The £1.2bn ($1.9bn) takeover of EMI was announced in November. Although the European Commission said its ruling would allay competition fears, rival music labels have condemned the move. EMI, with a history dating back to 1897, is home to artists including the Beatles and Pink Floyd. Universal is a unit of French media giant Vivendi.
In EMI's 1960s heyday, it was one of four music companies that dominated the British charts. The others were Decca, Philips and Pye. One by one, the others fell by the wayside, swallowed up by what is now Universal Music Group (UMG). Now, with all remaining obstacles to the deal cleared, EMI's recorded music division looks set to follow suit, putting the last big UK record company into French hands.
However, the scale of the sell-off required by the European Commission is impressive. It includes the catalogue of one of those proud 1960s labels, Pye - now part of Sanctuary, which Universal bought in 2007 and must now hive off again. With other labels such as Mute also on the list, music by artists from the Kinks to Depeche Mode will now be changing hands.
The Commission's demand for assets sales also includes disposal of EMI's Chrysalis, Mute, and Classics labels, as well as Universal's Sanctuary and Co-op Music labels. "The very significant commitments proposed by Universal will ensure that competition in the music industry is preserved and that European consumers continue to enjoy all its benefits," EU competition commissioner Joaquin Almunia said in a statement.
Our House - Suggs is to star in a concert production of the Madness musical Our House, being held to mark the tenth anniversary of the show. The concert will take place at the Savoy Theatre on 11 November, with Suggs reprising the role of Joe's dad, a part he played for a limited run in the London production in 2003.
Original director Matthew Warchus has been reunited with the show's designer for the concert, which will be staged in aid of Help for Heroes. "What a great pleasure it is to be revisiting one of my all-time favourite projects for this charity concert version. I can't wait to unpack it again," Warchus said. Our House, written by Tim Firth, won an Olivier for best new musical in 2003.
Early Bird - The first tickets for next August's Edinburgh Festival Fringe have gone on sale an unprecedented 11 months before the start of the event. This is the earliest that fringe tickets have even been on sale. They are for comedian Jason Manford, who will be playing five dates at Venue150@EICC as part of a six month tour.
Until 2010, when Underbelly broke ranks by putting a selection of tickets on sale in March, Edinburgh fringe venues have generally followed the convention of not selling tickets until the launch of the fringe programme in June. A Fringe spokesman refused to comment on the specific show, but told The Stage, "There have always been some shows and some performers who choose to sell their tickets before the fringe box office opens. Perhaps unsurprisingly as that date gets earlier then, ultimately, so will their decision to sell tickets."
(Jim Evans)
