WIDE AWAKE IN IRELAND

It is almost exactly five years now since Hot Press printed its Blueprint for the Irish Music Industry- "Think Ireland, Think Music". In the intervening years numerous extracts from that blueprint have found their way into other official submissions, theses, documents, articles and discussions.

On its publication, copies were delivered to the then relevant government minister, Mr Seamus Brennan, who responded with ministerial compliments and platitudinous promises to take a serious look at the potential for growth in the industry and then did absolutely nothing of any practical consequence.

However we now live in more urgent, less complacent times. In recent years we have observed how properly orchestrated lobbying can compel government departments, their agencies and allied financial institutions to sit up and take notice of this or that industry or interest group. We have seen obscene amounts of money dissipated through various government/big business scandals. If a fraction of the cash squandered had been diverted to the music industry and used creatively by the best-motivated people, it could have acted as a substantial stimulus to our industry.

It is incomprehensible why Irish talent and the Irish music scene as a whole is marvelled at abroad while the unimaginative dullards in our own financial institutions and other areas of big business fail to appreciate its investment potential. We have witnessed a succession of truly phenomenal Irish successes on the international market, so numerous and so often recounted that it would insult the reader's intelligence to catalogue them yet again here.

So what more do they want? How many more international achievements must be accomplished before it is finally accepted by those with power and influence that the Irish music industry is a major asset to this country and deserves as much support as most other industries and a good deal more than many which have been force-fed copious amounts of financial sustenance without showing a fraction of the success ratio that the Irish music can claim?

How many millions more records must U2, Clannad, Enya, Sinead O'Connor, Chris De Burgh, Daniel O'Donnell, The Fureys, Phil Coulter, Foster and Allen, Hothouse Flowers, The Chieftains, The Commitments, Van Morrison, and others sell? How much more international acclaim must we have for Mary Black, Christy Moore, An Emotional Fish, The Dubliners, Mary Coughlan, Mick Hanly, Fatima Mansions, Something Happens, The Pale, Therapy?, Maura O'Connell, Dolores Keane, Luka Bloom, Pierce Turner, Paul Brady, and countless others?

The legendary Jerry Lee Lewis, The Rolling Stones, Def Leppard, Kate Bush, Stevie Winwood, Elvis Costello, The Waterboys, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Elmer Berstein: all these international performers could choose to record in any studio in any country in the world, yet they have chosen to come to Ireland to record, in some cases material which has sold millions of copies on the international market. If they have the confidence in our studio set-up and its support systems, why does the confidence mean so little to the powers that be? How many more acts will it take to convince them? 5? 50? 500? 5,000? Or have too many of them adopted the pose of their most appropriate symbol - the ostrich?

It is hardly surprising then that the last 18 months has witnessed a ground-swell of frustration throughout the business, a sense of bewilderment that is now turning to anger.

It was that climate that gave birth to the recently inaugurated Support Jobs In Music campaign, an initiative totally endorsed by Hot Press, as it is by most other fair-minded people and organisations in the industry. There is a new generation coming up through the industry who will not be as complacent in their approach as those who have perhaps exhausted their energy or who have become comfortably inured to the difficulties that beset any fledgling industry in a worldwide recession.

This new breed are less favourably disposed towards sitting placidly on committees and waiting for others to make things happen. They exhibit an inpatient desire for action, with the emphasis on constructive attempts to confront and tackle problems rather than accept the unacceptable.

Of course it is crucial that this new surge of energy is disciplined and channelled in the right directions and not dissipated carelessly. Equally it must be emphasised that if any ground is to be gained it is most likely to be won through discussion, dialogue and legislation, with influential individuals and companies being genuinely convinced that they ought to make some contribution in cultural terms to the society to which they owe their economic success.

It must also be stressed that radio is not the only area in which the fight for Jobs In Music must be fought. It is arguable that every individual, irrespective of their relationship to Irish music, can, by adopting a more generous-hearted approach, play a crucial part in developing the Irish music scene. Many of these points are covered in the objectives of the Jobs In Music campaign outlined on these pages, but fans and consumers should not downplay their own purchasing power in this regard.

This may only stretch as far as buying an Irish album instead of a non-Irish one in such circumstances as when the choice between the two is a close call. Likewise choosing to visit a pub with live music rather than one which does not use live music at all. But such decisions do make a difference, which may not be immediately apparent.

