Source: http://www.classicrockmagazine.com
Seven Webster, manager of rising UK stars SKINDRED, believes he can prove the rock industry has a bright future.
He’s added more participants to the inaugural Global Rock Summit, which he’s organising in Los Angeles next month, featuring Radio One presenter Dan Carter, Epic and Sony label boss Andreas Keul, System Of A Down, Alice In Chains and Deftones manager David ‘Beno’ Benveniste, Australian promoter AJ Maddah, House Of Blues executive Ben Weeden, and TeamRock’s CEO Billy Anderson and managing director of publishing Chris Ingham.
Responding to Classic Rock‘s magazine and online feature series Rock In Crisis, Webster says: “The industry has the potential to be an even more buoyant force.
“The weakness of record sales has given acts with real grassroots fan bases the chance to smash into the charts and speak up for a genre that’s been largely ignored by UK commercial radio.
“The last year has seen Skindred and The Temperance Movement appear in the top 40 while Avenged Sevenfold went all the way to number one. Meanwhile, acts like Black Stone Cherry are moving into arenas despite the lack of proper support from mainstream media.”
Webster believes increasingly visible artistic talent is supported by increasingly powerful backstage talent. “Some of the most progressive and innovative business minds are making waves in our industry.
“Rock isn’t dead; it’s making waves, and at the Global Rock Summit we’ll be sharing our ideas and looking at new ways to progress further still – all while the most major commercial branches of the music business remain asleep.
“The GRS is an opportunity to communicate and do business with influential, innovative minds – it’s going to be a real gamechanger with long-term benefits for the music we all love.”
The GRS takes place on April 4-5 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles. Event registration is active now.
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