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KRSH UK with Davy

Time to put my money where my mouth is!

Check out my radio show - KRSH UK with Davy. It's live every Wednesday 7-9pm at 95.9 or 95.5 (Sonoma Co) or you can stream it at http://www.krsh.com

Plus archive shows are at http://www.krsh.com/Krush-U-K--Archive/9131845

Shoot me a request or give me a "Like" on the KRSH UK fan page

Here are some recent playlists to give you a taster...http://www.facebook.com/pages/KRSH-UK-with-Davy/182463321779580?sk=notes

10 Media and Entertainment Predictions for 2011

1. The Resurgence of Roots Music
Changing values = changing tastes. A time of austerity is upon us and we'll see the return of talent drawing their inspirations from Woody Guthrie, the dust bowl era and the recordings of Alan Lomax.

2. The Stateside Launch of Spotify
The toast of Europe is almost here. Spotify is what we need to cut through the clutter of the streamed free/premium subscription service space. We need it in the U.S. And it may change music consumption for good.

3. Desperate Live Concert Marketing
The touring industry will continue to decline. Artists will play smaller venues and be forced to reduce ticket prices, or add value such as t-shirts, fan site memberships or instant live downloads. Anything to keep the fans coming.

4. The Decline of American Idol
The bubble has to burst. Most unlikely that JLo and Steven Tyler can really swell the viewing figures. Only one other way to go. And Steven - get a grip matey:)

5. Stageshows, Stageshows, Stageshows
If Green Day can have huge success on Broadway, think of who else can do the same. Endless possibilities.

6. The Death of The Concert Ticket
The collectable paper ticket of yesterday will be completely replaced by downloaded paperless tickets by the end of the year. Seems a shame but it will reduce the impact of scalpers as well as save us a couple of bucks.

7. The Collapse of EMI
It's amazing they've held on this long, but this has to be the year of implosion. And then there were three.

8. The Ubiquity of GeoApps
Foursquare and it's equivalents will become more than fun as it is adapted by creative businesses and finds its feet in the real world.

9. Free Whole Album Giveaways
For years, daily newspapers in the U.K. have given away brand new albums on CD by superstars for just the paper's cover price. Prepare to for it to break into the U.S. this year

10. iTunes Lowers Pricing
Stop taking advantage of the consumer and the label chaps. Digital sales have already hit a plateau. Reduce the price of catalog titles of yesteryear, go for higher volume sales and spread the value of music to more folks.

What If Lennon Had Never Left?

It's staggering to think that John Winston Lennon would have turned 70 tomorrow. His musical and social contributions to our World were obviously among the most significant of the last century. Forever he will be in our hearts, inspiring us to realize the precious value and universal impact of music in the quest for a better World. So what would have been his continuing impact on culture and social challenges had he not have been taken from us on that New York Autumn day?

You have to think that John's integrity and strong beliefs would have made him a prominent figure of change and creativity to this day. Even though he lived some of his New York period as a recluse, it was clear by 1980 that this was changing. I don't know if he would ever have written another "Imagine", but he would most certainly have continued writing, and most likely collaborated with his sons as well as Yoko.

Would a Beatles reunion have happened? I sincerely doubt it. But I suspect that John, Paul and Ringo would at least be on speaking terms, much the same way that Roger Waters and Dave Gilmour have recently started to converse, while not reforming Pink Floyd. Would John have made the odd appearance with Paul? Quite possibly if there was a good enough reason, but this wouldn't have been money. After the Floyd reunion at Live Eight (which I was lucky enough to see), Roger Waters was asked what it was like to play with Gilmour again after such a stormy period. "It's like sleeping with your ex-wife" he answered. I can't help thinking that John would have responded in a similar way, perhaps with even a little more wryness, in regard to playing with his former bandmates. Maybe he would have played at Live Aid or Live Eight with Macca, but I somehow doubt it.

I think that he would have taken a similar path to another of my absolute heroes, Peter Gabriel. Peter's creativity goes from strength to strength. He is bold in his writing and embraces new music and technology like no other. But his social impact on our World has also been profound. He knows how to use his influence for the good of the Planet. Just go to www.witness.org or www.theelders.org to see what I mean. It's my bet that John would have done the same; kept on creating music of the moment, but spending a greater volume of time helping mankind and the environment, probably in a low-key way, much like Gabriel.
Lennon was about connecting with people, musically and as fellow humans.

There have been far too many wars since his passing, along with tragic environmental disasters as we tip the environmental balance of our own planet. Would he have sat by? No way. He may not have been leading street protests, but I think he would be encouraging them by bringing people together. And just how would he have dealt with George Bush? You think he would have sat back?

In the music space, what would he have thought about file sharing / music piracy (depending on which side of the fence you sit)? I can't see him standing in court next to Lars Ulrich and pals. But he would have made a case for more access to music for more people, supported new artists of all kinds in the age of MySpace and have probably given the major labels a bashing for their defensive strategies to music democratization.

And finally, imagine him here now in the age of social media. Brittney Spears has a staggering 6,082,964 followers on Twitter.So just imagine how many John would have had. His dream was to unite the World as one. If he had had access to today's tools like Facebook and Twitter, he may just have been able to realize his dream.

We will always miss him and I for one wish he was here with us today.

Calling All Musicians - 5 Offline Ways To Get On The Path To Success

I'm getting fed up with the doom and gloom around music. There's never been a better time to be a musician. The demand exists, the talent is there, and the distribution channels are wide open. And for those with a little extra creative flair, the path to success is waiting.