At the end of the day it is up to each of us to play whatever constructive role we can map out for ourselves. That argument applies just as strenuously to the appropriate government power-brokers as to the proverbial man or woman on the street.

But the emphasis now needs to be on constructive action. Talking about action is the easy bit. Taking it onto its logical next step is where we have fallen down too often in the past.

More jobs in Irish music will bring gains to us all, whether by adding to the Irish exchequer through export business or through bringing more tourists (and their money) to Ireland to experience on our own soil the rich variety and incomparable artistry, which makes Irish music so compelling fascinating for people all over the globe.

They are certainly wide awake to Irish music in America. Is it not time that the alarm went off in Ireland too?

• Jackie Hayden

The Industry Speaks

Derry O'Brien

Irish Trade Board

THE CURRENT STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

The Irish Music Industry is, perhaps, healthier than it has a right to be, given the worldwide recession and the difficulty it has created, internationally, for record companies in breaking new bands and acts. However, boosted by the continuing worldwide success of Irish artists like U2, Clannad, Hot House Flowers and Enya, from my perspective, Irish music has rightly earned for itself and international reputation for its integrity and quality.

I am constantly astounded at the amount of new material that is surfacing in Ireland and which, with one or two notable exceptions, is being developed and promoted primarily by the independent record label sector. The maturity and the diversity of the new wave of artists being developed in this country is most impressive and augurs well for the future state of the Irish music industry.

GROWTH PROSPECTS

The interest in Irish music abroad, is, it appears to me, at an all time high. The reaction which the Irish music Industry group received at the MIDEM music market in January indicates to me that the appeal of Irish music currently spans the whole range of musical tastes from Traditional, Roots and Folk music through to Pop and Rock to New Age and World music.

Much of this music is being developed and recorded by the small independent record labels and it is encouraging to see an infrastructure which is developing on the domestic market to service both the artists and this emerging independent record label sector. I think that this is a very healthy situation and which also augurs well for the future growth of the Irish Music Industry.

One of the weaknesses that still exists, however, is the shortage of local professional management skills and expertise which could otherwise help to achieve greater international success for Irish artists and bands. This problem needs to be addressed if our indigenous music industry is to grow and expand overseas.

SUGGESTIONS

My main proposals in this regard would be:

a)That the music industry combines under a single agency like IBEC to form a body representative of all its activities. This body would then speak with one voice on behalf of the industry to be pooled, formal training structures to be established, closer liaison with government agencies and departments to be achieved and thus to create a greater awareness of the importance of the music sector to the Irish economy.

b)That the industry position itself to attract investment from Irish business, where the music sector has been seen as a cottage Industry for far too long. This investment is essential if the growth potential within the Irish music industry is to be fully realised.

c)That Irish musicians and managers are encouraged to record at home wherever possible to ensure that the studio infrastructure is maintained and developed on a par with the best internationally.

d)That an agreed programming policy is achieved with the broadcast industry in Ireland which ensures that more Irish music is played on the radio. As the international experience of both France and Canada indicate, this will automatically generate more activity in the domestic music industry which will ultimately lead to more jobs for Irish people in this sector.

Clive Hudson

Round Tower Records and

Beann Eadair Publishing

I would favour a 40% content ruling for Irish radio. It has worked elsewhere so there is no reason why it should not work in Ireland.

Obviously some thought would have to go into defining what exactly is meant by an "Irish" record. But some of the factors to be taken into consideration should include the following:

Artist born in Ireland; artist resident in Ireland; song copyright held by an Irish publishing company; track recorded in an Irish recording studio, track released on an Irish label and product item manufactured in Ireland.

Obviously it would be unreasonable to expect each record to comply with all of those requirements but it might be acceptable to expect, say, any three or four of those factors to be applicable to a record before it is granted Irish status.

It would have been preferable if Irish radio as a whole had voluntarily opted to devote an agreed amount of airtime to Irish music but unfortunately it has not worked out that way, so a statutory requirement seems to be the only solution.

Brian Molloy

Westland Studios

We are fully behind the Support Jobs In Music campaign. It has to be emphasised that every working artist is not just one job created but he or she requires a support system in backing musicians, road crew, sound and lighting people, publicists, engineers, producers and so on.

