Audience 20 Years

20

YEARS

1 9-9 9 20 1 9

Contents

1999 p6

2000 p6-7

2001 p7-8

2002 p8

2003 p8-10

2004 p10

2005 p10-11

2006 p11-13

2007 p13-14

2008 14

149 JUNE

2012

ISSUE €7.60 EUROPE UK £5.85 ROW $12.32

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2009 p14-17 ernational

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2010 p17

2011 p18

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Music Ind

ISSUE 173 UK £5.85

JUNE 2014

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€7.60 EUROPE ROW $12.32

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ISSUE 194 UK £6.25

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MARCH 2016

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Issue 209

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1_Front_C

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2015 p23

Publisher & Editor: Stephen Parker

Administrative Manager: Grace Ramsay

Editorial overview: Lisa Henderson

Accounts Management: Murali Sri Balaskanda

Sales Director: Gareth Ospina

Design: Charles McQuaid

Advertising Executives: Tom Brint, Bea Ipaye

Print: Stephens & George Ltd www.stephensandgeorge.co.uk

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2013 p20-21

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JANUARY

€7.60 EUROPE UK £5.85 ROW $12.32

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ISSUE 156

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Michael Coppel

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1

2016 p23-24 Special thanks to all those former staff who have helped Audience along the way.

A special Audience supplement free to subscribers with issue 239, December 2019.

2017 p24-27

2018/19 p27-28

Audience is a subscription digital and monthly print magazine for the international contemporary live music industry, published by

26 Dorset Street, London W1U 8AP, United Kingdom T: +44 (0)20 7486 7007 F: +44 (0)20 7486 2002 info@audience.uk.com www.audience.uk.com

© Audience Media Ltd, December 2019

The opinions expressed by contributors to this publication are not always a reflection of the opinions or the policy of the publisher. Information on services or products contained within editorial sections does not imply recommendation by Audience Media Ltd. No responsibility can be accepted for errors or omissions. No part of this publication can be reproduced in any form without the written authority of Audience Media Ltd.

TWO DECADES

T

he live music business we know today grew from the mid1960s when new pop artistes began individually attracting larger audiences, and event promoters started to think outside package shows in theatres and ballrooms.

Until then it was the package tour that pulled the crowd, with one UK bill in November 1967 featuring Jim Hendrix (performing for 40 minutes), The Move (30 minutes), Pink Floyd (17), Amen Corner (15), The Nice (12), and two others playing eight minutes each.

America’s Woodstock Festival in August 1969 and the UK’s Isle of Wight Festival 11 days later drew estimated audiences of 500,000 and 200,000 respectively, and broke the mould for music events.

They represented a complete sea change in thinking.

Entrepreneurs emerged to meet the demand, both in terms of promoting and production – although the latter tended to lag behind the speed of progress for some years.

In the UK, artistes such as Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and Genesis were playing pubs to audiences of 200-300, college social secretaries (entertainment organisers), along with resident student populations and good venues, were quick to catch on.

Circuit connection Business grew so fast that an American living in London, Miles Copeland, thought his booking agency and management ambitions could be improved if there was a magazine to link campus bookers with agents. He called it College Event and, in time, record companies were even advertising their new artistes to bookers on both sides.

In the days before mobile phones and the internet, a print magazine with contact names, agency roster adverts and phone numbers was invaluable.

College Event widened its reach and morphed into Circuit during the late-‘70s and changed publisher a couple of times, before closing.

In the US, the weekly Performance magazine ran through the 1970s, but eventually had a rival with the launch of Pollstar in 1981, which had a sharper focus on the contemporary live scene.

But there wasn’t really the market for two such weekly publications and Performance cut key staff in 1997 and closed in 1999.

Over in the UK, the late-‘80s saw the Hedges brothers – international booking agent Steve and journalist Martin – launch the monthly Applause to serve a rapidly growing international business, largely driven by adventurous London agents and their increasingly popular artistes.

Applause survived in a challenging environment for a print publication until 1995 and was sorely missed, especially by agents and promoters internationally.

It took just over three years for a replacement to emerge.

An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019

Winds of change

As the launch of Audience was being imagined and then planned in late-1999, the greatest transformation of the live music business was underway.

A 51-year-old American financial entrepreneur called Robert FX Sillerman was nearing the end of a three-year roll-up of live music promoters, venue operators and others to create something he could sell for a handsome profit.

He had done it successfully with US radio stations and saw the fragmented live entertainment sector as a similar opportunity, forming SFX Entertainment as a sub-division of SFX Broadcasting.

His then partner in the radio business, Steve Hicks, didn’t see any meaningful symmetry between radio and live entertainment, and bought Sillerman out, leaving the latter with a reported $250m profit.

Sillerman admitted he knew nothing about the concert business, but he knew about acquisition and amalgamation.

SFX grew rapidly through a series of diversified acquisitions from March 1997 to October 1999. These included concert promotion firms, venues ranging from clubs to amphitheatres, venue management contracts, theatrical touring, sports management companies and marketing firms.

The company was primarily looking for promoters with venues to plug into its marketing and corporate sponsorship plans.

In 1998, according to SFX, over 58 million people attended approximately 24,800 single events promoted and/or produced by the company, including over 9,750 concerts.

By the time the first Audience was sent to the printer in December 1999, Sillerman and his team had spent more than $2 billion – around $1.5bn borrowed and the rest from the sale of shares – and acquired a swathe of the industry across North America and into Europe.

Among purchases were US companies such as Delsener/Slater Enterprises, acquired for $26.8 million, Bill Graham Presents ($80.3m), Pavilion and PACE Entertainment ($240.7m), Don Law Company ($92.2m) and Cellar Door ($98.5m)

Money talks In Europe, acquisitions included the UK’s Apollo Leisure Group and Barry Clayman Concerts for $254m, Sweden’s EMA Telstar ($27.9m) and the Netherlands’ Mojo Works/Mojo Concerts (80 per cent for $39.7m).

These were huge sums of money for an industry that wasn’t sure what it was worth. Sillerman put a value on businesses that had largely been founded by music enthusiasts who had just got bigger in their respective states and countries. www.audience.uk.com

S OF For the international Contemporary Live Music industry

The Wall reaches new heights

‘

The most active fans are the heavy metal and hard rock ones

Organisers arrested as concert cancelled

‘

Last year there were more concerts, but with smaller audiences.

This year there are fewer concerts with larger audiences.

Karla Zapata of Auditorio Telmex in Mexico

‘

The A Team ed sheeran takes on the world Viagogo in ‘fraud’ claim

sFX is back

promoters form collection society

Focus on EDM for the man who transformed the industry

Germans want cut of live recordings cash

Denmark

Promoter cites roskilde tragedy in defence of no-barrier policy

‘

‘

Woodstock row continues

Bjork raises the roof

Metallica’s indian set-back

Foo Fighters answer their calling

Danish TV confronts company bosses

‘

Everybody is in need of new business and new acts which don’t just sell an arena once and then disappear

The real challenge lies within rethinking the ttraditional raditional way...to keep the audience coming back

Uwe Frommhold of AEG Facilities Germany

Rikke Friis Assentoft of Tap 1 in Denmark

tV On the radio on tour

AeG for sale

We consider ourselves very fortunate to be working in such a small and healthy market as Norway

‘

resale sector faces war of attrition

For the international contemporary Live Music industry

issue 153 OCTOBER 2012

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

The most active fans are the heavy metal and hard rock ones

to Lex Born thrive

appeal Buzz grows around The Hives

New global promoter?

Stones tour links Branson and Dainty

Festivals for sale

Administrator seeks buyers as promoter promises comeback

police condemn ticket abuse

The battle for London

Call for action after $61m racket claim

Global titans vie for supremacy

‘The odd Couple’

ITB’s Barry and Rod toast 35 years in the business

Our differences are our biggest strength, because they allow us to exchange views all of the time

This market cannot survive just by turning over the same older artistes who want to play here Boban Miloseski of Avalon Productions in The Balkans

Adolfo Galli of promoter Di & Gi in Italy

For the international contemporary Live Music industry

People seem to have more disposable income and the appetite for concerts is growing in the region

For the international nternational contemporary Live Music industry ndustry

issue 183 APRIL 2015

Fantasea island New bosses for US & UK offices

Building The Wall The story of Roger Waters’ touring extravaganza

Promoting in a challenging market

Brazil has become a trustworthy and stable market, even when it’s going through a tough time

Stones tour links Branson and Dainty

Festivals for sale

Administrator seeks buyers as promoter promises comeback

William Crunfli of XYZ Live in Brazil

Promoters are competing for the same artiste, so the cost increases, ticket prices increase and nobody wins

If you have a show sitting in the West End for a long time… all the international promoters can come and see it first-hand

Juan Manual Lopez of 6 Pasos in Argentina

Derek Nichol of The Flying Music Company

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

ISSUE 192 JANUARY 2016

Our differences are our biggest strength, because they allow us to exchange views all of the time

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

ISSUE 198 JULY 2016

True affection Father John Misty goes global

Discount stubHub for Germany

Soundwave debts revealed

sFX back from the brink

Performance royalty discounts ‘endemic’

sMG to manage Greek economy

Lieberberg reunited with festivals

Coda Agency’s Solomon Parker

For the international contemporary Live Music industry

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

Issue 209 June 2017

uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25

uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25

Bruno Mars continues cosmic tour

Extreme weather batters festivals Asian ambitions for Dainty/TEG Top managers unite against touts Everything is possible – luckily we have a product that cannot be substituted

superstruct expansion begins Ticketing scandal rocks Italy

For the International Contemporary Live Music Industry

the roadie and Ginger Baker was the van driver

Headline tour for Zara Larsson

Big reputation

english rose

Taylor Swift closes in Japan

Maroon 5 back on the trail

Ticketmaster engulfed in resale row Eventbrite IPO raises $200m NY sues Ticketnetwork

Lorde cancellation activists fined AEG plans arenas in Thailand

AeG-sMG merger awaits approval Court clears italian promoters ed sheeran’s iceland record

Running like clockwork

slash takes Apocalyptic live

police condemn ticket abuse

Call for action after $61m racket claim

‘The odd Couple’

ISSUE 162 JULY 2013 UK £5.85 EUROPE €7.60 ROW $12.32

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

Guitar hero

Lana Del rey finds her Dark paradise

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

issue 158 MARCh 2013

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

The battle for London

The story of Roger Waters’ touring extravaganza

Brazil has become a trustworthy and stable market, even when it’s going through a tough time

Caa’s rick roskin on working with iron Maiden

William Crunfli of XYZ Live in Brazil

For the International Contemporary Live Music Industry

This market cannot survive just by turning over the same older artistes who want to play here

Queens of the Stone Age go with the flow

Live Nation posts $161.9m 2012 loss

Dainty reveals next step for Virgin Live

Revenue up but shortfall more than doubles

Lift-off nears for new global challenger

Mass UK ticket fraud unfolds

Argentina

Promoting in a challenging market

Thousands of fake tickets seized

Extreme weather batters festivals Asian ambitions for Dainty/TEG Top managers unite against touts Everything is possible – luckily we have a product that cannot be substituted

We thought we were ultra cool and ultra smart … but other people were smarter

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

ISSUE 238 NOVEMBER 2019

For the International Contemporary Live Music Industry

Free spirit

Kacey Musgraves goes global

Khalid roams globe with second album

Hong Kong riots force cancellations MSG spins-off entertainment business South America gets third Movistar arena

We promote everything from new artistes playing to 50 people to stadiums with 50,000 – from death metal to Disney on Ice

Abu Dhabi is not an emerging market … a show here is exactly the same, or better, than in New York or London

We are seeing a lot of young rap artistes attracting 6,000 to 20,000 people to their concerts

Flash Entertainment’s John Lickrish

There are a lot of great artistes coming from Canada, Asia … it is really very promising for the future of the genre

I wanted to do more than just book acts for shows and get the 10 per cent

Good News CEO Stefan Matthey

Sergey Podgorny at TCI, Russia

Thomas Jensen of ICF in Germany, founder of Wacken Open Air

CSB Island’s Carsten Svoldgaard

The headline for Audience’s first business feature asked ‘Is SFX really this big?’.

