IQ 89 by IQ Magazine

89 An ILMC Publication MAY 2020 | £25 | €25

THE GULF STATES

MARKET REPORT

OSSY HOPPE’S WIZARD MOVES TOGETHER IN ELECTRIC STREAMS

Live music inspires millions around the world, but the concerts we all enjoy wouldn’t be possible without the countless crew members working behind the scenes. With concerts on pause, we want to extend a helping hand to the touring and venue crews who depend on shows to make a living.

Crew Nation was created to do just that. Crew members are the backbone of the live music industry, and we hope you’ll join us in supporting them through this temporary intermission until we can once again unite millions around the world through the power of live music. Crew Nation is powered by Music Forward Foundation, a charitable 501c3 organization, that will be administering the fund. Live Nation has committed $10 million to Crew Nation – contributing an initial $5 million to the fund, then matching the next $5 million given by artists, fans and employees dollar for dollar. Thanks for your support, and we look forward to seeing you at a show again soon. GET INVOLVED AT LIVENATIONENTERTAINMENT.COM/CREWNATION

IQ89 CONTENTS COVER: MILEY CYRUS AT SUNNY HILL FESTIVAL, 2019 PHOTO BY MEDDY HUDUTI COPYRIGHT @SUNNYHILLFESTIVAL

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NEWS

FEATURES

COMMENT AND COLUMNS

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Index In Brief The main headlines over the last two months

CORONA SPECIAL REPORT Learning & Growing A dozen lessons the pandemic lockdown has taught us, so far The Recovery Position Professionals around the world plan and prepare for whatever the ‘new normal’ might be Strength in the Face of Adversity Some of the ‘good news’ stories that have emerged from the global shutdown Playing Politics Examining the live entertainment industry’s response, versus that of government

Together in Electric Streams Live streaming and music amid a global pandemic ILMC 32 Review A round up of some of the major discussion topics and events at ILMC in March Arthur Awards 2020 IQ celebrates the big winners at ILMC’s annual gala event The Wonderful Wizard of Oss To celebrate Ossy Hoppe’s 70th birthday, Gordon Masson charts his life and career with the help of the industry Bridging The Gulf Adam Woods examines the live entertainment business in The Gulf States, now that Saudi Arabia is opening up to contemporary artists ILMC’s Technological Leaders A review of some of the new tech showcased at ILMC

Sink or Swim Mike Malak focusses on the opportunities presented by the coronavirus shutdown, and shares his own tips for home working Life in the Time of Covid-19 Tamsin Embleton offers guidance on how to deal with stress, anxiety and uncertainty amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis Insuring the Unknown Tim Thornhill explains how the pandemic is set to change insurance policies to guarantee protection for all View from a New Boss Melanie Eselevsky reflects on this year’s ILMC, as well as her vision for the postCovid-19 concert industry Readers’ Lives The passions of ILMC’s equestrian agents Your Shout “What’s the most unusual way you’re passing time at the moment?”

Magazine

UNCERTAINTY: THE NEW NORMAL

ooking back at the good old days, or February, as I now know it, when I was last writing this column, I penned the line that coronavirus “could pose a serious threat to concerts and festivals globally if governments decide to ban large-scale public gatherings.” Little did I imagine the scale of the shutdown that was to follow, although I don’t think enough recognition has been given to those of you who voluntarily shuttered operations, while politicians dragged their feet, benefitting nobody except, perhaps, friends who have interests in Lloyds of London and other insurance entities. At the time of writing, London mayor, Sadiq Khan, was putting pressure on the UK government to allow him to introduce compulsory face masks for anyone leaving their homes in the capital. While that extraordinary measure cannot be criticised in its intent to keep Londoners safe, the fact that the city’s medical staff (indeed, hospitals throughout the UK) cannot get hold of face masks to protect themselves and patients they care for, underlines something of a flaw in Khan’s plan. But until a vaccine for this coronavirus can be developed, undergo clinical trials, then be manufactured in mass quantity and distributed to every soul on the planet, I fear that we’ll be looking at similar proposals from politicians and public health authorities internationally. And, unfortunately, the practice of social distancing may be here to stay for the foreseeable future – again, until a vaccination programme is rolled out. So where does that leave the live events sector? A growing number of people are forecasting that the entire 2020 calendar will be scrapped, with some even projecting the lockdown will extend deep into 2021. Others are optimistic that small gigs and shows could go ahead before the end of this summer. Nobody really knows, at this point, but I personally believe (and hope and pray) that we will see a return of arena and stadium events (sport, in particular) by September or October. It’s possible – if not probable – that organisers will have to devise chequerboard seating plans, or insist on fans wearing personal protective equipment, or even take the temperature of visitors before allowing them to enter venues. However, one thing that this whole nightmare scenario has proved is that humans are at their absolute best when faced with a challenge, and some of the creative and innovative solutions we’ve all witnessed in recent weeks, are definitely helping to fuel the optimist in me. Thanks to everyone who spoke to IQ for this edition of the magazine. We know how ridiculously busy you all are in planning for a resumption of trade and we hope to see many of you at gigs, festivals and conferences very soon indeed. In the meantime, IQ is here to help. If you have any news you wish to share about what you’re doing, or if you need to be connected with any of your peers around the world, please do not hesitate to contact me, Jon or Anna – our various email and Twitter details are printed in the masthead on this page. Stay well.

ISSUE 89

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 News Editor Jon Chapple Staff Writer Anna Grace Advertising Manager Steve Woollett Design Philip Millard Sub Editor Michael Muldoon Editorial Assistants Imogen Battersby and Ben Delger Contributors Tamsin Embleton, Melanie Eselevsky, Mike Malak, Derek Robertson, Manfred Tari, Tim Thornhill, Adam Woods 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

IN BRIEF INDEX The concert business digest

MARCH Live Nation Norway acquires a majority stake in Bergen Live, the Bergen-based concert and festival promoter, as competition between the major live music businesses heats up the Norwegian market. The Spanish live music business generated a record €382m in 2019, reveals the Association of Music Promoters’ Live Music Yearbook, representing its seventh consecutive year of growth. Restrictions are placed on large gatherings in Greece, Poland and the Czech Republic, as the coronavirus spreads throughout Europe. Primary Talent International, one of London’s last major independent booking agencies, allies with Los Angeles’ ICM Partners, in what is understood to be an acquisition in all but name. April’s Coachella festival – traditionally the unofficial start to the festival season in the northern hemisphere – is pushed back to October, organisers confirm, becoming the biggest music-biz casualty of the coronavirus to date.

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German live entertainment powerhouse CTS Eventim reports record revenue and earnings of €1.44bn and €286.5m, respectively, for the 2019 financial year.

Amid widespread cancellations of live entertainment and sporting events, arenas in North America open emergency funds to ensure the livelihoods of part-time staff.

AEG and its large-venue operator arm, ASM Global (formerly AEG Facilities), form a multi-year partnership with Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group.

The Royal Albert Hall in London becomes the first UK arena to completely shut its doors as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

Amid growing concerns over Covid-19, Live Nation and AEG, as well as CAA, WME, UTA and Paradigm, issue a joint statement collectively recommending the postponement of all large-scale live events worldwide up to the end of March. Having been forced by a ban on mass gatherings to call off their planned 25th-anniversary concert at AccorHotels Arena in Paris, French ska band Tryo play the show anyway – sans fans. Germany announces economic stimulus worth more than half a trillion euros to protect business against the effects of the coronavirus, in the biggest financial aid package in the country’s post-war history.

The UK chancellor of the exchequer, Rishi Sunak, announces a £330bn [€376bn] package of guaranteed loans for the country’s businesses, building on the abolition of business rates for venues and other retail properties. The organisers of Glastonbury Festival cancel its 50th-anniversary event, in the first major European festival cancellation due to coronavirus. Venues begin to experiment with so-called ‘chequerboard’ seating – a formation some believe could present a safe alternative to forcing seated venues to close until the coronavirus threat has passed. Following the postponement of Coachella, other major US music festivals fall prey to coronavirus, with Bonnaroo, BottleRock and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage

Festival among those to reschedule for later this year. Industry bodies representing touring crew, production staff and other live events freelancers call for immediate financial support for the sector, amid widespread loss of work and wages. Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group announces “significant temporary staff reductions,” set to affect 95% of its workforce, as the coronavirus pandemic causes the closure of all its shows worldwide. Some of Europe’s biggest independent music festivals put out an open letter to fans and the business stating that they expect to go ahead with their events this summer, and that in doing so they will “be a crucial part of the survival of this industry.” The US Live Events Coalition calls on the Trump government and Congress to establish a special taskforce to “rescue their industry in the face of total collapse” caused by the spread of the coronavirus. As demand for hospital beds increases across the world, arenas, stadia and conference centres shuttered by the coronavirus are

In Brief

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repurposed for temporary medical use. German promoter/ticketer Deutsche Entertainment AG (DEAG) says it considers 2019 a successful year for the company, despite slight decreases in both revenue and profit. The Madison Square Garden Company reaches a deal to sell The Forum, the 18,000-capacity arena in Inglewood, Los Angeles, to Steve Ballmer, the billionaire owner of basketball team LA Clippers, for $400m [€366m] in cash. Live Nation UK’s Download and Isle of Wight festivals, and AEG’s All Points East become the latest high-profile festivals to cancel their 2020 editions. Promoters in Latin America face uncertainty as shows are shut down, curfews imposed and currency values decline due to the worsening spread of coronavirus. CTS Eventim CEO Klaus-Peter Schulenberg urges authorities to put in place targeted measures to support the German live music industry through the Covid-19 pandemic, warning that “a wave of bankruptcies will sweep the country” if action is not taken.

The 20th-anniversary Primavera Sound Barcelona pushes its dates to 26-30 August in a bid to avoid antiCovid-19 restrictions on festivals. Event production suppliers and staging companies try their hand at different kinds of work, delivering emergency supplies and manufacturing disaster relief facilities for those in need. Industry associations and businesses in Europe, Asia and North America say their members must be able to offer ticket vouchers instead of cash refunds for cancelled events.

APRIL Live Nation sets up a $5m [€4.5m] relief fund, Crew Nation, to support touring and venue crews through the coronavirus pandemic. Thirty-six industry associations write an open letter calling for urgent emergency aid for the entire EU music industry, which they warn is in crisis due to the continent-wide shutdown.

Want to share your views on breaking industry news? Then get involved in the discussion on Twitter: @iq_mag

A coalition of Chilean live music industry professionals presents a series of measures to economy ministers to mitigate the damage being done to the business by the coronavirus outbreak. A recently laid-off agent files a lawsuit against Paradigm Talent Agency alleging breach of contract, among other allegations, following the lay-off of an estimated 250 Paradigm staff. Secondary ticketing giant StubHub becomes the first ticket seller to face legal action as a result of a refund policy that offers credit vouchers in lieu of cash. Austria’s Nova Rock is forced to cancel its 16th edition, after chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced no live events would be permitted in the country until July. The Danish government bans all events over 1,000 people until 31 August, forcing the cancellation of Roskilde, Tinderbox, Northside and other festivals. Germany confirms it will allow promoters to offer customers credit instead of refunds for cancelled events, becoming the latest country to introduce a ticket

voucher scheme. Live entertainment businesses face a long road to recovery, even after restrictions on mass gatherings are lifted, research on post-coronavirus consumer behaviour, as well as the future global economy, suggests. CAA announces it is implementing salary cuts of up to 50% across the agency, following similar measures at UTA, Paradigm, APA and WME/Endeavor. French metal festival Hellfest Open Air hits out at what it calls the “shameful” behaviour of its insurance company after being forced to cancel its 2020 edition, originally scheduled for 19–21 June. Event management and ticketing company Eventbrite lays off 45% of its staff – reportedly between 450 and 500 people – as it implements widespread cost-saving measures. Germany, Belgium, Denmark and other European nations announce bans on major events until 31 August, prompting the cancellation of festivals including Werchter, Rock am Ring, Southside & Wacken.

Magazine

Special Report

LEARNING & GROWING In speaking to numerous ILMC members over recent weeks, IQ has identified a number of key lessons that the ongoing crisis is teaching us…

Entrepreneurialism and creativity remain at the heart of the industry

When much of the debate in the live music sector in recent years has centred around independent versus corporate approaches, when the shit hit the fan, the spirit of entrepreneurialism has shone through. Artists around the world have been streaming live shows and content to maintain their relationship with fans, while companies, big and small, are thinking outside the box and going above and beyond to help out employees, crew and others in the business, financially and though other support packages. “We adapt fast and we can deal with the curve balls,” comments Live Nation Belgium’s Herman Schueremans. “We are resilient and artists and fans will always find a way to connect.”

Technology makes mass home-working a possibility

The use of Zoom, House Party, Skype, Facetime and other video conferencing platforms has helped millions of employees around the world to effectively communicate with colleagues, peers and clients in a way that many would have thought impossible just a few weeks ago. “My key take-away has been to witness the outstanding dedication and hard work of staff and promoters, who have responded to this unprecedented situation with flexibility and aplomb. Also, anyone who said home-working

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Coronavirus_Special Report doesn’t work was wrong,” says Live Nation chairman of international music, Thomas Johansson.

The appetite for risk need revision

The very nature of the live music industry had historically relied on a cash-flow wing and a prayer, with everyone in the chain relying to some extent on future earnings to pay for their latest projects. The sudden cessation of the business has put this situation into sharp relief, as thousands of event postponements and cancellations have highlighted that the global business could collapse if refunds were mandated internationally. “You have to have reserves,” states Obi Asika of London-based agency, Echo Location. “A lot of this business focuses on the future, prospecting and possibilities. We make bookings really far in advance and now this has shown that anything can happen.”

Every day brings new challenges

It seems that as long as the coronavirus pandemic continues, uncertainty will be the new norm. Agents, promoters, artist managers, venue operators and everybody in the production supply chain are working incredibly hard to make sure things are ready for business to resume, but with no concrete dates to work toward, the planning process is never-ending. “We make plans and strategise and then overnight something happens and the next day we have to start all over again,” says Paradigm’s Alex Hardee. “When I’m doing my P&Ls at the moment, they are all Ls.”

Government intervention is crucial

The live music business has a long and proud tradition of policing itself and trying hard to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to issues like health & safety and self-regulation. However, it has become apparent in the coronavirus environment that businesses involved in the live entertainment sector need the co-operation of government and local authorities to survive. At press time, a number of summer festivals were still waiting to announce 2020 cancellations because they have not been told by government that they cannot hold this year’s events, meaning that promoters could be liable to pay artist fees if they take that sensible decision themselves. “There’s a fear amongst promoters when it comes to announcing festival cancellations, because nobody wants to lose the momentum when difficult decisions need to be taken,” says Christof Huber of European festivals association, Yourope.

