Whatever happened to the live album?

Thin Lizzy 'Live and Dangerous' a legendary live album

While it’s widely recognised that the importance of the LP album is diminished in a world where streaming music and random playlists dominate, spare a thought for the live album, which has pretty much become an irrelevance.

You need to go back to the 1970s for the heyday of the live album, and indeed the likely reason the idea died out.

The list of classic live albums from the decade is impressive, from Led Zeppelin’s ‘The Song Remains the Same’ (which had an accompanying cinematic movie release), through Thin Lizzy’s ‘Live and Dangerous’, Peter Frampton ‘Frampton Comes Alive!’, AC/DC ‘If You Want Blood’, KISS ‘Alive’, The Who ‘Live at Leeds’, Deep Purple ‘Made in Japan’, Cheap Trick ‘At Budokan’… the list goes on.

Of course there were classic live albums released prior to the 70s, such as MC5 ‘Kick Out the Jams’ and Johnny Cash ‘At Fulsom Prison’, as well as great live albums released after the 70s, including U2 ‘Under a Blood Red Sky’ and Talking Heads ‘Stop Making Sense’ to name just two, but it was the 1970s when the format truly ruled.

Many of the classic live albums from the era have come to be regarded as definitive of the bands that recorded them. In many cases the live albums represent bands at their absolute peak and technical best, such as UFO ‘Strangers in the Night’. UFO in the studio, both prior to and since ‘Strangers in the Night’, have never matched the sound, power, emotion or technical excellence of the live album. Michael Schenker’s solo on the live version of ‘Rock Bottom’ will probably be the moment he will always be remembered for.

There is no doubting that a great many bands have also managed to reach their peak live on stage since the 70s, yet where are the classic live albums as a result? What's missing? Why don't live albums matter anymore?

The 80s probably gives us the best clue.

This was the decade when MTV arrived and bands suddenly found they had much greater visual exposure.

I remember being a fan of Van Halen in the 70s and part of the mystique of the band was not actually knowing what they looked like live. Yes, I saw pictures on album sleeves and in the music press, but without TV exposure and in a pre-Internet world it was all about imagining what they were like.

That idea of imagining the experience while listening to the live album was pretty much what it was all about.

Thin Lizzy’s ‘Live and Dangerous’ was an exceptional pleasure in this regard. The gatefold sleeve not only featured one of the most exciting covers in rock, with the long leather-clad legs and crotch of Phil Lynott thrust in your face, it also featured countless pictures of the band on stage. To listen to the album while staring at the pictures was an experience that was even better than when I eventually got to see them live.

But along came the 80s and suddenly there was no need for imagination. You could see it all on TV. And in the Internet age of YouTube we can now dial up all sorts of live footage – even very rare or very old footage that would never have appeared on TV.

The mystique has gone.

Live concerts today are plagued with smartphones, even if they are also being professionally filmed in high definition by countless cameras strategically placed onstage and off. With the price of tickets it almost makes sense not to bother with the hassle of going to gigs and to just sit back at home and watch it on TV or the Internet.

The mystery has been swept away to such a degree that you can watch in-depth rig reviews on YouTube where guitar techs explain in detail exactly how guitar heroes get their sounds.

It’s a shame, because there was no greater pleasure in the 70s than sitting around with your mates listening to the live albums of the decade and imagining what it was like to be there, and indeed how it was done. With your imagination doing all the work, your ears were free to really concentrate on every note and nuance. By contrast, the visuals of today’s hi-def live footage almost acts as a distraction from the music. You watch, but you don’t truly listen; at least not like you listened in the 1970s.

Dakota is killing the South Wales pub covers scene

The South Wales pub music scene is in a sorry state and bands need to take a good look at themselves instead of pointing the finger elsewhere.

Before I go any further, I want to make it clear that not all of the music scene is in crisis. There are some really good things happening, and undoubtedly there’s a lot I'm not aware of, but generally there is a desperately sad (and somewhat pathetic) malaise in our pubs and clubs.

A QUICK HISTORY LESSON
There was a time when Newport and the surrounding region was revered internationally for the vibrancy of its music. If you're old enough to remember the 80s you'll remember that venues, clubs, bars and pubs thundered with the sound of countless bands playing their own original music and pulling big audiences. It was very much the norm that punters would happily and enthusiastically support this scene and the bands.

Cover versions were few and far between – maybe the odd cover thrown into a set as a nod to your heroes or influencers.

But then the 90s happened.

I remember it clearly. Venues that once played host to these bands discovered the dreaded tribute act. Virtually overnight gigs dried up for originals bands and you could only get a gig if your set was entirely dedicated to one band.

The tribute scene eventually relocated to larger venues where the better exponents continue to pull decent crowds and make decent money, but what was left in its place was the pub rock covers scene that has dominated ever since.

Pub rock covers has become the norm in South Wales to such a degree that young players are picking up and learning instruments with the express aim of joining or forming a covers band so they can join this circus; as if regular gigs at the local Cock & Beaver for a couple of quid is the full extent of their ambition. It's depressing.

