ISSUE 242 MARCH 2020
UK £6.25 EUROPE €9.40 ROW $12.25
Grateful for the legacy John Mayer out again with Dead & Co
Coronavirus devastates live industry ICM acquires UK’s Primary Talent US ticket fraudsters jailed
We are dealing with the present situation, but also working for the future Barley Arts Promotions’ Claudio Trotta in Italy
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Essential reading for live music industry professionals across more than 80 countries worldwide
Perspective
12
Contents
4-11 World News
Industry news from around the globe
12-17 Market Focus: Japan
Review of a touring market for international artistes
18-23 Feature: Staging a Comeback
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Although the Corvid-19 pandemic is wrecking the live entertainment sector across multiple countries, staging companies, like everyone else, has to cope with the present and deliver for industry longer-term.
24-27 Production News
Developments in live show equipment and infrastructure
29 Industry Events 30-33 Tour Plans
Artistes, tour periods, agents
34 Festival News
International festival activity
24
34 Putting The Roll Into Rock
The trials and tribulations of tour manager Terry Tucker and his crew
Publisher & Managing Editor: News Editorial: Editorial Contributors: Europe USA/Canada Sales Director: Sales Executives: Administrative Manager: Credit Control: Editorial:
Stephen Parker Lisa Henderson Christopher Barrett, Mike Gartside Jane Cohen, Bob Grossweiner Gareth Ospina Tom Brint Anna-Marie Henderson Murali Sri Balaskanda Lisa Henderson T: +44 (0)20 7486 7007 E: lisa@audience.uk.com
Advertising: Gareth Ospina, Tom Brint T: +44 (0)20 7486 7007 gareth@audience.uk.com tomb@audience.uk.com Subscriptions: T: +44 (0)20 7486 7007 E: info@audience.uk.com Rates: UK: £75 for 12 issues, Rest of the World: £105 for 12 issues Subscribe online at www.audience.uk.com Cover photograph: © REX/Shutterstock Design: Charles McQuaid Print: Stephens & George Ltd www.stephensandgeorge.co.uk
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One month ago, our perception – like that of very many others in live entertainment – was a tad on the optimistic side, with hindsight. No one then could dare imagine the devastation we see across the global industry today. There are people in the wider world who predicted it, especially after the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak in 2003, and the 2011 film Contagion bears remarkable similarities to what we are experiencing now. But no one in business would want to contemplate this degree of destruction and nothing much could be done anyway. The frantic rescheduling of cancelled shows will subside, but then the touring sector will enter a period of extreme competition, with too many events competing for the attention of people who will also be emerging from a financially-challenging few months. We are quite literally all in this together and although many companies will collapse under the weight of irredeemable losses, live music will continue and, once we are through the worst of it, new enterprises will emerge to provide the same, if not better services. Never before has the industry’s relationship with music fans been so critical and, if a political note is permitted here, this is surely the time or those with the means to move heaven and earth to eradicate the scourge of exploitative secondary ticketing. The touts and their facilitators will have no qualms about cashing in, so organisations such as Germany’s BDKV and the UK’s FanFair Alliance need maximum support. Stay safe and keep washing those hands.
ISSUE 242: March 2020 AUDIENCE is published monthly from the UK by: Audience Media Ltd, 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 The opinion expressed by contributors to this publication are not always a reflection of the opinions or the policy of the publishers. Information on services or products contained within editorial sections does not imply recommendation by AUDIENCE. 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.
AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
4 • World News
Coronavirus devastates the live music industry In Australia, where there was a relatively low death toll at the time S THE worldwide death toll for of writing, companies including Coronavirus continues to rise, Frontier Touring, Chugg Entertaingovernments have attempted to ment, Live Nation Australia and control the spread with quaran- TEG have established Sound of Sitines, travel bans and restrictions lence (SOS) to counter the impact on public gatherings. of cancellations, and collect donaConsequently, the live entertain- tions for music charity Support Act. ment industry has Fans are en“We are dealing with the ground to a halt. couraged to keep Tours, concerts present situation but working tickets for reand festivals bescheduled shows for the future” tween March and or donate refunds Claudio Trotta June have been from cancelled wiped-out, leaving all involved shows to venues or Support Act. consumed with damage control The festival scene is in a state of and a desperate rush to resched- virtual suspension. Hundreds have ule. been cancelled around the world Some of the industry’s biggest and ticket sales have stopped for players have teamed-up to see thousands of others. how they can mitigate the impact However, this has not discourto the live music sector. aged a group of European festival Live Nation Entertainment (LNE) organisers who are determined and AEG issued joint statement an- to go ahead with their summer nouncing the formation of a global events. taskforce to, “drive strategic supRoskilde (cap. 60,000) in Denport and unified direction ensuring mark, Electric Castle (40,000) in Roprecautionary efforts and ongo- mania and EXIT festival (50,000) in ing protocol are in the Serbia are among more best interest of artistes, than 50 festivals that fans, staff and the global have created Festivals community”. Stand United. The task force team In a joint statement includes LNE CEO and backed by festivals assopresident Michael Raciation Yourope, they say pino, AEG president and “owe it to the commuCEO Dan Beckerman nity” to continue with the (also on the ASM Global events and that by doing board), AEG Presents Claudio Trotta so, they will be a “crucial chairman and CEO Jay part of the survival of the Marciano, CAA music industry”. division head Rob Light, WME head In the country so far worst afof music Marc Geiger, Paradigm fected by Coronavirus, Italy, the chairman Sam Gores, Paradigm government imposed a national head of global music Marty Dia- quarantine on 9 March, restricting mond and UTA global head of mu- movement except for necessity, sic David Zedeck. work and health circumstances in a WORLD
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bid to slow the spread of the virus, ment and leisure premises on 23 a practice adopted in various forms March, to be reviewed in three by other countries. weeks. Venues closed immediately, “We are rescheduling April and followed by the cancellation of a May shows, but at the moment, we sold-out Glastonbury (147,000) stand by our summer shows and and many other events including we are booking concerts for au- Download (85,000) and the Isle of tumn and 2021,” says Claudio Trotta Wight Festival (55,000). of Barley Arts Promotion Glastonbury organisin Milan. “We are dealing ers offered ticket-holdwith the present situaers the chance to roll tion but working for the their £50 ($60.25) defuture.” posits over to next year Promoters worldwide and guarantee themare in a similar position. selves entry to the 2021 In Belgium, Greenhouse event. Talent MD Pascal van de In similar situations Velde reports. around the world, pro“We all know this is go- Pascal Van De Velde moters are hoping not ing to go into June and too many ticket-holders maybe longer. Even when the virus will request refunds for the time is dying out, when are the govern- being. But, along with artistes, supments going to give permission to pliers, booking agencies, managers organise big events again?” and many more sectors directly reIn the UK, the Government or- lated to live events are going to be dered the closure of all entertain- extremely tough.
Ticket fraudsters jailed after FBI investigation UNITED STATES
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WO NEW York-based members of a counterfeiting ring have been jailed in prison for trading in fake concert tickets and Super Bowl tickets. Damon Daniels was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment and three years supervision and RaAUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
hiem Watts was got 41 months in prison and three years supervised. The pair pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods. The fake tickets were sold through various outlets as well as distributed to other sellers nationwide for resale to the public.
The defendants and their associates advertised on websites such as Craigslist. Counterfeit tickets were created for concerts by artistes such as Adele and U2 during 2016 and 2017. “Watts and Daniels peddled their fake tickets for real profit and burned a lot of innocent people in the process,” says Tara
A McMahon, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Victims lost not only their money, but their shot to attend some very special events. Know that the FBI will keep cracking down on counterfeiters trying to sell the public a false bill of goods.” www.audience.uk.com
World News • 5
ICM Partners acquires UK’s Primary Talent WORLD
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HE LAST of America’s Big 4 booking agencies has established a major presence in the UK,
with the acquisition of Primary Talent International (PTI). Founded 30 years ago by the merger of Martin Hopewell’s World Service and Steve Hedges’ Station
Primary Talent International - Peter Maloney, Matt Bates, Andy Wooliscroft (back) Ben Winchester, Peter Elliott (front)
Agency, PTI operates worldwide excluding North America and has a roster that includes The 1975, Stormzy and Wolf Alice. Its name, management structure and office base will remain the same, with the team working closely with ICM co-head of music Rob Prinz, although there maybe changes later. ICM artistes include Khalid, Kelly Rowland, Good Charlotte, Busta Rhymes and The Libertines. “We’re looking at this as a partnership, a strategic alliance between the two companies,” ICM’s Brad Turell tells Audience. “This partnership allows ICM to have a much bigger footprint on the world touring stage and it’ll allow Primary Talent’s clients to access a full-service agency, if they want it and it’s in their best interest. “We have represented clients in-
dependently together but now we can sign clients on a global basis, because the global market is the market – and in many ways that’s to the advantage of managers and artistes.” PTI’s Matt Bates says, “We love the incredible artistes we represent and the agency we have built with our client’s needs foremost in all we do. It is in that spirit that we have joined forces with ICM Partners. “We will continue to see Primary prosper and grow, with now additional opportunities to offer our clients the scope and resources of a major agency [in the US] if they choose to take advantage of it.” Neither company would disclose the terms of the deal. Other artistes on PTI’s roster of over 900 clients include Noel Gallagher, Two Door Cinema Club and Daft Punk.
Changing world WORLD
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SPIN-off of Grateful Dead comprising former members Bob Weir on guitar, Mickey Hart on drums, and Bill Kreutzmann on drums, along with singer-songwriter John Mayer (pictured) on guitar, Oteil Burbridge on bass and drums, and Jeff Chimenti on keyboards, Dead & Company formed in 2015. The band was initially only going to play one show at New York’s Madison Square Garden (cap. 18,600), but then continued to play tour after tour throughout the years, performing Grateful Dead’s back catalogue. Formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California, Grateful Dead achieved one Top 10 hit on the Billboard charts with Touch of Grey in 1987 and a recording of their live performance at Cornell University’s Barton Hall in 1977 was added to the Library of Congress in 2012. The band were also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Connecticut-born Mayer has achieved six Billboard No 1s during his solo career for singles including Your Body is a Wonderland and Waiting on the World to Change, and has won seven Grammy awards including three accolades for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Dead & Company are set to tour North America in July, performing in venues such as the MetLife Stadium (82,500) in New Jersey, the Saragota Performing Arts Center (25,000) in New York and Blossom Music Center (23,000) in Ohio.
