Adele set to smash sales records with 25

Adele’s '25' is currently on course to smash records on both sides of the Atlantic - the star’s third album sold approximately 1.9m copies in its first two days on sale in the US and is on target to sell 2.5 million this week (topping NSYNCH's previous record of 2.42 million sales for 'No Strings Attached') and dwarfing the entire first week sales of Taylor Swift’s 1989 last year (1.3m). The 1.9m figure covers just Friday (November 20) and Saturday (November 21), with more than 60% of sales coming on digital download services. In the UK, Official Charts Company data shows that '25' went platinum in a single day – that’s 300,000 sales and sales of the LP are expected to surpass 700,000 sales in the UK by the end of this week. It’s a similar story the world over: 25 was the No.1 album in 106 of iTunes’ 119 territories last night. Whilst the album is not available on freemium streaming services, MBW reports that piracy seems surprisingly low. 

UPDATE

25 broke through the 3m sales barrier in the US yesterday (Wednesday, November 25), according to hot-off-the-presses data from reliable retail monitor BuzzAngle.

Glittering "Arthurs" top off another sell out ILMC

A breakfast meeting with Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and packed 'Dragons Den' meetings with  live music industry legends Thomas Johansson, Leon Raemakers, Carl Leighton-Pope and Harvey Goldsmith were highlights of another sell out ILMC in 2013, with other panels focussing on new technology, festivals, the Russian market and EDM. The ILMC weekend kicked off with the ILMC Production Meeting and played host to the Green Events & Innovations Conference, as well as important meetings for the Concert Promoters Association, Yourope (the European festivals association), The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), The European Arenas Association (EAA) and the International Jazz Festival Organisation (IJFO)

And it was was top and and tails at the 'roaring 20s' themed ILMC Gala Dinner this year, held in the rather grand riverside Ballroom at London's Savoy Hotel. Hosted by Ben Challis, guests at the International Live Music Awards - or "Arthurs" - were treated to a marvellous night and the winners are .....

First Venue to Come Into Your Head:  The Royal Albert Hall (UK)

Services Above And Beyond: EPS

Liggers Favourite Festival: Rock Werchter

The Golden Ticket: The Ticket Factory

Most Professional Professional: Gillian Park (MGR, UK)

The People's Assistant: Charlie Renton (Primary Talent, UK)

Tomorrows New Boss: Oliver Hoppe (Wizard, DE)

Second Least Offensive Agent: Emma Banks (CAA, UK)

The Promoter's Promoter: Folkert Koopmans (SKP Scorpio, DE)

The ILMC Bottle Award: Ed Bicknell (Damage Management, UK)

Ed Bicknell and Herman Schueremans

Photos (c) 2013 ILMC