Barabbas and the Beards

22 October 2010

Every now and then something crops up in the life of every record label that absolutely no one thought to prepare for. Recently just such a thing happened as Debt co-founder Louis Barabbas was approached to model for the Beards Of Manchester calendar 2011.

So it was that during one of the busiest months in the music industry calendar Louis grabbed Alfie the Debt Records Dog and flounced off to have his picture taken.

The calendar was the brain child of b&n magazine’s Samantha Bail and Hey Manchester’s Chris Horkan and was produced to raise money and awareness for Manchester’s homeless charity Lifeshare.

The photographs are currently on exhibition in Common’s Kestrel Suite in Manchester’s Northern Quarter and will remain there until the end of the year. You can’t miss Louis’ June photo (see below) - it’s the biggest picture in the room!

Other beards included our friend Jay Taylor from The Ruby Lounge and Pat “Mad Dawg” Macaulay (who also has a cameo in The Bedlam Six’s music video for their cover of “Relight My Fire” - released in November).

All photos by Gill Moore.

Visit http://gillmoorephotography.co.uk/ to see more examples of her work.

Visit www.beardsofmanchester.com for more information about the project and where you can buy a copy of the calendar.

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Debt's Unconventional Research

20 September 2010

DEBT RECORDS WOULD LIKE TO HEAR YOUR VIEWS ABOUT THE NORTHWEST LIVE MUSIC SCENE FOR A SPECIAL UNCONVENTION PUBLICATION

Un-Convention is series of music events aimed specifically at the grass roots of the industry, the goal being to bring together like minded individuals to discuss the future of independent music.

Whilst a great deal of the weekend’s discussion is concerned with the recorded side of the industry, Debt Records (one of Un-Convention’s entertainment curators for the Salford event taking place on 1st, 2nd and 3rd October this year) is more interested in how current industry practices affect the live circuit - after all, historically it has always been the live scene that has shaped the trends of music market as a whole.

One of the things that makes Un-Convention so different from other music industry conferences is that each event is place-specific. Over the years they have run panels all over the world, working with local practitioners to tailor the occasions to fit the concerns of the region.

So, in light of this interest in context as well as content, Debt Records is compiling a document that aims to sum up the North West live scene, with particular reference to the Manchester and Salford circuits whose combined cultural legacy has been cause for celebration and derision in almost equal measures over the years.

Label co-founder Louis Barabbas says “I strongly believe that Manchester and Salford combined have one of the most inspiring live music scenes on the planet - that’s why I moved up from the South in the first place. I’ve now been involved in the live circuit for a while (both as promoter and performer) and that core belief hasn’t changed. I’d be lying, however, if I said it hadn’t been shaken a few times.”

The view of the Debt team is that better communication is key to maintaining a healthy live industry. Venues, promoters and artists all have to work together, they are all crucial components in a very delicate setup that has to keep one eye on the bank balance and the other on the cultural zeitgeist.

“The first step is for people to listen to one another” says Debt Records’ Events Director Biff Roxby. “Everyone has an idea of what the live experience should be - we all have a connection with it on some level, be it as a gig reviewer or as a commuter who walks past a busker on their way to work. We should share those ideas more.”

Debt are interviewing venue owners, performers, bloggers, photographers, band managers, promoters and anyone else who works in the live music business with the aim of bringing all the opinions into the same forum and hopefully facilitating the beginnings of a dialogue that may one day put to rest some of the sticky politics at the heart of what could be the best live scene in the world.

If you have an opinion about Manchester music (good or bad) Debt would like to hear about it. Please email any thoughts to info@debtrecords.net with the subject LIVE MUSIC

Debt Records will be curating the People’s History Museum Stage at Un-Convention on 2nd October 2010. Creative Director Louis Barabbas will be speaking on the “Building a Sustainable Career in Music” panel at 2.30pm the same day at Sacred Trinity Church.