Cover Artiste
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Touring 2020 Booking 2021/22 steve@stevesteinmanproductions.com www.stevesteinmanproductions.com AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
6 • World News
BDKV’s court triumph against resale rip-offs for a price higher than face value GERMANY plus a maximum of 25 per cent anROMOTERS AND agents organi- cillary costs. sation BDKV (the Federal AssoThis is the first time the resale ciation of Concert and Event Man- prohibition cause has been reagement) is celebrating a landmark viewed in an appeals court and the victory against the first time that a secondary ticketing “It is a long road to achieving ruling has been sector, after a court legal regulation of the second- made between ruled that primary ary ticket market, but through the permitted ticketing terms and this judgment, we have made a private and comconditions (T&Cs) decisive step in this direction” mercial resale of had a legal foundatickets. Dr Johannes Ulbricht tion. ConsequentBDKV had created ly, the victory a clause, which was adopted by means that event organisers can the majority of manow issue ceasejor ticket agencies and-desist orders to such as CTS Eventim ticket resellers atin their online and tempting to trade at printed T&Cs, saying inflated prices. that tickets could not “The resale ban be resold at more clause we developed than a mark-up of is new legal terri25 per cent to reflect tory,” says BDKV’s Dr processing costs. Johannes Ulbricht. The association “The ruling gives took legal action organisers claragain Netherlandsity for the first time based Ticketbande, that, contrary to the which has a website Dr Johannes Ulbricht claims of secondary focused on the Germarket traders, the man market and whose owner lives clause is valid and provides the orin Germany, claiming breach of ganisers with a basis to successfully T&Cs relating to ticket resale. counteract the usury business of On 28 February, the Civil Senate secondary market retailers. of the Celle Higher Regional Court “It is a long road to achieving confirmed the first instance ruling legal regulation of the secondby the Hanover Regional Court, ary ticket market, but through this ruled that Ticketbande must refrain judgement, we have made a decifrom selling tickets on its website sive step in this direction.”
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AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
Live Nation Norway takes majority stake in Bergen Live NORWAY
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LSO-BASED Live Nation Norway (LNN) has acquired a 51 per cent stake in west coast concert and festival promoter Bergen Live. The companies have been working together in the country’s second city since 2005, staging shows with artistes including Rihanna, the Eagles, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Frank Nes Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Coldplay, Metallica and Bruce Springsteen. “We’ve been working closely with Bergen Live for years, supplying them with headliners for outdoor shows and festivals,” LNN MD Rune Lem tells Audience. “We’ve more or less been acting as one company since 2005, so this deal has been a long time coming. Rune Lem “Bergen Live compliments us in so many ways. They are working with events, which we aren’t and they have a very qualified security manager, who we will use for our shows. Also, they have offices on the west coast and we have our offices on the east coast,
10 hours apart by car, so that’s useful.” Bergen Live CEO Frank Nes tells Audience, “We have been Live Nation’s local partner for more than 15 years, so this really is both a natural progression and the natural partnership for both parties. With Live Nation on board as a majority owner, the ties will be further strengthened and we look forward to becoming an integrated part of Live Nation and its vast resources.” Bergen Live festivals include Bergenfest (cap. 9,000), as well as, working with LNN, Oslo- festivals Tons of Rock (25,000) and Findings (17,500). This deal is the latest in a bid to secure market share in Norway. Most recently, Live Nation-owned, Sweden-based Luger announced its expansion into the market (see Audience issue 241), while Germany’s CTS Eventim/FKP Scorpio recently acquired promoter Nordic Live (see Audience issue 240).
www.audience.uk.com
World News • 7
TEG catapults Van Egmond back into live music Van Egmond tells Audience. “We looked for a new product for a ICKETING, ANALYTICS, and new market, but the exhibitions are a tough game, promoting company TEG has acharder than the muquired Van Egmond sic business, and we Group, which has decided that wasn’t over 45 years’ of exthe way to go. perience in touring, “We’ve come special events, event back around to the merchandising, marconcert business, keting, ticketing and though obviously promotion. it’s a terrible time for The newly named many industries.” TEG Van Egmond, has Garry Van Egmond “We’re finalising previously promoted shows at the morecord groundment and hoping breaking tours such we’ll be back into as Dire Straits’ Broththe market fully ers in Arms and AC/ from next January. DC’s Black Ice World A lot of my old cliTour, but hasn’t ents will come back staged live music to work with us, and events since 2015. partnering with TEG “We’ve been doing provides us with new exhibitions, taking opportunities with the Harry Potter exhi- Geoff Jones financing and venbition to Singapore, tures.” Tokyo and Shanghai,” MD Garry TEG CEO Geoff Jones says, AUSTRALIA
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EXPERTS IN YOUR FIELDS
“The Van Egmond Group has a long pedigree of delivering blockbuster tours with huge acts such as Dire Straits, Billy Joel, Rod Stewart, INXS, Riverdance, Prince, Bette Midler, Dolly Parton and the great AC/DC.” “Garry has sold well in excess of 30 million tickets across contemporary concerts and theatre productions in the Austalasian marketplace and we are delighted to have him and Christo [Van Egmond, MD] on board as part of the TEG family.”
Cindy Wilson, a 20-year veteran of the music industry and previously MD at BASE Entertainment working largely in Asia, has been appointed development manager for TEG Van Edgmond in North America, based in Los Angeles. TEG, which owns leading Australasian ticketing company Ticketek and promoter TEG Dainty, acquired UK promoter and venue operator The MJR Group last year (see Audience issue 235) and switched financial backers to Silver Lake.
Newsbites
UNITED STATES AT A point where Live Nation Entertainment (LNE) had lost around 50 per cent of its market value, president and CEO Michael Rapino purchased almost $1 million in company stock, acquiring 25,650 shares at $38.98 per share on 12 March, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing. Two other board members also bought stock — James Kahan with 2,000 shares at $42.96 and Michael Rowles with 2,650 at $37.57. By late-March, the share price had rallied to $44.79. Meanwhile, LNE’s biggest investor Liberty Media, which owns $69.6m LNE shares and holds seats on the board, repaid a $130m loan to the company.
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AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
8 • World News
Live Nation 2019: growth in events, ticket sales, venues and debt UNITED STATES
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IVE NATION Entertainment (LNE) reported a strong fourth quarter (Q4) and 2019 year-end earnings, although long- and short-term debt rose by around $500 million overall. Revenue in Q4 increased by 11 per cent to $2.9 billion, AOI was up 18 per cent at $81m, driven by
increased sponsorship, improved income from its resale activities in the US and lower operating cost in ticketing, says the company. Operating loss for the quarter was $83m, compared to $90m in 2018, while ticketing revenue increased two per cent to $448.3m. Subsidiary Ticketmaster (TM) delivered 115m tickets internationally.
Full-year revenue was $11.5bn, a seven per cent increase over 2018. Attendance at events was up eight per cent in North America and up 11 per cent internationally. Sponsorship revenue grew by 17 per cent with brands collectively spending around $400m. During the year, LNE boosted its portfolio with 38 new venues, 18 theatres and clubs,
and six festivals. Concert attendance was up five million people to 98 million globally, with LNE spending $6bn to promote 40,000 shows in 42 countries. Long-term company debt at the end of 2019 rose to $3.271bn compared with $2.732bn at the end of 2018. Short-term debt fell to $37.795m from $82.141m in 2018.
FanFair Alliance wins OVG to submit plans ruling against StubHub for Manchester arena UNITED KINGDOM
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NTI-TICKET touting campaign group FanFair Alliance (FFA) has won a ruling with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) against secondary ticketing site StubHub UK. FFA raised a complaint with the ASA last November regarding a StubHub UK advert which used the claim “guaranteed genuine tickets”. It argued that the term was misleading because, as a third-party reseller, StubHub UK was unable to guarantee that the tickets listed Adam Webb on its website were genuine. StubHub UK responded that consumers would understand “genuine” to mean that tickets were not fake or fraudulent, but would not assume that they were definitely valid for entry. However, the ASA agreed that they’d breached the Misleading Advertising clause. The ruling comes amid controversy surrounding Viagogo’s acquisition of StubHub for a reported $4.05 billion. At the beginning of the year, the two companies were forbidden from merging by the Competition & Markets AuAUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
thority (CMA), while it continued its preliminary inquiry. “Though this ruling is fairly minor compared to the previous ASA cases which have had a tangible effect on how secondary sites were presenting information to consumers, we’re flagging all these things in the context of the CMA’s merger investigation,” says FFA campaign manager Adam Webb. “Part of the problem with the secondary sites is that they’re presenting themselves as semi-legitimate sources for tickets. The fact that they don’t disclose that they’re a secondary ticketing site means they don’t represent themselves honestly. “They can’t keep misrepresenting what they are and the UK is really driving forward on this. It’s the CMA’s initial enforcement order that’s holding the whole merger up.” StubHub has now removed the ad and has been instructed by the ASA to avoid using the claim “guaranteed genuine tickets” where there was a risk that buyers might not be able to gain entry into an event.
UNITED KINGDOM
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AK VIEW Group (OVG), the company founded by former AEG CEO Tim Leiweke and former Live Nation Entertainment chairman and artiste manager Irving Azoff, is close to submitting a planning application to Manchester City Council for build a second arena in the city. The company is hoping to build a 23,500-capacity venue in the Eithad Campus, the site of Man-
chester City football club’s Eithad Stadium (cap. 63,000) in Eastlands, which would rival the existing Manchester Arena (21,000) – run by ASM Global and rank as the largest in the UK. The company says it plans to submit a planning application in the coming weeks and, if successful, envisages the venue opening in 2023. ASM Global was created by the merger of AEG Facilities and SMG in October last year.
OVG’s planned Manchester Arena
Newsbites UNITED KINGDOM | UNITED TALENT Agency has appointed Sophie Roberts as a music agent, reporting to Neil Warnock, the company’s head of global touring. Roberts joins the company from 13 Artists, where she worked her way up from booker’s assistant to agent, working on tours for clients such as Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party and Blossoms. She also developed a diverse roster of her own, including The Amazons, Juniore and Pip Blom. Prior to 13 Artists, Roberts served as programming and production manager at Green Door Store (cap. 240) in Brighton, where she ran an in-house promotions brand.