One rotten apple can spoil the barrel

The domino effect of a cancelled show has never been more apparent than during the

economic shutdown. Artists often rely on the revenues from certain key festival or headline dates to pay for visits to less lucrative markets, and the cancellation of one or more of those key dates can put the whole tour – and, therefore, other festival shows – in jeopardy. With the pandemic amplifying this situation more than ever before, festival organisers who perhaps previously viewed each other as rivals, have been working closely on key announcements and strategies.

Honesty is the best policy

With millions of people suddenly and unexpectedly facing redundancy, business owners and senior management around the world have never been under greater scrutiny. However, early and continued communication has proved invaluable during the halt to commerce and, by and large, people who have been included in the hard conversations have accepted that everyone is in the same boat because of this global crisis. “If you are transparent, honest and up-front with people, then when you have to make difficult decisions, the reaction of people can pleasantly surprise you,” reports Paradigm’s Hardee.

There goes my hero, he’s ordinary

People that society has taken for granted are stepping up and putting the health of themselves and their families at risk to make sure the rest of the world’s suffering is minimised. Health workers, carers, supermarket employees, teachers, sanitation staff, pharmacists, truck and delivery drivers, and many more ordinary people, are the true heroes of the hour.

Insurers need to take a long hard look at themselves

There’s no need to mention any names, but for reference have a look at Hellfest’s website about the small-print cowardice that has been manipulated to shirk responsibility. To quote our French comrades: “Fuck you!”

Coronavirus is Kryptonite to the super touts

As much as the legitimate live music industry is reeling from cancellations, postponements and having to deal with refunds and other unexpected costs, the situation for the secondary ticketing business is even more dire, as many super touts have to deal with inventory they can no longer shift. Having recently agreed a highly controversial $4billion (€3.7bn) deal that would see it merge with Viagogo, in late March, StubHub announced it was furloughing two thirds of its staff, and company policy on refunds would change, whereby purchasers of tickets to cancelled events in North America would now be offered vouchers, rather than refunds. Cue

class-action lawsuits. With StubHub now reportedly struggling hard and Viagogo saddled with debt, the future for the world’s biggest secondary ticketing platforms looks precarious to say the least. “In the context of the unprecedented crisis being played out in all our lives, this could well be one the most poorly timed acquisitions in recent corporate history,” says Adam Webb, campaign manager for FanFair Alliance.

Trade associations and industry collectives are proving their worth

In days gone by – and they are not that long ago – the live music industry was a cutthroat, highly competitive battlefield where often ludicrous deals would price others out of the game, all in the name of market share. Coronavirus has levelled the playing field, somewhat, and it’s heartening to witness just how quickly previously warring factions have come around the table to collaborate and agree sensible paths forward to try to minimise the impact on staff, suppliers, and, of course, the artists. Hats off to the many trade associations and organisations who are lobbying parliaments, government ministers and local authorities on behalf of the business – you have never been so important to the livelihoods of so many people. “[The corona crisis has] certainly made me realise the huge importance of associations and representative bodies,” says Kilimanjaro Live boss, Stuart Galbraith. “Government don’t want to talk to individual commercial organisations, but they will talk to the Concert Promoters Association [CPA], AIF, UK Music, etc, and there’s been huge co-operation between [the associations] as well. Because it affects everybody. This situation is going to affect us all for months, and potentially years. I think there will be common ground into 2021, at least.”

It’s only rock & roll but I like it

As lucky as we are to have careers in such a great industry, at the end of the day, it’s only rock & roll. Yes, it’s important for culture and for people’s happiness and wellbeing, but people we know are dying – relatives, friends and neighbours – and the battle to minimise that death toll far outweighs any gig, tour or event, or shareholder expectations, for that matter. However, the hundreds of musicians and artists who are live-streaming to entertain millions of fans confined to their homes, shows that the power of music is as strong as ever. Once we emerge from this dark period, people will be clamouring to get out, socialise and see their favourite acts. 2020 is undoubtedly going to take its toll, but for those able to remain in the business, 2021 could prove to be live music’s most important year ever. Magazine

Special Report_Coronavirus

Special Report

With coronavirus cancelling festivals in America, Coachella’s organisers postponed from April to October, hoping to take advantage of California’s balmy autumn weather

THE RECOVERY POSITION As many governments plan or begin to ease lockdown restrictions, what will recovery look like for the international business? And after such a catastrophic reset, what new normal should we expect?

side from parts of China, that are gradually reopening, and countries like Sweden, which has apparently adopted a herd immunity approach to the pandemic, almost everywhere else has seen live entertainment sectors shut down, with losses estimated as high as $9bn until the end of the year, according to Pollstar. Despite the uncertainty and lack of deals being agreed between the likes of agents and promoters, those at the sharp end of the business are working constantly to ensure that when business does resume, they are ready to act and kick-start the industry back into gear. However, with teams of support staff either furloughed, redundant, or placed on indefinite leave, and production crews in similar situations, the live music sector is going to require a period to rebuild before any touring activity can realistically happen. “The recovery is going to be slow and long; I don’t think the business is just going to bounce back,” says Paradigm Talent Agency’s Alex Har-

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dee. “We had 15 years of straight growth and I thought we were peaking anyway. For a while now, breakthrough acts and those at the top have been doing well, while the middle tier was suffering, so maybe we can have some kind of correction there.” Obi Asika, who heads up London-based agency Echo Location also believes the pandemic may allow the business to reset itself. “There’s been too much money and domination in every sector of the music business,” says Asika. “The money and size of everything was getting outrageous. I think this will set us back in terms of 10-15 years, but this is maybe not a bad thing. It will be painful at first but exciting too. We can get back to business and be successful.” For her part, CAA’s Emma Banks comments, “We must all accept that everybody is going to be away from the office and working from home for a really long time. We’ve just all got to stay a part of the music and touring business ecosystem, and we have got to be patient and understanding. We really must look after each other, and get enough sleep.” And on the promoting side of the business,

Live Nation’s Phil Bowdery says, “As chairman of the Concert Promoters Association, I am seeing that everybody is coming together at this time. Not only the promoters, but the artists rely on a huge workforce of production services; lighting and sound engineers; crew; security and hospitality staff; musicians – I could go on.” He adds, “We will get through this together.”

WHAT?

Picking up on Hardee’s observation about what the rebooted international live music business is going to look like once the pandemic situation ends, it’s a fair assumption that the challenges will outweigh the opportunities as companies, big and small, and individuals try to figure out how best to ramp up their activities to pre-corona levels. So, what might the industry look like when it gets up and running again? With scientists and government advisors forecasting that a vaccine for the virus realistically could take 12-18 months to develop, test in clinical trials, manufacture and distribute on a mass scale, even a partial lifting of isolation and social distancing guidelines will not appease

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Special Report_Coronavirus everyone who used to enjoy the carefree joy of attending concerts and festivals, meaning that the pool of fans that artists and their promoter partners are targeting will be a fraction of their previous volume. Looking at the agency business overall, Asika opines, “We will definitely see fewer people working in every company. I believe there will still be lots of business to do but the people might change.” And he hints that, for those independent promoters whose businesses survive, the future could be bright. “The whole world and industry had gone a bit crazy – I booked 90% of shows with indie promoters back when I started, now that takes up 10%, and then it’s fighting for festival slots. This [situation] will take us back to basics a bit,” he contends. “A lot of good things and opportunities could come from this, and it will give a chance to new players – everyone will have to show their value.” Noting a more collaborative, less aggressive business environment, Hardee also believes that the crisis might oust some of the more unscrupulous players from the industry. “People who do not act responsibly will be exposed quickly,” he says. Kilimanjaro Live boss Stuart Galbriath agrees. noting that cooperation has never been as prevalent. “There’s no such thing now as normality or precedent. We’ve been having conversations that cut across any normal relationship – whether it’s with a manager, an agent, an ad agency, venues – and asked to do things way outside of what the contracts say, because needs must.” But, like Asika, Hardee believes that the number of shows and events will take a severe hit. “If we can come back to 50, 60, 70% in terms of business volume, I think we’ll be doing well, but we have to work together to not turn the tap on full, all at once,” he says. “I think it will take at least a couple of years to return to the same level of business we were doing before the virus shut things down.” On the other side of the planet, veteran Aus-

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tralian promoter, Michael Chugg, has similar concerns about the industry flooding the market with events, once restrictions are lifted. “We are very worried about the long-term effect on the hundreds of companies involved in the production, presentation and running of the tours, festivals and events, as well as the thousands and thousands of contractors, crew, security and other workers, who lost all income immediately when the public gatherings were banned,” Chugg tells IQ. “The doubt about when or if live entertainment can recommence is causing a lot of stress and depression worldwide, and I’m sure the industry will be a lot more cautious and careful about saturating the marketplace.” Despite such concerns, Live Nation Belgium’s Herman Schueremans is trying to remain upbeat and believes that pent-up demand for live entertainment will ensure positive results once venues reopen their doors. “We’ve seen demand for the on-sales for shows being scheduled the other side of the ban,” he says. Christof Huber, who heads up European festival association Yourope, contends that the number of tickets in circulation from postponed tours and shows will help reignite interest among fans. “There will undoubtedly be a period of recovery before people want to spend money on going to see concerts; young people will be quicker because they are all desperate to go out and enjoy themselves,” says Huber. “But there are a lot of postponed shows, so people already have the tickets for those. The big question is over the new shows that go on sale.” On that note, Ticketmaster UK chief, Andrew Parsons reports that on-sales during the pandemic lockdown have been encouraging. “Live

events have always been incredibly resilient,” he says. “We’re still seeing demand for the shows that have been on sale during this time, which only tells us that the power of live entertainment and its innate human connection always endures. Artists will want to get back out on the road and fans will want to be there to see them.” In the meantime, Parsons says the Ticketmaster team is working hard behind the scenes to prepare for a return to normality. “We’re making the most of the situation and have focused our technology teams on creating and rolling out more features across the board at a faster

“The power of live entertainment and its innate human connection always endures” Andrew Parsons | Ticketmaster UK

31 DECEMBER 2019

Health authorities in Wuhan, central China, report a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown cause to the Chinese office of the World Health Organization (WHO).

7 JANUARY 2020

Chinese scientists isolate and identify a new type of coronavirus, initially dubbed the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), believed to be responsible for the illnesses in Wuhan.

26–30 JANUARY

A number of shows in China, Hong Kong and Singapore are called off over fears of spreading the virus, which has infected 7,700 people and killed 170 as of 30 January.

10 FEBRUARY

Modern Sky, China’s biggest festival promoter, streams past editions of its Strawberry Music Festival to fans forced to stay indoors by the outbreak, which has now killed 900 people in mainland China.

Coronavirus_Special Report

country’s politicians to ease lockdown measures by allowing some construction and manufacturing workers to return to their jobs. The same day, French president Emmanuel Macron told the country’s citizens that restrictions would last until 11 May, and further added that festivals would be banned until mid-July, giving hope to organisers whose events are due to take place later in the summer. Such steps are heartening, but balanced by bans on large gatherings until 2021 in cities like Los Angeles, and a number of predictions by health officials that concerts and festivals won’t return in full until well into next year.. “Our business will be last in line,” states Huber. “First they will allow shops, small bars and restaurants to reopen, probably under strict hygiene rules, but music events, and festivals, in particular, will be last in the chain.” Turning to the crucial question of exactly

when the live entertainment business may be able to resume, Switzerland-based Huber states, “I personally still have hope that we will see shows in the autumn, but others I have been speaking to think there will be nothing for the remainder of 2020. At the same time, a few believe we’ll see live music in June. So, nobody really knows.” That June deadline seems very optimistic, but it’s certain that domestic acts in small venues will be the first to benefit as guidelines are eased. The question of a timeline for international tours is much more complex. “How do you route a European tour if the countries don’t all open their borders at the same time?” asks Hardee. Promoter Galbraith says, “Realistically, we’re going to lose everything we have through June to August. And because the [spring/summer] sales window has completely gone, I think you’re going to see a lot of shows that postpone until next year.” The Royal Albert Hall is currently dark for the first time since World War II, with many staff furloughed. Artistic and commercial director, Lucy Noble, who also chairs the UK’s National Arenas Association, addresses some of the trials that venue operators may have to confront: “Every venue is different, and some will be able to withstand this crisis more easily than others,” she says. “The biggest challenge may well be getting audiences to come along. The public will still be nervous about venturing out, and it may take time to build their confidence.” Addressing some of the trials that venue operators may have to confront, Noble continues, “Every venue is different, and some will be able to withstand this crisis more easily than others. The biggest challenge may well be getting audiences to come along. The public will still be nervous about venturing out, and it may take time to build their confidence. This is going to impact on concert attendance and ticket sales.” Highlighting some of the angst that billions of people around the world are enduring be-

21–26 FEBRUARY

28 FEBRUARY

The camping sites at Southside Festival in Germany will remain quiet this year, after FKP Scorpio, like many others, was forced to cancel its entire portfolio of summer events

rate than ever before – ready to hit the ground running when the time comes,” he says. “While we are certainly living in extraordinary times, it has been incredible to see the industry come together to ensure that we are all working for the benefit of one another, artists and fans. Personally, it’s been a proud moment to see how the Ticketmaster team has responded – as resilient and positive as ever.”

WHEN?

It’s the multibillion-dollar/euro/pound/peso/ruble etc question that everyone is desperately seeking an answer to, and, at press time, there were ‘green shoots’ (to quote government parlance) of hope that some countries are cautiously looking to relax lockdown rules for certain citizens. With China already phasing out restrictions, on 13 April scientists observed the rate of new infections slowing down in Spain, prompting the

11 FEBRUARY

The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses renames 2019-nCoV as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SarsCoV-2), as the disease it causes is named coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) by the WHO.

13–18 FEBRUARY

Several high-profile international tours, including Pixies, Khalid, Stormzy, Post Malone and Camila Cabello, cancel or postpone East Asian dates, as the virus begins to take its toll on the live industry.

The major public live entertainment companies, including Live Nation, CTS Eventim, MSG and DEAG, see the value of their stocks tumble, against the background of a wider market slump.

27 FEBRUARY

Coronavirus begins to take its toll on Italy’s live business, with all public events in the north of the country cancelled until 1 March. Cases are also reported in countries including France, Germany, the UK, Austria, Norway and Switzerland.

The Swiss government places a ban on events of more than 1,000 people until at least 15 March, forcing the cancellation of shows by Santana, Alice Cooper and Peter Maffay.

2 MARCH

A senior government medical adviser tells the UK events industry there will be no ban on live events and other large-scale mass gatherings in the UK in the immediate future.