WHERE WE ARE TODAY
The full depressing state of this pub rock covers scene can be seen on the Facebook group ‘Champions League of South Wales Cover Bands’. With over 5,400 members this group features members from most of the cover bands in the South Wales region. It's probably the first time this sizeable community has been gathered in one place.

This community largely spends its time whining about gigs and pay. A great many of them appear to believe they have a god given right to gigs and hundreds of £s by the simple fact that they have assembled themselves into a unit and learned Stereophonics ‘Dakota’ because “the punters like Dakota”, and because they have invested money in their gear.

As social kinda guy I travel around venues a lot and encounter many of these bands. And as a booker for a Newport venue I get inundated with approaches for gigs. They all tell you they are great and better than the rest, when in reality it’s hard to tell many of them apart; they all promise they’ll bring a crowd with them or pull an extra crowd, but rarely do; and way, way too many of them turn up and play essentially the same set to the same average standard.

Of course there are some better examples in amongst the throng, but these guys tend to know they are better and understand what it takes to rise above the rest. These are the bands that also attract a crowd and they tend to play sets that are different to the same old, same old of the majority. And they clearly rehearse hard to make sure their standard is good.

As a result they are also the bands that command better rates of pay and have no trouble finding gigs. Indeed, they don’t often have the need to go looking for gigs because the venues come to them in the safe knowledge that they will get a great experience.

As for the rest, as a booker for a venue I have put in place a very simple quality control valve I call the Dakota Valve. If a band contacts me and shares their setlist and I see Dakota on there, they don’t get any further. It's my version of 'No Stairway? Denied!" from Wayne's World.

A Liverpudlian mate of mine, who has been living here for several years and who sits religiously at the bar every Saturday night sarcastically asked me if there was a Welsh bylaw that said all rock covers bands HAVE to play Dakota.

But it’s not just Dakota. There’s an alarmingly thin catalogue of songs that a lot of South Wales cover bands pull from, and Dakota, along with Sex On Fire, Mustang Sally and Teenage Kicks are just some of the unimaginative choices many of them make in the belief that that’s all audiences want to hear (presumably because they wouldn’t want to insult an audience by thinking they like anything else).

Just to reiterate, I don’t have a problem with the covers scene as such (I've done it myself), just the lazy way too many bands approach it.

It feels like the X Factor mentality underpins the thinking of many bands... “I want to play music, I want to have an audience in place when I arrive (without going to any effort to attract one), and I want to be paid well for my trouble. But I don’t want to have to work too hard at it, or think about it too hard. Hell, I don’t even want to bother sound checking if I can help it.”

The real problem here is that the covers scene and the lazy approach of many bands has become so dominant across South Wales that it strangles a lot of opportunities for anyone who wants to do anything different. Venues have come to accept same old, same old rock covers as the only flavour available, and it's incredibly hard for venues to sift through the chaff to find the wheat. This is why many venues are finding attendances dropping, because people are getting bored of the same meal of egg and chips every Friday and Saturday night.

But why should audiences be expected to turn up religiously every weekend just to see the same songs played to the same standard?

Bands have to understand that falling audience numbers inevitably means falling revenues for venues. And falling revenues puts pressure on the money available to pay for entertainment. The whole scene continues its depressing downward spiral.

SOME ADVICE - TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT
So I guess the only thing left to do is offer my recommendations of what bands should do to make sure they rise above the throng to get those gigs and move up the pay scale.

1. Ditch the idea that you have to play Dakota, Sex On Fire, Mustang Sally, Brown Eyed Girl, Jailbreak etc because ‘that’s what audiences want to hear’. You insult the audience by thinking they only know and like a narrow range of songs. They like thousands of songs. Yes, they may like the songs listed above, but not every bloody Saturday night. If you stick to the same 'safe' set as countless other bands, what is there to differentiate you? And at the same time you expect more gigs and better pay? Really?
2. Work on your set and your delivery. Don’t just learn a song to a basic standard and think it’s enough. Again, you insult your audience if you think they can’t tell the difference between a good and bad performance. Stereophonics don’t do that. They work to be as tight as they can be. You may think rehearsals are a pain in the arse, but it makes all the difference to work on nuances. Be self-critical and ask yourself can you do it better? If you don't think you can do it better you're either brilliant and earning shitloads, or you're deluded.
3. Sound Check. It’s depressing how many bands – and especially guitarists – say “I know my set up. I can just plug and play.” That attitude reveals your amateur approach to gigging. Each room has a different acoustic, so instruments need to be balanced accordingly. If you can’t tell the difference perhaps you should stick to playing in your bedroom or garage where the acoustics never change.
4. Market yourselves properly. Trust me, most of you say you’re brilliant, and most of you promise the moon on a stick. But if you’re approaching a new venue for a gig you need to prove your worth in advance because we’re not all easy to fool. Set up a decent Facebook page and post videos of yourself so we can check you out. If bands can't do this simple thing venues will assume it's because bands fear they’ll be found out for not being as good as they say they are.
5. Don't assume you are owed a living. You’ll be paid what you’re worth. Just because you’ve heard that a band can earn several hundred quid more than you currently get, don’t assume there’s a standard rate that you're being unfairly denied. They get paid more for a reason. Stop whining and go figure that reason out.
6. Don't assume the money you spent on gear deserves reward in itself. A shit guitarist can pay £2,000 for a guitar, £1,500 for a stack, and a grand on pedals and outboard. It doesn't mean they deserve riches if they can barely hold down a riff. If the next guy plays a second hand guitar through a second hand rig but plays better with more commitment and style it's obvious he deserves more reward for his efforts.
7. (Additional) Singers, ditch the lyric stand. When did it become acceptable to perform standing behind a lyric stand? All that says is you can't even be arsed to learn the words to songs the audience probably know the words to? And how are you supposed to deliver in your role as a frontman / frontwoman if you're hidden behind a music stand? Why not just go sit at the side of the stage if it's too much like hard work?