I would strongly encourage the government to be as supportive of the music industry as they are of the film industry. In fact it can be urged that the Irish music industry is far more constant, daily operation compared to the high-investment, stop-start nature of film-making. But I am particularly energised by the new minister, much more so than I have been for a long time.

The music industry requires virtually nothing in the way of raw materials. You don't have to build factories or source raw materials. The artist's talent is the raw material. But it needs nurturing and investment to allow it to grow and find its proper market both at home and abroad.

The suggestion to allow tax free residence in Ireland for non-Irish producers is an excellent one. If implemented it would not only have a valuable spin-off for the Irish economy but the presence of international producers would be stimulating for our own engineers and producers.

The government actually already has a useful scheme called First Step to help entrepreneurs but nobody seems to know anything about it! There must be some way found to encourage investment in new talent, whereby in a given period a certain number of artists would be funded. Then have that funding switched for a longer period into those acts who are proving to be the most marketable. These are basic approaches used in other industries, so why should the music industry be any different?

There are many young people on the dole, yet instead of being depressed or suicidal they adopt a constructive, positive attitude and get stuck into writing songs or playing in a band. The government should be encouraging any people with that kind of drive and initiative.

Dave Pennyfather

Mother Records

There are two initiatives I would like to see taken in order to help create more jobs and a healthier music scene in Ireland.

First of all, we need to develop the bottom end of the live music business. Too many venues opt for the cheapest entertainment option, usually a disco. We need more live music venues throughout the country for new acts.

I also believe we need a concerted effort to market Irish music to the huge number of tourists who visit this country year after year. If we did this, not only would sell more recordings and concert tickets to them while they are here, but it would also mean that we are building a fan base for those acts when they visit foreign countries or release their records there.

There is a strong argument for some kind of a live music summer festival, co-ordinated thoughout the country in a range of small venues so that Irish music is more accessible to visitors and holiday-makers than it is currently.

Oliver P Sweeney

CBM Records

We need more imagination in the way Irish folk/roots/trad/ country music is presented on Irish television.

RTE's decision to drop their specialist music programmes like Airneain from their Autumn schedule is arguably the most retrograde step ever taken on Irish radio. We must have a campaign to restore them.

They talk about these types of music as if they were the precious preserve of small elite, but albums by acts like Sharon Shannon, Four Men And A Dog, Draíoicht, Patrick Street and others actually sell substantially more copies than much of the music that gets a lot of play on peak-time radio. A lot of that sales success is due to the hard work of Gael Linn and other Irish independent labels in getting Irish music into record shops all over the country, but it proves there is a market for it with both natives and visitors alike. A successful home business is the ideal launching pad onto the international market.

I am not sure if a quota of Irish music on Irish radio will work the way some people think it should, but Irish music should receive the same level of government support that the film industry now receives.

Venue promoters around the country need to get out of their 'cheapo-cheapo' attitude. Too many see music as an easy way of making extra money but they could put some effort and energy into promoting gigs for everybody's benefit, including their own.

Too many bands are expected to reach the standards of U2. That's unfair and unrealistic. We should stop putting that expectation on them and let them find their own natural level of success.

Among all the Government agencies Derry O'Brien in An Bord Trachtala is fighting a brave but lonely battle for Irish music. He deserves better support. Not only that, but our financial institutions must learn to stop recoiling in ignorant horror at business proposals from the music industry and start learning how to assess projects properly and with a balanced attitude.

Michael ua Seaghdha

Tandem Records

It seems to me that neither the State nor the Private Sector seem to understand the realities of the music industry, and that neither of them offers very much in the way of help to anyone wishing to start off in the business, and thereby create jobs.

Government officials just don't understand why most young people working in the music business (bands, managers, roadies, sound engineers etc.) are doing so for so little return - or more often, for nothing.

These are the realities, known to every person, especially every young person, in the business. Despite Ballyfermot, despite STC, despite FAS, few people will get a chance at a 'real' job until they have served their time in the black market.

They do this because they see it as a venture-investment in the possibility of creating a job for themselves in the line of work that they want to do. They are actually already acting as entrepreneurs. All that the unemployed person has to offer, initially, is their labour, and that is what they invest.

Government, sees things differently. Politicians are not very interested in 'potential jobs'; they can only boast about jobs which are full-time, long-term wage earners.

