After May 2011 Emma Williamson (Group Overview and Scrutiny Manager) & Baseema Begum (Research & Policy Officer) at the Scrutiny Office of Birmingham City Council got in touch. Emma & Baseema sent through several documents that asked a number of interesting questions. Rather than try to answer the questions on your behalf, The Music Network decided to pass the questions on to you direct.
The Music Network hope the discussion will continue. We have collected together your opinions, consultation and research here in the Strategy category.
In February 2012 An email and Scrutiny Report Document was sent to us by Baseema Begum, Research & Policy Officer, Scrutiny Office, Birmingham City Council. The email read as follows: Read the rest of this entry →
Mark is based in Birmingham, England and runs an independent record label called Iron Man Records. He set up the Birmingham Music Network in 2000, and organised gigs in Birmingham as Badger Promotions between 1992 and 2002. Mark spends much of his time helping musicians, and music based organisations, to deploy a more effective online strategy, and sometimes he gets asked to speak about social media and its use in promoting new music. Mark is a musician and currently plays in a band called Last Under The Sun, and another one called Police Bastard. Mark offers Tour Management and Driving for touring bands and has spent many hours driving musicians all over Europe. He has also done some lecturing at Birmingham City University as part of their Music Industry Skills degree course. Mark enjoys a good game of mental chess with local funding organisations who try and pocket most of the money intended for struggling local musicians and creatives and spends his time complaining about everything else. If something happens and you need help, you know where to find him.
Mark has worked with Seasick Steve, Anthrax, Mika, Killing Joke, House of Pain, Talib Kweli, Little Barrie, Congo Natty, Gorillaz, Brand New Heavies, The Enemy, Friendly Fires, Okkervil River, The Wild Mercury Sound, Sierra Maestra, Jay Reatard, The Nightingales, Ivo Papasov, Endbutt Lane, The Rakes, Crystal Castles, The Magistrates, Bullet for my Valentine, The Orb, Barry Adamson, Soulsavers, As I lay Dying, Roisin Murphy, Police Bastard, Dufus, Arrows, Taio Cruz, Ladytron, Son de la Frontera, Jeffrey Daniel, Johnny Foreigner, Xova, Johnny 2 Bad, The Moons, The Lines, Phantom Limb, and many others…..
If you have an opinion you want to share please email Andy Ward at Musoplex (mail@musoplex.com), He would be interested to film your thoughts and ideas too.
Mark is based in Birmingham, England and runs an independent record label called Iron Man Records. He set up the Birmingham Music Network in 2000, and organised gigs in Birmingham as Badger Promotions between 1992 and 2002. Mark spends much of his time helping musicians, and music based organisations, to deploy a more effective online strategy, and sometimes he gets asked to speak about social media and its use in promoting new music. Mark is a musician and currently plays in a band called Last Under The Sun, and another one called Police Bastard. Mark offers Tour Management and Driving for touring bands and has spent many hours driving musicians all over Europe. He has also done some lecturing at Birmingham City University as part of their Music Industry Skills degree course. Mark enjoya a good game of mental chess with local funding organisations who try and pocket most of the money intended for struggling local musicians and creatives and spends his time complaining about everything else. If something happens and you need help, you know where to find him.
Mark has worked with Seasick Steve, Anthrax, Mika, Killing Joke, House of Pain, Talib Kweli, Little Barrie, Congo Natty, Gorillaz, Brand New Heavies, The Enemy, Friendly Fires, Okkervil River, The Wild Mercury Sound, Sierra Maestra, Jay Reatard, The Nightingales, Ivo Papasov, Endbutt Lane, The Rakes, Crystal Castles, The Magistrates, Bullet for my Valentine, The Orb, Barry Adamson, Soulsavers, As I lay Dying, Roisin Murphy, Police Bastard, Dufus, Arrows, Taio Cruz, Ladytron, Son de la Frontera, Jeffrey Daniel, Johnny Foreigner, Xova, Johnny 2 Bad, The Moons, The Lines, Phantom Limb, and many others…..
If you have an opinion you want to share please email Andy Ward at Musoplex (mail@musoplex.com), He would be interested to film your thoughts and ideas too.
Heading into its fourth year OxjamBrum is now seeking a new Takeover Manager. Do you know and love the Birmingham music scene? This might be the role for you. Part of Oxfam’s National Annual Music Festival you’ll be in good hands and receive extensive training from industry experts. Applications close Sunday 4th March 2012
Birmingham music legend Simon Fowler is set to launch his new solo project with an intimate show at Birmingham’s Glee Club on Tuesday 17 April.
Best know as lead vocalist and guitarist with Britpoppers Ocean Colour Scene, Fowler has also provided backing vocals for ‘Modfather’ Paul Weller and folk artist Kate Rusby.
Glee Club music promoter Markus Sargeant said: “We have very fond memories of when Simon previously played The Glee with Oscar and we were thrilled to be offered the hometown launch show of his new solo project.”
“Simon is the latest in a long line of remarkably talented artists to play our intimate Studio room, and this is a rare opportunity for fans to witness a multi-million selling artist at close quarters.”