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10 • World News
Calls for greater transparency and ticketing accountability UNITED STATES
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ECEPTIVE TICKETING practices and a lack of transparency for ticket-buyers were centre stage, when the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on 26 February in Washington DC. Committee members heard that a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found in 2018 that fees can equal as much as 37 per cent of a ticket’s face value. There were also complaints about industry practices like restrictions on ticket transfers, websites which appear to be for a venue but are not, and limited ticket availability because tickets are sold
at pre-sales before the general public may buy. Speaking on behalf of Ticketmaster (TM), its North America CEO Amy Howe told the subcommittee, that TM would support a move to disclose all fees upfront, but only if all companies are required to do iso Otherwise, she said, it would make her TM’s tickets look relatively more expensive. Resale site StubHub’s general counsel Stephanie Burns said, “[the company] still gives customers an option to see the final price as they shop.” StubHub tried all-in pricing but abandoned the practice in 2015 after less than two years, because rivals’ tickets appeared to be cheaper and so their market share dimin-
ished. Republican senator Bill Pascrell, author of the Better Oversight of Secondary Sales and Accountability in Concert Ticketing legislation, commonly known as the BOSS Act, is a leader in congress calling for regulation of the live events ticket market. He has been pushing for more regulations of the ticket industry for over 10 years and was also an early critic of the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger, to form Live Nation Entertainment in 2010. “Today’s ground-breaking hearing has helped to expose the utter lack of transparency and even corruption rampant in the live event ticketing industry … [and] Congress is moving to finally clean-up
live events ticketing,” says Pascrell. The BOSS Act is currently being considered by the Energy and Commerce Committee and has been endorsed by numerous consumer protection groups. Washington DC (where the hearing was held) businesses trade association Netchoice, called for more investigations into TM and parent company Live Nation Entertainment. “This hearing showed that now is the time for an antitrust investigation of Ticketmaster and Live Nation,” said Netchoice vice-present and general counsel Carl Szabo. Szabo said that they look forward to further government action including the passage of the BOSS Act to protect consumers.
Competition and consumer watchdog ceases injunction against Viagogo NEW ZEALAND
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HE COMMERCE Commission (CC), New Zealand’s competition and consumer regulator, is no longer seeking an interim injunction against secondary ticketing website Viagogo, after the resale platform made changes to its website. The watchdog had sought an interim injunction against Viagogo, pending a hearing of the Commission’s full case against the company, to stop “misrepresenting the price and availability of tickets”. However, the interim hearing, which was set for 6 March at the High Court in Auckland, was called
Japan AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
off after Viagogo made changes to its site and gave undertakings to the Court that it would not undo those changes. At Friday’s scheduled hearing,
“We think a company that sells New Zealand event tickets to New Zealand consumers should fall under New Zealand law” Mary-Anne Borrowdale
Viagogo was also due to protest the jurisdiction of the New Zealand Courts in relation to the Commission’s proceedings against it. It has now withdrawn its protest.
“We consider that Viagogo’s siderable expense and delay for changes and undertakings achieve the Commission. We think a comwhat we sought in pany that sells New our interim injuncZealand event tickets tion application, to New Zealand conwhich means we can sumers should fall unavoid the time and der New Zealand law, cost of another hearand we are pleased ing and advance our that Viagogo now acpreparations towards cepts that too.” the full case hearing,” The injunction says Mary-Anne Borstems from the Comrowdale, the Commismission’s ongoing sion’s general counsubstantive case sel, consumer and against Viagogo for Mary-Anne Borrowdale competition. an alleged breach of “Until now Viagogo the Fair Trading Act, has said it is not answerable to the and prevents them from making Courts here, which has led to con- further violations.
Market Focus See page 12 www.audience.uk.com
World News • 11
AGF accolades recognise festivals’ green credentials WORLD
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GREENER Festival (AGF) presented awards to events from seven countries across three continents at its second International AGF Awards. The ceremony took place at the Royal Garden Hotel in London, as part of the Green Events & Innovations Conference and on the opening night of the International Live Music Conference. Among the 10 festivals that won awards were ØYA (cap. 20,000) in Norway for International Greener Festival Award and AGF Circular Festival Award (for reduced waste and resourcefulness), as well as the UK’s Cambridge Folk Festival
(14,000) with AGF Greener Transport Award. Hungary’s Sziget Festival (80,000) won the AGF Greener Innovations Award for its composting system. To be considered for an award, festivals underwent a detailed assessment, a site visit, and analysis as part of the evidence-based Greener Festival Award scheme. Winners are those who scored highest across 10 categories over the last 12 months. The International Greener Festival Award is the highest overall scoring festival, across all that were assessed globally. AGF launched in 2007 as a not-for-profit company that encourages events and venues to adopt environmentally efficient practices.
Sziget main stage © Rockstar Photographers
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AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
18 • Feature
Staging a comeback Coronavirus may have brought the live music industry to a virtual standstill and all companies are facing unprecedented challenges over the next few months, but here we focus on the sector’s achievement and vision for the future, post COVID-19. Christopher Barrett reports
T
he demand for more complex, unique and ultimately heavier concert production has meant that the world’s leading staging suppliers have had to continually evolve their offering. A multi-faceted operation with a truly global reach, UK-based Area Four Industries (AFI) has provided staging for events in Asia, the US and Europe, including Germany’s Lollapalooza (cap. 70,000) festival. AFI incorporates Milos Structural AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
Systems, which was founded in the Czech Republic in 1994 and grew into a global operation with bases in the UK, US, Germany and China. Milos became part of the AFI group when it was founded in 2012 and the Tomcat, James Thomas Engineering and Litec brands were brought under the same roof. Litec is also a major supplier of staging and concert and festival structures, it has supplied many large events including
Tomorrowland Festival (60,000) in Belgium and Italy’s The Heineken Jammin’ Festival (50,000). In October last year AFI acquired Prolyte, which following its launch in 1991, grew to become a major producer of temporary structures for the entertainment industry, including truss, staging products and hoists. AFI’s product portfolio includes concert stage roofs, aluminium and steel trusses, front-of-house towers
and LED screen support structures. It has bases throughout Europe and in the US and China. “Area Four is the world’s largest manufacturer of truss staging systems and with the acquisition of Prolyte the business is vast, but each brand has its own development resources, its own niche products and accessories,” says AFI UK sales & marketing director Glen Brown. “Video has become a predominant feature on any stage and www.audience.uk.com
Feature • 19
All Access Staging with Years and Years
that means we are now supplying stages that carry much higher capacity weight requirements and bigger wind-load requirements because the big video walls need
superstructures to support them,” global business that operates wher- has been continually evolved since he says. ever client demand takes it. its was first used, at a Stone Roses “That has been the biggest “Despite the ongoing situation concert on Spike Island in the UK in change and it has been dramatic. So with the Coronavirus, our office in 1990. we have looked at new technology Shanghai has seen rapid growth in “The nature of their rapid and verand solutions to increase the load the Chinese events marsatile deployment means capacity of the roofs. ket and supplied services they can be used at mul“Milos and Lytec developed dif- across the vast nation,” he tiple events over a single ferent systems to tackle the same says. “We are also looking weekend,” says Holdich. problem. Milos worked on ultra- at various opportuni“We continually invest high tensile steel technology that ties in Saudi Arabia and in this product range ofhas resulted in an exponential in- across the Middle East. fering enhancements for crease in strength of the product, The company has a increased canopy clearwhile Lytec focused on weld-less dedicated logistics team ance or more efficient Hedwig De Meyer aluminium structures that are much and has developed a deployment.” stronger as a result of the heat treat- computer system that provides realment process being avoided during time visibility of the whereabouts of Playing safe manufacture.” all its resources, both technical and One of the longest-established and Brown is as concerned as eve- human. biggest staging operators globryone else in the music industry With concert productions becom- ally, Stageco is headquartered in about the devastating impact of the ing increasingly complex as artistes Belgium and has bases throughout coronavirus Covid-19, but says that demand ever more originality, Europe and North America. during the slow down in business The company was founded in the team will focus on catching-up 1985 by its president Hedwig De “The biggest challenge this on compliance and administrative Meyer, who has been supplying year will be dealing with the paperwork. concert stages since the early 1970s. Coronavirus and not only in With bases in China and Malaysia, He says 2019 was the company’s Europe, but worldwide” UK-headquartered Star Live offers best year in its history, with the Hedwig De Meyer a range of event services including operation supplying structures technical design, engineering, fabworldwide to tours by acts includrication and supply of everything Holdich says Star Live’s designers ing Rammstein, Metallica, Bon Jovi from grandstands and seating to work hard to make its products look and Muse. rigging and mother grids as well as exceptional for each tour. Stageco not only supplies cusstages and structures. “We have an amazing Design tom-built tour stages for clients such Among events it is scheduled and Visualisation team that enables as U2, Taylor Swift and Coldplay, it to work on this year us to create seemingly also provides an extensive range of are tours by Little Mix, unique custom stages festival stages and front-of-house Westlife and Kasabian, from our vast inventory structures. along with festivals such of modular structural The company has been at the as the UK’s All Points East components,” he says. forefront of calls for improvements (40,000) and Tramlines The company’s most in safety standards across the sec(30,000). Among the widely used stage sys- tor. It was among the creators of highlights last year was tems among its VerTech the Guidance for The Management a stadium tour by the range, which includes & Use of Stages and Temporary Pete Holdich Spice Girls. the VerTech Orbit and Event Structures and part of safety Star Live head of structures Peter VerTech Ultra, is the VerTech Mobile advisory groups including the Holdich says the company is a Stages. The VerTech technology European CEN TC 152, a
A massive thanks to all our clients info@stages.co.uk
www.audience.uk.com
+44 (0) 1749 899 188
www.stages.co.uk
AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
20 • Feature
technical committee handling temporary structures for events, and the Memento Ensemble Demontables in France. De Meyer’s biggest concern is, understandably, dealing with the fall out of the Coronavirus. “We don’t know what will happen, everything in April got cancelled and also the rest of the summer looks uncertain,” he says. “So, the biggest challenge this year will be dealing with the Coronavirus and not only in Europe, but worldwide.” Germany’s Megaforce supplies stages to events Megaforce - Bühnenshow5 © Martin Diepold worldwide, from Mexico to Hong Kong. Clients include Austria’s Nova Rock Festival (55,000), The demand for heavier and more complex Switzerland’s Greenfield Festival (30,000) and productions comes at a time when the industry Germany’s Southside (50,000). Among touring ar- has had to cope with increasingly erratic weather. tistes this year are Iron Maiden, Udo Lindenberg “We strictly comply with safety regulations, and Die Totoen Hosen. no matter what region we are doTwenty-seven metres wide and with ing business in. We offer training and a load capacity of 65 tonnes, the TVG certification for crew members at our R28 is one of Megaforce’s most inheadquarter in Weingarten, and ondemand stages. site our construction managers have “TVG is the most popular festival daily safety meetings,” he says. stage because of its extremely large “We have also recently started useable area, weather safety and flexworking in Saudi Arabia and United ibility,” says Megaforce CEO and owner Arab Emirates, with our partner AES.” Michael Brombacher. Michael Bromacher “We are about to finalise a new sysA new high tem with a load capacity of around 100 tonnes, Denmark’s European Staging was launched in which will be available next year,” 1993 by Mikkel Brogaard and formed a joint
venture with UK-based High Post Structures and the operation was rebranded. High Post Structures supplies all-steel, cranefree, staging solutions to tours, concerts and festivals around the world. In 2017 it began supplying hydraulic stages to Ed Sheeran’s world tour and two for Rod Stewart’s 2019 tour. The company’s seven stages include four hydraulically raised structures that range in size from 20 to 28 metres wide. The entire roof, side covers and stage structure is completed while it is only a couple of metres off the ground and once it has been hydraulically raised it is fully locked. Brogaard says that the reduced need for crew and expensive cranes makes the hydraulic system not only very safe but very cost effective. Like every company in the staging sector, High
esglobalsolutions.com Staging • Temporary Structures • Event Overlay • Project Management
AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
www.audience.uk.com
Feature • 21 Bull says, “Creating bespoke and interesting parts for staging has always been part of the process. Colour and printed surfaces are currently among the ways designers are finding cost-effective solutions. “Stage lifts and automation are always popular, and we have a new lift product launching in Europe soon.”
