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Private equity & live music: Who owns what? | IQ Magazine

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Private equity & live music: Who owns what? | IQ Magazine


It was recently reported that Providence Equity Partners-backed live giant Superstruct Entertainment was being readied for a sale, with a formal auction process set to be launched within weeks.

Providence was said to be working alongside banks Liontree and HSBC to gauge interest after planning the sale last summer, with Blackstone and CVC highlighted as potential bidders.

The report once again brought the international touring industry’s relationship with private equity (PE) into focus, with a number of the world’s biggest companies now wedded to that world. Ticketing guru Tim Chambers tackled the increasingly hot topic in a recent op-ed for IQ.

“The corporatisation of the live music industry to form a series of vertically aligned international conglomerates has attracted the attention of a growing number of private equity and capital investment groups, all, it seems, subscribers to the notion of perpetual sector growth,” he said.

“PE investments are made in the belief that they will lead to a profitable return, rather than any abstract concerns such as great art or a vibrant and diverse live music ecosystem.”

Providence expanded its music portfolio in 2022 with a strategic investment in agency giant Wasserman

Superstruct, the second-largest festival promoter on the planet after Live Nation, was founded in 2017 by Creamfields founder and ex-Live Nation president of electronic music James Barton and Roderik Schlosser while at Providence Equity Partners.

Providence expanded its music portfolio in 2022 with a strategic investment in agency giant Wasserman, and also backs Ambassador Theatre Group and Tait (Towers). In addition, it bought into Sweetwater, the leading US retailer of musical instruments and audio equipment, in 2021.

Last year meanwhile, it acquired audio specialist d&b Group along with a minority stake in Populous, an architectural and design firm for sports and entertainment venues, whose portfolio spans 3,000 projects including London’s Wembley Stadium and the Las Vegas Sphere.

Sixth Street-backed premium experiences specialist Legends revealed an agreement to purchase venue management giant ASM Global in November last year. The reputed $2.4 billion deal is planned to lead to the creation of a premium global live events company.

Silicon Valley-based PE firm Silver Lake announced last month it is to acquire all outstanding shares WME parent company Endeavor. Silver Lake made its initial investment in WME in 2012 and bought fashion and sports-focused talent agency IMG for $2.4 billion in late 2013, rolling up both acquisitions into WME-IMG. The mega-agency was rebranded as Endeavor in 2017.

Furthermore, Silver Lake acquired Australian live entertainment behemoth TEG from another investment company, Affinity Equity Partners, in 2019, in a reputed A$1.3bn deal, and also owns shares in Oak View Group and invested in sports merchandise company Fanatics.

“Arguably, only other PE-backed entities have the means to undertake such large-scale acquisitions, and so the concentration of ownership within the sector will inevitably continue”

Global investment firm Blackstone got in on the act in 2018, snapping up the UK’s NEC Group in a deal reportedly worth more than £800 million and looks poised to acquire song management company Hipgnosis Songs Fund.

In 2018, Netherlands-based multinational investment firm Waterland Private Equity acquired six leading Scandinavian promoters and agencies – ICO Concerts and ICO Management and Touring (Denmark), Friction and Atomic Soul Booking (Norway) and Blixten & Co and Maloney Concerts (Sweden), bringing them together as All Things Live.

Elsewhere, Artémis, an investment firm led by billionaire French businessman Francois-Henri Pinault, acquired TPG’s majority stake in Creative Artists Agency (CAA) last year. PE company TPG had upped its 35% stake in CAA to 53% for a reported $225 million in 2014. The previous year, “purpose-driven global investment organisation” EQT entered the global touring business to become the largest outside shareholder in United Talent Agency (UTA).

US businessman Ron Burkle’s private equity firm Yucaipa Companies invested in booking agency Day After Day Productions in 2022, adding to existing live music interests such as  booking agencies Artist Group International, X-ray Touring, APA and K2, Primavera Sound and Primavera Pro, and promoter Danny Wimmer Presents. APA and AGI merged to form Independent Artist Group (IAG) last year.

Plus, Chicago-based PE company GTCR made a “strategic investment” in American ticket exchange Vivid Seats back in 2017, and South by Southwest’s newly announced SXSW London spin-off will be produced under licence from SXSW LLC by Panarise, a live entertainment company established and owned by private investment vehicle Panarae. According to documents obtained by CMU, Panarae is associated with Ali Munir, an investor and director of SXSW’s majority owner, Penske Media Corporation.

