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The Scotsman’s monthly Under The Radar column written by Born To Be Wide organisers Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon, has been nominated for the Breaking Music – Best Section/Writer category in the Record Of The Day Awards for music journalism and PR. The awards are presented by the music-industry daily of the same name Tonight (Thurs 26th Nov) at a ceremony in London. Olaf is representing!
Click below to read about the nomination:

Born To Be Wide Presents: Music Publishing Event: Thurs 3rd Dec 09, Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, 7.30pm – 9pm, FREE but you MUST book a place

THE SCOTSMAN – Under The Radar

THE FLY MUSIC MAGAZINE

NEW FOUND SOUND

Born To Be Wide was launched in February 2004 to provide a meeting place for those participating or interested in the Scottish music scene. The night was founded by music journalist/event-advisor Olaf Furniss and A&R scout Brodie Smithers, who were soon joined by filmmaker Martin Smith.
The concept was simple: invite a diverse range of musicians, journalists, promoters, label owners, managers and interesting friends, to play their all-time favourite records [except if they are by The Smiths/Morrissey or Joy Division].

Since April 2008 the night has begun with a discussion seminar.
Subjects covered include: How To Get A Gig, Unveiling The Mind Of A Music Journalist, How To Get Your Records Into Shops, How To Get On The Radio, Music Management, The Producers, Music Making Money and a Norwegian-special titled Play Norway.

Many of Scotland’s most influential musicians have been DJs and/or seminar guests, including members of Teenage Fanclub, The Beta Band, Belle & Sebastian, Idlewild, The Phantom Band, The Fire Engines, BMX Bandits, Josef K as well as King Creosote, James Yorkston and Johnny Lynch. Occasionally passing artists have also dropped by with their favourite music. These have included The Go Betweens, Kristin Hersh, Martin Atkins [PIL, Killing Joke & Pigface], Dodgy, Radio 4 and The Raveonettes.

Others who participated in seminars or who have DJd include: Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh, Brent Hansen [then head of MTV Networks Europe], broadcaster/ex-footballer Pat Nevin, Laurence Bell [founder Domino Recording Company], comedian Craig Hill, Owen Morris [producer of Oasis, The Verve and The View], John McLaughlin [producer of Westlife, Shane McGowan, Echo & The Bunnymen and Busted], pornstar Ben Dover, actor/musician Tam Dean Burn, Mona Røhne [Norwegian Consul], Robert Hicks [Rockeness, Belladrum and Loopallu], the Two Daves [DF Concerts], Kim Bayley [director general of the Entertainment Retailers Association], Michael Fuller [director, AIM] Scott Cohen [president The Orchard], Runar Eggesvik [then booker for Bylarm], 90% of Scotland’s music journalists and Vic Galloway [BBC Radio Scotland and Radio 1].

Furniss has hosted Born To Be Wide nights in Mexico City and Dundee, and in February 2009 organised a Born To Be Wide seminar about the Scottish music scene for the Scandinavian showcase event, Bylarm. Born To Be Wide has also been hired to organise bespoke panels for the goNorth showcase event, which took place in Inverness on June 11 & 12. Seminars included Up With The Downloads and a discussion about how to run music business from remote locations titled, So Far Yet So Near.

Born To Be Wide has always been free and takes place the first Thursday of every month in Edinburgh’s Voodoo Rooms. It is run by its co-founder Olaf Furniss, and New Found Sound’s Derick Mackinnon and the multi-talented Lesley Anne Brown. Olaf and Derick also write about new Scottish talent in the monthly Under The Radar column published by The Scotsman newspaper.

The nights have been held in partnership with a variety of different organisations including the Musicians’ Union, the Norwegian Embassy, Go North, the Entertainment Retailers Association and The Association Of Independent Music.

A wide variety of media have covered the Born To Be Wide including Dazed & Confused, NME, Music Week, Record Of The Day, The List, Metro, News Of The World, The Scotsman, Evening News, Radio 1 Evening Session in Scotland, Radio Forth, STV and Fresh Air.