We missed a trick at the BeatlesFest at the weekend

Posted Thursday, August 19, 2010

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BeatlesFest

It didn't strike me till afterwards.

It was only when I saw the line-up for the big Derry music event this weekend.

There are 25 bands (so far) going to play.

They include The Cannibals who played so successfully at the DylanFest in the Bar-a-Cuda and Oisin Canning and his band that played to great applause in both The Town Clock and Bar-a-Cuda at the BeatlesFest.

Don't Pay

It's £10 to get in.

How do they pay all those bands, I wondered.

The answer is that they probably don't - except maybe for one or two of the top ones.

It is just excellent exposure for the bands.

Manchester

The Manchester DylanFest do something similar.

They don't pay the acts.

Each act gets to do four songs - and two of them must be Dylan songs.

Normally the acts do their own songs for the other two.

It's good exposure for them so they don't mind not getting paid - and they get in free for the rest of the concert.

Trick Missed

You must already be thinking that this is the trick I missed - and it is - but that is not all, but that is not all.

In Moville last weekend we had one of the moguls of the music industry here in Tony Bramwell.

He was head not only of Apple Records which had the Beatles and many more acts in it but was head also of Polydor Records when he had acts like Slade, The Jam and Roxy Music under his banner.

Later on he discovered Eva Cassidy about whom a film will be made next year with Robert Redford the Director and Nicole Kidman in eth lead role.

Whole Story

Do you see the whole story here of the trick I missed?

Tony is still looking for talent.

He told me he reviews about 25 CDs a week that are sent to him.

The Test

If the first song is no good he bins it.

If it is good he listens to the second song and if he likes that he continues.

If not the third song is the tiebreaker.

Music Mogul

If bands would play at this gig in Derry for the exposure and would play the Manchester DylanFest for free for the same, how much more would they be willing to play in front of one of the world's top music moguls?

Would it be too much to think we could charge them a fee?

I don't think I have to say any more.

We could have had good bands playing for free all afternoon on Saturday and Sunday at Gulladuff, down the Green, in the Bay Field or even in the Bar-a-Cuda.

Too Late

Ah well!

Too late to think of it now.

Tony says he would like to come back next year - depending on his schedule.

But it does depend on his schedule.

Shame

Shame I didn't think of it this year when he had him in town.

Another lesson learnt!

I wish I would learn them all at once though instead of one at a time.

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