An interesting idea from NME ?

PaulBrewer

http://www.audioprointernational.com/news/2339/NME-studios-open-to-labels-and-bands

Here's an interesting idea -

I wonder if Hotpress got involved in something here would it work ?

krd

I don't know. NME have been involved in Multimedia (TV and radio) for years.

Someone like Phantom could probably do it.

I don't know if Niall Stokes would be too interested in owning a recording studio.

PaulBrewer

There was talk of an Irish promoter building a low cost studio with the aim of having their 'finger on the pulse' of what was going on.

studiorat

PaulBrewer wrote: »

There was talk of an Irish promoter building a low cost studio with the aim of having their 'finger on the pulse' of what was going on.

That wasn't such a strange idea 30 years ago when quite a few studios were owned by promoters.

PaulBrewer

I suppose , but that was more Middle o da Road - this is obviously aimed at new bands

studiorat

PaulBrewer wrote: »

I suppose , but that was more Middle o da Road - this is obviously aimed at new bands

New middle of the road bands like?

PaulBrewer

studiorat wrote: »

New middle of the road bands like?

That's exactly what we need !


You know what I mean - I take it you're referring to Westland and it's history, which doesn't really have any parallel to the NME thing.

studiorat

PaulBrewer wrote: »

That's exactly what we need !


You know what I mean - I take it you're referring to Westland and it's history, which doesn't really have any parallel to the NME thing.

I do. But what does IPC have to offer apart from free advertising for it's services and a huge wad of cash to put behind the studio.
They are charging for recording in their studios and you'll more than likely be offered a deal on a press pack or something and punters will
blindly think they are getting an amazing deal.

The technical talent is still the same technical talent that will work elsewhere.

I dread to think what a Hot Press Studio would be like. Didn't they try and launch a venue or some such at one stage? Personally I feel their track
record with management seminars etc. is rather dubious and quite cynical. The only thing going for them is they aren't part of Time Warner...

The place would be built by committee for a start and something tells me that the place would be managed in a similar fashion.

So any news of what the place is actually like?

PaulBrewer

studiorat wrote: »

I do. But what does NME have to offer apart from free advertising for it's services and a huge wad of cash to put behind the studio.

The technical talent is still the same technical talent that will work elsewhere.

I dread to think what a Hot Press Studio would be like. Didn't they try and launch a venue or some such at one stage?

The place would be built by committee for a start and something tells me that the place would be managed in a similar fashion.

All your points are valid 'Rat .... but that doesn't make the idea a bad one.

If a studio WAS run well with the focus on introducing baby bands to the recording process - wouldn't that be a positive overall ?

studiorat

PaulBrewer wrote: »

All your points are valid 'Rat .... but that doesn't make the idea a bad one.

If a studio WAS run well with the focus on introducing baby bands to the recording process - wouldn't that be a positive overall ?

But there are studios doing that already, what experience do IPC have in the recording process anyway? Is the official NME engineer going to offer sage advice to musicians that any other engineer wouldn't ?

Hot Press market themselves as if they are making a difference to the music business or providing some sort of service to musicians. They aren't really, you need to subscribe to their web site, their yearly journal is years out of date and to attending their "seminars" is more like attending some annual marketing launch.

Are we to believe IPC are gong to be any different?

Recording in the NME studio and buying into the bs is the same as buying Dr. Dre headphones imo.

PaulBrewer

studiorat wrote: »

But there are studios doing that already, what experience do IPC have in the recording process anyway? Is the official NME engineer going to offer sage advice to musicians that any other engineer wouldn't ?

Hot Press market themselves as if they are making a difference to the music business or providing some sort of service to musicians. They aren't really, you need to subscribe to their web site, their yearly journal is years out of date and to attending their "seminars" is more like attending some annual marketing launch.

Are we to believe IPC are gong to be any different?

Recording in the NME studio and buying into the bs is the same as buying Dr. Dre headphones imo.

From a Baby Band's perspective ?

Anything that helps bands get through the first part of being in a band with some help is a good thing.

Your premise is that it won't be done well , my point is that if it were to be ....

And my Dre Cans look great with my bandana

Aridstarling

I'm with Studiorat on this one.