It was and it got bigger, signing an exclusive seven-year deal with Ticketmaster (TM) along the way, enabling the ticket agency to sell around 10.5m of the approximately 12m tickets sold at SFX venues. Observers noted that TM’s booking fees soon doubled from $1.25 to $2.5.

By the time SFX neared its peak in the US, the company controlled 40 of the country’s 48 amphitheatres.

It had also concluded sponsorship deals worth $70m in 1999 alone, up $30 million on the previous year.

For those major players who did not sign-up to SFX, business life became more uncertain and other smaller operations started to think about consolidation. How to counter the power of SFX and survive was the question in many people’s minds.

In Germany, Peter Schwenkow had created his corporate vehicle,

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

ISSUE 192 JANUARY 2016

Issue 195 april 2016

UK £6.25 EUROPE €9.40 ROW $12.25

uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25

True affection

eeyes yes wide open

Father John Misty goes global

Discount stubHub for Germany

Soundwave debts revealed

sFX back from the brink

Performance royalty discounts ‘endemic’ Lieberberg reunited with festivals

Coda Agency’s Solomon Parker

Caa’s rick roskin on working with iron Maiden

For the International Contemporary Live Music Industry Issue 209 June 2017

uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25

uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25

record revenue for Live Nation paris to get europe’s biggest arena superstruct expansion begins

Ticketing scandal rocks Italy

Terror fears disrupt rock am ring

No holding back Headline tour for Zara Larsson

the roadie and Ginger Baker was the van driver

songkick folds but continues court battle with Live Nation Doubts over V Festival future

William Morris endeavor agent David Levy

Michael Coppel of Live nation Australasia

english rose

Taylor Swift closes in Japan

UK £6.25 EUROPE €9.40 ROW $12.25

Eventbrite IPO raises $200m

AEG plans arenas in Thailand

Court clears italian promoters ed sheeran’s iceland record

UK £6.25 EUROPE €9.40 ROW $12.25

The Golden touch

Free spirit

Kacey Musgraves goes global

Khalid roams globe with second album

Jessie J takes it to europe

AeG-sMG merger awaits approval

ISSUE 238 NOVEMBER 2019

ISSUE 235 AUGUST 2019

uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25

uK £6.25 EuropE €9.40 roW $12.25

I think I was the first UK agent who wanted to apply rock’n’roll values to representing DJs

Someone once said that Australia has more promoters than kangaroos – that could well be true

issue 229 FEBRUARY 2019

ISSuE 225 octobEr 2018

Big reputation

NY sues Ticketnetwork

In symphony Clean Bandit take it to the world

For the International Contemporary Live Music Industry

Fyre fest founder jailed

uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25

New German live tariff agreed I was the promoter, the accountant, the tour manager, Johannes Wessels of music minds concerts in Germany

Lorde cancellation activists fined

Issue ssue 213 OctOber 2017

Arena closed until september after attack

Major uK festival cancelled

Maroon 5 back on the trail

Ticketmaster engulfed in resale row

For the International Contemporary Live Music Industry

Calls for legislation to end resale ‘robbery’

BuMA finally agrees new live tariff

It is the most horrible crime that someone in live entertainment can do [insider touting]

stones satisfaction in Havana stereosonic festivals cancelled Agents cut deals to help sFX Every detail matters and they refuse to compromise

Issue 206 march 2017

Bruno Mars continues cosmic tour

Justin Bieber keeps pressure on

Chvrches take message to festivals

AL-X’s Alex Nussbaumer on Austria

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

on a mission

uK £6.25 EurOPE €9.40 rOW $12.25

Moving like Jagger

There is a new breed of promoter who is just in it for the money

If you are an agent right now, you are one of the luckiest people in the industry

uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25

IssuE ssuE 224 SEPTEMBER 2018

UK £6.25 EUROPE €9.40 ROW $12.25

The Golden touch

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

sMG to manage Greek economy

Issue ssue 202 November 2016

Italian promoter Claudio Trotta of barley Arts Promotion

Mads Sorensen of Beatbox Booking in Denmark

UK £6.25 EUROPE €9.40 ROW $12.25

Derek Nichol of The Flying Music Company

uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25

out of this world

ISSUE 235 AUGUST 2019

Juan Manual Lopez of 6 Pasos in Argentina

Janet Jackson’s world tour return

Satisfaction guaranteed

William Morris endeavor agent David Levy

If you have a show sitting in the West End for a long time… all the international promoters can come and see it first-hand

issue 189 OCTOBER 2015

Ticketmaster tension over seatwave link

UK £6.25 EUROPE €9.40 ROW $12.25

uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25

In symphony

Promoters are competing for the same artiste, so the cost increases, ticket prices increase and nobody wins

unbreakable

end of the road for Future Festivals

ISSUE 198 JULY 2016

Issue ssue 213 OctOber 2017

I think I was the first UK agent who wanted to apply rock’n’roll values to representing DJs

Superstruct buys into Wacken OVG sets sights on Manchester Sheeran’s record grossing tour

For the international nternational contemporary Live Music industry ndustry

uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25

German promoter Scumeck Sabottka, on his early years

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

Doubts over V Festival future

Someone once said that Australia has more promoters than kangaroos – that could well be true

People seem to have more disposable income and the appetite for concerts is growing in the region Live Nation Middle East MD Tyler Mervyn

For the international contemporary Live Music industry ndustry

Slaves in global breakout

Jessie J takes it to europe

Fyre fest founder jailed

Building The Wall

Every detail matters and they refuse to compromise

songkick folds but continues court battle with Live Nation

uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25

uK £6.25 EuropE €9.40 roW $12.25

AeG for sale

Rune Lem of Live Nation Norway

Noel Gallagher takes it global

New bosses for US & UK offices

stones satisfaction in Havana stereosonic festivals cancelled Agents cut deals to help sFX

Clean Bandit take it to the world

issue 229 FEBRUARY 2019

ISSuE 225 octobEr 2018

For the international contemporary Live Music industry

Issue 157 FEBRUARY 2013

Global titans vie for supremacy

No holding back

For the International Contemporary Live Music Industry

uK £6.25 EurOPE €9.40 rOW $12.25

Danish TV confronts company bosses

We consider ourselves very fortunate to be working in such a small and healthy market as Norway

Flying high

executive moves at Ticketmaster

Chvrches take message to festivals

Arena closed until september after attack

Michael Coppel of Live nation Australasia

Johannes Wessels of music minds concerts in Germany

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

issue 183 APRIL 2015

New German live tariff agreed I was the promoter, the accountant, the tour manager,

Buzz grows around The Hives

issue 163 AUGUST 2013

eeyes yes wide open

Calls for legislation to end resale ‘robbery’

Major uK festival cancelled

IssuE ssuE 224 SEPTEMBER 2018

Moving like Jagger

Terror fears disrupt rock am ring

BuMA finally agrees new live tariff

It is the most horrible crime that someone in live entertainment can do [insider touting] Italian promoter Claudio Trotta of barley Arts Promotion

Mads Sorensen of Beatbox Booking in Denmark

record revenue for Live Nation paris to get europe’s biggest arena

Justin Bieber keeps pressure on

For the International Contemporary Live Music Industry

Issue 206 march 2017

out of this world on a mission

Slaves in global breakout

Rikke Friis Assentoft of Tap 1 in Denmark

Hundreds die in club fire

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25

AL-X’s Alex Nussbaumer on Austria

uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25

Satisfaction guaranteed

There is a new breed of promoter who is just in it for the money

If you are an agent right now, you are one of the luckiest people in the industry

Issue ssue 202 November 2016

Uwe Frommhold of AEG Facilities Germany

Tragedy in Brazil

Boban Miloseski of Avalon Productions in The Balkans

Issue 195 april 2016

UK £6.25 EUROPE €9.40 ROW $12.25

Janet Jackson’s world tour return

UK £6.25 EUROPE €9.40 ROW $12.25

‘

The real challenge lies within rethinking the ttraditional raditional way...to keep the audience coming back

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

Adolfo Galli of promoter Di & Gi in Italy

Azealia Banks makes her mark

German promoter Scumeck Sabottka, on his early years

Viagogo in ‘fraud’ claim

Entertainment giant on the market for $8 billion

Benefiting from a pivotal position

Everybody is in need of new business and new acts which don’t just sell an arena once and then disappear

ITB’s Barry and Rod toast 35 years in the business

Fantasea island

We thought we were ultra cool and ultra smart … but other people were smarter

ed sheeran takes on the world

Thousands of fake tickets seized

uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25

Ticketmaster tension over seatwave link

Denmark

Mass UK ticket fraud unfolds

Argentina

unbreakable

end of the road for Future Festivals

Germans want cut of live recordings cash

Florence has got the love

Noel Gallagher takes it global

executive moves at Ticketmaster

‘

The A Team

sFX is back

Focus on EDM for the man who transformed the industry

Lex Born to appeal thrive

rise of the machine New global promoter?

Flying high

Azealia Banks makes her mark

Organisers arrested as concert cancelled

promoters form collection society

issue 156 JANUARY 2013

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

Lift-off nears for new global challenger

issue 189 OCTOBER 2015

uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25

For the international contemporary Live Music industry

issue 153 OCTOBER 2012

Dainty reveals next step for Virgin Live

Revenue up but shortfall more than doubles

Live Nation Middle East MD Tyler Mervyn

For the international contemporary Live Music industry ndustry

issue 163 AUGUST 2013 uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

Karla Zapata of Auditorio Telmex in Mexico

ISSUE 162 JULY 2013

Queens of the Stone Age go with the flow

Live Nation posts $161.9m 2012 loss

‘

Last year there were more concerts, but with smaller audiences.

