Joan Of Arse MP3 offa New LP (1 Viewer)

[Vinnie]

In fairness to No Disco, Witnness is a key event on the Irish musical calendar with many thousands of people attending and it could therefore be argued that it warrants some kind of focus. RTE and No Disco are businesses too, albeit state -sponsored. The corporate spnsors/promoters could be perceived as a necessary evil but rendered irrelevant by the music (in terms of a No Disco Witnness special).

 

[Pauls_Ferrari]

RTE Cork need the money. They're poor as poor people. In fact, they need it just to cover Leagues' wardrobe costs. And then there's that Toni & Guy barnet!!

 

[Monkey]

Do you know anyone else who'll be playing on that stage ?Are Dot Creek gonna be there ?

 

[Keeror]

Pauls_Ferrari (27 Jul, 2001 01:11 p.m.):
RTE Cork need the money. They're poor as poor people. In fact, they need it just to cover Leagues' wardrobe costs. And then there's that Toni & Guy barnet!!

I don't think any of us here knows whether or not they got paid for it. If they did, they should declare it as sponsorship. It wouldn't surprise me if the payment was in the form of threat - "give us your undivided attention or we'll never sell you coverage of Robbie live at Lansdowne" or something. (Hey, does suggestion count as libel?)
While Witless makes itself out to be a big event on the Irish musical calendar (in reality being largely as banal as any of the other corporate sponsored festivals anywhere), surely it can't be so big as to warrant an entire programme dedicated to it? Did nobody outside the Wittness bill have a video worth showing last week?

And why are they keeping the Happinness stage a secret? It sounds like one of the most interesting things they are doing especially with all its attendant issues of ghettoisation of indigenous music, and implications that we're just not good enough to cut it with the big boys (Rednecks and Street Thunder (Street Thunder!!!????!!!) excepted).

And I *hate* ice cold Guinness. It hurts my belly. Give me a Dragon stout anyday.

Now get the hell out of my dressing room!

 

[Monkey]

Well, it is the biggest music event in this country.

The Witnness specialwas justified because an awful lot of people who watch 'No Disco' will be going to Witnness. A lot of these people will not be familiar with all of the acts playing at Witnness and so many of the viewers would be very interested indeed in a Witnness special.

They'll play non-witnness artists on other episodes. and it doesn't necessarily mean that they are playing these videos more than would have anyway - they might not play them at all after witnness.

 

[mugwump]

We want to create more of an experience for young people at our music events and the Guinness brand is integral to that we're not interested in being just another corporate sponsor." It is estimated that the company spent £4 million on last year's concert £3 million to stage the event and another £1 million split evenly between promoters MCD and KLP Entertainment.

some of these people speak a different language...

for more go to :

http://www.unison.ie/entertainment/stories.php3?ca=61&si=483444

 

[Luther Blissett]

As much as everyone is complaining about Witness,it couldn`t be more depressing than the Fuck Witness concerts,could it?

 

[dudley]

god bless HP!

 

[Ex-User (250)]

hp (31 Jul, 2001 12:37 p.m.):... it couldn`t be more depressing than the Fuck Witness concerts,could it?

emm, i beg to differ. we're playing this noizefest in limerick this weekend and for anyone whose ever played in limerick under THE MIGHTY AMC, it sure is the place to be... so what about witnness anyways, it's not like any of the 'corporate' dudes involved ever pretended to be any other way...

 

[mugwump]

It's true that they have never been any other way...but why don't they just say " We can make a fuckload of cash out of this cause everyone will be there and getting pissed on Guinness" instead of saying that Witness is....

"dedicated to unearthing contemporary artists, singers, songwriters and DJs and striving to get them the exposure they deserve".

Have these people no testicles...