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Primavera Sound 2020 has rescheduled from June to August, 2020

cause of the uncertainty surrounding the length of the lockdown period, CAA’s Banks says, “We have no idea what timeframe we are on and this is impactful on so many people’s lives – especially those working on zero-hours contracts and freelancers, they are really going to be hit hard.” Northern hemisphere markets that share the same summer months have been hardest hit, but nowhere is so far unscathed. With a business that concentrates on Latin American events, Move Concerts founder, Phil Rodriguez, says, “We are much luckier because our touring cycles are at the beginning and end of the year, so we did not get hit hard with cancellations or postponements in April/May/June.” “It’s way too soon to project the future of our business,” he continues. “When will shows return? How will they return? Well, just like there was a before and after for 9/11, there will be the

same with Covid-19, unfortunately.” In Australia, Michael Chugg finds himself in a similar position. “We are optimistic that Australian live music and public gatherings could get back as early as October/November, but it could be January,” he concedes. However, he adds a significant caveat. “International acts touring here could be a lot later: the government would be reluctant to take the risk of international visitors bringing the virus back to us.” In addition to such political hurdles, those working in the planning side of the live music

5 MARCH

10 MARCH

The flagship Miami edition of dance music event Ultra Music Festival is called off, becoming the first major US festival cancellation due to the coronavirus.

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9 MARCH

Public events in the Czech Republic, Greece and Poland become the latest to face restrictions, with bans implemented on events over 100, 1,000 and 500, respectively.

industry acknowledge that many artists either won’t want to travel, won’t be allowed to travel because of border control policies, or, in a bestcase scenario, might be otherwise engaged fulfilling commitments on rescheduled tour dates. “We are all postponing shows to a point at which we think it will all be ok,” says Banks. “There is no point just pushing things back by a couple of months, but that doesn’t mean that there won’t be anything in the interim. “We are taking the worst-case scenario until we all get to grips with it. The most important thing is to pay attention to government advice, because it’s the scientists that are behind it. Let’s all be sensible, and we’ll wait and see.” In Germany, Deutsche Entertainment AG (DEAG) boss Peter Schwenkow is optimistic that we will see concerts before the end of the summer, if steps can be taken to allay people’s fear of catching the virus. Speculating that medical testing is about to become more efficient, he says, “By taking the fear away, we might be able to reintroduce shows for up to 1,000 people.” He believes the UK will lag some weeks behind Germany reopening for concerts, while the Americas will be “much later.” On a macro scale, however, he is painfully realistic. “The open-air season is destroyed,” he says. “We have been postponing about 85% of our events for next year.” And for those businesses that find themselves in financial trouble, he offers a lifeline: “In-between there is a window of opportunity for those who have willing investors.” With a comprehensive insurance policy that covers DEAG for costs incurred during the coronavirus pandemic, Schwenkow finds the company in a privileged position to help others. “We

“How do you route a European tour if the countries don’t all open their borders at the same time?” Alex Hardee | Paradigm Talent

California’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival – traditionally the unofficial start to the festival season in the northern hemisphere – is pushed back to October.

11 MARCH

All gatherings of more than 100 people are banned in Austria and the Netherlands, in the most stringent anti-coronavirus restrictions in Europe to date.

12 MARCH

AEG and Live Nation, along with major agencies CAA, WME, UTA and Paradigm, collectively recommend the postponement of all large-scale live events worldwide up to the end of March.

13 MARCH

The German government announces economic stimulus worth more than half a trillion euros to protect business against the effects of the coronavirus, in the biggest financial aid package in the country’s post-war history.

Coronavirus_Special Report work in a people business and our company, like many others, depends on people and other small companies. But at the moment, many of those smaller businesses and operators are in danger of going bust, so while we’re not involved in putting on shows, we’re looking at this as a time to buy other companies, both so we can save them, but also so that [DEAG] can expand and put us in a stronger position for the future.”

HOW?

While everyone that IQ spoke to for this article agrees that international touring cannot practically resume until social distancing guidelines are lifted across multiple countries – perhaps continents – there are numerous plans afoot to reintroduce live music into people’s lives as soon as possible. Live Nation chief Thomas Johansson says, “It looks likely that the recovery will follow the pattern of the spread of the virus, with Asia opening up first, Europe next, hopefully over the summer. Of course we are planning for the other side. I’ve every faith in our business. It’s resilient and adaptable. I’m pretty sure that demand for live music will be stronger than ever when we get there. Live Nation colleague, Bowdery comments, “I really believe that as each territory comes through this, all genres will be eager to get out and enjoy the live music scene, including concerts and festivals. Music fans are extremely social creatures and they will respond to the return of live music as they have done for hundreds of years, with high energy.” Indeed, tapping into the connection that fans have for their favourite acts, Paradigm’s Hardee has a plan to get bands back on stage that will both mark the return to normality, as well as reward fans for their patience and loyalty. “I’m talking to my bigger acts about playing small venues – often their favourite venues – to celebrate the return of live music and people being able to go out and socialise,” Hardee reveals.

16 MARCH

US president Donald Trump recommends that people avoid gathering in groups of more than ten, in guidance that closes bars, restaurants, clubs and schools.

17 MARCH

The Royal Albert Hall in London becomes the first UK arena to completely shut its doors as a result of the outbreak.

And he divulges some of the details he is using to persuade his clients to buy into the idea. “I’m telling bands that we have to cut their production and cut costs down and by playing smaller venues we can work to keep the ecosystem alive.” Hardee’s plan takes into account the reticence some people may have about voluntarily placing themselves in crowded situations. “Veteran acts might suffer in terms of their audience being reluctant to come out to concerts, but young people think they are indestructible and robust, so the younger acts should be ok,” he says. Johansson warns that it’s not just companies who will have cashflow issues. “We’ll need to bear disposable income in mind,” he says, “but we also need to remember that live music is a major tonic and the whole world needs that. I have immense faith in the fans.” Like Hardee, Asika is musing similar low-key relaunch strategies. “If we can only do 500-capacity shows for a bit, that’s fine, you can adapt and it will grow again. We’re going to face a recession on steroids after this, but everyone is going

through it at the same time, so this could push us back on an even keel. Emerging with your health is the most important thing right now.” Indeed, the pandemic’s devastating effect on society has many people re-evaluating more than just their careers. “I will make changes and make sure I don’t work too much, as this has shown that we need to focus on other things too,” says Asika. Noting that the pandemic could spell the demise of companies at all levels of the business, he adds, “With my small-to-mid-sized company, I can make decisions quickly and adapt. My risk is spread out and I am making it effective, even if I have lost a lot of future earnings. It’s the bigger companies I feel worried for, with huge offices, workforces and debt. It is going to be a scary time.” Far from rubbing his hands at the thought of his multinational rivals faltering, Asika admits, “It’s frightening, as we are all connected – we are part of the same system and we want everyone to make it through.”

CONTRIBUTORS

18 MARCH

The organisers of Glastonbury Festival cancel the event’s 50th-anniversary edition, in news that sends a shockwave through the European festival market. The Eurovision Song Contest is also off.

19 MARCH

Following the postponement of Coachella, other major US music festivals, including Bonnaroo, BottleRock and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, also reschedule for later in the year.

20 MARCH

The Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group announces “significant temporary staff reductions” set to affect 95% of its workforce, as the pandemic causes the closure of all its shows worldwide.

22 MARCH

A coalition of American event businesses calls on the Trump government and US Congress to establish a special taskforce to “rescue their industry in the face of total collapse.”

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STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY The live music community has proved there is no end to its productivity, creativity and resilience in the wake of the coronavirus crisis

lthough touring may be on hold, venues temporarily closed and festivals cancelled or postponed, the professionals that make up the live industry have not ceased in their activities, with many donating their considerable skill and talent to the fight against the virus, or else funnelling energy to boost morale, keep homebound music fans entertained and celebrate the key workers on the frontline of this crisis. From music venues providing space for hospital beds, to event infrastructure suppliers manufacturing medical equipment, the versatility and generosity of the live industry is a constant.

Venues get versatile

Venues were hit hard as governments imposed bans on public events and ordered the shutting of doors. However, from the grass-roots sector right up to arena and stadium level, venues have proved they can deliver something other than a good live show. Many arenas, conference centres and other

23 MARCH

As demand for hospital beds increases, arenas, stadia and conference centres in Europe and the Americas are shuttered and repurposed for temporary medical use, modelled on Wuhan’s ‘shelter hospitals’.

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24 MARCH

More than 300 music festivals worldwide have now cancelled or postponed due to the spread of Covid-19, according to Viberate’s Sick Festivals tool.

larger venues around the world are transforming into emergency field hospitals. Patients have already been seen at facilities in Madrid’s Ifema (1,600 beds), London’s ExCel Centre (4,000 beds) and New York’s Javits Centre (1,700 beds), as well as in exhibition centres in Milan and Bergamo, with many more makeshift hospitals being established across Europe and the United States. In the UK, where arenas including the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, Glasgow’s Scottish Event Campus and Manchester Central are also being used as temporary medical facilities, and other arena and stadia including Belfast’s SSE Arena and Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, are acting as drive-through testing centres for health workers.

London’s 20,000-capacity O2 Arena, meanwhile, which usually holds an average of 200 live events every year, has been made available free of charge to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) as a training facility. Many smaller, grass-roots music venues have also been trying their hand at something different in the absence of live events, with many setting up food and drink delivery services, running online auctions or pushing merch sales. Clubs in Berlin and Manchester have also taken part in the United We Stream initiatives, with performances streamed live from venues across the cities, as well as from artists’ homes and gardens. As well as keeping nightlife alive in the two cities, the initiative looks to raise funds for local venues and clubs, encouraging viewers to make a donation in the form of a ‘virtual ticket.’ “It’s important that we use our platform at this crucial time to support all levels of the industry,” says Ticketmaster UK MD Andrew Parsons. “We are continuing our support of the Music Venue Trust, helping to promote their fund for the thousands of impacted grass-roots venues across the UK.”

Swapping stages for swabs

Venues are not the only ones to have shown adaptability amid unprecedented challenges. A number of live event production and promotion companies have pivoted to help out the medical sector in times of need. In Germany, production giant PRG is helping to equip a new field hospital being constructed in Berlin’s Expo Centre, delivering and installing lighting, truss and hoists for the suspension of the lighting fixtures and gas and water pipes,

“We’ve seen armies of people willing to volunteer to help out where they can during this crisis.” Christof Huber | Yourope/OpenAir St. Gallen

26 MARCH

Live Nation UK’s Download and Isle of Wight Festival become the latest high-profile festivals to cancel their 2020 editions, followed by AEG’s All Points East the day after.

28 MARCH

The 20th-anniversary Primavera Sound Barcelona will now take place from 26 to 30 August, as the festival shifts back three months to avoid disruption from the ongoing pandemic.

31 MARCH

Industry associations across the world call for government support for ticket voucher schemes for cancelled events, in lieu of cash refunds, to stave off a cashflow crisis among their members.

1 APRIL

Live entertainment giant Live Nation sets up Crew Nation, a $5m (€4.5m) relief fund to support touring and venue crews through the coronavirus pandemic.

Coronavirus_Special Report as well as IT infrastructure and approximately 25 tons of cabling for the basic supply of electricity. The US arm of the company is joining the fight in another way, manufacturing face shields for use by health workers. “PRG has resources with direct applicability to this important cause, and we take great pride in playing a role,” say PRG chairman and CEO Jere Harris. US-based staging companies Choura Events and Gallagher Staging are among those providing a different kind of infrastructure than usual, erecting heavy-duty triage tents, hospital overflow facilities and “medical villages” to allow hospitals to handle the increased volume of patients. Jon Bon Jovi spoke out in favour of the work of one company, Chicago-based Upstaging, which has “pivoted from rock & roll to emergency response services,” manufacturing lightweight room divider panels for make-shift hospitals, face shields and social distancing floor signage. Dormant touring vehicles are also being put to good use. Johannesburg-based MGG has offered its 32 idle trucks up for delivery services, with the company’s full-time drivers and regular freelance staff ferrying food, agricultural products, building materials and medical supplies – including much-needed hand-sanitising products – from the docks of the coastal city of Durban to the capital city. In the UK, MM Band Services, a provider of coaches for touring artists, is offering its 15 sleeper buses for the use of NHS staff across the country, for accommodation, admin, office or welfare areas. Elsewhere in the UK, a coalition of event organisers and production companies including promoter From the Fields (Kendal Calling, Bluedot), Jon Drape’s Engine No 4, The Warehouse Project, Manchester International Festival, Green Events Company, and Mustard Media, are pooling resources to assist with requests from hospitals, local government, charities and other organisations who need support to fight the coronavirus. The Events 4 Covid-19 group offers access to

vehicles, staging equipment, generators, tents, ambulances, heaters, audio equipment and more, as well as the skills of the individuals making up the coalition. “A lot of people thought that we were coming to the end of things regarding volunteers, but we’ve seen armies of people willing to volunteer to help out where they can during this crisis, so that’s one positive,” comments Yourope/ OpenAir St. Gallen’s Christof Huber. “People who cannot work still want to be productive by helping out with medical duties, deliveries, and in Switzerland, a lot of people are volunteering to help the farmers with their crops, too.”

2 APRIL

6 APRIL

In an unprecedented display of European music-biz unity, a total 36 industry associations write an open letter calling for urgent emergency aid for the entire EU music industry.

3 APRIL

Governments in Italy, Germany and Poland look to introduce measures to allow event organisers to offer ticket vouchers instead of refunds as compensation for cancelled shows.

Don’t stop the music

From isolation orchestras to living-room concerts, the live events industry is keeping the music – and some cash – flowing despite the coronavirus pandemic, as many high-profile artists move online to keep fans entertained and raise funds to tackle the virus. One World: Together at Home is the most significant initiative to date, seeing Lady Gaga team up with the World Health Organization (WHO)

and social action platform Global Citizen to deliver performances from an all-star line-up of artists in aid of the WHO’s solidarity response fund. Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans says the platform is “incredibly grateful for the continued support from the artist community,” with major acts such as Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Celine Dion and The Killers among those to participate in the livestreamed event. While IQ 89 cover star Miley Cyrus has hosted her daily Bright Minded chat show, artists including Chris Martin, Pink, Gary Barlow, John Legend, Keith Urban and Juanes have all performed live on social media, with the launch of Live Nation’s Live From Home #TogetherApart platform allowing artists to share videos and live performances with fans. “I’ve really enjoyed seeing the way artists have taken what the situation has thrown at them and the time off the road it has forced them to take, and used technology to connect with their fans across the world,” says Rock Werchter founder and Live Nation Belgium CEO Herman Schueremans.

Demi Lovato was one of the guests on Miley Cyrus’s Bright Minded live stream shows. PHOTO @MILEYCYRUS

Austria’s Nova Rock is forced to cancel its 2020 edition (10–3 June), after chancellor Sebastian Kurz announces no live events would be permitted in the country until July.

7 APRIL

Major festivals including Roskilde, Northside and Tinderbox are forced to cancel after the Danish government announces that all events over 1,000-capacity are banned until 31 August.

8 APRIL

Following similar pay cuts at UTA, APA and WME/Endeavor, and lay-offs at Paradigm, CAA implements salary cuts of up to 50% across the agency.

9 APRIL

Event management and ticketing company Eventbrite announces it is laying off 45% of its staff – reportedly between 450 and 500 people – as it implements widespread costsaving measures.

