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Author: Press Officer

MEPs advocate for copyright liability of online platforms in order to remove distortions in the digital market

In light of the upcoming copyright reform, 58 MEPs sent an open letter[i] urging the European Commission to put an end to the transfer of value[ii] currently taking place at the expense of creators, and called for a legal clarification of the liability regime for online platforms.

More creative content is being consumed today than ever before on services like user-uploaded content platforms and content aggregation services. Yet most of these services provide extremely low remunerations or outright refuse to pay authors. The letter, signed by 58 MEPs, explains that “[t]he upcoming copyright reform should make clear that liability exemptions can only apply to genuinely neutral and passive online service providers, and not to services that play an active role in distributing, promoting and monetising content at the expense of creators.

The President of GESAC, Christophe Depreter, called the letter “an important signal to the Commission that the political will is there, and that the transfer of value issue needs to be dealt with urgently”.

GESAC applauds this initiative launched by MEPs Pervenche Berès, Christian Ehler and Martina Dlabajova[iii] that asks the Commission to clearly put creators and consumers at the centre of the upcoming review of the copyright Directive[iv].

 In a reaction to the letter, Polish film director Agnieszka Holland said she was “encouraged to see so many Members of the European Parliament identify the critical problem of fair remuneration online that creators are faced with” and hoped to “see meaningful changes from European decision-makers before the end of the year”.

 Although the Commission has consistently noted that it wishes to tackle the transfer of value problem in the copyright reform, it is crucial to keep the issue high on the agenda, considering the relentless efforts of certain internet giants to water down any initiative that could lead to re-balancing this problem towards ensuring fairer conditions for creators and the entire European Digital Single Market.

 

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About GESAC

GESAC groups 34 of the largest authors’ societies in the European Union, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. We defend and promote the rights of about 1 million creators and rights holders in the areas of music, audiovisual works, visual arts, and literary and dramatic works.

[i] Open Letter Link

[ii] The ‘transfer of value’ issue: www.authorsocieties.eu/transferofvalue

[iii] co-chairs of the Creative and Cultural Industries Intergroup

[iv] The “InfoSoc” Directive (2001/29/EC). http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32001L002:EN:HTML

VILLAGERS TO HEADLINE MUSIC CITY 2016

Double Ivor Novello Award winner and Mercury Music Prize nominee, VILLAGERS, are the latest act announced for Music City 2016 which returns to the city of Derry from July 4th – 10th. This will be the fourth year of the festival which attracts thousands of music fans to the Walled City for seven days of musical performances across the the city’s squares, neighbourhoods, venues, shops, pubs and clubs.

VILLAGERS will play at the opening night concert at The Glassworks on Monday July 4th,  a former 19th Century church that will also host concerts by Mercury Music Prize Nominee and Choice Music Prize winner, SOAK supported by SAINT SISTER on Friday July 8th and American trad sensations, THE WILLIS CLAN on Saturday July 9th.

Cultùrlann Ui Chanàin will be the venue for the internationally acclaimed GIRLS NAMES on Thursday July 7th while THE STRYPES headline a mammoth rock gig in the city’s historic Guildhall on Saturday July 9th alongside EXMAGICIAN, WOOD BURNING SAVAGES AND THE BONNEVILLES.

Two of Ireland’s finest songwriters DAVID KITT and MALOJIAN will play at St Augustines Church, a hidden gem on Derry’s Walls on Wednesday July 9th while instrumental Dublin rockers, OVERHEAD THE ALBATROSS, known for their intricate yet powerful melodies and energetic stage presence and R.S.A.G, one of the most innovative and astonishing Irish musicians around make the journey north for the festival.

Internationally renowned pianist RUTH McGINLEY, who has just released her latest album Reconnection will perform a special concert at The Playhouse on Sunday July 10th with one of the finest trumpet players of his generation, NIALL O’SULLIVAN. The saxophonist GERARD McCHRYSTAL returns to Music City 2016 for his fourth annual world tour of Derry, playing in a range of community and city centre settings.

