"More on the CISAC Copyright Summit in Brussels: British Telecom CEO Ben Verwaayen was brutally frank with the audience. "Your [music] industry has not changed for 20 years, maybe 50 years," he said in his keynote address. "You have to rethink how you work in the digital age. Are you just a rights administrator that sends me a bill, or are you something more?" (via Coolfer)
Did you see the latest round of Phase Four album funding from NZ On Air? $50,000 grants went to acts that have had to have at least two radio hits - this round went to The Rabble, The Feelers, Dion Plamer (ex D4, last heard of moving to LA), Pistol Youth (Google them andyou get a myspace page with no customising, and no music) and Ivy Lies (nothing on Google). Those last two - you ever heard of them? Me neither, and seems I'm not the only one who noticed this.. from ex NZ Musician's asst editor Melanie Selby...
"I know NZ On Air like to keep things simple but their funding decisions are often baffling (especially, I'm sure, for those who regularly miss out), and the latest round of Phase Four album grants has left me well confused.
One of the few key criteria to receiving one of the $50,000 album funding grants is that artists must have “two current radio hits” to their name to even compete for one of the refundable packages. Previously a radio hit was defined as "a RadioScope NZ Airplay Chart Top 30 song", but recognising the market degradation this was extended in July last year to include the published Top 40 chart songs.
Now, I know that the feelers have had more than a couple of radio hits over the past year. And I can probably name two songs released by The Rabble - so I can fathom both their $50,000 allocation.
But can someone tell me who the Ivy Lies are? They’ve received $50,000 - under the very same criteria. And I struggle to understand how Brad Carter’s “new” band Pistol Youth have gathered one radio hit, let alone two, especially given Brad has been busy touring foreign parts with Steriogram the last few months.
And despite a serious think I can’t recall hearing anything on the radio by ex- D4 Dion Palmer. He's been back in Auckland doing a few DJ sets lately but the last I heard he had left New Zealand and relocated to the US.
I know I’ve been out of the music industry for a month now but surely these three acts haven’t each released and achieved two “radio hits” in that time? Is there a new radio station no one has told me about. If not then just what are the real criteria being used?"
9 comments:
Hey leave DION alone, the charlie might be cheap in LA but the hookers ain't!
yeah, thats a great use of my tax dollars - NOT
do your research! ivy lies were formally known as starlett and have two top 40 charted singles.
oh, i love you anonymous little freaks.
lets see - little 14 year old girl who can't spell (formerly, not formally) - i did do my research - its called Google, and it throws up NOTHING about Ivy Lies. Starlett have a Myspace page, which has no mention of the name change. And they did have some chart success, so good on them. So, to recap - you are right, and so am I.
I'd love to know the criteria for NZonAir funding too...
...how is it that the powers that be can decide what the tastes of the tweenies and teenies are ???
who the fuck are these people ??? Do they have any commercial potential and who decides they should get 50k and why the fuck are there no hiphoppas in there ???
I mean c'mon the feelers ??? the fucking feelers ??? tired old has beens who if they were any good shouldn't need another hand up.
It's not like they'll ever blow up no matter how much money you allow them to drink away and piss against the wall cos if they were going to go international they would have by now...
...time for a shake up and clean out at NZonAir and let's start at the top with that odious little smyth fellow
i agree, i wonder why some bands that obviously haven't cut it yet get getting hand outs..and as for the new bands getting money backk. like ivy lies and pistol youth.. doesn't it make it too easy for the bands.. let them play round the place a bit befoe just turfing out cash..i know starlett haven;t complteed a nz tour yet and pistol youth have never been in the same room face to face.. and the fact its only one nz person shouldn;t that neaget them from local funding.. the other band members don;lt even live in the country. so by my reckoning.. we are giving and australian, a swede and where ever the other guy comes from about $12000 each.. i think thats sucks.. that money could go to benad sthat actually live here and need the help.. Mike chislett is one of the hottest "session players' in la.. so why we're helping fund an outside global project escapes me.. isn;t that band the whole anthisis of what that funding shouldn;t be there for...sometimes this country fucks me off with its decisions.. and i still work very deeply in the music industry sometimes with somw of these bands and there ilk.. and it annoys me t see money basically wasted..especially when i get hounded by the tax dept to pay my tax ontime then see some of these piss it up against the wall as an other comment made.. where is the funding for other people in the industry that will actuall make a career in the industry.. there isn;t any.. we just keep propping up old bands or wasting money on new ones that will be gone by this time next year..Grrr..ok enough ranting now..sorry folks
I think we are currently in a strange era of NZ music.
The idea of 'NZONAIR' funding has gotten out of hand. Too many musicians are now making tick-the-box music with the primary focus of getting funding, instead of focusing on creating real music.
However, there are some amazing talented hard working musicians that deserve NZONAIR support. These are the musicians who would eventually succeed with or without the free money.
If you're a musician and you're annoyed because you missed out on funding then think about it this way:
Funding is a shortcut. It stops you from learning, growing, living and experiencing the highs and lows that are all part of the package when you're a musician. It isn't supposed to be easy!!!!
Look beyond free money. There is a bigger picture, an exciting world, and so much to learn - why settle for the easy way out?Push yourself to be world-class
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