HMV for Mama

Is the writing on the wall for recorded music? Have record bosses finally started to accept that digital music is heading one way - free?

By buying into Mama Group's live music venues, HMV are clearly wanting a piece of the action. Because when all is said and done, its the single component of the music industry as we know it, which will continue to earn a crust long into the future. The rest of HMVs portfolio could, arguably, all be obsolete within 10 years. Records and print are all going one way - digital - unless you're like Carrie Bradshaw in SATC 1, who loves the smell of books. Or a Luddite like me, who still loves getting CDs for my birthday and reading through the thank you's and contributors on the sleeve.

Very few seem to have developed a good model for monetising digital content - either because we just haven't figured it out yet, or because it just doesn't work and will be an alien concept to us in the future.

Of course, HMVs love-in with Mama Group may simply be sold as branching into a related market, or the more obvious synergies (usually means its doomed to fail) - and not just any old synergies, but "powerful" ones at that, according to HMV.

The costs of digital distribution (as opposed to recording) are minuscule - the very opposite of having a physical presence on the High Street - which costs a fortune and is probably losing hand over fist at the moment, unless you're buying gold for cash, from the unfortunates.

Will others follow HMVs lead?

eBay will save the planet

The Copenhgen bigwigs need look no further than the eBay model to massively cut global warming.

Let's say that 50% of carbon emissions result from making stuff to be consumed by our MTV cum iphone, having-it-all, OTM generation. eBay is the epitome of how this same generation will reduce the need to make more stuff. Ditto for the likes of freecycle, and now the non-virtual version - the 'Living and Giving' charity shop opened up by Mary Portas.

There is already so much stuff out there. Surely there is no need to make yet more puffball skirts, legwarmers, bug-eyed sunglasses, sofas, beds, garden furniture etc, etc. Any mechanisms to encourage the recycling of all this stuff, and the low-carbon logistics to get the stuff to those that want or need it, should be promoted endlessly. Especially when it is also commercially attractive to the owners and the wanters of all this stuff.

We will only change our behaviour when it is in our own interest to do so. eBay, freecycle and the likes can make this happen.

When One Woman's Tweet is Another Woman's Privacy

Talk about a storm in a tweetcup! When Penelope Trunk tweeted the following, she caused an outcry:
I'm in a board meeting. having a miscarriage. Thank goodness, because there's a f***ed-up 3-week hoop-jump to have an abortion in Wisconsin

Now, I'm not really interested in discussing the ins and outs of abortion, or how women deal with miscarriage or the rights/or not of the unborn child vs woman's body debate.

But I am intrigued at the furore that the Tweet has caused. In fact I cannot believe this to be the most offensive thing ever posted on Twitter, Facebook, myspace or wherever. So why all of the fuss?

I have been dabbling with social networking sites for a little while now, and have been on facebook in particular for some time. I am utterly amazed at the level of, often intimate, detail that people will post for old school friends, family members, work colleagues, bosses and acquaintances to see. And I'm not talking teenagers here - I'm talking 30 and 40 somethings, who seem to be at the forefront of online living - escapism from middle-aged mediocre lives, or simply a way of cranking up ones productivity. Who knows.

There was even the case of the MI6 chief - John Sawers, whose wife had posted numerous family photos and details of holidays etc on her facebook account. Doh! And surely therein lies the issue. When does the release of information jeopardise either your own or someone else's security? Or when is the content so grossly offensive that it breaks some law or other? Surely anything else is completely up to the individual.

People are trying to sell their virginity, and their grannies on ebay. The miscarriage tweet, though it may offend many, is really no big deal.

Pierre Hardy for GAP Mania

Someone, somewhere in advertising deserves a medal. Talk about hype, viral marketing and every other mad men dream of what a successful promo campaign looks like.

I first clocked these boots in Grazia, the bible of all things fashion, roughly a couple of months ago. And I knew it then, that after a year of credit-crunch conservatism and carefully constrained card activity, these were the one investment piece that I simply had to have. These, and the Matthew Williamson parrot print and sequin maxi kaftan that were my Summer investment piece(s).

It was love at first sight. I started an affair with the boots. I knew that if I could just get my hands on them they would be the last pair of boots I would ever need. In fact, probably the last pair of footwear altogether. No, actually, scrub that last part. I definitely cant wear the boots in the Summer with the MW kaftan now, can I?

OK, so all I needed to do was procure said boots and live happily ever after. Which sounds so easy doesn't it? Except that you cant get them anywhere for love nor money - not on the internet where you can normally find anything, nor in the old-fashioned real shops where you can see, touch and try things before you buy. And forget GAPs own website for any sniff of a boot, or even any info on the release date for these beauties.

So I decided to take the very last resort. Faceless internet, corporate, contact email address "When and where can I get these boots?" And just like that, I was on the coveted waiting list. The one which apparently is littered with the fashion glitterati, the great and the good. For three whole weeks I waited tentatively for my treasure. It was like waiting for a baby to arrive. And on the due date I couldn't help ringing up for news, like an impatient, expectant relative.

"Wait your turn - they are working through the list, but you might not get exactly what you were after." No Way!!! this feels like taking candy from a baby - the cruel injustice blah blah blah..