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PLAYING POLITICS For an independent industry that prefers to self-police, the importance of the relationship between business and government has been thrown into sharp relief.

illions of people have taken to tuning in to daily governmental updates, where politicians and advisers perform the grim task of revealing the increase in the death toll, as well as the rates of new infection. That horrific routine is allowing journalists to compare Nation A to Nation B to Nation C etc, and for many, isolated at home, to engage in the morbid game of envying those in New Zealand, Germany, South Korea, or wherever the reported head count is statistically low. However, to date, little has been said in the public domain about the response of the live entertainment industry, internationally, and its voluntarily shut down, mostly ahead of government guidance. Indeed, in speaking to numerous festival organisers in recent days, IQ hears that many

are still officially waiting to hear from politicians whether their events in, for instance, June or July, would be allowed to proceed. “Without government intervention, force majeure clauses do not work,” says Christof Huber of European festivals association, Yourope. “We’re actively lobbying governments to make decisions about large-scale gatherings in a more timely manner. A three-week extension on lockdown does nothing to help our business – we need to know about May, June, July, August, September.” At press time, the likes of Austria, Denmark, Germany and Italy were tentatively allowing certain businesses and institutions to reopen. But without cross-border co-operation, the situation remains precarious for those who depend on the live music sector for their livelihoods. In the venues sector, Lucy Noble, who chairs the UK’s National Arenas Association, says, “We found the early stages of the crisis difficult, as

10 APRIL

14 APRIL

France’s Hellfest Open Air hits out at the “shameful” behaviour of its insurance company after being forced to cancel its 2020 edition. Albingia is reportedly withholding payment, despite Hellfest having €175,000 pandemic cover.

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13 APRIL

Live Nation announces a $500m (€460m) package of costcutting measures as part of its efforts to weather the worst effects of the coronavirus.

French festival favourites including Les Eurockéennes de Belfort, Solidays, Festival d’Avignon and Main Square announce they can no longer go ahead, as the government extends its ban on large gatherings until midJuly at the earliest.

15 APRIL

Taylor Swift, The Killers, Jennifer Lopez and more join the line-up for One World: Together at Home, a live-streamed benefit concert in support of the WHO’s Covid-19 solidarity response fund.

government advice wasn’t clear enough. That delay was problematic because it created stress and confusion for artists, audiences and staff.” The various loan schemes launched in each market have worked to varying effect (Switzerland’s five-year interest free loan of up to €400,000 paid in a matter of hours stands among the best), while employee furlough or protection schemes have further propped up companies, without which many would have collapsed. Stuart Galbraith, of Kilimanjaro Live, recalls, “Although it was fairly chaotic to start with, the line of communication that we, as a sector, have had into government has been very good. UK Music [acting CEO] Tom Kiehl has done a great job and so have people like Julian Bird at [Society of London Theatre]. In that first week of chaos, we had four calls with either cabinet ministers or secretaries of state. They listened and have taken action. They’ve helped us with the loans, business rates relief, the furlough scheme – now we just need support for vouchers.” Vincenzo Spera, president of Assomusica, is lobbying Europe to adopt such concessions, having already secured them in Italy, where it’s estimated that, by the end of May, 4,200 events will have been missed, depriving live music operators of €63million, while the deeper economic impact for Italy is estimated at €130m. “We ask the European Commission, MPs and

Glastonbury Festival announced its 2020 cancellation early, setting a trend for other events for the rest of the summer

Coronavirus_Special Report the Culture Committee to [introduce] vouchers to replace the tickets purchased,” says Spera. “[This] allows the spectator not to give up their concert, and companies not to go to default.” At press time, Belgium, Germany and Poland had also agreed some sort of voucher scheme.

The ExCel Centre has been transformed into the temporary 4,000bed NHS Nightingale Hospital London

State help?

While those working in the UK and other countries have been able to rely on their authorities for financial bailouts, notable live music strongholds like the United States have offered very little, resulting in previously unimaginable unemployment statistics. Yourope’s Huber observes, “It’s difficult to compare, but in Switzerland and Germany the trust in the government and politicians has had a really big revival, because in the initial phases they communicated honestly about the situation. However, as time passes, left wing versus right wing politics seems to be creeping back.” Down under, Michael Chugg laments a horrendous start to 2020. “To cop corona on top of the bushfire season, I think everyone is coping well,” he tells IQ. “The federal government, which had already been offering tax breaks, freezes on loans payments, and no evictions by landlords, came up with their ‘jobkeeper payment’ scheme, which covers the equivalent of 50% of all Australian salaries for the next six months, taking an in-

credible amount of pressure off everyone.” Live Nation’s Herman Schueremans – himself a former politician – reports, “The Belgian parliament agreed to provide €1billion to tackle the consequences of coronavirus, and we will work with them to ensure this money reaches those who need it most in our market.” He adds, “It’s never been more clear that we are in a global business. We all know we have to work together.” Live Nation’s Phil Bowdery, who leads the UK’s Concert Promoters Association, reveals he is now asking for an exit plan from lockdown. “They must have modelling for a resumption to whatever our new normal will look like,” he notes. “The sooner they share this, the better. We are making hard decisions and the more clarity we get from government, the more informed we can be when looking at logistics.” The gap between the ending of employment protection schemes, loan availability and other protection measures, and the business being back up to speed with healthy cashflow, is arguably the largest challenge on the horizon. And close, strong relationships with government will be key to keeping that gap as narrow as possible. Associations and lobbyists need to prove their worth, just as governments will need to continue to prop up live entertainment for at least a few months yet. Magazine

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Sink or swim? Paradigm London agent Mike Malak urges live music professionals to focus on the opportunities presented by the coronavirus shutdown, and shares his own tips for home working

hat a time it is for the live music industry. An unprecedented moment that none of us ever saw coming. Perhaps a postponement here and there – but this sort of impact felt around the world? It has truly hit reset on the industry, and globally. Festivals cancelling in succession, while people lose their jobs and successful companies have to re-strategise to survive. That being said, when faced with hardship we have a choice: do we sink or swim? Rather than wondering when this will all be over, I would encourage everyone to stay positive and innovate. Any crisis welcomes new opportunities – if you can recognise them. Your entire audience is online. How can you connect and find new ways of engaging? On my side, I will be delving deeper into the large reach and favourable algorithm of LinkedIn, maximising on content that I hope will inform and encourage others in our industry to plan, stay focused and revolutionise. This is a time where we all need to connect and stay in touch; everyone is affected and all ideas are welcome. Many I have spoken to are already finding tools like Zoom video conferencing to be a revelation. The fact that you can be at home yet still feel so connected is something that has been brought to light by this period. Interestingly, I have been feeling more busy and productive than usual while being at home, which is something I never thought I would say. The concept of an office offers ideal routine and a team environment, yet you realise that with working from home you can successfully structure your days and capitalise on the time normally spent commuting or travelling. Other industry contacts I have spoken to have also echoed this notion. Beyond video conferencing, there are tools to assist your mental and physical wellbeing on offer. On Instagram alone, key wellness and fitness individuals, as well as your favourite gym, are offering live sessions for free. I find that, most importantly, including an hour dedicated to wellness helps you structure your day. That is the key element here, in my opinion, in terms of sinking or swimming during this time. Structure.

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In our usual daily lives, we have a routine. Being home doesn’t have to mean this all falls apart. It is time to create a new routine that allows you to stay mentally and physically strong, as well as productive, ensuring you make the most of the time you have at home, whether with family or alone. While you are home, you need clear boundaries and timelines, similar to your usual routine. It is integral to maintain setting your alarm and waking up every weekday and going to sleep around the same time. Give yourself a moment for breaks and lunch, and take advantage of workouts or meditation. I have found this moment of self-reflection makes me feel more positive about the situation. While doing this, also be very conscious of what you are consuming. This goes for food but, I feel, even more importantly, media. Nobody knows for sure how long this is going to last. Distance yourself from the speculation and take responsibility with your friends on social media to not add further fuel to the fire. Many times I have found myself reading people’s status updates and subsequently feeling a sense of anxiety that, when looked at properly, is not based on any hard evidence nor applicable to my outcome. Be kind to yourself and remain mindful of what you consume. When this is over, everyone will look back at this period of time and ask themselves what they did with it – did they panic and self-destruct, or did they innovate and widen their scope to come back even stronger? I encourage you to do the latter. While this is a rough time for all of us it is also an opportunity to readjust and get clarity on your life for when things are back in gear. Let’s come back stronger than before. We must. I love working in the live music industry. We get the opportunity to collaborate with some incredible artists and events. While it is painful to see this on hold, I remember that nothing lasts forever, not even the bad times. It will be over sooner than it seems, so let’s move forward as a unified industry and support one another. Look after each other, and together we will come back stronger than ever.

Comment

Life in the time of Covid-19 Tamsin Embleton, founder of Music Industry Therapists and Coaches (MITC), offers guidance on how to deal with stress, anxiety and uncertainty amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis

s the music business tries to adjust to the enormously destructive curveball of Covid-19, anxiety and uncertainty around the immediate and long-term impact of the pandemic is soaring. We are suddenly stood face-to-face with our own vulnerabilities and limitations. With so much stripped back, we’re aware of the bare bones of what we have in our lives. We’re also aware of what is absent in terms of emotional resilience, physical health, financial stability, job security, and of the loved ones and support systems we have in place for times of need. Deficits in these areas can be painful to acknowledge, and difficult feelings may arise. Moving from a ‘doing’ state into a ‘being’ state can be challenging and uncomfortable, especially for the workaholics amongst us who are used to constantly pushing forward, often as a way to avoid difficult underlying feelings. It can be hard to slow down and take time to reflect on what’s happening for you. During a crisis, anxiety and distress run high, meaning that the focus and playfulness needed to create and achieve can be harder to reach. Motivation will ebb and flow. Be kind to yourself and try to manage the expectations you put on yourself and others during this time. The dust is yet to settle. Anxiety and stress are physical experiences as much as they are emotional and psychological ones. When the brain registers a threat, whether real or imagined, it engages the autonomic nervous system in a fight/flight/freeze or flop response – kicking the body into action to respond to the threat. It also impacts us cognitively meaning that our ability to think clearly is compromised – becoming hyperalert for signs of threat, catastrophising, ruminating, generalising, jumping to conclusions or seeing things in ‘all-good’ or ‘all-bad’ terms. At MITC, we have developed a guide, which can be found at musicindustrytherapists.com/resources/. Times of crisis stimulate different responses for different people. Some may respond by minimising or denying the threat completely, perhaps even shaming others for feeling frightened or overwhelmed. Others will respond with anger, irritability or outrage, while some may cling to certainties or spill their anxiety out for others to contain. Some will retreat

and focus internally, some will go into caregiving overdrive and focus externally. Many who have lived with high levels of internal anxiety since childhood may even feel an unusual sense of calm – as if the dread they’ve lived with finally has a name and can be shared. The external seems to match the internal, which can bring relief. Perhaps the current circumstances normalise a quieter way of living, or offer a sort of level playing field. Introverts, those who usually work from home or those who find social situations draining or anxiety-provoking, are likely to often find self-isolation easier than those who rely on social situations for energy and restoration. Others may feel miserable, withdrawn, disconnected or lonely, struggling with the challenge of connecting to others or a hopeful part of themselves. Often people will oscillate between states, as the self-isolation continues. Emotional resilience really means being able to roll with the punches. It’s about recognising the feelings that surface and finding healthy ways to express them. It means coming to a place of acceptance and adapting as best we can to the ebb and flow of what happens over the next few months. Acknowledge what is in your control, such as how you nourish and support your body during times of stress; how you notice, validate and express your feelings in healthy ways; how you structure your day; how you take care of your environment; how you entertain yourself and how you relax; the relationships you maintain and emotional support you reach for; and the care you give to others. It is important to know your personal boundaries. Boundaries help us to differentiate where we stop and where another person (or another person’s feelings) begins. They help us to know what is our responsibility and what belongs to someone else. They help us to manage stress by allowing us time to stop, recover and recentre before our resources become depleted. They also help us separate work and leisure (particularly difficult in the music industry!). The irony is, that setting boundaries can appear to be restrictive. But it is actually what will free you.

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Insuring the unknown Tim Thornhill, director of sales, Entertainment and Sport at Tysers insurance brokers, explains the ins and outs of policy amid Covid-19, and how the pandemic is set to change the landscape of insurance

onversations surrounding insurance in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak have been complicated, simply because these are unprecedented times. If you look at any industry and economic decision, when you are dealing with something that has not been dealt with in a generation, there is always going to be complexity. Where there is no practical or legal precedent, there will be a delay in decision-making capability and a lack of clarity. This is all compounded by the quickly evolving nature of the pandemic. If event organisers purchased cancellation insurance with a blanket communicable disease extension, they are likely to be insured. However, there are some instances where there could be exclusions specific to a type of communicable disease. The detail is in the policy wording and any extensions that are noted within the documentation. It is hard to give a specific example as not all policies are the same. When venues are ordered to shut down by the government it can alter the insurance claim, but again, this will depend on the policy. In some cases, there can be a trigger for a policy to react if the government or a local authority stops an event happening by mandating that a venue shuts down. This is different to a venue choosing not to put an event on, in which case, it is less likely that the cancellation would be insured. However, if the proximate cause is still excluded (communicable disease or terrorism, for example), then the government enforcing a shutdown does not change the terms of the policy, and a claim would not be covered. We can look back on government and local authority decisions with the benefit of hindsight and most of us reading this will have different opinions even with that. In the UK, from the evidence of the government, as of the time of writing, so-

cial distancing and the shutdown of venues has helped to save lives. Whether or not the timing of that was perfect in terms of the loss of life or economic impact will never be known, as is the case with all future governmental decisions. Some organisers are also choosing to postpone rather than cancel events. Dependent on the insurance contract, postponing an event is likely to help with the insurer’s losses, but it may also help promoters. It is likely that live music, sports and events are going to see an increase in insurance premiums after this. This class of insurance has seen catastrophic losses this year; last year saw some big losses, too. These increases will be coupled with a change in the wordings, and work is happening in the background by us, our clients and our insurer capacity to make sure that we can get the best balance possible in what is an extremely difficult time for live events. We have set-up teams specifically to look at the future and we are looking forward for our speculation to turn to plans and then reality, to help the industry get moving again and, most importantly, our attendees experiencing the world’s great talent live. We are going to see a change in insurance policies. It has already happened. What we are looking to do is make sure that the changes ensure that our promoters, artists and all others in the value chain are protected in most eventualities. It is tough now to know what this will look like in two months, so forecasting six months is impossible. We just do not know the full impact. For now, we would advise event organisers to be prudent and look at contracts carefully, and when taking an insurance policy out for event cancellation, talk to your broker and study it in detail. Brokers are here to help and we work on the behalf of our clients, so please study the facts.