Eastern promise Star Live stages for The Spice Girls
Post Structures’s business has been heavily impacted by the spread of COVID-19. Says Brogaard, “Right now we are laying low, we have had some good years so we are not panicking, and have requests coming in for August, but I can see the whole year’s business being wiped out.”
Among its extensive offering of staging equipment are flown automation, drape effects, stager conveyors and mobilators. Among tours the company suppled staging to last year were Garth Brooks, Childish Gambino, Jennifer Lopez, Eros Ramazzotti and Dave Matthew Band. The Coronavirus means many of its upcoming tours Born in the USA have been moved to next year or Launched in the US in 1991 by Clive postponed until later this year. Forrester and Erik Eastland, All Access AASP’s festival clients including Staging & Productions (AASP) is headUS’s Coachella (125,000), for which it quartered in Los Angeles and has bases supplied the stage and roof for the in New York and London. The compaMojave Stage site, a complete festival Matthew Bull ny’s structures, which include patented band riser package, viewing platVersa Stage products, are designed and built in forms and crowd control barriers. AASP’s HQ. AASP sales and marketing manager Matthew
www.audience.uk.com
In December 2018 the inaugural Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix became the first event in Saudi Arabia to have a gender unsegregated audience. With a site capacity of 23,000, the three-day event included concerts by acts including Enrique Iglesias, David Guetta, One Republic and The Black Eyed Peas. That landmark event was supplied by Middle East regional equipment rental company Production Technology (Protec), which recently opened a large warehouse in Saudi Arabia. Protec was founded by Stephen Lakin in 1999 and also has facilities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with more than $50 million of equipment. It is able to build up to 11 stages simultaneously using equipment from its main three locations. Lakin’s operation offers lighting, sound, audio-visual, staging, rigging, hydraulics, SFX and backline. Among the artistes it has worked with are Nicki Minaj, Flo Rider and Sergio
AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
22 • Feature Mendes, while festivals work includes UNITE With Tomorrowland at Abu Dhabi’s du Forum (4,500). One of the main challenges of supplying concerts in the Middle East is that artistes often only come for one-off shows, but overshadowing all issues currently is the spread of Coronavirus. “There is zero business in the Middle East at the moment because of Coronavirus, and the whole industry is collapsing globally,” says Lakin. “It depends on how long it lasts, if it last two or three weeks then most people will pull through. If it last two to three months some will pull through, but if it lasts six to nine months nobody will pull through.”
Russian support
Alexander Strizhak
Since its launch in 2009, Moscow-based Install Profi has worked on more than 2,500 events including concerts and festivals in Russia and beyond. Its broad range of equipment for sale and hire include roof systems, aluminium trusses, steel trusses and stage podiums. Among the music events Install Profi has equipped are Rock over the Volga (85,000) and the Eurovision Song Contest. “Our company’s reach is very extensive; we work in Russia and abroad in countries such as Georgia, Greece, Armenia and Montenegro,“ says Install Profi art director Victoria Teterkina. “As developers and manufactures of stage structures we have seen requirements change dramatically during the past five years; people want something unusual, something that can move, something that will surprise even the most experienced spectator.” She notes that one of the more remarkable structures it has created in recent years was a stage for the WorldSkills event in Kazan last year. “It was a 340 tonne inverted pyramid with four dynamic folds, each weighing 20 tonnes, that were lowered during the show,” says Teterkina.
Stageco with Rammstein stage
Planning ahead
Launched in 1996 by Alexander Strizhak to work on a Michael Jackson concert at Dynamo Stadium in Moscow, JSA Europe is headquartered in Riga, Latvia, and operates across the region. Its projects have included the Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev, Ukraine, in 2017 and the 7,000-capacity festival Dunaiska Sich in Izmail. Naturally this year’s work will depend on the situation with Coronavirus, but it is due to be involved in the production of annual major events in Ukrainian cit-
“We’re a strong and resilient business that has traded through some of the tough times … and will bounce back” Peter Holdich
ies this summer and autumn, including the Leopolis Jazz Festival (30,000) in Lviv, Festival Faine Misto (16,000) in Ternopol and UnderHill Music Festival (25,000) in Ivano-Frankivsk. Earlier this year JSA partnered with Karabas Promotion to provide production and technical support for concerts in Kiev, including Deep Purple, Ricky Martin, Björk, Rammstein and Elton John. “We have great plans and hopes but currently it is very difficult to be fully JSA at Underhill festival
Klaus-Peter Schulenberg
AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
Rammstein
confident of what the future will bring,” says Strizhak. Among systems the company supplies are SIXTY82 aluminium trussing, stage constructions and podiums, and Layher structural systems. Strizhak says the demand for interesting and alternative stage set ups is having a positive effect on the industry. “It encourages imagination and creativity and, as a result, the continual development of the industry. We work in partnership with ArtMax Engineering in Lviv, which makes original and unique stage designs for show and non-standard structures for events,” he says. The company is working on a new mobile, modular and re-designable 30,000-capacity stage set-up called Flexodrom. Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland’s Roudaamo Event Warehouse supplies everything from stages and risers, to bar counters, stairs and ascending stands. Clients include Ruisrock Festival (20,000), Pori Jazz (30,000) and Flow Festival (10,000), and worked with acts such as Enrique Iglesias, Scorpions, Aerosmith and Profeetat. Roudaamo’s CEO Juha-Pekka Maakannas says he is unable to focus on anything, but the impact of COVID-19. “The Coronavirus has brought all business to a end now so I have to keep focusing all my energies on finding ways to keep our company alive.” With the huge, ever-evolving and wide-ranging impact of the Coronavirus being felt by the entire live music industry, many believe it is important to focus on the light at the end of the tunnel. Star Live’s Peter Holdich says, “It’s hard to calculate the impact this will bring, but we’re a strong and resilient business that has traded through some of the tough times, including the [the UK’s] foot-andmouth disease and 9/11. “When the world recovers from the current situation and the bounce back happens, we’ll be able to support our clients and continue to deliver amazing events.” www.audience.uk.com
IF YOU CAN IMAGINE IT, WE CAN BUILD IT.
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PRODUCTION NEWS Newsbites Creative fights fires with BMFLs
SWEDEN German event flooring and crowd control solutions provider eps has expanded its management team in Scandinavia, with Fredrik Zetterberg appointed new CEO of eps Scandinavia while co-founder Bo Teichert focuses on operations and customer relationships. Zetterberg, who joins from e-sports promoter Dreamhack, is based in new Stockholm offices, while the company’s Scandinavian headquarters remain in Copenhagen, Denmark. Eps clients include Harry Styles and Beyoncé GERMANY The 1,500-capacity rock and alternative music club Batschkapp in Frankfurt has installed an LE200 monitor system by UK manufacturer Martin Audio. “Almost half our bands and musicians still play with the classic floor monitors,” says Batschkapp technical director Andi Kerl. “To keep transport down, productions rely on in-house speakers, so our monitors must have a high rider acceptance.” Acts playing the venue include Westghost, The Dead South and Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets. WORLD Czech Republic-based Area 4 Industries, which owns live entertainment technology brands Tomcat, JTE and Litec, has launched a new information service, Rigging Commandos, offering safety education and engineering advice on rigging and trussing. The Commandos, who include Eric Porter (production credits Queen, ELO, Elton John), Adrian Forbes-Black (vice-president A4 Industries America) and Adam Beaumont (former head of lighting and sound at Jerudong Park, cap. 60,000 in Brunei), will release regular videos throughout the year on their portal A4i.tv.
AUSTRALIA
A
N EXCEPTIONALLY short planning period and get-in time were among the many challenges facing the production team behind Fire Fight Australia, the 75,000-capacity concert for bushfire relief at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium, according to Dave Jackson of Creative Productions. He was able to use the same stage roof as Queen and Adam Lambert, who had played the venue the previous night, and who were part of this line-up, but had to install his own production for artistes including Olivia Newton-John, Alice Cooper and k.d. lang. “The design had to provide great looking lighting for both the 20 di-
verse artistes on the bill and the cameras,” says Jackson, who only had 10 days’ notice that the event would be telecast live worldwide. His only other brief was that there would be a large LED screen upstage plus left and right image magnification (IMAG). “I needed something with Robe at work with Fire Fight Australia serious punch not just because it was a stadium show but for BMFL Spots and 36 BMFL WashBeams the daytime filming,” he says. “Robe were rigged, providing the core of the BMFLs, especially BMFL WashBeams, stage and effects lighting. The 30 of the Czech Republic manuare still the only moving light where colours are properly perceptible in facturer’s Spiiders – 15 per side - hung on three ladders stage left and right daylight.” He used 32 BMFL Blades on the for their “wide range of colours” and floor upstage, aiming for a dramatic for “excellent” back-of-camera effects contrast to the overhead rig where 36 for the side shots.