By 5 o'clock I am now salivating over my mobile phone, which has been surgically attached to my hand all day and has accompanied me through a flurry of big-wig work meetings.

And then I get through, right at the end of the day and place my order, one in each colour - natch. I am so shallow - shallow and happy, with cool must-have boots.

Its Back

Apologies now, to all high-brow musicians who would not dare to stoop so low as to even entertain the thought of watching a trivial, trite, popularity-contest-masquerading-as-a-singing-cum-talent-competition, and utter manipulation and misrepresentation of the blood, sweat and tears that is the music business. Of course, for us normal folk who enjoy listening to pop music, and quite fancy a bit of light-hearted entertainment with the odd bit of over-dramatisation, Saturday nights mean one thing - X Factor (watched live or Sky Plusd of course).

Over the next three months millions of conversations will be had over the wisdom of the judges, the song choices, the shaggy dog stories, the Christmas duets. Like it or not, its becoming a hefty part of British pop culture.

So, who is my money on. Well, I got it wrong last year by backing Laura White, who I would still cite as the better performer. This year, I feel the standard is mediocre - the Girls all sound nice, but a bit bland, same for the Boys. The Groups are generally atrocious, except for the interesting rapper/singer who stands out a mile, and has been forced into a group in a blatant attempt by the judges to bolster that category. For the first time in a few years, the Overs is the category to watch, particularly the men. If I was Simon, I would take all four blokes through. Except he can only have three, and I cant see him keeping it an all male affair, although I'm sure the female viewers wouldn't mind.

This year, l am backing Daniel Pearce - the second time around guy, with the mohican. Lets see if I'm right...

Change is Way Better Than a Rest

Is that really true? If change is better than rest, or if any change is better than bad status quo (discuss), why do people (still) avoid change?

I started a new job some weeks ago, and I have confirmed what I suspected and posted at the time. I heart change. Or at least, I love the results that change can bring about. Seeing a positive impact because of something you have done, said, or how you behave is seriously addictive. I believe its this 'making a difference' that we all crave, or at least trot out. Which, out of interest, I have been citing in job interviews for the past 20 years, near enough. So I assume it must be true (discuss). So much so, that I am also coming to realise that it probably doesn't even matter if one job or company is better than the next for me, because I feel able to change enough variables if something isn't working. Plus, the thing that really floats my boat is busting a cap in the status quo, so it is almost irrelevant what the starting point is. All that matters is that my contribution makes a positive impact in a way agreed with my employer's objectives.

I'm not saying all change is rosy. And I'm not saying I'm a robot who could work in any type of environment per se. That would be foolishly naive. And at times, I have found the degree of change, the need to assimilate new information, ways of doing things, and making sense of it all quite challenging. Perhaps there is a future post about our ability to deal with change as we get old(er).

But for me, I have confirmed that I find change and challenge totally energising. A pleasure, not a pain. A delight not a chore. Something to embrace and not to fear. After all, its inevitable, isn't it?

Good Things Come in Small Packages

Have you ever wanted something so badly it totally consumes every waking thought. At least whenever you stop to pause between work, the kids, the next deadline, domestic chores, that is. Which of course I am totally relaxed about after beginning to apply Getting Things Done.

Anyway, I love discovering new music. A soulful, jazzy singer songwriter ticks a lot of boxes for me. Jazmine Sullivan ticked a lot of those boxes and has an exceptional voice to boot. Unfortunately for me, her profile has been fairly low key and she has done few live gigs in the UK. Imagine my child-like excitement when I get the Jazz Cafe e-flyer announcing a UK date. Yay!!!! The celebration was short-lived. By the time I went online to buy she was sold out - boo!!!! Gutted was not the word. I called up my music biz brother, who is friends with the supporting band, to see whether he could hook me up, as the youngsters say. No joy! Being a small venue, everything was tight, tight, tight. Damn. But, wait, apparently there might be another gig. Yay.

The tickets for the second gig went on sale on Aug 20th, the date I flew out on holiday at the crack of dawn. Needless to say, by the time I had even thought about anything remotely connected with home or work, like the internet, they were all sold out...again...damn...deja vu. Absolutely gutted, mortified. Anyway, long story short, by some fluke of luck, on Tuesday, 2 days before the gig, I received a call to say I had won 2 tickets in a competition I found online. Obviously, you've got to be in it to win it ;-)

So last night, I went to see the amazing Jazmine Sullivan. Bloomin brilliant. Even better than the album, and I believe she has more to give. One of the best performers I have seen for a long time. But I couldn't help wonder why only 2 dates, at such a small venue? Yes, I know it is the Jazz Cafe, which certainly used to have a reputation as an uber cool, intimate and exclusive haunt. But now? really? Surely not for an up and coming talent, who has been on the scene for a couple of years. Surely there is a lesson in here around promotion. That aside, due to the size of the club I was able to easily squeeze my way to a decent mid-section of the crowd. Even better, I was able to exploit my lifelong height disadvantage to full effect to get right to the front - the very front! There's nothing better than being 2 feet away from someone sharing their deepest thoughts and feelings with you in melodious tones, riffs, jazz scats - you name it, she can do it. And as a bonus, she was wearing amazing shoes.

Sweat The Small Stuff

It's September, which means only one thing. The lull that is brought about by Summer holidays is most definitely over.

