London, UK. (Top40 Charts/
Nielson Music Control) - With just days to go before the curtain goes up on British
Music Week in Germany, British
Music Week organisers the BPI have revealed that the line-up now includes 75 UK acts, making it the biggest coordinated promotion for British music yet seen in the world's fourth biggest music market.
The news comes as the BPI releases figures showing the UK's share of airplay on German radio increased last year to the extent that every fifth record played is now by a UK act.
Latest additions to the British Music Week programme include former Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley introducing her second solo album The Deep Blue and hotly-tipped singalong Brit-poppers Ghosts.
British Music Week will also mark the German launch of England Rocks, an initiative of Visit England, the official tourism body for England.
As previously announced, the British Music Week programme already includes a festival of British music video supported by the British Council.
British Music Week founder and former BPI Director of Communications and Development Steve Redmond said: "The broad spread of activities and the sheer number of artists taking part in British Music Week this year shows the strength of British music right now and the incredibly cooperative relationship we have with our partners in Germany. British Music Week is shaping up to be an unmissable event."
The programme
The British Music Week concert programme now includes 75 artists (full list below) covering a whole range of genres and from the biggest to many much smaller record labels.
Gigs will focus on four key German cities - Berlin (where the first British Music Week took place last year), Cologne, Hamburg and Munich, although there will also be associated events in other cities such as Leipzig and Munster.
British Music Week coordinator Matt Glover said: "The first British Music Week in Berlin last year was a concentrated burst of British rock in the German capital: this year British Music Week has matured into a much broader-based celebration of British music."
Highlights include:
* Former Suede frontman Brett Anderson who will play solo shows in Berlin, Hamburg and Munich;
* Hotly-tipped hip-hop star Lady Sovereign, one of the few European hip-hop acts to have enjoyed success in the US;
* Stars of British Music Week 2006 Razorlight who return to Germany with a quadruple-platinum album under their belt;
* Street laureate Just Jack promoting his first album Overtones;
* Scottish rockers Idlewild celebrating their new album No Emotion;
* The retro girl-pop of The Pipettes;
* The latest sensation on the UK indie scene The Pigeon Detectives.
BPI Chief Executive Geoff Taylor said: "By working directly with local partners, the BPI has been able to create a focal point for British music in Germany; this will achieve a far bigger impact and greater exposure for British music in this key territory than we could otherwise have gained.
"After last year's successful inaugural event, British Music Week has expanded significantly going national from its Berlin base, and is set to create an even bigger splash than last year. We hope that British Music Week may serve as a template for future international activity by the BPI."
UK airplay success
News of the confirmed British Music Week line-up for 2007 comes as new figures show UK artists increased their share of airplay on German radio last year.
The BPI analysis of Nielsen Music Control data shows UK artists accounted for 160 of the Top 1,000 most played tracks on German radio last year and achieved a 20.6% share of total German radio audience and 19.1% of total plays.
This compares with a 19.5% share of audience and a 17.7% share of plays in 2005.
Robbie Williams and James Blunt were responsible for the most played songs by UK artists on German radio last year, but the Top 20 also included entries by three brand-new artists - Corinne Bailey Rae, James Morrison and Lily Allen - as well as one of the great comebacks of 2006, Take That.
Top 20 Most Played UK Tracks on German Radio 2006
1. Robbie Williams - Sin Sin Sin
2. James Blunt - Wisemen
3. Robbie Williams - Advertising Space
4. James Blunt - High
5. Coldplay - Talk
6. Melanie C - First Day of My Life
7. Take That - Patience
8. Sugababes - Push The Button
9. Kim Wilde - You Came
10. Coldplay - The Hardest Part
11. Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On
12. Sugababes - Ugly
13. Jamelia - Something About You
14. Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
15. Richard Ashcroft - Break The Night With Colour
16. James Morrison - You Give Me Something
17. James Blunt - You're Beautiful
18. Sugababes - Easy
19. Lily Allen - Smile
20. Sugababes - Red Dress
News of the UK's airplay success follows earlier BPI analysis of Media Control GfK International data which showed UK artists had a 19.5% share of the top 500 album sales in Germany in 2006.
The biggest selling UK artist in Germany in 2006 was Katie Melua with her second album Piece By Piece.
The best-selling UK artist debut in Germany was Corinne Bailey Rae with her self-titled album.
British music on creative high
British Music Week takes place this year against the background of what is regarded as the most creative period in British music for at least 10 years.
From groups like Snow Patrol, Arctic Monkeys, The Feeling and Razorlight to solo artists such as Amy Winehouse, Corinne Bailey Rae, James Morrison and Lily Allen, British music is currently on a creative high.
Fourteen of the Top 100 best-selling albums in the UK in 2006 were debuts, and in late January for the first time in its 50 year history the UK album chart comprised entirely UK artists.
"Something very exciting is happening in British music," said Steve Redmond, "so this is a very good time to be holding a British Music Week. New British artists are succeeding at home. Now their challenge is to take that success around the world and from April 20-29 they will bring their music to Germany."