Coinciding with Foyle Maritime Festival, some of Ireland’s finest bands, musicians and singer-songwriters will perform on stages in some of the main streets and squares including Guildhall Square and The Craft Village over the weekend of July 8th – 10th.  SILENCES, BEST BOY GRIP, OUR KRYPTON SON, BEAUTY SLEEP, EVE BELLE, THE CLAMEENS, PADDY NASH & THE HAPPY ENCHILADAS, STRENGTH and TRIGGERMAN are among the 130+ artists that will perform at the various concerts throughout the seven days of Music City 2016

Derry’s choral tradition is showcased throughout the festival on the main outdoor stages while the historic Walls will feature performances from pipe bands, flute bands and trad musicians. Music City Busking Competition returns to the city centre streets on Saturday July 9th with a £1500 prize fund including £1000 for Best Act.

Bars including Masons, The Grand Central and Bennigans will host late night shows from some of Ireland’s finest acts including BITCH FALCON, SWORDS and RAINY BOY SLEEP while the city’s main shopping centre, Foyleside, gets in on the act with performances throughout the centre across the weekend.

The majority of events at Music City are free of charge and family friendly. Tickets for the various Music City 2016 headline concerts are on sale now at The Millennium Forum Box Office and online at wegottickets.com. A limited number of Access All Events tickets are available priced £45. Music City 2016 is supported by Department of Culture Arts and Leisure, Department of Foreign Affairs, Tourism Northern Ireland, Derry City & Strabane District Council and Community Foundation NI Acorn Fund. For more info, check the festival website, www.musiccityderry.com

Liza Mo Stór agus Scéalta eile – athchraoladh

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta gach Domhnach ag 10am

 agus ar an Seinnteoir Raidió.

A series telling the story of the modern day Irish-language songwriting industry, presented by musician and composer Colm Mac Séalaigh.  The series is being rebroadcast as part of the RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta summer schedule 2016.

Cén fáth ar chum oiread sin daoine amhráin nua i nGaeilge le 50 bliain anuas?  Céard a spreag iad agus cén cúlra a bhaineann leo? Tugann Liza Mo Stór agus Scéalta eile, sraith nua raidió, aghaidh ar na ceisteanna sin go binn beacht  le léargas ón taobh istigh ó bhéal na gcumadóirí féin.

I gClár 2, caitear an solas ar theacht chun cinn agus ar thionchar an ghrúpa cháiliúil as Conamara, Na Cloigne Folmha, lena n-amhrán núíosach An Damhán Alla, i 1973 agus ar shaothar cumadóireachta bhaill an ghrúpa sin Tomás Mac Con Iomaire (Pócaí Folmha is Cloigeann Tinn), Tomás Mac Eoin (An Cailín Álainn, Bleán na Bó) agus Máirtín Mac Donncha (An Ladhrán Trá). Cloisfear chomh maith ó Bharry Rónan (PJ Ó Flaithearta) as Inis Mór, Árainn, a d’eisigh an chéad albam aonair rac/pop d’amhráin nua-chumtha, chomhaimseartha i 1983 dar teideal Tráth. Tuilleadh scéalta agus faisnéise ó chumadóirí amhráin chomhaimseartha na Gaeilge agus amhráin dá gcuid le cloisteáil.

Is trí mhaoiniú ó Údarás Craolacháin na hÉireann leis an Táille Ceadúnas Teilifíse (BAI) ar aon le tacaíocht RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, Foras na Gaeilge agus ón Eagras Um Chearta Ceolta (IMRO) a rinneadh an tsraithchlár seo.

IMRO Songwriting Tips & Demo Dip Session with Ralph Murphy

An element of this seminar will feature a demo listening session. A number of tracks will be selected during the course of the seminar to be critiqued. If you would like to have a track of yours to be considered, bring along a copy of the song in CD format, making sure to clearly mark your name and the name of the track on the CD cover and a include a typed or clearly written copy of the song lyrics.

