The seventh Liverpool Sound City is proud to announce iconic music figures John Cale and Thurston Moore and former Chief Executive of The Premier League and former CEO of Liverpool Football Club Rick Parry as keynote speakers at this year’s conferenc
Genre-busting pioneers, John Cale and Thurston Moore formed two of the most influential bands of the twentieth century in The Velvet Underground and Sonic Youth, reinventing music and spawning thousands of bands in their wakes.
Continuing to influence and impact on the industry, John has since recorded 15 solo studio albums including his best-known, the 1973 album Paris 1919, and produced or collaborated with artists as diverse as the Patti Smith Group, Squeeze, The Stooges and The Happy Mondays. In 2011, he signed to Domino Record’s subsidiary Double Six, and in October 2012, released his first full-length release for seven years with the mischievously-titled Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood.
David Pichilingi, CEO of Sound City, said: “We promised a step change this year and we have delivered. John and Thurston are two of the biggest global names in music – not just for the records they’ve made but the artists they have inspired and the sub-cultures they’ve inspired. For decades right up to the present day being into the Velvets or Sonic Youth isn’t just a decision to buy a record – it’s a lifestyle choice. These guys literally changed the world, what people listen to, what they think, how they dress.”
Both John and Thurston will be discussing their careers to date, what influenced them, their relationships with other artists and cultural icons and a look to the future.
The worlds of music, literature and sport will collide at the conference when former chief executive of Liverpool Football Club and former head of the FA Premier League Rick Parry is interviewed by British novelist Kevin Sampson.
Appointed as Chief Executive of The Premier League in February 1992, Parry is credited with overseeing its development into one of the top professional football companies in the world. Birkenhead-based Sampson, best known for his novels Awaydays, Powder and Stars are Stars – as well as being fired from NME in the 80s and setting up Produce Records – will be questioning Parry on the business of football.
The conference will also see sports correspondent and award-winning author James Corbett discussing the football industry. Having reported across the world for the likes of the BBC and national newspapers (including the Guardian and Sunday Times), and collaborated with Neville Southall and Howard Kendall on their autobiographies, James will be talking about his current book on global football governance.
The following topics will be covered as part of the conference’s series of panels and debates:
Is everybody Appy!? The importance of the tech and entertainment business (in terms of commercial music exploitation)
The ‘pornification’ of pop culture
The rebirth of vinyl – fad or trend?
The death of music sub cultures or just old bastards moaning
The importance and business of style in British pop culture
Repackage and Redefine! Breathing life into well-worn brands. Are there any new lessons for the music business?
Zero to Hero- The rise of the blogger!
The new demagogues? - What can the music industry learn from the international football business (and vice versa)
David said: “Our remit is to create a new type of music industry conference that offers big name keynotes and ‘In Conversation’ pieces designed to inspire, motivate and bring together new thinking. True to the Sound City style, all topics will be dealt with the aim of providing a contentious insight towards all areas of the argument – leaving our audience biting at the bit. We want people to leave Sound City awestruck and full of a burning ambition to leave their mark on the industry.”
Liverpool Sound City is the biggest urban festival in the UK with over 45,000 attendees expected in 2014. The conference will run on 1 & 2 May in the Hilton Hotel and Liverpool ONE.
Published on 09 January 2014 by Ben Robinson
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