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Rock ‘n’ roll job for musical adventures: Pat Baker’s story

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Pat Baker has the rock ‘n’ roll job to die for.

From Rolls Royce mechanic to rock ‘n roll roadie… that’s the story of Pat Baker, legendary music tour manager.

The elements decided his fate when he was working in a Rolls Royce Mercedes-Benz dealership. A local contact approached him, said he needed a truck driver for two weeks. Pat said yes and found himself driving Squeeze around in 1979 in the height of the “Cool For Cats” tour.

“I had the best time of my life,” he grins, “and then they handed me a big bunch of money at the end of it. I suddenly realised I was in the wrong business.” Chatting away in the snug operations office of The Olympia Theatre Pat gives me a modest history of his professional adventures.

After the Squeeze job it took him a couple of years to hit the tour trade full time. He managed to get himself sacked from Rolls Royce the day before a Chris Rea tour started. He jumped at the chance and set off selling T-shirts. He worked his way up, watched and learned. He describes himself as “roadworthy”. Capable, willing, consistent, good craic and able to consume more than a few beers is probably what he really means.

During his ascent through the ranks he did keyboard tech, (having never played a keyboard) for Chris Rea, drum tech and African drums for Paul Simon on the Graceland tour, stage management for Adele and Goldfrapp.

He attributes his progression to two things. One, doing all the jobs. He’s been the truck driver, humped PA’s about, done rigging and set ups, lighting and backline. The other success factor is his mechanical mind and his ability to fix things. “You didn’t necessarily have to play the instrument. It was all about set up, strip down, tune and repair.” Nowadays as tour manager for acts like Chris Rea, Pat reckons that because he’s done every role he can anticipate and deal with the problems the crew might encounter. Small venues like The Olympia for example require a different rig than an arena. So Pat’s job is to have the right equipment planned for the right venue to roll out the set up on the day of the show.

Regardless of whatever issues the crew have the old adage “The show must go on” applies to the crew more than it ever does to the band. So whatever shit happens Pat’s gotta fix it.

But that’s alright, because he loves his job. As any successful professional will tell you, it’s about having the right team around you. Pat stands by this referring to the accountability of the industry. “If you’re crap, you only work once. If you’re good, you’ll work with the same people over and over”. Though the industry is populated with lots of young people Pat is adamant about the value of experience.” It’s fine if you can specialise in one instrument, but if you’ve suddenly got to go into a venue, the truck’s broken down and it’s eight hours late it’s knowing how to cope with those situations that will get you through and will get you hired again.” Passing his pearls of wisdom on to anyone considering the production industry Pat’s advice is “Don’t be cocky, watch and learn. None of this ‘I need a tea break’ because no matter what you must do whatever it takes to get the gig up and running. Finally, check and double check everything.”

The hard work pays off though. A lifetime of rock ‘n roll adventures, travels all over the world. Fun filled encounters with old style rock ‘n rollers with Squeeze. Pat did the Paul Simon Graceland world tour in 1987/88 and The Rhythm Of The Saints Tour.

That was 49 countries in 18 months. He was part of the team for the Paul Simon gig in Central Park to 750,000 people in August 1990. He did 149 shows on that tour with lots of time off. A week off in Bali, a week off in Melbourne and a week off in Florida were just some of the perks Pat was young enough to enjoy and appreciate.

Referring to more recent acts Pat speaks fondly of Adele and Goldfrapp, lovely people, great tour. He’s got some right old yarns to tell, however despite my discreet encouragement he declines. Fair enough. After all, what goes on tour stays on tour.

Professionals like Pat and his rigging crews are under the public radar and highly underrated. These are the guys who unload the boxes that contain the magic that makes the show. Whether it’s Ed Sheeran, Queens Of The Stoneage, The Killers, Peter Gabriel or AC/DC none of it would happen without the crew. The next time the house lights go up and your artist is gone back to his hotel these guys will be taking the kit apart, packing it carefully and taking it to the next venue. Driving through the night to deliver the dream to the next set of fans waiting at the barrier.

They’re not called Fly By Night for nothing.

Post by Ciara Sheahan. I’m a self confessed indie rock n’roller. Live music addict, writer, blogger, festival veteran. Native to Dublin, my degree in Journalism is from The University of Sheffield. With a proven track record in business and a creative side that refuses to recede I’m firmly focused on my future in the music/creative industry.

Taylor Swift, Spotify and the digital music divide

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Taylor Swift: Singer, songwriter, actress, model… warrior?

Her latest endeavors have many pegging her to be the latter as she wages a war against online music streaming service Spotify. She’s not the first artist to do so; Radiohead’s Thom Yorke voiced his opinion on the service over a year ago.

Swift, however, has drawn considerable attention lately by removing her entire catalog off the site, claiming it to be a thorn in the side of artists trying to make a living. Let’s wind back the clock in an attempt to understand the battle between Spotify and the artists that fail to love them.