Any politician that boasts about having created the 'possibility of jobs', on the basis of no-or-low-pay, long hours, insecurity of tenure, and dole fixing would be hooted off the stage - not least by those very socialists who claim to be interested in helping the unemployed, so they steer well clear.

But in fact there is a gap between Government's black and white definitions of 'real jobs' and the social reality, which is that most people in the music business are living and working for 'potential jobs'. Consequently, legislation which is based around unrealistic notions of security of tenure, level of wages and conditions of work does nothing to improve any of these for those on the fringe. This gap, between political acceptability and the social reality is the reason why there is so little in the way of Government help that works.

The Government concept must change and the entrepreneurial spirit of the unemployed be recognised and supported for what it is - an attempt to create jobs. Social Welfare, FAS and other Schemes should be made available in ways that do not require deceit, nor demean the unemployed for trying to better their lot.

One might, then, expect banks and business to understand what is going on a little bit better. Alas, this is not the case. They are already employed, and can easily call on others to back them in creating new ways of earning money. They are not interested in taking risks. Institutional finance is, almost without exception, only interested in the bet that is so sure that there is virtually no risk at all. Unless you have a track-record of making money, they won't give you the credit to make your project work.

Add to this, the fact that the entertainment industry is alien territory to most financiers. They regard it as intrinsically high-risk. The majority of bankers would rather you had a lotto syndicate than another rock-band.

This attitude fails to recognise that there are competent, creative people out there, who will make it work, if they are given the right kind of backing, the right kind of advice, and the time necessary to achieve their goals. The lack of properly constructed investment finance is probably the single most important factor in this country's chronic failure to create jobs for its people, but it does mean giving people reasonable access to funds over a long-period, together with a fostering and constructive approach, to allow them to work it out.

Problem is, all this distracts from the banks' main task of making more money faster than anyone else. Why should they bother helping others when they could be helping themselves? The answer is that in the long term it should pay off, just as it has in Germany and Japan. If banks cannot see this, then there needs to be a State-organised method of banking to encourage them to do so.

Until there is a movement on both these fronts - realism about jobs and long-term support in finance - Jobs In Music will remain a worthy slogan for all but the lucky few.

Brian Wynne

Record Services

Of course I support the Jobs In Music campaign. Here at Record Services we employ 26 people, but obviously if we could sell more Irish recordings we could employ more.

But some bands want it too easy and too fast. Very few are prepared to put in the work to learn their craft. It seems as if too many of them write their first song and want it in the charts next week. If you look at any acts from The Beatles to U2, they spent years building up their repertoire and knowledge of the business, honing their craft before they cracked it.

Bands should consider doing more cover versions in their initial stages. It makes it easier for an audience to get into them, but it also enables a band to see how a good strong song is structured and why it works.

I would like to see a nationally controlled network of gigs, possibly using venues on their off-nights, with maybe three or four acts playing on each bill. Bands should succeed by working their way up through the system rather than relying too heavily on a manager pulling a few strokes.

Talent needs time to develop and too many people are in too much of a hurry to become rich and famous without building any proper foundation to their careers.

John D'Ardis

Irish Association Of Songwriters And Composers

Here are a few suggestions for nurturing and creating jobs in the music industry in Ireland.

1. Give tax breaks to International artists who record their albums in Ireland. Set up a system whereby earnings from recordings made in Ireland are tax free for the artists. This sort of scheme already exists for the film industry in some countries.

2. Give tax incentives to International companies to encourage them to manufacture the product they sell in Ireland. Many international Irish artists could do a lot more to stop the export of jobs by insisting that their record companies manufacture their recordings in Ireland. U2 for example already insist on their recordings being made here, but they are an exception.

3. Create some sort of tax incentives for venues that put on live music.

These suggestions if implemented would mean the creation of jobs at no real cost to the Government.

Peter Bardon

Republic Of Ireland Music Publishers Association

I am delighted that Hot Press are actively supporting the Jobs In Music Campaign and I endorse its objectives.

With regard to the Publishing Industry, I am sure that you are aware that Ireland will shortly become an independent territory with its own autonomous collection societies and this will lead to job creation in administration.

However, there are other opportunities for job creation. Although technically we are an export industry, i.e. we export copyrights to other countries, we are not treated as exporters by government. For example we cannot avail of the 10% corporation tax rate.

