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IQ104 CONTENTS
Cover: Mr Jukes & Barney Artist on stage at PowerHaus Camden during IFF © Jamie MacMillan
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20 NEWS
FEATURES
COMMENT AND COLUMNS
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Index In Brief The main headlines over the last month Analysis Key stories and news analysis from around the live music world New Signings & Rising Stars A roundup of the latest acts that have been added to the rosters of international agents
IFF 2021 A review of the 7th IFF, which took place in London in late September Strapped for Cash Adam Woods talks cashless payments with the experts Insights for Sore Eyes Improving event profit margins using audience insight tools Green Events & Innovations A look at the summer outing of the sustainability event for events Don't Call it a Comeback Suppliers of lights, sound and screens detail how they have weathered the Covid storm
The Importance of Trust Mark Davyd of the Music Venue Trust talks grassroots Alive & Kicking Jürgen Schlensog & Sven Meyer on the obstacles Jazzopen Stuttgart faced in 2021 Your Shout If you had 25 hours a day, how would you use your extra time?
Magazine
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BITTERSWEET REUNION
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s I write this, the 2021 edition of the International Festival Forum is still very much in mind. From the moment the opening party kicked off, you could tell that the event was going to be special. For many, it was the first time they had gathered in a room with friends and industry colleagues since the last in-person ILMC, a full 18 months ago, and the sense of happiness and relief was palpable. The showcase events were also the first live music a number of delegates had seen in a very long time, as, lest we forget, many terrtories are still to reopen, as Covid-19 continues to restrict activities internationally. There were some serious debates during the conference programme, and a lot of business conducted in the numerous speed meetings and agency pop-up offices, but overall the mood was joyous as people actually met face to face and IFF felt like it could be a catalyst to getting the outdoor business back up and running for 2022. Of course, proceedings were overshadowed by the dreadful news that Steve Strange had passed away (see page 8). X-ray hosted an emotional toast to commemorate their colleague and during the three days of the conference, hundreds of Strange-y tales were told, as all in attendance remembered him affectionately and artists around the world paid tribute. He was, indeed, a unique individual and having heard many of the stories, and speaking to friends and colleagues myself, I think the words of Josh Javor summed the man up: he was generous and he was genuine. For someone so successful at his chosen craft, Steve Strange always offered young people in the business his support and encouragement. He will be sorely missed. In keeping with the IFF theme, this issue of IQ touches upon some related sectors, as festival organisers start looking toward next year’s gatherings. Adam Woods learns that the pandemic is helping the appetite grow for contactless systems for access control and cashless payments (page 24), while Derek Robertson talks with suppliers of lights, sound and screens to find out how they have weathered the storm (page 36). We also take a look at some of the services offering audience insight (page 28) and how such data gathering and analysis could prove crucial to improving profit margins for venues, events and promoters as they look to hit the ground running in the weeks and months ahead. And if all that isn’t enough, we take a glimpse at what went on at the Green Events and Innovations Conference Summer Edition (page 34), while you will also find a summary of IFF on page 20, where you’ll see some of the 600 industry professionals who registered and made their way to London for the forum. Confidence has been hard to find since the Covid pandemic hit the world, but the main takeaway from IFF was the optimism that everyone has for the year that lies ahead. If anyone was in any doubt that fans are reluctant to return to live shows, surely FKP Scorpio reporting the sales of one million tickets for Ed Sheeran in less than three days will put those fears to rest. And with that in mind, I can end this editorial with the words I’ve been praying to say for the past year: I hope to see lots of you, at a gig, very soon indeed.
ISSUE 104 LIVE MUSIC INTELLIGENCE IQ Magazine Unit 31 Tileyard Road London, N7 9AH info@iq-mag.net www.iq-mag.net Tel: +44 (0)20 3743 0300 Twitter: @iq_mag Publisher ILMC and Suspicious Marketing Editor Gordon Masson Staff Writer Lisa Henderson Advertising Manager Steve Woollett Design Rather Nice Design Sub Editor Michael Muldoon Head of Digital Ben Delger Contributors Jon Chapple, Mark Davyd, Sven Meyer, Derek Robertson, Jürgen Schlensog Editorial Contact Gordon Masson gordon@iq-mag.net Tel: +44 (0)20 3743 0303 Advertising Contact Steve Woollett steve@iq-mag.net Tel: +44 (0)20 3743 0304 ISSN 2633-0636
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IN BRIEF INDEX The concert business digest
The Danish government drops all remaining Covid-19 restrictions. Iceland Airwaves cancels for a second year due to “new and ongoing Covid-19 measures imposed by the government.” Vaccine passports may be legally required to enter certain events in Scotland in a bid to “help stem the recent surge in the number of Covid cases.”
Live Nation Denmark announces the first full-capacity stadium show in Europe since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. British band Massive Attack calls on the government to introduce a plan to cut carbon emissions in the live music business.
Live Nation GSA reveals more details about the inaugural edition of Download Germany. Belgium’s live industry may take up to two years to get to pre-pandemic levels of operation, according to key venues.
More details emerge about ABBA’s upcoming Voyage concerts, as tickets go on general sale.
Roblox and Warner Music Group announce a virtual concert experience with Grammy-awardwinning duo Twenty One Pilots.
OVG appoints Chris Granger as CEO of the group’s facilities, following the company’s merge with US venue giant Spectra.
The Swedish government announces that it will drop almost all restrictions on live events by 29 September.
Coldplay will be the first act to play OVG’s Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle – the world’s first carbonneutral-certified arena.
Belgium’s Sportpaleis Antwerp opens its doors for the first time in a year and a half.
Portugal is set to gain an 18,000-capacity, multiday festival this winter.
The fourth annual Nordic Music Biz Top 20 under 30 list is revealed.
Electric Picnic 2021 cancels following the local council’s refusal to grant the organisers a licence.
Viagogo sells its StubHub business outside of North America – including the UK – to investment firm Digital Fuel Capital LLC.