This year there are fewer concerts with larger audiences.

Bjork raises the roof

Metallica’s indian set-back

Foo Fighters answer their calling

Promoter cites roskilde tragedy in defence of no-barrier policy

UK £5.85 EUROPE €7.60 ROW $12.32

Running like clockwork

slash takes Apocalyptic live

Tragedy in Brazil Hundreds die in club fire

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

Guitar hero

Lana Del rey finds her Dark paradise

Florence has got the love

Not so quiet

rock resolve

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

Rune Lem of Live Nation Norway

issue 158 MARCh 2013

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

rise of the machine

For the international contemporary Live Music industry

Issue 157 FEBRUARY 2013

issue 156 JANUARY 2013

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

Woodstock row continues

The Wall reaches new heights

For the international contemporary Live Music industry For the international contemporary Live Music industry

companies silent over how management venture will work

stubHub plans uK invasion

roger Waters’ stadium record in Argentina

rock in rio founder Roberto Medina

Live Nation universal

Katy Perry packs arenas worldwide

Wired for sound

Entertainment giant on the market for $8 billion

Benefiting from a pivotal position

‘

resale sector faces war of attrition

Not so quiet

rock resolve

‘

stubHub plans uK invasion

roger Waters’ stadium record in Argentina

rock in rio founder Roberto Medina

companies silent over how management venture will work

‘

tV On the radio on tour

Live Nation universal

Katy Perry packs arenas worldwide

issue 152 SEPTEMBER 2012

issue 149 JUNE 2012

issue 142 NOvEMBER 2011

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

Living the dream

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

‘

Living the dream

issue 152 SEPTEMBER 2012

issue 149 JUNE 2012

issue 142 NOvEMBER 2011

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

‘

issue 141 OCTOBER 2011

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

Wired for sound

issue 141 OCTOBER 2011

uK £5.85 europe €7.60 roW $12.32

issue 140 SEPTEMBER 2011

‘

issue 140 SEPTEMBER 2011

For the international Contemporary Live Music industry

Superstruct buys into Wacken OVG sets sights on Manchester Sheeran’s record grossing tour

Hong Kong riots force cancellations MSG spins-off entertainment business South America gets third Movistar arena

We promote everything from new artistes playing to 50 people to stadiums with 50,000 – from death metal to Disney on Ice

Abu Dhabi is not an emerging market … a show here is exactly the same, or better, than in New York or London

We are seeing a lot of young rap artistes attracting 6,000 to 20,000 people to their concerts

Flash Entertainment’s John Lickrish

There are a lot of great artistes coming from Canada, Asia … it is really very promising for the future of the genre

I wanted to do more than just book acts for shows and get the 10 per cent

Good News CEO Stefan Matthey

Sergey Podgorny at TCI, Russia

Thomas Jensen of ICF in Germany, founder of Wacken Open Air

CSB Island’s Carsten Svoldgaard

which became Deutsche Entertainment AG, before Sillerman got started and he too had seen the winds of change and opportunity.

Investors also got excited and other corporate empires began to emerge.

The following is a small selection of events, reported in Audience, that helped to shape the international live music industry over the following two decades.

Stephen Parker Publisher & Editor Audience Media Ltd December 2019

The following is a small selection of events, reported in Audience, that helped to shape the interna-tional live music industry over the following two decades. www.audience.uk.com

An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019

6 | Celebrating 20 years of AUDIENCE

1999 December USA Dennis Arfa’s QBQ buys Rob Prinz’s Principal Artists for $4.24m and renames the operation Artists Group International.

GERMANY Deutsche Entertainment AG (DEAG) buys Frankfurt’s Jahrhunderthalle complex, including 3,000-capacity venue, for one deutschemark ($0.52 cents).

2000 January AUSTRALIA Tour promoter Pav Corp goes bust owing $1.3m). Foo Fighters due $70,300, Offspring $44,500.

UK Established names such as Midland Concert Promotions, Barry Clayman Agency and Apollo Leisure collectively rebranded SFX Entertainment.

AUSTRALIA After 20 years with promoter Frontier Touring Company, general manager Michael Chugg leaves to start own business, backed by Kerry Packer’s Consolidated Press Entertainment.

February WORLD SFX Entertainment is sold to radio stations and billboards giant Clear Channel Communications for $4.4bn.

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND Creative Entertainment’s Big Day Out touring festival sells-out overall 253,000 tickets across six events.

GERMANY DEAG buys assets of theatrical production company Stella from administrators for $19.7m.

AUSTRALIA Consolidated Press Holdings acquires Dainty Consolidated Entertainment.

“

I’ve always been a true fan from the start and look forward to continuing our great relationship and supporting you through the years to come.

You always had the passion and, in this day and age, to hit 20 years for a magazine makes it pretty special.

”

Michael Gudinski, CEO, Frontier Touring, Australia

to former assistant Brent Smith, to concentrate on setting up a chain of rock ’n’ roll-themed Backstage restaurants.

May CANADA SFX acquires country’s second largest concert promoter, Steve Herman and Michael Rapino’s two-year-old Core Audience Entertainment.

GERMANY Ticketing giant CTS Eventim acquires 60 per cent of Peter Rieger Konzertagentur and 51 per cent of Marek Lieberberg Konzertagentur.

June DENMARK Nine music fans die in an audience crush during Pearl Jam’s set at Roskilde (60,000) festival. Event continued but Oasis and Pet Shop Boys refused to play.

July SWITZERLAND DEAG acquires 90 per cent of Andre Béchir’s Good News Productions.

WORLD German promoter Mama Concerts & Rau files lawsuit against Michael Jackson, claiming $21.2m in production costs and damages, following artiste’s cancellation of millennium eve concerts in Australia and Hawaii.

March SCANDINAVIA SFX-owned Swedish promoter EMA Telstar buys Denmark’s DKB Concertpromotion for undisclosed sum.

August GERMANY CTS Eventim purchases 50.02 per cent of Folkert Koopmans Scorpio Konzertprodukionen and same in Semmel Concerts Veranstalungsservice.

USA Agency and internet business ARTISTdirect raises $60m through an Initial Public Offering.

SCANDINAVIA SFX-owned EMA Telstar completes regional consolidation with purchase of Norway’s Gunnar Eide and Finland’s WellDone Agency

WORLD Rival US venue management companies SMG and Leisure Management International merge under SMG name, creating world’s largest public facility management operation, with 97 venues.

September DENMARK Neil Warnock’s The Agency Group opens office in Copenhagen, run by Brian Nielsen.

April USA Ian Copeland sells West Coast part of Frontier Booking Inc (FBI) agency

October UK Glastonbury Festival to be prosecuted for contravening licence, with

Jahrhunderthalle

Big Day Out Festival

An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019

Glastonbury Festival

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Celebrating 20 years of AUDIENCE | 7

London Astoria

Roskilde Festival

police and local authority estimating June event had nearly double authorised 100,000 audience, many being gatecrashers.

December GERMANY/SWITZERLAND DEAG acquires 70 per cent of Marcel Avram’s Zurich-based Entertainment One. FINLAND Europe’s second oldest festival Ruisrock (25,000) is to be saved by local consortium of promoters including WellDone Agency, after losing $750,000 in two years.

WORLD SFX renames Michael Cohl and Arthur Fogel’s global promoting company The Next Adventure, acquired in March 1999, as SFX Touring.

2001 January UK SFX acquires International Talent Booking.

AUSTRIA Top five promoters merge with publishing and retail giant Libro Entertainment to form Promoters Group Austria, comprising Rock Produktion, Artist Marketing, Bogner Veranstaltungs, PSI Music and Music Promotion.

USA Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) acquires John Meglen and Paul Gongaware’s Concerts West, reactivated two years earlier with Irving Azoff backing.

February JORDAN First concert by a western artiste is Sting sell-out at Amman University Arena (6,000).

March BELGIUM SFX acquires Paul Ambach and Michel Perl’s Make It Happen.

”

www.audience.uk.com

EUROPE MTV Europe’s first simultaneous live concert broadcast across 19 channels and 15 websites, features Craig David’s at the Netherlands’ Rotterdam Ahoy (10,000).

May FINLAND Moom Solutions trials service that allows tickets to be delivered to a PC, laptop or Personal Digital Assistant and printed locally.

Ticketmaster already using print-your-own in US. June UK Agent and promoter John Giddings sells Solo to SFX. BELGIUM Promoter Herman Schueremans sells his businesses, including Rock Werchter (70,000) to SFX. INDONESIA Fight between police and security at start of Westlife concert in Jakarta’s Soemantri Bodjonegoro (15,000) escalates into five-minute brawl after show.

July WORLD Clear Channel Communications renames SFX Entertainment subsidiary Clear Channel Entertainment (CCE).

GERMANY Ticketing conflict between DEAG and CTS Eventim escalates, with each threatening legal action against the other.

August ISRAEL Red Hot Chili Peppers pull out of Tel Aviv show, after suicide bombing in Jerusalem.

MALAYSIA Fearing satanic influences on its youth, government refuses Megadeth entry permit for 6,000-cap show.

GREECE Second day of Rockwave Festival (12,000) cancelled due to extreme weather.

September WORLD Shockwaves around the world after 9/11 atrocity in the US. Tours and concerts cancelled, ticket sales drop by 20 per cent.

“

Audience is the one and only international show business magazine which has truly helped the industry develop in a big way throughout its 20-years journey. A real entertainment encyclopaedia and great source of content. I am a big fan – keep producing this precious journalism for many years to come

Rotterdam Ahoy

October UK Irish promoter Dennis Desmond’s MCD Productions buys 50 per cent of Stuart Clumpas’s DF Concerts in Scotland.

SWEDEN Ticketmaster buys leading ticket agency Billetservice.

November UK Two men hospitalised after gunman opens fire in London’s Astoria (2,000) during So Solid Crew show.

Jose Muniz, CEO, Mercury Concerts, South America An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019

8 | Celebrating 20 years of AUDIENCE December EUROPE Euro becomes official currency for 300m people across 12 European Union countries.

ITALY CCE buys Roberto De Luca’s Milano Concerti and Maurizio Salvadori’s Trident Agency.

SOUTH AMERICA CIE’s Eric Clapton tour across Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay and Mexico sells 206,757 tickets, grosses $5.915m.

2002 January UK Agencies Miracle Prestige International and Concert Clinic merge to form Coda Agency.

UK AEG wins bid to transform London’s Millennium Done into concert arena.

February USA AEG consolidates promoting subsidiaries under AEG Live, headed by Randy Phillips.

