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
rnation al
For the Inte
Not sot quie
ary Live
contempor
ck
SFX is ba
arka Denm fiting from
Bene ion pivotal posit
‘
2009 p14-17 ernational
For the Int
ary Live
contempor
2010 p17
2011 p18
ustry
Music Ind
ISSUE 173 UK £5.85
JUNE 2014
ernational
€7.60 EUROPE ROW $12.32
For the Int
ary Live
contempor
Co
lead over ‘mis
price to be to go the ticket rd that wantsrity of kids can affo old guard in France I am of the so that the vast majo des Villes of Le Rat Netherlands in theLahana tsAlain democratic, of Mojo Concer ers
Leon Ramak
over.indd
ISSUE 194 UK £6.25
ary Live
MARCH 2016
Contempor rnational
€9.40 EUROPE ROW $12.25
Hundreds
on for Londacy The battle suprem s vie for Global titan
Issue 209
uK £6.25
June 2017
1
2014 p21
oters than more prom ralia has that Aust d well be true coul once said Someone kangaroos – thatof Live nation Australasia 6 17:02
25/02/201
over.indd
1_Front_C
AUD194_0
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
ary Live
Contempor
ustry
Music Ind ssuE 224 IssuE
2018 SEPTEMBER
uK £6.25
€9.40 EurOPE rOW $12.25
e Jagger Movinbacgk lik 5 Maroon l on the trai
ed Arena clos ber tem until sep ck after atta
Carlo Geniso
rnational
For the Inte
to legislation Calls for ’ le ‘robbery end resa
t… in the stree evil’ praying people , they are over here There were bands play in Chile let these of DG Medios
don’t ‘please
4 16:04
18/06/201
2013 p20-21
€9.40 europe roW $12.25
s disrupt Terror fear ring rock am
Africa steps into Live Nation e nds hom a Berlin fi Lollapalooz ney s hurt Syd Licence law
over by turning survive just to play here ket cannot who want Balkan s The This mar older artistes Produc Villesinin France destions of Le Rat ski of Avalon the sameBoban Alain MiloseLahana
ustry
Music Ind
For the Inte
am n amo-yte Dre ear live pla ldplay’s tw
titans val ClashHistoforic festi to rival loses site s ster agree Ticketma settlement lawsuit 0m $40 Class actioning’ fees
1_Front_C
ustry
Music Ind
backson ldingfor Zara Lars No ho tour Headline
ingon fidreesire BEllieuGorn ulding’s
AUD173_0
2012 p18-20
2013
in Brazil Tragedydie in club fire
g the in rethinkin e lies with ence coming back challeng The real ...to keep the audi rk al way Friis Assentoft of Tap 1 in Denma tradition Rikke
‘
JANUARY
€7.60 EUROPE UK £5.85 ROW $12.32
ws around Buzz gro The Hives
f
the man EDM for Focus on industry formed the who trans
ISSUE 156
Lex appeal
es the roo
Bjork rais
ustry
Music Ind
Michael Coppel
le row d in resa r engulfe Ticketmaste $200m IPO raises Eventbrite ork Ticketnetw NY sues
to people ing to 50 tes play Disney on Ice new artis l to ything fromfrom death meta ote ever y 00 – We prom with 50,0 Good News CEO Stefan Matthe stadiums
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
www.audience.uk.com
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
www.audience.uk.com
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
An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019
Lollapalooza Chicago
www.audience.uk.com
Celebrating 20 years of AUDIENCE | 11
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. An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019
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
An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019
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
www.audience.uk.com
Intelligence led crime reduction at live events
Congratulations to Audience on 20 great years!