Dutch campaign group Unmute Us enlists the support of 4,000 organisers for its second protest against government restrictions.
Live Nation resumes its acquisition of Ocesa, the third-largest promoter in the world and the parent company of Ticketmaster Mexico.
Australia’s live industry comes together to launch a provaccination campaign under the banner #Vaxthenation.
Amazon brings its palmrecognition technology to music venues, starting with the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in the US.
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Twitter starts to roll out Ticketed Spaces, a functionality that will enable some creators to generate revenue from hosting live audio events on the platform. American rock band Kings of Leon becomes the first act to send an NFT into space. SJM Concerts’ Chris York is presented with the NAA’s 2021 award for Outstanding Contribution to the Live Entertainment Industry.
The Scottish parliament approves plans for vaccine passports. Copenhagen is set to gain a new 2,500-capacity music venue this winter. An estimated 150,000 people across ten cities take part in the second Unmute Us protest in the Netherlands. Leading dance music promoters Insomniac and Alda host Saga, Romania’s first large-scale music festival since the Covid-19 pandemic began. The Netherlands’ live sector say the new 75%-capacity limit for indoor standing events is “unsubstantiated, arbitrary, and extremely harmful.” Australia is set to gain two new rock festivals in 2021 and 2022, Knight & Day and Uncaged. Wasserman Music announces five newly promoted agents. Dutch promoter ID&T signs a partnership agreement with leading live organisation Superstruct Entertainment (see page 12). Thousands of
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Analysis
minority stake in Ocesa. With the pandemic still causing uncertainty, Live Nation is expected to hold back 7% of the closing price to cover any potential operating losses for several quarters. “After serving as Live Nation’s touring, festival, and ticketing partner in Mexico for years, we know Ocesa is a stellar business with deep roots in live entertainment in Mexico,” says Michael Rapino, president and CEO of Live Nation. “As we continue to build on the return to live, Ocesa will play a pivotal role in putting together many incredible shows in Mexico and the rest of Latin America.” Alejandro Soberón Kuri, president and CEO of CIE, adds: “We are extremely proud to finally join Live Nation. This is a natural evolution of our long-standing relationship and it gives us a unique opportunity to continue Ocesa’s 30-year contribution to the development of the Mexican live entertainment industry. Additionally, it will help us foster CIE’s commitment to the promotion of Mexican artistic talent abroad.” Ocesa promotes more than 3,100 events for nearly six million fans annually across Mexico and Colombia and has a robust business portfolio in ticketing, sponsorship, food & beverage, merchandise, and venue operation – including 13 premier venues across Mexico with a collective capacity of nearly 250,000 seats. Its primary ticketing business, Ticketmaster Mexico, was shifting around 20 million tickets annually, pre-Covid.
TOTH ASSUMES EAA PRESIDENCY
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he European Arenas Association (EAA) has named Olivier Toth, CEO of Rockhal in Luxembourg, as its new president. Toth succeeds AEG Europe’s John Langford, who is stepping down after completing his two-year tenure. “I can think of no better person to lead the EAA,” says Langford of Toth. “Since joining the association, Olivier has been working tirelessly on behalf of the members to deliver the association’s goal of strengthening ties with the European Union and boosting the advocacy impact of the EAA at EU level.” Toth is a co-founder of the Arena Resilience Alliance (ARA), which has been lobbying the EU’s governing bodies during the pandemic. “Through the ARA, we have seen how arenas play a vital role as the hub of the live events ecosystem and how necessary it is to have a collective voice for our industry,” says Toth. “We can all agree theThousands world we areof returning to is not the same one we left behind and professionals I am confident that read the EAA and its ARA subgroup will work towards building a stronger and IQ every day. Make more unified European live events sector.” sure you get the The EAA’s membership comprises 34 arenas in 20 European countries.
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Analysis
STEVE STRANGE 1968–2021
Renowned booking agent and X-ray cofounder Steve Strange has passed away after a short illness. He was 53. 8
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he shocking news prompted numerous artist tributes, not just from his own clients but also from other acts, as well as friends and industry colleagues from around the world. “We are devastated by the news of our dear friend Steve Strange’s passing,” said a statement from Coldplay on Twitter. “A giant of the music industry and the cornerstone for so many bands’ and artists’ careers, including ours. “Never afraid to talk straight and fight for his artists, you always heard him before you saw him, and you knew you were in for a good evening. We spent a bittersweet hour with him last week. Despite his illness he was still taking calls and watching ticket counts.” In addition to Coldplay, Strange’s roster included, among many others, the likes of Eminem, Queens of the Stone Age, Jimmy Eat World, The Charlatans, and Snow Patrol, the latter of whom wrote, “He had so many friends because he was so irresistibly loveable, positive, kind, passionate, generous, funny, and sincere. “Sincerity [is] not always an easy thing to find in the business side of music (or any business for that matter) but Steve had it to spare. When Steve loved your band there was no one [who] loved it more. To picture a world without him in it is to picture a world so diminished. With less joy, less positivity, less optimism, less heart. Quieter, duller, and much less interesting. We love you, Steve.” Indeed, Ed Sheeran, who was not a client, paid his own tribute, simply stating, “A very sad day, and a huge loss x.” His death, in Los Angeles, was confirmed by the company he co-founded, X-ray Touring, on Friday, 24 September. “We have lost a legendary figure in our personal and professional lives that we will all deeply miss,” said the statement. “Steve was a unique individual within our industry, his overwhelming love of music led to a 30-year-plus career guiding the touring of an eclectic mix of artists from all genres of music that he adored. A universally known, hugely respected and loved character – if you hadn’t already seen him at a gig or festival, you’d most certainly hear his infectious and infamous laugh. “Steve had the best ears in the agency business, signing and developing the careers of countless world-class artists from small club venues to vast international multi-stadium tours. “He will always be remembered with love by his friends and colleagues at X-ray and the world over.” Born in Lisburn near Belfast on 17 April 1968, Strange was raised in Carrickfergus in nearby County Antrim during the troubles in Northern Ireland. At the age of 11, after his cousin took him to see UFO at Ulster Hall in Belfast, Strange’s love of hard rock was born, which saw him devote his youth to the likes of Rush, AC/
