An independent gathering in Tel Aviv

September 8, 2009 - 8:31 PM by David · 1 Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, Business, General, Israeliness, Music, Pop Culture

From left: Indie icon Sharon Cantor, Dinosaur Jr. manager Brian Schwartz, Faith No More bassist Billy Gould, Monotonix vocalist Ami Shalev and moderator Quami.

It could have been an event that took place in New York, Los Angeles, or maybe more appropriately, Austin, Texas.

Last week, while Madonna was preparing to perform the first of two sold out shows in Tel Aviv, just a few meters across the street at the Israel Trade Fair Center seminar rooms, a few hundred quirky-looking individuals were gathering to discuss the ins and outs of the music business, specifically that antithesis of mass pop culture – indie rock.

Patterned after the heralded SXSW (South by Southwest) conference that takes place annually in Austin, the two-day Heineken Music Conference, billed Israel’s first international music conference, brought together local musicians, fans and music industry professionals with international band managers, record company executives, agents and musicians to tackle issues such as new trends in music, how new media is affecting the industry and how to develop and nurture an artist.

By day, the indie crowd heard from the likes of top tier industry pros like Jerry Blair, who has guided the careers of Mariah Carey and Destiny’s Child, and today manages Mika, Ray Jefford, the manager of Israeli jazz master Avishai Cohen, Billy Gould, bassist for Faith No More, and MGMT manager Mark Kates. By night, they rocked to sounds by Faith No More, MGMT, Dinosaur Jr. and LCD Sound System.

The local Israeli community was well represented too, with Quami, the host of the popular Galgalatz radio program “Hakatzeh” (The Edge), journalist Sharon Kantor, Ami Shalev, vocalist for Israeli indie band Monotonix, musician and critic Sharon Moldavi, and Ronni Braun, CEO of Helicon Records.

Cantor, who has appeared on both sides of the stage as a singer for The Girls, TV host, and journalist, recounted the ‘Galgalatz dilemma,’ referring to the popular youth-oriented radio station.

“Some artists write and record a song solely thinking about whether this will be commercial enough to get on Galgalatz,” she said, bemoaning the dearth of a real ‘indie’ scene here.
“I just got a press release from Earsay Records [Israel's top indie label] announcing a marketing deal with Castro – one of the most conventional, established chains in the country. What’s alternative about that?” she said.

Ray Jefford, who has enjoyed a long management relationship with Israeli jazz bassist Avishai Cohen, said that there were a lot of quality musicians in Israel, but they often lack the drive to go all the way in pursuit of success.

“Usually, they’re not willing to go out and put themselves on the line, and to take big risks to achieve their long term goals,” he said, referring to the grind of constantly playing shows and traveling, sometimes without making any money.

“You have to get used to sleeping in vans, or if you’re lucky, on couches,” said Cantor. “You can’t believe some of the conditions you have to put up with.”

Ami Shalev, the hippie-looking vocalist for Israeli indie band Monotonix, remained quiet through much of the session he was participating in. But when the topic came around to giving advice to young artists who are deliberating about whether to go abroad even though they have no following, he suddenly became animated and said, “Go!”

“If you say that now’s not the right time, then you’ll never get there. Even if you have no money, start working a day job and save up enough for a plane ticket. You’ll be able to work out a deal with a band there to share equipment. If you think you’re good enough, then people will start coming to hear you,” he said.

Much of the fun at the conference was mingling in the corridors between sessions, with artists handing demos to managers, agents making contacts, and everyone looking around to see who was there – just like LA and New York.

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