All you need is a mobile phone

MUSIC industry conferences do they really achieve any thing, or are they just a lot of hot air and alcohol? That was one panel discussion that In The City didn't schedule, but the topic certainly came up in conversation at the bar in the Clarence Hotel, where the great and good of the music business gathered for sustenance before heading to the next gig, seminar or keynote address.

For Daniel Moore, talent scout with Warners UK, In The City provides more than just liquid benefits. During the first three days of the conference, he saw more than 35 bands performing live in the pubs and venues around town. At only 20 years old, Daniel is probably the youngest A & R person in Britain, but since the market for new rock music is in the 16-23 age group, he probably has the edge on some of the older scouts. So, is the whizz kid from Warners over here in search of the next U2 or The Cranberries?

"I'm looking for something original, something that sounds fresh and up to the minute, but obviously it would be great if it sold as many records as U2. That's the ultimate objective, to sell records."

Daniel was particularly impressed by two Irish bands, Shiver from Dublin and The Bedhangers from Ballymena, but he won't be looking for any signatures on the dotted line just yet. "After In The City, I'll go back to the office, get out my book, get back in touch with some of the managers I've met in Dublin, and, take it from there. Signing a record deal takes a long time it doesn't just happen in a single day. "The other side of it is that I get to meet people in the Irish music industry, managers, promoters and band members, so I'm building up a network in Ireland."

Ahh networking, consolidating, liaising, "schmoozing": the buzzwords were flowing almost as quickly as the beer. For many of the delegates, this was a week to just hang out with others in the business, trading keywords and catch phrases, and reassuring yourself that others speak the same jargon. The real business can wait fill late. The music business lawyers get to shake hands with the musicians, the insurance companies can have a drink with the promoters, and the publishers can shoot the breeze with the songwriters. Sure, it's all talk but at least there's a bit of action too. Everybody's either on their way to see a band or just back from seeing a band, and there's a bit of a festive atmosphere about the place, with A & R execs, independent label bosses and publicists parading up and down Temple Bar.

ON SATURDAY night, the Music Centre hosted the first big gig of the conference, a four hander featuring Compulsion The Driven, Sun and Boomshack. Although the bar was full of eager execs, the auditorium was half empty, as Limerick band The Driven attempted to steer their road raging rock straight up the driveways of our hearts. The band are being heavily hyped at the moment, and they landed a prestigious feature in Music Week to coincide with their debut single, Jesus Loves You More If You Can Drive. But though The Driven may seem tough and roadworthy on the outside, there's nothing much under the bonnet, and they certainly won't get the green light from me.

Alisha's Attic turned out to have a lot more up top than I thought. The singing sisters from Barking have, had a big hit with their debut single, I Am, I Feel, prompting some wag (me, actually) to refer to them as Alanis's Basement. In concert, however, they come across as a kind of indie Shakespear's Sister, with some sharp, solid songs. Expect more hits from the loft.

It takes some work to rummage through the pile of bands who played In The City, but most of the delegates plunged into the task with relish. For Irish bands, this was like a visit from the Pope, with some of the industry's top people in the audience along with the usual grungers and punkers. You had people like Ian Abraham from top indie label, Dedicated, who went to many of the fringe gigs, and was particularly impressed with bands like Blink and The Bedhangers. You had Olivier Behzani and Fran de Takats, A & R execs from Columbia, who believe that the Irish music industry is particularly hot right now. And, you had Jez Broster from Rondor. Music, who publishes everybody from Tina Turner to Garbage to Chris Dc Burgh. Getting this bunch over to Dublin in one job lot is an achievement of sorts and if we send them home happy, who knows, they might even come back waving a fat chequebook.