Analysis DC, Kiss, and Def Leppard. His first band, Slack Alice, didn’t reach the heights its members had hoped for, so Strange found himself sitting behind the drums for a couple of cover bands before becoming part of the line-up for popular Belfast outfit No Hot Ashes in 1986. A record deal with GWR, thanks in no small part to Strange’s powers of persuasion, saw the band move to London a year later. Strange later accepted an offer from Jon Vyner to join The Bron Agency and book some gigs. “I used to do [that] anyway – it was always left to the drummer to chase support tours and gigs,” he told IQ in 2009. Tapping up GWR’s Doug Smith to secure his acts occasional support slots with the likes of Motörhead and Girlschool, Strange worked tirelessly, making himself known around London’s gig circuit, making friends with bands, and offering to book shows. “I did a lot of analysing about how the business worked, and it was a steep learning curve. I was intrigued by it – how
“His talent and expertise coupled with his never-ending enthusiasm has made him one of the world’s leading music executives” tours were routed, why some bands played clubs not halls, etc. It was very exciting.” Strange moved to Adam Parson’s Big Rock Inc, and then to Prestige Artists working with Clive Underhill-Smith and Rob Hallett, who was also his flatmate for a period. In 1992, Strange moved back to Northern Ireland to promote at the Limelight with Eamonn McCann. The move led to one of his biggest breaks when he discovered a trio of school kids, Ash, becoming the band’s agent and working with Rob Challice at Forward Artist Booking. Feeling the need to work at a larger agency, Strange moved to John Giddings’ Solo, before another move to Fair Warning/Waster Talent where he met fellow X-ray founders Ian Huffam and Jeff Craft. Adding Scott Thomas and Martin Horne to the mix, the five individuals launched X-ray in 2005, fast becoming one of the UK’s most respected booking agencies. Strange was renowned for signing and developing US artists. “I’ve always listened to American music, and a lot of the bands I liked when I was younger were from the United States,” he told IQ in 2018. His relationship with Interscope Records’ label head Martin Kierszenbaum and A&R chief Don Robinson led to an introduction with Eminem, who alongside Queens of the Stone Age became a cornerstone of an eclectic
roster that included Coldplay, Maximo Park, Feeder, Snow Patrol, The Charlatans, Jimmy Eat World and more, many booked with long-time colleague Josh Javor. Strange was a longstanding ILMC member, and in March had picked up the top agent award (Second Least Offensive Agent) in a special decade showdown at the Arthur Awards. Strange had topped the category twice before. He appeared in person to collect the gong at the Royal Albert Hall, thanking his clients, and “all the people at Team Strange and X-ray Touring who’ve all had a very difficult year, but we’re getting through it.” More recently, in May, X-ray announced a strategic partnership with New York-based AGI, part of the Y Entertainment Group, which also includes UK agency K2. “I am personally excited and delighted by our renewed joint venture partnership with my good friend Ron Burkle and the Yucaipa group,” said Strange of the announcement. “I am also looking forward to our new strategic partnership with AGI in the US.” In an emotional memorial at IFF on Thursday, 30 September, his X-ray colleagues paid tribute to him, along with many colleagues from around the world. X-ray co-founder Ian Huffam joked that Strange would have enjoyed “the vast level of national press coverage his passing has generated.” Josh Javor, who worked alongside Strange for the past 16 years, said, “I’ve learned a lot from him. He was just a wonderful, generous, and really genuine person who really loved what he did. He wasn’t cynical or anything like that and I am going to miss him a lot.” Tributes to Strange began flooding social media as soon as the news broke. Amongst those, was CAA’s Emma Banks, who wrote that Strange was “a truly good and loving person without a bad bone in his body. The life and soul of every occasion, a music man to the core and dedicated to his clients, friends, and family. If you knew him, you will understand why everyone is devastated by his passing, and if you didn’t know him, you missed out big time.” Siren Artist Management’s Adam Parsons said, “His talent and expertise coupled with his never-ending enthusiasm has made him one of the world’s leading music executives and one of the most loved beings I have ever known.” Paradigm’s Rob Challice wrote, “His enthusiasm for music and life was contagious and inspirational. He changed the world around him. I can’t believe we’ll never hear that big laugh of his again.” Fellow X-ray director Adam ‘Rad’ Saunders posted, “Friend, ally, mentor, and the single most influential person in my career. Steve was an irrepressible juggernaut of a person. Full ofof Thousands passion, talent, and a ridiculous laugh. I will professionals read miss him hugely. I can’t really imagine a music IQ every day. Make business without Steve in it. It leaves a hole so sure you get the big it cannot be filled.”
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NEW SIGNINGS & NEW MUSIC
LISTEN TO ’S ‘NEW MUSIC’ AGENCY PLAYLIST HERE
Each month, ’s partner agencies help us to compile a playlist of new music, much of it released by the new signings to their rosters. Among the tracks on October’s playlist are submissions from 13 Artists, ATC Live, CAA, ICM Partners, ITB, Mother Artists, Paradigm and WME.
HALF WAIF AGENT
Nikita Lavrinenko PlayBook Artists
GIULIA TESS
(UK/IT)
AGENT
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Ollie Seaman Earth Agency
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(US)
H
alf Waif is the project of singer-songwriter and producer Nandi Rose. The project – which blends pop, folk, and electronic styles into a layered and transportive sound – has been featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk series, in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Pitchfork. She has toured internationally with bands like Mitski, Iron & Wine, and Calexico; and recently announced her fifth full-length album Mythopoetics with ANTI- Records. Half Waif’s previous albums The Caretaker (2020), Lavender (2018) and Probable Depths (2016), garnered acclaim for their compelling journeys through solitude, desire, and the search for independence, while on new album Mythopoetics, she breaks the familial patterns handed down to her, transforming this source of pain into something bearable, beautiful, and celebratory.