I had a lovely holiday, thanks. I read my many books whilst being the biggest (not literally) sun lizard on the beach. After unwinding with much needed chick-fodder, I moved onto grown up reads. Starting with Dear Fatty (Dawn French), Dreams From My Father (Obama), and then moving into my choices from the self help shelf - Outliers (Gladwell) and Getting Things Done (Allen).

Each book served its purpose in my search for emotionally horizontal , motivation, inspiration and mental clarity. I usually plan for the last book to be the one that energises and launches me back into work re-energised and renewed. Something that will adjust my attitude to match my obligatory physical reinvention of image when I get back to the office (natch). No other book has served its purpose like Getting Things Done. At the thought of returning to my new job, I felt completely calm at the prospect of just how much stuff needs doing. In fact I felt more calm than I ever have done about work - ever. The proof will be in the pudding of course, when in 6 months time I am still chillin out, maxin, relaxin as I leave the office on a Friday evening.

The key message for me? Sweat the small things. You see, I've always viewed myself as a big picture thinker, you know? It sounds more exciting, fun, sexy even - or is that a step too far? What I hadn't realised was that my inability to process and sweat the small stuff was seriously stifling my big picture thought process. So now I have it sussed and have started on the journey of organising my "stuff" - both big and small. I don't recommend many books but this is an absolute life changer. Trust me, I can feel it..

Don't Care How, I Want it Now!

It was Summer today, so I decided to go out for a leisurely Sunday morning run. Actually by the time I had decided what I should wear as it got hotter and hotter, and what music I should run to - radio, because I was just taking it easy, it was more like midday. So off I went for my run in the midday sun, and did indeed pass a few mad dogs and English men, also out chasing pavements.

Radio 1, Fearne Cotton, to be precise, proved great company and even made me laugh out loud a few times - yes it is difficult to run and laugh at same time. And as aways it gave me the chance to hear the odd new-music track shoehorned in between the current play list of songs, which are generally played at least three or four times every day. You know them - a bit of Take That, FloRida, Rihanna, Kanye, Kings of Leon yada yada. But just occasionally you do get that gem of a song that makes you think - whoaaah, where can I get that? I had one such moment today when a song by somebody featuring GaGa was played. And then Fearne says that the release date for download was the end of August. What???!!! You mean I have to wait 3 weeks to be able to legally download something Ive just heard on the radio? On what broadband-saturated, digital-age planet does that sound sensible? Whatever! I thought, I will just go without - didn't like it that much anyway.

Now rewind to about 3 weeks ago and it was a different story. I'm on my way to salsa one evening, and I hear Zane Lowe battling against some very hip and trendy DJs, when they drop a track which I decide simply has to be the soundtrack to my Summer. Anyway, by Ducksauce (aka Armand van Helden and A-Trak) is just a wicked blend of soul, funky house and harmonising vocals - everything I like rolled into one. That very weekend, I go onto napster to find the track - no joy. I then try i-tunes - same. Nothing, nada, not even a link or release date on A-Traks Myspace page. What is a girl to do? The good weather is all but over, and my soundtrack song, which will paint my Summer memories a lovely rosy hue is not available.

So, I put my googling, interrogation skills to good use and found an mp3 of the track on some random site. Was it an illegal download? To be honest, I really don't know. All I do know is that I was more than happy to pay for it, and perhaps listen to, and buy some of their other tracks, but they weren't ready for me to buy it yet. Hello??!!! And then bands and record companies complain about file sharing ,and not getting paid for digital content. Hello??!! Wake up and smell the coffee. Even Jay-Z said it on Zane Ls show a few weeks ago. Recorded, or digital music is like something that's in the clouds, its free, and difficult to monetise. Get over it, stop making it difficult for people to buy digital content, stop giving the file sharers a good reason to go down the illegal route. When I hear something on the radio, I want to be able to buy it. End of. Get with the program and figure out the new business models. The Internet has not time for inefficiency, and middlemen who add no value. Simply folding your arms, and spending all of your efforts on trying to lock the digital walls after the horse has not only bolted but is enjoying a skinny, soy latte with an extra shot in Starbucks, is getting tiring.

Breaking Up is Never Easy

No, this post isn't another autopsy of Katie and Peter. For a few years now, I have started to liken a lot of things in life to relationships. I have a strange feeling that this may coincide with my recent discovery, some might say obsession, of Sex And The City. My assay of SATC and its impact on modern every day life - women, men, friendship, cocktail menus - must be saved for another day.

I'm rambling here about change, and why it is so difficult to do - either to oneself or to someone else. I realise there are a plethora of models, hypotheses etc on the subject but I still don't quite get it. Is it really just about comfort zone, dislike of being changed, fear of the unknown, difficulty of learning new things, not believing that the trade off of the new benefits are worth losing the old? I used to believe one or all of those reasons but now I'm really not sure.

Recently, I broke up with my employer. Why was it such a difficult decision? Generally I have always sought change because I believe it is key to becoming a bigger, and more fulfilled person. There is, however, something about throwing the baby out with the bathwater, that comes with change. Just like an episode of SATC (sorry), when SJP has to finish with a guy who has "performance issues", she is actually more upset about ending her new friendship with his mother. When something changes, you undoubtedly lose something. The baby in the bathwater with a job might be the people, the short commute, the perks, your uber-cool boss. I mean, who would ever be able to leave the Googleplex, with its free dry-cleaning, gourmet meals and swimming pools?

