You do all that?! - Panel Discusion
A panel discussion on the role of the manager
1:30 – 3:00pm
What is the role of the manager? Three of the UK’s most experienced high ranking managers talk about how they go about their job. How do you attract a manager? What do you have to know and what are your responsibilities to your artist?
Alan McBlane: former marketing consultant with Sony BMG
Ian Brown: Manager of Jason Donavan and Sandi Thom and PR and Marketing Consultant for Universal and EMI
Phil Jones: Agent and former director of the Boddington's festival
The talk is free but places are limited. You can pick up a ticket from Music Mania for a deposit of £1.00 which is returnable of the day, or go to www.upstartstoke.co.uk
All those attending on the day can win a copy of the Unsigned Guide (worth £35) and £100 of free rehearsal time at Tremolo Rehearsal Studios.
No demos will be accepted on the day, but if you would like to submit a track for the official UpStart A&R demo either drop in your track to Music Mania or go to www.Upstartstoke.com and upload your track there.
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Ian Brown
1965 - 1975
Developed an interest in action men, soda stream, football and going to folk clubs (an aunt was a booking agent on folk scene)
1976 - 1981
Developing interest in girls, alcohol, drugs, guitar playing, performing protest songs at folk songs over the south of England, going to music festivals and working on family farm to finance the above.
1982 - 1986
Bought first electric guitar and joined showband and became the second '+' in the late lamented band '1 + 2 +', played British Legions , working men's clubs for £30 a night and gave up folk clubs because they didn't pay.
Went to Royal Agricultural College to do a diploma in agricultural management and forget any thoughts of a career in music business...... formed an 11 piece funk / pop band and played college circuit. Wore yellow 'Miami vice' type suit and played red Chuck Berry guitar... surprisingly remained celibate and single throughout this period
1987 - 1989
Started to manage bands and work on family farm. Began going to record companies in London and became fascinated with process of putting out records. Press, radio, TV etc. Got married
1990 - 1998
Sold family farm and began running largest organic pig farm in Europe, manufactured and sold line dance albums on the side, bred children, had a couple of forays in Eurovison song contest, wrote songs for Simon Cowells Fanfare record label before it went bust and he signed Robson and Jerone
1999 - 2008
Took Tony Blair's advice and 'diversified in agriculture' and formed music PR company. Absolutely no knowledge but became quite successful. Worked on Eva Cassidy, Ronan Keating, Reg Cooper etc. Then formed record company / managemant from Garden shed in 2000 with ambition to turn over £1,000,000 in first year. Managed almost double that and thought it was easy. Spent next 7 years finding out how bloody hard it is.
Currently managing around 18 acts icluding Jason Donavan Sandi Thom and The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, consultant for Universal Records and Sony BMG
Nominated for Ivor Novello for songwrting on 2007
Still trying to find and break new talent, still operating from Garden shed and remembering that as mad as the record business is... it has the edge on milking cows at 4.30 in morning.
Phil Jones began promoting concerts in the late 70s punk era of Manchester and established a reputation as someone who delivers.
He organised New Orders first advertised UK gig in early 1980 and has never looked back.
Learning his trade in the night clubs of Thatchers Manchester, bands such as Depeche Mode, Bauhaus and the Psychedelic Furs were all early clients.
After being passed over as deputy manager of the new superclub the Hacienda, he decamped to London where, from a tiny office in Tin Pan Alley ,as an agent he revitaliesd the live careers of American artists as diverse as Curtis Mayfireld, Dean Freidman and Gil Scott Heron.
Headhunted by The Greenwich Festival in 1984 he had a portfolio to revitalise music in South East London.Soon programming funky nights at The cutting edge Albany Empire, he found himself at the forefront of the new jazz and soul movements featuring Courtney Pine, Gilles Peterson and many other, now household, names.
He was offered the part time job as arts Festival Director back home in Manchester and simultaneously worked as director of Londons and the UKs leading promoters, JLP whose portfolio of artists included the Pogues, Chris Rea and Siousxe and The Banshees, as well as managing the Fall, John Martyn and many others.
In 1989 he organised the legenderary Alexandra Palace gig for the Stone Roses and then a year later the 32,000 capacity, Spike Island gig for them, in Widnes.
His career as festival director led to a unique partnership betweeen Manchester City Council and GranadaTV, creating The Boddingtons Manchester Festival of Arts and TV , a massive annual event. Many gigs took place in this time including all the UKs leading comedians( Jack Dee, Lee Evans, Jo Brand etc etc) as well as legends such as Crosby Stills and Nash and kd Lang. In 1995 he led a consortium that founded Kiss 102 Radio in Manchester and 105 inYorkshire. He left the festival to set up Phil Jones Presents in 1997. Promotions have since been mainly USA artists such as Steve Earle, James Taylor and Crosby and Nash, although he is still the only promoter used by the Buzzcocks In Manchester.
He founded and still directs the Manchester food and drink festival in 1998, which has led to a new career as food festival organiser nationally.
He is founding director of SWAP festival for songwriters In Manchester.He still programmes non Classical music @ the Bridgewater Hall,and now promotes concerts by new artistes such as Rodrigo Y Gabriella, Bellowhead and Martha Wainwright as well as the good old names!
Alan Mcblane -
Alan McBlane is the director of MCB3 MARKETING MANAGEMENT which is both a Marketing Consultancy and Artist Management company. MCB3 MARKETING has worked on a number of successful projects over the past 6 years. Notable successes in the independent sector have been with Hot Records (EVA CASSIDY – two Number 1 albums), Flying Sparks (SANDI THOM, GORDON HASKELL ), Hungry Dog Records (THEA GILMORE), Chocolate & Vanilla (SINEAD O’CONNOR), Persevere Records (THE PROCLAIMERS)and Dualtone Music (DARDEN SMITH, HAYSEED DIXIE). The current main client is SonyBMG, on behalf of whom we manage all of their Nashville repertoire and a number of other select projects. These have included releases by THE DIXIE CHICKS, THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH, ANJANI, ROGER WATERS, AMICI FOREVER, DEACON BLUE, DAVID MEAD, RODNEY CROWELL, RAUL MALO, GRAND DRIVE, WILL KIMBROUGH, JEFF FINLIN, LONESTAR, ALAN JACKSON, BRAD PAISLEY, MARTINA McBRIDE, SARA EVANS, GRETCHEN WILSON, MIRANDA LAMBERT, KENNY CHESNEY, PATTY LOVELESS, JON RANDALL, JESSI ALEXANDER and CAROLYN DAWN JOHNSON.
MCB3 MANAGEMENT currently represents LEONA DALY. They also consult for GIBSON GUITARS (Europe) and teach part time basis on the Music & Entertainment course at BUCKS NEW UNI in High Wycombe. Alan Mcblane was born and educated in Edinburgh; what started as a Summer job in a record store somehow became a career. He managed two independent stores in Edinburgh before moving into record company sales, and relocating to London where he worked successfully in senior marketing roles for POLYDOR and ISLAND Records. Following this he had a seven year period in artist management with Clive Banks Management, working with a number of internationally established artists including PAUL YOUNG, SIMPLE MINDS, BABYLON ZOO and MIKE OLDFIELD. He eventually chose to return to Label Marketing with the Ritz Music Group, and in 2001 he set up my own marketing and management consultancy, mcb3, creating and managing co-ordinated marketing solutions for a number of clients in the music industry.
Alan is married, with one daughter, one large black dog and two goldfish.
Saturday 26 April, Forum Theatre, 1:30pm, Seminar
Tickets: free!
