Audience 211 by Audience Media Ltd

For the International Contemporary Live Music Industry issue 211 August 2017 UK £6.25 Europe €9.40 ROW $12.25

Ticketing sites accused of ‘market abuse’ DEAG/Kilimanjaro buys into Flying Music Agencies shuffle in Toronto

Given the green light Lorde back on the road

None of the new arenas built for the Olympics are being used. It is a tragic waste of resources Andre Matalon of Move Concerts in Brazil

/t4f www.t4f.com.br

Real leaders st are in 1 place even on magazine pages More than 20 million tickets sold in the last 5 years

7 festivals 136 international tours 2.208 shows in our venues 115 outdoor shows

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Essential reading for live music industry professionals across more than 80 countries worldwide

Perspective

Contents

6-14 World News Industry news from around the globe

16-20 Market Focus: Brazil Review of a touring market for international artistes

24-31 Feature: Supporting Stars How the world’s leading international staging companies go about their business

32 City Focus: Vienna, Austria

35 Industry Events 36-39 Production News Developments in live show equipment and infrastructure

40-45 Tour Plans Artistes, tour periods, agents

46 Festival News International festival activity

46 Doubts Over Long-Term Investment The trials and tribulations of tour manager Terry Tucker and his crew

ublisher & Managing Editor: Stephen Parker P T: +44 (0)20 7486 7007 News Editor: Neil Bracegirdle gareth@audience.uk.com Editorial Contributors: jason@audience.uk.com Europe: Christopher Barrett, amy@audience.uk.com Mike Gartside craig@audience.uk.com USA/Canada: Jane Cohen, Bob Grossweiner Subscriptions: Laurie Burgess, Tom Herriott Sales Director: Gareth Ospina T: +44 (0)20 7486 7007 Sales Executives: Craig Swan, Amy Swift E: laurie@audience.uk.com Jason Scott, E: tom@audience.uk.com Circulation Manager: Tom Herriott Rates: £75 for 12 issues (UK) Re-subscriptions Manager: Laurie Burgess £85 for 12 issues (European Union) Administrative Manager: Dawn Chamber £95 for 12 issues (Rest of the World) Credit Control: Murali Sri Balaskanda Subscribe online at www.audience.uk.com Editorial: Neil Bracegirdle Cover photograph: © IBL/REX/Shutterstock T: +44 (0)20 7486 7007 E: neil@audience.uk.com Design: Imogen Chester Advertising: Gareth Ospina, Jason Scott, Print: Stephens & George Ltd Amy Swift, Craig Swan www.stephensandgeorge.co.uk

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There is something about rock promoters, agents and managers. The entrepreneurial drive, the skills that have to be honed and the lessons learned from experiences, that are required to survive that first decade are immense. But those who make it through are equipped to handle almost anything and some go on to launch huge festivals the size of small towns, or organise tours. Suffice to say, that when a former promoter, a one-time production manager and the former agent/manager of a rock band that still endures, who have built diverging businesses of varying size decide to work together, then anything is possible. And so it is that German corporate giant DEAG and its majority-owned UK promoter Kilimanjaro Live have invested a reported $6.4 million in family entertainment stage show producer Flying Music. The interesting thing is that all three parties are able to judge each other on their respective achievements and speak much the same business language. Whether it’s Kilimanjaro’s rock ‘n’ roll roster, DEAG’s particular speciality in classical music – as well as shows by the Rolling Stones and others – or Flying Music’s expertise in West End shows and touring productions, it’s all about entertainment and attracting audiences. Their roots may have been in rock ‘n’ roll, but as their careers and businesses developed and their youthful ideals mellowed, in the end it’s all just showbiz. And great fun it is too.

ISSUE 211: August 2017 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 211 • August 2017

6 • World News

Scramble for talent in Canada as UTA exits

ficati and Mike Graham. “We are investing in Canadian wo major US agencies have artistes and the city of Toronto as apparently rushed to fill the void we continue to expand APA’s global after United Talent Agency (UTA) footprint,” says APA president and CEO Jim Gosnell. closed its office in ToJames’ clients include ronto. Nickelback, Billy Talent Paradigm Talent Agenand Danko Jones. Ross cy and APA have both brings acts such as Bruce opened offices in the city Cockburn, Paul Brandt and staffed them with a and Alan Doyle. number of former UTA The new Paradigm ofagents. Jeremy Zimmer fice will be headed by Ex-UTA executives Ralph James and Jack Ross head the senior vice-president Rob Zifarelli new APA office, along with former and booking agents Adam CountryUTA agent colleagues Stefanie Puri- man and André Guérette. Zifarelli CANADA

brings artistes such as Feist, Vance Joy and Christine and the Queens, while Guérette’s acts include Martha Wainwright, and Countryman adds Hey Rosetta! and Andy Shauf. “Canada is an important source of creative talent for our agency,” says Paradigm executive Tom Windish. “Rob, André and Adam are highly respected as seasoned and cutting edge agents. Tom Windish It’s good to have their expertise on our side.” It is unclear how long APA and Paradigm had been planning their

respective moves into Toronto, but UTA had announced its plans to exit Canada some months ago. “We are taking this step after careful consideration, and we recognise it is a tough one for our colleagues there,” says UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer, who adds the company is focusing on the US and UK markets to source new talent. UTA inherited the Toronto office when it acquired multinational booking operation The Agency Group in 2015 (see Audience issue 187).

Record concert attendance Tributes paid to boosts Live Nation revenue Dave Chumbley and stadium attendance was up 29 per cent, says the company. “Given the strong performance of our shows ive Nation Entertainment (LNE) posted a strong second quarter (Q2) with revenue to date and the pipeline of shows for the rest up 29 per cent to $2.81 billion for the three of the year, I expect us to grow our fan base months to 30 June, compared to $2.17bn to 80 million this year,” says LNE president and CEO Michael Rapino. “And with these addilast year. Operating income was up 53 per cent to tional fans I am confident that we will deliver $113 million and adjusted operating income strong growth in our concerts results, provid(AOI) was up 22 per cent to $221m. On a con- ing the flywheel to grow our sponsorship and ticketing businesses.” stant currency basis, revenue was Ticketing revenue for LNE’s Ticketup 31 per cent to $2.86bn. master (TM) division was $484.6m, LNE says the growth was an increase of $41m, with show listdriven by a 34 per cent increase ing expanded to include secondary in the number of shows and fan tickets for events where TM is not attendance in arenas and stadithe primary ticket seller. That is said ums globally, with artistes such to have which increased the number as U2 (which LNE also manages), of events listed by 35 per cent and Depeche Mode, Coldplay and Michael Rapino drew 120 million users to the comBruno Mars. Concert revenue was $2.2bn, up 36 per cent pany’s websites each month. LNE says secondary ticketing business was from the same period last year. LNE promoted 7,720 shows delivering 24 million admissions down two per cent, a considerable fall from its – the latter being an increase of 5.5 million 50 per cent increase for Q2 last year. Revenue from sponsorship and advertising from Q2 in 2016. There were 5,185 shows in North America was up 31 per cent to $124m, partly due to a and 2,535 internationally – an attendance in- growth in online advertising. Long term LNE debt stands at $2.25bn, the crease of 25 per cent and 36 per cent, respectively. Arena attendance was up 36 per cent, same as at the end of 2016, while short term amphitheatre attendance was up 14 per cent debt was $66.4m, up from $53.317m. UNITED STATES

audience • issue 211 • August 2017

have been touched by his unique humour, exceps Audience went tional kindness and infecto press, it was an- tious joie de vivre.” In his early career Chumnounced that one of the international agency bley worked at World world’s most well-known Service and The Agency agents Dave Chumbley, a Group before becoming director of Primary Talent a founding agent when International, has died. He World Service and The Station Agency was 57. merged to C h u m b l e y, form Primary. whose roster “I have included Lana known him del Rey, Gwen since the midStefani, Imo80s and he gen Heap, Ruwas a true fus Wainwright friend,” Primary and Tony Had- Dave Chumbley co-founder ley, died in hospital on 22 August follow- and former MD Martin Hopewell tells Audience. ing a battle with cancer. “Thousands of people “Dave was a great man, a world-class agent, es- around the world knew teemed director and col- Dave and he was an enorleague whose dedication mous personality.” Chumbley is survived to his artistes was unmatched,” says the com- by his wife Romilly and pany in a statement. “We two children, Raphaella are extremely lucky to and Tom. UNITED KINGDOM

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World News • 7

DEAG and Kilimanjaro take flying leap into stage shows GERMANY/UNITED KINGDOM

an-Europe promoter, venue operator and record label Deutsche Entertainment AG (DEAG) has acquired a majority stake in UK-based promoter and show producer Flying Music Group through UK subsidiary Kilimanjaro. The deal, believed to be worth €5.5 million ($6.4m) for a 60 per stake which Kilimanjaro will hold, gives Berlin-based DEAG access to the international family entertainment business. Over the last 30 years Flying Music has established itself as a tour, musical and theatrical production producer and promoter, with shows including Thriller Live and The Rat Pack Live. In the last year it has generated sales of around €20 million ($23.5m) internationally and sells around 475,000 tick-

ets annually, some of which will now go through director Steve Tilley owning the remaining stock, with Galbraith holding the majority. DEAG’s myticket.co.uk. “We have been able to achieve the growth of “We prefer to build successful entrepreneurial partnerships as we have the last three years by diversifying our business with Kilimanjaro - rather than create model beyond live music,” says Galbraith. “The Flysubsidiaries - that have expertise in ing Music Group deal is another important step in place,” says Detlef Kornett, executive our expansion into West end touring musicals and theatre.” board member for DEAG’s inDerek Nicol, joint MD of Flying Muternational business. sic with Paul Walden, tells Audience “Along with [UK-based the company will continue to operate classical music promotion Derek Nicol as it always has, although Galbraith company] Raymond Gubbay will join its board as chairman. these companies fit together “This gives us a lot more potential and can create projects that for growth, particularly into the wider improve revenue streams reaches of Europe with DEAG,” says and opportunities in the UK Stuart Galbraith Nicol. and abroad.” “It gives us a push, as we have always grown inDEAG owns 100 per cent of the Raymond Gubbay company and 51 per ternally in the past and that is a slower process.” Nicol says he has no intention of retiring and is cent of promoter Kilimanjaro Live, with Detlef Kornett founder and CEO Stuart Galbraith and “locked in” for five more years.

