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More than 250 artists including Billie Eilish, Lorde, Fall Out Boy, Diplo, Becky G, Green Day, Sia and many more signed an open letter on Thursday (April 25) to the Senate Committee on Commerce urging Congress to pass the Fans First Act. The artists argue that the bill advocating for consumer protections against bots and more transparency in ticket sales is vital to the survival of the live music business.
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“As artists and members of the music community, we rely on touring for our livelihood, and we value music fans above all else,” the letter opens. “We are joining together to say that the current system is broken: predatory resellers and secondary platforms engage in deceptive ticketing practices to inflate ticket prices and deprive fans of the chance to see their favorite artists at a fair price. Predatory resellers have gone unregulated while siphoning money from the live entertainment ecosystem for their sole benefit.”
The letter says that these predatory sellers use illegal bots, speculative ticket listings and deceitful advertising that causes real harm to consumers. “The relationship between artist and fan, which forms the backbone of the entire music industry, is severed,” the letter warns. “No one cares more about fans than the artists. When predatory resellers scoop up face value tickets ahead of fans in order to resell at inflated prices on the secondary market, artists lose the ability to connect with their fans who cannot afford to attend.”
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The Fix the Tix letter argues that fans are lured in by deceptive URLs and ads that “disguise resale and trick consumers into playing up to 20x face value” when face value tickets are still available from the venue, as well “predatory” resellers listing tickets for shows before they go on sale — before they even have tickets in hand — which often result in fans showing up to venues without a valid ticket.
“Predatory resellers do not invest in creating a great live experience or fostering the live musicecosystem – they simply profit off of the hard work of artists, venues and the crew,” it reads. “In fact, resellers and secondary ticketing platforms often profit more from the artist’s work than the artists themselves.”
The signees advocate for the bipartisan Fans First Act — introduced in December by Senators John Cornyn, Amy Klobuchar, Marsha Blackburn, Peter Welch, Roger Wicker and Ben Ray Lujan — which would ban fake tickets and deceptive marketing tactics, as well as requiring ticket sellers to show the full, itemized price of a ticket from the moment the transaction begins, with clear penalties and enforcement to back the bill up.
“We, as artists, as music lovers, and as concert attendees ourselves, urge you to support the Fans First Act to combat predatory resellers’ deceptive ticketing practices and the secondary platforms, which also profit from these practices,” the letter concludes. “Predatory resellers should not be more profitable than the people dedicating their lives to their art.” The letter was addressed to Sen. Maria Cantwell, the chair of the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee and the panel’s ranking member, Texas’ Ted Cruz, with Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, minority leader Mitch McConnell, Cornyn and Klobuchar cc’d as well.
Among the other signees to the letter include: Aimee Mann, Finneas, Evanescence’s Amy Lee, Nile Rodgers, OK GO, Halestorm, Becky G, Graham Nash, Goose, Pixies, Particle Kid, Ben Folds, Rickie Lee Jones, Jason Mraz, the members of Duran Duran, Bright Eyes, Julia Michaels, Cyndi Lauper, Sylvan Esso, Major Lazer, MGMT, Yes and many more.
A Houston judge has denied Travis Scott’s motion to be dismissed from sprawling litigation over the 2021 disaster at the Astroworld music festival ahead of a looming jury trial next month.
Scott’s attorneys had argued that the star himself could not be held legally liable for the deadly crowd crush during his the November 2021 performance, which killed 10 and injured hundreds. They argued that safety and security at live events is “not the job of performing artists.”
But in a ruling made public on Wednesday, Judge Kristen Hawkins denied that motion, leaving Scott on the hook to face the first jury trial in the case, set to kick off next month. She offered no written rationale for her ruling, and attorneys for Scott did not return a request for comment.
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More than 2,500 people have sued over Astroworld – a popular festival headlined and marketed by the Houston-native Scott that turned deadly in 2021. Collectively seeking billions in potential damages, the victims claim that Scott (real name Jacques Bermon Webster II), Live Nation and other organizers were legally negligent in how they planned the event.
The lawsuits, combined into one single large action in Texas state court in Houston, have spent much of the last two years in discovery, as the two sides exchange information and take depositions of key figures. Scott was deposed in October, facing questioning from plaintiffs attorneys for roughly eight hours, according to the Associated Press.