In conclusion, Chambers, who serves as a ticketing advisor, consultant, and non-executive for various live entertainment operators, pondered whether the marriage between private equity and live entertainment had become too big to fail.

“In short, the PE strategy is to increase the volume of events by extending the territorial reach, improving the physical environment where events occur, and by then extracting more from audiences via value-add bundles, packages, and surge-pricing,” he said. “The consolidation of the live entertainment sector by a diminishing number of ever larger congloms has therefore been both a cause and effect of the influx of new capital.

“After the economic impact of layers of (vertical) consolidation and (horizontal) aggregation, the squeezing of costs, and the surge-pricing of audiences, to whom can PE-owned live music congloms sell as part of their exit strategies? Arguably, only other PE-backed entities have the means to undertake such large-scale acquisitions, and so the concentration of ownership within the sector will inevitably continue.”

 

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I’m a dietitian, this is why microwaving food makes some meals MORE nutritious

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I’m a dietitian, this is why microwaving food makes some meals MORE nutritious


A health expert has debunked the myth that microwaves remove nutrients from your food, reporting it’s actually better than steaming or blanching vegetables in some cases.

Clinical dietician Shyla Cadogan, at Lifebridge Health, clarified that any method of cooking – whether its frying, boiling or stir-frying – will impact the nutrients in food but microwaves have been shown to preserve them.

Microwaves use the ‘average oven temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit to cook food and require less time to heat up food than alternate methods which helps prevent nutrient loss, she claims.

Microwaves use lower temperatures and require less time to heat up food than alternate methods which helps prevent nutrient loss

People have falsely claimed that the radiation in microwaves destroys the nutrients in food and breaks them apart into carcinogens, but Cadogan reported that this isn’t the case.

The dietitian’s claims have also been supported by others in her field.

Dr Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D., who serves as professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Senior Physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, has shared similar points.

‘Microwave cooking is actually one of the least likely forms of cooking to damage nutrients,’ Komaroff wrote for a Harvard Health blog.

‘That’s because the longer food cooks, the more nutrients tend to break down, and microwave cooking takes less time.’   

Microwaves use non-ionizing radiation, which releases electromagnetic waves that causes molecules in the food to move and generate heat that is transferred throughout the food. 

The process cooks the food from the inside out and while it does cause some enzymatic shifts, Cadogan said that is true for almost any other cooking method that involves heat. 

Meanwhile, the heat used to cook food on a stovetop or in a conventional oven increases the temperature from the outside in, meaning the exterior is exposed to increased heat by the time the center reaches the ideal temperature which increases nutrient loss.

The more amount of heat that’s applied to the food and the longer it is cooked causes more nutrient loss, but also the amount of liquid like water affects the composition because the nutrients leach into it.

Boiling food, such as vegetables, has been found to destroy nutrients like vitamin C.

Cadogan, which shared the information in StudyFinds.com, cited a 2017 that found a ‘higher retention of vitamin C was observed after microwaving with the lowest retention recorded after boiling.’

The research was conducted by a team at China’s Chungbuk National University, which noted that ‘microwave cooking caused the greatest loss of vitamin K in crown daisy and mallow; in contrast, it caused the least loss of vitamin K in spinach and chard.’

Vegetables which can lose nutrients just from being cut too much while boiling and blanching destroys vitamin C

Vegetables which can lose nutrients just from being cut too much while boiling and blanching destroys vitamin C

The data also showed that microwaves preserved ingredients like sodium, potassium and phosphorus content in certain foods including sweet potatoes and carrots.

Both vegetables contain antioxidants – primarily beta-carotene which converts into vitamin A which helps strengthen your immune system and vision and eye health.

Similarly, microwaves also preserve the antioxidant called lycopene in tomatoes which reduces bad cholesterol and may help prevent heart disease, according to Verywell Health.

A 2023 study found that boiling vegetables had the highest negative effect, causing them to lose between 70 and 82 percent of its flavanoid content which are compounds found in food that contains antioxidant properties which reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke.

Boiled vegetables also lost a significant amount of minerals like potassium, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese while ‘microwaving was the most effective method for retaining the nutritional value of vegetables.’ 

