name: Christian Hald Buhl
company: THE ROCKING FACTORY
job: Managing Owner
city: Hamburg
working on: Primarily European music PR and export showcase projects
favourite artist(s): For the moment two fantastic discoveries from the Faroese music scene: Marius  and Benjamin
first gig: Stereophonics 
highlight(s) of the last year:
-  Working on and developing the SPOT On Denmark showcase series across Europe for ROSA (Danish Rock Council), MXD (Music Export Denmark) and SPOT Festival.
-  Working with the international development of Faroese music (TUTL and G!) is an amazing adventure.
-  Currently I am also excited to be launching the first truly Pan-European music PR service THE SCOOP ENGINE.
musical hero: oasis
listening to: Just got back from G! Festival on the Faroes so this week’s playlist is somewhat coloured by that: Sakaris, Marius, Benjamin, Frostfelt, ORKA, Budam, Teitur, Høgni, Knút, etc.

Meet Christian HERE

The SPOT festival is supported and sustained by a very large section of Danish music in rock, pop and related genres.

The SPOT festival has 4 main goals:

• To focus primarily on the newer Danish and Nordic music production
  
• To bridge the gap between artistic ambitions and the commercial potential of the music
  
• To support and further the cultural qualities of the music
  
• To contribute in developing international networks through exchange of concerts and cultural and commercial experience.

The ambition of the SPOT festival is to create a promotion platform for the Danish and Nordic music. The festival’s repertoire is dictated chiefly by the will to support new bands and artists that are of a quality to succeed internationally.

The line-up comprises both debutants as well as more established artists who are recognized as being of interest to either national or international music promoters, cultural institutions or media.

Quotes about SPOT:

Forget Glastonbury! Hello Denmark!
SPOT – an altogether nicer kind of rock festival
Kieron Tyler, Mojo Magazine (UK)

The vast Majority of music I heard at SPOT massively exceeded my expectations..

…It is incredibly civilised. I have never witnessed a less drunken and debauched rock festival.
Neil McGormick, The Daily Telegraph (UK) – author of 2006′s worldwide music book bestseller ”U2 by U2”

I was not prepared for the quality of the commotion that hit me at SPOT. The festival had everything I like about the concert experience: a dynamite setting (Denmark in the spring), convenience (multiple stages within spitting distance of each other), down-to-earth hospitality (a great crew running the whole affair); and jubilant, knowledgable and inquisitive audiences.. …….. Be there. Or lose out.
David Fricke, Senior Editor, Rolling Stone Magazine (US), on his first out of five SPOT visits.

This festival is an example for all European countries who wants to display their talent and who wants to make an opening to its foreign markets.…. It amazes me how many talented bands there are and how good the quality is in general.
Dirk Steenhaut, culture journalist at Flemish newspaper de Morgen (BE)

The Danish music industry is peopled by some very smart cookies with some smashing ideas. While Denmark may be a bit like Ireland … its music industry is far more advanced with dozens and dozens of thriving, ambitious, professional, forward-looking labels, management companies, publishing companies and business which do all of the above and a whole lot more beside. And they also network like it’s going of fashion….

Oh and the city of Arhus is gorgeous. Well worth a visit.
Jim Carroll, The Irish Times (IE)

I’ve seen so many great bands here…
Ryan Schreiber (US), founder of the world’s biggest indie music site, picthforkmedia.com


It was an amazing weekend..
Julien Broquet, Le Soir (BE), music journalist for Belgiums biggest French speaking news paper about SPOT 2008.

For me, SPOT Festival, is like a big christmas three surrounded by lots of presents.It’s organised to perfection, the atmosphere is cool, and it’s easy to meet the right people. It really is an event you can’t afford to miss.
Jean-Pierre Moya, owner of the radio station Rockomondo (FR)

I was impressed by the festival and the level of the Danish acts I saw…Efterklang will remain a magical memory.
Jean Francois Jaspers, Collectif Jaune Orange (BE), manager/booker

The quality of the music is superb. I don’t think it’s possible to go to a festival in the UK today and find the same general high level of quality.
Christian Ulf-Hansen, manager, Plan C Music (UK), to Århus Stiftstidende, Danish newspaper

A lot of bands performing here at the SPOT Festival definitely have strong export capabilities….they can work in multiple markets including North America.
Sat Bisla, music journalist and organiser, A&R Worldwide, MusExpo, L.A. (US).

I had a great time and now I wanna book Tone, Le Fiasko, Said the shark, Munich, Slaraffenland, Murder… Where to start?…
Dieter Craeye, Café Maison (BE) (booker).

Great music has a way of erasing regional and linguistic borders, and if there’s one thing the 11-year-strong SPOT Festival can teach outsiders, it’s that Scandinavia is producing killer sounds in multiple tongues.
Jennifer Maertz, The Stranger, Seattle (US) about SPOT 11 in 2005

The SPOT Festival in general is one of the best festivals I’ve ever been to for a couple of reasons: I’m struck by the variety of what’s here, and actually of how bany bands, that I didn’t knew before, that I’ve since become big fans of……The Blue Van, Under Byen, The Raveonettes, The Figurines. They’re all bands that I saw here at SPOT for the first time…
David Fricke, Senior Editor, Rolling Stone Magazine (US)

The SPOT Festival sees over 90 indigenous bands showcase their Scandinavian talents for two days in the picturesque town of Aarhus in front of a smart and switched on crowd of Danish music fans. We had the chance to see a wide variety of acts on what is clearly a very proud and fast developing scene.
Matt Bennet, Clash Magazine (UK)

There is a fantastic atmosphere at SPOT, which you simply have to cherish. It’s probably the best of its kind.
Davis Barrat, a French music agent, commenting on SPOT 10 to Danish newspaperJP Århus.


http://www.spotfestival.dk