Mavericks spot-on for Thrice UNITED STATES
T
HE MOODY sound of Thrice required a “complex and evocative” light show according to Lenny Sasso, lighting designer for the California band’s 15th anniversary tour of their Vheissu LP. With venues including Franklin Music Hall (cap. 2,500) in Philadelphia, Brooklyn Bowl (800) in Las Vegas, and The Novo (2,400) in Los Angeles, Sasso deployed Chauvet Professional MK2 Spot fixtures to create silhouettes and “unexpected” angles with backlighting. “When we discussed the lighting for this tour, the band’s drummer Riley Breckenridge had the idea of lights coming up from the deck,” says Sasso. “I ran with this concept because it fit the
Rigging Services
mood of the show. My vision was to cap- the middle of a vortex, reinforcing the ture these dark and moody moments by mythical underworld theme,” says Saskeeping the lighting minimalistic and so. “I drew on the Maverick MK2 Spot’s not have too much [light] raining down wide zoom range and 3-facet prism, to seamlessly change the scope of the on the band from above.” With a single Maverick MK2 Spot be- back lighting, giving the show different hind each band member, apart from the looks.” drummer who had a fixture either side, and one unit on each end of the upstage deck, Sasso’s backlighting spread out from the stage deck to fill the room. “This created a deeply textured perspective that seemed to put the band in Thrice © Matt Hildreth
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FROM A CORNER BLOCK TO A COMPLETE ROOF SYSTEM
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27
PRODUCTION NEWS
Celine finds lightness in L550 Henderson puts the NORTH AMERICA
I
N THE search for a clearer sound, the audio team behind Celine Dion’s Courage tour has upgraded the tour to L550 consoles, part of the Live range by Solid State Logic (SSL). Tour manager Denis Savage commissioned sound, lighting, video and rigging from Canada-based production company Solotech, having used SSL’s Live desks at the singer’s 1,100 performance, eightyear residency in Las Vegas, which ended last year.
Celine Dion Tour - Engineers, Denis, Seb and Martin
“Just before Christmas we switched everything to 96kHz, [the rate at which music is sampled by digital consoles, with 48kHz the industry norm],” he says. “The difference was incredible – everything got lighter, smoother and brighter.” The switch to L550 consoles allowed Dion’s monitor engineer Jean-Sébastien Boucher to eliminate latency, or delay, in the singer’s signal. The audio system designed by engineer Francois Desjardins supports 128 lines from the stage. “We can record 128 inputs at 96k,” says Desjardins, who records every show with Avid Pro Tools. “What is great about the SSL is that you can add or remove channels without losing anything.” The tour, which has played venues including the Wells Fargo Center (cap. 19,500) in Philadelphia, Brooklyn’s Barclays Center (19,000) and Canada’s Scotiabank Arena (19,800) in Toronto, deploys an L-Acoustics speaker system. This comprises left and right hangs of 14 K1 loudspeakers over six K2 arrays, with side-hangs of 18 K2 modules each.
L-ISA in Coliseum
AUSTRALIA
B
ICCI HENDERSON, technical operations manager of the new 2,000-capacity Sydney Coliseum Theatre, changed his mind about which audio system to install at the venue after experiencing a performance by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban in another venue. The production used a L-ISA Hyperreal system by French manufacturer L-Acoustics, which impressed him with what he calls its “incredible” multi-dimensional definition. “Soon after, I went to see a performance using a [traditional] left-centre-right point source system and felt there was no connection with the audience,”
he says, “The music stopped at the stage and the show suffered as a result. I knew we had to get L-ISA.” The venue, which hosts artistes including Keith Urban, Tina Arena and John Butler, asked systems specialist Jands Venue Engineering to install the system, leading to a PA comprising five arrays of 10 Kara cabinets, with X8 enclosures as front and under-balcony fills. Low frequency is delivered through a flown, centre-hung array of six KS28 subwoofers. “L-ISA draws the listener right inside the music,” says Henderson. “We’re pioneering the system in Australia, so it’s our duty to educate engineers who aren’t yet familiar with its more natural, more localized and more intimate experience.”
Astera launches Alfred into space SPAIN
A
TEXTURED PIANO and matching risers were a central part of the look for the first full production tour by Spanish singer Alfred Garcia, with an upstage set piece fabricated from metal plates. Following a brief to add “a magical touch” to the set by Lluis Danes, and inspired by the arAudio Hire Consoles PA Systems Monitoring Mics & Splits Radio Systems Comms IEMs Outboard Recording Production Rehearsals The Pro Shop Staging Hire Rolling Risers Transport Crewing Technicians
www.audience.uk.com
tiste’s song From Earth to Mars, lighting designer Joan Teixidó used a back wall of lights to create a spacey, “intergalactic” feel for the show. He chose 30 Lite Drops by German manufacturer Astera as his main lighting fixture, partly because he could attach them magnetically to the back wall, arranging them in in a matrix pattern six fixtures wide by five high.
“I mapped them and programmed the dynamic effects via my console using the fixture’s wireless DMX option,” says Teixidó. “This was fantastic, with super-quick changeover times – no cables, no power, no fuss. They were ready to roll in minutes.” Alfred Garcia played venues including Sant Jordi Club (cap. 4,620) in Barcelona and Sala Teatre (400), Murcia.
Astera at work with Alfred Garcia © Roser Gamonal
Specialist Suppliers to the Entertainment Industry
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E
Events • 37
Events 32• Events • Events 28
22 - 24 Apr - RESCHEDULED - 23 - 26 Sept
21-28 Aug Brighton Music Conference Germany, Berlin www.pop-kultur.berlin
21 May - RESCHEDULED3-4 - 02Oct Sept
The Ivors
Pop-Kultur
Comprising two events, the WORD! conference for UK, Brighton | www.brightonmusicconference.co.uk business and SOUND! for live events.
BMC brings together leading delegates and speakers from The Electronic Music 12-14 SepIndustry with over 60 talks, 180 speakers, seminars and Music Moscow workshops, alongside networking and club Russia, Moscow events throughout the conference’s duration. www.musicmoscow.ru 29 Apr - 3 May - CANCELLED The largest exhibition of music instruments, The East Coast Music Association
professional audio and lighting equipment and technologies in Russia and surrounding territories
Trade event on products equipment educators, offfocusing er mentorship and beand mentored by for the live event, corporate, and installation peers and industry experts,architectural and ultimately elevate sectors. their careers. 19-23 May - RESCHEDULED - 9 - 12 Sept
Canadian Music Week18-21 Sep
Reeperbahn Festival & Campus
Germany, Hamburg Canada, Toronto | www.cmw.net www.reeperbahnfestival.com Comprehensive music industry conference and Germany’s largest club festival and conference for the showcase festival, covering sectors such as live and live entertainment Industry.
recording. 13- 16 May - CANCELLED 24-26 Sep
International Festival Forum UK, London
www.iff.rocks
Hailed as theEscape first event to focus exclusively on The Great theBrighton global festivals, with showcases, workshops, UK, conference sessions and Q&As. www.greatescapefestival.com
4 June
The BASE Awards
www.musiikkimedia.fi Convention attracting 700 music business professionals, alongside partner showcase festival UK, LostLondon In Music www.ivorsacademy.com/awards/the-ivors
15-17 Octcelebrate, honor and reward excellence The Awards in songwriting and composing. They are East presented PROLight + Sound - Middle by BASCA and judged by the writing community. UAE, Dubai 14-16 May - RESCHEDULED - May 2020 www.prolightsoundme.com
International Music Summit Trade fair for lighting,
spotlighting innovative product development, current design trends.
16-18 Oct
MaMa Festival & Convention
Spain, Ibiza Paris,France | www.mamafestival.com www.internationalmusicsummit.com Festival and convention with a sharp and eclectic Dedicated to creating awareness of, and programme of concerts and relevant conferences.
appreciation for, the electronic music scene. 29-31 May - RESCHEDULED - 20 Oct - 1 Nov 16-20 Oct
New Skool Rules Festival
Amsterdam Dance Netherlands, Rotterdam | www.newskoolrules.com Event
Netherlands, Amsterdam www.amsterdam-dance-event.nl
Networking, showcases, masterfor classes and and A club festival and conference electronic dance music. Aimed at Europeanspeed-date labels, publishers, workshops, panels, after-parties, sessions agents, managers, artistes and DJ’s. and more. 2-5 June
Midem
France, Cannes
20 Oct-01 Nov
BIME Pro 2019 Spain, Bilbao www.bime.net
23-27 Oct
WOMEX
Spain, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria www.womex.com
Finland, Tampere
15-17 Sep
PLASA Canada, St. John’s | www.ecma.com The ECMA is a place for artistsUK, andLondon members to www.plasashow.com connect with international guest delegates and
Music & Media Finland
A conference, trade fair and showcase festival exclusively dedicated to world, roots, folk, ethnic, traditional, local and Diaspora music of all kinds. UK, London
www.baseorg.uk/base-awards-2020/
30 Oct
The BASE was established in 1980 to represent the LIVEowners UK Summit interests of publishers and rights of pre-recorded UK, London video entertainment. www.liveuksummit.com 18-20 June
Sonar
The UK’s only comprehensive live music industry conference, bringing together promoters, festival organisers, venue operators, agents, managers, brands and much more.