Date: Monday 11th July
Time: 1:00pm
Location: IMRO, Copyright House, Pembroke Row, Dublin 2

Songwriters wishing to reserve a place at this seminar should send an email to events@nullimro.ie

(Limited availability | No admission charge | Booking Essential).

Ralph Murphy Biography:

Hall of Fame Canadian songwriter Ralph Murphy has achieved near-legendary status in Nashville through his career as a performer, producer, songwriter, publisher, and most recently, Vice President, International and Domestic Membership, ASCAP.

He had his first UK Number One in 1965 with ‘Call My Name,’ recorded by James Royal. Other hits followed with acts like Vanity Fair and The Brotherhood of Man.

In 1969 Ralph moved to New York, where he started two successful record labels. Among the many acts he produced during that time were legendary Canadian Rockers, April Wine, for whom he produced two platinum albums. He had a country hit in 1972 by Jeanie C. Riley, ‘Good Enough To Be Your Wife’.

With Roger Cook, he formed the Picalic Group and Pic-A-Lic Music Publishing and has published or written more than twenty Number One records and was publisher for Song of The Year, ‘Talking In Your Sleep’ by Crystal Gayle. Pic-A-Lic became one of the most successful independent publishers in Nashville and was eventually sold to EMI.

He has had songs recorded by many artists including, Crystal Gayle, Shania Twain, Annihilator, Randy Travis, and many more.

In 2006 Ralph had success in the UK charts with ‘21st Century Christmas’ (co-written by Paul Brady), a No. 2 for Cliff Richard and again in 2011 in the Canadian Indie Charts with a No. 1 song ‘Working at Christmas’, performed by Paul Brady and Terri Clark, written by Keith Donald, Ralph Murphy, and Paul Brady. He is also an instructor for the respected Nashville Songwriters Association International Song Camps.

Ralph most recently traveled to Australia and lead seminars in five cities for APRA. Prior to this, he did a keynote speech in Singapore at Music Matters.

IMRO | The Business of Music Series | Music Licensing in a Digital World

In the past, physical record sales, over the air radio and TV performances, synch licenses and live concerts were the basis of making a living in music. But how do songwriters, publishers and artists make money in the digital age where physical product sales are decreasing, streaming is the listening norm and online synch licenses are common.

This seminar tells you how the “new” music business works, what the deal structures look like and how much money can be made. The world of traditional media music licensing will also be discussed as well as how it differs from the online/digital music licensing area. Subjects covered include download and streaming services (both interactive and non- interactive), Video Games, film and television synch licenses, music in apps, holograms and online ads, live concert streaming, e-cards, remixes, interactive dolls and toys, sampling and more.

To make a living in today’s business, you have to know what you are doing. This seminar tells you what you need to know.

This seminar is hosted by Todd Brabec.

Todd Brabec, Entertainment Law attorney, former ASCAP Executive Vice President, Adjunct Professor at USC, Deems Taylor Award winning co- author of “Music, Money and Success: the Insider’s Guide to Making Money in the Music Business”(7th edition)

Date: Monday 11th July
Time: 6.30pm
Location: IMRO, Copyright House, Pembroke Row, Dublin 2

Admission is Free | Bookings Essential

To reserve a place at this seminar email events@nullimro.ie

100 traditional music concerts open in Dublin!

It’s the opening weekend of Cormac Begley’s annual summer series of traditional music concerts and sean-nós dancing opens in Dublin’s beautiful Unitarian Church tomorrow night (Friday 17). 100 concerts will take places as part of the series this summer. Now in it’s seventh year in Galway opened last month in the stunning St Nicholas’ Church.

Over the summer months, the diverse lineup mixes established artists with upcoming traditional musicians including Maitiú Ó Casaide, Cormac and Brendan Begley, Laoise Kelly, Donal McCague and many more!