March USA William Morris Agency buys Frank Barsalona’s Premier Talent Agency, as he retires.

GERMANY CCE makes second attempt to enter market with CTS Eventim deal, but unsuccessful.

April UK Ireland’s MCD buys remaining 50 per cent of Scotland’s DF Concerts, with SJM Concerts taking a share.

June AUSTRIA Promoters Group Austria collapses after 18 months, following bankruptcy of co-founder Rock Produktiion.

July GERMANY DEAG back to basics, following write-off of Stella theatre chain acquisition.

August UK Around 200 rioting festival-goers start fires at Leeds Festival (50,000), after late-running Guns N’Roses.

September FINLAND Pori Jazz Festival thought to have lost more than $50,000 in fake AC/DC booking scam.

Leeds Festival

Robbie WIlliams at Knebworth

An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019

DENMARK CCE-owned promoter DKB/Motor switches ticket agency to explore more online sales.

October UK Agent John Jackson leaves Helter Skelter to form own K2 Agency, with Iron Maiden, Guns N’Roses and Metallica.

December UK Robbie Williams sells-out 450,000 tickets for three Knebworth Park shows next August.

2003 February USA Ninety-seven music fans die and 187 are hospitalised after fire, started by band’s pyrotechnics, rips through The Station (300) club in Rhode Island.

April SE ASIA Shows by the Rolling Stones and Moby among many cancelled as fears of the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus spreads across region.

June UK Promoter Triple A Entertainment goes into administration with debts of around $7.5m, blaming collapse on failed Star Trek show.

July RUSSIA Terrorists murder 16 people and injure further 50 at entrance to the Krylya (40,000) festival, near Moscow.

USA Irving Azoff resigns as co-chairman of AEG Live-owned Concerts West and returns to artiste management, with clients including Eagles.

FRANCE Wildcat strikes by technicians union members force cancellation of concerts and festivals across the country.

August CANADA Free concert headlined by Rolling Stones to celebrate city clear of SARS virus draws 450,000.

November TURKEY Terrorists murder 43 and injure 600 in Istanbul, forcing cancellation and postponement of concerts.

GERMANY Legal action from Scorpions production company forces Folkert Koopmans to add FKP to his Scorpio name.

December GERMANY CCE enters market by purchasing 20 per cent of Marek Lieberberg Konzertagentur. CTS Eventim already owns 50 per cent.

The O2

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WELCOME TO OU R WO R L D

Headoffice Austria joerg@beatthestreet.net | klaus@beatthestreet.net | hannes@beatthestreet.net | andreas@beatthestreet.net

Office UK Buses garry@beatthestreet.net Office UK Cars & Vans ian@beatthestreet.net | mark@beatthestreet.net | courtney@beatthestreet.net

Office USA Buses tim@beatthestreet-us.net

www.beatthestreet.net | www.beatthestreet.us

10 | Celebrating 20 years of AUDIENCE UK Irish promoter MCD pays $7.5m for 16 per cent of Mean Fiddler Music Group.

2004 January AUSTRALIA US promoter Jack Utsick invests in new company with Jacobsen family, after taking stake in Michael Chugg Entertainment February UK Glastonbury (140,000) declares war on ticket touts, with system supplied by See Tickets/Way Ahead.

NETHERLANDS Competition watchdog launches dawn raid on CCE-owned Mojo Concerts, after receiving complaints of monopoly.

March NETHERLANDS Promoter Willem Venema starts own company after being told, “there’s no place for anarchists like you in a company like [owner] Clear Channel”.

April NEW ZEALAND Australia’s Jacobsen family backed by Jack Utsick, wins bid to build 12,000-capacity Auckland arena.

May SWEDEN Ticketmaster completes Scandinavia dominance with purchase of BiljettDirektTicnet, following similar in Norway and Denmark.

HUNGARY More than 400,000 people pack Budapest’s Hero Square for free Sting concert, sponsored by T-Mobile.

June USA AEG believed to have spent $200m buying Fox Entertainment’s 40 per cent of Los Angeles’ Staples Center (20,000) and surrounding land, with plan to create LA Live district.

August EUROPE UK agents face backlash from European promoters after trying to implement legislation that says clients must prove identity. Government source says ‘don’t take it so literally’.

“

The vital connecting role of Audience is more valuable than ever in informing, communicating and educating us all. I admire the independent entrepreneurs who can survive and flourish and provide a valued service to help our ever-expanding industry, which seems to grow exponentially each year.

”

Andrew Zweck, CEO, Sensible Events, UK

September EUROPE CCE, led by global music head Michael Rapino and Europe chairman Thomas Johansson, acquires Multimedia in Hungary, Odyssey in Poland and Interkoncert in Czech Republic.

October UK CCE acquires Andrew Zweck’s Sensible Events, which represents Roger Waters, Depeche Mode and Mark Knopfler.

November SOUTH AMERICA/USA Aggrieved promoters in Argentina and Peru win court bid for return of deposits, after nine-date Rod Stewart tour cancelled. Stewart ordered to repay $780,000, while agency ICM and lawyer hit with a $1.6m damages bill. Defendants plain to appeal.

December ARGENTINA More than 180 music fans killed and 750 injured after fire ravages Buenos Aires club Republic de Cromagnon (1,500). Flare set-off by audience member believed to be cause.

UK Ex-Helter Skelter agent Ian Huffam joins with ex-ITB agents Martin Horne and Scott Thomas to form X-ray Touring.

2005 January WORLD CCE-promoted U2’s Vertigo tour sells 1.5m tickets in a day, including 260,000 in the UK and 500,000 in the US.

USA David Zedeck closes Evolution Talent Agency and moves to CAA with acts including Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Backstreet Boys.

March UK Helter Skelter agents Jef Craft and Steve Strange join X-ray Touring, bringing Coldplay, Eminem, Pixies.

JAPAN Record audience of 145,000 attends twin Fuji Rock festivals, bill including Green Day, Beastie Boys and The Hives.

UK Ex-Mean Fiddler Music Group director Rob Hallett appointed head of new AEG Live office in London.

Fuji Rock

Glastonbury Festival

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Lollapalooza Chicago

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Madison Square Garden

Auckland City Arena - artist’s impression

The O2

BELGIUM Ex-CCE promoter Pascal Van Der Velde forms Greenhouse Talent, after non-compete period.

at contract expiry, but commits to close association and forms Solo Agency.

April USA CCE-parent Clear Channel Communications plans to spin-off live division, after Wall Street say live sector fluctuations negatively affect its share price.

March USA Former manager of The Killers sues band for $16m breach of contract, claiming they “unceremoniously severed a dedicated and diligent manager from the fortune he helped create”.

USA Troubled touring festival brand Lollapalooza settles for a 70,000-cap one-day fest in Chicago.

DENMARK Mads Sorensen forms Beatbox Booking, after leaving Live Nation predecessor CCE.

May UK AEG seals $10m naming rights deal for its new London arena with telecoms company O2.

ROMANIA Promoter Emagic launches with Depeche Mode concert for 35,000 in Bucharest stadium.

June UK Competition watchdog approves Mean Fiddler Music Group sale to CCE (51 per cent) and Irish live entrepreneur Denis Desmond’s Gaiety Investments (49 per cent) for sum believed to be $65m.

July WORLD Organised by team behind Live Aid in 1985, Live 8 backs Make Poverty History and calls for social justice, with simultaneous concerts in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome and Philadelphia.

August USA After taking over as CCE CEO of live entertainment, Michael Rapino undertakes major restructure of executive team.

October CHINA CCE moves into Asia-Pacific with appointment of Australian-born, Hong Kong-based Colleen Ironside to head operations.

December WORLD Robbie Williams breaks Guinness World Record by selling 1.6m tickets (est. value $135m) on first day of sale for 42-date world tour.

April USA International promoter and investor Jack Utsick and partners charged with $300m fraud, using investors money for lavish lifestyle and misguided investments.

May USA Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers cancel hundreds of tickets, including 800 for New York’s Madison Square Garden (18,600) bought by touts through band’s fanclub.

SWEDEN Stockholm is to get a $248m, 50,000-cap stadium scheduled for 2011.

June CANADA Live Nation takes controlling stake in global promoter Michael Cohl’s Concert Productions International. Cohl is believed to be first promoter acquired by SFX in late ‘90s roll-up, but not publicly declared at time.

July WORLD Live Nation faces competition probes both side of Atlantic after acquisitions including US venue chain House of Blues and 50 per cent of UK venue chain Academy Music Group.

USA Clear Channel Communications spins-off CCE as stand-alone company. Rumours suggest attempt to sell for $2bn unsuccessful. CCC bought SFX Entertainment for $4.4bn in 2000.

LEBANON Concerts and festivals concerts as hostilities break out with southern neighbour Israel.

2006

August USA Paradign acquires Marty Diamond’s Little Big Man with Coldplay, Avril Lavigne, Stereophonics.

January WORLD After months of restructuring, staff cuts and office closures, CCE is spun-off from Clear Channel Communications as Live Nation with Michael Rapino as CEO, worldwide staff of 2,700 and debts of $450m.

Febuary UK Agent and promoter John Giddings declines to re-sign to Live Nation www.audience.uk.com

September UK Rumours rife that US agencies CAA, WMA and Paradigm are about to set up in London, with agents poached from existing companies.

UK Co-founder of US resale website StubHub Eric Baker launches Viagogo with $10m of funding, insisting fan-to-fan only.

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Celebrating 20 years of AUDIENCE | 13

“

The importance of an independent magazine like Audience is inestimable and really healthy for the live music industry, especially during the last 15 years where corporate consolidation rules our world, and not always in the right direction. It’s also good for young people entering the business – thank you for your accurate news reporting.

”

Febuary SINGAPORE/UK Singapore Tourism Board sues UK promoter Tony Hollingsworth for return of investment and damages totaling S$6m (US$3.9m) for non-delivery of Listen Live event.

March INDIA Believed to be the first major heavy metal band to play the country, Iron Maiden draws 20,000 in Bangalore.

Claudio Trotta, CEO, Barley Arts Production, Italy

October WORLD US receiver for Jack Utsick’s collapsed Worldwide Entertainment chasing multi-millions from disputed deals in New Zealand, Australia, Europe and US. EUROPE AEG acquires 49 per cent of UK global promoter Marshall Arts from Germany’s DEAG. UK CAA opens London office with former Helter Skelter agents Emma Banks and Mike Greek.

December EUROPE Live Nation acquires Jackie Lombard’s Inter Concerts in France and Gay Mercader’s Gamerco in Spain.

UK Veteran agent and ILMC founder Martin Hopewell steps down as MD of Primary Talent International, company he co-founded.

