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Krept, real name Casyo Johnson, the rapper who was stabbed backstage at a BBC Radio 1Xtra event, has postponed upcoming UK tour dates after receiving medical advice.
The rapper, one half of duo Krept and Konan, was due to embark on a seven-night run of shows in November at Stylus in Leeds (1,200-cap.), Manchester’s Albert Hall (2,290-cap.), Nottingham’s Rock City (2,000-cap.), O2 Academy Bristol (1,650-cap.) and Birmingham (3,000-cap.), Glasgow’s SWG3 (5,000-cap.) and the Olympia Theatre (1,240-cap.) in Dublin.
“I need to make a full recovery because on tour it gets wild and what we have planned requires 100% strength”
The rap duo will now perform the dates in January, with all original tickets remaining valid. A show at London’s 20,000-capacity O2 Arena will go ahead as planned on Thursday 5 December.
Referencing “complications” with his leg, Krept told fans that the seven back-to-back November shows were “not physically possible”.
“I need to make a full recovery because you know on tour it gets wild and what we have planned requires 100% strength,” reads a post on social media.
Investigations into the stabbing are ongoing. No arrests have been made so far.
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Chair Vanessa Reed of PRS Foundation opened the session by declaring that “diversity is no longer a mystery subject.” Reed stated that the priority now is to get more women to the top of the industry, before highlighting the positives changes that are already being made.
“We’ve got loads to be excited about, but we need to concentrate on how to push things further,” said Reed.
ReBalance finalist Tilly Scantlebury from indie band Lazy Day offered an artist’s perspective. “Musicians I love are being celebrated because of their differences and not in spite of them,” she said, indicating the inspiration this gives to young artists.
BBC 1Xtra’s Jamz Supernova gave her perspective, saying that, although female DJs are increasing in number, “the imbalance is that it’s still at the grassroots level, in terms of headliners there’s still a long way to go.”
Reiterating this point, UK Music’s head of research, Natalie Williams, drew on results from the company’s diversity survey. “At entry level, there’s really good representation, but that progression is not replicated at a senior level.”
Jamie Ahye of Atlantic Records spoke of his work to improve LGBTQ+ representation in the music industry through the Pride in Music network which aims to “create a community of LGBTQ-identifying people to give us a voice in the industry,” offering a resource for those with questions regarding LGBTQ+ issues within the industry.
“At entry level, there’s really good representation, but that progression is not replicated at a senior level”
Talk turned to accessibility and the limitations of the existing recruitment process in terms of improving access for minority groups or those from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds. Williams stressed the importance of implementing a “blind” recruitment process to counter unconscious bias, whereas Supernova and Ahye focused on education.
Despite improvements, Supernova has still encountered many issues: “as a woman of colour, I would like to be less oppressed, and more listened to and valued,” said the radio DJ, referencing issues of being spoken over and her opinion being discounted or accredited to another.
Ahye pointed out that discussions surrounding diversity usually come from “diverse people”, stating that “we need an ally” to progress things further.
The other panellists agreed that solidarity and “making everybody accountable” was key for improving diversity within the music industry, as well as stressing the importance of unconscious bias training.
Summarising the session, Scantlebury stated that “gender equality benefits everybody and comes at the expense of no one.”
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VMS Live has announced a series of new deals which managing director Steve Forster has said “will be key to their future success.” The deals include two new venue partnerships and the appointment of BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ Timzee to the position of development manager.
The first of the deals is with the Liverpool Olympia, which will become the Eventim Olympia Liverpool. The name change is the result of the ‘mutually supportive’ agreement with Eventim, which was made earlier this year. The deal includes a five-year partnership with the venue owners, Argent Leisure, and will see £250k invested into the 1,900-capacity space.
Speaking about the new partnership, Chris Zorba of Argent Leisure comments: “The new agreement with VMS will allow Silver Leisure to invest in the fabric of the building to improve the customer experience.
“We very much feel that the area and the Olympia in particular are on the cusp of another golden age.”
“As an entirely self-funded independent, with no debt or bank loans, we are incredibly proud of the way we have developed the business over the last 7 years”
The second of the new deals is a five-year agreement with the University of Exeter’s Student Guild. VMS will take over the direction of the University’s events and entertainment programme, as well as the operation of their venue, the Lemon Grove. Both sides are hopeful the deal will revamp the fortunes of the Lemon Grove, with Guild director of commercial services Nicola Carter saying it is, “an incredible opportunity to develop our existing programme of events and to showcase the Lemon Grove as a leading venue in Exeter for live music.”
Working closely with this new acquisition will be newly appointed development manager Timzee. Focusing particularly on the student venue section of VMS’s portfolio, he will work on developing new ‘club’ brands for the the company. Tim brings with him an extensive list of experience, additional to being a BBC 1Xtra DJ, he also acts as content director for productions including a 3,000 capacity warehouse brand in his home city.
VMS hopes these new developments will encourage lasting success for the company. Commenting on its success until now, Forster says: “As an entirely self-funded independent, with no debt or bank loans, we are incredibly proud of the way we have developed the business over the last seven years.” He goes on to name this a ‘really important period’ for the company.
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