G
iulia Tess (aka Italy-born, London-based DJ and producer Giulia Campanella) started her musical exploits by first banging on the drums, before shifting the weight and hunger of new vibrations to the decks of the local clubs of the east coast of the Bel Paese. In 2016, she moved to London where she embarked on collaborations with forward-thinking collectives like Femme Culture, Nervous Horizon, and More Time. Her 2019 IENE EP received support from artists like Objekt, Mor Elian, Violet, and Scratcha DVA, while the track Watch How Mi Dweet featuring Logan was played at the Stella McCartney Winter 2020 Show in Paris. In 2020, she collaborated with Nan Kolè on the Homemade EP, while also releasing her own Cattiva II / Nightmare EP, pushing her towards a more experimental sound. Indeed, her latest release, 200417, is an excellent example of her genre-pushing style. Alongside her production projects, Giulia is Thousands a regular of on the London club circuit and a resident DJ at Threadsread professionals Radio. She has also appeared as a guest DJIQon NTS, BBCMake every day. Radio 1, BBC radio 1xtra, BBC Asian network, sureBalamii, you get the and Reprezent Radio.
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New Signings
ARTIST LISTINGS Agoria (FR)
Laetitia Descouens, Primary Talent
Ailbhe Reddy (IE)
Paul McGivern, PlayBook Artists
ANGRY BLACKMEN (US)
Joviale (UK)
Lucy Atkinson, Earth Agency
Joyeria (UK)
Felipe Mina Calvo, ATC Live
Marlon Burton, ATC Live Eleanor McGuinness, PlayBook Artists
Big Image (UK)
Matt Bates, Primary Talent
Bondax (UK)
Sam Gill, Earth Agency
Bou (UK)
Tom Jones, UTA Beckie Sugden, ICM Partners
Daseplate (UK)
Danny Misell, Earth Agency
Dillom (AR) Dowdelin (FR) Etaoin (UK)
KAVO (UK) Kid Brunswick (UK) Let’s Eat Grandma (UK) Loose Articles (UK) Lucy McWilliams (IE) MadeinTYO (US) Mechatok (NL)
Felipe Mina Calvo, ATC Live
MJ Nebreda (VE)
Andre Marmot, Earth Agency
Naima Bock (UK)
Angus Baskerville, 13 Artists
Finnegan Tui (NZ)
Matt Bates & Chris Smyth, Primary Talent
Fumez The Engineer (UK)
Max Lee, Earth Agency
Opus Kink (UK) Otis Kane (US) Podge (UK) SEB (US)
Half Waif (US)
Nikita Lavrinenko, PlayBook Artists
Silky (UK)
Hannah Watts (UK)
Laetitia Descouens, Primary Talent
TAAHLIAH (UK)
Liam Keightley, ITB Will Church, ATC Live Sally Dunstone, Primary Talent
Sarah Casey & James Wright, UTA Sam Gill, Earth Agency Lucy Atkinson, Earth Agency Felipe Mina Calvo, ATC Live Liam Keightley, ITB Skully Kaplan & Steve Taylor, ATC Live Beckie Sugden, ICM Partners Mike Deane, Earth Agency
Danny Misell, Earth Agency Ollie Seaman, Earth Agency
Horsegirl (US)
Steve Nickolls, UTA Graham Clews, ATC Live
Rod MacSween & Kara James, ITB
Giulia Tess (UK/IT)
Honeyglaze (UK)
Sam Gill, Earth Agency Lola Mitchell, 13 Artists
Owenn (US)
Gemi (UK)
Hyd (US)
Caitlin Ballard, ATC Live
Tom Manley, ATC Live
Bawo (UK)
Dana Dentata (US)
Beckie Sugden, ICM Partners
Serena Parsons, Earth Agency
Anna Prior DJ (PT) Beverly Glenn-Copeland (CA)
J.I The Prince of NY (US) Johanna Warren (US)
The Byker Grove Fan Club (UK) Tokio Myers (UK) Tom King (UK)
Carlos Abreu, UTA Danny Misell, Earth Agency Sally Dunstone, Primary Talent Steve Taylor, ATC Live Angus Baskerville, 13 Artists Alice Hogg, ATC Live
HOTTEST NEW ACTS THIS MONTH 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
LAST MONTH 26 14 17 31 47 33 22 16 96 1 -
PREDICTIONS FOR OCTOBER 2021
ARTIST ROT KEN (US) BMW KENNY (US) RANCID EDDIE (AU) TRU CARR (US) YEAT (US) CKAY (NG) CHLOE (US) A-WALL (US) JVKE (US) TOM CARDY (AU) BUJU (NG) NAVOS (UK) ANXIETY, THE (US) MARCUS YOUNG (US) PIRI (CA) BER (US), CAPELLA GREY (US), MIKE DIMES (US), ARZ (UK), BIGWALKDOG (US)
Artists not in the current top 15, but growing quickly
Fastest growing artists in terms of music consumption, aggregated across a number of online sources.
SEPTEMBER 2021
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Comment
The importance of Trust Mark Davyd, CEO of the Music Venue Trust, reveals why the organisation hosted the closing party at IFF, underlining the importance of grassroots venues to the entire music ecosystem.