Is it really down to that - fear of losing more than you gain? Is it really just a logical, even if subconscious, thought process that weighs up the old vs the new. I have no qualms admitting that I am a hopeless optimist. Now, don't get me wrong, I take a very analytical, rational approach to decisions. But I tend to err on the side of "this will turn out OK because ....... and even if it isn't, then I will ....."

So perhaps positivity plays a big part in how people deal with change (I think Seligman might agree), and why I tend to embrace the new. That, and the knowledge that I am in control of my destiny, whatever happens.

More on change another day

Summer Reading

I'm certain there is a snazzier title in here somewhere but I merely want to spend 10 minutes musing over just that...my Summer reading list. Actually, its my holiday list to be precise. For as much as I would love to have time in the day to curl up in a bug cosy fleece and fluffy slippers with a mug of cocoa, it just never happens. There is always something else to do.

Unless, of course, I am far away from that thing that needs doing. En vacance, I spend roughly 50% of my time reading - at the beach, by the pool, at breakfast. The OTM book is only banished in the evening, and if I am exploring wherever it is in the world I am.

I think you can see that this two week reading window of opportunity is critical to the success of the holiday as well as reminding me how to read, topping up my literary intake, stimulating my thinking and self-development, and enabling me to converse with the chattering classes (that last one was a joke), so this takes some thinking about beforehand. It cant just be thrown together, and I certainly cannot simply grab whatever is on special offer at the Waterstones at the airport.

So, what is on the list? Well, there is some logic to it. I always take a mixture of deep vs shallow, trite vs serious, fact vs fiction, corporate vs real life. Right at the very top of my list, which I will start with to help the wind down is He's just not that into you. I have already read the introductions and it is laugh out loud funny. I may follow that with Shopaholic and Baby (yes, you read right). I'll have you know I was probably one of the first to read Shopaholic (and the follow-on's) many many years ago, probably when Isla Fisher was still wearing a checkered summer dress on Home and Away. I always take a salacious biography, and I'm currently torn between Russell Brand and Dawn French. Then onto the business books that will be fortunate enough to make it into the critical collection. My rule is that they must be easy reads, with concepts and principles that relate to every day life. So in the past, Tipping Point, Funky Business and Blink have all made it onto the list. This year's choice is easy. I need to buy The Long Tail in paperback (luggage allowance-friendly) so that I can finally finish it. I will also add Chris Anderson's new book - Free. I will complete my literary summer holiday with The White Tiger, and White Teeth - a bit like watching big Oscar winners, I like to give critically acclaimed reads a try. The jokers in the pack (two of them) are The Accidental Billionaires (beginnings of facebook) and Bringing Down The House (the book behind the film 21, which I saw recently).

The very task of pulling this incredibly important list cannot be underestimated - this is essentially a years worth of reading, compressed into two precious weeks. Fab!!!

I heart New York

I have run on and off for about 12 years now, and am currently very much in the "on" position. I run four or five times a week and am keen to run another major city marathon, having completed my first in New York a couple of years ago.

So, imagine my disappointment when I found out I hadn't managed to get a place in the ballot for this year's marathon. To say I was GUTTED, would be an understatement. The very polite email comes through which starts off "Thank you for applying...blah blah blah". You know very well from this opening line that you haven't made it. And then imagine my horror... I mean, delight, of course, when I saw the opening line in the email to my novice husband's entry "Congratulations. You have been accepted...blah blah blah". This is so not fair!!!!!

I have spent the past few weeks in my own little Kubler Ross change curve of emotions - denial - not quite believing that he had been successful on his first application, when he is nowhere near as passionate, has not entered for NYC and London marathons 3 times each, as I have, is not as dedicated to running, and in no way hearts NYC as much as I do - it is my spiritual home. I really was expecting a follow up email which said there had been a mistake. Anger had to be suppressed as I had to be happy for hubby, as a supportive partner (Yeah, right!). Depression - I decided I wouldn't even bother going. I was trying to be so blasé about the whole thing, so suggested he could go and make a "boys' weekend" out of it (Yeah, right!). And finally acceptance. I am truly happy for him because it will be an amazing life experience. And I will be there to cheer him on, as he was for me two years ago when I choked up at the sight of him cheering me on at the end of the Queensboro Bridge (a very tough mile 16)... New York, here we come :)

No Man is an Island

Or so the saying goes. But when I watched the recent BBC documentary celebrating 50 years of Island Records, I decided that Chris Blackwell probably was Island.

In a fantastic, and at times whimsical journey through the label's inception, highs, lows and transition to mainstream corporate, Chris Blackwell's influence, ethos and free-spiritedness was evident throughout.

The uber-cool bands and artists waxed lyrical about the environment that brought out the best in them, gave them freedom and space to be creative and make music in their own time. I couldn't help but contrast this happy recollection with some of the headline grabbers of unhappy marriages over the years, think Prince and Warner Bros, George Michael and Sony.

