Some of the most influential figures in Scottish music will gather in Perth next month in a bid to breathe new life into the local scene.
Perth College UHI will be the venue for the Perth Music Expo 2013 the city’s only music industry networking conference.
It will take place on Thursday March 28 and Friday March 29 and will offer a mixture of panel discussions and live music.
Ten high-profile speakers will be discussing some of the issues affecting the music industry, which has proved hard to sustain outwith Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Music venues across the country have come under financial pressures and, despite the success of festivals such as T in the Park at Kinross and Belladrum near Beauly in Inverness-shire, others have folded in a crowded market.
In that context, survival and growth for fledgling artists, promoters and venues alike will be among the hot topics. Keynote speaker will be former V2 a&r man Ronnie Gurr, who has been credited with signing the Stereophonics.
He will be joined at the event by established Scots stars, including Idlewild’s Rod Jones and David Scott from the Pearlfishers, together with Ian MacKinnonfrom the more recently established Selective Service.
They will discuss how to carve out a career in today’s music industry with a panel entitled Making Money Making Music.
The live music industry will also be up for discussion with speakers including Twin Atlantic’s tour manager Andy Dunlop, Steven Hume from Stirling’s Tolbooth, and Steven Robertson, the man behind top venue the Ironworks in Inverness and Belladrum.
The final major panel discussion will bring together an eclectic group of industry figures to offer an insight into the skills required to gain employment within the music industry.
Respected music columnist and DJ Jim Gellatly will be joined by Louise Henderson from No Half Measures Management and Sheena McDonald from the Musicians’ Union.
During the Expo there will also be a live showcase event featuring six of Scotland’s finest new artists, including recently-signed bands and new outfits who came through a competition to feature on the bill.
Thursday’s line-up will see Conquering Animal Sound, who have signed to Chemikal Underground Records, perform alongside Copper Lungs and competition winners The Age.
On Friday, meanwhile, the musical showcase will feature Young Aviators, Bear Arms and competition winners Tailors.
The event, the first of its kind in Perth, has been organised by staff members Andrew Dyce and Craig Macleod and student Martyn Page.
Craig said: “The music scene in Scotland remains at its most vibrant in Glasgow and Edinburgh, but it is OK in Perth and there are still a number of small venues putting on live music.
“The Expo is aimed at students, musicians, bands and venues and aims to make them aware of the current state of the music industry in Scotland and further afield.
“This is a new event for Perth and, if all goes well, hopefully we will hold it again in 2014 hopefully making it even bigger. We’ve been delighted with the calibre of names who have agreed to take part in our first Expo.
“They’ve been really great.”
The March event will be ticketed but free of charge, with around 130 places available each day. Delegate registration is open now.
For more information, visit perthmusicexpo@gmail.com or the Perth Music Expo Facebook page.