FLAMING Lips front man Wayne Coyne has been announced as the keynote speaker at this year's Liverpool Sound City conference strand.

Julian Cope, Viv Albertine and The Fall's Mark E Smith will also be addressing music delegates, alongside Ramones manager Danny Fieldsand and  "local lad done well" James Barton, creator of Cream. 

The theme of the Spring Bank Holiday weekend event, the eight Liverpool Sound City, is The Unsung Hero, "focusing on the mavericks and mayhem makers who have helped shape the face of rock and roll", it says here.

This year Sound City has a north end feel - it's moved lock, stock and barrel from hipsville Wolstenholme Square to the new frontier of Bramley Moor Dock where the Flaming Lips themselves will headline the Saturday night and where the likes of Belle and Sebastian will be performing with a full orchestra. 

Viv AlbertineViv Albertine

So where better for all this talk than the nearby Rum Warehouse at The Titanic Hotel, Stanley Dock? 

 "The now legendary international music conference will debate, discuss and highlight key issues with the contemporary music business – brought to you by some of the leading figures in the global industry." say organisers.

Coyne will be in deep conversation with his long term manager Scott Booker "looking in depth at the way they have worked together over an illustrious career and revealing the ups and downs of the journey so far".

Julian Cope can't keep away from Liverpool these days, notching up his third public appearance in seven months . The self-styled art rocker, arch-drude and antiquarian will reflect on a life less ordinary and explore some of the more abstract themes of a musical career spanning four decades. Meanwhile, post-punk luminary Viv Albertine who, hot on the heels of her memoir Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys, will be examining the role of the unsung hero in popular culture and how their influence can massively outstrip initial recognition.

Mark-E-SmithMark E SmithDavid Pichilingi, CEO of Sound City, said: “We have made a seismic change to the whole profile of Sound City this year and that includes the conference. The Titanic Hotel is a splendid setting and certainly matches the new vision for Sound City.  As ever we’ve cut through the staid, formulaic conference format that so many other industry events desperately cling to. Our aim is to spark debate, to explore the controversial, to stimulate business relationships and for people to genuinely get something from it, to leave inspired, energised and entertained.” 

Panels this year include Another Brick in the Public School Wall, The Rise of Toff Rock that will examine the perceived decline of the working class music hero and the rise of the privileged few; 

Change a Word and Get a Third, Songwriting in the 21stCentury, an in-depth look at the pitfalls of making – or losing – money in the modern industry and Bands & Brands, The Power of Rock & Roll Data exploring the pros, cons and potential revenue opportunities when aligning with corporate entities and advertising. More panel themes will be announced closer to the event.  

For those who don’t want to miss out on the live music action, Sound City delegates can jump on a boat and be jetted from the conference venue direct to the festival site.

Now that is quite exciting.