Monday, January 28, 2008

The Money Shot: Brits Tell Bruce To Keep It Down In There, The Police Are In It For The Art, and Hmmm...I Guess The Album IS Dead (and DVD Killed It)

The latest headlines...

Has digital killed the record store? (Springfield News-Sun)
MS: Competition from other sectors is a more likely explanation, according to Oberholzer-Gee and Strumpf's statistical analysis of file sharing activity in 2002.

"A shift in entertainment spending toward recorded movies alone can largely explain the reduction in sales," they wrote. "The sales of DVDs and VHS tapes increased by over $5 billion between 1999 and 2003. This figure more than offsets the $2.6 billion reduction in album sales since 1999."

In addition, computer game sales rose by 40 percent and mobile phone usage by teenagers tripled during that period.



Boss can make stadium rock (but not too much) (This Is London)
MS: The Rev Stephen Coles, vicar of St Thomas's Church in Finsbury Park, said: "It is very unfair on residents living around the stadium who will have to put up with the noise. I have no faith that a concert will be controlled to the level that it will only be audible within the stadium itself."

Labour councillor Theresa Debono said there were also concerns about increased anti-social behaviour. She said: "If you have thousands of people drinking and stumbling out of a concert it can only mean trouble. There is a feeling residents' views are not being taken into account."

Green councillor Katie Dawson said: "This is not Wembley, it is Islington. It is bonkers to put on concerts without first ensuring the noise will not disturb residents nearby."


Why would rock and roll legends decide to re-form? (Herald Sun)
MS: The Police reunion, a surprise to the band as much as the world who'd watched their acrimonious split, is generating them $160 million for about 114 shows. The tour has sold 1.5 million tickets worldwide. However, the three weren't exactly down to their last few dollars.

Ed Bicknell, one-time manager of Dire Straits and now head of the music division of the powerful William Morris Agency, believes the Police reunion was partly inspired by "getting back together with your mates, the camaraderie''. However, he mentioned a certain seven-figure lure.

"I doubt any of these acts would have got back together had there not been a significant financial pay-off. I can't imagine Sting and Stewart Copeland are doing it out of some kind of 'it's for the art, man' attitude.''


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