 

[silo]

gonna have to weigh in on the roreek side of things for this one... witnness is nothing but a branding exercise with a few bits of music tagged on, we all know that (there's stuff about it at http://www.thumped.com/articles/display_article.asp?article_code=2 ).

that's not the problem here. what is the problem is the co-opting of various supposedly independent entities into a role that, in the end, amounts to little more than surrogate advertising. the supposedly 'secret' 'hapinness stage' (is it going to be in the v.i.p. area like last year's 'secret' stage was?) is just one facet of it. it's nothing against the bands who are playing, who probably are quite glad to get a bit of money, exposure, and lakes of 'free gargle' ((c) matty redneck). it's the creation of a version of independence which, i think, is supposedly what this site is meant to be a reaction against... as always, people will give out for just writing a post and not taking 'practical action'... well, if you want to tell someone about it, try missis witniss, nicola watkins ( [email protected] ) or leagues himself...

it's also interesting how this sort of thing (which always boils down to 'selling out'-style talking) invariably produces animosity and rancour in the independent end of the puddle... cf mr. roreek sending out clarifications on the jimmy cake list...

 

[Pauls_Ferrari]

Look. It's a shaggin' day out. I don't care whether No Disco were paid to promote Wittness and the comment about Leagues' barnet was meant to be taken entirely as jest.

An event like this could not conceivably happen, and be as (reportedly) well-managed as it is without some kind of corporate sponsorship. And I'd take Guinness anyday over piddly-poo Heineken and Murphys. We are saturated with advertising day in, day out, and in many more cynical and insidious ways - just check out how an ad for Heineken will always follow an ad by the National Road Safety Council on TV.

Most of the people who post on this forum are advertising their own bands in some shape or form on this very site. So, if you don't like the principal behind the event or are sore because you weren't invited to play at it, then don't go... but a lot of people who do go (yes, Stereophonics DO have a lot of fans, for whatever reason) are going to have a great time. That's the most effective action you are likely to be able to make if the truth be told. Unless, you've just returned from Genoa - in which case, erm, I salute you. Didn't go to Genoa, but not going to Wittness either.

 

[Pauls_Ferrari]

'the problem is the co-opting of various supposedly independent entities into a role that, in the end, amounts to little more than surrogate advertising'

I should add that if anyone out there is sufficiently politically and commercially adroit to even suggest an alternative way to organize such an event, let's hear it. No sarcasm intended here - some constructive commentary would be welcome.

By the way, Silo, what 'supposedly independent entities' are you referring to - the individual tents at the event or the record companies involved or whaa??

 

[Ex-User (250)]

people who are concerned about independence surely know what's going on. people who aren't don't care anyway. buy a ticket or don't buy a ticket... no?

 

[Keeror]

Pauls_Ferrari (31 Jul, 2001 05:13 p.m.):
An event like this could not conceivably happen, and be as (reportedly) well-managed as it is without some kind of corporate sponsorship.

Wrongo bongo, dude. Check out Burning Man in Nevada
http://www.burningman.com
No sponsor, no concession stands, no main stage.
And it's being growing steadily since its inaugeration in 1986.
Glastonbury doesn't have a corporate sponsor either.

And I'd take Guinness anyday over piddly-poo Heineken and Murphys.

Was *that* a joke? I hope so....

 

[krystal]

I don't give a fuck as long as it's not chock full of irritating pissed up 17 year old muck savages bedecked in inflatable furniture and wacky hair wraps like it was last year.

 

[dudley]

never mind all this

what did you all think of the arse mp3?

 

[old]

Incidentally, Low have just pulled their European travels and won't be playing at Witnness.
Pooey.

 

[Pantone247]

dudley (31 Jul, 2001 09:33 p.m.):
never mind all this

what did you all think of the arse mp3?

I likes it a lot.

especially plinky plonky mandolin type thing and the backing vocal's at the end, loverly stuff.

 

[egg_]

I likes it too. Do I detect a little Badly Drawn Boy motif in there?

Here, how did the Arse find recording with Albini?

... hmmm, y'know I'd be interested in finding out about every band's recording experiences here. What mics did Albini use, how were they set up, did the Arse do everything live or do overdubs? Where did 46 Long record their 10"? What equipment did they use? Likewise for The Jimmy Cake etc. etc. How come Alan O'Boyle did a better job of recording Rednecks' album than he did Dot Creek's (Dot Creek's album, despite some very good songs, IMHO sounds like a good-quality demo, while Rednecks' sounds more like a 'proper' record - why)?

Maybe a new forum, Pete?