The researchers found that microwaving vegetables had the mildest effect on vitamin C and actually preserved 90 percent of the food’s initial content.

‘Overall, studies actually show that microwaves may help preserve certain minerals and antioxidants,’ Cadogan wrote in StudyFinds. 

‘Moreover, it’s important to remember that certain antioxidants, like those in carrots, bell peppers, and tomatoes, become ‘unlocked,’ so to speak, by cooking.’



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What To Expect From An SEO Technical Audit And Why It Matters – Prowess

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What To Expect From An SEO Technical Audit And Why It Matters – Prowess


SEO is all about ensuring that your website wins when it comes to search engine ranking. There is no point in having a great website if the right people do not see it. If you don’t rank in a top spot for the relevant keywords that promote your product or service, you may as well not bother.  

Keyword research and targeting is essential for effective SEO, but just as, if not more, important, and very often overlooked, are technical SEO audits. 

A technical SEO audit should include a thorough examination of various technical aspects of a website to identify issues that may affect its search engine visibility and performance. An added and important bonus is that a speeded-up and optimised website will also enhance the user experience. 

Here are some key components typically included in a technical SEO audit:

1. Site Structure and Navigation

Assess the website’s structure and navigation to ensure it is logical, intuitive, and user-friendly. This involves evaluating the hierarchy of pages, URL structure, internal linking, and navigation menus to facilitate easy access to content for both users and search engine crawlers.

2. Indexing and Crawlability

Analyze how search engine crawlers access and index the website’s pages. Check for any barriers that may hinder crawling and indexing, such as robots.txt directives, meta robots tags, and noindex directives. Ensure that important pages are crawlable and indexable to maximize visibility on search engine result pages (SERPs).

3. Page Speed and Performance

Evaluate the website’s loading speed and overall performance, including factors such as server response time, page load times, and resource optimization (images, scripts, CSS). Optimize page speed to improve user experience and satisfy search engine ranking algorithms, which favor fast-loading websites.

4. Mobile-Friendliness

Assess the website’s compatibility and responsiveness across various mobile devices and screen sizes. With Google’s mobile-first indexing, ensuring a mobile-friendly experience is crucial for SEO success. Check for mobile usability issues and optimize the site for mobile users to enhance visibility and rankings on mobile search results.

5. Schema Markup and Structured Data

Implement structured data markup (e.g., Schema.org) to provide search engines with additional context about the website’s content. This helps search engines understand and display rich snippets, such as product information, reviews, events, and FAQs, in search results, enhancing visibility and click-through rates.

6. Security and HTTPS

Ensure that the website is secure and served over HTTPS to protect user data and enhance trustworthiness. Check for SSL/TLS certificate installation, proper redirection from HTTP to HTTPS, and security measures to prevent hacking, malware, and other security threats. Secure websites are favored by search engines and may receive a ranking boost.

7. Site Accessibility and Internationalization

Evaluate the website’s accessibility for users with disabilities and compliance with web accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG). Assess internationalization settings, such as hreflang tags, to properly target and serve content to users in different languages and regions, optimizing global SEO performance.

8. Analytics and Tracking Setup

Verify proper implementation of analytics tracking codes (e.g., Google Analytics) and other tracking tools to monitor website traffic, user behavior, and SEO performance metrics. Ensure accurate data collection and reporting to inform SEO strategies and measure the effectiveness of optimization efforts.

By conducting a comprehensive technical SEO audit and addressing the identified issues, website owners and SEO professionals can optimize their websites for better search engine visibility, user experience, and overall performance.



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Endeavor posts Q1 loss despite WME growth | IQ Magazine

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Endeavor posts Q1 loss despite WME growth | IQ Magazine


WME parent company Endeavor suffered a $303.5 million (€281.6m) net loss in the first quarter of 2024, despite “brisk demand for our sports and entertainment content, live events, and premium experiences”.

The Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment giant today (9 May) announced financial results for Q1, as it awaits the completion of Silver Lake’s $13bn acquisition.

While the firm reported a consolidated revenue of $1.850bn, three of its four segments saw a decline in revenue.

Representation revenue was $345.3m for the quarter, down $4.9m or 1.4% compared to the first quarter of 2023, though the loss was “partially offset by growth in WME’s music, talent, sports, and comedy divisions”.  Adjusted EBITDA was $65.2m, down $19m or 22.6% year-over-year.