WORLD

All systems go fter a threeyear hiatus, New Zealand singersongwriter Ella Yelich-O’Connor, known as Lorde, released her second album Melodrama in June. Her return has seen singles Green Light and Liability COVER ARTISTE follow-up on the success of her debut album Pure Heroine, which earned critical acclaim and featured transatlantic hit Royals. With a world tour stretching into next year, Lorde has shows in Europe including the UK’s Alexandra Palace (cap. 10,000) in London, Belgium’s Lotto Arena (7,500) in Antwerp and Spain’s Saint Jordi Club (3,000) in Barcelona. “I met Ella at the start of 2013 in Auckland and was stunned at what a smart young woman she was then, and am not surprised by what she has achieved since,” says her international agent Emma Banks of CAA’s London office. “She speaks from the heart and has a voice that is unique. After her killer performance at Glastonbury [140,000] this year, I can’t wait to see her when she starts her headline tour in September.” Lorde is managed by Jonathan Daniel, Bob McLynn and Alex Sarti at Crush Music in New York.

www.audience.uk.com

audience • issue 211 • August 2017

8 • World News

Ticketing sites accused of ‘market abuse’ EUROPE

ajor ticketing sites in Italy and Spain are facing legal action following accusations they manipulated concert ticket sales. Milan’s state prosecutor Adriano Scudieri is bringing a case against Live Nation Italy (LNI) and Vivo Concerti, after an investigation revealed a deal to provide tickets to resale site Viagogo and share the profits. The practice was uncovered by television show Le Iene (The Hyenas) last year (see Audience issue 202). The companies, along with promoter DI and GI, are also alleged to have misled customers about how close shows were to selling out, in order to increase the number of tickets bought on secondary sites. It is understood the fraud may date

back to 2011 and allowed the companies to profit by an extra €1.4 million ($1.6m). LNI’s MD Roberto De Luca, former Vivo MD Corrado Rizzotto and DI and GI’s Domenico D’Alessandro are among those alleged to have been involved. “What is very important, although it is likely to take a long time for these findings to be concluded, is that it sends a very clear message,” head of Barley Arts Promotion Claudio Trotta tells Audience. “Now everyone in Italy has to be very careful about doing secondary ticketing – what has been happening is market abuse and fraud.” Trotta filed a criminal complaint with the Milan prosecutor last year after tickets for his sell-out concert with Bruce Springsteen at San Siro (cap. 80,000) stadium appeared on resale

sites within minutes of going on sale. In October performance royalty collection body SIAE called for an investigation against LNI and ticket company TicketOne, after a similar incident involving two Coldplay shows at the same venue. TicketOne has since been fined €1m for failing to enforce measures to prevent touting (see Audience issue 208). A civil court in Rome banned LNI and Claudio Trotta Viagogo from selling tickets to U2’s summer concerts in Italy in June, following complaints from SIAE. Audience contacted LNI, Vivo and DI and GI for comment, but all three

declined to comment. Meanwhile in Spain, Madrid City Council has asked the region’s Department of Consumer affairs to bring legal sanctions against Live Nation Entertainmentowned Ticketmaster (TM). The move comes after a complaint of “misleading advertising” from consumer rights group FACUA, which claims TM has been falsely informing customers that concerts were sold-out and directing them to touted tickets on its resale subsidiary Seatwave, when face value tickets were still available. Among shows under scrutiny include Bruce Springsteen and Bruno Mars.

Global giant ‘threatening diversity’ Management focus says indie festivals association at the Summit UNITED KINGDOM

he alleged “stranglehold” of dominance Live Nation Entertainment (LNE) holds over the country’s live music sector is in danger of damaging the market, according to the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), which represents 65 independent event organisers. The global giant’s bid to acquire a majority stake in the Isle of Wight Festival (cap. 42,000) from Solo Paul Reed Agency’s John Giddings is already under investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over concerns the deal will reduce competition in the festival scene. No side would confirm if the deal had been concluded before the CMA stepped in. AIF is calling on the CMA to widen this investigation to include LNE’s activities across the entire live sector. According to AIF research, LNE would own or majority-own nearly 25 per cent of all UK festivals over 5,000-capacity if the Isle of Wight deal is allowed, three times as much as its closest rival, radio station behemoth Global, which controls an eight per cent share. Of the 28 festivals in LNE’s sphere of influence, it controls eight of the nine largest, including Download (110,000), V Festival (90,000), Creamfields (60,000), Reading (90,000), Leeds (80,000) and T In The Park (85,000) when it happens. audience • issue 211 • August 2017

“Their vertical integration is a concern particularly in the festival sector, but when you look at the increasing tentacles across ticketing, secondary, artiste management and its venue portfolio, and it starts to look like a stranglehold,” AIF general manager Paul Reed tells Audience. “We wanted to bring this to the attention of the CMA.” LNE owns Ticketmaster and its TicketWeb brand, along with two of the Big 4 resale sites – Seatwave and Get Me In!, while it has majority stakes in venue chain Academy Music Group, owns Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena (7,500), Manchester’s O2 Apollo (3,500) and operates several other venues. AIF believes this dominance has resulted in a growing number of exclusivity restrictions imposed on artistes playing LNE festivals. “These deals are applying to lower and lower levels and mean no artiste, agent or manager can really afford to fall out with them, as it is such an extensive and ever-expanding network,” says Reed. AIF members include Boomtown Fair (60,000), Bestival (40,000) and Kendal Calling (25,000). LNE declined to comment, while a spokeswoman for the CMA tells Audience she could not comment on whether the investigation would be widened.

UNITED KINGDOM

rganisers of annual conference and networking event LIVE UK Summit are joining with the Music Manager’s Forum (MMF) and its allied anti-ticket abuse campaign group FanFair Alliance (FFA), to present a series of panels from the artiste manager’s perspective. Chaired by FFA manager Adam Webb, What Price Ethics? will discuss how artistes and their managers can protect themselves and their fans from ticket touts, including case studies and updates from politicians on the latest legislation and what might be in the pipeline. Located in a new conference space, a series of MMFcurated sessions will cover topics such as the increasing links between streaming and the live sector and performance royalties. “Artiste managers are at the centre of everything, from developing new talent and organising tours through to recording, sponsorship and merchandising deals,” says Summit executive producer Steve Parker, who is also managing editor of Audience. “Most managers have grown up with live music and their collective input at the event will be invaluable to delegates across the sector.” Set for Thursday 12 October at the Radisson Blu Portman hotel in London’s West End, a special registration rate of £115 + VAT (a total of approximately €154 or $180) is still available for a limited period at www.liveuksummit.com. The LIVE UK Summit is followed by the Live Music Business Awards (www.livemusicawards.co.uk), held in the evening at the same venue. www.audience.uk.com

World News • 9

Reports say Live Nation filed complaint against AEG UNITED KINGDOM

ive Nation Entertainment (LNE) is reported to have lodged a complaint against rival global promoter and venue operator AEG about its booking policy restricting acts from playing London’s The O2 (cap. 21,000). LNE has apparently informed the

Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that AEG is insisting artistes must sign an agreement to play its 20,000-capacity Staples Center in Los Angeles. Those that didn’t would not get dates at The O2. LNE declined to comment when contacted by Audience and the CMA is not currently running an investi-

gation into the claim and refused to confirm whether a complaint had even been received. In July, AEG announced it would begin operating “coordinated bookings” between The O2 and Staples Center (see Audience issue 210), as a response to New York’s Madison Square Garden Company and offshoot Azoff MSG

Entertainment suggesting it would restrict dates at Madison Square Garden (19,000) if acts would also not commit to playing sister venue The Forum (17,500) in Los Angeles, rather than the Staples. Some media reports suggest that LNE is a supporter of the Azoff-MSG stance against AEG.

Thousands evacuated after fire engulfs stage at festival SPAIN

ore than 22,000 people were evacuated from Tomorrowland UNITE in Barcelona after the main stage caught fire. The blaze was started after pyrotechnics set a bank of speakers alight, resulting in firefighters being called to extin-

guish the flames. The remainder of the festival, held at Parc de Can Zam, was cancelled. Steve Aoki had been due to perform. “Thanks to the professional intervention of the authorities, all 22,000 visitors were evacuated safely, with no injuries reported. Authorities will follow up and continue the investigation,” says Tomorrowland in

a statement. The Tomorrowland UNITE series comprises events across eight countries including Germany, Malta, Israel and Lebanon, allowing fans to watch the main stage at the original Tomorrowland in Belgium. LiveStyle, formerly SFX Entertainment, owns the Tomorrowland festival brand.

AUSTRALIA

romoter Frontier Touring has been presented with a gold record of Royal Blood’s eponymous first album, following the band’s sell-out show at Sydney’s Metro Theatre (cap. 7,000). Pictured from left to right is Royal Blood’s Ben Thatcher, Frontier tour director Michael Harrison, Royal Blood‘s Mike Kerr and Warner Music Australia publicist Billy McLeod.

Always a good idea! GIGS Barricades and Ground Protection by eps

Wherever you go, we are there. Get in touch! info@eps.net | www.eps.net

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audience • issue 211 • August 2017

10 • World News

WiZink grows concert business SPAIN

adrid’s 17,453-capacity WiZink Center expects to increase its event business by 12 per cent this year, including a rise in the number of concerts from 56 in 2016 to 80. The venue is set to host a record 160 events during 2017, compared to 135 last year. “We have been following a very regular line in terms of attendance,” says arena general manager Manuel Saucedo, who is also CEO of Impulsa Eventos, which manages the venue. “We had two Muse concerts last year, both of which sold-out within a day and Justin Bieber’s

November show sold-out in hours.” Previously known as Barclaycard Center the venue, which increased its capacity from 15,000 last year, was renamed in December after WiZink Bank bought Manuel Saucedo the Barclaycard business in Spain and Portugal. “The venue can change configuration in a few hours, allowing promoters to reduce their set up times and save money, as they only need to hire for one or two days,” says Saucedo, who adds that

WiZink Center

a curtain system can create formats from 3,000 people upwards. Acts playing WiZink include Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Ricky Martin, Shawn Mendes, Royal Blood and Shakira.

Arena returns to being Arena Kayne West sues insurer for $10m over cancelled shows

UNITED KINGDOM

he 15,800-capacity Barclaycard Arena is to be renamed Arena Birmingham from 1 September, after its naming rights deal with Barclaycard expired. Barclaycard has been in partnership with the NEC Group, which manages the venue, since 2012 with Barclaycard Arena launched in 2014, following a £26 million redevelopment. It announced last year it planned to move away from long-term naming rights with the venue as part of a review of its spon- Phil Mead sorship strategy. “Much of what we have achieved is down to the support of Barclaycard who have been an excellent partner,

USA/EUROPE

R Arena Birmingham

but we are now entering another exciting era with Arena Birmingham, as it’s transformed into a destination in its own right within the city,” says NEC MD Phil Mead. Also previously known as the NIA, the venue stages around 100 events. Acts playing the venue include Iron Maiden, Drake, Celine Dion, John Legend and The Australian Pink Floyd.

apper Kayne West has filed a $10 million lawsuit against insurance company Lloyd’s of London, accusing it of withholding payments following the cancellation of a tour in November 2016. In the lawsuit, West’s company Very Good Touring claims Lloyd’s is holding back payments due to his use of marijuana, something West’s lawyer Howard King describes as an “unsupportable contention”. West cancelled 21 dates at the end of his Saint Pablo tour, before spending eight days in a psychiatric centre in Los Angeles. “There hasn’t been any indication if they [Lloyd’s] will ever pay or even make a coverage decision, implying that West’s use of marijuana may provide them with a

basis to deny the claim and retain the hundreds of thousands of dollars in insurance premiums paid by Very Good,” says the lawsuit. It says West has submitted evidence to prove a medical condition meant he couldn’t continue the tour, cancelling shows including Air Canada Center (19,800) in Toronto, Brooklyn’s Barclays Center (19,000) and Denver’s Pepsi Center (18,000). An insurance expert tells Audience it is standard practice for insurers to have policies to pay out for cancellations for reasons beyond an artiste’s control, while anything under the artiste’s control, including taking drugs or alcohol, is likely to affect claims. A Lloyd’s spokeswoman says the company does not comment on ongoing cases.

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audience • issue 211 • August 2017

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12 • World News

Relief over live VAT cut Victim group recoups $148k SPAIN

reduction in the amount of sales tax for live entertainment from 21 per cent to 10 has been welcomed by the country’s Asociación de Promotores Musicales (APM). The Government opted to bring in the new rate following long-running complaints about the impact the 21 per cent rate, introduced five years ago, was having on the live sector. Sales tax (often known by the UK acronym VAT) on shows had previously been eight per cent. “The lowering of cultural VAT dem-

onstrates the importance of partnerships such as APM, as it shows when we unite and work together, we achieve the objectives,” says APM president Albert Salmerón. According to APM, when sales tax was increased, concert attendance fell, the risk to promoters was greater and venues closed. The new rate still exceeds that paid in countries such Switzerland at 2.5 per cent, the Netherlands (6 per cent) and Germany (7 per cent). Sales tax in the UK is 20 percent, while it is zero for concert tickets in Norway.

