Can The Cannes

Lots of people from the north attended this year s Midem bash in Cannes, a place where music biz sorts converge to cut deals and schmooze. People have been coming back either elated or cynical, depending on their experiences or their prior expectations.
A whole plane load of delegates fell victim to a bug in a jet s air conditioning on the way back, so some of the attendees are only surfacing now. But people seem to be agreed on one thing. Watercress pulled off something a bit important during a special show at the Martinez ballroom. They caused a stir, they excited some useful business contacts, and they had a decent time of it en route. And there s probably no man so pleased at this situation as Shep, their manager.
The band s showcase was part of a wider, cross-border event that also featured Jack L, Bass Odyssey and Ultramann (aka DJ Phil Kieran). The initiative had been organised by Keith Williams from the company Zero Parallell, and encouraged by LEDU from the north and Enterprise Ireland from the Republic.
It pulled a decent crowd, the sound spec in the hall was excellent and the internal press office at Midem had done a worthy job in spreading the news. For Shep, this moment was the extention of a long process that has also involved Watercress tours in America and consistent efforts to develop the band s interests overseas.
As for many other people at the bash, Midem gave him the opportunity to catch representatives from record labels, distributors, festivals and booking agencies at one opportune time. With luck, deals can be signed almost instantly at Midem, thereby hot-housing an act s fortunes in a few days. On the other hand, if you make a public cock-up, you may ruin your chances altogether.
The Martinez gig was on the Sunday. Twenty four hours before was the Midem launch, at a swanky location called the Palais des Festivals. It was rammed with people launching internet start-ups, plugging the MP3 potential, while the tremors of the Time-Warner deal with EMI were already causing much debate. The whole industry was in a volatile state.
Enter Watercress and their mates, diving into the tasty canapes and the chilled champagne. They got drunk rather quickly. But happily, they were also in charming form. So they worked the venue, speaking in cod European accents, cracking jokes and spreading the Watercress message. In time, everyone who mattered was aware of the Sunday night gig, and many of them had been amused by this garrulous Irish bunch that had brought some levity to an otherwise stuffy occasion. Consequently, the Irish gig pulled a strong crowd. It was a real showcase, Shep remembers. In the past, some of these things have felt a bit half-hearted. The place held around 600 people and it was well filled. And it was like a proper gig. Sometimes these things can just feel like business events.
People were coming up to Shep during the show and giving him positive responses. He was collecting business cards at a satisfying rate, and scheduling meetings for the next few days. A week later, when you talk to him, you find that the trip and the investment of energy was worthwhile. He doesn t want to reveal too much as yet, in case he spooks the final processes of the deals. But on a general level, he s got in close with a German booking agent, and is considering distribution and licencing in the GAS area (that s Germany, Austria and Switzerland to the uninitiated). He may have closed a deal in Canada and his pals in America are taking the issue further.
Meantime, there s talk of a mighty gig at one of the most prestigious European summer festivals. If this is confirmed, then a whole tour can be built around it. Lovely.
Phil Kieran played at the other end of the Irish bill at Cannes. Unfortunately, at this stage he was competing against the likes of LTJ Bukem in a late night club promotion nearby, so he didn t enjoy the same kind of crowd as Watercress. Neverthless, he gave it his best, playing challenging, electronic music, furthering a mission that has caused a good impression in Belfast clubs like Shine and Twister.
Given that the Midem dance fraternity was far more interested in cheesey trance, this was a brave stance. We can surmise in a later conversation that Phil didn t chase up so much business in France. But he s not at all bothered. His ambitions are directed elsewhere, as he contemplates a series of record releases and muses on his Best DJ nomination in last year s Hot Press Awards.
Most importantly, we re talking about a special anniversary party, celebrating the first birthday of his Sector One nights. That s become a critical enterprise here, as a series of bedroom composers have been flushed out, unloading their digital ideas to a growing number of punters. For the brithday night on February 17, he has taken both The Limelight and the neighbouring Katy Daly s and is hosting some of the more feisty indie acts also. Altogether, that mean we have a chance to see Hedrock Valley Beats, Calibre, Solaris, Basic, Lima, Foam, Tiler and Desert Hearts, plus a few others. All for #4.
There hasn t been a bad night since the first Sector One, he reckons. It s been constant. The numbers keep going up and new bands have been appearing, like Crash Daddy, or somebody else new. It s impossible to make money at it, but I don t mind. I thinks it s created a lot of a buzz. It even encourages people to go out and buy more music.
So do you have an end in sight, Phil?
Totally. For years I ve had everything planned out until I m dead, basically. For now it s about putting out music and DJing. Later I ll maybe go for the record deal and more studio stuff. Just anything involved with sound. But it s all safely working. I sat down when I was 16 and figured it out. So it s slowly pulling together.