Tennent's Mutual: Redressing the Balance?

Now it appears, this alone is not enough. Notwithstanding the continued success that is T in the Park, the other, slightly more marginal events on Tennent's roster have been cast aside in favour of a system that, on the face of it at least, is highly democratic.

Recently came the announcement of a new kind of music event, one which, according to the official press release, will ‘empower and enable music fans to shape the live music landscape with a start-up fund of £150,000’. 'The Tennent's Mutual' has been devised so that 'Fans will be allowed the unique power to decide democratically and collectively exactly how this money is invested, ultimately creating the live programme, which will begin in October / November 2008. Founding members [a status available to all who register with the site before June’s end] will select artists, debate locations for gigs and call the shots on ticket prices by interacting as a community and voting for their preferences online – ultimately creating new and affordable access to live music in Scotland.’

Speaking with The Skinny, Elaine Forbes of Tennent’s Lager explained the motivation behind the concept. “The music industry is evolving and we should be evolving with it. In April, we conducted Scotland’s biggest-ever live music census, and the findings called for resounding changes in the nation’s gig provision". This questionnaire suggested that a whopping 99% of Scottish live music fans felt the Scottish music scene needed something different. So, what was Tennent’s response to this situation?

“Music consumption has undergone, and is undergoing, a revolution – and with this in mind we firmly believed it was time to innovate once more’, offers Forbes. "Every other aspect of the music industry is now influenced by the ability to interact online, directly with fans, except the live sector. So, we felt it was time to transform this area of provision – in keeping with our track record – while also offering music fans an unprecedented level of control.”

But does democracy equal control? Certainly it does not automatically suggest innovation. At present, there is a top 40 ‘chart’ on the Tennent's Mutual site, and with the top ten (at time of writing) comprising of massive international acts such as Muse, Radiohead and Arcade Fire, could it be that the consensus will only lead to some fairly obvious, yet unworkable choices?

“In the first year we do have to be realistic: we have a finite amount of money to spend, so we'll debate first what kind of shows we want to do, and then how best to spend the money, says Forbes. "We think the members will appreciate the need to taper expectations with realities – especially in year one – and will also appreciate the longer term perspective in terms of how huge this could become.”

This is a tacit admission that what is being offered, and what may come to pass, may have to be reconciled in some fashion, and also that the control being offered may not be as all-encompassing as suggested on the tin. It is certainly difficult to see how the limitations imposed by a small budget will tally with the grandiose expectations of the democratic masses. However, it may be that a little judicious editing [which, let's be honest, is how democracy works in practice anyway] may be for the best. We laud the innovation behind the concept of Tennent's Mutual, but will have to wait and see whether it works for everyone. In the meantime, have your say and join in the decision making here.