the superstar UK DJ who, two minutes before he was about to earn his $40k fee in Auckland,

shit, that kinda dosh would buy you a seriously good gig that would actually use a lot of that money in production costs.
more fool the punter who pays the high cover…

the really funny thing about MV was how surprised the Americans were

those americans are great at not seeing the bleeding obvious and then getting all upset when it's 'uncovered'
can't wait to see what they do when they 'uncover' that their govrernment has been doing a milli vanilli on…

the people in the Gorillaz videos were different from the people who recorded the music

that whole virtual band bollocks. give me a break please. it just saddens me how shallow and gulible the consuming public are.
god on the project administrators for getting the public to buy their bollocks…

and boy did those superstar DJ's get revered.

And paid....

There is the oft repeated story (actually captured on video) of the superstar UK DJ who, two minutes before he was about to earn his $40k fee in Auckland, was offered a short white line of something by somebody and…

The man has some skills but decidedly went for the bucks at some stage.

Heh – I have very fond memories of Mr Cook, seen at the Dome at the old Sydney Showgrounds in the late 90's.

He certainly has (had?) a genuine skill at getting hundreds of people to…

But I'm guessing he had to share (some of) the wealth on this one:

Just Be Good To Me

don't think he was ever shy about attributing the SOS / Jam & Lewis tie in, that being the whole point of the record, although as I recall Paul Simenon had to…

The man has some skills but decidedly went for the bucks at some stage.

But I'm guessing he had to share (some of) the wealth on this one:

Just Be Good To Me

And then later no one complained when the people in the Gorillaz videos were different from the people who recorded the music.

Hardly a new thing either is it.....the list of records various Led Zeppelin members played on anonymously is incredible, and then we have The Monkees, The Sex Pistols…

Pretty much in the way he'd created Dub Be Good To Me

Which continues to be one of my favourite songs. This is jam hot!

the really funny thing about MV was how surprised the Americans were.

By having their Grammy taken off them and all the general public backlash, it pretty much revealed that the record-buying public didn't just care about the music, but also put value on image.

And then later no one…

Next thing you'll be telling me that The Beach Boys played on their records.....

That's a very complicated joke.

its milli vanilli with turntables

the really funny thing about MV was how surprised the Americans were. They don't play instruments or sing on the records? Really? You didn't know that when you gave them a grammy? Really?

Next thing you'll be telling me that The Beach Boys played on…

I saw Fatboy Slim do the very same thing.

but on the other hand I spent a day with Norman Cook once upon a time, interviewed him for Rip It Up and we had a big discussion about a variety of Jamaican riddums currently going around, then I watched him…

SNAP!!
I saw Fatboy Slim do the very same thing.

its milli vanilli with turntables.
I guess we've eased up on that whole mime thing these days,
maybe fab wouldn't have taken his own life if he'd lived in the age of DJ.

I wouldn't mind it so much if…

and someone who physically molds chunks of sound in new and amazing ways. both pull the groupies but one deserves them more than the other.

agreed...

Are we to write off Grandmaster Flash as simply a guy playing tunes or elements thereoff (and he only used turntables and a mixer),

Really though, I think you know I'm not saying that.
dj in its purest form is someone who plays records.
it has been acquired as a…

Have you seen a three-part doco called Pump Up the Volume? It really illuminates the original Chicago house scene and what made it tick.

OMG yes! That is an amazing doco. I'd never completely got house until I saw it.

You might also add the reggae sound systems (the original hip hop DJ, Kool Herc, was a Jamaican), which were the source…

What you're talking about is electronic music performance, which is not really what I think of as DJing

No I think for many its the same thing. The DJ set performed by, say, Derrick May or Kevin Saunderson is as much a part of him as an artist as the…

Well, there's the term turntablist.

That's a different thing again.
I've had the good fortune to see a couple of turntablists at play.
The japanese guy who came through and used the turntable and various apararti to make all manner of weird noises.
one trick that really impressed was he…

They really should come up with another term to describe this sort of performer.

Well, there's the term turntablist. Wikipedia defines turntablism as: "the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer."

There are plenty of DJs out there who are doing really innovative…

Take Carl Craig for example (whom I deem to be perhaps the greatest electronic artist ever), his live performances are his djing (and his gig in Auckland a few years back where he was running from turntable to synths was an example

They really should come up with another term…

no you miss my point

So it seems. What you're talking about is electronic music performance, which is not really what I think of as DJing. So I'll agree. That said, It'd be nice if many in the genre introduced themselves to the concept of a chord change.

Sure, it takes some skill in putting a DJ set together, but the idea that (as performance) playing records is on a par with playing music, somehow reminds me of this line from Bad News:

no you miss my point..see above

on the dj thing I've never seen DJs as performing artists in the sense that Greame Downes or Michael O'Niell is a performing artist.

well, you know I'd disagree with that. Many of my favourite recording artists in recent decades are DJs. That they are a DJ is a very…

Then again I've always thought of a DJ as a performing artist, although the concept is a hard sell to many.