“When you are dealing with something that has not been dealt with in a generation, there is always going to be complexity” 22

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Comment

View from a New Boss Move Concerts’ Melanie Eselevsky, one of IQ’s New Bosses 2019 and a nominee for the Tomorrow’s New Boss Award at ILMC 32, reflects on this year’s conference, as well as her vision for the post-Covid-19 concert industry

o you remember ILMC 2020? Big conference? Royal Garden Hotel? It seems like a year ago now. But it turns out it’s only been a month or so (at the time of writing) since our last annual gathering. I arrived at this year’s International Live Music Conference (my second) with a whole new perspective. I had it all scheduled: meetings, conferences, karaoke, parties and concerts. I wanted to get the best out of it. As a 25-year-old woman, a foreigner, and a New Boss, I knew how lucky I was to be there. I learned some interesting stuff this year – about TikTok, assertiveness at work, production, email scams, Instagram-worthy stages, and data, to mention just a few – but the greatest part of all was spending time with people like me. People who understand why we would take a plane to another country to see a concert for one night, and then go straight to the office the next day. Being able to listen to some of the most influential people in the business

was inspiring, as well as challenging, but getting to spend some time with the music business’s new generation was my favourite part of it (as I said during Futures Forum at ILMC, where I was on the opening Meet the New Bosses panel, I don’t think I know more than a handful of people aged under 30 who are working in the live entertainment business in Argentina), discussing our issues, ideas, projects and challenges, and learning that we can all work together towards a new kind of industry. By ‘new’, I mean greener, healthier, more inclusive and more diverse. Right now, amid the coronavirus pandemic, we are facing a global crisis none of us could have imagined in our lifetimes. The live music business will only come out of it stronger if we all work together, but it certainly won’t be the same. It’s time for us to stop taking for granted what we had. Creativity, teamwork and open minds will help us thrive in this new era.

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PHIL BANFIELD Paradigm Talent Agency

My involvement with racehorse ownership started on a Thursday evening in late May, in 1979, at The Marquee Club in London. I was drinking with my good friends, Tony Stratton-Smith, the owner of Charisma Records, and Jack Barrie, the manager of The Marquee Club. They both owned racehorses, and after way too much alcohol I purchased 25% of a horse called Rawlinson End. The horse was due to run at Warwick races on the forthcoming bank holiday Monday and I travelled up to Warwick racecourse with them. The horse had odds of 14/1-to-win and in my enthusiasm I placed a bet of £30 each way. Rawlinson End, trained by Ray Laing and ridden by Paul Cook, won the race. I was hooked. That was the start of a 40-year love affair with owning racehorses. Since then, I have been lucky enough to have achieved 102 winners. I have named a lot of my horses after the music artists I have represented, album titles by those artists, and after the company, Coda Agency, that I owned. ‘Coda Agency’ won 11 races for me. My biggest success to date was with Zucchero, who won the Lincoln Handicap on 23 March 2002, at Doncaster. I currently have four horses in training – namely Garth Rockett and Danglydon’task (both bred by me and being trained by Mike Murphy); Aria Rose (also bred by me and being trained by Harry Whittington); and I have just purchased a horse called James Park Woods (who is training with Dominic French-Davis).

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The business we work in can be very stressful and racing gives us a release from the everyday; though to be honest, horseracing can be stressful too. Before the race you go through all sorts of emotions, but when you win there is no better feeling. It can be a small race at a small meeting, but the feeling of winning is always the same. I am lucky enough to have had runners at Royal Ascot – the best five days of horse racing in the world, in my opinion. My dream is to have a winner there one day soon. That would be the ultimate icing on the cake in terms of being an owner – to be the winner of a big race, whether it be a Derby, Guineas, Grand National, Royal Ascot or Cheltenham.

EMMA BANKS Creative Artists Agency

As has been widely reported, I was a pony-mad child and ran horse shows in my teenage years… good practice for promoting shows later on at Uni. My family has always had an interest in racing and about six years ago I was persuaded to buy my first horse – a two year old in the Horses in Training sales called Lackaday. He put me on the path and soon I was hooked, he won and was placed a couple of times and he gave me the bug for racing.

Phil with ‘Coda Agency’ and jockey Jim Crowley at Kempton

Readers’ Lives

White Mouse was a winner for Emma at Doncaster, thanks to jockey Daryl Jacob

Since Lackaday, I have purchased more horses, one who was already in training, and all the others as yearlings or foals. It’s those young horses where you are ‘buying the dream.’ They could be a future Derby or Oaks winner, or they could be a ‘dobbin’ and come last every time – at least for a while, the dream is alive! My most successful horse so far has been Mrs. Gallagher – she won some prestigious races and I have had some amazing days out with her – Royal Ascot being particularly memorable, plus a fantastic win in Naas, Ireland. I have now retired her and this year she gave birth to her first foal, who is yet to be named, but who will hopefully be as fast as her mother! I have a couple of exciting two year olds for this season – assuming that Covid-19 rules will permit racing at some point!

the horse was in a ‘sellers’ race, meaning others could buy it, and so my moment as an owner was over as soon as it began – the horse was sold after a magnificent win. That was my first taste. Then, after too many long lunches, Willie Robinson, the legendary insurance broker and

long-time racehorse owner, persuaded me to buy into some of his many syndicates. We had brilliant times. Wins, losses, places. But most important was his sense of fun – with Willie, a great day out was guaranteed. William Jarvis was Willie’s trainer and he despaired of Willie’s eternal optimism that every one of his horses – every race – was going to be a winner. In reality, not so! Eventually I formed my own syndicate with a horse called Rock A Doddle Do, named after my then wife’s biggest hit single. Geoff Meall, Simon Porter (Quo’s manager) and others were part of it with me, and we had some decent wins and places. One even with Frankie Dettori on board. Lately, I had pieces of horses with Michael Bell that sadly did nothing, but the bug is back and I’ve got a beautiful two year old, which hopefully will run this year, currently in training with William Jarvis. My wife, Christa, has chosen new colours and named him Porfin, which means ‘at last’ in Spanish. Hopefully he won’t be ‘at last’ but maybe winning a few and giving us a good day out racing, which is what I really enjoy about the sport. Lastly, I want to mention our Nordoff Robbins race day, which usually takes place in April, but due to Covid-19, is moved provisionally to 11 September, when we hope all will be fit and able to attend and have a great day’s racing.

NEIL WARNOCK United Talent Agency

My interest in horse racing was sparked by Jack Barrie who, at that time, was the manager of the legendary Marquee Club in London’s Wardour Street. He had been asked by the executors of the late Tony Stratton-Smith’s estate to find new owners for Tony’s string of racehorses after Tony died in March 1987. Whilst drinking with Jack at the Marquee, he talked me into buying a percentage of a horse called Best of British, and off we went to Folkstone to see it run. To cut a long story short, it turned out

Neil and wife, Christa, with Porfin

Magazine

TOGETHER H

Derek Robertson examines live streaming and music amid a global pandemic

ere’s a great pop-quiz question: can you name the first ever artist to perform live online? Zooropa-era U2, perhaps, with the band’s prescient satirisation of a dystopian technological future and the emptiness of consumer culture? Or The Rolling Stones, who rode 1994’s Voodoo Lounge – a ragged and glorious return to their rock & roll roots – around the world for 13 months, raking in an astonishing $320million (€294m)? Or maybe it was Brian Eno, a technological and conceptual pioneer who, at the time of the Internet’s invention, was playing around with self-generating musical systems? Nope. Nope. And nope. It was, in fact, an unknown rock four-piece from California called Severe Tire Damage, who broadcast a ninety-minute set in June 1993 and promptly declared themselves “House Band of the Internet” (although you were close if you guessed The Stones – they were

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fourth). Of course, a lot has changed in the intervening 27 years – the Internet is now the primary means of consuming music for fans the world over, never more so when you’re quarantined at home for an unspecified amount of time due to a global pandemic. But as we all know, the rise of streaming services and platforms has been mirrored by a collapse in revenue for artists. Live shows remain one of their few reliable sources of income, yet with concerts now an impossibility for the foreseeable, a huge hole has been left in their earnings. A host of future-orientated new apps, platforms, and digital services – many of them employing virtual and augmented reality – have rushed in, aiming to fill it, but how realistic are some of their claims, and what can artists really hope to earn while replicating gigs in the digital realm? It should be noted that many of the ideas or tech here are not new. Second Life hosted the first virtual concert back in 2007, while last year,

Marshmello gave the “first-ever live performance in a video game,” DJing for eleven minutes in Fortnite. Understandably though, there’s a new urgency in the sector, with platforms reporting an explosion in use over the last few weeks as both fans and musicians grapple with the new reality; a captive audience, desperate for entertainment, are glued to their devices. “Between 22 February and 22 March, revenue from our iOS sales increased by 255%,” says Anthony Matchett, founder and CEO of MelodyVR. “We’ve had a four-fold increase in new users signing up over the last month,” says Rudiger J. Ellis, of Switchboard Live. “Daily activity on our platform has skyrocketed,” adds Jake Branzburg, president of YouNow. “Active users, watchtime and broadcast hours have all jumped 40-50%.” It’s a trend confirmed by everyone IQ spoke to, with many choosing to ramp up advertising, expand, or roll out new features to take advantage of this surge. All these platforms, at their core, fall into var-

Live Streaming_Feature iations of one of two concepts; video hosting and streaming platforms; or some form of virtual or augmented experience. YouNow is the former, allowing anyone to broadcast live video 24/7. So too is Streamlabs, an “all-in-one live-streaming app.” Restream allows users to broadcast live video to multiple social media networks simultaneously, Switchboard Live is a multi-streaming platform geared towards all types of live content, while Switcher Studio makes capturing video from multiple angles and editing it in real time, a cinch. On the other side is MelodyVR, a platform that claims to put fans “inside huge live performances.” According to Matchett, “Music lovers can watch performances in immersive 360° on smartphones or in VR via headsets. And they can choose where they watch from – from deep in the crowd to on stage with the band.” Sansar, a new live events destination from the makers of Second Life, goes one step further. “The future of concerts is virtual,” declares their website. “Join the revolution.” To this end, the company has built an entire virtual universe of thousands of connected, user-created spaces to socialise and perform in. “Audiences of all kinds can come together for innovative events and stunning, photorealistic live performances,” says press and marketing manager Hari Raghaven. Just like everyone else, artists the world over are in lockdown too; bored, frustrated, and eager to connect. Many have taken to social media to broadcast rudimentary performances and even clips of their daily lives. TikTok, Twitch, Instagram Live, YouTube, and Facebook are full of these, with stars such as Coldplay, Christine and the Queens, and Keith Urban giving fans raw, unvarnished footage and encouraging a community vibe. But such posts are not a long-term solution. As ever, the question of monetisation looms large, for promoters and event organisers as much as the artists themselves. “Restream is not the end platform – we’re just the middleman between an artist and, say,

“We’ve had a four-fold increase in new users signing up over the last month” Rudiger J. Ellis | Switchboard Live

YouTube,” explains Victor Bous, the company’s head of marketing. “We just help you increase your reach, grow your audience, and make your streaming experience better.” It’s a similar story for Switcher Studio, and Switchboard Live – both are more of a tech solution than a platform explicitly designed to generate income. Streamlabs goes one further and allows donations and tips to be made direct to content creators. “We take a 0% cut from donations, and handle all main payment methods,” says George Kurdin, Streamlabs’ product manager. On top of that, content creators can sell merch via the platform, and may also monetise their stream on their own via affiliate deals, ads, and direct brand sponsorships. “For some it has been quite lucrative – we’ve processed over $500m [€459m] in donations over the last few years.” YouNow offers an extra tier for those looking

to cash in on their audience. “Musicians with a strong following can apply to the YouNow Partner Program,” says Branzburg. “YouNow Partners earn anywhere from three to five figures per month by sharing their talents. Community members support Partners by subscribing to their broadcasts monthly and/or by sending them virtual gifts – the more gifts Partners get, the more they trend, and the more they earn.” But the self-enclosed virtual environments of Sansar and MelodyVR allow for far greater – and, it is hoped, far more lucrative – monetisation. “Because Sansar is the only live events platform that allows partners to generate multiple revenue streams in customised virtual spaces, we are the go-to platform in the space,” says Raghaven. Access to a fully integrated ticketing system; merchandising and sponsorship offerings; and microtransactions (peer-to-peer tipping, so that fans can send money directly during a live show) are just some of the options offered. The virtual reality element allows them to go even further though; Raghaven says artists are only limited by their imagination. “They can have special tiers of tickets – a more expensive VIP ticket, for instance, that grants special in-world privileges or access (the ability to fly, say, or entry into an exclusive meet-and-greet). They can sell real and virtual merchandise – branded virtual tees, hats, jackets, you name it – that can be purchased for their avatars or in real life, and within their virtual space they can include branding from external sponsors.” Being based on an actual, real-world show, MelodyVR aims to leverage scale to help performers maximise revenue. “MelodyVR means that no event is ever sold out, and no show is off limits,” says Matchett. “Artists’ performances can reach fans around the globe, both in real time and on Magazine

Feature_Live Streaming demand, in a way that we see as the ‘next best thing’ to physically being there.” Furthermore, the majority of revenue generated goes, so Matchett claims, directly to the rights holders. Such a solution is perfect for top-tier acts, potentially allowing millions of fans to view a blockbuster Wembley show or headline festival slot. But what of those artists who rely on a smaller, but no less dedicated, fanbase? Enter a company like Stageit, billed as “Your online concert venue.” Designed to allow anyone to stream a performance – big or small – from their laptop, the service includes interactive elements and easy ways to get paid (virtual tickets are bought using a virtual currency called ‘notes’). And crucially, the broadcast can’t be recorded or archived, making every show an intimate, unique experience – just like a normal gig. The idea is that this will add enough value to tempt more fans into paying for tickets, a theory that seems to be working. “We grossed nearly $1m [€0.90m] in the last two weeks of March alone, up from $500k [€458k] for all of last year,” says Evan Lowenstein, Stageit’s CEO. “We have many artists making $5,000 [€4,585] plus, every day on the site, and some making $40,000 [€36,700] for a single show from their laptop. And, in light of Covid-19, we have changed our payout structure to be 80% across the board.” Making each performance a one-time deal goes some way to solving one of streaming’s inherent logical problems – namely, if the whole world can pull up a show on-demand, how can you maintain a steady income over a series of performances, as a normal tour would? Moreover, how can artists having to cancel entire tours due to Covid-19 replace the majority of that income in an online setting? Pianist Sarah Nicolls has come up with one ingenious solution. “Because my tour lasts until October, it’s important for me to ‘protect’ each venue’s audience,”

MQA helped Noya Rao participate in The British Music Embassy Sessions during the lockdown

she tells IQ. “So, we are streaming as close to each live date and time as possible, just for ticket holders or sometimes the mailing list of that venue. This way I can still receive my fee, and I’m also offering extras – the post-show discussions will all, I’m hoping, become live Zoom link-ups.” For many reasons, simply rearranging the 12 dates was not possible, and she hopes that most of the projected income from the tour – “well above £5,000 [€5,661]” – will be retained. She’s been heartened by the response from her fans, and the venues themselves too, feeling that everyone is sympathetic to the current plight of artists. “The post-show Zoom allows that human connection to be in a moment together, to say how they feel, to ask questions. It feels vital to hear what they