If this rate applied to publishing companies, the multinational companies might re-locate their operations in Ireland and thereby create skilled employment locally.

IAN WILSON

Producer 2FM

The Irish Music Industry is at a crucial stage of its development. twenty years ago we had little expertise and even less international profile and the standing of the business in Ireland was low. Even among those who would be expected to be interested - teenagers and students - Irish music was synonymous with bad taste, awful Country and Irish slush, paddywhackery and the kind of ballroom proprietor who would be just as much at home producing dog food! In other words it was hick to be into "Oirish" and hip to be into anything from swinging London or groovy San Francisco...

Now things are different. There is expertise, there is support, there is employment, there is credibility . . . but by God you wouldn't think anything is different to the early '70's if you were to listen to most of our radio stations - because one thing you won't find is any Irish music.

This is what is going to halt the further development of the industry here...radio feeds the music business but the policy of most radio stations is to feed the fat cats in Los Angeles and London and eat their own children here at home . . .

So let's talk about what we might achieve:

While many industries are shedding jobs with the introduction of new technologies and greater productivity, there are a number of so called service industries which will always be labour intensive. Without doubt, one of these is music.

Just to illustrate this point, say a band earns £1,000 for a gig. From this they will pay a sound engineer, a lighting person, someone to handle the backline, a driver for the van and gear. As well as this they will pay a PA company for the PA and lighting and they will certainly be employing one person to service and organise the gear.

Thus, for £1,000 fed in, you have employed three or four bodies directly and assisted in the employment of others in hire companies. And that of course excludes the musicians themselves. If the IDA could generate jobs so efficiently, they would be made into saints. It costs the IDA some £100,000 for every job generated!

Radio play and the royalties from this is the seed capital from which we can fund the future development of the Irish music industry. If we really need to create jobs, then there is a potentially obvious route - we're good at this music thing, everybody knows we are, we are pushing open doors...except in our own radio system. Undoubtedly there are too many people pally with the government holding radio licenses and it's much more important to have mates of the government earning lots of money, than to have real jobs.

The fundamental key to unlock the job potential of the music industry here is airplay. No play - no pay. It's as simple as that.

Eoin Holmes

.

Can you explain the purpose behind the Jobs In Music Campaign?

Jobs In Music is not about ghettoising Irish music or indeed about radio station bashing. Our aim is simply this: to promote the development of the Irish Music Industry. Some very simple changes to the operating environment will result in the creation of employment in every area of the industry, earn foreign currency for our economy and further heighten the profile of Ireland abroad.

So how is the campaign likely to develop?

Amongst other things the Jobs In Music campaign will be lobbying politicians, monitoring the imminent change at the IRTC, encouraging radio stations to play more quality Irish music, persuading Irish artists to record in Irish studios . . . the list is endless, and the potential rewards on a national level enormous.

Who do you see supporting the campaign?

If you're involved in the music industry or if you have ever wondered why you seem to hear more Irish music on radio when you're abroad, or if you even like some Irish music then you're already a 'member of the Jobs In Music campaign'. Why not become an active one?

In relation to radio, there has been some talk of boycotting sponsors who support programmes, or stations, which play a low percentage of Irish music.

Boycotting is a very serious action and one that would have to be considered very carefully. Obviously people within the music industry feel very strongly about certain companies sponsoring radio stations that have a strong anti-Irish music bias. However, rather than rushing in to boycott their sponsors straight away, we hope we can persuade them that perhaps by insisting on a pro Irish bias on their sponsored shows, they will be getting more and better P.R. for their pound.

I'm sure no company is paying out good money in sponsoring radio stations hoping to get bad publicity from being seen to be anti the Irish Music Industry.

What about the argument that the audience ultimately decides.

We accept there is an extent to which commercial radio has to be market driven. In order to maximise profits they need to offer advertisers and sponsors the largest and most attentive audience possible.

But we believe that if existing audiences were exposed to more well chosen Irish music they would continue to listen. Indeed, Jobs In Music will be looking to change the demands of both radio audiences and advertisers in favour of Irish music. I'm sure advertisers and sponsors are very concerned not only with the size of the audience delivered, but also with what impression is created about their company or product from being associated with a particular type of radio station.

No doubt sponsors and advertisers will want to be seen in the best light possible by the Irish public at large. After all, who wants to be portrayed as having an anti Irish bias?.