Simon Taffe chats to eFestivals

[5co77ie]

click here:

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/endo...iew-taffe.shtml

[geofelgie]

cool interview.

Interesting stuff about "exclusivity" contracts.

Was chatting with a legal-type-expert of some kind, we were both a little drunk....and he assured me that such deals are illegal under European Law. It's not the exclusivity clauses themselves apparently but just offering a contract that says that a band can't play another festival in England but can play one in Spain or Holland, Scotland, Ireland is a criminal act.....something to do with "restrictive co-ertion" or sommat.

The thing is no-one's ever going to challenge it....the bands aren't, they're getting the dosh, and EOTR can't cos it would be hugely expensive, take forever and they'd just look like moaning minnies.......but if one jumped up bureaucrat ever got it into his (and it would have to be a "him") head to do something, this could all change.

[shoebox]

It's a great and revealing interview. The most positive thing I took from it though was the fact that he's trying his damnedest to get the biggest and best names to the festival. The fact that he's trying to get Sufjan and the Arcade Fire there is really good news. Whether he's successful or not is a moot point, but it's great news.

I really, REALLY hope he gets the headliners he wants and isn't scuppered by other festivals.

[Yokel Again]

a top read that.

[Sipperana]

But who is Bon Ivor?

[5co77ie]

But who is Bon Ivor?

Edited February 5, 2010 by 5co77ie

[DragKnuckles]

Lol ok thanks for pointing that out - Bon Ivor is a friend of mine.

Edited February 5, 2010 by DragKnuckles

[Infinite Jest]

Great article, thanks for posting.

Interesting comments from geofelgie about the contracts too. I wonder if *we* could try to pressure the festivals? I think geofelgie is right that the bands can't/won't complain (even if they won, they'd risk not being booked at all, next time). But maybe sternly-worded letters from prospective attendees might have some effect?

Pleased to see that EoTR's reputation is leading bands to approach them directly (especially Wilco ).

[eFestivals]

cool interview.

Interesting stuff about "exclusivity" contracts.

Was chatting with a legal-type-expert of some kind, we were both a little drunk....and he assured me that such deals are illegal under European Law. It's not the exclusivity clauses themselves apparently but just offering a contract that says that a band can't play another festival in England but can play one in Spain or Holland, Scotland, Ireland is a criminal act.....something to do with "restrictive co-ertion" or sommat.

The thing is no-one's ever going to challenge it....the bands aren't, they're getting the dosh, and EOTR can't cos it would be hugely expensive, take forever and they'd just look like moaning minnies.......but if one jumped up bureaucrat ever got it into his (and it would have to be a "him") head to do something, this could all change.

I think you're totally wrong about exclusivity clauses being illegal.

(that doesn't mean I think they're a good thing btw)

If it was illegal, than any and all contracts between any two businesses are similarly illegal, because that's all any exclusivity contract for a band to play a festival is. No one is forcing either side to agree that contract between them.

[geofelgie]

I think what he was saying that the act of trying to persuade someone to sign a contract that allowed them to subsequently play another festival in some parts of the EC but not others is technically illegal.

All irrelevant anyway and we really dont want the euro-lawmakers mucking about with festivals, sounds like its hard enough to jump through all the local council hoops.

[geofelgie]

As I said I was drunk but the guy was talking about some footballer who tranfered from some italian club to a spanish club and they put a clause in the sale that said he wasn't allowed to be subsequently sold to a different italian club and that was deemed illegal purely because it differentiated between italian and other EU based clubs..............I may have got that all wrong, I dont know much about football - im a leeds fan!

[godspeed_steve]

Exclusivity are probably the bane of festival organisers lives, but they are important in that it helps create a semblance of order, and keeps festivals from being too similar.

Say (please god let this happen) that Simon Taffe gets Sufjan Stevens to a exclusive contract at this years EOTR. This would be a big coup for EOTR, and a feather in its cap. Without a deal in place, latitude could just whack down more money and have them play their festival as well, thus diluting the impact it would have for eotr.

Expect this to be an issue if Live Republic decide to do a september boutique festival. At least bestival seems to have a different modus operandi to EOTR, and thus has a differing (but not completely) booking policy. Live rpeublic would aggressively compete with EOTR.

Nice points about the secret sets by Simon too. I am gutted I missed Okkervil river, but charlie parr whilst necking from a bottle of whiskey was excellent, esp as me and my mate had to jump a fence to get in!

[geofelgie]

Exclusivity deals are fine if it's the artist's idea!

(And if Mr Stevens is watching I'd say an exclusivilty deal with EOTR would be a really, really, good idea. )

Disagree about Live Republic competing with EOTR rather than Bestival.....Bestival is the 25,000 cater-to-many-different-tastes boutique-ish festival that is probably as similar to Latitude as you can get.

EOTR is small and specialised.......even if Live Republic wanted the odd Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver type booking they wouldn't want to fill the whole bill with EOTR type stuff.

[godspeed_steve]

Exclusivity deals are fine if it's the artist's idea!

(And if Mr Stevens is watching I'd say an exclusivilty deal with EOTR would be a really, really, good idea. )

Disagree about Live Republic competing with EOTR rather than Bestival.....Bestival is the 25,000 cater-to-many-different-tastes boutique-ish festival that is probably as similar to Latitude as you can get.

EOTR is small and specialised.......even if Live Republic wanted the odd Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver type booking they wouldn't want to fill the whole bill with EOTR type stuff.

[Splainc]

A very good read

[maximmax]

Nout wrong with a bit of ambition, and i like this;

"Many clubs showed interest but now it doesnt matter which ones because Ive chosen the best one," Nemeth told Vasarnap Reggel.