Hot Press market themselves as if they are making a difference to the music business or providing some sort of service to musicians. They aren't really, you need to subscribe to their web site, their yearly journal is years out of date and to attending their "seminars" is more like attending some annual marketing launch.

The fact is that Hot Press (and to an extent NME, though in a different manner) have not helped, as you so condescendingly put it, a baby band through anything, ever. NME are probably responsible for the early burnout of more careers than any other outside influence in Britain! Hot Press are so far out of touch the only thing they'd do would be to foster new middle of the road bands.

I think saying "what if it was done well?" is a bit disingenuous when it's a given that it wouldn't be. There would have to be financial gain involved for the people behind it or else it wouldn't work and that is always going to reflect negatively on the running of the studio. By introducing a third party that have to profit from the thing, as opposed to your usual label/studio divide then you're asking for problems. A label can't tell a studio how to run itself.

PaulBrewer

Aridstarling wrote: »

I think saying "what if it was done well?" is a bit disingenuous when it's a given that it wouldn't be. .

A given ?

krd

studiorat wrote: »

I dread to think what a Hot Press Studio would be like. Didn't they try and launch a venue or some such at one stage? Personally I feel their track
record with management seminars etc. is rather dubious and quite cynical. The only thing going for them is they aren't part of Time Warner...

Yeah, they had a venue - though I was never there - something like the Hot Press Irish Rock'n'Roll hall of fame - Irish rock museum and venue.

Personally, I've always thought of Niall Stokes as tone deaf.

I do. But what does IPC have to offer apart from free advertising for it's services and a huge wad of cash to put behind the studio.
They are charging for recording in their studios and you'll more than likely be offered a deal on a press pack or something and punters will
blindly think they are getting an amazing deal.

Then again maybe they're trying to save their own asses. If record companies are not paying for recordings - especially the small bands that make up the life blood of the NME - no recordings, no music, no bands, no NME.


I know in the past NME strenuously avoided payolla (though they liked it when record companies took out full page ads). I know that the practice was the advertising department were in a different building and weren't even allowed talk to the journalists.

I've heard Hotpress used to charge for features and covers. They probably still do.

In the end of the day I think bands just work hard, and get lucky or don't.

A small mention in the NME will get you far more people to your gig than a write up in Hot Press.

Hot Press is only a slightly more sexy version of the RTE guide.

krd

Aridstarling wrote: »

By introducing a third party that have to profit from the thing, as opposed to your usual label/studio divide then you're asking for problems. A label can't tell a studio how to run itself.

What do you mean? All the big labels own their own studios or own several studios. And if the label is paying the bills they very much can tell the studio how to run itself.


The really big news of the minute may be that Apple are trying to buy Sony.

Aridstarling

What do you mean? All the big labels own their own studios or own several studios. And if the label is paying the bills they very much can tell the studio how to run itself.

I know yeah, that kind of came out wrong. In that sense labels stand to gain financially from the situation, they can exert a certain amount of creative control. What I'm saying is, if we mirror the situation with a magazine we'd be giving that same element of artistic control to the press? And that surely is in no-ones best interest!

Paul - Hot Press have a consistent track record of being out of the loop, being concerned with a small number of pre-approved bands and being a general bunch of useless, arrogant, self-aggrandizing hacks. What in god's name would you be doing giving them a studio to run? Finger on the pulse? Yeah right, they became deaf to new music in Ireland a long time ago.

krd

Aridstarling wrote: »

I know yeah, that kind of came out wrong. In that sense labels stand to gain financially from the situation, they can exert a certain amount of creative control. What I'm saying is, if we mirror the situation with a magazine we'd be giving that same element of artistic control to the press? And that surely is in no-ones best interest!

The press - that is the cool press - already have a huge amount of creative control - even if it's indirect. Bands aim to become NME bands - some even Hot Press bands. For some it works - others it doesn't.

You're probably better off to brazenly fly in the face of what's expected. I think the same thing works for the music press as does for chicks - treat them mean, keep them keen.

Paul - Hot Press have a consistent track record of being out of the loop, being concerned with a small number of pre-approved bands and being a general bunch of useless, arrogant, self-aggrandizing hacks. What in god's name would you be doing giving them a studio to run? Finger on the pulse? Yeah right, they became deaf to new music in Ireland a long time ago.