WME’s roster includes Justin Timberlake, Adele, Bruno Mars, Pearl Jam, The Killers, Bjork, Foo Fighters, Stormzy, St Vincent, Shakira and Snoop Dogg among others.

“We remain focused on maintaining our momentum through the year while working toward the close of our transaction with Silver Lake”

In addition to WME, Endeavor is also the parent company of sports booking outfit IMG, events business On Location, marketing agency 160over90 and sports data and technology properties IMG Arena and OpenBet.

The firm’s Events, Experiences & Rights segment revenue was $744.9m for the quarter – down $55.9m or 7% compared to the first quarter of 2023 – and was “primarily impacted by a decrease of $90m from the sale of IMG Academy in June 2023”.

The Sports Data & Technology segment revenue was also down, collecting $90.7 m for the quarter, a decrease of $10.1m or 10.1%, compared to the first quarter of 2023. The firm says this was primarily impacted by the loss of certain data rights at IMG ARENA.

However, Owned Sports Properties segment revenue was $685.4m for the quarter, up $332.1m or 94.0%, compared to the first quarter of 2023. The increase in revenue was mainly attributed to the acquisition of WWE in September 2023, which contributed $317m in revenue during the first quarter.

The earnings report is likely to be one of the company’s last as a public company, as the firm is expected to be acquired by majority shareholder Silver Lake by the end of the first quarter of 2025.

In today’s results, Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel said: “We remain focused on maintaining our momentum through the year while working toward the close of our take-private transaction with Silver Lake.”

 

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Jaguar Land Rover to pay £150 a month toward drivers’ insurance amid surge in luxury car thefts

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Premiums have been soaring due to a rise in thefts of luxury cars including Range Rovers.

Jaguar Land Rover will pay up to £150 a month towards drivers’ insurance costs amid a rise in luxury car thefts which has pushed up premiums.The car maker said it will slash the cost of its in-house insurance for motorists who buy a vehicle from them, the Telegraph reported.

Jaguar Land Rover will pay up to £150 a month towards drivers’ insurance costs amid a rise in luxury car thefts which has pushed up premiums.The car maker said it will slash the cost of its in-house insurance for motorists who buy a vehicle from them, the Telegraph reported.Jaguar Land Rover launched its own insurance cover, Land Rover Insurance, in October.The move comes amid soaring premiums with main stream insurance companies.In the most extreme cases, drivers were facing demands for as much as £30,000 per year from insurers amid reports that Range Rovers were among the cars most targeted by criminal gangs. The scheme, which is underwritten by Allianz, has provided more than 37,500 quotes averaging less than £180 per month.Anyone who buys a new Range Rover or Range Rover Sport that was registered between May 1 and September 30 this year will see Jaguar Land Rover pay £150 towards a motorist’s monthly premium.

That will take the average cost under the company’s scheme down to just £30 per month.Patrick McGillycuddy, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover UK, said: “We’re working hard to support our clients every step of the way and are pleased to offer a further, bespoke insurance initiative. “JLR has an ‘all-fronts’ strategy to tackle the negative impact organised criminality is having on clients, insurance premiums, and the insurance industry itself.

“Our efforts and investments include a raft of initiatives with police forces, port authorities, international law enforcement agencies and, of course, UK insurers.”Gangs have been using high-tech devices to steal luxury vehicles.But Jaguar Land Rover says it has invested £15million in new technology to make its vehicles more difficult to steal.

No bad blood as Bentley and Dignum go head-to-head | Boxing News

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No bad blood as Bentley and Dignum go head-to-head | Boxing News


DANNY Dignum is considering retirement if he doesn’t defeat Denzel Bentley on Saturday evening. Those were the words of the man himself as the pair met earlier today to publicise their York Hall crossroads clash on Saturday, May 11. 

The former world title challenger is piling the pressure on himself to pull through against a local rival he has shared the sparring ring with numerous times over the years.

“We’re both good fighters, both sort of at a crossroads,” Dignum deliberated. “The winner goes on to big things and the loser, well for me, it’s retirement because I’m not in the rebuilding process. 

“I don’t want to give up boxing, I want to carry on, so I have got to win this fight. I’ve trained so hard, but for me to rebuild or whatever, I don’t want to be doing that, so I must win this fight to carry on.”