Technically, I suppose so, but, sorry, no. Having been a mildy unsuccessful musician and DJ for many years, I have to say that there is no comparison. Sure, it…

and there is an alternative performance stream for non live-performing acts.

Do you mean alternative income stream?
with piracy downloads aside from the cliche evil record companies not making anything off it thing, there is no income from royalties to the artist so the current trend to using the excuse…

Those are the people that are left out of the current trend, along with the back catalogue artists, of whom you and I know many.

yep, and those are often the innovators too, but I guess most musicians don't do it for the money in the first place and there…

its interesting what you say about the emphasis for income shifting to live performance. thats great for musicians, especially live ones but for the swell in…

last.fm is a website that records what you listen to on your computer (and also supports iPods).

It then compiles this all into charts so you can see what you and your friends listen…

I was just starting from your comment that the record industry was in good health.

I'm not in NZ so it's hard to comment but I was there in July for two weeks and was absolutely blown away by how much was going on in Auckland and how many people…

I didn't realise McD's made their products in-house, I'd always assumed they shipped the burgers in frozen, rather than recycled them at the, ahem, restaurant.

I guess that's a matter of terminology. The burger was certainly assembled in the restaurant, production line style.

In Henry Ford Plant style they always…

this downloading mp3s is the saviour of it all is mythical bollocks. .

Umm...I'm the last person to state such a thing

yes , sorry, didn't mean to infer that you were saying that. I was just starting from your comment that the record industry was in good health.

That's…

this downloading mp3s is the saviour of it all is mythical bollocks. .

Umm...I'm the last person to state such a thing Rob.......I agree 100% but in the face of all that live revenues globally are soaring, as is the amount of music, whether its paid for or not, being…

Yeah I worked for the CD & DVD Store too. Contrary to what head office often recommended we played our own (good and 'store playable') stuff ...

We'd get away with it quite a bit when I worked in the HMV Store in Piccadilly Circus. Except when there was a big,…

But those articles miss the fundamental point, which is that the music industry, and indeed the grass roots record industry is actually in surprisingly good health, its just the way it was done, and all that implies, that isn't.

The music industry ie the business of making money from the…

For $80 you can buy a thing for generation 4 iPods and onward that gives you a…

Columbia signing Rick Rubin to turn around the company

You can't blame Rick for taking the big cheque (or check in US-speak) but truly this reeks of last act in the play desperation.

The guy is s record producer whose circus act since the mid nineties primarily consists of rescuing…

scarily close to saying dire straits and you'll just upset mr grigg by mentioning the band of his nightmares

As I once said elsewhere, if The National Party were a band, they'd be Dire Straits....

But I understand the record shop conundrum. I used to, at the height of the…

And now it's lunchtime and again I'm thinking "mmmmmm, Big Mac"

Save me Jeremy, save me NOW!

Pity there was never a McBadge for garbage compaction, that was seriously my favourite job there.

Made me laugh out loud :)

I didn't realise McD's made their products in-house, I'd always assumed they shipped the burgers in frozen, rather than recycled them at the, ahem, restaurant.

If you've enjoyed listening to our hold music – "Night of the Beast" by Prime Devastation

A friend of mine, while doing holiday work at the National Bank, managed to change their hold music to Metallica's Ride the Lightning for about 12 hours.

it's not likely NZ will be graced

. . . how come Public Address radio isn't available as a Podcast in iTunes yet?

It is!
here.

iTunes could not connect to the iTunes Store. The host is down.
Make sure your network connection is active and try again.

I like my mac, but there are times when…

Lloyd Jones' Mister Pip comes from behind and makes the Booker shortlist!

The judges of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2007 have announced this year’s six shortlisted novels.

The six titles shortlisted are:

• Darkmans by Nicola Barker (Fourth…

And Russell, if you're such an Apple fanboy, how come Public Address radio isn't available as a Podcast in iTunes yet?

It is!

here.

It is oddly elusive, but the iTunes Store registration process is a bit inscrutable. You give them your info and they decide how they'll refer to…

In the early Metallica sessions, Rubin has been exacting about different drum sounds. "Lars" — Ulrich, the drummer — "will play two things for me, and I'll say, 'This one is great and that…

The mighty music business is in free fall — it has lost control of radio; retail outlets like Tower Records have shut down; MTV rarely broadcasts music videos; and the once lucrative album market has been overshadowed by…

Yeah, I'd love a bigger iPod, but the Classic doesn't have any extra features from the 5G.
Although the touch screen looks cool, I'm glad the click wheel is still there as an option. It will use…

Having done my time in record shops, and had to play some truly dire shit, you learn to just switch off and let the music become white noise.

careful there paul, that's scarily close to saying dire straits and you'll just upset mr grigg by mentioning the band of his…

A friend of mine who worked in a branch of the CD and DVD Store used to order the music she liked and play it, because there was nothing in stock she could bear.

