Tom will tell: Watson wants his UK Music tenure to be judged on results
“The goal is always to speak with one voice for the sector”
TOM WATSON UK MUSIC
was challenged on this during the [job] interview and I’d say I hope I can convince people I was just trying to do my best and behave with honour and integrity. “But obviously mistakes were made and I regret them greatly. I hope that won’t impact on my ability to do good for the sector and to contribute something back to an industry that I feel very strongly about and love very greatly.” Even without such distractions, Watson faces a big task at UK Music. He came in expecting to have to wrestle with the complexities of post-Brexit Britain, but immediately faces the job of helping to save, and then rebuild an industry ravaged by the effects of the pandemic. An easy post-retirement gig this is not (“At least I do have some experience of crises,” he notes, wryly).
And there can be little doubt about Watson’s passion for the role. A fanatical music fan since his Mum bought him a copy of Lulu’s I’m A Tiger (“This is where everyone in the music industry thinks, ‘I can’t believe they’ve appointed this guy!’” he quips), he spent his youth in the Midlands obsessed with ska, two-tone and The Specials (he’s thrilled that he can now wear Fred Perrys again after his dramatic weight loss, having reversed his Type 2 diabetes). He famously attended Glastonbury Festival in 2013 before quitting his position on Labour’s front bench, recommending indie rockers Drenge to Ed Miliband in his resignation letter (he’s still a fan). On lockdown, he’s been listening to a lot of blues (recommending Robert Cray’s new album) on vinyl or via Spotify, in between berating his sons for not paying proper attention to Bob Dylan and being brought up to speed on the biz by acting UK Music CEO Tom Kiehl (“Tom’s depth of knowledge and networking across the sector is vast,” says Watson. “He’s taking a new member of the board on a learning journey very, very quickly”). “Music of all types has nourished me throughout my life,” he says, of why he was interested in the role in the first place. “I’d left 20 years of public service in Parliament and I wanted to give something back. I’ve got a skillset that I thought might be deployed by the board in the right way – and I thought there was a job of work to do.”
Will that be enough? Time to put Tom Watson in the hotseat and find out… It must be a strange time to start a job like this…
“It’s a very steep learning curve! Obviously, it’s an industry that’s hurting. When I applied for the job, it had a very different context. I was hoping to play a strategic role with the board in helping prepare ministers for a post-Brexit world for the creative sector. But day one saw an industry in total crisis. We’ve had to totally recalibrate our priorities as a board and that’s taken a lot of work whilst I’m getting to know everyone. So it’s been a tough few weeks…”
What was the attraction of UK Music for you?
“I’ve seen UK Music develop as an institution from the other side. Andy Heath has built a very mature and deep organisation. In the minds of most public policy makers now, certainly in Parliament, it speaks with one voice for the commercial music sector. And that was not the case when I was first elected in 2001.”
Andy Heath, of course, has decades of experience within the music business. You don’t. Is that an issue?
“It’s always difficult to take over from someone like Andy. Not only does he have a lifetime of experience in the industry, but he’s a genuinely decent human being with very great qualities. But, remember, I’m just one member of a board that provides strategic direction and we have an executive team that knows the industry inside out. I’m obviously a very different character with very different skills and experiences, but I hope that we can have a balanced team that will ensure that people with a great depth of knowledge in the sector can work with people who
16 | Music Week 04.05.20
musicweek.com
PHOTOS: Colin Thomas, Joanna Dudderidge, Paul Harries
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