Now, I'm sure it wasn't all sweetness and light every day, at Island Records. But there certainly seemed to be something magical about the formula. And I'm pretty sure that this was fundamentally down to Blackwell. Bono summed it up well when he said "it was about the culture, not the money". How many businesses would love to create something that is successful, exciting, fun; a company that has people clamouring to work there. For me, the answer lies in one of the many myths of business - that people go to work to make money, not to have fun, and that the two are mutually exclusive. Call me naive, but I disagree, and Island Records was a sassy beacon of light in an ocean of dull and dreary corporate ocean. Island - we salute you!

Britain's Got Wot???

Well, another helping of laugh at them, cry with them, reality TV masquerading as talent-seeking, has just come to a somewhat sorry end.

Now I know its not a real talent contest, more of a tabloid-esque personality, freak show, but was anyone else wondering why Shaheen Jafargholi didn't win the final? Vocally better than virtually every X-factor or Pop Idol contestant there has ever been in this country and significantly better than Susan Boyle, what on earth happened??

My money is on Shaheen being whisked off to the US to develop a long-standing music career. Lets hope he can write songs too!

Now when's Big Brother starting....

Jam in Camden

What could be better than a sunny May Day bank holiday mooching around Camden Market? Try a Sunday night at the monthly UK Soul Jam, at Camden's fabulous Jazz Cafe. This was my first time to Soul Jam. Being a school night, Sundays for me normally mean an early night in bed with The Sunday Times for company. Instead, I was lapping up some of the great new talent on show.


UK Soul Jam is a monthly night for showcasing acts, with an open mic/jam session later on. First up was a very impressive, funky, original-sounding singer/song-writer by the name of Raff. So when I got back home to Shropshire I was keen to find out more. Maybe I was too quick off the mark, but despite my finely-honed googling skills I couldn't find anything, nada. Fortunately just over a week later I managed to track down his myspace page with a handy link to his single on itunes.

But I couldn't help wonder why it was so difficult to find details of a really good act, following a showcase night. Contrast this with Kaana Ellie and the Remedies. Now, I'm not even really sure which band they were (the cosmo's are very strong at the Jazz Cafe), but since giving my email address Ive been sent future gigs, myspace details etc, via personal emails from Kaana. But out of the 5 or 6 acts showcased, they are the only ones that collected our details. Another fine example of working it - the supporting act at Basement Jaxx recent Birmingham gig were giving out free cd singles.

So, my point is...wicked night out in Camden and I would definitely recommend it. Undoubtedly, more of the acts need to up their game, in terms of promo. These are tough times for the industry but newbies need to get creative and make better use of modern technology. It's not rocket science, is it...

The Real Bucket List

I went to a funeral today. I have been to many funerals in my thirty-something years. It's said that death is the only thing certain in life. That, and taxes of course.

I have been to many funerals where people have known they were dying eg. of long-term illnesses, like my Grandfather's cancer thirteen years ago, and funerals where people have died suddenly - no warning.

Today's funeral service was for someone who had battled with an illness her whole life - sickle cell anaemia, and had been threatened with death on many occasions in her thirty-something years. But this last time it was for real. So, when she was told she had two weeks to live, she wrote her own bucket list. Actually, not so much a bucket list, but a list of people that she wanted to speak to before she was unable. Phone calls, meetings, and a final farewell chat with her local church family - which was videoed and played at the funeral, were all a part of her preparing and saying goodbye in a dignified and positive way, smiling to the end. At the end of the service one of my closest friends who was sat next to me gave me a big hug and said " let's not wait until then to show how much we love each other". I couldn't agree more.

I have been to many funerals, and it's fair to say I'm not a big fan of them, generally. But when people can truly and honestly say that someone's death had the same unequivocally positive impact that their life had, on everyone they came into contact with, that's pretty amazing.

The Long Tail 2

OK, so you may have clicked from a couple of posts ago, that I just started reading Chris Anderson's book - I know I'm a bit late, but to be fair I bought it yonks ago, and have only just found time to pick it up. It also fell down the reading list order because it was hardback - way too heavy for modern-day, stingy, air baggage allowances!

Apart from being an easy read, full of consumer brands and products that I, and most readers can easily identify with, it's just soooo common sense. The kind of book that has you nodding, smiling and saying to yourself "Oh yeah.." in a sort of light bulb-moment way.

I love the way it was compiled - almost with an open source approach - with lots of view, opinions (both expert and consumer), taken into account. This has probably resulted in the concepts being so clearly explained and illustrated.

My biggest question is why I haven't noticed The Long Tail economics having a massive impact on the way record labels develop and promote new music. I assume there must be more to it than simply giving the kiss of life to the back-catalogue cash cows?? Anyhow, I have a theory, but for once I'm going to suspend judgement and keep reading.

Have You found Joy in Your Life?

OK, so I'm a year or so too late, but after watching The Bucket List on Saturday night it really got me thinking. Jack Nicholson gives an absolutely amazing performance, and Morgan Freeman is....well, his usual regal self. And, I said this blog was going to be about music, love and life - so here's a bit on life.