Having done my time in record shops, and had to play some truly dire shit, you…

did you every think it might have been because your company weren't pushing their hold music hard enough

"Thank you for waiting. Your call is important to us. If you've enjoyed listening to our hold music – "Night of the Beast" by Prime Devastation – and you wish to purchase…

This kind of thing already exists albeit using the good old fashioned CD.

yes but there's something to be said for the whole avoid talking to the staff to find out what the track and band is, writing it down, going home and pirating it off the net routine, much…

OTOH, I doubt Leonard sold any more CDs because of that exposure.

oh so now its bands fault they didn't sell any more cds,
did you every think it might have been because your company weren't pushing their hold music hard enough.......

:)

Was quite convenient for us – no copyright issues in ripping it into MP3 to play on the system when the band has given its blessing.

OTOH, I doubt Leonard…

I like the idea of a variety of independent stores with no corporate agenda who play anything they want or like giving customers the ability to find out and buy what they hear while shopping in the store.

This kind of thing already exists albeit using the good old fashioned…

-- it's a fairly striking example of the way that commercial radio is becoming irrelevant as a music discovery platform.

what do you mean "is becoming"?
its been a long time since anyone ever discovered anything they didn't already know on a radio in new zealand. (the odd notable exception,…

hey! that's ABs/Warriors/PHOENIX now buddy

The talkback gods have yet to start piling into the Phoenix – give them a week or two!!

I would imagine that most music in Starbucks would be of the Norah Jones variety. I thought the point of having an iPod was to block out the white noise with music of your own choosing.

I feel fairly confident that I won't walk into Starbucks and utter the phrase…

Next thing you know we'll have websites where people too lazy dial talkback radio can spiel off their thought for the day and feel self important that their world view has been 'heard'.

The future is now: http://www.youthink.co.nz/

As advertised on Radio Sport where talkback rarely rises above how…

it's also ruining my musical reputation because of the time I listened to Van Halen's "Panama" about 20 times in a row.

You can edit your last.fm chart if there is stuff that you wish to hide, but I think you only have like a week or so window in…

Wikipedia can kiss my big ol' ass.

Alright, without even looking at Wikipedia ...

An API (application programming interface) is some code that allows one piece of software to talk to and interact with another, and make use of another's features.

So if you're going to write a program for…

I also noted that Apple lopped $200 US off the price of the iPhone, (which generated much wailing and gnashing of fanboy early adopters teeth) making it now $399 US for 8GB, they also culled the 4GB one.

But the buzz in the industry (music) has more to do with…

it's also ruining my musical reputation because of the time I listened to Van Halen's "Panama" about 20 times in a row.

You can edit your last.fm chart if there is stuff that you wish to hide, but I think you only have like a week or so window in…

c'mon, we heard what the hell a

DAB (digital audio broadcasting)

was... consistency's all I ask. & yep I'm lazy – like average Joe.

and Apple is well over-rated, PC's really come around for me (apart from all those viruses). . .

but that's…

Caring for your introvert
Deborah, thanks, you are my new favourite person. :-)

Mine too.

what's an API?
Wikipedia.
Taught me everything I know, that didn't involve getting naked.

And am i really the only person who puts their ipod in their pocket?
Of course not. Just think apple don't realise that some of use wanna skip songs and adjust the volume all the time.

Caring for your introvert

Deborah, thanks, you are my new favourite person. :-)

As Gizmodo says: Give us a little taste for free, eh? How very crack-dealer of you.

Yet still, the network people talk about revenue streams and leveraging. Why do they assume that users who…

it's a fairly striking example of the way that commercial radio is becoming irrelevant as a music discovery platform.

Puh-lease! It's a drop in the bucket! You digital types forget that Joe Blow is lazy and really does stick to what he knows.

Oh, mainstream broadcast radio won't go…

Seriously though, currently I can use my ipod (almost) blind. won't a touch screen screw that up?
Plus I have discovered to my horror, dumbbells and mp3 screens don't mix. They are just going to be a bigger target.

At that price point it is a obvious "upsell" from the "touch…

I'm thinking of starting up a social networking site for introverts. You sign up and it sends a message to everyone you know saying "I vahnt to be ahlone, darlink".

This article was written for you, Jeremy Andrew.

Caring for your introvert

Requires 7.4; latest is 7.3.2: Try before you buy folks.

(aaargh, why do I care about the pediantrists?)

I can count on the thumbs of one foot the times I've stopped and thought "I wonder what is listening to on the radio right now?"

But then again, I have zero presence…

Now, buying/consuming something from a Starbucks is a whole 'nother story...

What you touch in that area is strictly your business ...

What are saying Russell? Not that kind of forum?

Seriously though, currently I can use my ipod (almost) blind. won't a touch screen screw that up?

Why is it people don't like Bill O'Reilly? :-)

It's the part about him being a conceited, lying bully, I think.

If liberals accept that some people are going to be more right wing than they are, shouldn't they flock to the ones who – like BillO – support abortion rights, oppose the death penalty, and have no problem with gay marriage?

RE: touch iPod. I put my ipod in my pocket and use the scroll wheel through the jeans, can i still do this with the touchscreen?

What you touch in that area is strictly your business ...

I was suckered into going into a Starbucks (shock revelation) in Hawaii because it advertised free wifi. It was the kind of free wifi you had to pay for.

but if this is true then cool. If it wasn't for the shit coffee and factory style of…