Industry news & advice blog

Liverpool Sound City is the largest international music, digital and film festival and conference in the UK, welcoming over 360 artists, in over 25 venues in Liverpool's city centre, with over 40,000 music fans and over 3000 industry professionals attending.  Sound City’s forward thinking programme of events has made it the premier international business development convention for the entertainment industry.  The conference returns to The Hilton hotel for 2 days of Music, Digital, Art and Film discussion, featuring some of the most influential figureheads from the modern industries.

 

Sound City have confirmed a keynote with music industry legend Andrew Loog Oldham. Former PR man for The Beatles and credited with establishing the Rolling Stones’ reputation as the bad boys of the British Invasion and orchestrating their ultimate rise to prominence as the "world's greatest rock & roll band”, Andrew Loog Oldham worked with The Stones on multiple albums, including the band’s 1964 debut. Today, as the host of SiriusXM’s Andrew Loog Oldham Program on Little Steven’s Underground Garage Channel, he provides daily insights into the early days of the British invasion, tying it all together by showing a direct link between those glory days, and what's hot at this very moment

 

Ian Tilton is a much revered award-winning rock photographer with over 30 years’ experience. Based in the North West of England, he began his career in the eighties, taking photos of bands as diverse as Nirvana, Guns N’ Roses, Iggy Pop, The Smiths, The Stone Roses, The Happy Mondays, The La's, James and Oasis. Sound City will host Set In Stone an exhibition of Ian’s Stone Roses photographs from the last 25 years, many of which have never been seen before.  Ian knew the band from the beginning and his pictures document every key moment from the hectic first gigs and TV appearance to the famous Spike Island gig and reformation in 2011. Ian Tilton’s iconic images have caught the spirit of the band and the flavour of the times and this is a must see exhibition for lovers of music and culture.

 

The Anfield Wrap is the second biggest podcast in the UK after the Guardian, a much revered and respected forum that hosts influential personalities from the media world.  They will be hosting a panel on fanzines and podcasting with contributors Peter Hooton from The Farm and respected football writers Andy Mitten and Andy Macintosh.

 

Enter Shikari are one of the hardest working bands in Britain and the Enter Shikari In Focus panel is a Q&A that will provide valuable insights into the life of a touring band. The panel will feature the bands manager Ian Johnsen, Mark Meharry, founder and CEO of Music Glue, a London based D2C (Direct To Consumer) digital services company who works with the band, Adam Saunders their booking agent and Peter Thompson who licenses their music through PIAS.  All have long histories of breaking talent in the UK and this panel will provide significant first hand anecdotal insights into the day to day commitments of one of the country’s most successful rock acts.

 

Sound City will also be giving young artists and musicians further insights into making it in the industry by presenting Q and A’s with acts who have huge experience of the highs and lows of the music industry.  Tracey Thorn, whose music career spans three decades and takes in the defining genres of recent decades: post-punk, indie, pop, trip hop and dance is confirmed for a Q and A. Liverpool’s biggest music export of the last decade have been The Wombats and lead singer Murph and manager Simon Bobbet will be giving a candid insight into the unique relationship between a band and its manager. 

 

Described as a “Social Media Hellraiser” by The New York Times, Jon Morter is best known for his gatecrashing of the music industry in 2009 with his phenomenal ‘Rage Against The X Factor’ campaign, sweeping Rap/Metal band Rage Against The Machine into the sought after UK Christmas No.1 spot. His carefully executed plan not only outsold the previously unbeatable X Factor single, but broke a Guinness chart record in the process as well as raising over £150,000 for charity. This success opened the door for Jon to work on campaigns for some big artists in the industry including Nirvana, Sex Pistols, Rod Stewart, a No.1 album for The Rolling Stones, plus the 2012 Christmas No.1 campaign for The Justice Collective in aid of the Hillsborough families.  Jon was also instrumental in the campaign to save BBC 6 Music.

 

Jon also infamous for creating the ‘Condescending Corporate Brand’, a cheeky swipe at large companies trying to ‘do’ social media and his presence at the Sound City conference is a real coup for the event and is sure to provide a witty and perceptive look at social media engagement for bands and brands.

 

Every year Sound City take pride in bringing some of the most exciting breakthrough artists to the festival, giving the city an opportunity to see tomorrow’s major acts up close and personal, before anyone else. Previous years have seen the likes of Florence And The Machine, The Maccabees, Ed Sheeran, Jake Bugg and Alt-J take to local venues and converted urban spaces as part of the festival.  Announced today are a host of new artist to perform in Liverpool in May.

 

Noah and the Whale are used to playing huge venues but will play a much more intimate show in Liverpool at the Anglican Cathedral, the perfect setting for a much fuller sound that belies their more folksy beginnings. The band release their fourth album ‘Heart Of Nowhere’ in May and will showcase tracks from it at this very special show.  

 

Band of the moment, Everything Everything recently released their second album ‘Arc’ to widespread critical acclaim and their art-funk stylings are not to be missed.  The futuristic indie pop of New Yorker Darwin Deez and crystalline leftfield pop of Manchester based Dutch Uncles will also be two hot Sound City shows.  Delphic’s debut album heralded a reappraisal of dance influenced rock music and paved the way for the current crossover success of the genre and their second album ‘Collections’ sees them heading into even more adventurous territory.  The experimental drone of Oneohtrix Point Never and noisily drenched voodoo pop of local band Stealing Sheep will take music matters in a much more avant garde direction.

 

Punky blues rock from the Peak District comes courtesy of Drenge, a band being tipped by everyone to watch out for in 2013 whilst blog queens Pins showcase why the North West contines to produce the UK’s most exciting music.  Savages are another girl band whose post-punk is rapturous, passionate and intriguing. Wave Machines second album ‘Pollen’ was a masterpiece that met with huge critical acclaim and their homecoming show at Sound City will show why they are one of the best bands the city has produced.

 

Also newly announced today are: Jetta, Bipolar Sunshine, Loom, Deep Sea Arcade, Blackeye, Skaters, Melody’s Echo Chamber, Wolf People, Splashh,  Charlie Bover & The Voyeurs, Lulu James, Arcane Roots, Still Corners, Luls, Hands, Wild Smiles, Ian Prowse & Amsterdam, Mikill Pane, Bebe Black, Jacob Banks, Bo Ningen, Big Deal, Night Engine, NCZA/Lines, Mind Enterprises, Golden Fable, Likely Lads.

 

Having previously announced acts such as Dexys, The Walkmen, Enter Shikari, Reverend and the Makers, AlunaGeorge, Thee Oh Sees, Mount Kimbie, Future Of The Left, King Krule, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Darkstar, Toy and more, Sound City underlines its commitment to showcasing the world most exciting new talent, up close and personal.