There ARE good bands out there, plenty of them. I go out looking for them and when I find them I book them (if the venue can stretch to the budget and the style is suitable). A few weeks ago our venue hosted a band doing bluegrass versions of popular hits and they went down a storm. And last weekend I saw a band in Slipping Jimmy’s (Newport) open their set with a tight and well played version of It Bites ‘Calling All the Heroes’. There wasn’t a Dakota or Sex On Fire in sight.

Did the audience rebel or walk out? No they didn’t.

Has retail shot itself in the foot by letting Black Friday get out of hand?

It seems the much-hyped Black Friday has been somewhat of a damp squib this year. Retailers are quoted in some local newspapers as saying Friday 25th November was much like any other day, and some are even saying it was quieter than usual.

So what’s happened? Why did the retail scrum fail to materialise this year?

We can’t discount the current economic pessimism in the shadow of Brexit and a somewhat gloomy Autumn Statement. Neither can we underestimate a general feeling that life is getting more expensive. But it is very hard to believe people are tightening their belts to such an extent that they are forgoing the bargains offered on Black Friday; bargains that would certainly ease the financial load of Christmas.

Social media offers a more likely answer. On Facebook and Twitter there has been an obvious air of resistance in the run up to Black Friday. Countless memes were shared which scornfully denounced Black Friday and suggested people buy nothing instead. This wasn’t a coordinated campaign; more a general agreement between people that they weren’t going to be led by the nose by retailers.

The highly publicised Black Friday scrums of last year didn’t impress many people. This was uncivilised behaviour that few can sympathise with or would want to be associated with. At the same time, the refusal of companies like Tesco to immediately and strongly denounce the scrums had the feeling of smug satisfaction bordering on gloating.

One BBC news story even recounted how Tesco customers in Northampton were made to ‘sit like dogs’ before they scrambled for cut price meat. This didn’t paint a good picture for Tesco, and it wasn’t helped by their response focussing heavily of concern for customer safety. Where was the respect for customers? Where was the surprise that shoppers were acting like this?

The correct response from retail would have been to issue an immediate denouncing of the scrums; an admission that they hadn’t handled the situation well; and a promise they would put measures in place to stop it happening again. Instead it felt as if they were content with the situation and comfortable with an image of retailers throwing crumbs and delighting as they watched us plebs fight over them.

As we have seen in many areas of life recently, the true power of social media to galvanise and give focus to the moods of the population is increasingly obvious. It should certainly not be underestimated by the business world. The apparent failure of Black Friday 2017 is an example of such a power being exercised. It is also an example of the failure by retailers to respect customers’ intelligence. We will continue to shop, and we will increasingly take advantage of bargains as our budgets tighten, but we will do it on our own terms, not when a gloating retail community tells us.

I've never been convinced by Friars Walk... but now I'm worried

In November 2013 I was approached by the South Wales Argus to supply a commentary piece on why I thought taking out a £90m loan to fund Friars Walk was a bad idea. I'm a nobody, so I suspect I was the only person they could find prepared to voice their opposition to such an idea.

My reasoning was simple. Friars Walk was the wrong thing at the wrong time. In a city which is economically depressed, employment and ways to earn money is what we need, not ways to spend it. And the fact that nobody from the private sector could be found to take the financial gamble suggested it probably wasn't the safest bet anyway.

On 26th November Newport City Council voted overwhelmingly to a deal that would see the city borrowing £90m which it would them loan to Queensbury to cover the cost of construction and fit-out of the development. This loan would be paid back at a commercial rate of interest.

On Nov 12th 2015 Friars Walk opened to much celebration from local media, politicians, and indeed the city as a whole, almost all of whom viewed the development as Newport's salvation around which a city-wide regeneration would arise.

That was then, this is now.