UNITED KINGDOM

efunds totalling more than £115,000 ($148,160) have been recouped for members of the Victim of Viagogo group on Facebook since it was set up six months ago. Launched by concert-goer Claire Turnham when Viagogo charged her £1,421 ($1,773) for four Ed Sheeran tickets to a concert at Ireland’s 3Arena (cap 9,500) in Dublin. Turnham thought she was paying £263 ($328), with Viagogo blaming a ‘glitch’ in its system for the overcharge. Her experiences in trying to obtain a refund

led to her forming the group. Turnham has now linked with anti-touting campaign FanFair Alliance to create a guide advising customers who have been mis-sold tickets or overcharged by secondary sites, how to obtain refunds. In a recent episode of BBC TV consumer rights programme Watchdog, Viagogo was accused of using “rip-off tactics and aggressive marketing”, while National Trading Standards stated it was interpreting consumer law incorrectly by claiming it was legal to resell tickets for any concert.

Reeperbahn expands range New link-up for TEG “Most of the acts playing are international newcomers,” says Schulz. “They are he music festival side of conference performing in front of a mixed public and and showcase event Reeperbahn will professional audience that consists of pubfeature more than 450 artistes performing lishers, managers, recorded music and liveacross 70 venues in Hamburg’s St Pauli dis- entertainment from all territories -including Asia, Eastern Europe, Australia trict during the showcase event. and South America.” Among the venues involved Among other acts performwill be the city’s new 2,100-caing at the festival, which runs pacity Elbphilharmonie which is from 20-23 September, will be being used by the festival for the Everything Everything, Faber, first time. Arcane Roots and Oscar and “Including the ElbphilharmoThe Wolf. nie gives us the opportunity to Meanwhile, during the present tailor-made productions Alexander Schulz event’s conference the country’s and to enlarge the range of the already existing contemporary classic con- promoters and agents association BDV will certs,” says festival general manager Alexan- report on challenges facing the industry, including terrorism and extreme weather, der Schulz. The festival will see performances from with input from speakers such as FKP Scor26 Canadian acts as part of a focus on the pio’s Stephen Thanschedit, DEAG’s Daniel Canadian market, while the UK’s BBC Music Rothammer and C2 Concerts’ Christian Doll. Tickets for the conference and festival Introducing and PRS Foundation will also cost €214 ($252). present a showcase.

AUSTRALIA

GERMANY

ajor ticketing, touring and data analytics company TEG has joined forces with Sydney-based touring, events and artiste management firm Division Agency. The companies have formed a strategic alliance to promote more electronic Geoff Jones music shows in Australasia. Division is run by Scott Robertson, who previously promoted the multicity Future Music Festival, along with director Jason Ayoubi, who also worked on the event.

“Division has a diverse and dynamic roster of artistes who we promote, and we have great respect for Jason and Scott’s achievements and ambitions,” says TEG CEO Geoff Jones. Robertson has worked with acts including Fatboy Slim, Martin Garrix and Skrillex, while Division also owns Sydney venues Seadeck (cap. 300) and Goodbar (200). TEG recently completed the acquisition of Malaysian ticketing platform TicketCharge. The company merged with promoter Paul Dainty’s Dainty Group to create TEGDainty last July.

BIME reveals first speakers SPAIN

B HUNGARY

ollowing the success of his song Despacito which has topped the charts across Europe this summer, Luis Fonsi performed to a sell-out 8,000-capacity at Budapest Park on 7 August. Fonsi (centre) is pictured backstage with Harald Buechel and Georg Leitner of Austrian booking agency Georg Leitner Productions, which has recently signed an exclusive representation agreement with the artiste for Europe.

audience • issue 211 • August 2017

ilbao’s music and games conference BIME Pro hopes to emulate last year’s success attracting a record 1,800 delegates from 20 countries, when it returns for its fifth edition on 25-28 October, at Bilbao Exhibition Centre. Speakers will include Jane Beese, head of music at the UK’s Roundhouse (cap. 3,000) in London, record producer and founding member of The Human League and Heaven 17

Martyn Ware, and Sony Music Entertainment vice-president operations and chief financial officer for Latin Iberia Region Maria Fernandez. “One key focus of the event will be on strengthening the Congress of Spanish Festivals,” says BIME project manager Christophe Cassan. Music festival BIME Live runs alongside the conference at venues across the city, featuring acts such as The Prodigy and Mark Eitzel. Earlybird passes, including access to BIME Live, cost €105 ($120). www.audience.uk.com

World News • 13

Hollywood Bowl partnership extended Cirque du Soleil gets into Blue Man act

CANADA

Hollywood Bowl

the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. The new agreement, which he partnership between Live Nation Entertain- applies to the periods either ment and Andrew Hewitt & side of Los Angeles PhilharBill Silva Presents to exclu- monic’s June-September sumsively book and promote at mer season, begins 1 January the landmark 17,500-capac- 2018. The two promoters bepartnership in 2011. ity Hollywood Bowl, has been gan2 the21/8/17 Audience Mag half page.pdf 6:51 pm Hewitt and Silva have jointly extended another 10 years by UNITED STATES

produced concerts at the Hollywood Bowl since 1991, most recently as Andrew Hewitt & Bill Silva Presents. The Bowl is owned by Los Angeles County. Upcoming concerts will feature Depeche Mode, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Janet Jackson, Diana Krall and Chance the Rapper.

ontreal-based Cirque du Soleil has diversified its entertainment portfolio with the acquisition of the Blue Man Group (BMG), which is based in New York. Daniel Lamarre BMG has taken its music and art shows to more than 20 countries and been seen by more than 35 million people worldwide since 1991, with resident shows currently operating in New York, Boston, Las Vegas, Chicago, Orlando and Berlin, as well as two touring productions. Cirque and BMG both hope to expand into China. “We want to broaden our horizons, develop new forms of entertainment, reach out to new audiences and expand our own creative capabilities,” says Cirque du Soleil president/CEO Daniel Lamarre. “Blue Man Group’s unbridled creativity makes them a perfect cultural fit.”

CMY

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audience • issue 211 • August 2017

14 • World News

Newsbites UAE Venue management company AEG Ogden has appointed Guy Ngata as general manager of the 20,000-capacity Dubai Arena, due to open next year. Ngata is currently CEO of New Zealand stadium Eden Park (cap. 50,000) in Auckland and has previously worked for AEG Ogden as general manager of Sydney’s Allphones Arena (21,000), since renamed Qudos Bank Arena. AEG-Ogden was appointed to manage the arena, owned by Dubai-based Meraas last November (see Audience issue 202). Ngata will leave Eden Park this November. UK Manchester Arena (cap. 15,000 for concerts) is to reopen with a special benefit concert. The venue, which has been closed since a terror attack in May, will stage We Are Manchester on 9 September with all profits raised going towards Manchester Memorial Fund, a charity working to create a permanent memorial for the victims of the bombing which followed an Ariana Grande concert. Acts performing include Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Rick Astley and The Courteeners. Tickets for the event cost £25-30 ($32-38).

Sponsor extends Balosie Session backing SWITZERLAND

major sponsor of indoor festival Balosie Session, Baselbased biotechnology and pharmaceutical company Novartis has extended its backing of the concert series for a further four years. The company has been a sponsor of the event, which takes place at

Event Hall (cap. 1,500) at Basel Fair, since 2014. “We are delighted to have Novartis as a globally operating partner, but firmly anchored in the region,” says Balosie CEO festival Beatrice Stirnimann. The presenting sponsors of the event, banking group Basler Versicherungen, renewed its partner-

ship with the festival until 2020 last year (see Audience issue 200), following the death of Balosie founder and former president Matthias Muller. The festival takes place between the 21 October and 9 November. This year’s bill includes Alicia Keys, Madness, Goldfrapp and Nelly Furtado.

Live Nation increases presence in Asia CHINA

ive Nation Entertainment (LNE) has formed a new electronic music division in what it says is a response to a growing demand for electronic music across Asia. Hong Kong-based Live Nation Electronic Asia will be led by independent promoter Jim Wong, as MD. Wong has promoted and booked more than 500 acts for concerts

and festivals in mainland China and Hong Kong over the past three years for Sigma. “This new venture creates enormous potential for electronic music fans and artistes,” says Wong. LNE president of international and emerging markets Alan Ridgeway adds, “Combining Jim’s experience with our network and resources allows us to accelerate our presence in this genre.” The division is promoting an up-

Jim Wong

coming tour with Tiesto as well as Creamfields Festivals in Hong Kong (cap. 30,000) and Taiwan (20,000).

Photography: Ralph Larmann, Mark Cunningham, E. Reid, Tom Bignell, A-Live/Insomniac, Jim Nicholls, Stageco

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MARKET FOCUS

Brazil Boa Vista São Luís Salvador de Bahia BRAZILIA

he awarding of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games appeared to signal Brazil as one of the world’s strongest emerging markets. However those prestigious events coincidenced with a recession that ranks amongst the worse in the country’s history and led to rising unemployment and increased inflation. Political uncertainty has not helped matters, with president Dilma Rousseff impeached last year for moving funds between Government budgets and her vice-president Michel Temer taking the reins until 2018. The economy was also affected by a number of corruption scandals involving some of its biggest private companies and Government officials. The largest country in South America, Brazil’s population is mainly anchored by the cities of Sao Paulo, Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro in the south-east. Among its most prominent promoters of international artistes is Time For Fun (T4F). Last summer T4F joined forces with major promoter Planmusic in a move described at the time as a “consolidation” (see Audience issue 197). The agreement involves Planmusic

Population: 211.9 million

Language: Portuguese

AUDIENCE • Issue 211 • August 2017

With U2, Ed Sheeran and Guns N’Roses visiting this year, and festivals such as Rock In Rio and Lollapalooza, Brazil clearly has no trouble attracting major artistes. Its myriad challenges include the economy, political mismanagement and a lack of modern arenas in many of the country’s major cities. Neil Bracegirdle reports continuing to present shows, while the two jointly produce national and international concerts. Planmusic CEO Luiz Oscar Niemeyer became artistic director for T4F/Planmusic and in August, Niemeyer was named head of entertainment and live music for South America at T4F, replacing Alexandre Faria who is leaving the company. Niemeyer promoted the Guinness World Record-breaking 1990 concert by Paul McCartney to 184,000 people at Maracanã stadium, and the Rolling Stones at Copacabana beach in 2006 to 1.5 million people. “Despite the economic and political crisis Brazil is facing, the live music business is in a very good moment,” says Niemeyer. “Most shows are selling out.” This year the companies have promoted shows by acts such as Elton John, Roger Hodgson, Jose Carreras and Justin Bieber. Paul McCartney returns in October for four 50,000-capacity stadium shows, including Sao Paulo’s Allianz Parque and Porto Alegre’s BeiraRio Stadium, with tickets costing an average of 317 real ($100) and Deep Purple will play three dates including Rio’s Jeunesse Arena (cap. 19,000).

GDP per capita (US$): 10,826

Currency: Brazilian Real (BRL)

US$ exchange rate: 0.312

“I think ticket prices are at the maximum level that people can afford,” says Niemeyer. “The most expensive tickets are selling at lower speed, but all in all the market is responding. “I do not believe we have room to raise prices at this point. Artistes fees are very high, but prices have reached the ceiling.” T4F promotes across South America with offices in Argentina, Chile and Peru, and is behind regional editions of festival brand Lollapalooza (up to 80,000) and Electric Daisy Carnival (up to 65,000), working with Live Nation Entertainment-owned Insomniac to stage the event at Autódromo de Interlagos in São Paulo. Headliners at Lollapalooza in March, also held at Interlagos, included Metallica, The xx and The Weeknd, while the line-up for Electric Daisy Carnival is yet to be announced. Although the football World Cup created 14 new stadiums in 12 cities, Niemeyer says they have had little impact on live music. “What we need to build are good arenas,” he adds. “We have no arenas in cities like Sao Paulo and other major ones.” T4F also owns São Paulo’s Citibank Hall (7,000), Rio’s Citibank Hall (8,450) and Belo

Broadband households: 107.6m

Internet users: 139.1m

(Source: IFPI)

Belo Horizonte Rio de Janero São Paulo

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Market Focus • 17 © Raul Aragão

Rock in Rio

Horizonte’s Chevrolet Hall (5,500). The promoter is owned by Latin America’s largest live entertainment conglomerate, Mexico-based Corporacion Interamericana de Entretenimiento (CIE), and Live Nation Entertainment (LNE).