Ocean Colour Scene are one of the most successful bands to have come out of the Britpop explosion of the mid-nineties, famously knocking Oasis’ Be Here Now off the UK Album Chart top spot with 1997 record Marchin’ Already. Popular hits include ‘The Day We Caught The Train’ and TFI Friday intro track ‘The Riverboat Song’.
Show: Simon Fowler
Date: Tuesday 17 April 2012
Doors: 7.30pm
Venue: The Glee Club (Studio), The Arcadian, Birmingham, B5 4TD
Box Office: 0871 472 0400 www.glee.co.uk/birmingham
Admission: £15.00 advance
The full line up for The Flyover Show Freedom Square in South Africa on 31st March will be announced shortly.
For those of you who can’t wait, we can confirm some of the line up so far. The following Artists have confirmed they will be appearing on 31st March 2012
Tumi Soweto Kinch and band Feya Faku Eska Jonzi D Bokani Dyer DJ Raiko Kliptown Youth Program Gumboot Dancers
Award winning alto-saxophonist and MC Soweto Kinch is one of the most exciting and versatile young musicians in both the British jazz and hip hop scenes.
Undoubtedly, one of the few artists in either genre with a degree in Modern History from Oxford University he has amassed an impressive list of accolades and awards on both sides of the Atlantic – including a Mercury Music Prize nomination, two UMA Awards and a MOBO for best Jazz Act in 2003. In October 2007, he won his second MOBO Award, at the O2 Arena, London where he was announced as the winner in the Best Jazz Act category- fending off stiff competition from the likes of Wynton Marsalis.
His skills as a hip hop MC and producer have also garnered him recognition in the urban music world: having supported the likes of KRS ONE, Dwele and TY, and being championed by the likes of Mos Def, Rodney P and BBC 1-Xtra’s Twin B.
Kinch’s projects also extend beyond recorded albums. Writing the score for Jonzi D’s Hip Hop Theatre production Markus the Sadist (2010), and Sampad’s In The Further Soil (2010), a dance-theatre. Kinch also wrote and acted in the latter piece, which toured throughout India for a month.
Most recently, he has collaborated with the BBC and Drum and Bass producer Goldie. By Royal Appointment is 3-part prime time reality music show, following Goldie, Soweto, Guy Chamber and Ms Dynamite as they discover and coach a group of 12 vulnerable young mentees towards their first live performance before HM Prince Harry at Buckingham Palace. Kinch, describe how the programme (due for transmission on the 23rd February, 2011) really allowed him to extended his work as an curator and mentor, “it was a radically fresh approach to discovering and nurturing new talent, and an antedote to the usual pop formulae and manufactured music.”
The Flyover Show is Soweto’s flagship project. Currently in its 5th year, this groundbreaking daylong, music and arts festival takes place in its unusual setting beneath a motorway flyover in Birmingham. Featuring artists as divergent as Goldie, Akala and Omar the festival continues to build on its reputation, bringing world class rostra to an often neglected corner of inner city Birmingham – its previous guests having included Bashy, Ms Dynamite, Janet Kay, Ty, Speech Debelle and Jonzi D to name a few. This year, The Flyover Show will also be taking place for the first time in the unique and historic Freedom Square, also known as the Walter Misulu Square of dedication, Kliptown, Soweto, South Africa. Read the rest of this entry →
Scratch Radio has relaunched for 2012 with a refreshed sound and an exciting few months ahead, and an exclusive documentary.
Birmingham’s favourite student station has been off air over the Christmas and New Year break but has relaunched with a new line-up of shows, more music than ever before and exclusive behind-the-scenes documentary. Read the rest of this entry →
The long-established midlands event The Big Session Festival is coming to a new home at Catton Park, South Derbyshire, just two miles south of Burton-upon-Trent. The event’s organisers are delighted to present a wealth of local East Midlands talent alongside nationally acclaimed acts.
The Big Session Festival features a wide range of roots, acoustic, dance and rock music in its superb location beside the River Trent. The festival opens on Friday 15 June and closes on Sunday 17 June. As well as full musical line-up, there will be a packed programme of activities for children and families and a real ale & cider festival. Read the rest of this entry →
The Music Network meeting will be on Thursday 23rd February 2012 at Millennium Point, Birmingham.
The Meeting starts at 4pm and will finish at 5.30pm at Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham, B4 7XG. Anyone involved in Music in the region is welcome to attend, its free and there will be tea and coffee provided. Read the rest of this entry →
Musoplex, a rehearsal and recording studio based in Oldbury, is looking for opinionated creative residents of the West Midlands e.g. promoters, bands, artists and management, to have a chat on video about the state of music in the region. They have posted a few of their pilots online, filmed and edited by Musoplex Director Andy Ward.
Andy said “Musoplex as a studio and rehearsal rooms hears a lot of opinions as to the good and bad going on in music in the area. We have decided to do something about it, we are documenting views and opinions on film. If you want to offer your own opinions or comments to camera, in no more than a 10 minute interview e-mail andy@musoplex.com.”
Watch the videos for yourself, and if you have something to say, get in touch.
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Makavelli Cavella: Greetings To whom it may concern. I am writing on behalf of Soweto Entsha. A most incredible journey from Soweto to...
Mark Badger: If anyone has particular concerns they wish to raise about the event or want more details they can telephone Lichfield Arts...
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