Live music as an experience

The key to developing strong local music scenes will be, more than ever, giving people unique experiences which cannot be found at home or in other leisure time activities.

TIME Europe Magazine: Jun. 26, 2006 -- Bands and Brands: "...at a time when technology is forcing the recorded sector to rethink the fundamentals of how music is produced, consumed and paid for, increasingly it's the communal experience of a concert that consumers are willing to splurge on — and companies want to be associated with. As lead sponsors of the Academy Music Group's eight medium-sized venues across Britain and a giant duel-sited rock festival, Carling is in the right place at the right time. As the biggest single investor in British live music, Carling spends around $13 million a year promoting it. 'Live music in the U.K. is in an absolutely strong place,' says Martin Coyle, head of sponsorship for Coors. 'Three million people are going through the venues each year, and the Carling Weekend sold out within a day.' "