Rock n Roll Business

Do you know which song is banned from performance at the Royal Albert Hall?

Well according to archives its the Beatles Classic - A Day In The Life.

The 1967 song makes reference to the iconic venue in the lyrics ‘...and though the holes were rather small, they had to count them all, now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall”.

A letter from the CEO of the RAH to The Beatles manager, Brian Epstein highlights concern from the venue that the idea of 4000 holes might put off future visitors who may be concerned about falling into one of the alleged holes.

Indeed Ernest O”Follipar goes onto suggest alternative lyrics for the song and explain how Ringo could provide backing vocals that would help to protect the venues identity & reputation.

John Lennon wrote back to highlight that the band wouldn’t be changing the lyrics, or indeed apologising.

The ban was unwittingly broken by Milli Vanilli in 1989 - not a band you’d be expecting to cover The Beatles and the venues authorities have long forgotten the ban is seems.

The Royal Albert Hall continues to stand strong - and is celebrating 150 years with an array ogf special events.

But who actually owns the Hall? Why was it built - and who is the one star that they would love to host a performance from that hasn't *yet* stood on that very special stage?

I was lucky enough to visit earlier this year and talk to the CEO Craig Hassall and Director of Events, Lucy Noble

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On this weeks Rock 'n' Roll Business we speak to musican, actor & artist - Luke Goss. Live from the The Beverly Hills Hotel in LA, we talk about fame, finance and finding yourself with Luke. 

This is an access all areas interview, where once again, we take you 'backstage' into the music business and discuss a global career that has seen Luke having to work to balance sensitivity in a very commercial world - and discuss why he is so passionate about helping others.

You can not underestimate the impact and fame that BROS achieved as a band, selling millions of records worldwide and then reforming in 2017 for the huge o2 arena gigs & subsequent documentary.

Luke is an established actor having starred alongside Samuel L. Jackson & Wesley Snipes on the big screen and also embarked on a career as a painter. (The exhibit of his first collection of 18 paintings came with the news that the there was a value of at least £291m ($400m) for his in-demand work!). Join Luke Goss for a real heart to heart about the industry he loves.

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Live from the Royal Albert Hall Nitin Sawhney is one of the most distinctive and versatile musical voices around today, achieving an international reputation across every possible creative medium. ​In 2017 he received the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement award, and is firmly established as a world-class producer, songwriter, DJ, multi-instrumentalist, orchestral composer and cultural pioneer. With over 20 studio albums to his name, including solo albums, film soundtracks and compilations, he has received a substantial wealth of major national and international awards for the work. There was so many things to learn from Nitin - in what seems to be a world celebrating those who can simply shout loudest he has chosen a route of collaboration and celebration of others. Indeed he enjoys the experience of working with other talent because he positively sees it as an opportunity to learn from the best - and although I cant claim to have much in common with Nitin as a super talent - I whole-heartedly live by this ethos.

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This podcast episode is dedicated to longevity and with a career spanning 6 decades in the music business, Ms Freda Payne has demonstrated her staying power to the max. Rolling Stone listed Freda Payne as one of the greatest Disco Diva's. She is best known for the global dance-floor filler 1970's number one “Band of Gold” and her 1971 Grammy nominated album, Contact. Freda's career started much earlier when in her teens jazz legend Duke Ellington wanted to hire her. Motown Records President Berry Gordy Jr. also offered her a recording contract, yet Freda turned both opportunities. “When I look back at my life in show business, I have to say, ‘I’m a survivor,’” says Freda. In this chat we talk about the twists and turns that Freda has taken to survive and thrive and what lessons we can learn - like why its important to surround yourself with other experts and talent.

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Located on an unassuming, strip mall in downtown Nashville, The Bluebird Cafe is a 90 seater venue which has hosted some of the world's biggest music stars & songwriters.

Positioned as the songwriter’s performance space to showcase the “heroes behind the hits”, The Bluebird Cafe is also a 'global star' of a venue.

In 2012 the cafe made a primetime debut on ABC with the hit drama Nashville and was part of the show’s recurring plot-line generating international fans and visitors. I spoke to COO Erika Wollam Nichols live at the venue as they prepared for the evenings performance.