Prior to his world title tilt in 2022, Dignum had amassed a 14-0-1 record mostly at domestic level. Fighting Janibek Alimkhanuly was just too big of a jump in class and he was dealt with inside two rounds. This fight, while a tough assignment, is much more winnable if preparation matches expectation.

“If I turn up on the night, I believe I can win,” added Dignum (16-1-1, 9 KOs). “It’s alright me saying it, I’ve got to do it.”

Danny Dignum celebrates a previous win at the York Hall (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Rejecting the notion of a bounce-back or comeback fight, opponent Denzel Bentley is just focusing on the fact that he’s involved in a 50-50 contest. Promoter Frank Warren has labelled this as a must-win affair for Bentley following his losing effort to Nathan Heaney last time out. An out-of-sorts Denzel surrendered his British title in the process.

“Every fight’s a must-win fight. This isn’t a confidence booster or a feel-good fight, this is a real fight and after I beat Danny, I’ll feel good,” said Bentley.

Conceding that his former sparring partner was a very good amateur and is a skilled professional, Bentley reads nothing into Dignum’s display against common opponent Alimkhanuly referring to it as a slip-up. Faring much better when he fought Janibek -losing over 12 competitive rounds – “2 Sharp” isn’t buying Danny’s retirement talk either.

“That’s his problem. I’m not buying into that stuff,” said Bentley. “If he wants to retire, then good luck to him. He probably doesn’t believe in himself anymore, and this is a dangerous sport to be in. You can’t be one foot in, one foot out.”

The 18-3-1 (15 KOs) fighter from Battersea was asked what is different now as opposed to the turmoil of the Heaney build-up.

“A clear mindset,” smiled Bentley, who is hoping to carry that level of clarity into the York Hall on Saturday evening.

On the undercard, Ryan Garner meets former British super-featherweight champion Liam Dillon in a 10-round WBC International title clash.

“I had two good back-to-back wins and then I was supposed to fight [Anthony] Cacace. He pulled out through injury, then I got injured, so let’s get the ball rolling again,” said a positive Garner. 

A fight with Archie Sharp, who was sitting next to Garner, has been talked about. There’s no beef between the pair and it’s news to the 14-0 Southampton fighter, but if everything makes sense, he’s on board.

“That’s the first I’ve heard about it,” said “The Piranha”. 

“Things get talked about behind closed doors, but I was speaking to Archie and we get along well. It’s business at the end of the day; it’s boxing. We are just here to provide for our families first and foremost.”



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Playing for Emma Hayes’ Chelsea pushed me to be stronger for life after football | Karen Carney

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Playing for Emma Hayes’ Chelsea pushed me to be stronger for life after football | Karen Carney


Many will look at Emma Hayes’s 12 years as Chelsea manager and think her lasting legacy is six – potentially seven – Women’s Super League titles, five FA Cups and two League Cups but for me her impact has been felt far beyond west London. By turning Chelsea into the benchmark for others to follow, she has forced up standards throughout the women’s game.

People forget that the early years were difficult for Hayes, with Chelsea narrowly avoiding relegation in her first full season, but there was always a clear plan of how to improve. Her spell managing in America at Chicago Red Stars, where I was in the squad, I think was pivotal in her career and shaped what she wanted to do at Chelsea. At the Red Stars we arguably had the most talented group of individuals but we were not the best team and I think she realised it was imperative she recruited the right characters, not just the best players. I think this resulted in a big shift in Hayes’s outlook.

What you find out working closely with Hayes is that she is incredibly competitive and she drives that into the squad in training, making sure the right levels are reached every day. Training was really fierce, with tackles flying in which Hayes would let go. If it was in a normal game, they would have been given as fouls but Hayes wanted to maintain an intensity. The environment was aimed at being better each day and that required players to push one another. I think this was something she perhaps learned under Vik Akers at Arsenal, where we first worked together and won a plethora of trophies, including the quadruple in 2006-07.

Hayes’s personality sold Chelsea to many players and pushed the club forward. She wanted players with an elite mentality that would bring an extra edge and it made a huge difference when fighting for titles and made Chelsea stand out. You can see it in the current squad in Millie Bright, Sam Kerr and Jess Carter: they are fierce competitors in addition to being great players.

