Ben Collier
Musical Entrepreneur and Chairman, Fans Group

Written by Samara Schulz on 2009-10-07

Ben Collier, aka Ben Rama, is a prominent figure in the music industry in Brisbane. DJ, club promoter, and all round musical entrepreneur, Ben has had ten years experience in the industry. Currently working as chairman of the local music enterprise Fans Group, Ben spends his days managing the numerous facets of the innovative company, alongside his three partners in crime. Fans Group is comprised of a record label, a publicity company, two successful clubnights, alongside touring and management functions. Fans relies on the synergy of its components, and is a significant addition to the Brisbane music industry.

What has been your most memorable achievement or experience working as part of the Brisbane media landscape?

When we first started planning Fans Club Night, it started off as an idea for a small club night at the Step Inn where our friends could go and see talented local bands and DJs; just basically a place they could have fun and party. From this idea, it expanded to having international act Bloc Party play a DJ set at our very first night! It was pretty amazing to see the idea take off so much and everyone having a great time.

What are the biggest challenges you and your organization face as a member of the Brisbane media community?

Because we are considered an indie company, it has been a bit difficult to break through the homogenous market that exists in Brisbane. The indie club scene in Brisbane is fairly minimal, and we didn’t want to come across as elitist or pretentious yet still wanted to establish ourselves as something new and different for the market. Once we found our niche, we nicely settled into it.

The other challenge that has come about has been the many requests and ideas we have coming from the community. Because we offer something a bit left of centre, all sorts of ideas are coming out of the woodwork. Working out which ideas will be feasible is an ongoing challenge for our company.

Are there any ideas, changes or implementations, which you feel could improve the function of the Brisbane music scene?

More venues are needed! There is so much opportunity for the Brisbane music industry to expand, but unfortunately the establishments do not facilitate this. Compared to the Melbourne and Sydney markets, live music really isn’t as popular here. Brisbane is more laid back in terms of supporting local bands, whereas it’s a lot more prominent in the other cities. I’m not sure if this is because of the lack of venues or if it’s just the culture up here. There is a lot of musical talent coming out of Brisbane lately, so it’ll be interesting to see the changes that may occur over the next few years.

What features both positive and negative differentiate Brisbane music organisations to other national/international media hubs?

Well as mentioned, the live music industry isn’t as advanced as in other national hubs, and definitely not as much as international hubs. There isn’t much competition here for the business side of things; there are only a few other companies in Brisbane that offer a similar service. I think the one thing that does separate Brisbane though is that it’s so much easier to network here and there is also this real sense of community from people who are interested in the local music scene.

What important/valuable skills can graduates bring to your industry?

Honestly, being able to know when it is appropriate to forget what you’ve learnt at university is an important skill. Not everything that gets taught in a textbook is going to apply to every situation and sometimes it is important to be able to throw what you know out the window and just go with your instincts. Being able to think outside the box is also an important skill. The industry needs fresh and unique ideas in order for it to maintain its energy. Being able to network and be professional in social situations is important too.

What are the biggest changes that have occurred in the music industry that you have witnessed?

The formation of online social networks has been a major change, which has revolutionised the elements of live music. Everything from promotion to distribution can be done over facebook, myspace and youtube nowadays which is amazing when you think how this was done ten years ago.
This isn’t a bad thing; companies just need to adapt if they want to remain current. Using these online networks to your advantage can provide great rewards for companies and bands alike. It’s a great way to keep fans updated on any new events or progress; its also a great way for unknown bands to get ahead in the local industry.

What is the one thing that continually surprises you about the music industry?

How Madonna continues to sell records…
No, I guess just how much the music industry has changed; yet the physical forms of music (CD and vinyl) are still relevant in society. There is still this need for the tangible form of music, despite the accessibility and portability of mp3s. This means there is also still a role for designers to create cover art, still a place for the distributor and other people involved in this industry.

The other really amazing thing about the music industry is the impact it has on almost everyone. It’s really interesting how moved some people can become just by a certain song, or how some people dedicate their whole life to creating music. It’s such a powerful industry.