Spain, Barcelona www.sonar.es
30 Oct
Live Music Business
Convention and festival dedicated to advanced music Awards and new media art. UK, London 26-28 August www.livemusicawards.co.uk
Pop-Kultur
A celebration of the agents, managers, promoters, festival organisers, venues and more that make the music industry great. Germany, Berlin | www.pop-kultur.berlin
Comprising two events, the14-25 WORD! Nov conference for business and SOUND! for live events. Melbourne Music 17 - 19 September
Music Moscow
Week
Australia, Melbourne www.bime.net
A conference dedicated to the music, tech and gaming industries; with panel discussions and artist performances. Russia, Moscow | www.namm-musikmesse-russia.ru NDY C •
A conference dedicated to the music, tech and •A BOCELLI professional VEST www.midem.com The largest exhibitionAofNmusic gaming industries; with panel discussions and artist DREAinstruments, MES HAR • -J JA T Y L A A L • C R W lighting • A E B audio and equipment and technologies in Conferences, ID • performances.showcases and networking acrossLL TIM E LO T LACK SKULLS
•A •B D OF G ME HAINSfrom BAN Cpeople ABBATH •and Russia surrounding four days, attracting 8,000 business AThe three-day music conference and festival IN reasonable K Sresponsible C ING accuracy, Aterritories K N • BRIN ICE L . L B A .B details shown above have been compiled from information provided to Audience and whilst we make every effort to ensure we cannot be held if data • B • ILSisOincorrect. K • R W R E O N P S JO S ELO IA B O E R O • R B H C T G Q • E over 90 showcasing new music from multiple genres. LIC NEW CAGE ELL IN • Acountries IG SHA • • BRAND ENTINE • CE • AXW BETH ORTON • B LFIE BOE L E ID N A A N V IE • V A O D E Y Z D T U Y T M A E IG O S information provided A The details shown above have beenIS compiled to • Audience and whilst weKmake eff ensure accuracy, we cannot beRheld responsible ifTdata •B ER •every reasonable O to • CisRincorrect. Bort O LET FO MORISfrom AS IT IS L T O O SE U • B N A B N N T O R R A • IN N B L E A E E M E • A B G N BENJA TNEY • DIZZ REY • S • AR MALO N JOVI E • COUR MONKEY • BEN HOWARD • CLOSURE LACKERY LUB • BO BUDGIE • BUGZY ND • AL G IN IS C O IC E D E T Y D L • E C C O B R S Y C A G & AB HIN N• Y BIC DIT • ABOVE ITECTS • BASTILLE PRETTY T E HN • EMM • BOMBA MS • BUD FREEMA HES • CLEAN BAN E • ARCH T JAXX • V • DIRTY Y • BLUR ELTON JO NCE + THE MACHIN E A C II T R D • D R V A T • A RCADE FIR ILOW • BASEMEN H N P N S C A A U C • H Y O IO G R Y E L IP A B R R L IR B B L R L • O • E E R E N L Festival Wristbands from R B A F D A • H A ITORS RA • G SLIM • WNBE CHUCK HROUG HOOF • BARRY M ORCHEST • ST 17 • ED DROP • FATBOY K • DEER EEDING T SEA POWER • BRO US • CHRONIXX • A N L N E IC B E T IO • E • S R R A U E E G F E H IP NK DY’S Fabric LANC DUA L ITISH & STAT RIEND • ETTA • D AIM • HA HITE • JAKE R A FWristband FAT FREDThe HSite LARKE • JOVI • BR • CHASE AVID GU W NERAL FO ORGE MICHAEL • FAMILY • K OOPER C U • C F C HE • BON RDI B • CARIBOU VID GILMOUR • D S • S JA N E S H • L E E H JO AI• JAY-Z • CA D • FUG AD • GE • DA G • FAIT TS • DR M E N T A NGLE • K O E IN D A R L H .C L JU E IN T E N U V • Y D C F O S R E Y R A EPHANT D K T E E L N F V A • A IC N E R Z P L A O G N A G E D C R A • H E • IN O AIR BIZZL • AND T EXAND ER • FR ERYTH ON BR Y BEAR CURVED JULIETTE • LETHAL D • MARI WWW.AL NK TURN NAL • EV ESPIE • D • GRIZZL • A R • L IN T R E L IL L S F T E O E G S IE • P E P • R Y T P R N P Z E E TE SIX JO AS RT DZ BAN CAL • DIZ EPISODE • GRACE LS • FOU RPETS • IN JOSS STONE • JUD STEM • LE ’S EARTH Y SHIKARI • ND• FLUME • FOA OOD CHARLOTTE US • INSPIRAL CA • SOUNDSY MANFRED MANN OVELIST • MYSER H D IT C L M S • • ENTER B G IL IE JA • U • N R R O C . F R L C T E E JO A F Y IN Z A A Z • E R • A N H Z C E L S O U F LE MIC AC ARK JOR L•O DAN FUNERAL AKER • L OWN • ID GEORGE OPER CL ESS • MA • ORBITA RS • MUM • • IAN BR OMBES • JOHN CO • KULA SH CARNER • MADN DY WATE ING BUT THIEVES LACEBO D P U • M Y E • V • GAZ CO COCK • HOT CHIP MIE XX • JAY-Z • KIRSTY MACCOLL E Y R L E H S A Y T H IS O O J L R IE N P R • N • • O AN • JA IES N• RON MBE I•M PHETS HERBIE H ROWN • JAMIE T S OF LEO MOGWA MAN JAY T SHOP BOYS • PIX HT • RODIGAN • ASS • LOSTPRO E • KING NASTY • DS • NOR E IG R LORDE • Y E L P G D • E R • S R S O E IC U D Z P G • JAMES B ASABIAN • KEAN G A A U B O S AN • R EDE • & THE Y • MIN ABRIEL VAS • L U K E M M G A S V • E O H • R A S N E N E EMICAL F C G T L O H O E IE K B E R IN C P H ’ T T SER C E L • NIC RAG N EEZE S S • THE LR A • ME • LIANN LOYD • U R • V F O R IC E S Q E L D K K S E E L H K • TH O N • A IN G R R T S P O M A E E S O T L • V on Facebook L 01803 875364 |7Rsales@fabricbands.com | Like FO WY SLAus HAIN Fabricbands ING S LLER| www.fabricbands.com THE JAM AF • M LIAM GA Tel: ETH-• NE PAUL WE THE ROLL OSES • SKRILLEX • ACK KEYS • THE C RRORS • 8 MEAT LO A 3 • • Z O • S•T 1 E A E H N A E N E E IV B E IC H • R A L T U D L R C L • Q R E • META RKWAY • THE B STONE W ORD HE MAC E HIGH PULP • A T E K E H • P R T N • H D • A T S • • A ASH R E • S O E E M H M U C A E E H T S IS EV THE UMIN SKEPT ARS • PORTIS T ANTH JETS • NA • PANIC! AT THE D E • THE L HE SLITS • GS • TH UR ROS • E 1975 • THE 2 BE ODIGY• T234 GASLIGH IN R IG • E N S P S H Y E E • T E K H N E • C T N D S O www.audience.uk.com AUDIENCE • Issue • July 2019 U AUDIENCE • Issue 232 • May 2019 www.audience.uk.com R U TH LIP EL G ST AL • SA OSBOU R ON DR S AFTER • FLAMING NG BLONDES • TH E ROLLIN UDIMENT • THE WA DOOR • R2020 TEN YEAR DARKNESS • THE MPSwww.audience.uk.com AKES • TH O • AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March L R A T E V E D A H E H O T TS • TWO H T H T O T • O • L E E S • IL B K E Y H P S L A T E EC E IG IN T A • T N D Y IN • R N C O O O E X C R E R W ENTY BRO • T. R NT • WHIT THE P HE VA THE LIB SCOTT • TEM • TW E ROSE MOVEME SE MAFIA F ARTHUR DOW PUPPETS • WAYS • T THINGS • Y U B O S Y U O D T D S T H L N E E R U H R H O O T P IS IT SWED RAZY W E • THE ROJAN S VE • WH ROKES • LAST SHA
30
Tour Plans Artistes
A guide to Artistes, Tours and Agents
Period/Territory Contact details
Amy Montgomery Jul-Sep
Matt Bartlett, Midnight Mango
T +44 1458 211117
Europe
Subscribers to Audience can submit their artistes for free listing in Tour Plans, subject to available space and at the discretion of the publisher. Send your info to: info@audience.uk.com
ethan@midnightmango.com Atari Teenage Riot Oct-Nov
Jeff Aug, Maximum Booking
T +49 (0) 177 642 4221
Worldwide
info@maximumbooking.com Balming Tiger Oct-Nov
Cils Williams, Primary Talent International
T +44 20 7400 4500
Europe
cils@primarytalent.com
Baxter Dury
Sep-Nov
Alex Bruford, ATC Live
Europe
T +44 20 7580 7773
alex@atc-live.com
Atari Teenage Riot
Bernie Marsden Jul-Aug
Alec Leslie, ALE Consolidated
Artistes
T +44 1829 730488
Charles Lloyd
Jul-Nov
Matt Morrell, The Kurland Agency
Europe
T +1 617 254 0007
Europe
alecconsol@aol.com Cliff Bennett &
Sep-Oct
The Rebel
Europe
Rousers
Mark Lundquist, Mark Lundquist Concert
Period/Territory Contact details
matt.morrell@thekurlandagency.com
Promotions
Craig David
Jul-Oct
Gary Howard, UTA
T +44 14832 24118
Europe
T +44 207 278 3331
Mark@Marklundquist.com
garyhoward@unitedtalent.com Dan McCafferty
Oct-Dec
with Razamanaz Europe
Alan Cottam, Alan Cottam Agency T +44 1254 668 471
alan7000uk@yahoo.com Eric Johnson
Jul-Nov
Wayne Forte, Entourage Talent Associates
Europe
T +1 212 633 2600
booking@entouragetalent.com Foreigner
Jul
Georg Leitner, Georg Leitner Productions
Europe/
T +43 664 111 5177
South America gleitner@glp.at
Foreigner
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TT000689 - Live UK Mag Advert_64x198mm_AW.indd AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
1
29/01/2019 17:31 www.audience.uk.com
31
Tour Plans Artistes
A guide to Artistes, Tours and Agents
Period/Territory Contact details
Georgia
Sep-Nov
Alex Bruford, ATC Live
Europe
T +44 20 7580 7773 alex@atc-live.com
Gore Gore Girls
Jul
Hilde Spille, Paperclip Agency
Europe
T +31 24 323 9322 hilde@paperclip.agency
Graham
Sep
Steve Parker, Miracle Artists
Gouldman’s
Europe
T +44 20 7935 9222
Heart Full of Songs Half Moon Run
steve@miracle-artists.com Jul-Aug Europe
Alex Bruford, ATC Live T +44 20 7580 7773 alex@atc-live.com
Holy Moly &
Jul-Oct
Polly Bolton, Strada Music
The Crackers
Europe
T +1 482 014 971 polly.bolton@stradamusic.com
Jason Derulo
Jul-Aug
Gary Howard, UTA
Europe, Middle
T +44 207 278 3331
East, Africa
garyhoward@unitedtalent.com
Gore Gore Girls
Artistes Julio Iglesias
Period/Territory Contact details Jul
Georg Leitner, Georg Leitner Productions
Europe / Africa
T +43 664 111 5177 gleitner@glp.at
KARBIDO
Jul-Oct
Ania Marzec, Central European Organisation
Europe
T +48 22 894 60 35 ania@centraleuro.org
Kennedy Jones
Sep-Oct
Mark Lundquist, Mark Lundquist Concert
and The
Europe
Promotions
Jones Gang
T +44 14832 24118 Mark@Marklundquist.com
Half Moon Run
www.audience.uk.com
AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
32
Tour Plans Artistes
Period/Territory Contact details
Le Vent du Nord
Jul-Aug
Chris Wade, Strada Music
Europe