I
t might seem a bit odd for Music Venue Trust, the charity that acts to protect, secure, and improve grassroots music venues in the UK, to be hosting the closing night party of the International Festival Forum. Actually, it makes a lot more sense to us, and to you, than you might initially think. Music Venue Trust has a pretty exclusive mission around the needs of live music venues at grassroots level, but that work doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Over the last 20 months it has become incredibly clear, if it wasn’t already obvious, that grassroots music venues are part of a vast ecosystem. If we think of that ecosystem as a car engine, in our view the grassroots sector is the ignition system. If we don’t have grassroots music venues, our whole industry has nothing to kickstart the rest of the engine with the essential constant high-voltage surge of new talent. All the shiny carburettors, radiators, and cam shafts are important, they do the work that moves us from point A to point B. But all of them will sit there idle if we don’t actually have anything that starts the engine in the first place. Large venues such as Glastonbury or The O2 might be the engine block of UK live music, but unless small venues like The Hull Adelphi, for example, emit a spark every so often we should be imagining a future in which they are sitting idle in a garage somewhere gathering dust. At MVT, we particularly like this laboured and slightly bloated metaphor because we often get the response that the car is motoring along just fine. Which it is, or at least was. In the UK we have an incredibly successful £5.4billion [€6.3bn] a year industry that has been significantly exceeding any expectations across the world stage for almost sixty years. But that vehicle was already in motion, already started. Our concern has always been what happens to the whole engine if we let the ignition system disappear. Frankly, we have just seen it turned off temporarily by the Covid crisis. The problems that provoked are wide-ranging and will have a deep impact on our industry for many years to come. In the Covid crisis we had to deal with the very real prospect that 83% of all the
grassroots music venues in the country could close and never reopen. The possible loss that represents of potential next festival headliners for everyone, not just in the UK but right around the world, should be enough to make us all pause and think again about the value of what we have at the grassroots, how interconnected all of us actually are. When a grassroots music venue closes, it’s a disaster for the local community, which for us is enough of a reason to fight against it. But even if you’re not in that local community, and you don’t directly feel that loss immediately, you, the festival community, will feel it in the loss of potential talent in the future. Ask the artists you headline at your festivals where they started and why they started. Festivals need this ignition system as much as record labels, publishers, and streaming platforms. MVT has been fighting the cause of preventing venue closures for nearly eight years now. In that time, our work has increasingly become about the whole ecosystem. Not just the venues. The venues are the bricks-and-mortar spaces in which artists, crew, sound engineers, lighting techs, merch vendors, stagehands, promoters, bookers, agents, managers, and the whole ecosystem come together to deliver events. If we were clever and wanted to get access to all the public funding grants being thrown at tech companies, we would be calling them Co-working Spaces Fostering Micro-Business Development. Every part of our ecosystem leans on the ability of the others to work. Revisiting our car engine, any part of the mechanism that has grit in it or isn’t able to function properly is a challenge to all of us. It was before the crisis, and led to the creation of Music Venue Trust, and we’ve seen it magnified to terrifying levels during and post Covid. A malfunctioning part of our ecosystem impacts on all of us struggling within it. Coming out of this crisis, MVT thought about these issues and forged a partnership with The National Lottery to create the Revive Live Tour. That programme offered support directly to artists, crew, agents, and managers to get back out and
“A malfunctioning part of our ecosystem impacts on all of us struggling within it”
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Comment
Bob Vylan headlined the final night of MVT’s Revive Live Tour at IFF
playing in grassroots music venues. It’s easy to understand why we, as a charity concerned for the future health of the grassroots music venues, would create such a programme to benefit our own specific sector of premises. But the programme was about much more than that. It was about restarting the whole of our ecosystem, recognising that the people who make up a functioning version of it needed support to restart it. Festivals, festival programmers, bookers, agents, promoters, the core audience for the International Festival Forum, are a vital part of the grassroots ecosystem. The person who operates the desk on a Friday night at a music venue in Cornwall has a portfolio career, which is formed by that work and the work they get from you, our partners at festivals. They
need all parts of our ecosystem to be firing and moving together to restart their careers. So we are delighted to be part of that story and to have joined you at the IFF this year. Our closing-night party, presented in association with our colleagues at Allianz, was a chance to see the type of artists we have been supporting to get back to the careers they love. We wanted to give you a chance to see the artists currently blowing up on the UK grassroots circuit that you should be thinking about for your festival line-ups next year. It was also a chance to have the type of networking and discussions that we need to encourage and have more of, between venues, festivals, agents, promoters, bookers, as we strive to work together to recover fromThousands of this crisis. All of us, the whole ecosystem. professionals read
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Comment
Alive & kicking Jazzopen Stuttgart’s Jürgen Schlensog and Sven Meyer explain why it was important for the German festival to take place in spite of debilitating Covid-related obstacles.
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e at jazzopen Stuttgart felt that it was hugely important for the festival to go ahead this year. We did not want to call it two years in a row; we wanted to show our guests, partners, and sponsors that making this incredible event happen was possible and that we are, despite everything, very much “alive and kicking.” Of course, getting the festival up and running was no easy task. First, we had to book a completely new line-up. When we went on sale it was an act of faith, we could not know what the pandemic might hold for us this September. It currently looks like the jazzopen may be the only large-scale German festival to happen in 2021. Our restrictions on live music are different to other European markets that have already fully opened and enjoyed some semblance of a festival season. Germany is a federal state and we experienced both the positive and negative consequences of that structure simultaneously. It is very difficult for promotors to plan shows because the restrictions and regulations can vary from state to state. Overall, the German governing bodies were very cautious, and all their rulings were debated heavily. However, the German state has put in place a system to cover any loss of revenue due to lower ticket demands. State cover guarantees 80% of lower ticket sales during the pandemic – cost free. In the UK, the system arranged by the government and Lloyds does not and, moreover, costs 5% premium (of the insured limit) and covers only cancellation due to Covid. Putting the festival on sent a message; it was important to fly our flag. This will bolster our reputation and stand us in good stead for the future. Those factors were more important this year than the financial side of things: we knew that we could survive until next year, come what may. Naturally, we had to change the way that we welcome our guests. We had to impose “3G” (geimpft, genesen oder getestet, which means vaccinated, recovered or tested, in German) for our guests and implement intense controls, which required at
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least 50% more security, but it worked. Our guests were happy overall and, crucially, felt secure. They were very patient and accepted the regulations, though we did notice reticence from some regular patrons about committing to the festival and buying tickets. However, once they were onsite, they were thrilled to have live music again and reconnect with this almost forgotten experience. They had fun. Around 18,000 people attended the jazzopen rather than our usual 40,000. Our secondary venue sold fairly well, whilst at the main venue, sales were mediocre. Ticket sales were recognisably lower than normal, but the shows were spectacular. Every performance was special in its own way because we could feel how relieved and delighted both the artists and the audience were to enjoy live music once again. The first day or two felt unreal. The process of making the festival happen this year felt special. There was a real common purpose that resonated throughout the whole industry; people wanted to help us make this work. We all love our jobs – even more so now that we have come to realise how fragile this industry can be. Our colleagues in the industry had our backs and were as pleased as we were that jazzopen got up and running. The audiences were as hungry as the artists after such a long time without live music and the whole atmosphere was just electric. Now that the last note has died away, we are left with a feeling of pride and relief. We made it – even in these weird times! We were fortunate to have a great team in place to allow us to do what we needed to do. The feedback from everyone underlines how important it is that people can access live music. We have missed it and its power. Our governments need to realise that culture is essential for all humans. Perhaps something good that can come from this Covid experience is that they learn how our sector operates and what our needs are because our services are essential – both economically as well as culturally. Come to Stuttgart next year, we’ll be ready to welcome you!