CONTRIBUTORS

have to say, and it really does add a lot.” Something else that artists must consider though, is rights clearance. “There are exceptions, but the majority of record deals are exclusive recording agreements, so if an artist has a recording of a live show, technically the streaming rights reside with their record company,” says Ruth Barlow, director of live licensing at Beggars Group. “As such, they would need to seek clearances from them to put it online or stream it, and they’d also need publishing clearances.” Depending on the platform, partner, and whether monetisation is involved, such negotiations can, Barlow adds, be quite complex. Some platforms and services, such as MelodyVR, have blanket licences in place with various labels and rights holders; others deal with artists and rights holders on a case-by-case basis. Barlow notes that most of the activity in this area currently generating income is doing so under the guise of fundraising or through goodwill for coronavirus-related causes – basically, tips and one-off donations. Nevertheless, it indicates a possible future where live streaming becomes a real business opportunity generating regular revenue for artists, rights holders, and promoters. According to Barlow, “In recent years, live has had nothing to do with record companies on pa-

“Even when things get back to ‘normal’, I think consumer behavior will be forever changed” Nick Mattingly | Switcher Studio

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Live Streaming_Feature

“We have always believed that the future of live events will be virtual” Hari Raghaven | Sansar

per, other than the annual festival clearances season, but who knew? This situation, however sad for many, may end up being the catalyst for all sides to work in collaboration, for everyone’s mutual benefit. It’s a real opportunity, or at least a solid springboard for some interesting conversations.” As noted above, some of the ideas – especially VR – have been touted as the next paradigm shift in entertainment for several years. Will their current adoption en masse mark a turning point in consumer demand and lead the way to new trends in music consumption? Some, such as Switcher Studio CEO Nick Mattingly, believe so. “Even when things get back to ‘normal’, I think consumer behaviour will be forever changed and we’ll likely see more of this type of content moving forward,” he says. Other analysts and thinkers are not so sure however. Tom Ffiske, editor of website Virtual Perceptions, believes that while industry trends are moving towards experiences over products, things like VR remains niche. “It’s difficult to sell

a VR experience when people have TVs and computers,” he says. “But it’s gradually happening.” For Ffiske, financial opportunity depends on both the partners you work with and the aﬄuence of your audience; not everyone can afford a fancy new headset. “Sales haven’t been strong enough for it to be viable as a business model,” he notes. Draw & Code is a Liverpool-based digital creative studio that has been creating immersive tech experiences for a number of years. Marketing manager Phil Charnock believes there is a large audience waiting for remote, enhanced performances and that, as such, we can expect to see more and more artists embracing both AR and VR in new and exciting ways. “To certain generations, AR is already ubiquitous,” he says. “There are more active users on Snapchat engaging with AR filters every day than there are users of Twitter, so the adoption of this tech is already a reality. It’s accessible, it’s natural, and the design techniques underpinning it are embedded in culture – we’ve been enhancing the

THE INDIES: PLATFORMS TO WATCH Switcher Studio switcherstudio.com Sansar sansar.com Melody VR melodyvr.com YouNow younow.com GigRev gigrev.com LiveFrom Events livefrom.events StageIt stageit.com Restream restream.io Switchboard Live switchboard.live Streamlabs streamlabs.com Draw & Code drawandcode.com Virtual Perceptions virtualperceptions.com

world around us for years.” Ultimately, Charnock sees such tech as an addon, not a replacement for, the thrill of attending a live show. “You don’t need to use it daily to value it,” he says, adding that it’ll be “a long time, if ever, before VR becomes as ubiquitous in the same sense as smartphones.” But in event settings, he believes there’s a clear route to driving value from immersive techniques, with the current situation meaning people are more willing to part with cash to experience it. Fans will always cherish the unique atmosphere of concerts, and of seeing their musical heroes up close and in the flesh. Yet, in the ever more tech-savvy entertainment industry, it’s clear that all the various apps, platforms, and services will continue to grow as well. “We have always believed that the future of live events will be virtual,” says Sansar’s Hari Raghaven. “We see tremendous possibilities for bringing multitudes of events into the virtual space, from album releases and listening parties to massive gaming conventions and speaker series.” “By some predictions, live streaming is expected to reach a 17% share of all Internet traffic,” concurs Restream’s Victor Bous; something that, says YouNow’s Jake Branzburg, will continue to be fuelled by “the appetite for human connection and interactivity through live content like sports and music.” And every single operator in this sphere says the same – that we have but a basic grasp of the true scale of what these technologies might accomplish. “We’re only just beginning to scratch the surface of what’s possible,” says Raghaven. Even without the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, it seems the revolution will not be televised – it will be online. Magazine

TUESDAY 3 MARCH

ILMC 32, which took place 3-6 March, was certainly an edition to remember. With the global impact of the coronavirus starting to bite just as the doors of the conference swung open, 2020 was a year that the industry truly came together, united by a common cause. Looking back at the happy faces and the global community standing together, it feels like a different time, but it’s one that will undoubtedly return. With some members needing to stay home to deal with the growing impact of the virus, ILMC was down 15% of its registered delegates, so we welcomed just over 1,000 professionals over the three days. With so many uniting at such a difficult moment, there was a specific sense of camaraderie at ILMC 32, which was felt throughout the conference. The following pages include a few highlights of ILMC 32, but if you’d like to check out the unabridged report, head over to 32.ilmc.com for panel reviews, Arthur Award winners, and a gallery of 1,000+ photos. Greg Parmley, ILMC

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ILMC week kicked off with more than 400 delegates attending the ILMC Production Meeting and Green Events and Innovations Conference.

ILMC PRODUCTION MEETING

Marking its 13th edition, the ILMC Production Meeting (IPM), hosted by Rod Laver Arena’s Meagan Walker, got underway with a discussion about the challenges and opportunities involved in touring non-traditional ‘expanding’ markets. In addition to highlighting the importance of training local crews, delegates discussed possibilities for expansion in countries such as China, India and Japan, among others. Other sessions covered the importance of establishing good communication networks when it comes to the changing nature of stage productions; the plight of small venues and their fundamental importance to local communities; and concluded with a timely panel focussing on the consequences of show cancellations, where, Covid-19 aside, guest speakers and panellists underlined the numerous reasons why shows can be

cancelled in the 21st century, ranging from poor air quality as a result of Australia’s recent bush fires, through to security and safety concerns and extreme weather. With the coronavirus already knocking some events out of the 2020 calendar, IPM delegates learned that most UK insurers would be excluding it from cancellation insurance cover from now on, while most delegates admitted they were ill prepared for a prolonged business lockdown.

GREEN EVENTS & INNOVATIONS CONFERENCE

As sustainability becomes ever more important, the Green Events and Innovations

Conference (GEI) highlighted the growing interest with record numbers of delegates packing into the Royal Garden Hotel for the gathering’s 12th annual edition. The event’s packed programme saw numerous presenters and guest speakers impart their knowledge to an eager audience who had travelled from around the world to learn about the latest products, systems and best practices that are helping to reduce the carbon footprints of festivals, shows and tours internationally. Sessions included a fascinating insight into circular economies and an intriguing slideshowaccompanied diary of a trip down the river

Ganges, while between panel sessions, attendees were kept busy with breakout periods featuring new green innovations and ideas; wellbeing classes; educational talks on accessibility for deaf and disabled fans; and developments in the food and sustainable power sectors. The day’s main discussion topics saw speakers debate using festivals as living laboratories to trial green programmes and ideas; exploiting live music events to build bridges with communities; sustainable sponsorship and brands; and moves toward introducing green tour riders, and meaningful changes in behaviour for touring productions and shows. Delegates for both Tuesday events were encouraged to mingle during coffee breaks and over lunch, while many also took the opportunity to drop in to crossover breakout sessions that touched upon production elements as well as environmental efforts. That synergy led nicely to the separate events’ closing drinks parties, with many delegates also spilling over into the official ILMC opening party.

Magazine

WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH

hile a few of ILMC’s contestants had bleary eyes from a late night in the bar the night before, the conference properly got under way with the traditional orientation briefing for new delegates and a catch-up on what had been discussed at the previous day’s IPM, before Greg Parmley officially welcomed ILMC members, and Paul Latham presided over the Open Forum, which pitted Emma Banks (CAA), Phil Rodriguez (Move Concerts), David Zedeck (UTA), Ashish Hemrajani (Book My Show) and Pino Sagliocco (Live Nation Spain) against each other in a quiz show that looked back over the past year in the live entertainment industry. Setting the scene for the various debates and discussions at ILMC 32, Latham covered such matters as email scams, Brexit, secondary ticketing and, of course, the coronavirus. Other Wednesday conference highlights included a fascinating panel on hip-hop, chaired by Metropolis Music MD Raye Cosbert; Oak View Group’s Jessica Koravos moderated an in-depth look at the levels of institutional investment that is pouring into the live entertainment sector; a standingroom only workshop on cancellation insurance; and a hugely interesting discussion, guided by Midas Promotions founder Michael Hosking, about growing demand for live music in Africa, Brazil and South Korea, courtesy of Isabelle Messer (Georg Leitner Productions), Cindy Wilson

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(Live Talentos), and Tommy Jinho Yoon (International Creative Agency). Wednesday’s conference schedule wrapped up with one of ILMC’s most popular annual discussions – Ed Bicknell’s traditional ‘Breakfast Meeting’ interview slot, with this year’s guest of honour being another veteran artist manager, Peter Rudge. The friends recalled some of the acts they had both been involved with – and those they turned down – over the years, while Rudge told tales of working with the likes of The Who, The Stones, Duran Duran, and Il Divo, while he also related a surreal story of his reluctant part in an FBI sting operation on the Hells Angels. Wednesday night’s ILMC activities commenced in the Clubino nightclub of the Baglioni Hotel with the popular ‘D-Factor’ Impact Party, where guests were treated to the generous hospitality of hosts Dutch Music Export, with the backing of Eurosonic Noorderslag, Dutch Performing Arts, Buma Cultuur and the kind support of The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and entertainment was provided by 45AcidBabies, Ten Times A Million and DeWolff. Back in ILMC central (aka the Royal Garden Hotel), the merriments included It’s a Copout, which carried the appropriate strapline of “The Cheapest Game Show in Town”; The ‘Call My Bluff ’ Poker Tournament proved as popular as ever, attracting players from around the world; as did The ‘It’s a Knockout’ Table Football Cup, which saw teams and spectators occupying the Contestants’ Lounge into the small hours of Thursday morning.

THURSDAY 5 MARCH

hursday’s schedule was a bonanza for anyone interested in the venues business with the traditional Venue’s Venue session in the Royal Garden Hotel supplemented by three additional Venue Summit sessions across the road in the Baglioni Hotel. IQ’s own Gordon Masson moderated The Agency Business 2020, where talk centred around developing talent both from an artistic point of view and a business standpoint; while morning workshops on 5G and TikTok also proved a draw among delegates. Afternoon highlights included the hugely popular Ticketing panel, chaired by IQ writer James Drury, which explored the opportunities and challenges associated with digital ticketing; while in adjacent rooms, FanDragon Technologies exec Steve Machin oversaw various new tech presentations; and Jeremy Paterson of IF Media Consultancy chaired a discussion about the evolution of the relationship between artists and brands, and the opportunities for all stakeholders in live music. The crammed schedule also saw Chris Carey (TicketSwap) bring out the crystal ball for his 2020 Vision gathering where guests predicted future trends, how to capitalise on them, and what a tour in 2030 might look like; while in the Festival Forum, ATC Live’s Alex Bruford moderated a debate about exclusivity clauses and their effect on the health of the global business; whilst Christoph Scholz (Semmel Concerts) and

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Lucy Levitt (Kilimanjaro Live) explored the key developments and brightest new spectacles across touring exhibitions, pop culture and family shows. With the conference part of the day complete, a coach-full of international soccer stars pulled on their shin pads for the annual excursion to The Hive Stadium in North London for the Match of the Year Football. Meanwhile, more than 300 ILMC members and their guests donned evening wear for The ILMC Arthur Awards Winners’ Dinner, which took place in the sumptuous surrounds of the art deco ballroom at the Sheraton Grand Hotel, where champagne and cocktails, a five-star gourmet meal, a grand prize draw and a highly convoluted pop quiz all acted as a prelude for the main event – Emma Banks hosting the 2020 Arthur Awards (see page 38). And with carriages shuttling our sophisticated guests back to the Royal Garden Hotel before the witching hour, the noises emanating from the mezzanine level of the building were anything but sophisticated as the great and the good of the live music business murdered some of the world’s finest songs during the aptly coined ‘Name That Tune’ Karaoke.

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FRIDAY 6 MARCH

or the second year in succession, the final day of ILMC was taken over by Futures Forum – a conference programme designed to entice the next generation of industry professionals to engage in meaningful debate about the future of their industry. Appropriately, the day commenced with a panel featuring a number of 2019’s New Bosses winners. Moderated by former New Boss Jo Young from Ticketmaster, who was joined on stage by Charly Beedell-Tuck (Solo Agency), Melanie Eselevsky (Move Concerts), Karolina Hansen (DTD Concerts), Matt Pickering-Copley (Primary Talent) and Marc Saunders (The O2) for a lively debate where the speakers underlined their passion for music, but also a mutual respect for each other, rather than rivalry – something that will surely benefit the industry in years to come. The Futures Forum schedule this year

featured workshops on the evolution of ticketing, a digital marketing masterclass and an enthused session on assertiveness and effectiveness at work. The day also provided a stage for a number of Soapbox Sessions in which speakers were given a 15-minute window to present TED-style talks on subjects ranging from business in Nigeria and being your own boss to the climate crisis and key leadership lessons. IQ’s own Anna Grace chaired a spellbinding session entitled Life After Your Star Act, where three agents and promoters told tales of how they lost deals with some of their biggest clients and the lessons they learned from those experiences to make them better at their jobs. Elsewhere, the mental health panel, chaired by Sarah Joy and Matt Hanner of ATC Live dealt with some difficult subjects, but noted that younger professionals in

the business often take better care of themselves than their seniors, leading to a situation where the older generations can very much learn from their millennial colleagues. The final agenda panel saw music journalist Paul Stokes interview Team Mumford & Sons – agent Lucy Dickins (WME), manager Adam Tudhope (Everybody’s) and band member Ben Lovett, who also fronts Communion Music. The conversation centred around Mumford’s live strategy and the guests did not disappoint, revealing the genuine enthusiasm the band has for live performance and Lovett’s own investments into a growing venue business that now includes London clubs Omeara and Lafayette. Dickins noted that a love of touring and a strong work ethic had been major catalysts for the band’s success, while the trio also spoke about the continual focus on doing the unexpected, resulting in their often offthe-beaten-track shows around the world. Indeed, until the coronavirus reared its head, they revealed they had been working on (now postponed) plans to “go deeper into eastern Europe,” explore new “seemingly random places” and work with new promoters. Thankfully, for those promoters, it appears the plans will be revived in a year or two.