I think there's a real bitchiness to Hot Press - they'll ignore people who are generating a genuine buzz and then trumpet a Galway pub covers band as the next big thing.

I'd love to see Graham Linehan write something honest and revealing about his time at Hot Press.

But it's like this - and I do this in bold capitals - THE COVER OF THE RTE GUIDE WILL DO NOTHING FOR YOU - THREE INCHES IN THE NME WILL PACK WHELANS.

Aridstarling

krd wrote: »

The press - that is the cool press - already have a huge amount of creative control - even if it's indirect. Bands aim to become NME bands - some even Hot Press bands. For some it works - others it doesn't.

At least that way it is the band's decision to go in a certain direction to impress certain people, which is quite different to having that direction forced upon you.

krd wrote: »

But it's like this - and I do this in bold capitals - THE COVER OF THE RTE GUIDE WILL DO NOTHING FOR YOU - THREE INCHES IN THE NME WILL PACK WHELANS.

Unfortunately this is quite regularly true. Though RTE exposure does help, Heathers being a case in point.

krd

Aridstarling wrote: »

At least that way it is the band's decision to go in a certain direction to impress certain people, which is quite different to having that direction forced upon you.

Well people make decisions for all kinds of reasons. They want to impress people and become popular. That's why so many bands end up sounding like a cross between the Artic Monkeys and Oasis. They never seem to realise, no one really wants another AM and Oasis crossbreed.

I hate music journalism - writing about music is like trying to dance to architecture. There's not many journalists who've ever been that interesting. And most are very lazy - they'll do a google search, or cobbled their piece together from wikipedia. If you read a review, and then go to wikipedia, you'll usually find whole sentences, sometimes entire paragraphs filched from the wiki article.

Unfortunately this is quite regularly true. Though RTE exposure does help, Heathers being a case in point.

The reason a few paragraphs in the NME is worth more than a feature in the RTE guide, is the NME has credibility. Credibility means, people believe what they read in the NME - people do not believe what they see in the RTE guide.

People don't trust the Irish media. There's so much bull**** in Irish music - and it just turns people off.

Aridstarling

krd wrote: »

I hate music journalism - writing about music is like trying to dance to architecture. There's not many journalists who've ever been that interesting. And most are very lazy - they'll do a google search, or cobbled their piece together from wikipedia. If you read a review, and then go to wikipedia, you'll usually find whole sentences, sometimes entire paragraphs filched from the wiki article.


People don't trust the Irish media. There's so much bull**** in Irish music - and it just turns people off.

At this juncture I would like to point out that I am a music journalist and am quite involved in the Irish music media these days. There's a great side to it, with endlessly passionate writers on sites like Thumped, State, Ragged Words and Golden Plec as well as innumerable blogs. It's just rare that this side of it manages to spread into the likes of the national papers. I wouldn't put us all down in one fell swoop, it's not all Hot Press you know.

DamagedTrax

Aridstarling wrote: »

At this juncture I would like to point out that I am a music journalist and am quite involved in the Irish music media these days. There's a great side to it, with endlessly passionate writers on sites like Thumped, State, Ragged Words and Golden Plec as well as innumerable blogs. It's just rare that this side of it manages to spread into the likes of the national papers. I wouldn't put us all down in one fell swoop, it's not all Hot Press you know.

definitly. i have a good friend who works as a music journalist here and he's very serious about being percieved credibly.

but on the other hand a certain big irish mag wouldnt even print stories about U2's dodgy dealings as they'd never get another interview with them (this is straight from the editors mouth to my ear!). given that this mag basically IS the commercial irish music media, is it any wonder why people cant trust it when its afraid to print the truth on commercial grounds?

Aridstarling

Thankfully that situation is beginning to change. The musicians who are doing interesting things these days don't actually need that publication anymore, they don't pay any attention to it generally. It's never given them what they wanted anyway, so why pander to it? Unless you want to be the next U2 then it's highly unlikely to factor into any decisions you make as an artist. Most people I know would much rather a positive write-up on Nialler9 than an interview in Hot Press, and with good reason.