If you don't know the plot, its essentially about two people brought together as they face death. they create a list of things they want to do before they expire. Its a big hug of a movie, with a heartwarming storyline, and plenty of laughs and tears. Freeman's character is full of interesting bits of trivia, but the point that made me raise my eyebrows, leave the plot line and check my own soul in the mirror, was when he asks Nicholson the two questions - Have you found joy in your life? and Have you brought joy to others?

Pretty deep stuff for a Saturday night Sky Movies night on the sofa but it got quite a family debate going about how to live life and approach death (sobering, happy thought:-). Whilst one pledged to live every day as though it was their last, another vowed not to change a thing and continue to not think about death, I decided to go for the middle ground - living life to the full, with no regrets. This blog is a part of that...

Happy Record Store Day!

I like the sound of this. It can only help raise the notion that it is 'cool' to own physical - vinyl and CDs etc, especially if the content is unique eg. special artwork.

Started in the US, let's hope this really takes off here, rather than just being mentioned as the novelty story on Sky News!

Happy Record Store Day!!
http://www.recordstoreday.com/

Arr, me hearty - Pirate Bay be doomed!!

Quel Surprise, the Pirates at Pirate Bay have been made to walk the plank... all the way to jail.

Now, I had never heard of Pirate Bay (I know, where have I been!!!) - until today that is. I'm old enough to remember when napster first got its knuckles rapped years ago, so how on earth did a site with a name like "Pirate Bay", expect to get away with it??? bizarre...

I still think the majors are fighting a losing battle, but I admire their vigilance. Theft is theft after all, and whilst I see no problem in nerdy kids figuring out how to share music, I don't condone sites set up by "grown ups" that become hosts for viruses, spyware and other related nasty side-effects, which inadvertently encourage illegally obtaining material such as the new X-Men. (Calm down, Hugh - there are worse things in life... - like being beaten to the last pair of Louboutins in your size in the Harrods Boxing Day Sale)

TDK yesterday, P2P today

The first album I ever bought, on cassette, was by Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine - Let it Loose. Priceless. And there were a handful of cassette singles which I also purchased to boot. However, I confess that like most of my school-friends at the time, most of the music we listened to was on home-copied cassettes, which were shared and passed around. Was this not the forerunner to Peer 2 Peer?? The technology may have changed, but the result is the same. Minimal sales, maximum availability. OK, the magnitude of the problem may be different, but is that really down to the digital revolution??

Illegal download figures are quoted as though they are some proxy for lost revenue. Really? Sure, there is some relation between the proliferation of P2P, dodgy Russian download sites and falling single and album sales, but do we really think they are like for like substitutes. Case in point, the Pendragon example of selling 50 legit copies of their music DVD in their first week of release, whilst 3,000 were downloaded illegally in the same period. Do we really think that those 3,000 would have been purchased if they weren't available illegally? I don't think so... Do people even have time to listen to all of the content they actually download illegally? I doubt it very much. And if they haven't paid for it, they are perhaps less likely to listen to it at all, if strapped for time.

So, here's my hypothesis for debate. I like music. Now that I am a grown up, who has a job, I have chosen to spend some of my disposable income on music - subscriptions, downloads and old-fashioned actual CDs. And guess what? most other grown ups I know do the same - actually most of them don't download at all, they still just buy CDs, shopping around on the internet for well-stocked, physical, value for money libraries. Grown ups that are willing to pay for music in the past will probably always pay for music, and related content, in some form or other. Grown ups, at least the law-abiding ones I know, are unlikely to deliberately illegally download or file share, even if they may have in the past dabbled on the odd Chines or Russian download site, when they thought it was 'kosher'. Kids will mostly try to get anything for free if they can, so that they can spend their totally undeserved pocket money on something else that they can't get for free - mobile phone top-ups, new computer games, magazines, sweets and chocolate, football stuff - or is that just the spoilt, over-privileged children I know? I know I'm stereotyping but a lot of this is indeed about different generational attitudes and moral codes.

So the point, again. Fighting P2P is, perhaps, a massive detractor, which is sucking in an inordinate amount of airtime, resource and government attention. P2P merely provides insight into one of the many ways that music is now accessed, and could be leveraged for future opportunities and possibilities. The technology might be new(ish), but it's really just modern TDKs isn't it? Or have I got it all wrong...

The Long Tail - What does it mean for music

In October 2004, for Wired, Chris Anderson, in the article which was the pre-cursor to his book, wrote "Forget squeezing millions from a few megahits at the top of the charts. The future of entertainment is in the millions of niche markets at the shallow end of the bitstream."

Instinctively, I think we all agree with it, yet from afar it still looks as though the megabucks, development money and time only go into one-hit, or one-album wonders. Even though the platforms, infrastructure, recording artists and the paying public are probably ready for Anderson-style ways of doing business.

Take me as an example. I am a fan of a wide range of music - from mainstream rock and pop, commercial rnb, to folk and the odd bit of jazz and country. Reason being, what I really love is songs - melody, harmony, stories - and great vocals. So, I'm constantly on the lookout for new, often lesser known artists who fit this criteria - like Teedra Moses, Jazmine Sullivan, Ryan Shaw - whose music I can legally download, or better still whose gigs I can go to. And, occasionally I find a new one! but it is definitely not easy, as all airtime and promo attention is dedicated to the next Britney, Justin or X-factor sensation.

