October 7, 2008 12:55

Rolling Stones legend guests at In The City

Manchester event has an eventful second day

Photo Gallery: The Rolling Stones

Former Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham was on hand to host the second day of the In The City event in Manchester (October 6).

Now in its 17th year, the annual industry conference got underway with an artist managers panel.

Featuring the managers of bands like Kaiser Chiefs and The Courteeners, the panel looked at their involvement with such acts and the inside gossip of what it's like to manage a band.

Moderated by Loog Oldham, the panel discussed what it takes to be successful and how that is changing all the time with technology and the internet.

James Sandom, manager of Kaiser Chiefs and The Cribs, said: "The mystery of searching for bands to manage has gone thanks to MySpace."

Also talking about the ever emerging Chinese market and issues surrounding signing record deals, Loog Oldham brought his experiences of managing The Rolling Stones in the 1960s to contrast it to the modern role of a manager.

Other guests included Jon 'The Reverend' McClure and former Joy Division and New Order bassist Peter Hook, who were on a panel discussing celebrity against creativity.

Talking about the how the media can stifle creativity, McClure said in regards to his fame that "I feel like a sore thumb in a piranha pool."

Elsewhere, American record label legend Seymour Stein, who signed the likes of the Ramones and Talking Heads in the 1970s, discussed the history of independent record labels and the impact it had on them and their acts.

In The City continues today (October 7).