The concerts began with one purpose – to set the standard for the presentation of traditional Irish music in Ireland. Cormac Begley, organiser and founder, said “The idea is the same as Tunes in the Church in Galway, there’s singing, dancing and interaction from the audience. The artists explain the art of their instrument in a very intimate setting”. Tunes in the Church, Galway and is often mentioned on the ‘best of ‘ when it comes to entertainment on Trip Advisor.

In addition to regular concerts in the Church of St. Nicholas, Galway, 30 extra concerts will be held in the Unitarian Church, Dublin every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from mid-June to late August.

Tickets priced at €15 and group bookings are welcome. For more details, lineup and tickets visits www.tunesinthechurch.com

SELK announce album launch details

RECORD RELEASE 27th June 2016 LAUNCH SHOW Grand Social 13th July 2016

SELK is a two piece group made up of Anna Jordan (vocals, piano & electronics) and Dennis Cassidy (drums, samples & electronic percussion). They formed in 2012 with the intention of creating a stripped back vocal and drum ensemble. SELK bring together a mixture of vocal loops, electronic samples and percussion to create engaging musical arrangements and poetic narratives.

They were one of the State magazine faces of 2014 and Anna was featured on the Improvised Music Companies top 12 playlist of Irish female composers 2014′. Anna’s EP ‘DUST’ was released in 2015 and described ‘as a beguiling and entrancing listen.’

HARMLESS NOISE
“Dust is a beguiling and entrancing listen that hears piano, drums and vocals contend with loops and electronics. Silent Sea is simply beautiful and will brood in my ears for a while, holding its form long after it’s finished, like strong light creates an afterimage.”

HOTPRESS
“When the timing of the layered vocals, hand claps, and muffled tones on it’s been so long coalesce with the almost hip hop percussion, it’s a real joy” John Keegan.

GOLDEN PLEC
‘The accessibility and beauty of She Dances is nothing if not a genuine musical success on every level.’ Stephen Murphy. Jim Carroll, Irish Times. “While Anna Jordan’s debut EP “Dust” was only released in the last few months, she’s already accumulated a long list of credits thanks to composing scores and incidental music for films like Breakfast On Pluto and Snap.

SELK releases their debut album BEAST June 27th 2016 with AMS.

www.selkmusic.com

Beast from SELK on Vimeo.

​Clonakilty International Guitar Festival unveils  line-up

The Clonakilty International Guitar Festival returns for its 12th year on 15th-18th September 2016 with its full line-up revealed today.  This year’s lineup reflects the spirit of the festival – to be a celebration of the guitar. It’s not starch collared or stuffy nosed, from virtuosos to noodlers; all are welcome and exalted the festival and with over 90% of the events across the festival entirely free, the festival strives to be accessible to everyone.

This year’s full line-up includes Ray Davies’ favourite guitar-man, the Clonakilty native who links The Kinks and Hendrix, BILL SHANLEY (IRL); the international postpunk band THE MEMBRANES (UK); Sharing a gift for close harmony & keen song craft WYVERN LINGO (IRL) bring their effervescent live performance; The nomadic son of Milwaukee who, along with being a Violent Femmes collaborator BRETT NEWSKI (USA); Afro dub monks from London consecrating 24 carat dub, afro-beat, and deep-funk SOOTHSAYERS (UK); Fantasy draft of Sydney’s finest singer-songwriters ALL MY EXES LIVE IN TEXAS (AU) ;The poet laureate of Irish Guitar STEVE COONEY (AU) ; Sweden’s brightest country-blues hope: SHOUTIN’ RED(SWE); U.S/Swede/U.K all-girl garage group of your wildest dreams THE FRANKLYS(US/SWE/UK); Pennsylvania’s swashbuckling pioneers of original Amerikindasorta string band music VINEGAR CREEK CONSTITUENCY (USA) Three of Ireland’s most talented composers/interpreters of traditional and original music on a sonic rendezvous with the ether: ÚLAID ((IRL) The finest  purveyor of “world music for a new world” JOHN SPILLANE (IRL);  The dirty southern blues sound of CROW BLACK CHICKEN (IRL) Young singer-songwriter brings his percussive style of guitar, Fintan McKahey(IRL) ; Electric guitar High Priest, Matt Churchill’s THE CHURCH