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THE PROMOTERS’ PROMOTER SERVICES ABOVE AND BEYOND

Winner: Showsec Formed in 1978, Showsec quickly became synonymous with iconic events such as Live Aid and concerts at Wembley Stadium, Milton Keynes Bowl and others. More recently, the company has seen a sharp increase in international consultancy across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. “It’s a huge honour to receive this accolade, for the sole reason that it is nominated by people across the music industry,” says director, Simon Battersby. “This is attributable to the professionalism and ongoing personal relationships developed between our staff, and production staff, promoters and venue staff over the years. This gives us immense pride in our staff and their tremendous commitment to providing a first-class service.” Highlight of ILMC: “Aside from the increasingly broad agenda of topics to listen to and participate in each year, it’s always great meeting up with old friends and acquaintances and sharing a tale or two.”

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Winner: Kelly Chappel, Live Nation Chappel began her career as a promoter at Live Nation in 2005. She was promoted to senior promoter in 2008, before moving to international touring, where she has climbed the ladder to her current position as SVP touring, international. Addressing her victory, she says, “It felt amazing to win and be honoured by my peers, especially considering the calibre of promoters who were nominated. I take pride in what I do and absolutely love it, and I still can’t believe I’m fortunate enough to put on concerts as my job.” Highlight of ILMC: “As always, getting to hang out with all the international folk and hearing what’s happening in their markets. Oh yes, and the hangovers are very real…”

THE PEOPLE’S ASSISTANT

Winner: San Phillips, Kilimanjaro Live Phillips enrolled on the UK’s very first music industry course. Her career includes stints at Warner Music, Helter Skelter, SFX/Clear Channel, and Sensible Events. She’s currently head of promoter operations at Kilimanjaro Live. “I was utterly stunned, hence my very brief acceptance speech,” she says of her Arthurs win. “I do feel honoured being in such esteemed company with the other nominees and previous winners of the award, many of whom are great friends and people I’ve always admired very much. “Emma Banks’ introduction to the award was really poignant in describing the role that assistants and support staff play in what can often be a topheavy industry. I discourage anyone from using the words ‘just an assistant,’ as it denigrates the breadth and depth of the role that folks in those roles carry out. Being a good assistant isn’t easy and I’m pleased that the Arthurs acknowledges the role that we play.” Highlights of ILMC: “Winning the award, with my lovely Kili team and one of my best friends, Randy Salcedo from Sound Talent Group, around me. Also, the last chance to see friends and colleagues from around the world before we all went on lockdown; I hope everyone is keeping well and safe.”

THE GOLDEN TICKET

Winner: Ticketmaster At the end of 2019, Ticketmaster brought accessible ticketing online, a first for the UK. The company contends that buying a ticket should be the same for everyone and its staff has worked hard to get this groundbreaking technology up and running. “We work in an industry that’s constantly evolving, ever growing and certainly never dull,” says Ticketmaster UK managing director, Andrew Parsons. “To be recognised by the industry is a real honour for the team and the hard work we all do. Arthur will take pride of place (next to our somewhat battered 2018 Arthur) on my desk, to keep an eye on me.” Highlight of ILMC: “Seeing Kelly Chappel finally take home the Promoters’ Promoter award after all of these years was wonderful; a true gem of the industry – there is nobody more deserving,” says Parsons.

FIRST VENUE TO COME INTO YOUR HEAD Winner: The Roundhouse, London Originally built as a train repair shed, the building has served many purposes, from its days as a gin and whisky warehouse, to first opening as an arts venue in 1966. After many years lying virtually empty, the Roundhouse reopened in 2006 and now works with 6,500 young people each year. The artistic programme upstairs in the main auditorium – from circus shows to gigs to theatre – supports the charitable work downstairs in the studios. Delia Barker, programmes director at the venue, says, “It’s a great honour to win the best venue award and a great moment for the team; not just the music team but all of the people who are involved with running the venue, from technical to visitor services to housekeeping, it really is a team effort! We have so much respect for all the other venues out there, especially at this moment in time.” Highlight of ILMC: “It was brilliant to see so many incredible women winning big at the Arthur Awards,” says Barker.

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TOMORROW’S NEW BOSS

Winner: Charly BeedelTuck, Solo Agency

LIGGERS’ FAVOURITE FESTIVAL THE BOTTLE AWARD

Winner: Emma Banks, CAA “I don’t feel grown-up enough to be a Bottle Award winner,” says Banks. “It is amazing to get any award, but it is something really to get one from all the promoters and agents and others in the thick of it in the international live music scene – it’s really special. I am honoured, surprised and blown away. People who have gone before are people you look up to and they are incredible luminaries – to be on a list with them is pretty special. “It is wonderful to be recognised by your peers and have gatherings like that. I am the first woman to win the award, but clearly there are women more than deserving had they won it prior to me. We have to accept that the business is changing and, in the generation above me, there were very few women. There were still relatively few when I started, so it’s fantastic that so many of the winners of other awards were women, people like Kelly [Chappel] and Charly [Beedell-Tuck], because they do a bloody good job. This is proof of how the industry and the world is changing, and that’s positive.” Highlight of ILMC: “Clearly winning the Bottle Award, and I also won the Open Forum [ILMC’s game show-themed opening session], so I am a double ILMC winner this year. I really enjoyed the discussion on greener touring too, some really good points were raised there. When life returns, I think those kinds of discussions are things we can really learn from, it’s such an important topic.”

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THE SECOND LEAST OFFENSIVE AGENT Winner: Summer Marshall, CAA

Winner: Les Eurockéennes de Belfort In 1989, the local authority in Belfort launched open-air festival Les Eurockéennes, with the aim of bringing international artists to the area and putting it on the map. Internationally recognised, the non-profit organisation last year welcomed 130,000 people to the event. Booker, Kem Lalot, comments, “Our team was very proud to be nominated for the Arthur Awards. It shows great gratitude from our fellow industry professionals to be part of this shortlist. For 31 years now, we have searched for and booked emerging artists in order to discover the next big things, and we believe that this award recognises our 31 years of experience at festival organisation.”

MOST PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL

NEW GIG ON THE BL OCK

Winner: All Points East

Winner: Tina Richard, T&S Immigration Services “What a surprise! I felt very humble to be acknowledged by the ILMC and our lovely clients,” says Richard. “The following few days were filled with congratulatory messages. Little did I know how dramatically our lives would change in the following couple of weeks. “For the past eight years, I have lived in a small village in the Yorkshire Dales with my husband and business partner, Steve. We set up our company in 1991, from a tiny office near Marble Arch in London, but in 2001 we’d had enough of London and decided to move away. “After the lockdown was announced I realised our small community was going to need help. I whipped together some fellow volunteers and we set up a pop-up shop from the village hall, to ensure our residents have sufficient food and don’t have to risk driving to town. “When this nightmare is over […] I will return with a renewed sense of vigour and gratitude. Unlike some unfortunate readers, I will still have a job, and work should start to trickle in again. I hope our clients and all readers remain safe and follow the government advice. There will be plenty of time to socialise when this is over, and we’ll all need a bloody good party. For now: be strong, sensible and safe.”

DEAR OSSY,

Ossy Hoppe at the age of 6.

circus director from a young age, now you find yourself on the big stage. We are proud to have you in the family!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! www.deag.com

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Ossy Hoppe marks his 70th birthday on 28 April, but plans for a big celebration are, understandably, on hold while the world grapples with the spread of coronavirus. To mark the big day, has been working for several months with Wizard Promotions and DEAG to surprise Ossy with this tribute feature. So, thank you to everyone who took the time to talk to Gordon Masson for this birthday special – we’ll hopefully be able to congratulate Ossy, in person, very soon indeed.

rying to keep a secret from one of the best-connected people in the business has not been easy. However, with the help of some of Ossy’s family, friends and confidantes – and some historical information taken from an anniversary feature that appeared in IQ in 2015 – we hope when this issue of the magazine lands on Ossy’s doorstep, that this feature comes as something of a surprise. When IQ spoke to Ossy Hoppe, on the pretext of a coronavirus story, one month before his birthday, the enigmatic promoter was at home in rural France, near the village of Cotignac in Provence. “I’m in the middle of nowhere, four kilometres from the nearest supermarket, where there are never more than four or five people in the shop, so I’m used to being in isolation,” he reports. “I’m with my donkeys, dogs, cats, and the wife. In that order,” he laughs. “This is a novelty to all of us – it’s like we’re in a science-fiction movie – and nobody ever expected we’d be in this kind of situation. But I think this will change people’s attention toward appreciating some of the things we’re used to taking for granted. We’re delighted when a bird sings, at the moment.” While millions of people around the world struggle to come to terms with the enforced house arrest situation, Ossy has unwittingly been in training for the past few years, since stepping back from being the boss at Wizard Promotions to taking on the role of consultant for the company. “Normally, these days, I’m in France for three weeks and then Germany for one week of the month,” he says. “A lot of the business can be done by phone anyway, so it doesn’t really matter where I am. The nit-

ty-gritty is taken care of by the team in the Wizard offices, while I’m tasked with getting the clients, alongside [son and Wizard MD] Oliver, and making the offers.” At that point, Ossy drops off the line to pick up another call. “That was my boss, Oliver,” he says on his return, before addressing what has happened to the live music business in the wake of the spread of coronavirus. “I’ve never seen anything like it – and I’ve been doing this a long, long time,” he states. “We’re in a very fortunate position because our insurance covers this, so our costs are covered. But there are a lot of smaller promoters – and maybe some of the bigger ones, too – who are going to run into problems, while a lot of our suppliers and smaller acts are also going to suffer. “At the moment, it’s hard to predict what is going to happen, never mind when. We could be out of action for four weeks, or four months, or we might even be talking about not getting back into the business until next year, but it’s crucial that everyone keeps talking so that when things do start to return to normal, we’re all ready to go. Nobody knows when that might be – if you talk to three people, you get four opinions. So, I’m trying to remain optimistic and look forward to better times.”

A Born Entertainer

Life on the road for Ossy is literally in his blood, as he was born into a circus family that was touring their native Germany at the time little Oskar Hoppe junior made his first appearance, on 28 April 1950. “I was born in Munich because that’s where the circus was performing at the time,” recalled Ossy in IQ issue 59. “After the war, the allies were very careful about who they trusted, but because my father, Oskar, had hidden Jewish friends from the Nazis, the Americans gave him the authority to grant entertainment licences. He married into a circus family, but then he met my mother who became his fourth wife.” Ossy was immersed in circus life and by the age of five, he was already a star attraction, billed as the youngest elephant trainer in the world alongside his pachyderm co-stars, Bounty and Chandra. Despite that fame, Ossy’s mother, Apollonia, was Magazine

Testimonials determined he should receive a proper education, so initially he attended the first permanent circus school, established by his father, before enrolling at boarding school. Sadly, Ossy’s mother died when he was just 15, and by the time he was 19, he was an orphan, as his father passed away in 1969. Those circumstances saw him move in with his grandparents in Frankfurt, where he studied law at university for a time, before deciding it was time to get a job – taking on roles including nightclub doorman, building site labourer, delivery driver, and a printing plant worker. Fate, combined with Ossy’s love of football and outgoing persona, intervened. As a team member of Makkabi Frankfurt, Ossy had already befriended team-mates Marcel Avram and Marek Lieberberg, who were the founders of new promoter business, Mama Concerts. So when Ossy picked up an injury and was looking for work, Avram employed him as his driver before trusting him to take on the role of tour manager. “Ossy was the best player in the team,” states Avram. “He was twice as fast as me and made us all look good, so we liked him.” Always ready to roll up his sleeves and get stuck in, Ossy’s can-do attitude quickly earned him a lot of friends in the live music business, so when he volunteered his services to help out with Deep Purple’s impending 1973 American tour, one week later he found himself on the other side of the Atlantic. But not before meeting the love of his life, Barbara, on the eve of his departure to the United States. Given that the couple now have a menagerie

Young Ossy’s education began at the circus school launched by his father

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My first memory of Ossy was at The Continental Riot House on Sunset Strip in 1971. Ossy was Deep Purple’s tour manager, and he turned up with, I think, two massive Irish Wolfhounds. I was astonished to hear he was German, as his English was so good. Over the years I have continued to work with Ossy in all the various companies he’s worked at, or been a partner in. Ossy is a great friend and, indeed, a legend, for sure!! Neil Warnock, UTA Happy birthday to the pioneer of hard rock in Germany! We are looking forward to many more shows with Ossy and all his other Wizards. Keep on rockin‘! Christian Doll & the team, C2 Concerts Dear Ossy, we want to thank you for saving the Guns N’ Roses show in Mannheim back in 1991 (do you remember?) and for getting bands like Kiss and many more to Germany making a beautiful noise. For your happy birthday we wish you nothing but the very best. In metal we trust! Thomas, Holger & the whole W:O:A / ICS family Dear Ossy, one could say that the apprenticeship as Germany’s youngest Elephant trainer in your father´s circus was the best preparation for our industry: Deep Purple, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne to name just a few – the heavyweights never made you lose your calm. Even your nine years as a partner of Marek Lieberberg didn´t change this attitude. What for me is jazz, is hard rock for you – a genre you significantly established in Germany. Despite all your success, in the really wild times you never fell for the temptations of showbiz and prefer to stay out of the spotlight, just like me. As a true family man it means a whole lot to you to see your company being in the best of hands with your son, Oliver, something I can really relate to. I´m happy that our companies are still working together to this day! I wish you a happy 70th anniversary – stay as you are and keep swinging! Karsten Jahnke, Karsten Jahnke Konzertdirektion We first met Ossy in 1984, supporting Whitesnake. We were a huge pain in his arse... from there a 36-year relationship only grew... Love ya. Jon Bon Jovi

of animals, including their donkey sanctuary, at home in Provence, it won’t come as a surprise to many that Barbara worked for a veterinary surgeon when she first met Ossy. But they had one significant question to answer before they could start dating. “Barbara’s name was also Hoppe,” states Ossy. “It’s not a common name in Frankfurt, so I had to check on her background because my father was married five times in total...” The outcome of those investigations obviously worked out, as Ossy and Barbara have been together now for 47 years and celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary on 9 April this year. Back in 1973, Ossy found himself in the role of Ian Gillan’s assistant on that tour with Purple, but having impressed all who were on the road that year, he soon climbed the ladder to become the band’s tour manager, kick-starting a relationship rivalled in length only by the one with his wife.

HAPPY BIR THDAY OSSY HOPPE! RO C K ʼ Nʼ RO LL WISHES FRO M YO UR FRIENDS AT AEG IN GERMA NY.