T +44 1482 014971
chris.wade@stradamusic.com Levellers
Jul-Nov
David Farrow, DMF Music
Europe
T +44 1392 437744
david@dmfmusic.co.uk Margaret Glaspy Sep-Nov
Alex Bruford, ATC Live
T +44 20 7580 7773
Worldwide
alex@atc-live.com MISIA
Jul-Oct
Worldwide
Henry McGroggan, Central European Organisation T +48 22 894 60 35
henry@centraleuro.org Metronomy
Jul-Aug
Alex Bruford, ATC Live
Worldwide
T +44 20 7580 7773
alex@atc-live.com Murkage Dave
Oct-Nov
Cils Williams, Primary Talent International
Europe
T +44 20 7400 4500
cils@primarytalent.comx
Metronomy
Artistes
Period/Territory Contact details
Nazareth
Oct-Dec
Alan Cottam, Alan Cottam Agency
Europe
T +44 1254 668 471
alan7000uk@yahoo.com Pokey LaFarge
May, Jul-Aug
Matt McCluskey, The Kurland Agency
Europe
T +44 1-617-254-0007
matt@thekurlandagency.com Peatbog Faeries
Oct
Chris Wade, Strada Music
Europe
T +44 1482 014971
chris.wade@stradamusic.com SAZ’ISO
Jul
David Flower, SASA Music
Europe
T +44 20 7359 9232
rab@sasa.demon.co.uk Skalpel
Jul-Oct
Europe Organisation
Ania Aprzec, Central European
T +48 22 894 60 35
ania@centraleuro.org
Metronomy
AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
10cc
Jul, Nov-Dec
Steve Parker, Miracle Artists
Worldwide
T +44 20 7935 9222
steve@miracle-artists.com
www.audience.uk.com
33
Tour Plans Artistes
A guide to Artistes, Tours and Agents
Period/Territory Contact details
The Lumineers
Jul-Aug
Alex Bruford, ATC Live
Europe
T +44 20 7580 7773 alex@atc-live.com
The Selecter
Jul-Aug
Zac Peters, DMF Music
Europe
T +44 1392 437744 zac@dmfmusic.co.uk
The Nomads
Jul-Aug
Rob Berends, Paperclip Agency
Europe
T +31 24 323 9322 rob@paperclip.agency
Ten Years After
Jul-Aug
Sabine Trunzer, Kultopolis
Europe
T +49 6861 9399 827
Tokio Hotel
agentin@kultopolis.com
Artistes
Sabine Trunzer, Kultopolis
Tokio Hotel
Tommy Emmanuel Jul-Aug Europe
Period/Territory Contact details
T +49 6861 9399 827
July
Georg Leitner, Georg Leitner Productions
Europe
T +43 664 111 5177 gleitner@glp.at
agentin@kultopolis.com Toploader
Oct-Nov
Mark Lundquist, Mark Lundquist Concert
Willie & The
Apr-May 2021
Jeff Aug, Maximum Booking
Europe
Promotions
Bandits
Worldwide
T +49 (0) 177 642 4221 info@maximumooking.com
T +44 14832 24118 Mark@Marklundquist.com
Xander & the
Jul-Aug
Alec Leslie, ALE Consolidated
Peace Pirates
Europe
T +44 1829 730488 alecconsol@aol.com
Zamilska
Jul-Oct
Ania Marzec, Central European
Europe
Organisation T +48 22 894 60 35 ania@centraleuro.org
Zapp
Oct-Nov
Quentin Geerinckx, QG Enterprise
Europe
T +32 475 73 50 49 quentin@qgenterprise.com
The details shown above have been compiled from information provided to Audience and whilst we make every reasonable effort to ensure accuracy, we cannot be held responsible if data is incorrect.
Tommy Emmanuel
LIVE MUSIC AND TALENT BOOKING IN SWITZERLAND We would like to thank: concerts booking production consulting communication
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AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
12 • Market Focus
MARKET FOCUS
Japan • SAPPORO
SENDAI • TOKYO HIROSHIMA •
• OSAKA
As with almost every other live music market around the world, the live entertainment sector has been seriously hit by the Corvid-19 epidemic, but promoters and venue operators are philosophical about the situation and deal with it as best they can. Lisa Henderson reports
Population:
Language:
126.8 million
Japanese
UDO president Eiji Ninomiya suggests that to bank on the zealous Japanese fan culture, artistes must deliver a show that feels inclusive and intimate. “Live music is an interactive tool between the artistes and the fans, and shows are becoming more and more participatory. The artistes want to connect with the fans and the fans want to feel close to the artistes through the live concert,” says Ninomiya. However, this is a particularly challenging task for international artistes who have to overcome the language barrier. “One disadvantage in our market is that English is not our mother tongue so Japanese artistes can draw bigger crowds than international artistes,” says Ninomiya. “That said, the recent trend is that the younger generation can pick up English more easily compared to senior people.” Though senior citizens may not be proficient in English, they’re a lucrative demographic in Japan and shouldn’t be disregarded, Ninomiya says. “Senior people do go to concerts and they can spend more money and time on pleasure and enjoyment. As a promoter, we are always checking the trends to see how we can draw all kinds of people to concerts regardless of
GDP per capita (US$):
38,428.10
AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
Currency:
Japanese yen
US$ exchange rate: 0.0090
the artiste.” Another UDO touring artiste is Diana Krall, who played six shows – three at Bunkamura Orchard Hall (2,150) in Tokyo, Hondanomori Hall (1,707) in Kanazawa, Ueno Gakuen Hall (1,730) in Hiroshima, and Festival Hall (2,700) in Osaka.
Fashion and music
Concert and festival promoter Smash Corporation, also based in Tokyo, was founded in 1983, and has offices in Osaka and London, UK. The company promotes Fuji Rock (40,000), which is usually held on the last weekend of July at the Naeba ski resort in Niigata, but has been pushed back to 21–23 August this year to avoid conflicting with Tokyo Summer Olympics, although the latter has now been postponed. It also promotes Asagiri Jam (12,000). This year’s Fuji Rock will feature artistes including The Strokes, Tame Impala and FKA twigs. First release general admission tickets cost between 18,000 yen ($160) for one day and 39,800 yen ($355) for three-day entry. Among artistes Smash promoted last year were Tokyo shows with Aldous Harding at WWW X (600) and Metronomy at Liquidroom
Broadband households: 100.9m
Internet users: 111m
(Source: IFPI)
Boasting the world’s third largest economy and 11th biggest population, Japan’s live music market has a particularly strong fan culture for certain international artistes. Although the Coronavirus pandemic has caused massive disruption for the live entertainment sector, and the Tokyo Summer Olympics – now postponed to 2021 – had prompted a reshuffling of festival dates, promoters are optimistic about the future and confident Japan’s entertainment industry will bounce back. One of the country’s two longest established promoters, Tokyo-based UDO Artists was founded in 1967 and promotes artistes such as Eric Clapton, Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Eagles, Maroon 5, Aerosmith, Norah Jones, Jackson Browne, Katy Perry and Charlie Puth. Last year the company promoted five KISS dates, playing Xebio Arena Senadi (cap. 4,200), Tokyo Dome (55,000), Morioka Takaya Arena (5,058), Kyocera Dome Osaka (55,000), and Dolphins Arena (7,514) in Nagoya. Tickets ranged from 15,000–25,000 yen ($137–229). It also presented Sting for five dates across Fukuoka Kokusai Center (10,000), Makuhari Messe (9,000) in Chiba, Xebio Arena Sendai, and Osaka Chuo Gymnasium (8,200). Tickets ranged from 17,000–18,000 yen ($165–155).
www.audience.uk.com
Market Focus • 13
Summer Sonic
(900), and three nights with Feeder at Club NHK Hall (3,800) in Tokyo, Zepp Nagoya (1,864), Quattro venues in Nagoya, Umeda, Shibuya (all Zepp Fukuoka (2001), Zepp Namba (2,200) in Osaka and Sendai GIGS (1,560) in Sendai. Tickets 650-capacity). While the market has plenty of opportunities ranged from 8,500–9,000 yen ($75–80). The company also promoted Queen & Adam for international acts, Smash’s Johnnie Moylett says promoters would be wise to bring over Lambert’s four dates across three venues – artistes who can offer a little more than just Saitama Super Arena (37,000), Kyocera Dome Osaka (55,000), and Nagoya Dome (49,000), music. “Mainly because of the language barrier, with tickets ranging from 12,000–50,000 yen ($110–460). Japanese audiences tend to take great Elsewhere, the company presented interest in a western artiste that is a five dates with a-ha’s at Tokyo Dome mix of fashion and music – and it’s City Hall (3,000), Fukuoka Civic Hall important that those kinds of artistes (2,316), Festival Hall (2,700) in Osaka, come to Japan at the early, buzzy stage and NTK Hall Forest Hall (2,291) in of their career,” says Moylett. Nagoya. Founded in 1989, Creativeman In terms of festivals, Creativeman Productions also promotes concert celebrated the 20th anniversary of and festivals. Naoki Shimizu Summer Sonic, which takes place in Led by president Naoki Shimizu, the Tokyo (site 60,000) and Osaka (40,000). company operates across cities such as Tokyo (where it is based), Osaka and Nagoya It featured headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers, The and promotes artistes such as Radiohead, Green Chainsmokers and B’z, with both sold-out. Tickets for the Tokyo event ranged from Day, Lady Gaga, Sam Smith, Guns N’Roses, 15,000 yen ($142) for a one-day ticket to 25,000 Babymetal, and The 1975. Stand-out shows from 2019 include Carly Rae yen ($236) for a platinum ticket. Osaka tickets Jepsen, co-promoted with Live Nation Japan, at were priced slightly lower.
