The Week in Light & Sound
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Ulvaeus also spoke about the band's new music, confirming they had finished new songs, but would not give away any details about when they might be released. "There will be a new song, a couple of new songs coming. But I've been saying this for such a long time. I'm not saying when any more. I'm just saying we have them and they will be released eventually."
Code of Practice - A code of practice has been developed for producers of touring shows and venues around the UK. It urges a more robust approach to dealing with cancelled productions and calls for swifter payments between parties. The code is included within a new handbook produced by UK Theatre and the Society of London Theatre in response to growing concern that relationships between producers and venues are becoming strained.
Discussions at a touring symposium in 2018 focused on financial pressures, and “an erosion of trust and transparency”. The new handbook aims to help the two sides “build stronger relationships to improve the long-term health of touring in the UK”. Seven key areas of concern are raised in the handbook, and covered within these are concerns about “unexplained royalty hikes by producers” and how the deal-making process fails to address tour cancellation”.
Radio Plays - Ed Sheeran was the most-played artist in the UK last year, while Feel It Still by Portugal The Man was 2018's most-played song. Sheeran topped the chart despite not releasing new music; and without an entry in the Top 10 most-played tracks, suggesting his entire catalogue of hits remains on rotation on the radio. It's the third time in four years that he's been the UK's most-played artist. Calvin Harris came second and Little Mix were third. The data was compiled by music royalty body PPL, which monitors the music played on TV and radio; and in pubs and clubs.
The PPL said nine of the top 10 most-played artists were British, with Pink being the exception. The charts were revealed ahead of at its AGM, where the society is due to announce that it collected £246.8 million on behalf of 105,192 performers and rights holders over the last year.
Farewell The Night Tripper - Tributes are being paid to the Grammy award-winning musician Dr John, who has died of a heart attack at the age of 77. Born Malcolm John Rebennack, Dr John was one of the most venerated pianists in New Orleans' musical history, a six-time Grammy winner and a Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductee.
"God bless Dr. John peace and love to all his family I love the doctor peace and love," Ringo Starr wrote on Twitter. "He was just a mystical person," Debbie Harry told WVUE. "He did what he liked best and was unique." The Recording Academy, which organises the Grammys, described the musician as "a New Orleans icon".
Dr John first encountered the New Orleans music scene through his father, who ran a record shop and also fixed the PA systems in bars, and took up music full-time after dropping out of high school and spending time in prison. The Dr John personality was born from his fascination with voodoo. In his memoir, he said, he drew inspiration from folklore about a root doctor who flourished in the mid-1800s. R. I. P.
(Jim Evans)
11 June 2019