For more information visit www.unconventionhub.org

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Welsh Music Foundation is 10

10 September 2010

Debt’s Director of Communications Chris Mitchell is speaking on the AIM panel at the Welsh Music Foundation’s tenth birthday at the Wales Millenium Centre on Saturday 11th September. Details of the panel are below…

The Independents of Wales Session curated by AIM for the WMF’s Birthday Event

DATE Saturday 11th of September 2010 TIME 15:30 - 17:00 (approx finishing time) LOCATION Wales Millenium Centre, Japan Room Cardiff CF10 5AL

Panel
Pat Fulgoni (Chair) - Chocolate Fireguard
Sharon Matheson - AIM / AIF
Bethan Elfyn - BBC Radio1 Introducing Wales
Chris Mitchell - Debt Records
Guto Brychan - Gwymon & Copa labels

Audience: Independent labels / self releasing artists and manager Layout: Top table / theatre style seating

Format:
15:30 - 15:50 Presentation from AIM
- Introduction to AIM
- Introduction to Independents Day

15:50 - 16:45 Panel Discussion chaired by Pat Fulgoni
- The Independents of Wales

Begin with intro into who everyone is and what those on the panel do. Perhaps for the labels, mentioning a success story.

Topics for discussion may include:

1. Why it is great to be independent
2. The importance of independent artists and labels to a regional music industry
3. The support provided to the independents
4. What is missing regionally / why do so many move to London / go major

16:45 - 17:00 Questions from the floor

Click here for more information

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Barabbas, Barry and Becca on BBC

08 September 2010

BBC Introducing in Manchester will be celebrating BBC Radio Manchester’s 40th anniversary with a song for every one of its 40 years.

The initiative, which showcases under-the-radar talent, has asked 40 local artists to cover famous tracks by past acts that have strong connections to northern city. From the Hollies to 10cc, New Order to Girls Aloud, each song has been hand-picked to denote a year in BBC Manchester’s 40 year broadcasting history.

From Friday 10 September to Sunday 12 September, these 40 recorded tracks will be played out on BBC Radio Manchester’s daytime schedule, giving the next wave of fresh, new northern talent, further opportunities to be heard by a wider audience.

Chris Long, Producer of BBC Introducing in Manchester, says: “We were asked for ideas to celebrate 40 years of BBC Radio Manchester and the idea instantly popped into my head for 40 of the acts that I work with on BBC Introducing to cover 40 Manchester musical moments. We’re trying to showcase the fantastic musical history we’ve got and the brilliant musical future in Greater Manchester.”

Full list of Artists and Tracks:

1970 - The Travelling Band - Our House (Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young) - Graham Nash grew up in Salford

1971 - The Christophers - Oh You Pretty Things (Peter Noone) - Peter Noone is from Manchester

1972 - Blind Atlas - You’re A Lady (Peter Skellern) - Peter Skellern is from Bury

1973 - The Ambersons - Magic Woman Touch (The Hollies) - Members of The Hollies are from Greater Manchester

1974 - Rook and the Ravens - The Air That I Breathe (The Hollies)

1975 - Christopher Eatough - I’m Not In Love (10cc) - Members of 10cc are from Greater Manchester

1976 - Kid British - The Boys Are Back In Town (Thin Lizzy) - Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott spent some of his childhood in Manchester

1977 - Kristyna Myles - Grease (Frankie Valli) - Grease is written by Barry Gibb, who grew up in Manchester

1978 - Here Be Dragons - Ever Fallen in Love (Buzzcocks) - Members of Buzzcocks are from Greater Manchester

1979 - Golden Glow - Every Day Hurts (Sad Café) - Members of Sad Café are from Greater Manchester

1980 - MAY68 - Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division) - Members of Joy Division are from Greater Manchester

1981 - Josephine - Rapture (Blondie) - Blondie bass player at time, Nigel Harrison, is from Stockport

1982 - Unconscious Jungle - The Look Of Love (ABC) - Martin Fry is from Stockport

1983 - Shmoo - Blue Monday (New Order) - Former members of Joy Division

1984 - Becca Williams and Richard Barry - Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now (The Smiths) - Members of The Smiths are from Greater Manchester

1985 - Walton Hesse - She Sells Sanctuary (The Cult) - Billy Duffy is from Manchester

1986 - Selfish Lovers - Panic (The Smiths)