Making a move

Promoting an average of between 30 and 40 concerts annually, regional promoter Move Concerts sold more than 85,000 tickets for four sold-out dates, including Curitiba’s Pedreira Paulo Leminski (30,000), with Ed Sheeran in May, having promoted the singer’s first tour of Brazil in 2015. It is also co-promoting four shows with LNE for U2 at the Morumbi Stadium (60,000) and expects to set a new sales record of 240,000 tickets sold overall. “Tickets were selling surprising well until a month or so ago, but with the unusual amount of concentrated traffic of top tier shows and the number announced and on sale in such a short period of time, people are being selective as there isn’t enough money for all in such a short time period,” says Move’s director of tours and festivals Andre Matalon.

“Add to the mix Rock in Rio [70,000] and we have never seen such traffic in our lives.” Move was formed by CEO Phil Rodriguez in 2014 when he set out on his own from promoter XYZ Live. The company had previously been sold to ABC Group in 2010, having started out as the Brazilian division of Evenpro Group – Mondo Entertainment.

“We are having the busiest year of the decade” Jose Muniz

The company has its regional headquarters in the US, in Miami, and offices in Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica and Peru. Matalon says the corruption scandals and presidential drama which has impacted the exchange rate has created a challenging environment in which to work. “Ticket prices are impacted by two factors

that are not helpful – the 50 per cent student discount which by law all shows must adhere to, and the continual increase on artiste guarantees,” he explains. “This is either through Luiz Oscar Niemeyer competition in the market or insensitivity on the part of certain acts. We are already seeing shows selling out the cheaper priced tickets versus the top end tickets.” The country’s infrastructure could also do with improvements, according to Matalon, with better roads needed to speed-up travel between cities. He also believes the World Cup and Olympics brought little advantages to the live sector. “We have Maracanã Stadium in a state of abandonment with a total lack of maintenance, which is very sad for such an iconic building and none of the new arenas built for the Olympics are being used,” he says. “It is a tragic waste of resources.” In May, Move held the second edition of its Maximus (35,000) rock festival at Autodromo

www.mptourmanagement.com

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AUDIENCE • Issue 211 • August 2017

18 • Market Focus

Electric Daisy Carnival

de Interlagos, featuring Slayer, Linkin Park and Prophets of Rage. Cashless payment company Intellitix was employed, in an attempt to reduce queues and allow easy entry to the site. Among upcoming concerts are Green Day at Sao Paulo’s Anhembi Arena (30,000), Jack Johnson at the city’s Espaco das Americas (8,260), Arcade Fire at Rio’s Jeunesse Arena (configured for 12,000) and Bruno Mars at Rio’s Praça da Apoteose (34,000). Depeche Mode will also play Allianz Parque (configured for 27,000) in March 2018. Tickets for the shows range from 104-902 real ($33-285). “Our market is always full of changes and there is never a dull moment,” says Matalon. “Take the Zika virus panic last year, which caused one major tour not to come. But Brazilians are a great audience and love music and having a good time.”

AUDIENCE • Issue 211 • August 2017

Ed Sheeran at Allianz Parque

Mercury still rising

Mercury Concerts has brought artistes including AC/DC, KISS, Iron Maiden and Deep Purple to Brazil, and has promoted Monsters of Rock (72,000), Skol Rock (25,000), Ruffles Reggae

“None of the new arenas built for the Olympics are being used. It is a tragic waste of resources” Andre Matalon

(40,000) and Close Up Planet (20,000) festivals, and also claims to be the first company to bring Broadway shows to South America. Founded in 1991 by Mercury president Jose

Muniz, it was acquired by CIE and its promoting division OCESA Presents nine years later. Muniz remained in position until 2007 when the company was renamed T4F and managed the South American side of the business from the US until 2012. He relaunched Mercury three years ago. “Despite the political and financial crisis that took the country by storm, ticket sales have been steady and we are having the busiest year of the decade,” Muniz says. “The big shows are selling really well but some of the small and medium ones sometimes get hurt.” In 2016 Mercury sold 800,000 tickets in the region, 500,000 in Brazil alone, thanks to tours with Guns N’Roses, Aerosmith and Joe Satriani. This year has already seen Sting play Allianz Parque and Korn the Espaco das Americas, while 5 Seconds of Summer and Pet Shop Boys are

www.audience.uk.com

Market Focus • 19 also due to perform at the Sao Paulo venue. For the first time Mercury is also promoting its concert series Sao Paulo Trip at Allianz Parque and expecting to sell 160,000 tickets for shows with The Who, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith and Guns N’Roses. Tickets are priced from 150-780 real ($47-246). “Brazil is such a big country and we desperately need upscale indoor arenas to be built in the most important cities,” says Muniz. “We only have old gymnasiums built 50 or 60 years ago and they can no longer hold any big international artiste. “We have a bunch of brand new stadiums good for nothing, unfinished airports, and a bunch of very rich politicians responsible for the most expensive Football World Cup and Olympic Games ever in the history of the games, all corruption-driven.”

Showing the way

Taking place across seven-days this September is the country’s biggest festival Rock in Rio (70,000). Founded in 1985 by Robert Medina at international events organiser Artplan Comunicação, the festival which began as Brazil was still transitioning into democracy after a long military dictatorship, has set the standard for others to follow. The festival, which also has spin-offs in Portugal, Spain and the US, is sold-out with acts

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Maximus Festival

including Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Maroon 5, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Guns N’Roses, among more than 100 performers. Tickets cost an average of 378 real ($154). “In general and in my opinion, ticket prices are above the sensible level,” says Rock in Rio vice-president Paulo Fellin. “Rock in Rio tickets are about average compared to other festivals or solo concert tours and we are offering better infrastructure quality and facilities to the public. “Established international names are still selling very well, although the not so established ones may be a risk regarding ticket sales. The audience is loosing the power of purchase.” Originally staged at Jacarepaguá in Rio, the

festival is among the minority of events that have benefitted from the Olympics with the Parque Olimpico becoming the new City of Rock, and despite the ongoing political and economic instability, Fellin is optimis- Paulo Fellin tic about the future. “Although there is a crises installed in the country right now, people continue consuming live music events,” he says. “If we are able to bring the country up to a higher economical level way of speaking, we will certainly have many promising years ahead of us.”

AUDIENCE • Issue 211 • August 2017

20 • Market Focus

Espaco das Americas

A difficult phase

Now in its 28th year, Top Link Music has promoted more than 6,000 shows, including Chuck Berry, Scorpions and Jerry Lee Lewis. The company, founded by Paulo Baron, started life putting on concerts by Latin acts in London and opened an office in Brazil in 2001. Shows this year include Massacration at Granfinos (1,000) in Belo Horizonte, Angra at Clube Hortencia in Osasco and Tarja at Tom Brasil (1,200) in Sao Paulo. “Latin America is going through a difficult phase, mainly due to a political crisis and this certainly affects the shows, since people are afraid to spend on tickets as they do not know what will happen with the future,” says Baron. “But we as promoters cannot let that affect us and we have to keep working.” Top Link, which also has offices in the UK and Mexico, promotes between 100 and 150 shows a year across Latin America, with between 80 to 100 in Brazil. Baron is another who laments the impact of the Olympics, which he believes has left the country poorer and created public debts.

Managing talent

At Sao Paulo-based MP Touring Management the company stages between 30 to 50 shows each year. Over the last year it has promoted concerts including Dead Kennedys at Espaço

das Américas and Exciter & Sacred Reich at Sao Paulo’s Clash Club. Manager and head of promotion Matthias Prill believes the number of stops on South American tours are falling, as local promoters are unable to recoup costs for smaller bands even with realistic artiste and agency demands. “Sales are in decline mainly due to the overflow of bands and festivals,” he says.

“Latin America is going through a difficult phase, mainly due to a political crisis and this certainly affects the shows” Paulo Baron

“There is a severe lack of quality home grown acts, plus the usual currency issues as exchange rates fluctuate, high taxes on international cash flow and mandatory 50 per cent discounts for student tickets corresponding to 40 per cent of box office.” MP Tour has also managed Marky Ramone since 1997, along with other artistes such as Andy Rourke and Exodus. Ramone has upcoming shows opening for Aerosmith in Chile and five concerts in Argentina ranging from

800-2,000 capacity. Operating in the region since 1998 MP Tour has also expanded into corporate event production for German company satis&fy, which provided equipment for the Olympics. Matthias Prill Although Prill says the inflated accommodation, travel and production costs during last summer’s event meant he was unable to put on any live music shows over this time. “We are short of professional mid-size venues, between 1,000-1,500 capacity, especially in the smaller cities,” he says. “In Brazil these smaller cities have one to three million inhabitants, so there is a market there.”

Venue options

In Rio the most used venues include the Jeunesse Arena, renamed earlier this year from the Rio Arena following a naming rights deal with American cosmetics firm Jeunesse Global, Engenhao Stadium (45,500), Fundição Progresso (5,000), Vivo Rio (3,500) and HSBC Arena (18,000). São Paulo has the Morumbi Stadium, Anhembi Arena, HSBC Brasil (5,000) and Espaço das Américas (8,000 standing, 3,500 seated). Outside these population hubs Curitiba’s Master Hall (4,000), Fortaleza’s Siara Hall (10,000) and Porto Alegre’s Pepsi Onstage (7,000) host events. AEG Brazil manages Sao Paulo’s Allianz Parque (60,000), which has Paul McCartney, John Mayer, Coldplay and Deep Purple playing this year. The company also manages Itaipava Arena Pernambuco (46,000) in Recife and Rio’s Maracanã Stadium (78,500). In conclusion, T4F/Planmusic’s Niemeyer of is confident the healthy market will continue despite external influences. “I think there are many opportunities for growth,” he says. “At some point new arenas will start to be built and both local and international repertoire will grow its audience.”

