Best festival lineup ever?

[kevinbower1959]

Sweden Rock, next weekend. You guys should all charter a 747 and come over for this;

MOTLEY CRUE

TWISTED SISTER

MOTORHEAD

NIGHT RANGER

MICHAEL SCHENKER

LYNYRD SKYNYRD

BAD COMPANY

KING DIAMOND

BLUE OYSTER CULT

MASTODON

THE DARKNESS

STEEL PANTHER

EXODUS

DIMMU BORGIR

SEPULTURA

PENTAGRAM

oh....and HELL

There are many, many others (80 bands in total), but you get the picture....

[BlueRedWhite]

that sounds like THE metal concert...

so ....who's got a 747?

Let's call Bruce (Dickinson) and ask him to be the pilot....

[Roshark]

Very tempting . I have actually seen a lot of those bands at several different times in their carriers . It would be awesome to see them all at the same festival . I am not aware of Steel Panther playing out side the USA before . Don't miss them . Especially if you are/were into 80's rock . They put on a great show .

[svl]

That is one bizarre line-up, but very cool. Break a leg, Kev!

[Disturber]

That is a shite festival run by gangsters unfortunately. They pay the bands according to the negotiated contracts but they have for years refused to pay the performance money to the songwriters - to the Swedish writers association STIM, (who is working close with PRS in the UK - they even have a company together called ICE who takes care of all copyright registrations. http://www.stim.se/e...ht-Enterprise-/ ).

This festival makes a HUGE profit. Way better than any other festival here, and then we are talking big festivals run by Live Nation and other big players. Yet ALL the other promoters and concert arrangers pay their performance money without complaining. But the guys who run Sweden rock bag millions every year in their own pockets and they have done everything they can trying to miscredit STIM. They have tried to take them to court etc. And last week they wrote a letter full of lies and misinterpretations in one of our largets newspapers accusing STIM for a lot of un true facts.

A lot of major Swedish writers wrote an open letter back to them, backing STIM and their fellow foreign writers who comes to play this festival every year, apparently knowing nothing about the fact that they don't get paid as writers for performing there. STIM also wrote an open reply setting the facts straight, making these festival arrangers looking pretty sinister and greedy.

The festival tickets are also bloody expensive, considering the huge profit these guys make. They could cut the price in half and still make a decent profit.

If you have contact with other bands playing this festival please let them, and their managments, know about this fact. Perhaps if the performing acts know about this fact they can actually together start putting some demands on these guys to do right by themselves. They are nothing buy thieves.

[kevinbower1959]

I'm sorry my friend, but you're plain wrong about most of this - and my honest advice would be to re-think your post.

As the band's principal songwriter, I can assure you that the performance royalty payments you refer to have already been happily paid by the organisers EIGHT WEEKS in advance of our show - this is unprecedented for a festival, and is in total contrast to the 6-12 months we normally have to wait after a show is played. STIM have nothing to do with this. The collections have been paid without question and have been handled via GEMA in Germany (that's where our record label is based) via their hookup with the PRS in the UK. I don't see this as being the actions of 'gangsters' and 'thieves'. Maybe the issue is one between SR and STIM? - because it certainly isn't an issue for any of the non-Swedish bands who are playing.

We also played the Sweden Rock Cruise (Stockholm-Turku) earlier this year and had no issues whatsoever - on the contrary, it was one of the most professionally-run and best-organised shows we've had the pleasure of playing.

I'd also mention that 'Human Remains' was Sweden Rock Magazine's 2011 Album Of The Year - and having spent the last year dealing and becoming good friends with the senior editor and a number of Sweden Rock employees, I honestly have no clue what your post is based on.

Just sayin'

Best wishes

[Scottcrud]

Hey Kev, you should fly me in, I'm a very good guitar tech. I can run circles around your current tech, I'm silly I tell ya.

[polara]

So close and yet so far. I'm flying across the Atlantic next weekend, but to the UK for work.

[zorrow]

Killer artists on that festival, including three of my preferred ones: Michael Schenker, King Diamond... and Hell. I wished I lived in Europe!

[specialk]

Share some pics with us if you can, Kev. And have a HELL of a good time!

[Disturber]

I'm sorry my friend, but you're plain wrong about most of this - and my honest advice would be to re-think your post.

As the band's principal songwriter, I can assure you that the performance royalty payments you refer to have already been happily paid by the organisers EIGHT WEEKS in advance of our show - this is unprecedented for a festival, and is in total contrast to the 6-12 months we normally have to wait after a show is played. STIM have nothing to do with this. The collections have been paid without question and have been handled via GEMA in Germany (that's where our record label is based) via their hookup with the PRS in the UK. I don't see this as being the actions of 'gangsters' and 'thieves'. Maybe the issue is one between SR and STIM? - because it certainly isn't an issue for any of the non-Swedish bands who are playing.

We also played the Sweden Rock Cruise (Stockholm-Turku) earlier this year and had no issues whatsoever - on the contrary, it was one of the most professionally-run and best-organised shows we've had the pleasure of playing.

I'd also mention that 'Human Remains' was Sweden Rock Magazine's 2011 Album Of The Year - and having spent the last year dealing and becoming good friends with the senior editor and a number of Sweden Rock employees, I honestly have no clue what your post is based on.

