it did not anticipate a move towards regulation. Edward Parkinson from secondary ticket platform Viagogo told ticketnews.com that price caps were not the answer.