1987 - Suzuki Method - Hit The North (The Fall) - Members of The Fall are from Greater Manchester

1988 - Karima Francis - Everyday Is Like Sunday (Morrissey) - Morrissey is from Manchester

1989 - Heavy Feet - People Hold On (Coldcut and Lisa Stansfield) - Lisa Stansfield from Rochdale

1990 - Driver Drive Faster - Step On (Happy Mondays) - Members of Happy Mondays are from Greater Manchester

1991 - From The Kites Of San Quentin - In Yer Face (808 State) - Members of 808 State are from Greater Manchester

1992 - Twelfth Day - You’re The One For Me, Fatty (Morrissey) - Morrissey is from Manchester

1993 - Louis Barabbas & the Bedlam Six - Relight My Fire (Take That & Lulu) - Members of Take That are from Greater Manchester

1994 - Butler Williams - The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get (Morrissey)

1995 - The Reclusive Barclay Brothers - Over My Shoulder (Mike & the Mechanics) - Former members of Sad Café

1996 - Violet Youth - Forever Love (Take That)

1997 - Sophie’s Pigeons - The Drugs Don’t Work (The Verve) - Members of The Verve are from Greater Manchester

1998 - Samir Harmim - Sonnet (The Verve)

1999 - The Minnikins - Once Around The Block (Badly Drawn Boy) - Damon Gough from Bolton

2000 - Seerauber Jenny - A Song For Lovers (Richard Ashcroft) - Former member of the Verve

2001 - A Me B - F.E.A.R. (Ian Brown) - Ian Brown is from Manchester

2002 - The Gilded Palace of Sin - Pounding (Doves) - Members of Doves are from Greater Manchester

2003 - Envy - Sound Of The Underground (Girls Aloud) - Sarah Harding is from Stockport

2004 - Beat The Radar - Love Machine (Girls Aloud)

2005 - Tim and Sam’s Tim and the Sam Band with Tim and Sam - Dare (Gorillaz) - features Shaun Ryder of the Happy Mondays, who is from the area

2006 - Messner - Country Girl (Primal Scream) - Mani from Primal Scream is from Manchester

2007 - Bugs In Ember - Do It Again (The Chemical Brothers) - The Chemical Brothers met and formed at University of Manchester

2008 - Kathryn Edwards - The Promise (Girls Aloud)

2009 - Hans Island - Up All Night (Take That)

2010 - The Vanguards - Doubt (Delphic) - Members of Delphic are from Greater Manchester

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Un-Convention's Invisible Band

09 May 2010

The last few days have seen two historic events take place: the first UK hung parliament in thirty six years and the first album to be recorded, produced, pressed and released in a mere twelve hours.

The latter is, of course, Un-Convention Factory. Eight bands, Sixty music industry professionals and three hundred people in a converted factory space recreating Iggy Pop’s “The Idiot” album to mark the thirtieth anniversary since Ian Curtis hanged himself while listening to it.

One of those bands was Debt’s own Louis Barabbas & The Bedlam Six who were commissioned to rearrange track six “Dum Dum Boys”. Despite receiving praise on the day from everyone from Har Mar Superstar to UB40’s sax player they don’t get a credit on the album sleeve. The artwork for the record was produced and printed in-house and somehow the band with the longest name (playing the album’s longest song) was left off the sleeve notes. This oversight comes as no surprise to Louis:

“It’s pointless getting annoyed about these things, it happens all the time and has characterized our musical career. We’re best known for our live presence but to the existing industry we’ve always been invisible - it’s apt for us to be anonymous on the only record that has any kind of mainstream appeal… it tickles my perverted sense of humour that anyone enjoying our track on the Unconvention album will have no idea who’s playing it. Besides, I’ve always said I’d rather be a myth than a legend.”

The whole Debt Records team were at the factory all day and were moved by the mixture of positive collaboration and useful discussion between current practitioners (coupled with the usual industry survivors wittering on about the good old days) - it was a curious harmony of new ideas, community spirit and optimism with a handful of irrelevant famous people wasting everyone’s time. A perfect mirror to what we now hesitantly call “the music business”.

For more information about the great things that Un-Convention gets up to visit their blog.

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