Pass the Buck
The definition of ‘Pass the Buck’ in the Cambridge Dictionary, means: to blame someone or make them responsible for a problem that you should deal with.
There feels to be a lot of this going on these days. It feels like the term “team effort” is harder and harder to come by. Where does a promoter’s job end and the artist’s job begin? And vice versa? If an album completely flops, is it the fault of the artist or the label? And in turn, if it’s a great success, is it because of the work the artist put in, or the label? Is creating a Facebook event enough, or do you need to get out there and physically promote an event with good old fashioned postering and flyers? Does the job end for promotion with a collab post for an event or a digital EPK with an album link? Instead of pointing fingers, let’s open a dialogue with our expert panelists to hear what works for them and what doesn’t and why. Let’s try to be a team again for the greater good.
Friday 18. April 13:00 - Room: Central Park
Mod: Fríði Djurhuus // G! Festival / Tutl Records / Joe and the Shit Boys (FO)
Fríði Djurhuus, Faroe Islands, is involved in all parts of the Faroese music scene. He is one of the few employees at Tutl Records, the local record label, all of which share a multitude of positions. His main duty there is A&R. Then he also works for G! Festival, where he wears many different hats; booking consultant among others, mainly because he is the one on the team with the biggest understanding of extreme music of all genres.
Outside of these two jobs, he’s also involved in everything when it comes to Faroese music, whether it’s being a judge at the Faroese Music Awards, promoting shows, writing reviews, hosting radio shows, directing documentaries, administrative consultation, PR, or even working security. It doesn’t matter if it’s government funded, or completely DIY, you’ll see him everywhere, either working or attending. He is mostly known for fronting the queer vegan punk band, Joe & The Shitboys, who are known for their energetic and provocative performances, with the latest shitstorm being caused by taking an unsolicited pro-choice stance on national television.
Kathrine Shepard // Sylvaine (NO)
Kathrine Shepard is the visionary artist behind the evocative musical project SYLVAINE. SYLVAINE’s music is all about the relationship between opposing forces, reflecting the extreme range of emotions this human existence has to offer. A transcendental bridge between worlds that encapsulates the beautiful and the harsh, serenity and chaos, and the delicate balance between the external world and the inner sanctum of the soul.
With four albums, one split-EP and one EP released to date, Sylvaine’s ethereal soundscapes have been taken to stages across Europe, North America and South America, leaving audiences mesmerized by the transcendent power of the band’s live performances. Two of these albums have been nominated for the Norwegian Grammy Awards “Spellemannprisen” in the category of metal, as the first woman ever to be nominated in said category.
Leoni Dowidat // Nuclear Blast (DE)
Making her first steps in the music industry as a journalist in the mid-2010s, Leoni Dowidat started her own PR company in 2018, before joining her current workplace at the world-wide known metal label Nuclear Blast Records in late 2019. After contributing to grow the PR department as Head Of PR & Media Relations, her passion for artistic development led her to move to an A&R manager position in May 2024 - scouting new talents and promising bands to expand the label’s impressive portfolio as well as helping artists of the existing roster to exploit their fullest potential within the label team’s possibilities.
Toke Holt // Copenhell (DK)
Toke Holt is the brand- and marketing manager for Denmark’s biggest rock and metal festival Copenhell. He helped start it as a marketing freelancer in 2009 and today he oversees communications, branding and merchandise for the festival. Toke has worked with almost every aspect of the music business. Starting at the Rust club in the late nineties as stagehand, booking upcoming bands and doing street marketing. He’s toured with several local bands as a tour manager and light-tech. He worked for Virgin/Emi Records as a product and marketing manager for 10 years during the label's hardest times in the late 90s and 2000s. In 2010 he formed Quarterback Entertainment with Jonas Fjelding and managed acts like Volbeat and Kellermensch up until 2017. Besides his Copenhell duties Toke still does consultancy work for Danish bands like Volbeat and D-A-D, and helps younger bands and managers navigate the business.
Gisli Sigmundsson // Sátan Festival (IS)
Gisli Sigmundsson is no stranger to the Icelandic metal scene, having been active in bands since the early 90s and having performed and recorded with various bands (incl. Sororicide, Beneath and Bastarður). For the last 15 years or so Gisli has also been involved in organizing metal festivals in Iceland, such as Eistnaflug and Reykjavík Deathfest/Metalfest.
Now Gisli is one of the owners and main organizer of the new Icelandic metalfestival Sátan which will take place in Stykkishólmur in early June 2025 for the second time.