UK: BBC Radio 1Xtra – in partnership with LIMF Academy – has announced a range of distinctive and bespoke outreach sessions ahead of 1Xtra Live, the station’s annual flagship live music event. From September 22 – October 7, 16 – 24 year olds in Liverpool will have the opportunity to learn all about the music industry from some of the biggest names in the business. Sessions will elucidate how to put on events, achieve radio play, gain roles in the media, and more. Additionally, attendees will hear from various music industry insiders and the nation’s most successful sportswomen, amongst others.…
Author: Michael Baker
Tom Branston has been producing events since 1995 with Oasis’ What’s the Story tour party. With myriad roles at UK festivals since (Big Chill, Bestival, Camp Bestival, Green Man, BST Hyde Park, Blissfields et al), he’s been volunteering at Lake of Stars since 2010, but these days the day job (when he has one) means experiential brand activations and strategic communications events for global organisations. Come the Monday morning, sometime shortly after the sun has risen over Mozambique and the Lake, with a Kuche Kuche in your hand (easy tiger, it’s only a beer), and (if you’re sensible) having had…
GERMANY: Reeperbahn Festival has announced the jury for its new international music award for emerging music talent, which will be awarded at this year’s event. Longtime David Bowie producer Tony Visconti; Icelandic pop music wonder Emilia Torrini; MTV legend Ray Cokes; Swedish singer-songwriter Anna Ternheim; Paris based soul and blues diva Y’akoto; and James Minor, Head of Music at South by Southwest Festival; will examine carefully the eight ANCHOR artists between September 21 – 24. “All eight nominees are very promising,” said Y’akoto. “It won’t be easy to choose the best talent. I’m really glad to be part of the…
BRAZIL: K-array was chosen as the sound reinforcement for the Amazonia Live opening show, held on August 27 in the heart of the Amazon rainforest in Manaus, Brazil. To provide complete coverage for the 250-person audience, professional audio production and rental company, Gabisom, used two KR202 portable systems to achieve the perfect balance of power and inconspicuousness. The Amazonia Live is a social and environmental outreach stemming from the organisers of the Rock In Rio, with the aim to raise awareness of the importance of the Amazon rainforest and to raise funds to recover vegetation. “We want this event to…
USA: Danny Wimmer Presents (DWP), one of the largest independent music festival producers in the United States, has announced a brand partnership with Vibes Hi-Fidelity Earplugs. With this initiative, DWP aims to give back to music fans by providing them with the ability to protect their hearing health and improve their live music experience. Vibes Hi-Fidelity Earplugs are designed to filter acoustics, lowering decibel levels without altering sound quality or clarity (unlike foam earplugs). This allows users to be in control of their concert experience and create a more immersive and comfortable environment, free from the distraction of ringing ears.…
UK: Following an electrifying debut this year, Junction 2 has announced the first details for its second edition, set to unite a cast of electronic music luminaries on June 10 2017 with areas hosted by Drumcode and The Hydra inside the custom-built LWE Warehouse, which will feature a new outdoor stage. Showcasing leading lights of electronic music at one of London’s most unique festival sites, Junction 2’s debut in June was hailed as one of the biggest success stories of the season, setting a new precedent for urban festival production and firmly making its mark on the city’s party calendar.…
UK: Following the enormously well received release of the Skiddle app for the iPhone in November 2015 – currently sitting at over 150,000 downloads and a frequent presence in the top 25 music apps in the UK – Skiddle is proud to announce that the Android version is now fully operational and available on the Google Play store. Covering festivals, gigs and clubnights in the UK, Skiddle’s app for iOS has made attending the nation’s best events even easier. It offers all the best features of its website with over 100,000 events easily navigated via its exhaustive search engine –…
GERMANY: Nature One, Germany’s biggest electronic music festival, this year attracted a crowd of 65,000. For four days, top acts like Robin Schulz, Paul van Dyk, Sven Väth, Adam Beyer, Laidback Luke and Sander van Doorn played at the open air Pydna missile base in Kastellaun. In total over 350 DJs and live acts performed across 23 stages. It was a feast for lighting designers, and in particular Thomas Gerdon. He designed the lighting for the glowing pyramid in the large open-air area. This relied on technical service provider, schoko pro from Wiesbaden, who supplied 150 GLP GT-1 heads, and…
UK: Serious Stages continued to expand its client roster by supplying the main stage and ancillary structures to V Festival for the first time from August 20 – 21. V Festival 2016 boasted a capacity of 90,000 and hosted performances from Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Sia and Bastille. For its inaugural year working with the festival, Serious provided the Virgin Media Stage, in the form of a 28.8m x 28.8m stage with a 27m x 19.2m Triton Roof. Serious also installed two side extensions to accommodate monitor desks and production technology, as well as a 4.2m x 6m offstage hut for…
Owing to its reliably beautiful climate, ease of access, and the hosting of festivals from dance music’s most renowned brands, the auspicious archipelago of Malta is fast becoming one of the world’s hottest destinations for live events. At the heart of this metamorphosis is 356 Entertainment Group, an experienced team of promoters responsible for the UK Festival Award-winning Lost & Found, Creamfields Malta, the educational IMS Malta, and TheSoundYouNeed Festival. Insights spoke with Nicky Spiteri of 356 Entertainment about its recently acquired venue, Uno Village, plus the details of its various events and to what he attributes Malta’s rapid ascent…