Today (29th June 2016) just seven months after Friars Walk opened its doors, the surprise news has broken that a proposed sale to Talisker Corporation - a Canadian real estate and management company - has fallen through. This has potential serious implications for the city that the Council (and indeed local media) appear to be downplaying, and we need to return back to November 2013 to understand why.

A news report in the Telegraph & Argus at the time revealed that...

"If Queensberry couldn’t pay back the cash the council could take the scheme over and sell it on or re-finance it. The firm has until 12 months after completion to repay the money – by June 2017 at the latest. But if it can’t refinance it or sell it, the council could be faced with costs of between £4 million to £7 million to fund the borrowing."

If such a situation were to transpire this would be extremely serious for a city already trying to balance the books following government cuts to its budget (Newport City Council has had to make £11 million in cuts in 2016 alone). Even at the optimistic figure of £7 million a year (not including interest), it would be 12 years before the Friars Walk loan is paid off. At the lower rate of £4 million we would be looking at over 22 years.

The press coming out of Queensbury/Newport City Council today is predictably blase about the deal falling through, with plenty of 'speaking to others', as if it's not a problem.

But it IS a problem, and the harsh reality is that finding a buyer in the current climate will be EXTREMELY difficult. The only way Friars Walk will attract a buyer is if it is an overwhelming commercial success.

So how successful is Friars Walk, and how bright or otherwise is its future?

To answer the second question first, and without even factoring in post-Brexit uncertainty, the future for shop retail isn't looking good. Experts are predicting a significant decline in the fortunes of brick and mortar retail that will be comparable with recession. At the same time online retail is coming to dominate the landscape to such a degree that John Lewis has already revealed it expects its online sales to overtake store sales by 2018, and has invested £500 million in preparing itself.

John Lewis you will remember is a direct competitor of Debenhams, which provides the anchor store for Friars Walk. It's safe to assume they share the same future vision for their businesses.

Internet retail is hitting certain types of retailers hardest, and is changing the face of retail. Women's clothes stores in particular are suffering as women become more comfortable with the convenience of online shopping, and according to the Local Data Company (the UK's retail experts) women's clothes stores are closing faster than any other type of High Street business. Women's clothes shops make up a sizeable percentage of outlets in Friars Walk.

[As an aside, the types of businesses doing well in this brave new world are barbers, mobile phone shops, tobacconists, hair & beauty salons, nail salons, and health clubs.]

Shopping centers in generally, like high streets, aren't particularly thriving. Latest data shows footfall is 9% down on high streets in the last five years, 3% down in shopping centers, and 5% up in retail parks. Evidence of this can be seen by the ongoing success of Newport Retail Park in Spytty.

With regards to the success of Friars Walk, we only have the PR and the number of units let on which to judge.

In May 2016 Queensbury proudly announced that 'more than five million shoppers have visited Newport's Friars Walk since it opened to the public six months ago.' Impressive figures indeed, but can we believe them, or is this merely an over-egging of the PR mix intended to attract a buyer? The PR surrounding Friars Walk has been nothing if not bullish and glaringly optimistic since the start.

To put that figure of five million shoppers into context, it would mean over 27,300 shoppers visiting the centre seven days a week since Friars Walk opened. On the times when I have visited I felt it hard to believe such a consistently high number was being achieved or sustained, but of course that is just my observation and opinion.

With regards units let, according to the leasing plan on the website, Friars Walk still has 19 vacant units awaiting interest. This is a significant proportion. So clearly the centre is finding it hard to achieve anywhere near full occupancy.

And of course if we are to judge Friars Walk on its attractiveness to potential buyers, we MUST consider the wider picture within which it sits - the surrounding city centre, the purchasing power of the local population, and whether it is capable of attracting outside visitors. With regards this last point, as a classic 'Clone Town' development it is certainly not attracting people from Cardiff or further afield, for why would you travel to Newport's Debenhams when you have a bigger one in Cardiff? This is the widely understood weakness and failure of Clone Town developments.

So when you look past the spin and the protective shield of optimism surrounding Friars Walk, it doesn't look so much of a good opportunity for potential buyers. The people of Newport's fondness for Friars Walk isn't enough to warrant a buyer spending upwards of £100 million on it. It needs to be a proven success and a good investment, and unfortunately for the people of Newport, it doesn't look like it is.

I don't wish to speculate on the likely reasons talks with Talisker Corporation collapsed. But they did and there is now a very real chance that Friars Walk could cost us all dearly in the very near future. I genuinely wish and hope that it doesn't, but I am deeply worried.

Labour launches all-out war on history, heritage and culture in Newport

It would be good to understand exactly what it is about Newport’s history, heritage and culture that so offends the Labour Party that they feel the need to sweep it aside with such vigour.

Most residents of the city will recognise that culturally Newport is a shadow of its former self. You only need to look back to the 1980s and 1990s to find a city that was culturally vibrant with a hugely successful and throbbing nightlife, a global reputation for music (remember ‘Newport - The New Seattle’), and when the likes of Sir Elton John and David Bowie were performing at the Newport Centre.