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International Festival Forum
Jon Ollier makes a point to The Agency Business 2021 panel
The IFF opening party allowed delegates to meet face to face for the first time in 18 months
Earth Agency presented Loshh as part of its showcase programme
After 2020’s online-only version, the International Festival Forum enjoyed a successful return to a physical event in late September, as more than 600 delegates registered for the event that focuses on booking agents and festivals.
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nthusiasm for IFF was evident at the opening party, hosted by UTA, where many delegates renewed acquaintances with colleagues they had not seen in the flesh since ILMC in March 2020. With agency partners reporting oversubscribed speed-meetings at their pop-up offices around Camden, the conference element included a number of pre-recorded sessions, covering such topics as Your Next Headliner – Climate Action; Festival Playground – the Future of Music Festivals; Festival Insurance in a Post-Pandemic World; and Counting the Cost of Brexit.
The keynote saw CAA’s Maria May interviewing Festival Republic chief Melvin Benn and FKP Scorpio founder Folkert Koopmans, who delivered an optimistic message about the future of the business. Both men noted that there had been no dialogue between the live music industry and the government prior to Covid, meaning much of the last 18 months had been spent educating politicians and persuading them to help support the business. Quizzed by May about what could be done to help emerging talent, given that many festival line-ups have rolled over into 2022, Benn
revealed that he would be launching new events next year. “I am starting new festivals in 2022,” he said. “I've always got to have at least one because I try to keep up with Folkert. So, we’ve got at least one or two next year, and that will give new talent the opportunity to start getting to play to a bigger audience.” “When I hear that Melvin is doing two or three new festivals, we might do four,” quipped Koopmans. However, he admitted that staffing was a problem and, along with spiralling costs, it means there will be some tough choices to make, so establishing any new showcase festivals might have to wait.
“It’s been fantastic to have everyone back in the room together. The joy on peoples’ faces has been great to behold.” Alex Bruford | ATC Live Magazine
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ITB’s Pizzagirl was the first band that a number of delegates had seen perform live in 18 months
Cassyette was one of Paradigm's showcase artists
X-ray's Ian Huffam paid a heartfelt tribute to colleague and friend Steve Strange
CAA's Maria May conducted the keynote interview with Melvin Benn and Folkert Koopmans
“It’s been amazing to see everyone in the family again. It’s been really emotional and I would not have missed it for the world.” Beatrice Stirnimann | Baloise Session
But he predicted that not only will the 2022 season go ahead, but “it will be the biggest year ever. And I suppose the next years will just grow. I'm super optimistic.” Benn concluded that the industry can also take a lead on sustainability. “Now it feels like everybody is on the same page – artists, managers, promoters, agents, suppliers, and fans – and collectively there’s a lot we can do together, and that needs to be one of the greatest collaborations that the music industry can continue with.” Elsewhere, The Agency Business panel examined the recently announced CAA and ICM Partners acquisition, with panellists agreeing
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that the deal could provide opportunities for independent agencies, while former CAA staffer Jon Ollier admitted to being “fascinated” by the merger, noting that CAA will be determined to preserve the company’s culture. And it was Ollier, now boss of One Fiinix Live, who shared his belief that one potential outcome of the Covid pandemic may be that the industry will lose its winter season. “There might not be a complete shutdown, but booking a European tour in February, at the height of flu season, will be a huge risk. So why not follow the sun around the globe to mitigate that risk?” ATC Live leader Alex Bruford noted that re-
building consumer confidence would be a major challenge, while he predicted a more flexible approach to touring where acts may put on a series of arena dates at short notice as market conditions change. The conference’s opener involved a Therapy Session where delegates shared stories from the past 18 months, alongside plans to rebuild and reopen their various markets for live events. With Barnaby Harrod (Mercury Wheels) and Claire Courtney (Earth Agency) onstage to represent the different parts of the business, those in the room heard a number of tales, with arguably the most inspiring related by Georg Leitner of GLP, who revealed that Syrian refugees are being recruited by security firms in Germany to help that sector get back to full strength ahead of the 2022 season. Paradigm’s Clementine Bunel, meanwhile, moderated The Roaring 20s? where she and her guests examined whether the rest of the decade
International Festival Forum
“It’s been good to talk to people in flesh and blood. I haven’t actually started my new job yet, so technically I am on holiday, but there was no way I was going to miss IFF.” Marion Meier | Blue Balls Festival
Paradigm's Clementine Bunel moderated The Roaring 20s? session
Represented by Primary Talent/ICM Partners, Police Car Collective brought an infectious energy to the stage at PowerHaus Camden
could be a golden era for live music. And while the future could indeed be rosy, multiple challenges were identified, not the least of which will be sharp rises in ticket prices to cover spiralling costs – an issue that Lowlands Festival’s Eric van Eerdenburg warned could prevent young fans from attending. And noting increased drop-off rates at recent live events throughout Europe, AEG’s Jim King called out the scandal of guest-list ticketing fall-off, which has been 40% on some shows, compared to 10-12% normally. “It’s outrageous,” he blasted. The afternoon and evening programmes at IFF once again featured some of the hottest emerging talent on the rosters of ITB, Earth Agency, Paradigm, Primary Talent & ICM Partners, Marshall Live, X-ray Touring, and ATC Live, while Music Venue Trust used the occasion to bring down the curtain on their nationwide Revive Live Tour, as well as sponsoring the closing IFF party.