Clonakilty International Guitar Festival is a celebration of Clonakilty: Guitartown.  It is the town that The Hendrix Experience’s Noel Redding chose to call home for 27 years and the legacy of Noel’s impact on his adopted home continues today in the venues and talent that he fostered within the town. The Clonakilty International Guitar Festival was founded by many musicians and music lovers directly influenced by Noel – including renowned producer John Fitzgerald who began his career in the music industry at the age of 15 playing in Noel’s band.

The festival is run by a not-for-profit voluntary organisation of music lovers who strive to make it accessible to all with majority of the festival shows entirely free.  The festival takes place across the town of Clonakilty in pubs, libraries, campervans, churches, beaches and butcher shops.

Clonakilty International Guitar Festival takes place 15th -18th September 2016.
http://clonguitarfest.com/

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and Cormac Begley announce tour dates

Following a recent sold out show in Dublin’s National Concert Hall, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and Cormac Begley embark on a nationwide tour this December.

The pair recently performed together as part of Ó Raghallaigh’s residency in the stunning Kevin Barry room at the National Concert Hall. They share a common interest in the traditional music of both Kerry and Clare, and both have an approach to music that revels in repetition and a deep meditative engagement with each tune.

Ó Raghallaigh’s distinctive sound can be traced back to an early interest in both the sound of the flat-pitch uilleann pipes and a love for the traditional music of Kerry and Clare. Twelve albums to date: solo, duos, trios, and with bands This Is How We Fly and The Gloaming. He has performed on some of the most beautiful stages in the world, including the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Albert Hall and the Lincoln Center.

Cormac Begley is a bass, baritone, treble and piccolo concertina player from a West-Kerry musical family. He is founder of Airt and award winning Tunes in the Church concert series in Galway and Dublin. In 2014, he received the Seán Ó Riada Award for concertina playing.  To date, he has featured on three acclaimed recordings – the first with fellow concertina player, Jack Talty (‘Na Fir Bolg’), the second (‘Tunes in the Church’), featuring his sister, Clíodhna (viola) and Páraic Mac Donnchadha (banjo), and third, Ré, featuring Liam Ó Maonlaí, Maitiú Ó Casaide, Eithne Ní Chatháin and Peter O’Toole.

Throughout the concert, the pair play a number of very unusual instruments that extend the musical and sonic range available to them: bass, baritone and piccolo concertinas combining with a 10-string hardanger d’Amore fiddle and Dali-esque 5-string viola.

Full tour dates below.

09 Dec Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, Kildare www.riverbank.ie
10 Dec Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford www.wexfordarts.ie
11 Dec Unitarian Church, Dublin www.unitarianchurch.ie 
14 Dec St Kevin’s Church, Wicklow www.irishmusic.net/CC
15 Dec  St Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny
16 Dec  Live At St Luke’s, Cork www.liveatstlukes.com
17 Dec Connolly’s, Leap, Co. Cork (early show) facebook.com/ConnollysOfLeap
17 Dec Glor Theatre, Ennis, Co. Clare www.glor.ie
18 Dec Roisin Dubhwww.glor.ie, Galway www.roisindubh.net

Tickets for all shows go on sale this Wednesday (15) at 10am. Tour website www.irishmusic.net/CC/

ALL TVVINS Announce Belfast Date

 

The Limelight 2, Belfast
Sunday October 30th 2016
Doors 8pm
Tickets £10 + Booking Fee
18+ Only

