Vital's managing director, Pete Thompson, believes Enter Shikari, with their ready-made fan-base, will prove an exception rather than the rule. “I knew they were an incredibly exciting band the first moment I saw them. It became apparent that we could build a support structure around a band rather than a record label. But the idea that Enter Shikari could signal the death of the label is a bit dramatic.”
Tony Wilson, who founded Factory Records, is intrigued by Enter Shikari. “They understand that the first deal they have to do is a publishing deal,” he says. “They are the first unsigned band to sell out the Astoria, they got chased by every label. But one of the greatest things you can have as an artist is freedom.” And the publishing deal provides that.
Whatever the financial pressures, McGee still believes the sort of colorful characters who drove the expansion of the indie sector will still play a pivotal role in bringing new artists to our attention. “There's always going to be a place for boutique record labels and characters like [Rough Trade founder] Geoff Travis and [Heavenly's] Jeff Barrett. Strong artists are always going to want to work with maverick individuals.” If anything, he believes, the personal seal of approval will become more, not less, important.
Yet, in the best traditions of trudging around grotty venues in search of the next big thing, most retain a reassuring faith in the creative potential of independent labels to prosper in the Internet age. Or, as Wilson puts it: “It's exactly the same as ever. If you get a great band, it's piss-easy. If you don't, it's bloody difficult.”
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