The Therapy Session saw delegates sharing their tales of hardship and recovery from the pandemic
“It’s great to see the family again. Everyone has been so gentle – even people who were fierce rivals, so it’s like there is a new harmony. The opening party was definitely the best thing I have been to in the past 18 months.” Okan Tombulca | eps
IFF's numerous networking breaks enabled delgates to catch up in both formal and informal settings Magazine
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Cashless_Feature
Adam Woods talks to some of the boffins behind contactless payment systems, as the implications of the pandemic make their tech a no-brainer for event organisers.
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o get the obvious dark joke out of the way, most festivals literally went cashless in the pandemic-stricken calendar of 2020/21, and not for strategic reasons. But now, after the better part of two years on pause, the survivors are gradually returning to a changed world in which actual cashless systems, once a matter of preference for live events, seem destined to become the standard. As shows and festivals come back online around the world and begin to thrash out solutions to Covid safety, staff shortages, visitor flow, and our own increasingly cash-free habits, cashless and contactless options are a must-have, whether based on RFID, mobile pay, barcoded tickets, or some hybrid of the above. “I think [cashless] was maybe 30% before the pandemic,” estimates Event Genius founder Reshad Hossenally, “and now it’s probably close to 80%-odd, maybe more.” Nor is this likely to be a temporary shift. “In the festival world, the biggest change we are going to see when everyone is back is that cash and tokens will be out,” says David De Wever, CEO and partner at Antwerp-based PlayPass. Before Covid, cashless festivals weren’t always to everyone’s taste – an NME column from 2018 was unambiguously entitled ‘We need to talk about cashless festivals, because they f***ing suck’ – but things are different now. The pandemic isn’t over yet, but event management technology – of which access control and cashless systems are just the most visible applications – will certainly be an important tool in the process of piloting the live business back out of the wilderness. According to recent research, 63% of fans have greater event health and safety concerns than before, and 66% of fans are more worried about venue hygiene [source: Performance Research]. Meanwhile, the most mature markets are well along the road of phasing out cash, with hard currency in Sweden down to 9% of transactions in 2020, against 14% in the Netherlands, 23% in the UK and 28% in the US [source: McKinsey]. It all adds up to a major opportunity for cashless specialists, many of whom offer ticketing, access, marketing and travel within the same system, and whose technology easily flexes to encompass any number of testing and vaccine
passport options. Where festivals have returned in 2021, the majority have come back in cashless form, usually in tandem with some form of digital access control – whatever the particular situation has required. “As a result of the pandemic, we’ve seen a huge increase in demand for our solutions,” says Jason Thomas, CEO of global cashless provider Tappit. “Cash is no longer a preferred payment method, as cashless systems allow for a much cleaner and safer experience for fans and staff. RFID solutions work perfectly for festivals, but we’ve seen a real increase in demand for our white-label mobile pay solution, which works for events and venues with their own app or digital ecosystem.” But while certain markets in well-vaccinated nations have bounced back to life, 2021 has not been quite the wholehearted return to action we were all hoping for – even if early signs were good. “Around April, May, suddenly everyone was active,” says De Wever. “At that stage, a lot of them needed proposals for Covid testing and all different kinds of extra technology. Then it went quiet for a bit, particularly the big festivals.” Most of those big festivals decided against risking a 2021 return, and even now, with pockets of events carefully raising the curtain again, just about everyone in the event technology business has seen too many false dawns to indulge in too much unvarnished optimism. “What we have seen this year is some of the mid-sized festivals are trying to have an edition, depending on the country,” says De Wever, speaking in late August. “UK, Belgium, France is busy at the moment, but apart from that, it is still really flat in a lot of countries. We are just watching what is happening at each national level, and we also have some promoters who are taking the initiative themselves.” One such example is Barcelona’s Cruïlla festival at the city’s Parc del Fòrum, which decided to proceed in July, safeguarding fans with an antigen-testing regime made possible by PlayPass’s RFID system. “[Cruïlla director Jordi Herreruela] decided he was going to test everybody, every day, no matter what,” says De Wever. “The procedureof Thousands was that people had to create an account professionals and read buy a test for each of the days they were IQ every day.going Make to the festival. When you arrived at the festival, sure you get the you swapped your ticket for an RFID wristband
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INSIGHTS FOR SORE EYES As the business rubs the sleep from its collective eyes after an 18-month-long talks to some of the companies helping live music professionals slumber, learn more about their audiences and improve their fans’ experience.