Today you're the marketer as well as the muso - your fate is in your hands, or more positively speaking, your success is at your fingertips.

People want new music. Yes, to an extent we do live in the age of disposability, but that also means that gaps are constantly appearing which need to be filled. Like any marketer, the musician needs to think about when and where he or she can step in. It's still all about being in the right place at the right time, just a different place and time.

We all know that the web offers a multitude of ways to expose new music and build a following. However, just as important is offline grass roots marketing. By leveraging social trends in the offline world, you can support online tactics and build yourself as a unique brand as well as a great musician or songwriter.

5 Offline Ways To Get On The Path To Success

1. Perform, perform, perform
And, don't just see yourself as a musician who plays live. Work hard to become a known performer, and personality in your neighborhood. A local following is still one of the best ways to build your fanbase, and to hone your chops. Yes, certain websites and social networks are great exposure vehicles, but while they can showcase your performance live from the bedroom, they are not always the best tools to present your personality. Don't forget, your purpose is to entertain, not just to play.

2. Don't worry about the quality of your demo
Just have one. You no longer need a high quality recording (even though a bunch of my producer pals are no doubt in total disagreement). It helps, sure, but don't worry. Just have something and you'll find that venue operators are usually very forgiving. They aren't looking for production quality. They're looking for talent to meet their ends - fill a bar, get folks to dance and drink more, give them credibility or reach a new crowd. It's about them as much as it's about you. So just do it.

3. Tie yourself to a cause 

Find something you're passionate about, and reach out on a local or regional level to contribute your talent. Choose something which fits your "personal brand" and helps to communicate your creative approach and values. One place to start could be to take a look at the Glue Network www.thegluenetwork.com/.This is a non-profit based in San Diego which inspires and exposes great causes, brands and individuals by collaborating with grass roots musicians, artists and designers. 

4. Become part of a heroic local brand
It's not about selling out. It's about exposure, positive associations, and being able to avoid starvation. Even if there's no money involved, think about how you can leverage your creativity in return for riding someone else's brand reputation or philosophy. It could be as simple as working with a local independent fashion designer to build your awareness and credibility. Take a look at Threadshow.com if you want to get a feel for this particular community, or visit one of Thread's shows and introduce yourself to the designers you like the best.

5. Go truly grass roots

There's a huge swell in open mic nights sweeping across the country. Just check out openmikes.org/ It lists open mics nationwide. And it makes sense - people want to go out, need to socialize and want to hear new music without paying cover charges or inflated ticket prices. In many parts of the U.S, they also want to play a part in kick-starting local musicians' careers and to celebrate local flavor. It worked for Bob Dylan and coffee houses. 

For the musician, the benefits are multiple. You'll get exposed, inspired, collaborate,  find backing musicians, gain valuable in-person feedback, and remain humble while building confidence through being overshadowed one week and showered with praise the next. There's nothing like it, and yet it hardly ever gets mentioned. (Watch out for a full blogpost dedicated to open mics very soon). 

Why Mystery Matters In Music

The web has changed the way that music is created, promoted, shared, purchased and consumed. In fact, there's virtually no aspect of the creative or commercial music process that has not been transformed in the last 15 years.
When I was a young rocker buying my beautiful vinyl at The Spinning Disc in Sunderland in the wet UK, the lure of some Roger Dean or Hipgnosis artwork, a mention in "Sounds" magazine and the recommendation of a drugged out sales guy was more than enough for me to dip into my "milk round money".

We had three weekly music papers - The NME, Melody Maker and Sounds - to keep us up to date with what was happening. News was reported as a serious aspect rather than as the contrived marketing ploys of today. Live reviews went into detail about the atmosphere, the crowd, the lights and the songs. And the bulk of the content was interviews - not so much about the lives of the musicians, but about the songs' meanings, inspirations and homages. Songs were taken seriously, and we wanted to know why, how, where and when they were written and what was going through the head of the artist at the time (in addition to the Red Leb).
The point is that there was a huge sense of mystery surrounding artists and their craft. Whether it was Jimmy Page's fascination with Alistair Crowley, Rush's Ayn Rand inspirations or Peter Gabriel's Albion meets abstract lyrics, the fog of mystery was created naturally and genuinely, and it made us sit intently in front of the speakers to try to unravel the work of our heroes.

Today, we are at the exact opposite point. Everything a musician, label or manager can think of exposing is exposed in an effort to have that all-important "dialogue" with the fan. It's a relationship goldrush that every act is now expected to be part of. There have always been obsessive fans who want it all, and always will be. But in this age of music industry freefall, we are adding fuel to the fire, as even the diehards have to question the frequency and value of the communication from their idols. Let's face it, I wanted to know about Jimmy's interest in black magic, but didn't want to know whether he'd had sprouts for lunch. Not only because it meant little (even though I love sprouts), but because it actively destroyed the myth of him being a mysterious being from a higher plain.

Too much inane "dialogue" only makes the fan tire of the artist at a quicker rate. And so we see artist's commercial lifetime come to an end much faster than in the pre-web days. Often after just one "lead track" (we can't say "single" these days). And they don't realize that they are doing it to themselves. Sure, Twittering from the tour bus is cool, but it's also of no value if it's total drivel and destroys the allure of the act.
Social media has effectively taken the place of the NME and Sounds, but there needs to be a quality level attached just as there was back in the day. This has to come from the artists. Let's help them to rebuild the level of integrity, artistry and mystery around music's future heroes. Only through doing this can legends be created whose level of intrigue and talent will enable their music to be sold for decades, rather than days.