So, my conclusion - "If you build it, they will come..." Even in these credit crunch times, people will pay for good music, of a kind that they like, and that lifts their spirits. It just needs to be easier to get hold of.

Straight in at number 1...

Selling records appears to be very unlike any other product launch. All those of us that have done GCSE business studies (or a marketing degree) will at some stage have come across the development, introduction, growth, maturity model for products. And for a lot of companies, this is pretty much how it works.
Not so, it seems for the major record labels. It's either instant success, straight in at number 1, or you're toast, unceremoniously dropped or shelved after a couple of go's. This puzzles me. It seems to me that some artists grow mainly through viral marketing, eg. Eva Cassidy, or just a slow burn based on hard work - small gigs up and down the country, and relying on word of mouth, or the odd DJ endorsement. So why are they cast aside if they don't hit top ten single sales in their first week - dunno really.
I am just about old enough to remember when singles were released and climbed their way up the chart as their popularity grew. Nowadays, you hear a song for weeks and weeks before its 'official release date', with all of the promo and advertising truncated to ensure the highest possible entry point and quickest payback possible for the record company. In my mind, this is very much responsible for killing off the organic development of good music, has probably contributed to the declining single sales and is completely at odds with the business digital age, virtual communities twittering and facebooking, and the whole changing way we live our lives and consume music - spotify, owngig et al... Another frustrating example of the industry dragging its feet and hampering single 'sales' is not being able to legally download or purchase a single track on its own, for whatever reason - licensing issues, release date, whatever it may be - it's no wonder peer to peer is rife, and justifiable to some.
Instant hits is what record companies want, while instant access and availability for listeners, is still on the back burner...

What does "Green" look like for the music industry

I attended an interesting MusicTank event yesterday on whether the music industry can 'afford to go green' https://www.musictank.co.uk/events/sustainability
Fortunately, there were no trees being hugged, and it was a fairly balanced, practical, mostly factual, discussion about what could and should be done to reduce the industry's carbon footprint.

I couldn't help wonder though, whether we were in denial, truly unprepared for the major shock when we realise what it will take to live in a sustainable, low-carbon way, and what this means for music consumption. Gone will be the endless promo flyers (recycled paper or not), and the unnecessary concert merchandise (sustainable supply chain or not), and the 21-date or 50-date arena residencies with half the continent travelling to see the artist. The way I see it, our current trajectory is one of extreme sacrifice and personal behavioural change, unless there are major technological breakthroughs to reduce carbon emissions. Put simply, we need to use and consume less. End of...
And as for waiting for the government to legislate on change, personally I wont be betting the Sussex coast on it. This is just not a vote winner, because too many people do not really want to change, if it impacts their lifestyle significantly, even if they say that they "care about the environment".
Until the full cost of carbon is truly reflected in goods and services, people will still shop til they drop for unnecessary crap, and drive and fly to their hearts content. So, whilst we wait for the carbon markets to kick in (post-recession of course), the onus is on leaders (you and me, as well as the fat cats), entrepreneurs (Branson et al), opinion formers and role models (musicians, celebs and reality TV contestants), and all those who generally know better, to do better, and encourage others to do better.
That's enough preaching for one post, and I need to go take off this itchy, organic, wool shirt

Music to My Ears

When I first decided to take my running up a gear, I went to the nearest sports shop and left with as many bags as a WAG on a post-match celebration shopping spree. For some bizarre reason, this hobby, which you first started because it is meant to be low cost, suddenly means kitting yourself out with the right trainers - cushioned, stability or motion-control, all costing north of £50 of course - the right clothing, and a whole array of accessories that the sales assistant, who is half your age, and probably doesn't run, has persuaded you that you need, but which will in fact languish in your spare room, or under the stairs.

On such a first trip, with my just as eager running pal, I ended up with very expensive socks, a Nike water belt, and some seriously disgusting energy gels, as well as trainers costing over £100. I soon added to this with a collection of caps and beanie hats, gloves, waterproof jacket, warm up jacket, thermal top, base layer, top layer, full tights, short tights, skins (!) etc etc. - I think you get the picture.

You soon figure out that there are various sources that are worth listening to when it comes to recommendations for stuff to make your running easier, faster, more comfortable etc. My bible is generally Runners World mag, but even better is the forum on http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/. This is where you get the absolute truth - good, bad, ugly on all sorts, but most importantly on products and services, to avoid making the classic mistakes I mention above.

Which leads me to my best running purchase to date. Last week I received, in environmentally friendly packaging - bonus - the Sennheiser PMX80 headphones. You see, when I run alone, I need music - radio, playlist, it doesn't matter. And I have been through at least 15 different headphones, which all either fall off/out, sound tinny/too quiet, or barely last 2 weeks without falling apart. These Sennheisers are, without exception, the indisputable, bomb-diggity of running headphones. I purchased them solely on the strength of the forum and Amazon customer rating and comments. Now, this is no new thing - the power of consumer reviews, e-pinionators, wide scale belief in the web as being the truth. But for me, this links to something about the buying patterns and behaviours of those engrossed in their hobbies or interests which I'm guessing must be relevant to the music industry. What makes people repeat buy? Why do people pay above the odds eg. for that perfect piece of kit, music memorabilia, or concert ticket? What drives loyalty, and what is it worth? What is the influence of other consumers - certainly Amazon, last.fm, Spotify, and others jumping on the social-networking-linked-to-product-placement seem to think there must be something in this. It's all rather interesting, but what does it mean for future business models? who wins, who loses...or is there a win-win

What will Spotify do for music?

