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Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien To Give MidemNet Keynote

radiohead jh Radioheads Ed OBrien To Give MidemNet Keynote

Should the whole rock star thing get tiresome, Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien can always hit the lecture circuit. O’Brien has been invited to deliver the keynote address at the digital music business conference MidemNet in Cannes on Jan. 23.

It’s an inspired choice; considering the affect Radiohead has had on the digital music business these last few years, O’Brien is a great selection.

O’Brien, who is a director on the board of the Featured Artists Coalition, will discuss the initiatives Radiohead has taken on the Web and discuss the opportunities for the artist to fan relationship in the digital era, according to a Billboard report.

The timing of the keynote couldn’t be more ideal considering how topsy-turvy the digital music ‘biz seems to be these days (really, most days).

Just last week O’Brien spoke out about the severe proposals put forth by the U.K. government in an attempt to slow down illegal downloading. Repeat offenders could lose Internet connections if a new law is passed.

“It’s going to start a war which they’ll never win,” O’Brien said. “It won’t work. It’s as simple as that.

“I was talking to a serial file-sharer the other day who is a friend. He downloads films and he hasn’t paid for music for six years. I asked his opinion of it and he laughed. He said, ‘Even if they cut me off I’ll still be able to do it.’”

Billy Bragg, Kate Nash and Blur drummer Dave Rowntree are also on record as opposed to the idea.

The centerpiece, possibly, to O’Brien’s keynote could be the Pay What You Want business experiment Radiohead enacted in 2007 for the release of their album In Rainbows. A move that subsequently shook the record industry and provided more ammo for artists seeking ways to bypass the record labels and go direct to consumers with new material.

In 2008, statistics were released behind the pay-what-you-want release of In Rainbows; according to reports most fans chose to pay nothing to download the album, but the album still generated more money before it was physically released (Dec. 31) than the total amount pulled in by sales of Radiohead’s album prior, Hail To The Thief.

The 44th edition of MIDEM will be held from Jan. 24 to 27.