Human beings have enjoyed music since our first ancestors hit a rock against their cave wall and figured out they liked the sound it made. It can be enjoyed alone while relaxing, communally with others during some sort of ritual or ceremony, and it livens up parties.

You hear it at the ball game and it’s blaring from the garage down the street; music is a powerful binding agent that has the ability to bring us together in even the worst of times. Lately, however, it has demonstrated the ability to tear us apart.

As technology continues on its rapidly trajectory forward, the way music is delivered to us has changed drastically. In the good old days, families would gather around the radio. Then LPs came along and everyone had a record collection. 8-tracks made a brief appearance, then cassette tapes, which gave way to the much more efficient compact disc and finally the birth of streaming music online.

Spotify is an evolved version of many streaming services that came before it. Users can listen to music whenever, and wherever, they want – for free. That means instead of paying for a hard copy (does anyone do that anymore – vinyl devotees, perhaps?) of Lorde’s Pure Heroine you can just download Spotify on your phone and listen for free.

Therein lies the problem; Swift feels she should be fairly compensated for her work. And while Spotify does generate revenue for participating artists – CEO Daniel Ek claims roughly 70% of money made is given back to artists, for a total around $2 billion – Swift and her supporters feel it isn’t enough.

Spotify claims it is progressive and fair because it delivers music to the fans and pays the artists, driving people away from Internet piracy. Its detractors state the compensation isn’t fair and they don’t need a middleman to deliver their art to the masses. So what’s a fan to do – pay for the album, or listen for free? The advantages to paying are clear – you can listen anywhere you want, without commercial interruption, and you know you’re supporting the artists you love.

On the other hand, money is hard to come by, and free is free. And if you can listen to your favorite band for free and know they’re still being paid for it, why not? At this point, artists opposed to Spotify seem to be in the minority. Artists like Ed Sheeran, Lana Del Ray and alt-J have embraced Spotify and used it to promote their music.

The multi-millionaires opposing it claim it is bad for new artists trying to make a living. In the meantime, those up-and-comers are thrilled to have people listen to their music regardless of the medium. This appears to be a battle that will wage on for some time, and while the listeners, with multiple ways to enjoy music, are clear winners, it remains to be seen whether artists –especially emerging ones – will benefit in the long run.

Post by Jack Stokes. Jack Stokes loves soft pretzels and the tranquility of spinning vinyl. He writes for Zu Audio, manufacturers of high-end audiophile equipment.

Keith Cullen follows his dream

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Keith Cullen is a singer songwriter from Dublin. This week he will perform at the international youbloom music festival, showcase and conference in Los Angeles.

Keith is the guy who gave it all up to follow his dream.
He ran a very successful marketing company with his sister Jennifer in Dublin. They started with nothing and built their business into a profitable operation, bringing them both money, success and a good lifestyle. So, you’d think all this would make you happy, right ? Well, actually it didn’t.

Keith had a niggle. And it wouldn’t go away. A musical niggle, a yearning to write and perform. That voice in the back of his head that wouldn’t shut up.

A few years previously Keith had been offered a place in the London School of Music but get this — he didn’t believe in himself enough to pursue the opportunity. He chose the business option instead. In 2010 he decided to let the voice in his head take over. He quit the marketing business to focus on what he really wanted to do. “No regrets, ” he says, “I never wanted to look back on my life and have regrets”.

He started writing again, got a few professional opinions, worked on his voice, wangled a few introductions in the right places, worked the local scene as much as he could. Now as everyone knows, behind every good man is an even greater woman. Keith was blessed in this case as Jennifer took a leap of faith with him. She studied professional management in Dublin and completed her music management studies in London. All whilst juggling the combination of managing Keith, running their Believe Management Company and rearing her son.

As a result of all their efforts and focus , Keith got a bit of a break. He landed the support slot for Shanyne Ward for three nights at the prestigious luxury venue, The Olympia Theatre in Dublin.

This was his first taste of it. He got involved with festival promoters and played relentlessly at numerous festivals around Ireland. During this stint he worked line ups with acts like Bressie, Keywest, Jack L, Jedward and Ryan O’ Shaughnessy. He showcased his own new material and engaged with his audience. Keith and Jennifer were clever here, because they quickly realised the value of social media. They used the festival platform to build Keith’s substantial social media presence. He has 3,181 friends on Facebook and a Twitter following of over 35,000. That’s a lot of fans. Fans = customers = sales = success = sustainable dream of being a performer.

In the last few years Keith has been signed by Notting Hill Music in London, he has acquired an agent in the US. He has invested significantly in his videos and self released singles over that time. He has proven his weight and worth to any prospective labels. He is working his dream like he worked his business and building from the ground up.