There was always an array of characters in the dressing room, and although we might not all have got on with one another, it made for the best team. Hayes treated everyone differently for what she saw as their specific needs – there was never a one-size-fits-all approach to her management. The message was very clear with regards to the standards everyone had to adhere to but there was a different approach off the pitch to each individual. She always had her preferred players, that is for sure. Ji So-yun was her all-time favourite and best signing in my opinion.

It has never been about playing the most attractive football for Hayes but about taking a pragmatic approach to winning trophies. Manchester City have been the more aesthetically pleasing team, particularly in the WSL title race this season, but in previous years Chelsea have earned the advantage late on because Hayes has maintained an environment where they are able to get things done in their own manner. It will be interesting to see the outcome this season.

I did not have a single favourite moment under Hayes; instead it was a journey of being constantly pushed and challenged. The key memory from that education was her telling me I could never settle for what I had. A lot of people will say it was winning this or that but for me it was learning and getting stronger as a character, which has set me up for life after football.

Emma Hayes with Karen Carney at Kingsmeadow in 2023. Rarely are female managers linked with jobs in the men’s game, but Hayes’ name often comes up when vacancies arise. Photograph: Jordan Pettitt/PA

At Arsenal, she spent much of her time with the younger players. She has always been eager to give youth a chance. At Chelsea, for example, she has brought in Erin Cuthbert, Niamh Charles and Aggie Beever-Jones. Hayes knows she is leaving behind a lot of quality young players with their best years ahead of them for someone else to reap the rewards.

Rarely have female managers been linked to jobs in the men’s game but Hayes was often mentioned when vacancies arose because of her achievements. I was never surprised because she has worked at an elite level over a very long period. She has worked with the same boards that dealt with Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino – to her it is just football. She is a pro-licence-qualified coach and would have seen it all as a coaching job regardless but those links to a men’s job signal a culture shift.

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Hayes has stated that although she was born in England she was “definitely made in America” thanks to her stint coaching there. She will, however, need to use what she has learned in both countries to help get the US women’s national team back to their best. They are in transition and there is work to be done to get them back to the heights they are used to.

I am sure Hayes would have wanted to leave Chelsea with a fairytale ending of winning the Champions League but football is not like that. The WSL title, however, is within their grasp and would be a fitting way for her to go out.

As players the aim is always to leave the shirt in a better place than we found it. For Hayes, she has succeeded not just in raising the bar for her own club but for everyone. There will be a new team – Tottenham or Manchester United – on the FA Cup trophy this Sunday, Arsenal won the League Cup, and either Chelsea or Manchester City will win the league. Women’s football is a far more competitive place thanks to its departing figurehead.



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The Circus Of Hate

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The Circus Of Hate


Well, what a nice statement of unity and tolerance this is:

And only slightly undermined by coming from THIS guy:

But Smith’s new message of tolerance hasn’t fully penetrated the party ranks.

Dovydas Kuliešas used to work for Emma Roddick MSP, who until yesterday was the minister responsible for the grotesque “conversion practices” legislation being developed by the SNP, and we gather he’s now a member of the staff of Westminster SNP MP Alison Thewliss, who alert readers may recall from her role in the infamous “DECAPITATE TERFS” trans protest at Buchanan Steps in Glasgow last year.

He’s also a member of the SNP Socialists group run by serial opportunist carpetbagger Cllr Graham Campbell (no relation), and one of the founders of the po-faced Student Grant masturbation collective Our Republic, a handy one-stop gathering of Scotland’s worst living beings.

And just a few days ago he posted this on Medium:

Attention-grabbing opening, isn’t it? Let’s carry on.

Whoever could he mean?

We know who it sounds like – the cadre of hyper-intolerant “progressive” young activists we call the Twitler Youth, to whom everything is “bigotry” and “phobia”s and who endlessly scream for the expulsion from the party of people like Joanna Cherry and Joan McAlpine and Kate Forbes – but we rather suspect it isn’t.

Ah, of course. It’s old people.

And indeed specifically old men, with their “old man computers”, sliding into “abject psychotropic decline” and refusing to accept that children can “choose their own puberty”. THOSE total bastards.

(Let’s not be distracted by the flat-out and potentially-defamatory lie that Alex Salmond was a “paid Russian Government employee”. That’s a matter for Mr Salmond.)