2007

April UK Competition watchdog forces Live Nation and Denis Desmond’s Gaiety Investments (LN-Gaiety) to sell London’s Hammersmith Apollo (3,500) and Forum (2,350) to complete 44 per cent purchase of Academy Music Group, which owns city’s Brixton Academy (4,900) and Shepherd’s Bush Empire (2,000).

May NEW ZEALAND Auckland’s Vector Arena (12,000) opens after setbacks, with shows by Red Hot Chili Peppers and Daniel Bedingfield.

June UK More than 1m tickets sold for concerts at London’s new arena The O2 (20,000), opening next month. Shows include the Rolling Stones, Take That and 21 dates by Prince.

July WORLD Former US vice-president Al Gore leads seven-city Live Earth concert extravaganza on 7 July (07-07-07) in support of Save Our Selves campaign and alert the world to climate crisis.

DENMARK Justin Timberlake hits tour and venue record at Copenhagen’s Parken, with 54,180 tickets sold for in-the-round concert.

ITALY Freak tornado injures 19 people and blows down eight delay towers, forcing cancellation of Heineken Jammin’ festival on second days.

August UK Universal Music concludes £44.5m ($89.1m) purchase of Sanctuary Group, which owns Helter Skelter agency.

January USA eBay buys resale site StubHub for $310m.

USA Paradigm rebrands Little Big Man and Monterey Peninsular Artists acquisitions as Paradigm.

UK William Morris Agency opens London office with ex-Dire Straits manager Ed Bicknell as its head. Agents include David Levy from ITB, Solomon Parker, Steve Hogan and Nick Cave (Concorde International), and Russell Warby and Adele Slater (The Agency Group).

ITALY Genesis plays free concert to 300,000 people in Rome’s Circo Masimo.

USA Miami lawyer Michael Goldberg continues pursuit of $300m fleeced from investors by Jack Utsick and his Worldwide Entertainment companies. UK promoter 3A settles with a $1m payment.

Vector Arena

www.audience.uk.com

Heineken Jammin Festival

September USA Live Nation head Michael Rapino reveals he plans break with Ticketmaster when contract ends next year.

USA Global promoter Michael Cohl sells remaining 49.9 per cent stake in Concert Promotions International to Live Nation for $17m.

O2 Academy Brixton

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14 | Celebrating 20 years of AUDIENCE

Quart Festival, main stage

Big Valley Jamboree in ALberta

October NETHERLANDS Industry shock as Live Nation-owned Mojo Concerts signs deal with Viagogo. LN CEO Michael Rapino says company “should be in that business instead of ceding it to eBay, StubHub and scalpers”.

December AUSTRALIA Multi-arena operator AEG Ogden formed after AEG buys 50 per cent stake in Ogden IFC.

2008 January WORLD Live Nation says it will launch worldwide ticketing business with new German partner CTS Eventim, once Ticketmaster deal ends in December.

UK Concert Promoters Association abandons campaign to ban ticket touting, after government fails to support.

February UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Live Nation buys 65 per cent of regional promoter Mirage.

Michael Jackson

2009 January USA Live Nation launches LN Tickets to replace expired Ticketmaster deal.

HUNGARY Eastern Europe regional promoter Laszlo Hegedus forms own company again, after Live Nation non-compete year ends.

Febuary USA Live Nation effectively drops CTS Eventim plan and announces merger with Ticketmaster..

UK Secure Ticket collapses owning promoters hundreds of thousands of pounds.

March AUSTRALIA Government increases sales tax on tickets from five per cent to 19 per cent.

April USA Senate hearing, watchdog scrutiny, shareholder protests and rivals outraged at planned Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger.

UK Promoters furious at Ticketmaster’s purchase of resale site GetMeIn.

UK More than 1.6m people register for tickets to Michael Jackson’s 50 shows at London’s The O2, with 250,000 queuing for 13 March 7am on-sale.

March FRANCE Warner Music buys promoter Camus.

May PERU T4F plans more in Peru after KISS sell 35,000 tickets for Lima show.

April UK Primary Talent International opens ticketing division.

MEXICO Fear of Swine Flue epidemic forces cancellation of festivals and concerts.

July NORWAY Longest-established festival Quart (40,000) cancels two weeks before and goes bankrupt.

USA Agencies William Morris and The Endeavor Talent Agency merge into William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.

September SOUTH AMERICA Live Nation and Mexico-based CIE agree five-year deal to launch regional promoter Time For Fun (T4F).

USA Veteran agent Marsha Vlassik merges her MVO agency into ICM, with acts including Neil Young, Ozzy Osbourne, Muse and The Strokes.

November USA Ticketmaster buys further 30 per cent in Irving Azoff’s Front Line Management, which comprises 200 artistes and 80 managers, from Warner Music for $123m.

June MOROCCO Eleven killed and 50 injured in audience crush at free concert

by Abdelaziz Stati at 70,000-cap stadium in Rabat.

“

Over the last two decades Audience has developed to one of the major information sources in the global world of live entertainemt, without ever losing its passion for the people who work in the Prof Peter Schwenkow, CEO, industry.

Deutsche Entertainment, Germany

”

An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019

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Intelligence led crime reduction at live events

Congratulations to Audience on 20 great years!

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Celebrating 20 years of AUDIENCE | 17 WORLD Death of Michael Jackson on 25 June leaves The O2 in London with 750,000 tickets worth an estimated $50m to refund, and dozens of arena dates empty.

April USA Live Nation-owned Front Line Management sues Axl Rose for $1.9m management commission.

July SOUTH AFRICA Live Nation forms strategic alliance with Big Concerts.

IRELAND Judge orders Prince to pay MCD Productions $2.95m compensation for cancelled June 2008 concert at Dublin’s Croke Park (80,000).

USA Merged Live Nation-Ticketmaster to be called Live Nation Entertainment, with LN CEO Michael Rapino as LNE CEO and TM CEO Irving Azoff appointed chairman.

UK Universal Music-owned agency Helter Skelter has one agent left, soon to depart, after exodus of others to CAA and X-ray Touring.

August FRANCE Two crew killed and eight people seriously injured by stage collapse before Madonna concert at 60,000-capacity stadium in Marseille.

CANADA One audience member killed and 65 injured by stage collapse in freak thunderstorm at festival in Camrose, Alberta.

SLOVAKIA One person killed and four seriously injured in tent collapse at festival in Trencin.

September AUSTRALIA Michael Coppel Presents owed A$1.04m (US$900,000) following collapse of company behind Sydney Entertainment Centre (11,500).

Creditors owed total of A$12.5m (US$10.75m).

May USA First quarter Live Nation Entertainment accounts show loss of $112m.

MEXICO Paul McCartney’s fastest-selling ticket record, 60,000 sold in 60 minutes for stadium show.

WORLD CTS Eventim files breach of contract case against Live Nation in Arbitration Court of the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris.

UK Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger finally gets Competition Commission approval.

June RUSSIA Extreme weather wrecks stage and equipment night before Prodigy performances at festival in Moscow’s Tushno airfield (30,000).

MALAYSIA Government lifts ban on Muslim citizens attending 10,000-cap Black Eyed Peas concert at Sunway Lagoon theme park.

AUSTRALIA Consumer watchdog to investigate impact of secondary ticketing.

November WORLD US Department of Justice and UK’s Competition Commission extend investigation of Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger into new year.

July FRANCE Warner Music buys Salomon Herzot’s Nous Productions.

December USA AEG signs lifetime naming rights deal with office supplies company Staples for 20,000-capacity Staples Center in Los Angeles, as five-year deal expires.

2010 January UK Record shop chain HMV to buy promoter, venues, festivals company MAMA Group.

August GERMANY Crowd crush at entrance tunnel to free techno event Love Parade in Duisburg leaves 21 dead and more than 500 injured.

November GERMANY Former Live Nation Germany MD Johannes Wessels re-opens promoter Music Pool after buying back his share in LNG office he launch earlier this year.

December NORTH AMERICA Live Nation sues former chairman and global promoting pioneer Michael Cohl for $4.5m it says he owes from 2008 severance deal.

Febuary WORLD US Department of Justice approves Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger, but CTS Eventim appeal in UK extends Competition Commission review.

Croke Park Dublin

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Love Parade

Pukkelpop

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18 | Celebrating 20 years of AUDIENCE

Wembley Stadium - Roger Waters The Wall

Creamfields

2011 January GERMANY MCT Agentur takes legal action against Viagogo and Seatwave for listing personalised not-for-resale Take That tickets.

February NEW ZEALAND Earthquake in Christchurch kills 150 people, damages venues and forcing multiple event cancellations.

USA LNE buys last 25 per cent of Front Line Management, now comprising 120 managers and 250 artistes, for $116m.

SWEDEN Bankrupt Hultsfred Festival (25,000) taken over by German festival operator FKP Scorpio.

March BAHRAIN Political unrest forces cancellation of Formula 1 event and accompanying concerts with Sugababes, Tinie Tempah and David Guetta.

April EUROPE Former Madison Square Entertainment president Jay Marciano appointed president/CEO of AEG Europe.

USA Former LNE chairman Michael Cohl counter-sues company over his non-compete deal.

FRANCE Fire devastates Paris venue Elysse Montmartre (1,200).

May NETHERLANDS Promoters fear sales tax increase from six to 19 per cent will hit ticket sales.

SCANDINAVIA Danish promoter ICO takes stake in Norwegian promoter Atomic Soul.

June UK Trading Standards officials warn Viagogo about misleading concertgoers by listing not-for-resale Royal Albert Hall tickets for Alicia Keys.

July UK Take That with Robbie Williams back, claims record with 29 stadium shows and 1.9m tickets sold, grossing £103m ($169m).

BELGIUM Former Live Nation executives Michel Perl and Paul Ambach return to promoting as non-compete terms expire.

August USA Seven people killed and more than 50 injured by stage collapse following thunderstorm at Indiana State Fair (12,000).

An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019

Hop Farm Music Festival

BELGIUM Five people killed and more than 100 injured when storm devastates Pukkelpop (65,000) festival, trees fall on temporary structures.

BRAZIL US festival brand Lollapalooza launches third franchise with 70,000-cap Sao Paulo event.

September EUROPE French media giant Vivendi, owner of Universal Music, buys UK’s See Tickets for €83m ($131m).

UK US resale site StubHub plans UK office to compete with Viagogo, Seatwave and Ticketmaster’s GetMeIn. ARGENTINA Roger Walters’ The Wall sells 350,000 tickets across eight shows at River Plate Stadium.

November INDIA Promoters arrested after Metallica show for 30,000 people in Delhi cancelled on safety grounds.

2012 January NETHERLANDS German promoter FKP Scorpio buys 50 per cent of Indian Summer Festival (25,000) from ID&T, plus stake in agency Friendly Fire.

February UK Shockwaves reverberate through industry after Channel 4’s Dispatches: The Great Ticket Scandal TV documentary exposes Viagogo and Seatwave resale practices and thousands of tickets sold direct by promoters.