The first trial in the massive litigation – a wrongful death case filed by family of Madison Dubiski, a 23-year-old who died at Astroworld – is set to start on May 6.
With that trial date looming, many of the defendants have pushed to be dismissed from the case. Drake (Aubrey Graham), who was named in many of the lawsuits because he appeared on stage as a guest performer during Scott’s deadly show, was dismissed earlier this month.
Scott’s attorneys argued last month that he too should not be held liable for the tragic incident. Even though the event was promoted under Scott’s name and branding, his lawyers said that he was merely an onstage performer who was not responsible for ensuring audience safety.
“Like any other adrenaline-inducing diversion, music festivals must balance exhilaration with safety and security—but that balance is not the job of performing artists, even those involved in promoting and marketing performances,” wrote Scott’s attorney Daniel Petrocelli. “Which only makes sense: Performing artists, even those who engage in certain promotional activities, have no inherent expertise or specialized knowledge in concert safety measures, venue security protocols, or site-design.”
At a hearing over that motion last week, attorneys for Dubiski’s family pushed back on Scott’s arguments, saying he had a “conscious disregard for safety.”
As reported by the Associated Press, the victim’s attorneys argued that Scott had encouraged fans to break into the concert without a ticket, citing a tweet on the day of the concert in which he said “we still sneaking the wild ones in.” They also said he had create unsafe crowd flow conditions by insisting that Scott be the only musical act to use the main stage on the festival’s first day, and then ignored orders from festival organizers to stop the concert when conditions turned dangerous.
Peter Shapiro has added another room to his ever-expanding portfolio of classic venues, inking a long-term lease to manage and program the historic Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY.
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Situated in the Hudson Valley’s bucolic Catskills region, the storied theater was built in 1989 to accompany the Bearsville Studios, where artists including Patti Smith, The Rolling Stones, REM and The Pretenders recorded with Bearsville leading artist manager/entrepreneur Albert Grossman.
Shapiro will manage the venue through his firm Dayglo Presents, which owns and operates the Brooklyn Bowl in New York, Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Nashville, along with the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, New York. Shapiro said he believes the 500-capacity venue easily routes for bands traveling to and from New York City and plans to stage multi-night runs to the venue, carrying on the tradition of creating unique opportunities for artists dating back to Shapiro’s time at the famed Wetlands in the late 1990s.
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“Bearville is an incredible room, carefully constructed from an 18th-century ‘Dutch’ barn carved out of ornate wood in this incredibly special location that draws people seeking a deeper experience,” Shapiro said. “Im blessed to have the opportunity to be part of this revival, joining music fans to write the theater’s next chapter and create unforgettable experiences.”
The revived Bearsville Theater will be managed by general manager Frank Bango who previously managed the Bowery Ballroom, and talent buyer Mike Campbell, formerly with The Colony in Woodstock.
Bearsville will reopen June 1 with a performance from Don Was and feature shows from Guster, Dawes, Guided By Voices, Drive-By Truckers, Mdou Moctar, The Beths, Andy Frasco & The U.N., Dresden Dolls, The Zombies, The Jayhawks and more.
“The Bearsville Theater has a deep and amazing history that I am excited to preserve and lift, as we put our touch on a new era for this legendary Woodstock icon,” Shapiro said, thanking the theater’s current owner Lizzie Vann “for her passion and dedication to Bearsville since she bought and lovingly restored the property in 2019. We appreciate her trust in us and are looking forward to a long working relationship.”
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Elliott Wilson aka YN is back leading a Hip-Hop media outlet. The longtime Hip-Hop music journalist and media executive has been named the Editorial Director of HipHopDX, UPROXX and Dime magazine.
On Wednesday (April 24), UPROXX founder and CEO Jarret Myer and Rich Antoniello, a founder and former CEO of Complex Networks along with will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas fame announced they had formed a company called UPROXX Studios, after its purchase of HipHopDX, UPROXX and Dime magazine, and other entities from Warner Music Group.
Music Business Worldwide reports that Antoniello will serve as a Partner and Executive Chairman and will.i.am will serve as a Partner/Investor.
“We’re pleased to return Uproxx to a team led by the brand’s founder Jarret Myer, along with other vibrant brands including HipHopDX,” said Maria Weaver, President of Warner Music Group, in a statement.
For keen Hip-Hop heads, the name Jarrett Myer should be familiar since he is one of the founders of Rawkus Records, the initially independent record label that in the 1990’s helped spark the careers of rappers including Talib Kweli, Company Flow and Yasiin Bey fka Mos Def.