Those people need to be told that their “time” is “over”, whatever that might mean precisely. (Expulsion? Exile? Euthanasia? Execution?) We’re not told what the cutoff age is under which you’re allowed to continue to be a member of the SNP, or perhaps of Scottish society in general, but we can probably pretty safely assume that since it’s “the Scottish youth” who hold the only acceptable, “decent” views, it’s going to be 30 at the absolute most.

This is pretty constant messaging from the party’s youth wing. Last month we watched an interview with SNP activist Cameron Greer, who when asked to give a message to the wider independence movement told them that only young people should be listened to because their opinions mattered more than anyone else’s, and that if anyone wasn’t sure what opinions to have, just ask some young people.

?

Young Cameron fronts his own show, menacingly called “We Are The Future”.

Because, y’know, tomorrow belongs to them.

?

But back to young Dovydas. He wants you to know that your grandchildren – because everyone over 30 has grandchildren, right? – think you’re a “terrible person” and find you “disgusting” like all your “fellow old fogies” because you don’t have the same opinion as the kids.

The idea that you might dare to have your OWN opinion, rather than simply aspiring to comply with that of your grandkids, isn’t even fleetingly contemplated. Or perhaps it’s part of your “incessant whining”.

As Dovydas is clearly a huge fan of the Scottish Greens, we’re not sure why he’s so furious at what he anticipates as a flood of voters moving to them.

Surely that would only increase the likeliness of a future SNP/Green pact committed to all his priorities, and help to reverse the “fuckup of megastrophic proportions” that the collapse of the Bute House Agreement represented, and thereby help to guard against a return to the days of the old-style SNP, which was apparently a party of “various assorted creeps, perennial pains in the hoop, Putin apologists, downright scumbags [and] fucking weirdos”?

Readers, if we took all the easy shots that line sets up we’d be here all day. But the thing Dovydas wants to make super-clear is that if you don’t agree with every single one of his decent and progressive and self-evidently correct – ie they’re held by the young – views, then “people like you can’t be listened to”, (his emphasis) on account of your “utterly dogshit, broken-vehicle, farts-for-words, unreality based nerdery”.

(It’s a tiny bit bold for someone whose bio goes on about Dungeons And Dragons dice to be accusing anyone else of “nerdery”, but we’ll let it pass.)

Indeed, to make sure you’re not listened to, if you’re one of the considerable number of SNP politicians/members who wanted the BHA ended, you simply “should never be allowed to speak again”.

The rant has been warmly welcomed by Dovydas’ peers – many of whom, ironically, are rather close to Alyn Smith.


It was even tweeted by Irish artist Dr Robert Bohan to his 304,000 Twitter followers, although as Dr Bohan is 54 years old we hope he’s aware that his continued existence is a barely-tolerated affront to the dynamic new generation, permitted only so long as he continues to hold all the allowable opinions determined on a weekly basis by the Committee Of The Revolution.

Conversely, we gather that it’s already been reported as a hate crime by some concerned citizens, given that it fairly clearly appears to incite hatred on the basis of age, one of the protected characteristics of the new Hate Crime Act.

But given young Dovydas’ proximity to the SNP’s corridors of power, we think we can go out on a limb and say that the chances of inter-generational harmony breaking out inside the “big tent” any time soon are pretty slim.

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Elphicke defection: 76% of our readers say Labour wrong to accept Tory MP – LabourList

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Elphicke defection: 76% of our readers say Labour wrong to accept Tory MP – LabourList


Labour’s decision to welcome former Tory MP Natalie Elphicke into its parliamentary ranks has drawn considerable criticism from within the party – with multiple national executive committee members calling for the party whip to be suspended from her.

LabourList asked readers of our daily briefing email this morning whether they think the party is “right” to accept Elphicke’s defection from the Tories.

More than 700 readers had responded by 3:30pm this afternoon, with more than three-quarters (76.4%) saying the party was not right to admit the former Tory MP. Just over a fifth of respondents (20.3%) said the party was right to accept her, while 3.3% said they did not know. You can still vote here.

As the leading dedicated Labour news site with readers across the party, LabourList hopes the poll may give some clues about member sentiment on the move – but it should still be handled with some caution.

LabourList is not suggesting this is a scientific poll that provides an exact representation of the views of all party members at large. While many members read our daily email, anyone can subscribe to it, and anyone can fill in the poll, member or not.