We will help revolutionize your business. AUDIENCE • Issue 211 • August 2017

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24 • Feature

Supporting stars

Production Park for Coldplay at Wembley Stadium

Many of the world’s leading specialist concert stage suppliers have been in the business for decades, but the ever-evolving nature of the industry means they can never stand still and must always push the boundaries, continuing to pioneer new products and working practices. Christopher Barrett reports audience • issue 211 • August 2017

n the four decades since enterprising Englishman Edwin Shirley began importing American staging to the UK and created Edwin Shirley Staging (ESS), the international event staging industry has transformed into a highly professional multi-million-dollar industry. Shirley had previously, although perhaps unintentionally, started the first specialist live music equipment transport business by buying an ex-baker’s van to move gear around for the young David Bowie and others. Seeing what was happening in America, he soon began importing trucks and trailers, so the staging division was a natural sister operation in those early years. Festivals have grown from single stage events into sites with

numerous performance spaces, accommodating and entertaining populations comparable in size to small towns. Just as festivals have expanded, and the number of them has grown exponentially, so has the demand for ever more remarkable stages for major artistes’ tours. Many of the industry pioneers have grown from regional to international operators able to supply a consistent service to events wherever they are around the world. With its ancestry stretching back to Shirley and ESS, ES Global provides stages and structures worldwide. Among the tours it has worked on this year are Olly Murs, Little Mix and UB40, and UK festivals www.audience.uk.com

Feature • 25 including Boardmasters (50,000) and Lovebox (30,000). Senior project manager Mark Hornbuckle says Edwin Shirley Japan remains part of the ES business, and with offices in the US it has an international reach. Current contracts include the building of a velodrome in the Indonesian capital Jakarta for the 2018 Asia Games. As shows get ever more complex and larger in scale, Hornbuckle says it is required to create ever more advanced stages. “We are about to launch a new stage next year, a monster, it is a massive step up,” says Hornbuckle. Star Events at British Summer Time “It has a huge rigging capacSome 20m high and 70m wide, ity - each cross-stage truss has a the TZ roof featured a sloped back rigging capacity of 15 tonnes. to give extra on-stage storage for “There is not a stage in the UK, artistes and production, along that I am aware of, that has that with clear-span wings creating kind of rigging capacity.” an improved working area with Arguably the biggest UK-based increased space for the incoming staging company, also with a productions. global reach, is Serious “We Stages, which has worked worked on events as far closely and wide as Australia, with the Brazil and South Africa. Glastonbury Among the British team to festivals it counts as create this clients are Glastonbury new stage, (140,000), Reading which was Festival (90,000) and Mark Hornbuckle Max Corfield designed Download (85,000). Serious Stages has been working by our in-house CAD team and manufactured by our engineers at with Glastonbury for four decades our head office in Somerset,” says and this year it supplied almost 60 operations manager and director structures, including the flooring Max Corfield. and trussing on the Pyramid Stage “Our project manager Simon and the four main stage roofs. Fursman was crucial to the instalIt was also asked to create a new lation and the stage is both technilook Other Stage to accommodate cally and aesthetically another the large incoming band producprogression in our range of tions for acts such as Stormzy, large stages.” Major Lazer and Boy Better Know.

Star supporters

With its HQ in England and a full service operation in Shanghai, China, Star Events operates on a worldwide basis and claims to have the biggest rental fleet of mobile stages outside the US. It works with UK festivals including Barclaycard presents British Summer Time (65,000) in London’s Hyde Park, Pete Holdich Download, V Festivals (each 90,000), and provided the stages for tours with The Stone Roses, Take That and Radiohead. The company also created the stage set-up for Adele’s recordbreaking in-the-round stadium tour of New Zealand, Australia and the UK, including two 98,000-capacity sell-out concerts at London’s Wembley Stadium.

Head of structures Pete Holdich says Adele wanted to be closely surrounded by the audience, leaving no space for the usual control equipment. Two shipping containers, suspended 20m above the stage, formed the heart of a high level production area. The system was required to suspend more than 40 tons before the extensive production install. Star created an eight-spoked grid, with PA cantilevers on each, free-standing on four 100 tonne capacity towers with no ties between them at ground level and no storm bracing. The system was branded VerTech Ultra, with the components compatible with Star’s existing flagship VerTech structure. “It was custom designed and built from scratch utilising all the technology and expertise we have built up over 40 years in the events industry,” says Holdich.

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www.stages.co.uk audience • issue 211 • August 2017

26 • Feature

Acorn Staging at Creamfields

“Show designers are wanting to create bigger and better spectacles” Pete Holdich “We always try to adapt to the demands of production requirements. Show designers are wanting to create bigger and better spectacles and we are proud of our extensive record of innovation that enables them to do that.”

Supply and demand

Germany-based Megaforce supplies stages across Europe from Norway to Romania, and among its clients are Austria’s Nova Rock Festival (55,000), Switzerland’s Greenfield Festival (30,000) and Germany’s Southside (50,000). Touring artiste clients include Kraftwerk, David Garrett and Helene Fisher. “For David Garrett’s Explosive tour, the challenge was a centre stage with several levels, a turntable and lift platform for

Brombacher feels more could be a sensational 360° show,” says Megaforce owner and CEO Michael done in territories such as Eastern Europe. Brombacher. “The health and safety rules The company has benefited there are still not sufficient,” he from the rise of EDM events across says. “In general, compliance with Europe, with demand rising for these international rules are taken structures with a small perforinto account and presented more mance area. With that in mind and more by us as a supplier than Megaforce founded 12.9 Event they are requested by authorities Scaffolding in partnership with or customers.” Gerüstbau Engelmohr. The new company designs stages, stairs, bridges and other temporary Double challenge event structures for EDM events. Headquartered in Belgium and The past decade has seen some with offices across Europe and disastrous stage collapses, and North America, Stageco was concern over structural safety has founded by president Hedwig resulted in an increase in demand DeMeyer, who has been supplying for steel constructions. concert stages since “Many customers have the early ‘70s. Stageco understood that it is was among the creators worth renting a steel conof the Guidance for The struction, especially in Management & Use of terms of weather safety, Stages and Temporary load bearing capacity Event Structures. and building heights,” It is also part of two says Brombacher. safety advisory groups: With enhanced the European CEN TC Michael Brombacher safety rules there have 152, a technical commitbeen comparatively few stagtee handling temporary structures ing incidents in recent years but for events, and the Memento

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Feature • 27 Ensemble Demontables in France. The vast operation has worked on some of the biggest global tours of the year including U2’s Joshua Tree, Coldplay, Metallica and Robbie Williams. “We are now starting on the Rolling Stones, have done a massive amount of stages for Electric Daisy Carnival in the US and Japan, and have built two new huge structures for the Lowlands [55,000] festival in Holland,” reports DeMeyer. The two newly designed and built structures for Lowlands replace circus tents and are far more complicated than the average festival stage. “For us it was the biggest challenge this summer,” he says. “We constructed two temporary buildings housing the main stages. They are 4,000m2 each — one is a dome structure with four legs and the other is a 60m-wide arched structure. The roofs are load bearing so you can hang production on them, there are no towers so the interiors are completely open. They are like small arenas inside a festival.”

Educating methods

Based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, TW Stage & Barriers works primarily throughout the country, but also in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. Events it has supplied include Lollapalooza (80,000) and Tomorrowland (60,000), and uses stages designed by Serious Stages in the UK. Owner Cesar Takaoka says the biggest challenge in the territory is educating clients to accept new working practices. “In a market where the norm has been stages based on Layher scaffolding or aluminium trussing, which take lots of time and manpower to build, clients start to freak-out when they hear about hiring cranes and forklifts,” he says. “They don’t readily equate the higher price of the product with the reduced build time, which can be as little as 25 per cent of the more traditional Brazilian stage.” Takaoka says that while health and safety rules exist in South America, all too often there is no inspector on site, and even when

Edwin Shirley Staging for Little Mix

there is an official present, the advice can be inconsistent. He gives a Roger Waters show at the 80,000-capacity Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo as an example. “The fire marshall posted a man at the entrance to the field and wouldn’t allow anyone on the field without a hard hat, including the guys laying flooring at the opposite end of the stadium to the stage,” explains Takaoka. “Production didn’t have enough hats to cover all the none-stagepersonnel working so the load-in

stalled for a couple of hours.” UK-based NoNonsense regularly works in South America, continuing the long term relationship with PRG Mexico and promoters OCESA. NoNonsense director Steve Richards and the team supported PRG Mexico in delivering two Roger Waters shows at the 60,000-capacity Foro Sol stadium in Mexico City and a free show at the city’s vast Zocalo main square just one day later. “With only one production

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28 • Feature works across The Gulf and Middle East, including countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman and Saudi Arabia. Among the many structures it provides are main stages, delay towers, spot pods, Heras fencing, crowd control barriers and scaffold structures for VIP platforms. The company works in partnership with Serious Stages in the UK and has access to its structures and products, although some custom stages are designed, engineered and manufactured in-house. Events division manager Michael Clark says it has been a busy year, working with events such as Red Fest (30,000), Dubai Jazz Festival (15,000) and Sensation (14,500). Megaforce at World Club Dome

day between shows, two complete stages had to be provided,” says NoNonsense director Liz Madden. “The team worked closely with the client, the show designer and their engineer to ensure this epic show would be a huge success.” Back home, Liz Madden NoNonsense clients include Parklife (70,000), Standon Calling (10,000), Boardmasters, Deer Shed (6,000) and Somerset House Sumer Series (3,000).

Branching out

Established in 2011 when ESS ceased trading and became ES Global, Australia’s Stageset is one of the territory’s leading concert stage design, build and suppliers. Stageset supplies the structures for festivals and live events

including Splendour in the Grass (27,500), Groove In The Moo (20,000) and St Jerome’s Laneway (15,000). Alongside festivals, the company counts Sydney Opera House (2,670) as a client. It conducts around 95 per cent of its business in the East coast of Australia, but has also worked on projects as far and wide as Malta and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates during the past year. Stageset director Chris Beehan says the next step is branching into New Zealand where he believes the company’s self-designed 14m stage will prove successful with small to mid-size festivals. “It’s a hugely popular roof with festivals in Australia,” he says. “It is a big little stage and it has a really

impressive rigging capacity. It comes at a really good price point and festivals are always looking to save a buck.” The company’s largest stage has a 20x16m roof and is used for some of the bigger festivals including Splendour In The Grass. After a quiet year for festivals in Australia, Beehan is confident the coming season will be far busier for the company. “The festival scene in Australia dropped right off last year, there is a bit of a seven-year cycle and last year we were at the bottom of it,” he says. “But this year there are a lot of international festival brands coming in such as Ultra, Creamfields, Austin City Limit, and Storm out of China.”

Bridging The Gulf

With its head office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Al Laith

“Everyone wants automation, lifts and other interesting elements to make the set more dynamic” Matt Booth “In addition to these, we supplied [promoter] 117’s Autism Rocks Arena [30,000] with our Triton stage roof and multi tiered VIP/corporate chalet platform,” says Clark. He says that while demand remains consistent for the traditional stage roof and IMAG/PA goalposts left and right of the stage, the region’s event owners are becoming increasingly creative. “A good example are the guys at Envie Events who run Sensation here in Dubai,” he says. “They are always creating wow-factor scenic elements that provide an additional spectacle.”

Mobile stages | Platform stages | Risers | FOH structures | Front of stage barriers

+44(0) 1560 600271 | www.fmx-ltd.com audience • issue 211 • August 2017

www.audience.uk.com

Serious Stages at Glastonbury

Dream creation

always striving for something new, “The use of clear or mirror materiBack in the UK, events company als for creating space and depth is Production Park owns Brilliant something we have seen a lot,” Stages and LS Live. he notes. While Brilliant is concerned with Among client tours this year are custom manufacture of stadium Robbie Williams, Arcade Fire, The and arena touring stages, LS-Live xx and System Of A Down, as well rents equipment such as rolling as festivals such as Parklife and Y stages and recently launched Not Festival (25,000). a pre-visualisation suit to help “The industry continues to clients realise their set designs. grow and so do we,” says Brooks. Production Park client director “We look to other Ben BrooksAll says set designers are Access_Audience_Dec16.pdf 1 always 11/29/16 11:36 AM sectors

CMY

including art, brands and sport but our core business is the live event industry and year-on-year business is up.” Acorn Event Structures is also headquartered in the UK, but works as far afield as the Caribbean. Domestic clients include Creamfields (50,000), Boomtown Fair (60,000) and Victorious (65,000), while its tour supply business has increased in the past year. To meet demand for bigger stage solutions, Acorn recently invested Ben Brooks £1.8m ($2.34m) in a new super structure branded the Steel Yard. A modular 50m x 20m structure with a minimum 100-tonne load capacity – debuted at Creamfields. “The Steel Yard at Creamfields had an even bigger footprint Matt Booth this year; 6,000m2 with over 100 tonne production loading,” says Acorn MD Andy Nutter.

“Our fully weather-proof super structure has generated a lot of interest worldwide, from the TV and film industries to aviation.”