He recently supported Hozier at The Academy in Dublin, he has several industry legends to visit when he gets to LA. He was part of the Guinness Amplify programme and just recently performed for the BBC. He has no illusions about realising his dreams. He took a big risk. It will pay off, his talent will endure and everyone will ask about his “overnight success”. Check him out on www.kcmusic.ie

Keith plays La Cuevita on Saturday night at ten thirty. Here’s his video for Eyes Wide Open:

Post by Ciara Sheahan. I’m a self confessed indie rock n’roller. Live music addict, writer, blogger, festival veteran. Native to Dublin, my degree in Journalism is from The University of Sheffield. With a proven track record in business and a creative side that refuses to recede I’m firmly focused on my future in the music/creative industry.

It Ain’t Over Till The Fat Lady Sings: 10 Steps To Self Possession

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Alien Envoy Live, 12Bar (Photo: Natasha Zraikat)

Music, verse, song and sound are the manifestation of an emotional experience captured and expressed by the writer, singer or musician. “Three chords and the truth ” as Willie Nelson famously said describing country music. So, as an aspiring artist how do you find a commercial platform that can connect your emotional expression with people without becoming yet another victim of the voracious music business?

Well, one of the solutions is to treat the business like a business. Consider yourself a unique investment opportunity in which your fans choose to invest. Adapt the mindset and build a structure around it. One Irish musician with a substantial history of success and sustainability who has done this is Nick Kelly, well known front man from 90’s indie band The Fat Lady Sings.

He published a list called ” 10 Steps To Self Possession” back in 1997. His enduring wisdom proves that despite technology and the ever evolving music industry model these ten steps still apply. His record company Self Possessed Records was set up as a vehicle to release his debut solo album “Between Trapezes”. These ten steps represent Nick’s philosophy.

1. DON’T WAIT TO BE DISCOVERED:
Making demos to send to record companies is a waste of time: if you’re good enough to be signed, you’re good enough to make records yourself. Understand that you are always completely responsible for your own success, and take that responsibility on.

2. COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH YOUR FANS:
If somebody enjoys one of your shows, but doesn’t leave you an address or some other way of contacting them, you lose a valuable asset.

3. PLAN FOR THE LONG HAUL:
Set yourself long-term artistic goals, rather than short-term commercial ones, and you’ll be happier – and probably more commercially successful in the end, too.

4. EMOTION BEATS TECHNIQUE EVERY TIME:
Technical perfection is impossible to achieve, expensive to attempt, and ultimately pointless. It doesn’t matter how rough the recording is if you manage to squeeze magic into it. And no amount of polish can turn an uninspired recording into an inspired one.

5. BE FOCUSED:
The music industry is one of the most wasteful, short-sighted and poorly-organised businesses there is. You’re unlikely to have the financial resources of a major record label, but you can more than compensate by being smarter, sharper and more flexible. Successful careers are built upon imagination, planning and timing, not big bucks.

6. UNDERSTAND MARKETING:
Music journalists and radio producers receive hundreds of CDs and press releases every week, most of which never get played or read. So learn to differentiate yourself from the competition. Target your communications. Be clear. Be brief. Be timely. Be polite. Don’t be boastful or desperate. Above all, be intriguing.

7. NETWORK:
You’d be amazed how helpful and generous people can be. By the same token, if you can do somebody a good turn, do it. Karma works.

8. DEFINE YOUR OWN SUCCESS:
Do you really want to be an MTV icon as well as a serious artist? Find a way of selling just 5-10,000 albums a year – a laughable pittance by major label standards – and you’ll still be making the music you want to make when you’re 70, earning a very comfortable living and completely independent of the insecurities and vagaries of the music industry.

9. DON’T WASTE MONEY INDULGING YOUR EGO:
Don’t hire musicians, managers, road crew, etc. unless you’re convinced that (a) you really need them, and (b) they’re able to do the job better than you can yourself. Don’t make videos, release promotional singles or plan expensive tours just because other bands do…

10. BE PROFESSIONAL:
Just because you’re small is no reason for you not be efficient, punctual, honest, reliable and courteous in all your dealings. Leave power games and posturing to the insecure.

Nick has crowd and self funded three albums, the latest one is “Loads”, released under the name of Nick’s band “Alien Envoy.” Two hundred and fifty generous souls all pre-ordered the albums at a cost of €25 each “Loads” has been welcomed onto the radio waves with significant airplay and has received massive critical acclaim.

Here’s “Break America”, a beauty of a song about the journey of The Fat Lady Sings across the states, written ironically just before they broke up:

Nick’s 1997 album “Between Trapezes ” won Nick accolade of “Irish Solo Artist of the Year” at the Irish Music Critics Awards for 1998/1999. The critics said “this one has to be a contender for the accolade of album of the decade, let alone the year…(12/12)” – Hot Press. “Faint Heart, Starving Seed, and Crawl invest everyday emotional battlegrounds with powerful dramatic backdrops, as sharp and moving lyrics are shackled to booming melodies…this is a record which deserves to be heard…(4/5)” – Q Magazine.

