Bands go international

They're listening to our sounds over there. REBECCA BARRY reports


New Zealand music is making promising in-roads overseas after exposure at the world's biggest music trade fair for the third time.

The four-day networking opportunity at Midem, held in Cannes for the past 38 years, finished on Saturday with plenty of international interest in bands including Blindspott, Goldenhorse and Fat Freddy's Drop.

Representatives of Martin Phillipps and the Chills, David Kilgour and 50Hz are among those who secured distribution deals in Europe and America.

Intergalatic Records, which represents bands including 8 Foot Sativa and Mama Said, have been offered a blanket European deal and are negotiating a 35-territory deal for their entire catalogue.

Fat Freddy's Drop have secured a booking agent for North America and are in negotiations with the largest independent label in Britain.

A large German company is interested in licensing garage rockers the Have, and videogame giant EA Games may use them on one of their soundtracks.

Blindspott have had a potential offer for all of Europe, interest from individual territories and from Canada and the US.

Goldenhorse have had interest from Germany, the US and a large Australian label.

Most of the 12 New Zealand businesses who attended the conference - including representatives of classical, world music and jazz - are still in the process of negotiating deals and responding to interest generated by CDs and information handed out at the New Zealand Music Commission stand.

Michael Tucker, representative of Wellington label LOOP Recordings, is following up his third visit to Midem in London this week.

He made a number of influential contacts including Richard Branson, former manager of Virgin Records and founder of the V2 label which signed the Datsuns.

"He came up to me and said, 'I've been watching you guys for three years and I thought I'd come and say hi.'

"It's all about return visits," said Tucker. "You've got to build a reputation and you've got to be able to show you've got consistency, and by going a third year that's what that really shows.

"As a result we've signed Twinset to a label in Germany that sells 80 million units a year, we've signed the Black Seeds to a label that guaranteed us 3000 sales of the first release in France alone and those are just two of the deals. We did nine deals like that which are just fat."

The next major trade fair is next month at South By Southwest, a showcase for music and film in Austin, Texas, which bands attend by invitation only.

Among international acts will be Kiwi bands Meterman, the Coolies, the Mint Chicks, Pluto, goodshirt, Neil Hannan Band, the Have and Little Thief.