Raising the standard

Launched in the US 26 years ago, All Access Staging & Productions employs 150 people at its Los Angeles site, where all of its structures are designed and built. The company’s global reach – with distribution bases in New York and the UK – means it can distribute stock items, that generally make-up 80 per cent of a touring client’s stage equipment, to the shows. Only the remaining custom-designed 20 per cent needs to be shipped with the production. “This year we have been involved with Kings of Leon, Gorillaz, elements of Take That and Robbie Williams, and

Feature • 31 very much involved in Katy Perry’s festivals shows,” says All Access sales manager Matt Booth. “Everyone wants automation, lifts and other interesting elements to make the set more dynamic,” reports Booth. “Whether that’s festivals, concerts or X Factor and the Brits Awards; we are always striving to make sure we can keep up with those demands.” Formed in 1987, and headquartered in Canada, Stageline says it pioneered the concept of load bearing hydraulic mobile stages and introduced the concept in mainland Europe in the early ‘90s. The company consists of two divisions – Stageline, which designs and manufactures mobile units, and Mobile Stage Rentals which operates a fleet of more than 110 units throughout North America. “Our mobile stages are used in more than 45 countries for around 20,000 events per year,” says Stageline MD Yvan Miron. “We are an innovation-based company and are continually developing new ideas and concepts,” In June Stageline deployed its

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giant mobile stage, SAM750, at the Hot 97 Summer Jam in New York’s Metlife Stadium (88,000), which featured a line-up including Chris Brown, Migos and Trey Songz. Stageline’s team had a narrow window to dismantle the SAM750 in order to free up the stadium for another event, and a team of 18 took just 12 hours to complete the task. Barely 19 hours after the concert had ended, the SAM750 had been removed from the venue.

Military matters

All Access Staging for Ellie Goulding

Danube) in Izmail where acts including TaRuta, Haydamaky, With its head office in Riga, Latvia, Druzhe Muzyko and Ocheretyanyi JSA Europe operates across Kit performed. the region and last “The Eurovision Song year saw it resume Contest project was a business in Ukraine great opportunity for after a quiet two years us to show the market due to the tumultuous that the company is alive political situation. and can still provide a This year JSA worked good service,” says on the Eurovision founder of JSA Europe Song Contest in the Alexander Strizhak. Ukrainian city of Kyiv, Alexander Strizhak “The Ukrainian market is it also worked on starting to recover and we have a the 7,000-capacity rock festival lot of work lined up for next year; a Dunaiska Sich (Rock over the

lot of new festivals are opening in different regions.” The company, which began working in Ukraine 10 years ago, is now looking to begin designing and constructing trusses, stage decks, podiums and barriers in the country, together with local manufacturer Alviss Stages. That demonstrates the can-do attitude of specialist staging companies, which have learned to constantly adapt and innovate to stay ahead of the game and meet their clients ever-more imaginative dream.

audience • issue 211 • August 2017

C i t y Fo c u s Vienna, Austria Audience takes a look at the world’s major cities and venues most used by international artistes

Ernst Happel Stadion

Ernst Happel Stadion A: Meiereistrasse 7, 1020 T: +43 1 728 08 54 E: office@stadthalle.com W: www.stadthalle.com Principal Contact: Sandra Hoffmann Policy: Hire only Capacity: 49,000 seated In-house Concert Sound System: No In-house Concert Stage Lighting: No Past/forthcoming shows: The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Bon Jovi, Madonna

W: www.marxhalle.at Principal Contact: Janine Olf jo@hey-u.com Policy: Hire only Capacity: 10,000 In-house Concert Sound System: No In-house Concert Stage Lighting: No Past/forthcoming shows: The Cure, The xx, Pharrell Williams, Parov Stelar

Gasometer A: Guglgasse 8, 1110 T: +43 1 332 46 41-0 E: office@planet.tt W: www.planet.tt Principal Contact: Martin Sobotnik Policy: Hire only Capacity: 3,600 (3,000 standing and 600 seated) In-house Concert Sound System: Yes In-house Concert Stage Lighting: Yes Past/forthcoming shows: Alice Cooper, Slash, Nick Cave, Megadeth, Deichkind

Wiener Konzerthaus Wiener Stadthalle

Wiener Stadthalle A: Roland Rainer Platz 1, 1150 T: +43 1 98 100/264 E: office@stadthalle.com W: www.stadthalle.com Principal Contact: Markus Pubek Policy: Hire and self-promote Capacity: 16,000 In-house Concert Sound System: No In-house Concert Stage Lighting: Yes Past/forthcoming shows: Il Divo, Lady Gaga, Cohen, Pink, Justin Bieber

Marx Halle A: Karl-Farkas-Gasse 19, 1030 T: +43 1 8885525 E: marxhalle@hey-u.com audience • issue 211 • August 2017

Gasometer

Marx Halle

A: Lothringerstrasse 20, 1030 T: +43 1 242 002 E: tickets@konzerthaus.at W: www.konzerthaus.at Principal Contact: Mattias Naske Policy: Hire and self-promote Capacity: 1,850 seated In-house Concert Sound System: Yes In-house Concert Stage Lighting: Yes Past/forthcoming shows: Eels, Gregory Porter, Chick Corea, Vieux Farka Touré, Caro Emerald

Arena A: Baumgasse 80, 1030 T: +43 1 798 85 95 E: arena@arena.co.at W:www.arena.co.at Principal Contact: Philipp Gottschall Policy: Hire and self-promote Capacity: 1,100 (hall), 3,500 (open-air)

In-house Concert Sound System: Yes (hall) In-house Concert Stage Lighting: Yes (hall) Past/forthcoming shows: Joss Stone, Marilyn Manson, Elbow, Blondie, Azealia Banks, Billy Idol

Ottakringer Brauerei A: Ottakringer Platz 1, 1160 T: +43 1 49 100 2412 E: elisabeth.hauser@ottakringer.at W: www.ottakringerbrauerei.at Principal Contact: Elisabeth Hauser Policy: Hire and self-promote Capacity: 1,100 In-house Concert Sound System: Yes In-house Concert Stage Lighting: Yes Past/forthcoming shows: Ugly Kid Joe, Black Stone Cherry, Pentatonix, Milow, Seether

WUK A: Wahringer Strasse 59, 1090 T: +43 1 401 21 53 E: hannes.cistota@wuk.at W: www.wuk.at Principal Contact: Hannes Cistota Policy: Hire and self-promote Capacity: 850 standing In-house Concert Sound System: Yes In-house Concert Stage Lighting: Yes Past/forthcoming shows: Tower of Power, Morcheeba, The Common Linnets, Everlast, Mayer Hawthorne, Portugal, The Man

Moods A: Schiffbauplatz, 8005 T: +41 44 276 80 00 E: info@moods.club W:www.moods.club Principal Contact: Carine Zuber Policy: Self-promote Capacity: 500 In-house Concert Sound System: Yes In-house Concert Stage Lighting: Yes Past/forthcoming shows: Dub Pistols, the New Power Generation, Moonchild www.audience.uk.com

Wiener Stadthalle

Hall D

Hall F

Hall E | E-Box

Maximum capacity: 16.083 Seated area: 11.441 3.600 Standing capacity 5.600 Standing capacity 7.600 Standing capacity 10.000 Standing capacity Total space/floor area: 10.000 m²

Maximum capacity: 2.000 (Seated) 750-seat layout for smaller events Studio 1: 420 Standing Studio 2: 420 Standing Total usable area:: 5.081 m²

Maximum capacity: 2.000 1.379 Auditorium seating 550 Gala seating Total usable area: 1.250 m² Foyer: 537 m²

www.stadthalle.com

/StadthalleWien /WienerStadthalle /WienerStadthalle

Foto Credits: Hall D © Bildagentur Zolles KG, Center Stage copyright DEAG, Berlin © Bildagentur Zolles KG

Eventmanagement

+43 1 981 00-264 event@stadthalle.com

TAKK PRODUCTIONS SEBASTIEN VUIGNIER SWITZERLAND CONTACT@TAKK.CH WWW.TAKK.CH

AMY MACDONALD – BRIAN WILSON – FOALS – FEIST THE LUMINEERS – ROYAL BLOOD – THE KOOKS CRYSTAL FIGHTERS – BONOBO – INTERPOL PAROV STELAR – MICHAEL KIWANUKA CHILLY GONZALES – RY X – SAVAGES – TEMPLES KAISER CHIEFS – MAC DEMARCO – THE LEMON TWIGS KATE TEMPEST – BASTIAN BAKER – CABBAGE KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD, TIMBER TIMBRE BEAK> – MIGHTY OAKS – CAGE THE ELEPHANT GLASS ANIMALS – TINARIWEN,…

TAKK ACTS PLAYING AT MORE THAN 30 SWISS FESTIVALS IN 2017 MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL – OPENAIR ST.GALLEN GURTENFESTIVAL – PALEO FESTIVAL NYON ZURICH OPENAIR – WINTERTHURER MUSIKFESTWOCHEN FESTI’NEUCH – STARS OF SOUNDS OPEN AIR LUMNEZIA – OPENAIR ETZIKEN ST.PETER AT SUNSET – BAD BONN KILBI FESTIVAL ANTIGEL – ONE OF A MILLION – M4MUSIC LA BÂTIE FESTIVAL DE GENÈVE – LES GEORGES LONGLAKE FESTIVAL LUGANO – FESTIVAL DE LA CITÉ IMAGINE FESTIVAL – CULLY JAZZ FESTIVAL ELECTRON – ROCK ALTITUDE – QUELLROCK WAKE UP ZUG – BADENFAHRT – TOHU BOHU ESTIVALE OPENAIR TAKK.CH #TAKKPROD

Events • 35

Events 23-25 Aug

Pop-Kultur

Germany, Berlin www.pop-kultur.berlin Comprising three elements, Live, Pop-Kultur Nachwuchs and Networking.

14-17 Sept

Music Moscow

Russia, Moscow www.musicmoscow.ru The largest exhibition of music instruments, professional audio and lighting equipment and technologies in Russia and surrounding territories.

17-19 Sept

PLASA 2017

UK, London www.plasashow.com Trade event focusing on products and equipment for the live event, corporate, architectural and installation sectors.

20-23 Sept

Reeperbahn Festival Conference

Germany, Hamburg www.reeperbahnfestival.com Germany’s largest club festival and conference for the live entertainment Industry.

26-28 Sept

International Festival Forum UK, London www.iff.rocks Showcases, workshops, conference sessions and Q&As aimed at festival promoters and booking agents.

5-7 Oct

Music & Media

Finland, Tampere www.musiikkimedia.fi Seeks to draw into focus the energy and innovation of the music industry, both internationally and

within Finland with influence from and towards the Baltics and Russia.

10 Oct

Event Safety & Security Summit UK, London www.e3s.world

A security focused conference bringing together venues and sports security professionals and safety experts.

12 Oct

LIVE UK Summit

UK, London www.liveuksummit.com The UK’s only comprehensive live music industry conference, bringing together promoters, festival organisers, venue operators, agents, managers, brands and much more.

12 Oct

Live Music Business Awards

UK, London www.livemusicawards.co.uk The only event presenting awards across the spectrum to the business people who drive the country’s contemporary live music industry.

15-17 Oct

IEBA Conference USA, Nashville www.ieba.org

International Entertainment Buyers Association conference and showcases for live entertainment industry professionals, featuring live performances and panel discussions.

17-19 Oct

PROLight + Sound Middle East

UAE, Dubai www.prolightsoundme.com Trade fair for lighting, spotlighting innovative

product development, current design trends.

18-22 Oct

Amsterdam Dance Event

Netherlands, Amsterdam www.amsterdam-danceevent.nl A club festival and conference for electronic and dance music. Aimed at European labels, publishers, agents, managers, artistes and DJ’s.

25-27 Oct

BIME Pro 2017

Spain, Bilbao www.bime.net/bime_pro A conference dedicated to the music, tech and gaming industries; with panel discussions and artiste performances.

25-29 Oct

WOMEX

Poland, Katowice www.womex.com A conference, trade fair and showcase festival exclusively dedicated to world, roots, folk, ethnic, traditional, local and Diaspora music of all kinds.