Dublin duo ALL TVVINS  announce a Belfast headline show in The Limelight 2 on Sunday October 30th 2016.  Conor & Lar of ALL TVVINS started making robotic interstellar synth-pop music together in the summer of 2013. Stemming from two heavyweight Irish acts, this is the kind of musical super-group collaboration fans might have envisioned. The bands new album is due for release in August 2016. Tickets on sale Friday June 10th at 09am from www.limelightbelfast.com, www.ticketmaster.ie Katy’s Bar & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. Northern Ireland customers 0844 277 44 55 & Republic of Ireland customers 0818 719 300 

“I can appreciate Taylor Swift but I can also appreciate Slipknot,” says Conor Adams, one-half of the hotly-tipped Irish duo All Tvvins. “If something sounds super poppy we’re not going to write it off. It’s going to be a case of is it good and do we like it? At the same time if something is weirder and heavier than we normally do, we’ll go there if it sounds good.”

At essence, All Tvvins are a live indie-rock band underpinned by a maelstrom of synths, their collision of disparate influences results in a sound akin to a melting point of TV On The Radio’s art-pop twists with the leftfield psychedelic excursions of Animal Collective. Even just a snapshot of All Tvvins’ songbook demonstrates an admirable disregard for conventional genre boundaries.

Adams met All Tvvins partner Lar Kaye on the Dublin underground circuit some ten years ago when they were both teenagers. Adams and Kaye spoke of working together way back when, but it didn’t actually happen until the summer of 2013.

“Yeah, we should’ve got on that idea quicker,” deadpans Adams.

“After all,” adds Kaye, “we were pretty much doing the same thing in different bands.”

The opportunity finally presented itself when the duo found themselves with some downtime between tours. Within a week of jamming at Kaye’s house they knew they had something worth pursuing after they experimented with filtering Adams’ vocals through a vocoder pedal.

“Within an hour of that, we had a song that was the complete polar opposite to what we had been doing,” recalls Adams. “It was a super super pop song that could’ve been a Kylie tune. It felt so wrong but it felt so right. We’d never written this kind of stuff before.”

Enlivened by their progress, All Tvvins embarked upon a streak of activity which stretches to the present day. Both sonic experimentalists and multi-instrumentalists (Kaye was “renowned for being the best guitarist in Dublin”, says his bandmate who specialises in vocals and bass), the duo’s eight-hour sessions of writing and recording have resulted in over 40 demo tracks for their upcoming debut album.

“It’s not a job, it’s just what we do,” states Kaye. “Some days you walk in and nothing works out. But that’s ok. We’ll just come back tomorrow and start again.”

One song, for example, started out when Kaye sketched out a drum beat on his phone while killing time on a flight from Dublin to London. In the past, as with most such bands, they’ve faced their challenges – ranging from a complete lack of finance to the guaranteed unreliability of the touring van – but, they concur, it’s all a necessary part of the learning process.

Not that their dedication prevented suggestions that they should get a proper job. As Adams chuckles self-deprecatingly: “My mam won’t be happy until we’re on The Late Late Show.”

That said, All Tvvins have already achieved plenty for her to be proud of. They’ve opened for Arcade Fire and The Pixies at a gargantuan homecoming show at Dublin’s Marlay Park; earned the respect of new wave pioneers Blondie following a set at Electric Picnic; and played at the famous Olympia Theatre as guests to Editors.

And that’s all before their debut album has even been completed. Sessions for it are already well underway, with Jim Abbiss (Arcade Fire, Kasabian), Cam Blackwood (George Ezra, London Grammar), Mark Rankin (Queens of the Stone Age, Bombay Bicycle Club) and Matt Schwartz among those enlisted as All Tvvins’ partners in sound.

The aim they agree, citing the continuing evolution of Radiohead, is to create a legacy of albums – not just something that will be remembered as a fleeting flavour-of-the-month, but a body of work that will stand the test of time. “I particularly admire bands who were essentially live musicians, but who managed to translate that to a huge audience,” concludes Kaye with an ambitious glint in his eye. “I definitely wouldn’t mind having a bit of that.”

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