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Better Strangers are an energy loaded, Miami-based rock band that enjoy blending a heavy rock style with contemporary layers and melodies. They are also are building a fan-base and following in one of the most pivotal times in rock n roll. In this two-for-one interview, you can hear the story of how the band formed & developed whilst hearing the realties of the business-minded start-up working to survive & thrive in a high-octane world. And whilst the drummer, Nic Collins, also takes on the Genesis The Last Domino? World Tour collaborating with his father , the legendary Phil Collins,

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Roachford is most famous for the song Cuddly Toy, which has been a mainstay of radio airplay for over three decades and at its peak was selling 33,000 copies a day. Since then, Andrew Roachford has carved out a career for himself as one of the most compelling, and consistent, rock and soul artists the UK has produced. He has released 10 studio albums, several greatest hits collections, been invited to write for other artists including Chaka Khan, Michael Jackson and Joss Stone, and toured with contemporaries including Terence Trent D’Arby and The Christians.

For the past nine years, he has been part of Mike + the Mechanics, recording and playing live around the world with Mike Rutherford’s post-Genesis band. Raised in south-east London, he comes from a musical family, his father a drummer, his uncle a saxophonist. He was out on the road with his uncle from the age of 14, and by 15 was working in a studio with The Clash. In his early 20s, he signed a seven-album deal with Columbia, and went on to be one of the label’s most successful acts for the next decade with a string of hit singles and international successes.

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On this episode we speak to one of the Godfathers of Touring - Mr Neil Warnock - in a chat crammed with celebrity stories & business insights. Neil Warnock MBE is the Global Head of Touring at United Talent Agency, one of the world’s foremost entertainment booking agencies. His career spans over five decades and he has represented or consulted on many of history’s most influential musicians including the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Michael Jackson. He continues to innovate in the industry and has had significant success in booking tours in established and emerging markets, including Asia, South America, and Eastern Europe.

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Making artists touring dreams a reality is the passion of our guest, Emma Banks, co-head at Creative Arts Agency Emma is a ’super agent’ supporting the talent to get on tour and in this chat we talk about the secrets behind a 25 year career in the music business. Her clients include Florence + The Machine, Katy Perry, Kylie Minogue, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and many more. She has received multiple awards, including the MITS Award (Music Industry Trust Award) a benchmark of achievement in the industry.

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Music legend Midge Ure enjoyed success in the 1970s and 80s with bands including Visage, Thin Lizzy and Ultravox. But it was his penning of a certain charity hit single in 1984 with pal Bob Geldof which truly made him a global household name. Humble and genuine (not often two things you'd associate with a musical superstar), Midge talks openly to Rock 'n' Roll Business about forming Band Aid, the meaning of success and how a trip back to Glasgow keeps his feet firmly on the ground. 

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Randy Jackson is a Grammy-award-winning musician, singer, producer, entrepreneur and TV personality most famous for his role as the longest serving judge on American Idol. The founder of multiple successful creative and business ventures, Randy has launched a radio programme, a line of guitars and an eyeware range and manages the careers of a number of musicians and chefs. In his fascinating interview with Rock 'n' Roll Business, he talks all about what he believes it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and the values behind his success, that transcend way beyond the music industry. 

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Megastar manager, producer and talent agent, Shep Gordon joins Rock 'n' Roll Business for a humorous and open chat on everything from helping Alice Cooper break the UK (with some interesting guerrilla marketing tactics) to feeding the Dalai Lama. Also known as "Supermensch", (he's the subject of the Mike Myers movie bearing the same name) - which means 'a person of integrity or honour', Shep was open and honest about those well- documented high jinks back in the day. Kate and the Rock 'n' Roll Business crew found Shep to be a genuinely fascinating guy, who seems to truly hold the knack and the power to make people famous.

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A podcast like no other, Rock n Roll Business™️ is an access-all-areas pass to the movers and shakers who stand off stage and make sure business booms, no matter what.

Giving you backstage access to learn more about how the business of rock ‘n’ roll really works – this unique podcast combines never-before-heard stories of the music industry with cutting-edge business insights, showcasing the secrets of success and the business learnings from some of the world’s biggest stars in music. 

Brought to you by global business problem solver Kate Hardcastle MBE (who started life as a singer!), along with a crew of the music industry’s finest, this podcast is a must for both music fans and business people alike. 

Recorded at some of the world’s most iconic music venues, including The Royal Albert Hall and of course, Abbey Road, Rock ‘n’ Roll Business™️ gets the inside scoop from music industry managers, artists and icons. Hear how mega-star manager Shep Gordon helped Alice Cooper break the UK by ‘making parents hate him’. Learn from Dolly Parton’s team the strategy behind her infamous 00’s career turnaround and see from Nic Collins how you launch a band when your father’s already kind of big in the business (yes that’s Phil Collins)… 

It’s not just a podcast, it’s a backstage pass to a whole new music fan club which not only celebrates key figures from the industry, but examines down what they’ve done in their illustrious careers and more importantly, how they’ve done it.

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