17-25 Nov

Melbourne Music Week

Australia, Melbourne mmw.melbourne.vic.gov.au A week long conference made up of over 110 events, featuring 250 contributing artists with input from more than 60 dedicated event partners.

22-25 Nov

European Festival Conference

Norway, Larvik www.europeanfestivalconference.com

The second edition of the conference featuring keynotes, discussions and hands-on workshops.

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.

www.audience.uk.com

audience • issue 211 • August 2017

Production News Newsbites

Bandit delivers Electric Forest fairytale

EUROPE French Lighting and LED manufacturer Ayrton has appointed Jerad Garza to its international sales team with responsibility for supporting existing clients and establishing new ones. Based in Germany, he will also sell demonstration and excess stock worldwide. Rising from show technician to sales director with US company Gemini LSV, Garza has also worked with Solaris and High End Systems. The company’s clients include Take That, Maroon 5 and Olly Murs.

USA

BELGIUM British lighting console and media server manufacturer Avolites has appointed The Netherlands-based sound and light specialist Fairlight as exclusive distributor of its lighting and video network control products in Belgium. “We are very satisfied with the performance of Fairlight in the Netherlands,” says Koy Neminathan, Avolites sales director. “They bring Avolites to a larger audience through numerous seminars and demos.” Avolites clients include Gary Numan and Coldplay. SPAIN Barcelona-based Amate Audio has produced its first model in a new “ultra-compact” performance loudspeaker series, NITID. The N12SM promises to be a highly portable and powerful stage monitor, weighing 18kg, as well as pristine sound reproduction, outstanding vocal intelligibility and ultra-low distortion, with 128 dB SPL. The company’s live music productions include a 1,250 capacity 15th anniversary event for Dutch event Must in The Hague, plus a performance by rappers Lilas & Innomine at Lithuania’s Siemens Arena (cap. 11,000), Vilnius.

audience • issue 211 • August 2017

he fairytale look for the Sherwood Court Stage at the 40,000-capacity Electric Forest Music Festival, Michigan, needed to be “all things to all bands” without exceeding the event’s budget, according to lighting designer Jeff Ravitz. With artistes including Lido, The Floozies and Tycho needing a lighting system that remained true to their touring show, Ravitz adopted a range of products to offer as much choice to visiting LDs as possible. In addition to bands’ own packages, he deployed fixtures supplied by Bandit Lites including Martin MAC Viper Profiles, VL 3500 Spots, GLP Impression 90, Ayrton

Magic R9, Chauvet Legend 230SR Beams, Clay Paky B-EYE K20 and GRNLite Moving Washes. “I retained last year’s core overhead lighting positions that seemed to provide everyone with the angles and density of Bandit at work on Electric Forest’s Sherwood Court beamage that they liked,” says Ravitz. “I kept the mixture of forming previously straight truss runs fixture types so there would continue to into curved elements. “This not only added interest, but it was immediately be a variety of textures and effects.” He says the rental company’s exten- seen as something cool and new, as the sive inventory of out-of-the-ordinary crowd gathered in the daylight hours,” truss shapes, allowed him to save on says Ravitz. “If a system looks good in his budget for custom trussing by trans- both daylight and the dark, that’s a win.”

Mobile display adds muscle to Rossi’s performance ITALY

he “epic” stage for Italian singer Vasco Rossi’s outdoor performance to 250,000 fans at a one-off show at Modena Park featured four mobile towers and over 750 moving lights, as screens and lighting pods became part of a large mobile display. The show, designed by creative director Claudio Santucci, was filmed for simultaneous cinema screenings and DVD release, drawing on the expertise of Belgian staging specialist Stageco and its compatriot WIcreations, to carry off the effects. WIcreations’ project manager Hans Willems incorporated generators in

track powered by two drive trolleys. All the movement was choreographed to work with the video content appearing onscreen, while lighting cues were run by lighting designer Giovanni Pinna. “With something this huge, you need to make big statements,” says Pinna. “People at Robe for Vasco Rossi the back of the field need to be included in the action and the each mobile structure both to power emotion, so the essence was keeping it the effects they carried and add sta- simple and very high impact.” About two thirds of his fixtures were bility, ensuring that each structure was neatly and “locally” cabled. Every by Czech Republic-based manufacturer tower ran on four wheels, each rated Robe and included 200 Spiiders, 50 at 18 tonnes weight loading, and tow- BMFL Blades and Spots, 200 LEDWash er glided up and down 125 metres of 1200s and 600s and 100 LEDBeam 100s.

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50 I TOUR PLANS A GUIDE TO ARTISTES, TOURS & AGENTS Thursday 12 October 2017 Radisson Blu Portman Hotel Portman Square London W1H 7BG

LIVE MUSIC BUSINESS AWARDS Awards categories Best Venue Teamwork – Stadium Best Venue Teamwork – Arena Best Venue Teamwork – Theatre/Concert Hall Best Venue Teamwork – Arts Centre Best Venue Teamwork – Campus Best Venue Teamwork – Major Club (cap 800+) Best Venue Teamwork – Club (cap under 800) Agent of the Year Artiste Manager of the Year National Promoter of the Year Regional Promoter of the Year Indie Promoter of the Year Tour Manager of the Year Best Record Label Partner Spectacle of the Year (Best Production) Best Festival (cap 40,000+) Best Festival (cap 15,000-39,999) Best Festival (cap under 15,000) Best Festival Performance Best Festival: Multi-Venue (New category) Breakthrough Artiste Greatest Brand Impact Unsung Hero Outstanding Contribution

In pursuit of excellence

Voting recommences 6 September Don’t delay – buy your tickets now Tickets £135 +VAT (20% discount for LIVE UK Summit delegates, 15% discount for non-delegate LIVE UK/Audience subscribers) For more information T +44 (0)20 7224 2442 or info@liveukevents.com

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Menzel lets loose in elegant spaces Zimmer stays in the (3,600) the artiste, designer and lighting/ video director Teddy Sosna worked with production technology specialist PRG to tailor the show to the different spaces. “When you program lighting in an historic venue, there is so much more you can do to enhance the aesthetic environment than in a black-box arena,” says Sosna. “By taking control of the architectural PRG assists Idian Menzel with her look lighting in the Albert Hall, which is so full of character, I had more creative freedom.” WORLD Using a backdrop of white voile strips, punctuesigner Abigail Rosen Holmes aimed for ated by panels of custom woven jacquard fabric soft, theatrical and elegant looks for the designed by Rosen Holmes, Sosna deployed a full 2017 tour by Let it Go singer Idina Menzel, mak- lighting and rigging package including custom ing use of the architectural features of the ven- LED scenic pieces built by Tait and (in the US), ROE MC-7H video screens. ues she visited. “PRG crews contributed their decades of exAppearing at London’s Royal Albert Hall (cap. 5,300) and Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall (2,500), perience, and practical creativity to fill every last both UK, as well as the USA’s Meadow Brook Am- inch of our often historic and unique venues,” phitheatre (7,700) in Detroit and Chicago Theatre says Sosna.

pink with DiGiCo

MLA provides flexible scale GERMANY

n its first tour including arenascale venues, Cologne band AnnenMayKantereit required a production suitable for capacities between 3,000 and 14,000, while maintaining the independent ethos of the music according to André Rauhut of Complete Audio, the rental company which provided sound and lighting. To scale the audio between venues including Saarbrücken’s E-Werk (cap. 3,100), Berlin’s Max-Schmeling-Halle (7,400) and Cologne’s Tanzbrunnen (12,500), he used an MLA system by manufacturer Martin Audio. “This enabled us to create an authentic club atmosphere to suit their requirements, even in the large venues,” says Rauhut. Complete used the smaller MLA Compact as a

MLA in use at AnnenMayKantereit

main PA for the 3,000 capacity rooms, while deploying the full MLA and MLD Downfill in larger venues, with MLA Compact as outfills. The main hang comprised between eight and 12 MLA (with a single Downfill) and side hangs ranged from six to eight MLA Compact. Subs consisted of 11 MLX stacked two high, with W8LM Mini as lip fills on top.

Colin Pink at his SD7 for Hans Zimmer

WORLD

orking with an orchestra, choir and band, film music composer Hans Zimmer requires an “immense” number of audio channels for his international tour. Front-of-house engineer Colin Pink calculates he requires 262 inputs for the 19-piece string and brass orchestra, the 16-strong choir and a rock-style band which uses a range of electronic effects. Alongside Lez Dwight of audio provider Britannia Row, plus monitor engineers Gavin Tempany and Jimmy Nicholson, Pink designed the production’s audio control system around three DiGiCo consoles: two SD7s used by himself and Tempany at FOH and monitors respectively, plus an SD11 used by Nicholson for the choir and orchestra. “Hans jumps around genres so much,” says Pink. “There aren’t many desks that can deal with that input count and we needed great flexibility in the system. “We went for the SD7 because of its functionality and great channel count. The 12 faders in the central section with another 12 faders above are ideal as I can have 24 Control Groups within very easy reach. It makes mixing the show a joy and means I have whatever I need immediately accessible.” Hans Zimmer Live on Tour has visited venues including the Czech Republic’s O2 Arena (cap.17,300) in Prague, Norway’s Telenor Arena (23,000) in Oslo, and USA’s Radio City Music Hall (6,000) in New York.

Audio Rental Speaker Systems Monitoring Live Sound Re-Inforcement Concert & Showcase Production Wireless Systems Specialist Suppliers to the Entertainment Industry

Microphones & Outboard Communication Systems Recording Services

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DJ Equipment

John Henry’s Ltd. | 16-24 Brewery Road, London N7 9NH | www.johnhenrys.com | e: info@johnhenrys.com | T: +44 (0)20 7609 9181

audience • issue 211 • August 2017

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Thursday 12 October 2017

Radisson Blu Portman Hotel | London

ABOVE AND BEYOND For the business people behind contemporary live music

The Live UK Summit is an action-packed, one-day event of networking, conference panels, presentations and discussions tackling key industry issues and new developments.

If you are in the business of live music you will need to be there

Conference sessions include: The Risk Factor (promoting)

Masters of the Universe (international agents)

The Winning Ticket (primary ticketing)

The Next Stage (venues sector)

Fields of Dreams (festivals)

Stairways to Heaven (grassroots scene)

The Discovery Panel (artiste development)

The Social Network (digital interaction)

Tech Talk (new tech presentations)

REGISTER NOW Special rate ÂŁ115 + VAT until 11 September Full rate ÂŁ135 + VAT (20% discount for Audience/LIVE UK Subscribers)

For more info call +44 (0)20 7224 2442 info@liveuksummit.com www.liveuksummit.com Sponsors

Suppliers

Conferences & Events

Tour Plans Artistes

A guide to Artistes, Tours and Agents

Period/Territory Contact details

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: Lindsey@audience.uk.com

Alex Skolnick Trio Jan Jeff Aug, Maximum Booking North America +49 8324 933 851 info@maximumBooking.com

Aron Ottingnon Dec Clotaire Buche, Junzi Arts Worldwide T +33 6 17 15 35 39 clotaire@junzi-arts.com Atari Teenage Riot Feb-Mar Jeff Aug, Maximum Booking Worldwide T +49 8324 933 851 info@maximumbooking.com Banarama

Nov-Dec Albert Samuel, Mission Control Worldwide T +44 789 984 3212 albert@missioncontrol.net

Ben Glover

Dec-May Nigel Morton, Money Penny Agency Europe T +44 7977455882 nigel.morton@moneypennymusic.co.uk

Bernie Marsden Dec Alec Leslie, Consolidated Artists Europe T +44 1829 730 488 alecconsol@aol.com

Alex Skolnick Trio

Artistes

Period/Territory Contact details

Brian Blade & Jan The Fellowship Worldwide Band

Blue Rose Code Jan Chris Wade, Strada Music Europe T +44 1377 217662 chris.wade@stradamusic.com

