Friday 20 March 2009
CMW 2009
Often a staple on the conference calendar for Europeans on their way to SXSW, the 27th annual CMW made the news in its own right this year for a clash of egos between commentator Bob Lefsetz and Kiss’ Gene Simmons, who agreed to a last-minute interview that became the centre stage event for the conference.
That this so-called 'cage-match' was more talked and written about than anything else at the event should remind conference organisers that no matter how many interesting speakers you book or the ground-breaking topics you cover, it's the ego-driven bitch-fests that will win out.
The tone of the clash had been previously set with Lefsetz's email response to Simmons' opening day keynote. Lefsetz described Simmons' speech as “a full time commercial...a product promotion for the latest iteration of Simmons Records.” And indeed it was. We're told that this joint venture between Universal Canada and Simmons Records is bankrolled by a Canadian multi-millionaire's daughter. Simmons responded publicly to the email shortly after it was published, then over dinner later that night, CMW president Neill Dixon proposed the hastily-organised 'cage-match'. Lefsetz's assertion that Gene setting up a label in Canada (rather than in his own backyard) seemed suspicious was neither here nor there but it led them to a packed conference room to set out both their arguments.
“What is your track record behind the scenes?” asked Lefsetz, “I discovered Van Halen and managed Liza Minnelli, what have you done, bitch?” Simmons fired back before continuing to plug his JV with Universal Canada. Lefsetz continued to soapbox the opinions he'd already blogged about: why bands shouldn't sign to majors, how Gene was thinking like a dinosaur and shamelessly promoting instead of 'giving back'. The low blows came from Simmons, but Lefsetz was able to put him in his place, drawing upon facts such as the way in which Simmons’ solo album bombed.
It might be the only panel we've sat through where a rock star was accused of being “an asshole” to his face. Simmons was brave and/or foolish to take up the offer for take part in the face-off: he was never going to come off well. In a room full of people who get The Lefsetz Letter and appreciate his rants, the last word would always be left to Bob. Within a couple of hours after the 'debate' Lefsetz had sent out his impressions of his meeting with Simmons to his subscriber list. Game over.
This public spat may have been an entertaining diversion from dry panels about mobile music, but it was also a childish argument and a depressing glimpse of lowest-common denominator debating. CMW and other conferences like it would do well to have more confrontation on their schedules, but not like this.
The recent Canadian Radio, Television and Telecommunications new media hearings threw up a few hot topics for debate, which gained relevance for us in the light of industry reactions in the UK towards the interim Digital Britain report. The question of the role ISPs will play going forward was in sharp focus on one panel led by IFPI chairman John Kennedy and featuring Canadian Recording Industry Association president Graham Henderson, as well as representatives from Canadian indies, publishing and the broadcast industry. Henderson said Canada has lagged behind other countries when it comes to setting anti-piracy initiatives, and was hopeful that ISPs and labels could work more closely in future, despite his reckoning that there would not be any financial incentive for the ISPs to engage meaningfully with the industry.
The SOCAN-sponsored (the Canadian collection agency) 'The Life Of A Song' panel proved particularly interesting and spelled out the life-span a hit song can potentially achieve. Randy Bachman (ex-Bachman Turner Overdrive) told the audience the story of the conception and recording of his hit 'Takin' Care Of Business'. What was fascinating was the connection the song had made with the public and the money it had made in all its various uses over the years. The songwriter's complete integrity in brokering deals on those uses was also evident. Bachman peppered his speech with fantastic anecdotes throughout: turning down $1m from a beer brand as he didn't want to be associated with alcohol promotion, then holding out for a longer-lasting and more lucrative relationship with Office Depot, which made the song both its signature tune and slogan. The session offered a sweet reminder that all you need is one hit to set you up. And that you can be an ageing 70's rocker and still work hard with dignity – Gene Simmons, take note.
CMW is a dependable and useful conference. In a year when slightly fewer of the international delegates were joining festivities in Austin, this was a manageable and relaxed atmosphere to do business in. At the very least, the value in conferences like these lays in the thrashing out of new ideas and discussion of hot topics. Even if it wasn't genuinely agenda-setting, CMW keeps apace with its competitors with a mixture of interesting debates. Perhaps the sideshows like Lefsetz/Simmons are best kept to the playground in future, though.
No comments:
Post a Comment