The museum also used to attract major touring exhibitions. There was a time when queues formed across John Frost Square for entry to an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by Gerald Scarf (the man behind the Pink Floyd ‘The Wall’ artwork and opening credits to ‘Yes Minister’). And as you walked around the town you got the feeling of a town built on a rich heritage played out on grand murals that most of Newport’s residents took for granted. That was just the way it was.

Newport was truly buzzing. All of this culture helped to bring people into the town (as it was then) and those people would spend money in our shops, pubs, clubs and restaurants. So the local economy benefitted. There were few, if any, boarded up shops and a thriving local independent retail community that gave the place identity and character.

It’s hard to think of Newport then and Newport now without being struck by the scale of the contrast.

The Labour-led Council’s long war of attrition against Newport’s history, heritage and culture stepped up a gear last year with the underhand destruction of the Chartist Mural in John Frost Square. This disastrously handled affair drew national attention and shock at just how arrogant an elected Council could be. A somewhat reluctant attempt at an apology was eventually dragged out of the Council, and promises were made by Council Leader Bob Bright that 2014 would be ‘a year in which Chartism is celebrated in diverse and imaginative ways that give their ideas a contemporary relevance.’

At the time of writing this blog we are just a few weeks away from the end of 2014. The ‘diverse and imaginative’ celebrations promised by Cllr Bright remain locked in the imagination. If it weren’t for Newport’s schools and schoolchildren recreating the Chartist march on the day of the 175th anniversary of the Chartist Uprising, we would have had virtually nothing to mark the single most momentous event in Newport’s history.

The latest assault comes with the announcement that it’s highly likely that Newport will lose its city centre museum, art gallery and library. According to a report in the South Wales Argus, ‘Proposals could see its [museum and art gallery] closure, with the collection moved out of the building and exhibited at temporary events with 13 full time jobs being lost’. This would be almost inconceivable that a city – supposedly ‘on the rise’ – would not have a city centre museum, art gallery or library. It is difficult, if not impossible to think of any other city that can make such a shameful claim.

As well as a proposal to close the museum, art gallery and library, there is also a proposal to reduce funding to the historically important Newport Medieval Ship.

The Newport Medieval Ship has been an inconvenience for the Council since the day it was discovered during the building of the Riverfront Arts Centre. As this case study from the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement explains [click for link], its discovery was initially kept secret but was leaked. In one moment of inconvenience, Newport City Council’s simplest – and no doubt preferred option of quiet destruction of the remains was foiled and the Council was effectively lumbered with an albatross around its neck. The Council has never been a fan of the ship, but has had its hand forced to go along with the public, the Welsh Assembly Government, and the Friends of the Newport Ship in supporting the relic.

At the time of writing, news is breaking that Associated British Ports (ABP) have stepped forward as a hard-cash sponsor helping the Friends of the Newport Ship towards its target of £100,000 to rebuild the ship in a purpose built museum. ABP must be applauded for its vision and generosity.

Just a month earlier, a Newport City Council report [dated 3 October 2013] discusses disposal as a potential option. The negatives against destruction are listed as:

• Loss of opportunity to develop a visitor experience that tells a unique story
• Possible loss of museum’s accredited status
• Grants might be reclaimed

It’s hard to believe the chance to develop a visitor attraction would feature highly on the Council’s list of benefits, and with the likely loss of the central museum would this have left only the threat of reclaimed grants as a hurdle to the Council breaking out the sledgehammers? If only people like Associated British Ports would stop adding extra complication for the Council. The Labour councillors must be spitting feathers up there at the Civic Centre and scratching ABP off their Christmas card list.

At the heart of the problem is the fact that the Labour-led Council really doesn’t see any value in Newport’s history, heritage and culture. Instead we have a Council that has given its unswerving loyalty to big brand retail logos. They just want Newport to be distilled down into a city of mere consumers spending what little hard-earned cash we have in the familiar retail brands of the typical clone High Street.

History, heritage and culture doesn’t really fit with multinational retail. The two tend to live in entirely different unconnected worlds. But if and when history, heritage and culture become an obstacle or an inconvenience, Newport City Council has no qualms in brushing it aside. Chartism is not as important as Next and Nandos to this Council.

The scale of this misguided devotion can be seen in the Council’s eagerness to put the city into hock for £90 million for a new shopping centre (built as a response to the popularity of Cwmbran Shopping Centre), yet it claims poverty and budget pressure as justification for closing down the museum, art gallery and library. No developers were prepared to take a gamble on funding Friars Walk, but such is the conviction to multinational retail that the Council signed OUR collective names on the loan form. So if we have to lose our history, heritage and culture to help them realise their dream of Newport as a city of shoppers, that’s the way it has to be.

This nonsense has to stop. Whatever side of the political spectrum we individually sit, we cannot let this arrogant, self-serving, misguided Council to ransack OUR city, OUR history, OUR heritage any longer.