Gunter Schroder, The Kurland Agency T +1 617 254 0007 gunter@thekurlandagency.com

Cecile McLorin May Gunter Schroder, The Kurland Agency Salvant Europe T +1 617 254 0007 gunter@thekurlandagency.com

Boomtown Rats May-June 2018 Alan Cottam, Alan Cottam Agency T +44 1254 668 471 with Bob Geldof Europe alan@alancottamagency.co.uk

Damien Dempsey Dec David Farrow, DMF Music Europe T +44 1392 437744 david@dmfmusic.co.uk Elle Exxe Dec Debra Downes, Dawson Breed Music Worldwide T +44 20 7733 0508 debra@dawsonbreedmusic.com Epica Mar Nick Peel, Miracle Artists South America T +44 20 7935 9222 nick@miracle-artists.com Fleet Foxes Dec James Alderman, Free Trade Agency Europe T +44 203 700 3377 info@freetradeagency.co.uk Graham Bonnet Dec Alan Cottam, Alan Cottam Agency Band Europe, Asia T +44 1254 668 471 alan@alancottamagency.co.uk Happy Mondays Dec James Alderman, Free Trade Agency Europe T +44 20 3700 3377 info@freetradeagency.co.uk

Bananarama

TEN YEARS AFTER

BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST JOHN LEES’

50th ANNIVERSARY Tour

THE BLUES FOUNDATION WINNER

JOE LOUIS

WALKER & BAND

50th ANNIVERSARY TOUR

BEST OF CLASSIC BARCLAY

www.kultopolis.com • agentin@kultopolis.com audience • issue 211 • August 2017

www.audience.uk.com

THANK YOU TO ALL VALUED PARTNERS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED FELD ENTERTAINMENT OVER THE PAST 50 YEARS! COMING SOON SESAME STREET LIVE!

Tour Plans Artistes

A guide to Artistes, Tours and Agents

Period/Territory Contact details

Joe Satriani Jun-Jul Wayne Forte, Entourage Talent Associates Europe T +1 212 633 2600 booking@entouragetalent.com Jools Holland & May-Jun 2018 His Rhythm & Europe Blues Orchestra

Nick Peel, Miracle Artists T +44 20 7935 9222 nick@miracle-artists.com

Karbido – Presents Dec -Mar Ania Marzec, Central European Organisation ‘The Table’ Europe T +48 22 894 60 35 ania@centraleuro.org King Pleasure & Dec Tim Jennings, Big Bear Music The Biscuit Boys Europe T +44 121 454 7020 tim@bigbearmusic.com Lilly Hiatt April Nigel Morton, Moneypenny Agency Europe T +44 1377 240162 nigel.morton@moneypennymusic.co.uk Linda Lewis Dec Mark Lundquist, MLM T +44 1483 224118 mark@marklundquist.com

Peatbog Faeries

Artistes

Period/Territory Contact details

Manfred Mann’s Dec Alec Leslie, Consolidated Artists Europe T +44 1829 730 488 Earth Band alecconsol@aol.com

Lo’Jo Dec David Flower, Sasa Music Europe rab@sasa.demon.uk T +44 207 359 9232 Maggie Reilly Dec Debra Downes, Dawson Breed Music Worldwide T +44 20 7733 0508 debra@dawsonbreedmusic.com © Kenneth Kearney

Manny Charlton Band

Dec Alan Cottam, Alan Cottam Agency Europe, T +44 1254 668 471 South America alan@alancottamagency.co.uk

McNally-Waters Dec Alan Cottam, Alan Cottam Agency Band Europe T +44 1254 668 471 alan@alancottamagency.co.uk Mila Mar Dec Jeff Aug, Maximum Booking Europe T +49 8324 933 851 info@maximumbooking.com MISIA Dec-Feb 2018 Henry McGroggan, Central European Organisation Europe T +49 8324 933 851 henry@centraleuro.org Molly Hatchet Dec Alan Cottam, Alan Cottam Agency Europe T +44 1254 668 478 alan@alancottamagency.co.uk Morbid Angel Dec Nick Peel, Miracle Artists Europe T +44 20 7935 9222 nick@miracle-artists.com

Moon Hooch

www.audience.uk.com

My Dying Bride Mar-Apr Nick Peel, Miracle Artists Europe T +44 20 7935 9222 nick@miracle-artists.com

audience • issue 211 • August 2017

Tour Plans Artistes

Period/Territory Contact details

Pauper Kings Nov-Dec Alec Leslie, Consolidated Artists Europe T +44 1829 730 488 alecconsol@aol.com Pat Metheny Dec Gunter Schroder, The Kurland Agency Europe T +1 617 254 0007 gunter@thekurlandagency.com Peatbog Faeries April Chris Wade, Strada Music Europe T + 44 1377217662 info@stradamusic.com Phil Vassar April Nigel Morton, Moneypenny Agency Europe T +44 1377 240162 nigel.morton@moneypennymusic.co.uk Rab Noakes March Chris Wade, Strada Music Worldwide T + 44(0) 1377217662 info@stradamusic.com Raul Rodriguez Dec David Flower, SASA Music Europe T +44 20 7359 9232 rab@sasa.demon.co.uk Red Snapper Dec Pieter De Clercq, Dark Independent Bookings Worldwide T +32 468270612 pieter@darkindependentbookings.com Rodney Crowell Feb-Mar Nigel Morton, Moneypenny Agency Europe T +44 1377-240162 nigel.morton@moneypennymusic.co.uk

Rodney Crowell

Artistes

Period/Territory Contact details

Renaissance Feb-Mar Wayne Forte, Entourage Talent Associates Worldwide T +1 212 633 2600 booking@entouragetalent.com Ricky Cool & Dec Tim Jennings, Big Bear Music Europe T +44 121 454 7020 The In Crowd tim@bigbearmusic.com Roberto Fonseca Dec David Flower, SASA Music Europe T +44 20 7359 9232 rab@sasa.demon.co.uk Rodney Crowell Feb-Mar Nigel Morton, Moneypenny Agency Europe T +44 1377-240162 nigel.morton@moneypennymusic.co.uk Sam Kelly Dec Chris Wade, Strada Music Europe T +44 1377 217662 chris.wade@stradamusic.com

The Yardbirds

“We love it when a plan comes together!”

Sean Taylor Feb Nigel Morton, Money Penny Agency Europe T +44 7977455882 nigel.morton@moneypennymusic.co.uk

CaLL now For a Quote

For more inFormation: CaLL 0141 954 4641 / 07737 929381 or go to www.bandrunner.Com audience • issue 211 • August 2017

www.audience.uk.com

Tour Plans Artistes

A guide to Artistes, Tours and Agents

Period/Territory Contact details

Skapel Dec-Mar Henry McGroggan, Central European Organisation Europe T +48 22 894 60 35 henry@centraleuro.org Steve Hacket Jan-Feb 2018 Wayne Forte, Entourage Talent Associates Europe T +1 212 633 2600 booking@entouragetalent.com 10cc Dec-may Steve Parker, Miracle Artists Worldwide T +44 20 7935 9222 steve@miracle-artists.com The Godfathers Dec Pieter De Clercq, Dark Independent Bookings Worldwide T +32 468270612 pieter@darkindependentbookings.com The Kilkennys Dec Bauke Algera, Diba Int. Concerts Europe T +31 5154 205 10 bauke@diba.nl The Moulettes Dec Chris Wade, Strada Music Europe T + 44 1377 217662 info@stradamusic.com The Yardbirds Apr-May Mike Oberman, TCI USA T +1 212-730-2701 mikeoberman@tciartists.com

Xander and the Peace Pirates

Artistes

Period/Territory Contact details

Tipitina Dec Tim Jennings, Big Bear Music Europe T +44 121 454 7020 tim@bigbearmusic.com The Horrors Dec Steve Beckham, Primary Talent UK & Europe T +44 20 7400 4500 stevebeckham@primarytalent.com The Skull Mar-Apr Jeff Aug, Maximum Booking Europe T +49 8324 933 851 info@maximumbooking.com Tinariwen Dec David Flower., SASA Music Europe T +44 20 7359 9232 rab@sasa.demon.co.uk Unleashed Dec Nick Peel, Miracle Artists Europe T +44 20 7935 9222 nick@miracle-artists.com Xander and the Nov-Dec Alec Leslie, Consolidated Artists Peace Pirates Europe T +44 1829 730 488 alecconsol@aol.com Zamilska Dec-Mar Ania Marzec, Central European Organisation Europe T +48 22 894 60 35 ania@centraleuro.org 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.

Zamilska

+44 1293 558080 fly@premieraviation.com

Over 130 music tours Quite simply, our experience counts www.audience.uk.com

audience • issue 211 • August 2017

Festival News

Storms cut short first day of Lollapalooza UNITED STATES

ightening and torrential rain brought an early end to the opening day of Chicago’s Lollapalooza festival (cap. 90,000). After severe weather warnings organisers of the event in Grant Park, along with officials from the City of Chicago and police decided to bring the first day on 3 August to an early close during a performance by Lorde. “We were disappointed to have to end performances early, however our first pri-

ority is the safety of fans, staff and artistes,” says director of publicity for the festival’s promoter C3 Presents Sandee Fenton. Other acts affected by the early finish included Muse and Porter Robinson, while The Pretty Reckless were unable to travel due to the weather. The four-day festival continued the following day with performances from artistes including The Killers, Chance The Rapper and Arcade Fire. The Lollapalooza brand also stages events in Germany, Brazil and Chile.

Lollapalooza Chicago

Bali the next step for Bestival Doctor goes green for reincarnation staged on the Isle of Wight for the past 13 years, but it was announced rganisers of the UK’s in December it will take place in Dor40,000-capacity Bestival say set from this year, on the same site as staging a version of the event in Bali sister event Camp Bestival (35,000). “We’ll be bringing Bestival’s tradeis part of a natural progression. mark creative vision, mish Promoted by Sunday mash of music, immersive Best Presents Bestival Bali experiences and delicious (5,000) will take place at Balinese food, but we also Uluwatu’s Garuda Wisnu want to pay homage to Kencana (GWK Cultural the incredible place that is Park) from 30 September Bali,” adds da Bank. to 1 October. “It has got a lot of cul“We had friends and tural, historical and relimusicians on the island Rob da Bank gious significance and we to help search out the location and artistes that are eager to want to make sure that we celebrate play,” says Bestival co-founder Rob those things. We’ll have lots of local acts on the bill.” da Bank. Acts performing include Alt-J, “Bali just seemed like a very natural Rudimental and De La Soul. Tickets next step for us.” The UK edition of Bestival has been cost $210. INDONESIA

SPAIN

n recognition of its eco-friendly ethos Doctor Music Festival has become the first Spanish event of its kind to become an associate member of A Greener Festival (AFG). Promoted by Doctor Music the festival which was last held nearly 20 years ago is due to return to its original site in Escalarre, Catalonia, from 12-14 July 2019. As part of the event there will be designated dining areas, Neo Sala food trucks and supermarkets all stocking sustainable produce from nearby markets. “Being the first Spanish festival Associate to AGF is an honor and clearly shows our commitment to make sustainability our first priority in every-

thing we are doing and will do to make this Reincarnation Edition an unforgettable experience to all our fans,” says Doctor Music CEO Neo Sala. AFG aims to help festivals become more sustainable and events must meet its code of conduct to become a member. The festival, which covers a site of 28 hectares will consist of five stages with a capacity for at least 40,000 people, according to organisers. “It is encouraging to see the importance that the event places upon it’s sustainability actions and messaging,” says AFG cofounder Claire O’Neill. Acts playing at the festival are yet to be announced. Tickets are priced at €175 ($205).

Tour Manager Terry Tucker’s Touring Tribulations by Newman-Parker

audience • issue 211 • August 2017