o
t
e
i
d
Mireille Mathieu Bryan Ferry Patricia Kaas Lana Del Rey n c e r t Nick Cave RĐžxette Whitesnake Joe Cocker C o A l c Emir Kusturica Sex Pistols Prodigy a a n Misfits Scooter MUSE Robert Plant Y o u r safe part n e r Papa Roach Deep Purple in Ru ssia Woodkid HIM Robbie Williams Madonna Rainbow KOĐŻN Serj Tankian Within Temptation Fall Out Boy Yann Tiersen Nine Inch Nails The Pretty Reckless The Scissor Sisters Julio Iglesias Bryan Adams Apocalyptica HIM Rammstein Toto Cutugno nca.ru/en Lord of the Dance Faith No More t i n , Ozzy Osbourne P!NK Marilyn Manson g g , m n Garbage Linkin Park Panic! At the Disco a r k e t i The Rasmus Kylie Minogue Red Hot Chili Peppers a
m
N
y
u
m
r i n g
o P r
o
o
t
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
www.audience.uk.com
Love Parade
Pukkelpop
An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019
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
www.audience.uk.com
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
An AUDIENCE special publication with issue 239 • December 2019
Just the Place! – 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
Prefered partner
We are there for you on your Nordic tour
malmoarena.com facebook.com/malmoarena Booking phone +46 40 642 04 04
Celebrating 20 years of AUDIENCE | 23
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
Your global leader for temporary event flooring & crowd control solutions
info@eps.net | www.eps.net
E N T E R TA I N M E N T
Congratulations to Steve and all at Audience on your 20th anniversary Best wishes from Stuart Littlewood and all at Handshake Ltd handshakegroup.com 01457 819 350
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
2019
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
EU €50
US $55
an
report 2018 (Part 1: Europe)
(including postage and packing)
Concert Promoters
UK £25
EU €28
US $32
(including postage and packing)
for international artistes Interview Comment Directory
Are you ready for it? Taylor Swift takes Lover to festivals
AN
REPORT
2019
Chile protests force cancellations Download Madrid abandons 2020 Abu Dhabi to get new arena
UK £145
EU €158
US $175
(including postage and packaging)
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
AUD237_01_Front_Cover.indd 1
See pages 26-29
Dedicated to the Business of Contemporary Live Music
01/11/2019 14:24
Dedicated to the business of contemporary music festivals FEST39_DEC_01_COVER.indd 1
U K Ve n u e s F o r C o n t e m p o r a r y L i v e M u s i c : P a r t 2
U K Ve n u e s F o r C o n t e m p o r a r y L i v e M u s i c : P a r t 1
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
UK £6.25 EUROPE €9.40 ROW $12.25
Taylor Swift takes Lover
Theatres & Concert Halls
Are you ready for
it?
to festivals
03/12/2019 13:06
UK VENUES LIVE MUSIC F O R C O N T E M P O R A RY Contacts directory | Comment Part 2 | 2019
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
nt_Cover.indd
Rieger Konzertage ntur’s in Germany
1
01/11/2019 14:24
Part 2
Open-air venues, stadiums, arenas, campus venues, arts centres, clubs, pubs & bars
UKBV2019_01 Cover_Spine P1.indd 2
£45 (inc. p&p)
A LIVE UK REPORT 2019
Klaus-Peter Matziol from Peter
AUD237_01_Fro
A LIVE UK REPORT 2019
We think it’s import ant that as many people to offer a fair mix of ticket prices so as possible can afford the shows
14/11/2019 14:38
For more information contact info@audience.uk.com, T +44 (0)20 7486 7007
www.audience.uk.com
Part 2
Theatres and Concert Halls
UKBV2019_01 Cover_Spine P1 copy.indd 2
£45 (inc. p&p)
04/12/2019 16:51
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
www.audience.uk.com
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
‘
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
UK £5.85 EUROPE €7.60 ROW $12.32
‘
UK £5.85 EUROPE €7.60 ROW $12.32
‘
ISSUE 140 SEPTEMBER 2011
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
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
uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25
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
uK £6.25 europe €9.40 roW $12.25
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
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
UK £6.25 EUROPE €9.40 ROW $12.25
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
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
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
Calls for legislation to end resale ‘robbery’
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
Ticketmaster engulfed in resale row
For the International Contemporary Live Music Industry
No holding back
Major uK festival cancelled
uK £6.25 EurOPE €9.40 rOW $12.25
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
UK £6.25 EUROPE €9.40 ROW $12.25
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