NOTE At the time of writing neither Paul Flynn MP (Labour) or Jessica Morden MP (Labour) have stated an opinion on the proposed closure of Newport museum, art gallery and central library. One would expect a staunch criticism of the closures considering the reason behind them is apparently the Coalition's programme of austerity and budget cuts. However, in the absence of any such criticism from the MPs, this writer will assume they agree with any forthcoming closure, and by extension the austerity programme.

Newport City Summit - We need more than blanket optimism or cynicism

A tale of two cities. Cllr Bob Bright and Simon Gibson sat next to each other during a Q&A at The Celtic Manor, but the distance between the two is greater than it looks.

Friday 7th October saw the second Newport City Summit at which Newport City Council and reNewport gave an update on Newport's regeneration plans. The message was very much about positivity and flag waving, but in reality, what we really saw here was 'the difficult second album' after the phenomenal success of February's first Summit.

Let me make one thing clear. NOBODY wants to see Newport's regeneration more than I do. I love Newport. I love the people, the culture, and the unique but hard to define 'something' that makes Newport special and different. If I didn't love Newport I would move elsewhere. But even if I won the Euromillions, my home would remain the city to which I will always belong.

There's a lot going on in Newport at the moment and there's certainly a feel that efforts are being made on a multitude of fronts. Some of these efforts I am a keen supporter of, and others I think are folly. For example, I found it difficult to play down my enthusiasm for the reNewport vision presented at the first Newport City Summit in February. I can't remember a time when Newport actually had a strategy or a vision, but reNewport at last presented a balanced and well researched vision I could really get behind.

Similarly, I'm a huge supporter of the Newport BID. This has the potential to transform the city centre and make it a more appealing environment for shoppers and business. I also am grateful that Admiral has chosen the city centre for its new office. The injection of several hundred workers at lunchtime has no doubt provided a considerable boost for local businesses. To be fair, I don't think I've heard a single word in opposition to Admiral arriving in the town, which underlines how much such a development is appreciated by all.

By contrast, I'm not a supporter of the Friars Walk development. In my opinion it's folly for the city to go into hock for £90 million to build a new shopping centre when what we really need is more industry and business to bring revenue IN to the area, instead of multinational retail chains taking yet more money OUT of the area.

Yet because I criticise things like the Friars Walk development I am considered by some an unwelcome and unhelpful cynic. I was even called 'relentlessly negative' by a contributor to the comments section on the South Wales Argus website recently (who obviously hadn't noticed those things for which I am a gushing advocate). I guess the mantra holds strong in Newport that 'you're either with us or against us' and we should all give 100% unswerving approval of everything that happens.

Newport is increasingly polarised in this way. Most people seem to sit in one of two camps. You are either unfailingly a supporter of everything that's going on (and by extension an unflinching supporter of Bob Bright's Labour led council), or you are cynically opposed to everything. Neither is helpful, but while having a balanced, pragmatic attitude where you have differing opinions on different aspects of the regeneration process makes far more sense, it clearly is a not popular approach.

So I went to the Newport City Summit in a mixed frame of mind. I could still taste the euphoria of February's Summit and the unveiling of the reNewport Report, but I suspected this time it would be more of a flag waving exercise for the council and less about reNewport. You may remember Bob Bright's comment at the time of the first Summit...

'We could all have written down those ideas.' Reaction of @NewportCouncil leader Bob Bright to @RE_NEWPORT report. But he didn't. No vision.
— Kevin Ward (@ArgusKevinWard) December 12, 2013

The second Summit agenda was issued in advance and showed that the event was indeed going to be more of an overall summary than the February event; giving an update on where Newport is with regards to all of the regeneration activity going on. It is of course vital that all regeneration efforts are viewed in relation to each other. Ideally, each should have a bearing on the direction of the others to be truly holistic. Sadly we don't appear to be at that level of organisation or strategic thinking, but it would be of huge benefit if we were. The regeneration programme still has a feel of separate projects happening at the same time with a hope that 'it all comes together'.

The Morning Session
The event kicked off with Councillor Bright giving a City Centre Regeneration Update, much of which centred on the Friar's Walk development. Mr Bright was followed by Simon Gibson, Chairman of the reNewport Task Force who gave a presentation on Driving Economic Growth for the City. These presentations were followed by a brief Q&A.

Both men can speak with authority and conviction, but Simon Gibson is particularly convincing and authoritative. Without wishing to sound like a fan boy (which I concede I might), Mr Gibson gave an impression of somebody who didn't have to be there, but who was because he is genuinely committed and believes in what he and his team are doing.

This was well illustrated when Mr Gibson addressed an earlier shouted comment from a protester about arms dealers and also a question about what the council was doing to help the under-privileged and homeless (there were only two protesters and they were half-hearted at best). Simon Gibson addressed both points with balance and care, even though they were clearly outside his remit, and he even went over to discuss the issues with the protesters during the break. I don't know what he said to them, but we heard nothing more from them throughout the rest of the day.

