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I recorded an Arts Extra special for broadcast next Tuesday the 12th July. The basic premise of the show is that while the summer music festivals are in full swing across the UK and Ireland, what is the state of the music industry in Northern Ireland when the festival season winds up?

David Holmes who has just produced Cashier Number 9's new album "To the Death of Fun" spoke to me from LA where he talked about it never being more tough than now for bands. Stuart BaillieÌýsaid he remembered when he was working forÌýNME in London that most Northern Irish bands who would send on their demos would almost have an "apology strap" that they were from NI on it. Cormac Neeson lead singer with The Answer has just spent the past 2 years on the road with AC/DC, a huge break for a band from Downpatrick to achieve but before the recording started I said to him that for quite a few of Arts Extra's listeners we might have to spell out who The Answer is.Ìý

We play new music from some other bands that I have to admitÌýI hadn'tÌýheard of and had to quickly ask Stuart Baillie during the tapeÌýhad I spelt them right! He dealt with my slight air of panic and out of depth-ness with good grace!ÌýBut I'm not the only one to find myself in unfamiliar territory. The Dept of Trade and Industry (DETI) is actively courting new music here,Ìýmusic tourism Stuart says is something he had never heard of until a few years ago.

Future Chaser a Derry band and side project of one half of the Derry band The Wonder Villains has won the Tourist Board competition to have their music on the tv ad campaigns to promote here. Music tourism is big business and with MTV on the way to Belfast its set to get even bigger. Book your front row seats for bands whose names you don't know now. You can say you saw them before they were huge. I have a very fond memory of standing in the pouring rain in the grounds of Prehen House last year watching The Wonder Villains play, as water came through the marquee overhead and me, two older ladies on chairs and a stray mongrel dog watched them.

You can hear moreÌýfrom this edition of "Arts Extra"Ìýon 12th July 2011 at 1830 on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Ulster