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WHEREVER YOU GO, WE ARE THERE… Your global leader for temporary flooring and crowd control solutions
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GEI Summer Edition round-up
With sustainability topping the agenda of many organisations who are endeavouring to “build back better,” GEI’s inaugural summer edition gathered delegates virtually from all over the world to witness a host of panels broadcast live from PYTCH in Bristol, UK
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he A Greener Tour panel, chaired by production manager Wob Roberts, focussed on the work behind making Bring Me The Horizon’s tour as environmentally friendly as possible. This involved a “360-degree dialogue of learning with the whole industry” to find out what is already possible in terms of sustainability, as well as the many projects that people are working on to improve their carbon footprints. The session revealed many of the steps that vendors are taking to bolster their green credentials and underlined the need for open communications so that the entire ecosystem can benefit. Putting venues in the spotlight, A Greener Arena Emerging saw Teresa Moore (A Greener Festival) joined by Dale Vince from Ecotricity, Emma Ball from the NEC, and Lee Lacey from London’s O2 arena. Vince explained that 80% of everyone’s carbon footprint lies in energy, transport, and food, and by targeting those three specific areas, huge results are possible. Ball spoke of the new-found enthusiasm displayed by event stakeholders in working together to tackle the climate emergency. Whilst Lacey underlined how key artist engagement with fans is
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in delivering messages about sustainability, thus helping venues and the industry in general to achieve green targets. The event also saw UK industry organisation LIVE reveal its united action declaration, which involves sectors across the live music business working together to agree a common stance on the environment and a voluntary charter setting out directions for the industry over the next few years. LIVE Green Working Group chair John Langford explained that the pause due to the pandemic had allowed many like-minded people to debate how live entertainment could become more sustainable, as well as giving the time and space to allow the drawing up of plans on how to achieve cross-industry cooperation. To date, 13 industry organisations have signed the declaration. Artists Creating Change saw Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, DJ Eli Soul Clap, and a panel of industry professionals discuss the power of artists and musicians when it comes to communicating positive environmental messages to the masses and bringing about real change. Fearlessly Feminine, hosted by A Greener Festival’s Claire O’Neill, saw Khalila
Sandrah Mbowe, founder and CEO of Unleashed Africa Social Ventures, speak about the organisation’s work in youth development, social innovation, and job creation, and her passion for creating brands that can transform Africa; Claire Dubois, founder of TreeSisters, explained the organisation’s remit as a social change and tropical reforestation programme; and Diné (Navajo) activist Pat McCabe (Woman Stands Shining) highlighted the work of indigenous peoples around the world in fighting to maintain the way of life – working in harmony with nature and the earth – that they have enjoyed for millennia. Other sessions included Creativity Conquers Conflict; Carbon Removals & Climate Heating; Sustainable Signage & Branding; the Tyndall Centre’s Massive Attack Research; Greening Sports; Energy & Power; and Live From the Fields, which examined some sustainability measures that were introduced at 2021 events. Video footage of GEI’s summer edition is available online for all delegates, while on-demand access is still available for £55 (inc VAT) by emailing hello@agreenerfestival.com.
GEI Summer Edition round-up
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SOUND, LIGHTS & SCREENS: Sound, Lights & Screens_Feature
DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK
As festivals and gigs start to resume in earnest, sound, lighting and video screen contractors are suddenly finding themselves inundated with business again. Derek Robertson learns about the rollercoaster ride that suppliers have experienced during the pandemic.
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o you remember at which point the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic first hit home? For some, it was when they suspended all flights to mainland China. Or when the UK government admitted that we faced a “substantial period of disruption… due to the outbreak.” For others it was the realisation that, after the announcement on 9 March of a strict nationwide quarantine in Italy, lockdowns were coming to us all. For those whose livelihoods were invested in the music industry, watching all of this unfold prompted an increasing feeling of dread.
For Yvonne Donnelly Smith, music lighting sales director of PRG – a global company operating audio, camera, lighting, and various other production services – that latter date was particularly significant. “I got my first email from Bryan Adams’ team saying: ‘All shows cancelled due to Corona,” she says. “That was quickly followed by The Script, who cancelled because someone in the touring party had caught Covid. Then the dom-of Thousands ino effect really started to kick in.” professionals read As she tells it, every day IQ two or three every day.more Make tours would cancel as the reality of the situation sure you get the began to outweigh optimism that the whole
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Your Shout
If you had 25 hours a day, how would you use your extra time?
TOP SHOUT
My home is a museum of my life thus far… There are hundreds of unread books, unlistened albums, boxes of archival stuff and heaven knows what. And I keep buying more stuff (with a Covid dip while my income evaporated.) I like buying stuff. And then there’s my own music; some of it I put out, much of it I record and don’t release because there isn’t time. Then there’s thousands of unedited photos, and books to write… Ah fuck it! Twenty-five hours a day isn’t enough, can I negotiate this up? Nick Hobbs | Charmenko
Sex. (Or motor racing – it lasts longer!!) John Giddings | Solo Agency I thought 25 hours a day is what music managers always work… Paul Craig | Nostromo Management Covid has made it clear that life is short and very unpredictable: certainties can disappear in minutes. So my extra time would be spent playing, reading, walking, smiling, and lots of family time. Work is not everything, it already takes eight hours a day, that’s enough. Corrado Canonici | World Touring Exhibitions Not to work. Natasha Gregory | Mother Artists Live This just made me waste three minutes as I have been thinking about how I will use that extra hour! Lucia Wade | ITB
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Sleep. Kenneth Svoldgaard | CSB Ed Grossman | Brackman Chopra Mark Davyd | Music Venue Trust Richie Mattila | ISO Exercise. Fitting in half an hour of exercise does wonders for my mental health on any given day. Connie Shao | AEG Presents
I would split that extra hour into 20 minutes office, 20 minutes golf, and 20 minutes family! Peter Schwenkow | DEAG One hour extra? With my daughter and family as the rest of the day is dedicated to work, even when I try to sleep. Roberto De Luca | Live Nation
I’d save up all the extra hours, add them together and take a holiday. I’m not one for holidays, to be honest, but I’d give it a try. Gillian ‘Centre’ Park(s) | MGR Touring
I would probably want to use that extra hour to check on my colleagues and friends in the business and make sure they are okay. Come to think of it… I should do that more often anyway. Guido Janssens | Emagic
Reading the wonderful IQ Magazine in even more detail, and preparing for ILMC 34, of course. Martin Goebbels | Miller Insurance
I would ride horses in our mountains listening to opera arias through headphones. Patrik Kohut | Ostrava V Plamenech Thousands of
Read a good book! Nadia Solovieva | SAV Entertainment
I would spend the extra hour around animals… IQ every day. Make the best therapy. sure you get the Betina Canalis | PopArtMusic
professionals read
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