Wow, either the Spotify marketing team have been doing a lot of schmoozing, or someone very hip, trendy and cutting edge has suddenly declared them as the next best thing. The Sunday Times has dedicated some serious column inches to how Spotfiy might spell the end of ownership (something about clouds), and Sean Adams chips in by recommending Spotify as your music service provider. Hello!!!??? Am I the only person that finds this a bit odd? Unless I am really the technophobic laggard of all of Shropshire and the modern World, I cannot see how I can use Spotify to listen to music in the car, out for a run, or basically without being HOOKED UP TO MY COMPUTER.
Now, I think I'm fairly progressive, as I now use my mobile phone as my only mp3 player (ever since my Creative Zen was stolen from my car!) and I do actually watch programs on demand via my laptop. But... computer, stream, listen, music - i just do not get it one bit.
The Sunday Times pics and Spotify ads showing real people, with headphones on, sitting plugged into their computers is absolutely ridiculous - laughable even.
Here's where I agree with the article - until Spotify goes mobile eg. I can stream it on my mobile phone, and until broadband and wireless connections make streaming seamlessly easy and of the right quality, this will be just another Twitter - totally pointless.
And if anyone thinks this sort of commercial arrangement, in its current form, is going to save the music industry's butt, think again. Just look at the market for illegal TV and movie downloads. Digital accessibility has opened up new markets and uses for music. Unfortunately, like 7 yr old school boys playing football, everyone is rushing after the ball, all going in the same direction, until the ball is kicked somewhere else. At the moment, that direction is big digital music libraries, as the industry tries to tap into revenues from the 'digital generation' and illegal file sharers, thus ignoring the oldies, technologically speaking, like me, who will pay good money for more than just an mp3 file. Or do I just need to get with the program and give Spotify their dues?

The Circle of Life

Actually, I'm thinking more the circle of business life. Specifically, start up(birth), growth (teen struggles), maturity (mid-life crisis leading to old age), and finally death. Isn't this what happens to all businesses? - eventually...

Only, those of us working in Strategy, or positions of leadership, are paid to keep the business alive - rejuvenated to cope with the world changing around us, or to keep up with the market innovator who has now changed the rules of engagement.

But should we invest so much time and energy in trying to keep dying businesses alive, or should we allow them to grow old gracefully, pop their clogs and then nurture the daisies that grow in their wake.
From what I can see, Strategists and Consultants spend most of their time trying (and failing) to convince businesses, who don't want to change their way of doing things, that they need to change in order to survive. Remember Sir John Harvey-Jones, Troubleshooter?? How many of those businesses took JHJ's advice - very few. And how many are still around? - I suspect very few, and I don't think it's all the recession's fault!

I was somewhat surprised when I attended a music industry event last year to hear what sounded like an awful lot of 'stuck in a rut' views and opinions on how to deal with the changing face of technology, records, file-sharing, illegal downloads etc... Apart from the subject matter, it was just like listening to the sorts of conversations I hear everyday in the energy (utilities) industry - the majority stuck in some time warp, with a few frustrated forward-thinkers trying to persuade the many of their impending doom. There seems to be a common inability to look at the world from a different perspective, as an outsider or new entrant would, seeing through the obstacles that will inevitably cause paralysis for some, and opportunity for others.

In reality, it seems that only when there is enough impetus from the top will things actually change. I guess the textbooks would call it visionary leadership. Perhaps this is what Leoni Sceti is bringing to EMI with talk of a new business model, new ways of connecting with audiences. Let's wait and see. Do record companies (majors in particular) really know what consumers want, or are we simply waiting for them to kick the bucket and make way for the next generation in music distribution...

Music to Run to...

I have a few loves in life, aside from family of course. The first is music, and sound, the second is running (actually the second is probably shopping - shoes, bags, coats etc. - except I'm on a recession-busting shopping fast this year).

Anyway, I have been looking for music to run to for years and years - particularly in 2007 when I was training for the New York marathon. I don't mean any old speedy track, or something that just makes you feel like running, I mean pace music - music to run to the beat of.

If you're anything like me you'll know just how difficult it is to find either decent playlists, or the bpms to stuff you own or download. I have spent literally hours searching various free databases and downloads to compile my playlist of 'music to run to', and I now have about 5 hours worth. So, in the spirit of togetherness and collective enjoyment I thought I'd share it with you, in the hope that you would also share yours with me as my collection is now getting a bit stale.

Now, I realise that the list may be a little hip hop/RnB heavy (look out for clean versions or radio edits if you are of a sensitive disposition), but this does tend to be at just about the right bpm to run to. In fact, the first track that got me into wanting to compile such a list was Lose Yourself by Eminem. Perfect, and great lyrics to motivate you on those dark mornings - think Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

So, here's my list - hopefully you can read it by clicking on it, and for you non-RnB fans, there's even some Oasis, and some amazing Pendulum tracks. My recent Pendulum discovery, which I have yet to add, is the awesome Slam. Enjoy