As for Wilson, Billboard reports the Queens, NY native has been named editorial director of Hip-Hop journalism for UPROXX Studios. Some of Wilson’s past notable Hip-Hop mag gigs include holding down the Music Editor position at The Source magazine before becoming Editor In Cheif of XXL magazine in 1999—enjoying an influential tenure before his departure in early 2008. Soon after leaving XXL he formed Rap Radar with Eminem’s manager Paul Rosenberg. Most recently, Wilson was at TIdal and he will continue to host the Rap Radar podcast with Brian “B. Dot” Miller.
“I’m thrilled for this new chapter of my illustrious career and to work with proven winners like Jarret, Rich and will,” Wilson told Billboard. “My focus is on elevating the three rising brands — UPROXX, HipHopDX and Dime — to greater heights and to help shape the future of media and culture. The fun begins.”
President Joe Biden signed into law a national security bill on Wednesday that would force TikTok to be sold by its owner, ByteDance, or face a possible ban in the United States. Minutes later, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew responded with a video posted to the platform, declaring that “rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere.”
“Make no mistake, this is a ban, a ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice,” Chew says in the video. “Politicians may say otherwise. But don’t get confused.”
The legislation signed by Biden gives ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok, with a possible three-month extension if a sale is in progress. It would also keep ByteDance from controlling TikTok’s algorithm, which is credited with helping the app rocket in popularity.
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In his video, Chew suggests that freedom of speech will be the company’s argument against the ban, saying that the bill becoming law is “a disappointing moment, but it does not need to be a defining one.
“It’s actually ironic because the freedom of expression on TikTok reflects the same American values that make the United States a beacon of freedom,” he continues. “TikTok gives everyday Americans a powerful way to be seen and heard.”
To that end, Chew also seeks to reassure users that the app is not going anywhere anytime soon and to rally its users to weigh in publicly on how important TikTok is to them:
“You will still be able to enjoy TikTok like you always have, in fact, if you have a story about how TikTok impacts your life, we would love for you to share it to showcase exactly what we’re fighting for,” he says.
With the legislation now law, it is only a matter of time before TikTok sues to stop it, and the countdown clock has officially started. As of writing, barring a court-issued delay, ByteDance will have until Jan. 24, 2025, to find a buyer, or risk having the app wiped away from U.S. users.
“We are confident, and we will keep fighting for your rights in the courts,” Chew says in the video. “The facts and the Constitution are on our side and we expect to prevail.”
This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.
Primary Wave Music strikes a deal to acquire Neil Finn’s music publishing catalog and writer’s share of public performance for his work with Crowded House, the legendary Kiwi artist’s folk-rock favorites.
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Songs included in the deal are the classics “Better Be Home Soon,” “Weather With You” and “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” a Billboard chart leader.
Through the partnership, announced this week, Primary Wave Music will also represent Finn’s solo material.
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“I look forward to seeing Primary Wave’s plan for the ongoing care of my songs. I am confident they see the body of my work as music that matters,” says Finn in a statement. “This deal has been a good while in the making and feels right.”
The New Zealand-born and based artist is widely regarded as one of the greatest contemporary songwriters in the game, and is a member of the ARIA Hall of Fame.
“We are thrilled to welcome Neil Finn to Primary Wave,” adds Primary Wave’s David Weitzman. “Not only is he a master songwriter, he is the songwriters’ favorite songwriter. We look forward to working closely with Neil and his great team at Shelter Management on the next stages of his storied career.”
The alliance is announced ahead of Crowded House’s eighth studio album Gravity Stairs, set for release May 31 through a new recording deal with BMG.
Finn co-founded Split Enz, an important alternative rock outfit that landed hit after hit in Australia and New Zealand, prior to their dissolution in 1984.
From its embers, Finn formed Crowded House. A U.S. breakthrough happened in April 1987 when “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” recorded by the classic lineup of Finn (singer, songwriter, guitar), Nick Seymour (bass) and the late drummer Paul Hester, peaked at No. 2 back.
The song made a mighty comeback last year. Thanks to a sync to an episode of the rebooted detective classic Magnum P.I., “Don’t Dream It’s Over” powered to No. 1 on Billboard’s Top TV Songs chart.