This year’s Summer Sonic was been cancelled due to the Summer Olympics, which were set for 24 July to 9 August, and will resume in 2021 along with the rescheduled Olympics. Creativeman’s other festival Greenroom, an outdoor music and arts event celebrating beach and surf culture, is due to take place on 23–24 May at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse. Among the artistes on the bill are MGMT, Sigrid and Tasha Sultana. Tickets cost between 12,000 yen ($102) for one-day and 19,000 yen ($170) for two. Creativeman also promotes in Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, China, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
New venues coming
Another veteran promoter, Hayashi International Promotion (HIP), was founded in 1981 and works with acts such as Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Mariah Carey, Fall Out Boy and The Weeknd. Last year, along with Live Nation Japan, it delivered two nights for U2 at Saitama Super Arena (37,000), with tickets ranging from 16,800–60,000 yen ($154–552), one date for Buck Cherry at Liquidroom (900) and The Stranglers at WWW (400).
We will help revolutionize your business. www.audience.uk.com
AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
14 • Market Focus
Yoshito Yamazaki
CEO Massy Hayashi says the live music market is on an upwards trajectory but some costs are spiking. “The entertainment industry is good here but it’s still in a growing phase and will take time to fully mature,” he says. “Business has been good but venue rental fees are quite high.” This year HIP was due to promote Slipknot’s Knotfest Japan at Makuhari Messe (9,000) in Chiba, but the event has been postponed due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Hayashi says the company’s average annual revenue is usually around $280 million from approximately 1.77m tickets sold, but due to Coronavirus, it’s been forced to cancel imminent events resulting in a loss of around $20m in revenue so far. Though it’s difficult to predict where business will be in two or three years time, Hayashi says that many new venues are under construction so there’s hope on the horizon for a stronger, more diverse live music market.
Direction change
Massy Hayashi
Founded in 1962, Kyodo Tokyo is the longest running promoters in the region and has presented artistes including The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, the Eagles, Madonna and Taylor Swift.
AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
Yokohama Arena
More recently, the company has turned its focus to an “adult fanbase market”, promoting artistes including Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons at Showa Women’s University Hitomi Memorial Hall (2,800) and Englebert Humperdinck at International Forum Hall C (1,502) in Tokyo. Kyodo Tokyo president Yoshito Yamazaki says one of the biggest challenges for Japanese promoters is dealing with high expectations for artiste fees.
“The market in Japan for successful tours has become narrow and it is very difficult to present shows in cities other than Tokyo, especially since a decade or so ago,” says Yamazaki. “Therefore there is a gap between the agent’s expectation for an ideal tour schedule/guarantee and what the promoter can actually offer within a safe range of risk. “Because of this, and with the method that some major companies are taking by covering a worldwide deal, it is more
www.audience.uk.com
Market Focus • 15
Billboard Live, Tokyo
and more difficult to promote foreign artists in Japan in a healthy situation.”
Latest arrival
Live Nation Japan (LNJ) was established in 2014, is led by president John Boyle and promotes artistes including U2, Backstreet Boys, John Mayer, LANY, Kacey Musgraves and Troye Sivan. Last year LNJ held 80 shows, including LANY at Zepp Divercity (2,500), Tokyo and Umeda Club Quattro (650) in Osaka,
www.audience.uk.com
with tickets at 6,800–7,500 yen ($64–70) and Miguel in at Ex Theater Roppongi (1,746) in Tokyo, with ticket prices rang-
“Live music is an interactive tool between the artistes and the fans, and shows are becoming more and more participatory” Eiji Ninomiya
ing from 9,500–18,000 yen ($89–169). The Backstreet Boys concerts were at
Saitama Super Arena (37,000) in Tokyo and Osaka’s Jo Hall (16,000), while U2 was at Saitama Super Arena (37,000), with tickets priced at 15,800–38,800 yen ($148–365). In partnership with Creativeman, LNJ also launched the first edition of UK festival brand Download Japan (20,000), which took place at Makuhari Messe Event Hall in March 2019 and featured Anthrax, Sum 41, Slayer, Judas Priest and Halestorm. This year’s edition, which was due to be headlined by My Chemical Romance, has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus. The company’s upcoming shows include Billie Eilish at Yokohama Arena (17,000) in September, with tickets costing between 9,500–15,000 yen ($84–133). LNJ will also present shows with Ms Lauryn Hill and Halsey each at Tokyo’s Garden Theater (8,000) – a new venue opening in Ariake in May. Opened in 1989 and modelled on New York’s Madison Square Garden (18,600), Yokohama Arena (17,000) is an indoor arena located in, the city of the same name, south of Tokyo. Excluding stadiums, it is the second biggest arena in Japan, after Saitama Super Arena (37,000). Last year the venue hosted 162 live
Tomoko Moore
AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
16 • Market Focus
Fuji Rock Festival
music events – the majority of which were domestic acts. One Ok Rock and Babymetal have each played two shows there. Shawn Mendes is one of the only international artistes that played the arena last year, with tickets ranging between 11,000–20,000 yen ($97–178). Yokohama Arena’s Masayuki Kitamura says the strength of Japan’s live industry lies in its homegrown talent, “particularly with J-POP and rock acts”. Kitamura also says the market has been strong for a while and business has been good for the past several years, but there are still a few issues the venue has to contend with which mostly revolve around ticketing. “The way we see it, there are three main issues: paper tickets still dominate, there is no dynamic ticketing yet and there are too many ticket agencies,” says Kitamura.
Club foundations
US music industry publication Billboard enjoys a naming rights deal with venues that were previously the old Blue Note clubs. It has Billboard Live Tokyo (300) and Billboard Live Osaka (300), with
AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
Saitama Super Arena
Billboard Live Yokohama (300), opening in April. Ayaka Matsui from Billboard Live Tokyo, which opened in 2007, says the venue hosted around 220 music events in 310 days last year, averaging two shows a night.
“There is a gap between the agent’s expectation for an ideal tour schedule/guarantee and what the Japanese promoter can actually offer within a safe range of risk” Yoshito Yamazaki
Among the artistes that performed at the venue last year are Babyface (18,000 yen/ $165), George Clinton (17,800 yen/$165), Morris Day & The Time (12,800 yen/$117) and Aloe Blacc (8,000 yen/$73). “Our sales in 2019 were a little lower than the previous year, but last year we were affected by natural disasters, such as typhoons, more than usual,” says Matsui. Regardless of a slight decline in sales, business is usually quite steady Matsui says. “The strength of the market lies in fan
culture,” says Matsui. “It’s a very unique market compared to other countries – Japanese fans are faithful and very passionate. It’s easy for artistes to build a strong fanbase.” Much like the rest of the live music industry, the main hurdle Billboard Live has to overcome is the Coronavirus epidemic . So far, both the Osaka and Tokyo venues have been forced to cancel around 35 events, between 28 February to 24 March. However, Matsui is positive about the future and the opening of the new Yokohama venue. “Even though we are in this unexpected situation, we’ll keep doing our best to bring better music experiences for Japan’s live music market.” Japan was one of the first Asian countries to be affected by the Coronavirus outbreak. At the time of going to print, the authorities had not imposed a lockdown or mass closures of public places and many venues have remained open. Among the artistes who were due to play Japan, but have cancelled or postponed are Rick Astley, A-HA, The National, Green Day, Foals, Ari Lennox, Tom Walker, Temples, Pixies and Stormzy.
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Market Focus • 17
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Festival News Lowlands festival positively electric NETHERLANDS
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RGANISERS OF the 55,000-capacity Lowlands Festival in Lake Veluwe, Biddinghuizen, are about to realise a dream, when works starts in November on what is being hailed as the world’s largest solar carport. The 35-hectare structure will consist of 90,000 solar panels, provide cover for 15,000 cars and generate around 35 billion kWh of electricity annually. A venture between festival owner Mojo Concerts and renewable energy company Solarfields, the huge carport is expected to be op-
erational by May 2021. “As a festival organisation, we want to be part of the solution [to climate change] and contribute to an optimistic view of the future,” says Lowlands director Eric van Eerdenburg, “We hope to be a source of inspiration for our visitors to play their part, no matter how small, in making the world more sustainable. “About 12 years ago we started research on how to improve sustainability within our business operations. Actualising this together with Solarfields on a large scale is a long-held dream come true.” Solarfields director Jelmer Pijl-
Solar Fields at Lowlands
man adds, ”Over the past two-anda-half years, we have worked hard with Mojo to address all challenges involved in a project of this magnitude. “We were fortunate to get a great deal of local authority support along the way. This project is a wonderful example of multiple land use: park-
Montreux Jazz Festival comes to people’s homes M
SWITZERLAND
Montreux Jazz Festival © Marc Ducrest
ONTREUX JAZZ Festival (cap. 20,000) is giving fans the opportunity to stream more than 50 legendary performances from the event’s history in the comfort of their own homes. For the first time, the festival is digitally releasing concerts from its archives, including performances from Quincy Jones, James Brown and Nina Simone, which are now available to watch in full and for free on the festival’s website. “We are bringing the magic of Montreux Jazz Festival into people’s homes, making that unique atmosphere and those unrivalled moments available on-demand,” says CEO Mathieu Jaton. “We hope that, during these difficult times,
ing and sustainable energy production in the same space.” Meanwhile, this year’s festival will take place on 21-23 August and feature artistes such as The Chemical Brothers, Stormzy and Foals. Lowlands only sells three-day tickets, which includes camping and shuttle bus, and cost €220 ($237). fans can enjoy these concerts as a reminder of the sense of community the festival fostered for over 50 years.” The 54th edition is due to take place on 3-18 July across multiple venues including the Auditorium Stravinski (4,000) and will feature artistes including Lionel Richie, Lenny Kravitz and Brittany Howard. Tickets range between 135–600 francs ($124–555). The management says that although the festival dates are not yet directly compromised by the Coronavirus pandemic, they are “closely assessing developments” in conjunction with the authorities. An announcement revealing the line-up has been postponed in light of the circumstances.
Tour Manager Terry Tucker’s Touring Tribulations
AUDIENCE • Issue 242 • March 2020
by Newman-Parker
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