CONVENTION 2012

10 years on, what have we learned?

This year, Hard Working Class Heroes turns 10. That’s 10 years of bands (many of which are no longer with us), showcases, industry pow-wows, meet-and-greets, packed venues (some of which are also no longer with us) and great days and nights out in Dublin.

We’ve had ups, we’ve had downs, but we’re still here. Still talking the good fight. Still deconstructing and dissecting the changing shape and nature of this business. Still introducing fascinating characters who are doing great stuff right now to our convention audiences. Still showing that getting up and doing something yourself is much better than sitting there and whinging about it.

This year, we’re looking at what we’ve learned from the conversations, panels and workshops we’ve held at HWCH over the last couple of years. We’ve invited some interested parties to talk about what they’ve learned and what
they’re still finding out, as all of us make our way in an uncertain business, which is still in a constant state of flux. We’re going to find
out about how they’ve dealt with disruption, what they see coming down the tracks and why they still do what they’re doing. It’s like cramming for your Leaving Certs' English exam all over again.

THE PANELS

THE MANAGERS
Date: Friday 5th October
Time 2pm
Venue: The Button Factory

The question isn’t what does a manager do in 2012, but what rather what does a manger not do? You’re the A&R man, the tour manager, the proxy agent, the belst-and-braces book-keeper and the person the bass player calls at 3am when he is having problems with his boyfriend/girlfriend. The tasks you used to be able to delegate to someone at the label are now part and parcel of your job description – hell, you’re probably the label as well as everything else. A conversation with four managers about the stuff on their to-do list.

The panel:

Bernadette Barrett (Mondo Management, London - Lisa Hannigan, Damien Rice,
Orbital, David Gray etc)

Joe Clarke (CWB, Limerick - The Rubberbandits, The Strypes)

Jim Lawless (The Coronas Management)

Jeffrey Remedios (Arts & Crafts Management, Toronto – Broken Social Scene, Timber Timbre, Dan Mangan, Zeus, The Darcys etc)

BANDS & BRANDS
Date: Friday 5th October
Time: 3.30pm
Venue: The Button Factory

Over the last decade, the relationship between bands and brands has become even closer. When cash is scarce, every single revenue source becomes important and when brands offer bands a nice cheque, fewer and fewer are saying more. But brand association now means much more than mere sponsorship or endorsement and brands themselves know they hold much of the power. Our panel will look at changes in the bands and brands space and muse about what’s to come.

The panel:

Gary Cohen (Brand Aid, Dublin)

James Cooper (James Cooper Studio, Dublin)

Finian Murphy (Irish International)

Nick Kelly (Musician)

THE AGENTS
Date: Saturday 6th October
Time: 2pm
Venue: The Button Factory

See these people? These are the new kingpins and queenpins of the music business, the people you really want on your side. Forget about labels, the people you want to see walking into your show and nodding their heads are booking agents. We talk to four booking agents about what they do, how they do it and when they know it’s right to start working with a band.

The panel:

Jason Edwards (13 Artists, Brighton)

Steve Zapp (ITB, London)

Nick Holroyd (Primary Talent)

Andy Clayton (Coda Agency)

HWCH 2022 – TECHNOLOGY
Date: Saturday 6th October
Time 3.30pm
Venue: The Button Factory

10 years ago, none of the people on this panel were doing what they’re doing now. 10 years ago, the companies represented on this panel either didn’t exist or were doing doing something else entirely. 10 years from now, the above scenarios will probably also apply. Our panels leave their jet-packs at the door and do some bluesky thinking – there is such a thing, right? – about how tech and tech people are going to completely change everything we’ve learned in the last 10 years.

The panel:

Will Abramson (Yourstru.ly)

Dev Sherlock (The Hype Machine)

Darren Hemmings (Motive Unknown, London)

Brendan O’Driscoll (Soundwave, Dublin)

This panel will be preceded by a Lightning Talk by Finian Murphy from the
What If Project on the Music 3.0 week earlier this year - http://whatifproject.tumblr.com/

All Panels will be chaired by Jim Carroll

SPEED SESSIONS

Industry delegates at HWCH from at home and abroad make themselves available for ten minute one to one chats. booking is free but on a strict first come first served basis mail admin@hwch.net to nab one of the coveted 25 places per day
Friday 5th / 10.30am to 1.00pm, The Button Factory, Curved Street, Temple Bar
Saturday 6th / 10.30am to 1.00pm, The Button Factory, Curved Street,Temple Bar

LIVE STREAMING WORKSHOP

Ever wondered how to get in front of a bigger audience without all the hassle of organising a bigger gig? Live streaming is the most effective way to share your gig with the world and Aertv.ie will be giving a workshop that demonstrates a few different ways you can stream live – from using a simple web cam to using a few cameras for your live stream. Even better still, Aertv.ie has live stream enabled a number of venues in Dublin. Come along to learn how you can work with Aertv and screen your gig to a bigger audience online. The Aettv live streaming workshop will take place on Saturday 6th October at 1pm in the Artist Lounge in filmbase to book a place e-mail Karen at karen@aertv.ie

BANDTIP SESSIONS

It’s back! Our series of informal conversations features a top-table of peers yakking about this, that and the other. As they talk, they provide plenty of do’s and dont's for bands at every stage of their career inbetween the (occasionally slanderous) anecdotes. Remember: all advice is good advice.

BLOGGERS
Date :Thursday 4th October
Time : 5pm
Venue: The Artist Lounge , Filmbase

The future will be blogged (John 17.6). A bunch of Irish music bloggers sit at a table and tell us what they look for in a band.
Your chance to find out if they really just write about their hipster mates.

Nialler9
Aidan Cuffe (Goldenplec)
The Point of Everything
The Gman

Chaired by Dev Sherlock (Hype Machine)

RADIO
Date: Friday 5th October
Time: 5pm
Venue: The Artist Lounge Filmbase

Meet the people who decide what gets played on the radio – and what doesn’t.

Brian Adams (Today FM)

Dave McArdle (Red FM)

Penny-Rose Hart (RTE Radio One)

Ian Wilson (2fm)

Chaired by Jim Carroll (Irish Times)

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS
Date : Saturday 6th October
Time: 5pm
Venue: The Artist Lounge Filmbase

There are reps from various international showcase festivals in town this weekend for Hard Working Class Heroes looking for bands to play their events. Just what the hell are they looking for (besides a good time)?

Marije Brouwer (Eurosonic)
Mine Erguen (Reeperbahn)
Natasha Haddad (The Great Escape)
Matt McDonald (CMJ)
Lizzy Newton (SXSW)
Cameron Wright (Canadian Music Week)

Chaired by Angela Dorgan (FMC/HWCH)