Crowded House was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2016, in recognition of a glorious career during which they’ve sold more than 10 million albums, collected 13 ARIA Awards, and five ARIA No. 1 albums.
Their 2010 hits compilation Recurring Dream also topped the Official U.K. Albums Chart and is one of four Crowded House album to crack the top 10 in that territory.
Gravity Stairs is the followup to Dreamers Are Waiting, which peaked at No. 2 in Australia, No. 6 on the Official U.K. Chart, and won best adult contemporary album at the 2021 ARIA Awards.
Founded in 2006, Primary Wave Music is one of the world’s leading independent publishers, representing music from the likes of Bob Marley, Prince, Stevie Nicks, James Brown, The Doors, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, Smokey Robinson, Whitney Houston and many others.
Concord and Blackstone are in a bidding war to acquire the equity of Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF). On Wednesday (April 24), Concord bid $1.25 per share for HSF’s share capital, beating Blackstone’s offer of $1.24 per share (1.00 GBP), or $1.5 billion, announced on Sunday (April 21). In response to Concord’s latest offer, Blackstone said on Thursday (April 25) that it was “considering its options.”
Concord had opened with a bid of 0.93 pounds ($1.14) per share, equal to $1.4 billion, on April 18.
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Some investors are betting the bidding will go well above the current offers. On Tuesday, shares of HSF rose as high as 1.03 pounds ($1.28) respectively, 3.2% above Blackstone’s offer, and closed at 1.01 GBP ($1.26), 1.6% above its bid. Nearly 78 million shares traded hands that day — about 11 times the average daily trading volume over the previous three months. Even before Concord’s second bid of 1.00 pounds ($1.25) per share was announced on Wednesday, shares of HSF peaked at 1.016 pounds ($1.27) and closed at 1.014 pounds ($1.26).
Investors who want to capitalize on an eventual acquisition will buy HSF shares up to — but not equal to — their expected deal price. If investors thought the deal would happen at $1.30, they could bid up to $1.29 per share and make a small yet quick profit. Shareholders will vote on an acquisition offer at HSF’s June 10 shareholder meeting.
The same dynamic was recently seen after Believe became the subject of takeover talks. When a consortium of investors announced a bid of 15.00 euros ($16.04) per share, investors immediately bid the share price up to 14.22 euros ($15.23) but suspected it wasn’t wasn’t the final offer. Even before Warner Music Group (WMG) announced it was interested in acquiring Believe for at least 17.00 euros ($18.18) per share, shares were trading around 15.25 euros ($16.31), nearly 2% above Believe’s offer.
Concord could have two advantages that would allow it to bid higher than Blackstone: its source of funding and its ability to administer HSF’s portfolio. “If all else is equal,” Stifel analysts wrote in a Monday (April 22) note to investors, Concord can outbid Blackstone because it has a lower cost of capital — Michigan Retirement Systems, a state pension fund — and a superior ability to “extract revenue from an under-managed portfolio.”
But Blackstone has a trump card: Hipgnosis Song Management, which is majority owned by Blackstone, has an investor advisory agreement with HSF gives it a call option to acquire HSF’s portfolio if the advisory agreement is terminated. Stifel analysts believe the call option could act as “a deterrent” to prevent further price escalation — although it didn’t prevent Concord from bidding a second time. HSM appears determined to employ the call option. In a April 22 statement, HSM said it was “confident that the [Songs Fund] has no legal grounds to terminate our relationship without being subject to HSM’s contractual rights contained in the [investment advisory agreement, or IAA].”
Investors run the risk that the bidding process for HSF won’t transpire as they anticipated. In the case of Believe, WMG never made a formal offer and eventually dropped out of consideration — which could leave investors who bought Believe shares as high as 16.58 euros ($17.73) in the red if the acquisition proceeds at the original 15-euros per share offer.
The 100 Percenters, a musicians’ advocacy group, announced Wednesday (April 24) that several music organizations have signed a pledge designed to hold companies accountable for ensuring workplace safety.
Signees to the pledge, which was devised by The 100 Percenters, include the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), BMI, the Recording Academy, the Mechanical Licensing Collective (the MLC), EVEN, Artistry Group, Eat Predators, HRDRV, Industry Blackout, LVRN, Love Pulse Music.