We also asked readers which Tory MP they would most want to join Labour if any, to which more than 400 responded “none”. The Tory MP named in the most responses was Alicia Kearns on 13, followed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on nine.

Elphicke, the MP for Dover, announced she was quitting the Conservative Party and joining Labour in a statement issued through Labour officials just before Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.

The former Tory MP argued that the Conservatives have become a “byword for incompetence and division” under Sunak’s leadership, particularly highlighting the party’s record on housing and border security.

“Britain needs a government that will build a future of hope, optimism, opportunity and fairness. A Britain everyone can be part of, that will make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead. That’s why it’s time for change. Time for a Labour government led by Keir Starmer,” she said.

The Labour leader said on Wednesday he was “delighted” to welcome Elphicke to Labour, telling Sky News: “She’s got a strong track record on issues such as housing. She’s on the frontline when it comes to the crisis of small boats.

“And the reason that she’s given for joining the Labour Party is very, very important because I think she speaks for very many Tory voters in saying that the Tory Party has changed, it’s left the centre ground.

“But equally, the Labour Party has changed, and we are very clearly the party of the national interest, of country first, party second. And I look forward to working with her on the mission to deliver the real change that this country desperately needs.”

NEC members Jess Barnard and Mish Rahman – who are both standing for reelection to the party’s governing body with the backing of the Centre-Left Grassroots Alliance and Momentum – have called for the Labour whip to be suspended from Elphicke.

Barnard argued that accepting the former Tory MP was a “colossal error of judgement” from Starmer which “undermines the fight against sexual harassment and is totally inconsistent with Labour values”.

Elphicke has faced scrutiny in part over comments she made supporting her ex-husband, the former Tory MP Charlie Elphicke, after he was convicted of sexual assault. She released a statement today apologising for the comments.

“I have previously, and do, condemn his behaviour towards other women and towards me. It was right that he was prosecuted and I’m sorry for the comments that I made about his victims,” she said.

Others within Labour and on the left have also questioned the decision to accept Elphicke, with The Mirror’s Kevin Maguire asking if it is a “defection too far” and Labour staffer and chair of the GMB branch for members’ staff Jenny Symmons describing the defection as “really, really poor and disappointing”.

If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this or any other topic involving Labour, on record or strictly anonymously, contact us at [email protected]. 

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US festival to be powered by 100% renewable energy | IQ Magazine

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US festival to be powered by 100% renewable energy | IQ Magazine


California’s Mill Valley Music Festival says it will be the first US festival powered by 100% renewable energy.

The coming weekend’s edition (11-12 May) – featuring Fleet Foxes, Greensky Bluegrass and Three Sacred Souls – will operate solely on mobile zero-emission batteries produced by local firm Moxion, which partly powered the 2023 edition.

By switching from diesel generators to Moxion batteries, the San Francisco event will reportedly avoid around 4.5 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Founded in 2022, Mill Valley Music Festival is organised by the Noise Pop Industries and Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce which called the move “a crucial leap forward”.

“Our city has identified reducing greenhouse gas emissions as a major reduction strategy, along with renewable energy, energy efficiency, EV infrastructure, green building and waste reduction,” says Jim Welte, executive director, Mill Valley Chamber.

“We hope this inspires more eco-friendly practices across the board”

“We’re thrilled to be the exclusive energy source for MVMF this year,” says Paul Huelskamp, CEO and co-founder of Moxion, which also powers events including Californian music festival BottleRock and TOUR PGA Championship.

“Moxion was born right here in Mill Valley, so it’s incredible to see the festival become a sustainability leader. We hope this inspires more eco-friendly practices across the board.”

Mill Valley Music Festival follows in the footsteps of Barcelona festival Cruïlla, which last year was powered solely by electricity from the grid.

Similarly, the main stage at Ireland’s Electric Picnic 2024 will be powered by the grid, while British band Massive Attack has announced an outdoor show powered by battery and solar power.

AGF (A Greener Future) recently hailed “significant areas of improvement” in festival sustainability after surveying more than 40 European events. The sustainability not-for-profit released its Festival Sustainability Report, comprising data analysis on mobility, food & drink, water & sanitation, power & fuel use, waste & recycling, and carbon emissions at events on the continent.

Last month, a range of industry figures shared their sustainability priorities for the live music business to mark Earth Day 2024.

 

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.





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