BIGSOUND Speaker Profile: Guy Blackman

Name: Guy Blackman

Business: Chapter Music

Position/Title: Co-Manager

How did you first become involved in the music business? I started presenting on 6UVS FM in Perth in 1990 (aged 16) and put out my first music fanzine in October that year. Chapter Music had its first release, a compilation cassette of Perth bands, in 1992.

What do you perceive to be your area of expertise and how did you gain experience in this field? My area of expertise is running an independent record label in Australia and I gained experience in this field by attending the University Of Doing It Yourself!

Popular culture tells us that the music industry is all about hedonism, drugs and partying - how true is this in your experience? Almost as true as in sport!

In this time of technological change how do you see the dissemination of music changing in the future? Is there still a place for physical product? Ask any vinyl record pressing factory around the world, there's still a place for physical product. There's also a place for a niche streaming service in the way that Bandcamp is a niche download service — one that makes people feel like their money is going more directly to the artist.

Some pundits espouse that the future of music is electronic-based - in your opinion is rock'n'roll passé? This question is kind of ridiculous.

Do you think it's a good or bad time to be starting out as a musician? It's as good a time as any. Reaching an audience is always going to be a random combination of luck, talent, timing, bravado and persistence.

What advice would you give young practitioners in your area starting out today? Get involved in as many different parts of the music world as possible — do a radio show, write for a blog, play music, put on shows, run a label. Be generous with your time, help out people with their projects, make lots of friends and get in peoples faces!

What will you be primarily discussing during your appearance at the BIGSOUND conference? The importance of independent labels in fostering a musical community. Australia's too small for everyone to be trying to claw their way to the top. 

What are you hoping that people will be able to learn from your panel/interview? Someone else's success doesn't take away from your own efforts, and vice versa. It all has a beneficial impact on the world you're a part of — look at how much the success of Total Control, Royal Headache, Courtney Barnett, Twerps etc has done for international awareness of Australian music.

What do you personally hope to take away from your time at BIGSOUND? I hope to escape with my liver intact, but I'm not sure it's going to be possible!