Called the Safe Music Business pledge, the agreement asks signatories to abide by the following rules:
Committing to keeping artists, songwriters, producers and staff safe in their workplace and studio sessions
Committing to reporting sexual harassment, intimidation or violence to the appropriate parties in our workplace or studio sessions and taking action
Not tolerating inappropriate behavior in their workplace or studio sessions
Having or creating a safe space to support their artists, songwriters, producers and staff who don’t feel safe
Having or hiring safe space leadership to support their artists, songwriters, producers and staff who don’t feel safe
The organization hopes the pledge will help protect artists, songwriters, producers and staff members who work for or with these organizations. Safety is a particularly pressing concern for women and non-binary creatives working in male-dominated spaces in the industry. The 100 Percenters, founded by songwriter Tiffany Red, is primarily focused on initiatives that protect music’s most marginalized creatives and professionals.
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If a signatory breaks the pledge, a representative from The 100 Percenters says it will have a private conversation with the executives at the company, asking them to take accountability and take meaningful steps to ensure the workplace will be safer in the future. Such instances would be handled on a case-by-case basis, and the organization that breaks its vow could be removed from the pledge — with that removal potentially announced publicly.
The organization announced the signatories of the pledge with a corresponding open letter from Red that pointed to recent allegations of alleged abuse perpetuated by music professionals like Sean “Diddy” Combs and Russell Simmons. “The truth remains to be determined in a court of law,” the letter clarifies. “However, can we not acknowledge the troubling pattern of alleged abuse of power in music?”
The letter continues: “Despite finding allies within these companies who acknowledged the necessity of initiatives like the Safe Music Business pledge, the response has been dishearteningly silent. We encountered a significant reluctance throughout the outreach process to secure pledges. It’s a disappointing reality. It shouldn’t be such a challenging task for companies to adopt a more transparent, proactive stance in addressing sexual misconduct and violence within the music industry.”
“We are immensely grateful for the companies and organizations that have taken the SMB pledge,” the letter adds. “Their commitment to creating safer work environments within the music industry is commendable and represents a significant step towards positive change. By pledging to prioritize workplace safety, these companies demonstrate leadership and a genuine dedication to the well-being of music creatives and professionals. Their actions serve as an inspiring example for others to follow, and we sincerely appreciate their efforts to foster a culture of respect, safety, and inclusivity in our industry.”
To read the full letter, visit the 100 Percenters website here.
Believe reported strong first-quarter revenues of €230.3 million ($248.5 million) on Wednesday (April 24) despite foreign exchange fluctuations that led to slower organic growth compared to the final quarter of last year. The company reported an adjusted organic growth rate of 16.1%, which was in line with guidance, although down from 21.8% adjusted growth in […]
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Sneaker haven JD Sports is out here making big boy moves as they look to give Foot Locker Inc. a run for their sports apparel money.
According to Reuters, JD Sports is looking to take out more of their competition as they’re on the verge of purchasing Hibbett Inc. for a cool $1.08 billion dollars. The move comes as the sports attire field has been taking SNKRS-size losses in, and that includes the likes of juggernauts such as Reebok, Puma and Nike. Still, JD Sports is looking to expand their empire. After buying the likes of Shoe Palace, Finish Line and DTLR, JD Sports seem to be on a mission to corner the sports attire market out on these streets.
Reuters reports:
“Being part of a larger global retailer like JD Sports gives Hibbett more resources compared to its U.S. peers, Foot Locker and Dick’s,” said Cristina Fernández, analyst with Telsey Advisory Group.
JD Sports will pay $87.50 per Hibbett share in cash, representing a premium of about 20% to the U.S. firm’s last closing price.
Hibbett’s shares were up nearly 19% at $86.17 in U.S. noon trading.
JD’s acquisition of Hibbett, which has about 1,169 stores across 36 U.S. states, will extend its breadth in the country from “coast to coast”, finance chief Dominic Platt said in an analyst call.
It already owns Shoe Palace, which has a big presence on the U.S. west coast, and DTLR, which is established in the east.
“From a competitive standpoint, (the deal) puts incremental pressure on Foot Locker as JD Sports becomes a stronger player in the US,” Fernández wrote in a note.
How will Foot Locker respond to this power play? We have no idea but as long as sneakerheads get the grails that they fiend for, we riding with whoever gives us the best chances of copping. Just sayin’.
What do y’all think of JD Sports buying Hibbett Inc.? Is less competition in this field better for consumers? Let us know in the comments section below.
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