By contrast, Bob Bright was more guarded and defensive in nature. During the Q&A I asked for an update on the £90 million loan for the Friar's Walk development - when will the council start pulling down the loan, when will the city start paying the loan back, what kind of interest is due etc. Mr Bright said he wouldn't go into specifics, but assured the audience that no money had been drawn down yet. He also made a bullish claim that we can 'rest assured the council will be making a profit'. Let's hope that one doesn't come back to bite him on the backside.

The reNewport project continues to impress and progress. But this doesn't surprise me. There is a strong and growing movement in Newport of people who are advocates of technology as Newport's future. The movement comprises a growing number of business who meet monthly under the banner of Digital Tuesday and strongly complements the reNewport project. They are very focussed and are asking the questions that need to be answered if Newport truly is to develop as a centre of technology and reap the considerable rewards on offer.

reNewport and Digital Tuesday have a very different feel to the other regeneration efforts, which invariably are Council-led. They feel more democratic, inclusive, focussed, and crucially, they take a more critically informed approach. This is in contrast to the other 'suck it and see' regeneration activities.

I don't get the feeling there is any ongoing assessment of regeneration plans from the Council, or any feeling that evidence has informed the tactics adopted. Even asking questions or volunteering comments is not welcome. But what successful venture has ever been completed with only unflinching optimism at its heart?

You can't open a shop and stand behind the counter with a welcoming a smile and expect success as a given. You need to constantly assess what you're doing - whether you have the right stock, whether you're getting the best price from suppliers, whether you're charging the right price to your customers, whether the shop layout works etc. It has to be an ongoing process. Similar analogies can be made for building a successful football team, putting a man on the moon, or indeed regenerating a city. But I don't see that with Newport's regeneration programme. I don't see much by way of open dialogue, I don't see any KPIs being set, I just see 'build it and hope' and an expectation that we must all go along with this approach. They decide, and we accept (and of course foot the bill for their gut instincts).

However, fortunately for the Council, events such as the Newport City Summit largely attract the faithful. It was noticeable that during the Q&A sessions at the Newport City Summit, instead of a forest of curious hands raised from audience members, we had just a few solitary questions. Most people had come to listen and learn, not to question. One must assume they are all happy, supportive and convinced that everything that is going on will lead to success. I truly hope they're right.

The Afternoon Session
After lunch the stage was given over to presentations by Ian Edwards, Chief Executive of Celtic Manor Resort who looked at The NATO Summit and its Legacy, and Ceri Doyle, Chief Executive of Newport City Homes who gave a presentation on Newport - Building the Story. These were also followed by a Q&A session.

I won't dwell on Mr Edwards' presentation. I've made my views known on the myth of a legacy for Newport from the NATO Summit. I don't believe there is one. Yes, it's been fabulous for the Celtic Manor and it's wonderful that the resort has now established itself firmly in the top division of global venues for major events.

But, as a good friend pointed out recently, the reality is given away in the name - Celtic Manor RESORT. The events it holds are largely self contained within the confined of the resort and claims of major trickle down benefits to the city are hugely overplayed. I like the idea of the new Conference Centre, but Mr Edwards' claim that it will generate 100,000 room nights for other local hotels in reality means it will generate room nights for multinational hotel chains, not locally owned businesses. So more Champagne for Paris Hilton, more zero hour minimum wage jobs for Newportonians. I don't call that regeneration sorry.

Neither can I share Mr Edwards obvious joy at seeing the world 'Newport' in tiny letters at the bottom of CNN coverage of the NATO Summit. The word on the screens of the world's TVs only name checked us, it did nothing to show who we are or what we have to offer beyond the confines of the Celtic Manor. In my role as PR consultant I would feel cheeky presenting that to a client as 'coverage gained'.

There are more major events coming to the Manor, including the International Investment Conference taking place 20 - 21 November which, for some bizarre reason, seems to be of interest to nobody in the city, even though this is EXACTLY the kind of event we should be looking to take advantage of. The Celtic Manor will also host the InterAction Council next year, which presumably people WILL get excited about because it includes a few famous names.

Ceri Doyle's final presentation was somewhat left field. A new arrival to the city, Ms Doyle was particularly interesting and open during the Q&A session when the host Roger Hiscott, himself a key figure in the Digital Tuesday movement, asked about her views of Newport before she came here. 'Somewhat lacking in ambition' may not be what we would want to hear, but I got the feeling that the room could sympathise.

But as Ms Doyle has obviously learned, as a city we DO have ambition, the big question is; are we going about it the right way to turn ambition into success?

Nobody appreciates the value of positive thinking more than me. But I wish more people saw the value of also viewing things critically and of ongoing reassessment of our course. I left the second Newport City Summit with a feeling that we are progressing down an expensive and unfamiliar road with our combined fingers crossed that it leads to verdant fields around the corner. It may do, it may not. But I'd rather be walking down that road putting my trust in a Ordinance Survey map instead of simply a cheery smile and an optimistic song.‏

International Investment Conference - a genuine opportunity we must not miss!