April CHILE Roger Walters’ The Wall creates biggest structure yet for 50,000 fans in Santiago.

AUSTRALIA Michael Coppel sells company to Live Nation, so he can ‘continue to work with the major acts’ LNE now promotes globally.

“

Audience means a lot, as it’s an independent live music publication and based in Europe, so you get the stories from the source … and it’s not fake news.

”

Thomas Johansson, Chairman Live Nation International, Sweden

www.audience.uk.com

We owe a special ‘thank you’ to all our subscribers around the world, and especially to those companies who advertise with us.

Without you, we would not exist.

Our success is a result of your success, entrepreneurship and determination to keep making it happen.

Long may we serve you.

From the team at Audience Media

Audience serves a readership of more than 9,000 live music business professionals across over 80 countries worldwide – no other publication can match that.

20 | Celebrating 20 years of AUDIENCE May UK Final shareholding in promoter Cream, Creamfields (50,000) and international franchises sold to Live Nation.

UK/SWITZERLAND Viagogo liquidates and moves to Geneva, after losing court case with Rugby Football Union.

June WORLD US financier Robert FX Sillerman resurrects SFX Entertainment with plan to roll-up the fragmented EDM sector.

UK Record chain HMV sells London’s Hammersmith Apollo (5,000) for $50m to AEG Live and CTS Eventim, venue renamed Eventim Apollo.

July IRELAND Former personal assistant of U2’s Adam Clayton jailed for seven years for $3.4m embezzlement.

August SOUTH AFRICA Big Concerts’ John Langford hails sale of 50,000 tickets in 24 hours Linkin Park stadium show.

September DENMARK TV station DR1 documentary accuses Viagogo of fraud and illegal activities.

USA AEG owner Philip Anschutz want to sell business as a whole for $7-8 billion.

EUROPE Spain’s Bennicasim Festival (40,000) and UK’s Hop Farm Festival (50,000) under threat as owner Vince Power’s Music Festivals heads into administration.

October WORLD New global promoter Virgin Live launches, working in partnership with Australia’s Paul Dainty on shows with the Rolling Stones.

November SOUTH AFRICA Woman killed and 19 people injured as scaffold advertising tower collapses outside Linkin Park concert at Cape Town Stadium.

SWITZERLAND Five promoters, including Cult an Black Lamb, combine to form Mainland Music.

December USA Frank Barsalona, who formed Premier Talent Agency in 1964, dies aged 74. He had worked with Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and U2.

2013 January BRAZIL Fire in Kiss (600) in Santa Maria claims 233 lives, with hundreds injured, after band’s pyrotechnics set fire to ceiling insulation.

NETHERLANDS SFX Entertainment buys promoter ID&T, with its Tommorlowland and Mysterland (both 60,000).

March UK Police called to Manchester Arena (20,000) box office as touts fight queuing fans for Beyoncé tickets.

May SINGAPORE Live Nation forms joint venture with Lushington Entertainment, to target SE Asian market.

UK Former eBay executive Christoph Horman to head Ticketmaster’s secondary ticketing expansion.

June WORLD Arbitration court in Paris clears Live Nation of liability to CTS Eventim, following termination of plan to jointly launch Live Nation Tickets, before switch to Ticketmaster merger.

July UK Ticket fraudster makes more than $1.4m from selling over 3,000 ticket copies for shows at London’s The O2 (21,000) and Birmingham’s LG Arena (15,000).

SWITZERLAND CTS Eventim buys 80 per cent of Andre Beshir’s new ABC Concerts, following his departure from Good News, owned by CTS rival DEAG. ESTONIA Live Nation buys majority stake in regional promoter BDG. August TURKEY Dozens of concerts cancelled as anti-government protests intensify.

September GERMANY Promoting legend Fritz Rau dies at 83.

October UK More than one million people apply to buy Glastonbury (140,000) tickets.

BRAZIL Tourism office says Rock In Rio (85,000) festival generated over $450m of economic benefit for city across its nine days.

LG Arena Birmingham

Manchester Arena

An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019

Mysteryland festival

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Celebrating 20 years of AUDIENCE | 21

“

Audience has been the go-to magazine for me for 20 years.

Its coverage of the UK and European industry, events and new trends, has been a constant source of information for us all downunder. Their features and news stories on Australia and New Zealand have helped the rest of the world understand more about our vibrant live scene in the Michael Chugg, CEO, Chugg Entertainment, Australia Southern Hemisphere.

”

December WORLD U2 approves sale of its management company to Live Nation, joining Madonna and her manager Guy Oseary.

2014 January USA/UK US agency Paradigm takes 50 per cent stake in the UK’s Coda Agency.

Febuary GERMANY Organisers of free techno event Love Parade, where 21 people were killed and 500 injured in August 2010 crowd crush, to be charged with negligent manslaughter.

UK An evidence hearing for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Ticket Abuse told of secondary ticketing’s negative impact across all entertainment sectors.

May ARGENTINA Promoter arrested after two drug-related deaths at electronic dance music festival Time Warp (20,000).

USA New York attorney accepts settlement of $2.905m from eight ticket resellers accused of breaking law.

June GERMANY Last day of Rock am Ring (80,000) cancelled after 80 festivalgoers injured by lightening strike.

USA Jack Utsick (73) pleads guilty to defrauding 3,300 investors of $300m and faces 20 years in jail.

USA American Capital sells SMG to private equity firm Arts Capital for $3.4 billion.

July GERMANY FKP Scorpio’s Hurricane (75,000) and Southside (60,000) both suffer cancelled days due to extreme weather.

UK The managers of Arctic Monkeys, One Direction, Mumford & Sons and PJ Harvey launch anti-ticket touting campaigner FanFair Alliance.

August USA Forty people injured when railing gives way during Snoop Dogg show at B&T Pavilion (25,000) in Camden, New Jersey.

GERMANY Fifteen people injured after Syrian refugee explodes suicide bomb outside a coffee bar, after being refused entry to Ansbach Open Music Festival (2,500).

October USA Fraudster Jack Utsick sentenced to 18 years behind bars.

March AUSTRALIA Touring festival Big Day Out suffers “financial catastrophe”, says organiser, with losses of A$8-15m (US$8-17m).

November ITALY Calls for secondary ticketing to be banned, after TV consumer watchdog show Le Iene (The Hyenas) reveals direct to Viagogo deals by leading promoters.

April WORLD SFX Entertainment share value falls 20 per cent, as 2013 accounts show net loss of $119m on revenue of $175m, as EDM roll-up continues.

December USA Emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a reconstructed SFX is renamed LiveStyle, with Randy Philips as president/CEO.

May EUROPE Germany’s DEAG takes 51 per cent of UK promoter Kilimanjaro Live.

SPAIN Neo Sala’s Doctor Music launches campaign again ticket touting.

Provinssirock Festival

www.audience.uk.com

Bonnaroo Festival

Madison Square Garden

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– Multifunctional venue – Flexible layout from 3–15.500 capacity – South Sweden’s leading venue – The preferable music scene in South Sweden – Venue and hotel in direct access

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Hurricane Festival

2015

January UK Former AEG Live president of international Rob Hallett, who left company last April, launches Robomagic.

March UK Radio stations giant Global appoints former AEG Live president Randy Philips head of Global Entertainment, with worldwide expansion plans in promoting, festivals, management and publishing.

April USA Madison Square Garden Company considers split into two, one the venues and the others its sports interests.

May EUROPE Music Managers Forum calls for transparency in performance royalty deductions, after accusing Dutch collector BUMA of giving promoters ‘kickbacks’.

USA LNE buys controlling stake in Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (80,000) in Manchester TN. June USA SFX founder Robert FX Sillerman and the board under attach from shareholders over proposed stock buy-back scheme.

July UK Live Nation outbids AEG Live with 11th hour offer for festivals and venues company MAMA Group.

August GERMANY Leading promoter Marek Liebergerg and son Andre agree to set-up office for Live Nation, leaving their MLK brand and twin festivals with majority owner CTS Eventim.

WORLD US agency UTA acquires Neil Warnock’s multinational The Agency Group.

September AUSTRALIA Promoter Andrew McManus arrested for alleged drug gang connections and money laundering, after claiming A$702,000 (US$504,600) left in a hotel room was his. McManus denies charges.

NEW ZEALAND Live Nation buys 70 percent stake in Auckland’s Vector Arena (11,000).

October USA After acrimonious public battle between SMG, LNE and former operator Nederlander to control Los Angeles’ The Greek Theatre (5,900) SMG wins. www.audience.uk.com

Royal Arena Copenhagen

Southside festival

November FRANCE Terrorists kill 89 music fans and injure scores of others at Le Bataclan (1,250) in Paris, during performance by Eagles of Death Metal.

ROMANIA Fire started by pyrotechnics kills 56 music fans and injures scores more at self-promoted band concert in Club Collectiv, a former shoe factory.

December SWITZERLAND Promoters, agents and festival organisers Gadget, Incognito Productions, Wildpony, OpenAir St Gallen (10,000) and SummerDays (12,000) combine as wepromote Entertainment Group, to share resources.

WORLD SFX asks banks to explore debt restructuring, after bids to take company private fail.

2016 January AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND Sudden cancellation of touring festival Soundwave causes cancellation of other shows linked to artistes booked for event.

February USA SFX files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

March SOUTH AFRICA Big Concerts sells a controlling stake to Live Nation.

CHILE Bizarro merges with regional promoter T4F to form T4F Entertainment Bizarro.

April CUBA A Boeing 747, 61 shipping containers, 500 tonnes of equipment – the Rolling Stones play free concert to estimated 700,000 people in Havana.

SPAIN Neo Sala’s Doctor Music launches campaign again ticket touting.

“

Audience was the first UK/ European magazine to cover the live music industry in a serious, in-depth manner.

Excellent coverage and a mustread for all in our business.

Phil Rodriguez, CEO, Move Concerts, South America

”

An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019

24 | Celebrating 20 years of AUDIENCE

Bestival

Sziget

May ARGENTINA Promoter arrested after two drug-related deaths at electronic dance music festival Time Warp (20,000).

USA New York attorney accepts settlement of $2.905m from eight ticket resellers accused of breaking law.

MSG Sphere, artist’s impression

2017 January UK Live Nation acquires promoters Metropolis Music and Cuffe & Taylor.

HUNGARY Provident Equity Partners acquires 70 per cent of Sziget Festival (80,000).

June GERMANY Last day of Rock am Ring (80,000) cancelled after 80 festivalgoers injured by lightening strike.

February DENMARK Copenhagen’s Royal Arena (16,000) opens with four Metallica sell-outs.

USA Jack Utsick (73) pleads guilty to defrauding 3,300 investors of $300m and faces 20 years in jail.

GERMANY Peter Rieger, who founded his company in 1983, dies at 63.