Just sayin'

Best wishes

No I am not wrong. Here are the recent articles, in Swedish:

They have paid one million. A figure they decided they were comfortable with, not nearly the amount they are bound to pay:

http://www.sydsvensk...-i-stim-pengar/

Here is their open letter to Stim form last week, full of wrong accusations and plain fact errors: http://www.aftonblad...icle14874821.ab

Here is Stims open reply setting all the facts straight: http://www.musikindu...weden_Rock.html

Here is the open letter to Sweden Rock signed by many Swedish musicians and bands - from Dark Funeral among others, I think you gigged with them, they'll tell you the truth about this situation. http://mobil.aftonbl....ab?partner=www

And more here: http://www.aftonblad...icle14890658.ab

Other info on this problem from last year: http://www.stimblogg...-rock-kvarstar/

Use Google translet to read it in english.

It's a festival with great bands. It's just run by greedy people who likes to set their own rules and don't care about laws and regulations regarding copyright issues etc.

I know many who has visited this festival for years that will bojcott this year because of this. If they paid you Kevin then I am happy for you. It's just that not everyone gets paid.

[gorch]

I just noticed The Darkness are performing publicly. That gives hope to see them some time.

Play the Hell out of your Standard, Kev. All the best for the show and band.

In case someone managed to capture a 747, pick me up at Frankfurt's. I might ask my son's band to perform some sky rocking tunes on the fly.

[zorrow]

Seriously, I'll try to make it to Musikmesse next year. There are flights Montreal-Frankfurt every day. And if Hell plays around on those days, you bet I'll be in the audience.

[kevinbower1959]

I'm sorry my friend, but you're plain wrong about most of this - and my honest advice would be to re-think your post.

As the band's principal songwriter, I can assure you that the performance royalty payments you refer to have already been happily paid by the organisers EIGHT WEEKS in advance of our show - this is unprecedented for a festival, and is in total contrast to the 6-12 months we normally have to wait after a show is played. STIM have nothing to do with this. The collections have been paid without question and have been handled via GEMA in Germany (that's where our record label is based) via their hookup with the PRS in the UK. I don't see this as being the actions of 'gangsters' and 'thieves'. Maybe the issue is one between SR and STIM? - because it certainly isn't an issue for any of the non-Swedish bands who are playing.

We also played the Sweden Rock Cruise (Stockholm-Turku) earlier this year and had no issues whatsoever - on the contrary, it was one of the most professionally-run and best-organised shows we've had the pleasure of playing.

I'd also mention that 'Human Remains' was Sweden Rock Magazine's 2011 Album Of The Year - and having spent the last year dealing and becoming good friends with the senior editor and a number of Sweden Rock employees, I honestly have no clue what your post is based on.

Just sayin'

Best wishes

No I am not wrong. Here are the recent articles, in Swedish:

They have paid one million. A figure they decided they were comfortable with, not nearly the amount they are bound to pay:

http://www.sydsvensk...-i-stim-pengar/

Here is their open letter to Stim form last week, full of wrong accusations and plain fact errors: http://www.aftonblad...icle14874821.ab

Here is Stims open reply setting all the facts straight: http://www.musikindu...weden_Rock.html

Here is the open letter to Sweden Rock signed by many Swedish musicians and bands - from Dark Funeral among others, I think you gigged with them, they'll tell you the truth about this situation. http://mobil.aftonbl....ab?partner=www

And more here: http://www.aftonblad...icle14890658.ab

Other info on this problem from last year: http://www.stimblogg...-rock-kvarstar/

Use Google translet to read it in english.

It's a festival with great bands. It's just run by greedy people who likes to set their own rules and don't care about laws and regulations regarding copyright issues etc.

I know many who has visited this festival for years that will bojcott this year because of this. If they paid you Kevin then I am happy for you. It's just that not everyone gets paid.

Disturber,

I'm not arguing with you and I totally accept what you say. I read the articles via Google Translate and it's uncomfortable reading. All I can tell you is that we haven't had any problem at all. Interestingly, though - I checked our SR show contracts. There's a clause in there which states openly that SR do not have the admin capability to pay individual performance royalties to 80 bands x (say) 10 songs each = 800 individual payments..... so instead, they calculate a ballpark royalty (almost 100% accurate in our case) and add it to the artist's fee. To be honest - this is a far better way of doing it, because as I said in my first post, we usually don't get paid for anything up to a year after we play a show. I also wonder if this apparent 'war' between SR and STIM has anything to do with SR's preferred method of royalty distribution - i.e. are STIM just pissed off because they are being bypassed? I don't know.

I can tell how passionate you are about this and I absolutely take your point. I just can't comment any further though - because with HELL, they have been whiter than white.

Best wishes

[lincsman]

Have a great show Kev

[gorch]

Seriously, I'll try to make it to Musikmesse next year. There are flights Montreal-Frankfurt every day. And if Hell plays around on those days, you bet I'll be in the audience.

Accommodation booked for you already if of interest.

[Jem]

they have been whiter than white.

I didn't think you could say shit like that nowadays !