It's now less than six week until the Celtic Manor Resort plays host to an international investment conference that was announced just over six weeks ago by Business Secretary Vince Cable and Welsh Government Minister for Economy, Science and Transport Edwina Hart. So we are halfway between the announcement of the conference and the actual conference taking place.

Apart from the initial excitement from local politicians following the announcement, have we heard anything since about how this event presents an opportunity for Newport, or about how Newport will be taking advantage? Of course we haven't. Or at least I haven't noticed.

This event presents an infinitely bigger opportunity for Newport and indeed Wales than the NATO Summit ever did. The world leaders and media who descended on Newport for the NATO Summit came to discuss global security issues, and they had a very tight schedule in which to conduct their business. Their remit was never to come here with a view to checking out Newport as a destination for business or tourism. And even if they wanted to, they certainly didn't have time.

Yet here we are with the world packing its overnight bag ready to come here and actually discuss international investment, and nobody in local government seems that bothered. I don't see endless tweets about 'opportunity' or 'putting Newport on the map' from the usual suspects as I did during NATO. Perhaps the investment conference is missing the celeb factor of Mr Obama, because frankly, that's all our local politicians cared about when NATO was in town.

Furthermore, the forthcoming conference will be focussing on what I and many others consider to be the REAL future for Newport and the surrounding area - ‘Embracing new technology for competitive advantage'.

With the demise of traditional industries such as steel and coal, Newport and South Wales lost the main source of income that had paid for the growth of our towns and cities throughout the 20th Century. We've tried to attract other industries to varying degrees of success, but what we really need is one overpowering industry that can take root here and which can come to represent us in the same way as steel and coal once did.

Technology offers that potential.

I'm not alone in thinking this and there is a growing local movement that, galvanised by the excellent reNewport report of February 2014, has taken upon itself to drive momentum for Newport as a centre of technology. For instance, launched by Sir Terry Matthews, the regular Digital Tuesday events held at Celtic Manor are gaining popularity as a forum for technology discussion and networking. I attended one recently and the optimism and enthusiasm of attendees and organisers was noticeable.

Many people in the Newport area will not be aware that Newport is excellently equipped to become a 'Silicon Valley' type centre of techology industries. We certainly have the infrastructure, the skills, and indeed a track record of hosting emerging and successful technology business. And in reNewport we have a vision laid out that can serve as a roadmap.

Newport itself was selected as one of the first ten Cities in the UK to become ‘super connected' as part of the UK Government’s £150million Urban Broadband Fund. Equipped with superfast and ultrafast broadband, funding is available for small and medium businesses, charities and social enterprises through Newport City Council.

We even have Europe's biggest data centre which is similar in size to Heathrow Terminal 5 and which is truly state-of-the-art.

This is all excellence stuff, and it just scratches the service of what we have to offer. This is what we need to be promoting to the outside world if we have any serious ambitions to attract inward investment and to grow Newport.

Technology should certainly be the focus of our ambition because technology industries are global, rich, growing rapidly, and offer an opportunity to deliver seriously rewarding careers and generate vast amounts of revenue for the area.

But this is where it hits a speed bump because our politicians seem totally disinterested and incapable of understanding the potential on offer. Instead we get a mindless infatuation with a new shopping centre that will deliver mostly part-time, zero-hour, minimum wage employment, and local councillors fighting over each other to have their photo taken next to President Obama.

Promotional activity should have started the moment the inward investment conference was announced. We should already be reaching out to delegates and global press well in advance to offer them invitations to tour and check out Newport as a technology business destination. The press in attendance will be business press and technology press, most of whom would certainly be interested in taking a look at what we have to offer; the tech businesses we already have here; our tech heritage and our infrastructure. This is in contrast to the military and political press that accompanied the NATO Summit who had no interest in such stuff.

As well as shouting about the benefits for technology businesses should they come here, we should also be shouting about the benefits for their employees. These benefits include cheaper house prices, so tech employees earning fat salaries will know they can afford beautiful houses in a beautiful part of the world.

I sincerely hope all this is in hand and we aren't just going to 'do a NATO' and stand on the sidelines with cap in hand when the international investment conference rolls into town. If it is all in hand, fine, but it might help to shut people like me up if we were kept informed of what the city is doing.

The trouble is, I don't believe it is in hand. Part of the problem will be that our councillors and politicians don't 'get' technology and consequently choose to put their faith, and our money, elsewhere on projects that won't deliver any lasting benefit.

They build shops when, as a city, we don't have money to spend. They build houses when there are not enough well paying jobs that people can afford mortgages. It's putting the cart before the horse time and time again.

We should be doing what we can to attract genuinely valuable business (not coffee chains and clothes shops) and developing an industrial base that generates inward revenue while creating good, well paid jobs. When people are in good jobs and earning good money THEN they will be able to afford houses and have money to spend in shops.

So let's see what happens with the forthcoming international investment conference. Will Newport take this opportunity by the scruff of the neck? It needs to get its skates on if it hasn't already started.