USA American Capital sells SMG to private equity firm Arts Capital for $3.4 billion.

July GERMANY FKP Scorpio’s Hurricane (75,000) and Southside (60,000) both suffer cancelled days due to extreme weather.

UK The managers of Arctic Monkeys, One Direction, Mumford & Sons and PJ Harvey launch anti-ticket touting campaigner FanFair Alliance.

August USA Forty people injured when railing gives way during Snoop Dogg show at B&T Pavilion (25,000) in Camden, New Jersey.

GERMANY Fifteen people injured after Syrian refugee explodes suicide bomb outside a coffee bar, after being refused entry to Ansbach Open Music Festival (2,500).

October USA Fraudster Jack Utsick sentenced to 18 years behind bars.

November ITALY Calls for secondary ticketing to be banned, after TV consumer watchdog show Le Iene (The Hyenas) reveals direct to Viagogo deals by leading promoters.

December USA Emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a reconstructed SFX is renamed LiveStyle, with Randy Philips as president/CEO.

An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019

USA Creators of spoof film This Is Spinal Tap sue French media giant Vivendi and subsidiary Universal Music for $400m, claiming they’ve received less than $200 from worldwide sales.

March EUROPE Creamfields founder and former Live Nation president of electronic music James Barton named as head of Superstruct.

April AUSTRALIA Adele sells 600,000 tickets across eight stadium shows, beating U2, Roger Waters and Pink records.

May UK Suicide bomber kills 22 and injures more than 100 as audience leaves Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena.

BAHAMAS Fyre Festival fiasco unfolds as premium ticket event falls apart and acts cancel.

USA/UK America’s Paradigm Talent takes 50 per cent stake in UK’s X-ray Touring.

June USA Tablelist, ticketing company for doomed Bahamas’ Fyre Fest (see May) says it’s owed £3.5m.

July UK Co-promoters Kilimanjaro Live, DHP Family and AEG Presents cancel 10,000 Ed Sheeran tickets acquired by touts.

USA Fyre Fest co-founder Billy McFarland arrested, charged with fraud and released on bail.

August NEW ZEALAND Competition Commission investigates Viagogo, following “hundreds of complaints”. www.audience.uk.com

CONGRATS & KEEP ON ROCKIN', AUDIENCE MAGAZINE! Your eps team

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E N T E R TA I N M E N T

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The only guaranteed audience Part 1: Europe

WORLD’S BEST

World’s BEsT

ARENAS

ArEnAs

FOR LIVE MUSIC

For livE music

World’s Best Arenas For Live Music

ISSUE 237 OCTOBER 2019

UK £6.25 EUROPE €9.40 ROW $12.25 Part 2

Europe Part 1

An AUDIENCE Report 2019

AN

REPORT

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Part 2 Asia • Australia • Latin America • Middle East New Zealand • North America • South Africa

The World’s

Asia • Australia and New Zealand Central and South America • Middle East North America • South Africa

Leading National UK £45

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for international artistes Interview Comment Directory

Are you ready for it?

Taylor Swift takes Lover to festivals

AN

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Chile protests force cancellations Download Madrid abandons 2020 Abu Dhabi to get new arena

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festival Issue 40

ISSUE 239 DECEMBER 2019

UK £6.25

December 2019

A planning-season publication free to subscribers of

AIF ‘market domination’ fear

Thirty-plus per cent owned by three companies

Hypersonic rocker Sam Fender’s almighty ascent

We think it’s important to offer a fair mix of ticket prices so that as many people as possible can afford the shows

Campaigners slam Viagogo-StubHub deal

Summer Time becomes BST Hyde Park AmEx replaces Barclaycard as sponsor

London’s MSG Sphere delayed indefinitely

Klaus-Peter Matziol from Peter Rieger Konzertagentur’s in Germany

AEG partners with AmEx for BST rebrand

Boomtown plans major expansion

Multi-stage performance also in pipeline

FESTIVAL

Committed to the unsigned and emerging live sector

DIARY

see page 26-27

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Dedicated to the Business of Contemporary Live Music

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UK VENUES LIVE MUSIC F O R C O N T E M P O R A RY

Open-air venues, stadiums arenas, campus venues arts centres, clubs pubs & bars

Contacts directory | Comment Part 1 | 2019

ISSUE 237 OCTOBER

Theatres and Concert Halls

2019

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Taylor Swift takes Lover

Theatres & Concert Halls

Are you ready for

it?

to festivals

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Open-air venues, stadiums, arenas, campus venues, arts centres, clubs, bars & pubs

Chile protests force cancellations Download Madri d abandons 2020 Abu Dhabi to get new arena

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Celebrating 20 years of AUDIENCE | 27

“

For 20 years Audience has kept me abreast of what other people in the live industry are up to … and I find it very informative.

March AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND Frontier Touring sells over a million tickets for Ed Sherran’s 18 stadium shows, beating Dire Straits 950,000 record in 1986.

”

April ITALY Competition regulator fines Viagogo €1m ($1.2m) for breaching consumer laws.

John Giddings, CEO, Solo Agency, UK

USA Company that bought first SFX Entertainment for $4.4bn in 2000, Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia), and spun it off as Live Nation with $400m debt, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with debts of $20bn.

UK Backed by Germany’s DEAG, Kilimanjaro Live takes 60 per cent stake in promoter and show producer Flying Music Group.

SPAIN More than 20,000 people evacuated from Tommowland UNITE festival in Barcelona after pyrotechnics set fire to stage.

September ITALY CTS Eventim acquires 51 per cent stake in Andrea and Stefano Pieroni’s Vertigo.

USA Paradigm acquires Chicago-based Monterey International, 14 agents and 200 artistes.

November UK Competition and Markets Authority officers raid offices of Viagogo and StubHub, investigating breaches of consumer law.

USA Promoter Joseph Meli pleads guilty to securities fraud after raising $97m from 130 investors to buy and sell tickets at a profit.

December WORLD Multinational venue management company SMG is acquired by Canadian private equity firm Onex Corporation.

NORWAY Promoter Goldstar acquired by FKP Scorpio.

2018 January USA Live Nation agrees to pay Songkick $110m to settle court case.

AUSTRIA Court rules booking fees for-print-at-home tickets are illegal.

Febuary UK Arenas war escalates as MSG announces plan for Sphere arena four miles (5.2km) from AEG’s The O2 in London.

ITALY CTS Eventim acquires 60 per cent of D’Allessandro & Galli.

Rock in Rio, Brazil

www.audience.uk.com

Ed Sheeran in Prague

May BRAZIL Rock in Rio (100,000) sells 50 per cent stake to Live Nation.

June SPAIN CTS Eventim acquires 63.5 per cent of Neo Sala’s Doctor Music.

WORLD Ticketmaster hack compromises customers data, also affects TicketWeb and GetMeIn. July USA Fyre Fest co-founder Billy McFarland arrested for another scam, while on bail awaiting sentence for Fyre fraud.

SPAIN Superstruct acquires majority share of Sonar festival promoter Advanced Music August EUROPE Ticketmaster announces closure of resale sites Seatwave and GetMeIn. UK/IRELAND Live Nation UK chairman Denis Desmond sells Dublin-based MCD Promotions to LN-Gaiety, a 50/50 partnership between Live Nation and his Gaiety Holdings.

September CANADA Undercover reporters from Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Toronto Star expose Ticketmaster’s Trade Desk resale activities.

IRELAND Government agrees to ban ticket resale above face value.

October USA Fyre Fest co-founder Billy McFarland sentences to six years, plus three supervised and ordered to pay back $26m December SCANDINAVIA Denmark’s ICO, Norway’s Atomic Soul and Sweden’s Maloney Concerts unite under All Things Live banner, backed by Belgian investor Waterland Private Equity.

Jeddah World Fest

An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019

28 | Celebrating 20 years of AUDIENCE

The O2

Clockenflap

SWITZERLAND Live Nation buys Mainland Music, formed in 2012 by promoters including Cult and Black Lamb.

UK Companies behind Bestival (40,000) and Camp Bestival (25,000) owed £870,000 ($1.1m) to artistes when they collapsed earlier in year, with debts of ££5.8m ($7.36m).

2019 January EUROPE Anti-ticket touting promoters across continent form FEAT (Face Value European Alliance for Ticketing) to fight ticket abuse.

Moviestar Arena Argentina

POLAND Live Nation acquires promoter and festival organiser Go Ahead.

GERMANY/SWITZERLAND DEAG acquires Michael Driebergs Live Music Production in Switzerland and stake in German EDM promotion I-Motion from LiveStyle.

July MEXICO Live Nation acquires 51 per cent of OCESA Entretenimientio from CIE and Grupo Televisa.

SAUDI ARABIA Company behind Jeddah World Fest (40,000) says more shows planned, as country opens to western entertainment.

BRAZIL Live Nation increases stake in Rock In Rio (100,000) to 60 per cent.

ARGENTINA Diego Finkelstein sells DF Entertainment to Live Nation.

Febuary WORLD AEG Facilities and SMG announce merger into ASM Global.

March EUROPE CTS Eventim combines its 26 owned or majority-owned promoters and 27 festivals across 10 countries under Eventim Live banner.

AUSTRALIA Rival promoters Michael Gudinski (Frontier Touring) and Michael Chugg (Chugg Entertainment) form joint venture 40 years after last working together.

August ICELAND Fifteen per cent of population attend Ed Sheeran’s two 30,000-capacity shows.

GERMANY ICS, owner of Wacken Open Air (75,000), agrees “investment and partnership agreement” with Superstruct.

UK Australian ticketing, promoting and data company TEG acquires venue operator and promoter The MJR Group.

UK Members of Parliament warn public ‘don’t use Viagogo’.

September RUSSIA CTS Eventim acquires 51 per cent of Ed Ratnikov’s Talent Concert International.

April AUSTRALIA AEG Live acquires 50 per cent of Frontier Touring and its joint venture with Chugg Entertainment.

October CHINA On-going anti-government protests in Hong Kong force concert cancellations.

UK Four years after spending more than £75m ($98.9m) to become second largest festival owner, radio stations giant Global winds-up division and divests to Superstruct and Broadwick Live.

November USA Another congressional investigation into live entertainment ticketing begins.

EUROPE European Union parliament approves legislation to ban ticket harvesting software (bots).

WORLD Anti-ticket touting campaigners shocked at Viagogo’s $4.05bn purchase of StubHub from eBay.

SOUTH AFRICA Ed Sheeran sets national record with 230,000 tickets sold across four shows.

December AUSTRIA CTS Eventim acquires 71 per cent of promoter and festival organiser Barracuda Music.

May UK Adele and Mumford & Sons agent Lucy Dickins departs ITB for WME. June CANADA Competition Bureau agrees C$4.5m (($3.39m) settlement with Ticketmaster in misleading marketing case.

