The Midland Hotel, Manchester, October 18th-20th 2009
It feels like barely a year has passed since one FM editor was practicing her neatest Teeline shorthand with a glass of whisky and coke as numerous deals were sealed around the bustling Midland Hotel bar. In fact, as a result of last year’s early conference, it’s 54 weeks since the music industry in its entirety descended upon Manchester city centre for tea, cake, a lot of talk and even more noise.
One session which immediately leaps out from this year’s programme as a refreshing alternative to the core programme is the “duty of care” panel. Whether it’s the latest exploits of Amy Winehouse or Susan Boyle, or the well-known and sad tale of Richey Edwards, musicians are not machines, and ITC really should be commended for programming such a discussion. (It’s interesting to note that Darcus Beese, co-president of Island Records, is listed as a panellist – what says he is asked at least one question about Amy?)
Elsewhere, Sunday’s The Seldom Seen Kid, featuring Paul Curry, the 20 year-old founder of (the now demised) Music Search Plus, promises to be an eye-opener, as does Bella Union founder Simon Raymonde and football legend Pat Nevin in the same room on Monday afternoon. Keen snappers should be sure to get to the ITC photography panel, preceded by a keynote from Gered Mankowitz, on Monday lunchtime.
Last year’s daytime panels offered far more stimulating chat than at first appeared on paper, and over the years, ITC panels have often captured the tense, yet symbiotic, relationship between ‘music’ and ‘business’ – one suspects no-one knows whether this happens intentionally or unintentionally. But one thing’s guaranteed – there’ll be plenty to write home about.
words and picture: Kate Goodacre
In The City officially takes place between October 18th and 20th at the Midland Hotel. Full delegate passes are still available for £350 excluding VAT at 15%, with combined hotel packages also available.
Day passes are £175 excluding VAT, and do not include access to ITC Live gigs in the evening.
www.inthecity.co.uk
www.myspace.com/inthecitymanchester
twitter: @itcmanchester
Kate Goodacre is a freelance writer and photographer, and the founding editor of The Fugitive Motel. Her taste in music has been broadened greatly by her co-contributors over the years that the site and the Motel collective has been in business. Kate likes pink lady apples, recycling, open-wheeled motorsport, the smell of a well-kept park, the Today Programme and that strangely invigorating stillness you get in a city early on any weekend morning.