“Running Dog ” was released in 2005, it was nominated as “Irish Album Of The Year” at the inaugural Choice Music Prize. “This is a strong, surprising and intelligently written record, one of the best this year. ” – Americana UK. “A poet’s soulful challenge to the fates…tidily precise and perfect” – Evening Herald.

Between musical projects Nick has taken his creativity into other areas. He is well known for his work in the advertising industry. He won a Clio award for that Guinness Tom Crean add, which almost became a national treasure. His third short film “Shoe” was long listed for an Academy Award in 2011.

He has just received funding to shoot first feature “The Drummer And The Goalkeeper” from the Irish Film Board. Nick has demonstrated the cross over in music, film and art. He has sustained himself from the initial platform of The Fat Lady Sings, through to advertising, writing and directing and again back to his band “Alien Envoy.” His mindset and crowd funding model has served him well. His talent has ultimately endured. At the end of the day, there’s no arguing with talent. It’s just a question of how you manage it. If it doesn’t work out first time round learn from it and move on. Do it better the next time, cos one thing’s for sure. It ain’t over till the fat lady sings.

Check out Self Possessed Records to find out more about Nick. Alien Envoy are playing in Dublin’s Smock Alley Theatre on Nov.6th. Definitely worth sixteen little euros to experience this sage of songwriting. Tickets from www.entertainment.ie or www.smockalley.com

Post by Ciara Sheahan. I’m a self confessed indie rock n’roller. Live music addict, writer, blogger, festival veteran. Native to Dublin, my degree in Journalism is from The University of Sheffield. With a proven track record in business and a creative side that refuses to recede I’m firmly focused on my future in the music/creative industry.

Top Music Producer meets Dublin’s hottest new Band

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Rupert Hine meets The Hot Sprockets

The Hot Sprockets closed out the final night of the much acclaimed youbloom@Dublin Festival at The Mercantile on Dame Street. They came straight from stage to couch where legendary producer Rupert Hine delved into the essence of their sprocketing and gave them the pearls of his wisdom.

Those people who missed the youbloom@Dublin conference in the College of Surgeons may not know Rupert but he is rock n’ roll royalty. His Christmas card list includes people like Jimmy Page, Stevie Nicks, Suzanne Vega, The Waterboys, Bob Geldof , Tina Turner, RUSH, Howard Jones, Underworld and The Thompson Twins. He basically formed his own genre in championing the integration of digital technology into music production and art.

He has composed, produced and released some of the best known music in the world. His experience as a musician goes back to the early sixties when he formed half of a duo called “Rupert and David”. He played clubs and pubs and occasionally shared the stage with a little known chap called Paul Simon. The duo released one single in 1965. It was a cover of “The Sound of Silence” and featured Jimmy Page and Herbie Flowers.

That’s where the story starts. Since then Rupert has established himself as a composer, producer, songwriter, environmentalist. He is a founder member of the Music Producers Guild, the International MIDI Association and a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in the U.S. In 2011 he received an APRS Fellowship Award from Sir George Martin.

The Hot Sprockets are probably the hottest thing smouldering out of Dublin this summer. They’ve been gigging around for a few years now, cutting their teeth at many Irish festivals. They’ve played every stage, street corner and cubicle in central Dublin. They trade on a combination of folked up, funked out, rock and roll flavoured good time tunes.

They are very funny, a comedic quality that’s evident in all their videos. The most notable it has to be said, the video for “Shake Me Off”. Who else could get away with a motorbike flying off a ramp through a massive burning phallus? Their live shows have more energy than a crate of Red Bull, showreels of cartoon lady lumps and an impressive array of percussion. They’ve bagged a deal with AIB providing the music on the new advert, full of “Whoooo’s” and a hook that will follow you round all day.

They formed their own label Cherrypopper Records and released two albums. The latest one “Brother Nature” was launched in early June. They sold out The Button Factory, leaving a trail of tear stained faces from devastated fans who missed the gig. Yeah, these guys are spreading the love and keeping it real. Pure advocates of joy are what they are.

So, if you want to know what Rupert Hine, The Hot Sprockets and The Rolling Stones have in common watch this short but insightful interview.
For more info check out their website where all their artistic pleasures are available online. Check out the upcoming Knockan Stockan, Latitude and The Green Man festivals to catch them live.

Post by Ciara Sheahan. I’m a self confessed indie rock n’roller. Live music addict, writer, blogger, festival veteran. Native to Dublin, my degree in Journalism is from The University of Sheffield. With a proven track record in business and a creative side that refuses to recede I’m firmly focused on my future in the music/creative industry.

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