USA Madison Square Garden Company plans spin-off live entertainment division, which operates New York’s Madison Square Garden (20,700).

For those in the business before the mid-‘90s and the arrival of SFX, the past two decades have seen a transformation previously unimagined.

Global corporations now complete for tours, artistes play arenas residencies, festivals have proliferated, websites facilitate industrial scale ticket touting … and a solo English singer-songwriter sells-out stadiums around the world and breaks records everywhere.

Apart from a few tours booked a year or two ahead, no one really knows where it’s all heading. But one thing we can be sure about, people love good tunes and the energy of a live show. If the industry remembers it’s about delivering entertainment and people wanting to buy tickets for it, then we’ll all be fine.

An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019

www.audience.uk.com

WWW.UNITEDTALENT.COM

30 | Celebrating 20 years of AUDIENCE We must also pay tribute to Terry Tucker and his crew, who have allowed us to follow them around the world for two decades, reporting on the challenges faced by road crews everywhere.

Created by Martin Newman (pictures) and Steve Parker (storylines) An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019

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WORLD-WIDE

Ed Sheeran, Paul McCartney, BTS, Bon Jovi, Weezer, Dave Mattheus Band, Foo Fighters, Seal, Nickelback, Black Eyed Peas, Iron Maiden, Muse, Lauryn Hill, Slash, Stone Temple Pilots, Offspring, Bad Religion, Dido, Jessie J, King Crimson, Bryan Adams, Planeta Brasil Festival, Warung Day Festival, Lollapalooza Brasil, Rock in Rio-Brasil, Soundhearts Festival, Rio Montreaux Jazz Festival, João Rock Festival, Z Festival, Summer Break Festival, Solid Rock, Festival de Verão de Salvador, Norah Jones, Keane, Shawn Mendes.

For the International Contemporary Live Music Industry ISSUE 141 OCTOBER 2011

Living the dream Resale sector faces war of attrition

‘

‘

Woodstock row continues

The Wall reaches new heights Roger Waters’ stadium record in Argentina

Rock in Rio founder Roberto Medina

Companies silent over how management venture will work

StubHub plans UK invasion

The most active fans are the heavy metal and hard rock ones

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

Not so quiet

‘

Last year there were more concerts, but with smaller audiences.

This year there are fewer concerts with larger audiences.

Karla Zapata of Auditorio Telmex in Mexico

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

ISSUE 153 OCTOBER 2012

Organisers arrested as concert cancelled

‘

Focus on EDM for the man who transformed the industry

Germans want cut of live recordings cash

Denmark

Rikke Friis Assentoft of Tap 1 in Denmark

Buzz grows around The Hives

Stones tour links Branson and Dainty

Festivals for sale

Administrator seeks buyers as promoter promises comeback

Police condemn ticket abuse

Hundreds die in club fire

The battle for London

Call for action after $61m racket claim

Global titans vie for supremacy

‘The Odd Couple’

ITB’s Barry and Rod toast 35 years in the business

Our differences are our biggest strength, because they allow us to exchange views all of the time

This market cannot survive just by turning over the same older artistes who want to play here Boban Miloseski of Avalon Productions in The Balkans

Adolfo Galli of promoter Di & Gi in Italy

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

For the international nternational contemporary Live Music industry ndustry

Fantasea island

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry ISSUE 162 JULY 2013 UK £5.85 EUROPE €7.60 ROW $12.32

Dainty reveals next step for Virgin Live

Lift-off nears for new global challenger

Mass UK ticket fraud unfolds

Argentina

Promoting in a challenging market

Thousands of fake tickets seized

Promoters are competing for the same artiste, so the cost increases, ticket prices increase and nobody wins

If you have a show sitting in the West End for a long time… all the international promoters can come and see it first-hand

Juan Manual Lopez of 6 Pasos in Argentina

Derek Nichol of The Flying Music Company

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

ISSUE 192 JANUARY 2016

issue 189 OCTOBER 2015

uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25

Rune Lem of Live Nation Norway

Revenue up but shortfall more than doubles

People seem to have more disposable income and the appetite for concerts is growing in the region

issue 183 APRIL 2015

We consider ourselves very fortunate to be working in such a small and healthy market as Norway

Queens of the Stone Age go with the flow

Live Nation posts $161.9m 2012 loss

Live Nation Middle East MD Tyler Mervyn

For the international contemporary Live Music industry ndustry

ISSUE 163 AUGUST 2013 UK £5.85 EUROPE €7.60 ROW $12.32

AEG for sale

Entertainment giant on the market for $8 billion

Running like clockwork

Slash takes Apocalyptic live

Tragedy in Brazil

Danish TV confronts company bosses

UK £5.85 EUROPE €7.60 ROW $12.32

Guitar hero

Lana Del Rey finds her Dark Paradise

Viagogo in ‘fraud’ claim

ISSUE 158 MARCH 2013

UK £5.85 EUROPE €7.60 ROW $12.32

Florence has got the love

New global promoter?

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

ISSUE 157 FEBRUARY 2013

to Lex Born thrive appeal

Rise of the machine

‘

The real challenge lies within rethinking the ttraditional raditional way...to keep the audience coming back

Uwe Frommhold of AEG Facilities Germany

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

Ed Sheeran takes on the world

Benefiting from a pivotal position

Everybody is in need of new business and new acts which don’t just sell an arena once and then disappear

UK £5.85 EUROPE €7.60 ROW $12.32

The A Team

SFX is back

Promoters form collection society

ISSUE 156 JANUARY 2013

UK £5.85 EUROPE €7.60 ROW $12.32

Bjork raises the roof

Metallica’s Indian set-back

Foo Fighters answer their calling

Promoter cites Roskilde tragedy in defence of no-barrier policy

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Wired for sound TV On The Radio on tour

Live Nation Universal

Katy Perry packs arenas worldwide

UK £5.85 EUROPE €7.60 ROW $12.32

UK £5.85 EUROPE €7.60 ROW $12.32

UK £5.85 EUROPE €7.60 ROW $12.32

Rock Resolve

ISSUE 152 SEPTEMBER 2012

ISSUE 149 JUNE 2012

ISSUE 142 NOVEMBER 2011

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ISSUE 140 SEPTEMBER 2011

Issue 195 april 2016

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True affection

eeyes yes wide open

Discount stubHub for Germany

Soundwave debts revealed

sFX back from the brink

Performance royalty discounts ‘endemic’

stones satisfaction in Havana stereosonic festivals cancelled Agents cut deals to help sFX

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Flying high

Azealia Banks makes her mark

Noel Gallagher takes it global

Executive moves at Ticketmaster New bosses for US & UK offices

Building The Wall

The story of Roger Waters’ touring extravaganza

Brazil has become a trustworthy and stable market, even when it’s going through a tough time William Crunfli of XYZ Live in Brazil

unbreakable Janet Jackson’s world tour return

end of the road for Future Festivals Ticketmaster tension over seatwave link

sMG to manage Greek economy We thought we were ultra cool and ultra smart … but other people were smarter

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

ISSUE 198 JULY 2016

Coda Agency’s Solomon Parker

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

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For the International Contemporary Live Music Industry Issue 209 June 2017

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Bruno Mars continues cosmic tour

on a mission

Slaves in global breakout

Extreme weather batters festivals Asian ambitions for Dainty/TEG Top managers unite against touts Everything is possible – luckily we have a product that cannot be substituted

For the International Contemporary Live Music Industry

superstruct expansion begins

It is the most horrible crime that someone in live entertainment can do [insider touting]

Eventbrite IPO raises $200m

Headline tour for Zara Larsson

NY sues Ticketnetwork

the roadie and Ginger Baker was the van driver

Arena closed until september after attack

songkick folds but continues court battle with Live Nation Doubts over V Festival future

William Morris endeavor agent David Levy

Michael Coppel of Live nation Australasia

A special publication celebrating our two decades.

Big reputation Taylor Swift closes in Japan english rose www.audience.uk.com

AeG-sMG merger awaits approval Court clears italian promoters ed sheeran’s iceland record

ISSUE 238 NOVEMBER 2019

ISSUE 235 AUGUST 2019

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I think I was the first UK agent who wanted to apply rock’n’roll values to representing DJs

Someone once said that Australia has more promoters than kangaroos – that could well be true

issue 229 FEBRUARY 2019

ISSuE 225 octobEr 2018

AEG plans arenas in Thailand

In symphony Clean Bandit take it to the world

For the International Contemporary Live Music Industry

Fyre fest founder jailed

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New German live tariff agreed I was the promoter, the accountant, the tour manager, Johannes Wessels of music minds concerts in Germany

Lorde cancellation activists fined

Issue ssue 213 OctOber 2017

Calls for legislation to end resale ‘robbery’

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The Golden touch

Free spirit

Kacey Musgraves goes global

Khalid roams globe with second album

Jessie J takes it to europe

Ticketmaster engulfed in resale row

For the International Contemporary Live Music Industry

No holding back

Major uK festival cancelled

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Maroon 5 back on the trail

Terror fears disrupt rock am ring

BuMA finally agrees new live tariff

IssuE ssuE 224 SEPTEMBER 2018

Moving like Jagger

paris to get europe’s biggest arena

Ticketing scandal rocks Italy

Italian promoter Claudio Trotta of barley Arts Promotion

Mads Sorensen of Beatbox Booking in Denmark

record revenue for Live Nation

Justin Bieber keeps pressure on

Caa’s rick roskin on working with iron Maiden

Issue 206 march 2017

out of this world Satisfaction guaranteed

Every detail matters and they refuse to compromise

AL-X’s Alex Nussbaumer on Austria

Issue ssue 202 November 2016

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Chvrches take message to festivals

Lieberberg reunited with festivals There is a new breed of promoter who is just in it for the money

If you are an agent right now, you are one of the luckiest people in the industry

German promoter Scumeck Sabottka, on his early years

For the International contemporary Live Music Industry

Father John Misty goes global

Superstruct buys into Wacken OVG sets sights on Manchester Sheeran’s record grossing tour

Hong Kong riots force cancellations MSG spins-off entertainment business South America gets third Movistar arena

We promote everything from new artistes playing to 50 people to stadiums with 50,000 – from death metal to Disney on Ice

Abu Dhabi is not an emerging market … a show here is exactly the same, or better, than in New York or London

We are seeing a lot of young rap artistes attracting 6,000 to 20,000 people to their concerts

Flash Entertainment’s John Lickrish

There are a lot of great artistes coming from Canada, Asia … it is really very promising for the future of the genre

I wanted to do more than just book acts for shows and get the 10 per cent

Good News CEO Stefan Matthey

Sergey Podgorny at TCI, Russia

Thomas Jensen of ICF in Germany, founder of Wacken Open Air

CSB Island’s Carsten Svoldgaard