Testimonials Indeed, Purple were so impressed by Ossy that when the band split, they persuaded Ossy and Barbara to move to England, and even arranged a mortgage for them so that Ossy could look after various solo projects and acts. “The house, in Amersham, near London, became the headquarters for all of the Deep Purple spin-offs,” says Ossy. “So I looked after Whitesnake, Rainbow, Paice Ashton Lord, and the Ian Gillan Band as they took off.” As each act flourished, inevitably there became a point when they required more time, prompting Ossy to make the decision to pitch his tent with David Coverdale, which saw him taking on the management of Whitesnake. “It was good fun, but there wasn’t much money in it,” he says of the early days of working with the band. “We’d drive home after gigs because we couldn’t afford hotels.” To pay the bills, Ossy also found himself working at Jet Records for one of the most infamous characters in rock – Don Arden. “He had a fierce reputation, but I have to say Don was always fair to me.” Working at Jet also introduced Ossy to two

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Ossy, I will never forget when you invited me to be part of the football match you organised for Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris and friends the day before the German leg of the Maiden England tour started, with two sold-out shows at the Festhalle Frankfurt, which were the first shows we did together after we first met in 2012. This was followed by various other shows with Kiss, Steel Panther, Böhse Onkelz, Whitesnake and many more. Although sometimes you have to hold the receiver away from your ear while ‘talking’ to you when you don‘t agree on a certain project, it is, of course, always a great honour working with you and good fun listening to the stories of your unmatched experience as a living legend in the rock & roll business! Wow, 70 years! Happy birthday, good health and all the best! Up the Irons! Lutz Grotehöfer, DEAG ¡Hola, Ossy! Your friends from Barcelona will be waiting for you at Rock Fest for another 70 years. Thank you for everything, Ossy. Pierre & all at RocknRock

of his most loyal friends in the business – ITB’s Rod MacSween and the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. As the 70s passed, the Hoppes drew a line under life in England and in 1981, they moved back to Germany, where Ossy launched Top Concerts

with the man who had replaced him at Mama Concerts, Toni Ioannou. However, when Ioannou fell for Ossy’s secretary, the business side of things suffered because nothing was being done in the office while Ossy was on the road touring. As a result, in 1984, Ossy launched a new company,

Dear Ossaay, Congratulations from your friends at K2.

Testimonials Shooter Promotions, and turned his attention to introducing Germany to hard rock. “Mama Concerts and Lippmann & Rau divvied most of the big name acts between them, so there was no space to compete,” Ossy told IQ in 2015. “Nobody wanted to touch hard rock, so that’s what Shooter concentrated on.” The decision, although brave at the time, was a stroke of genius, and through Shooter, Ossy found himself working on tours for the likes of Bon Jovi, Metallica, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Guns N’ Roses and, of course, the various Deep Purple spin-offs. And as the rock genre began to rocket in the mid to late 80s, Ossy’s decision to specialise (which was branded as mad by some industry observers, at the time) started to pay off, big time. As events like Germany’s Monsters of Rock festivals elevated Shooter to one of the country’s biggest players, inevitably one of Ossy’s former bosses plotted a merger deal, which, in 1991, saw him become a partner in Marek Lieberberg’s new concern, MLK, where Ossy brought his rock roster, along with the likes of Sting and the Bee Gees.

The word ‘legend’ gets thrown around in our business far too easily. Some promoter or act sells out a show and suddenly they are a legend. I don’t think so. A legend is someone who leaves behind an unforgettable impression on others. They touch lives, they're remembered, they're cherished. Over the course of decades, not minutes. There are all sorts of legends in this world – famous or not. Becoming one means finding your particular role, your calling, following it, and touching others around you. How many hundreds of thousands of people have attended your shows and left smiling? How many have you inspired by being a righteous person to deal with? Too many to count. You’re a genuine legend and it is my honour to call you a friend. And you have the best parties in LA. Rock on, Ossy! Steve Martin, APA Agency

Although the veteran entrepreneurs still co-promote certain acts to this day, the relationship with Lieberberg and MLK lasted nine years before Ossy decided it was time to be his own boss again. In 2000, he launched Coco Tours and Global Concerts with DEAG; and four years later, Wizard Promotions made its debut, thanks to the backing of another former boss, Marcel Avram, a

man whom Ossy describes as “one of my greatest mentors and friends over the years.” Unsurprisingly, Wizard also proved to be a big success, and with a good working relationship established with DEAG, it wasn’t a huge surprise to many in the business when in mid-2013 the two companies formalised a merger, with DEAG acquiring a majority stake in the business.

A VERY HAPPY 70TH BIRTHDAY OSSY!

photo copyright by Saskia Gaulke

FROM MANFRED, DIRK AND THE STAGECO GERMANY TEAM

VISIT 46

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WWW.STAGECO.COM

Testimonials There is Ossy and then there is the rest of the Germans. He’s a real character, very funny, a great football player, a lover of life, a true friend, a proper dad, and very professional. We had great evenings of conversations over the years, we still do, and we know we can count on each other always. Claudio Trotta, Barley Arts

Ossy with The Police band mates Sting and Andy Summers

Seeing Ossy, our half-mayor of Cotignac in tranquil Provence, is a gift . Away from the hustle and bustle in Germany, he’s the epitome of an exuberant good soul. Seventy years old, white hair, noise and poetry… stay the way you are and much more of it, please!! All the best, cheers! Kevin Russell, Böhse Onkelz The Festhalle Frankfurt wishes Ossy Hoppe, our partner for many years, many happy returns on his 70th birthday! Ossy has brought numerous legendary shows and concerts to the Frankfurt Festhalle, giving countless visitors unique events – unforgettable are, of course, the concerts of Udo Jürgens, Eros Ramazzotti, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Kiss. We appreciate him as a strong character and reliable partner, with a preference for heavy metal. We wish Ossy all the best. Keep on rockin! Happy Birthday! Dieter Otto & the entire team at Festhalle Frankfurt

Having known Ossy for a long time, I can tell you he is not only a strong personality, a visionary and a reliable partner, but is also humorous, empathetic, and a great friend. All the criteria you need to be a good tamer in this rock & roll circus. And that's you, Ossy. Glad you're here and glad to be your partner. Happy birthday to you! Fred Handwerker, Handwerker Promotion

Sharing some German tradition with Jon Bon Jovi

Meet the New Boss…

Prior to agreeing the deal with DEAG, Ossy was determined to try to entice son, Oliver, back to Wizard, with the hope that the next Hoppe generation would take the reins of the company. “It took me three years to convince him,” Ossy admits. “The first few months working with him were tough, because he basically told me everything I’d been doing wrong for the past 30 years. And to be fair, a lot of what he said made sense.” Having spent some time working at Wizard as

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Ossy is the epitome of the perfect person within the rock & roll industry, and a true gentleman. As well as being part of the music business, I breed and race horses and eight years ago my wife decided to breed Scotty Terriers. So, in January 2012, I was assisting my wife with the birthing of the pups (you have never heard a dog howl so much as when it is giving birth) and in all of this chaos my mobile rings and it's Ossy wanting to discuss very important shows that were taking place in three years’ time! I say to Ossy, “I’m sitting on my kitchen floor where my dog is giving birth and so far, she has given birth to five female puppies” Ossy says; “Call me back if you have a boy, and name it Oscar.” Lo and behold, the last puppy to be born was a boy and so we now have a dog called Oscar, who is the spitting image of Ossy, walks like Ossy and is now going grey, just like Ossy. Happy birthday, young man, with all my love. Phil Banfi eld, Paradigm

a promoter’s rep while he was at college studying history and Chinese, Oliver walked away from the business when he moved from Frankfurt to Munich, where he switched studies and initially found work as an intern at an advertising and sponsorship specialist, working with the likes of Mercedes-Benz. “I stayed at the branding consultancy for seven years, but then Ossy started talking about his plans for retirement, so, in 2012, I came back to Wizard,” explains Oliver. “It was a steep learning

curve for both of us; you cannot inherit contacts and working relationships. But what we’ve found now, is that some people speak only to me, some speak to both me and Ossy, and others speak only to Ossy – it’s a good set-up and one we’re both happy with. With Böhse Onkelz, for instance, it’s a shared responsibility, as we both have a strong relationship with the band – Ossy has better connections with some band members and I have the same with others, so it works.” Agreeing with his father about the initial

Happy 70 Ossy, what a guy! th

Lots of love from Rod and all at ITB itb.co.uk

Testimonials strained relationship, Oliver states, “Yes, it was tough – Ossy didn’t want to change anything and didn’t understand the way I wanted to work. But then he realised it did not hurt him when I did things my way, and I realised that Ossy working in his way didn’t harm me either. “Our personality perspective is very different when it comes to how we approach things. I’ll sometimes see Ossy’s correspondence with agents and cringe, but he gets the job done. So when I came back to Wizard, I got humble very quickly.” Under normal working conditions, the Hoppe Wizards have now established a seamlessly smooth routine. “Ossy comes into the office a few days a month and is in France the majority of the time,” reports Oliver. “But he gets to spend the summer hanging out with his musician and management friends… the company credit card glows, but that’s fine by me – what am I going to do hanging out at the hotel bar with a band that’s 30 years older than me?” He adds, “Yes, it can be difficult for a father and

We (Maiden & I) have worked with Ossy right from the very beginning, when we first went to Germany back in 1980, and he’s just been the ideal partner to make Germany one of our strongest markets in Europe. From Nuremberg supporting Kiss in September ’80 right up to where we have sold-out stadiums there this summer. He is smart, his team are, well, Wizards! The band has always enjoyed welcoming him to the shows and sharing the success together. 70 years old? Wow! – we’ve kept him young for about 40 of those!! Congratulations, mate! Rod Smallwood, Iron Maiden

In the mid-80s, I was backstage at a stadium show, headlined by AC/DC, in Nuremberg, when suddenly I heard a commotion followed by Ossy chasing after Malcolm Young, who was pissed off that there was no catering in the band`s dressing room. I stepped in and pointed out to Ossy that it was not such a good idea to have a fistfight with his headliner. He took my advice, but later on during the show Malcolm collapsed on the drum kit mid-song. The rest of the band left him there until he recovered two songs later. John Jackson, K2

One thing I learned from Ossy is cutting it short. I have been working for him for more than 20 years now – lots of work but lots of fun as well. And if you think his semi-retirement means less work for me… you are so wrong! Happy birthday, Ossy! Claudia Grabau, Wizard Promotions

Iron Maiden have become lifelong friends with Ossy

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Testimonials I’ve known Ossy for many years and he’s always been a dear friend as well as one of the best promoters in Germany. We’ve worked together on countless tours, big and small, and regardless of inevitable friction in deals and negotiations, we’ve always come out smiling and been there for each other through thick and thin. Ossy does well because he realises that relationships and reputation are everything in our unpredictable business and he maintains both with confidence and sincerity. Many happy returns on your 70th birthday, Ossy, may there be many more to come. Lars Ulrich and Metallica have recorded some seminal career triumphs with Ossy

Rod MacSween, ITB In 1991, Ossy flew down to Rio de Janeiro for the 2nd edition of Rock in Rio. When he arrived at the airport in Rio from his overnight flight from Germany and went to immigration he saw the queue was incredibly long. In his quick thinking “I got this” style – that we all know and love – he went to the front of the line and told immigration that he was a photographer for a German music magazine flying in to cover the festival, and that he needed to get to the festival site ASAP. He could not wait. The immigration official asked Ossy for his work visa – if he was there working, he needed a work visa – and to show him his professional camera equipment. Ossy had neither. He was detained at immigration for a few hours… until he was able to talk his way out of it and was allowed into the country. Phil Rodriguez, Move Concerts

Robert Plant has a Whole Lotta Love for Herr Hoppe; while Dolly Parton and manager, Danny Nozell, say To Know Him is to Love Him

I’ve known Ossy for 40 years, and from day one, he’s been 100% dedicated to his artists, unless he’s at home and then it’s all about his wife and his son. Ossy dresses like an artist/entertainer and people might think he’s not the most accurate businessman in the world, but that is wrong, as he is super accurate and he knows everything. Ossy and Oliver are the perfect business partners. Olly is fantastic at marketing and strategy, but in these difficult days, it’s also great to have old school, experienced promoters like Ossy. He fights for every ticket for every artist because he wants the artists to feel good – and he fights right up until the night of the show, and we’re finding that more and more artists are actually crying out for that level of attention. Ossy is a huge asset to DEAG. Wizard’s roster – Papa Roach, Kiss, Iron Maiden, Jamie Cullum, Böhse Onkelz – is incredible, and while we’re all going through this interruption in business, thanks to people like Ossy, I believe DEAG will emerge a stronger company than we were before. Happy birthday, Ossy! Peter Schwenkow, DEAG

son to work in a tight space together, but now it’s good because Ossy learned how to let go, and he’s always just a phone call away for guidance and advice. That’s one unusual aspect of our relationship, though: whenever we speak, there’s always a point when we talk about business. It maybe gives us more to talk about on the phone, but the general problem about being a promoter is that there are no clear boundaries in any direction about such conversations, which can make the father/son relationship complicated.” However, the relationship has distinct advantages, too. “If I’m in a fight with someone and can’t get my point across, it’s always good to have Ossy coming in to bat,” notes Oliver. “There are definitely things he can solve better than I can. In fact, some of the younger bands I work with

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will ask me when they can hang out with my dad again. He is living and breathing rock history and the stories he can tell are just brilliant, so it’s great to still be working with him.”

Sanctuary

One of Ossy’s legacies is the enduring relationship he has with many of the artists he works with. In our 2015 celebration of Ossy’s career, Scorpions frontman Klaus Meine said, “Even after we changed promoters, Ossy always remained a trusted and loyal friend. He’s our rock & roll brother!” And it isn’t just musicians, as witnessed by the tes-

timonials sprinkled throughout this special feature. Indeed, boxing legends Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko call Ossy ‘Daddy,’ Avram refers to him as a brother, and legendary artist manager Doc McGhee refers to him as his best friend. While those friends and the rest of the world anxiously await governments and health officials to provide firm dates to allow a phased return to work – and a gradual resumption of live entertainment events – Ossy is keeping busy with Barbara, maintaining the farmhouse that they painstakingly rebuilt, and attending to the four-legged friends who share their home with them.

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Aerosmith have been loyal partners to Ossy, decade after decade

Ossy and wife, Barbara, with Jamie Cullum

Ossy is enjoying a more relaxed life knowing that Wizard is in the safe hands of son, Oliver

Thanks to his circus upbringing, Ossy is fluent in French and, naturally, the live music industry’s biggest showman has become a central figure around the quiet, picturesque community he calls home. Plans for his annual charity concert in Cotignac may have been curtailed because of coronavirus, but given that some of his closest friends in the village are the local priest, police officer and mayor, you can be sure he’ll be among the principals planning the mother of all parties when isolation restrictions are lifted. Maybe it can even double up as a belated 70th birthday party.

Many happy returns, Ossy! 54

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Testimonials Happy birthday, Ossy! I’ve known you so long I can’t recall when we met… Deep Purple in the mid-seventies? I was at NEMS with Steve Barnett, now president of something, and you were working with Marcel and Marek before going off to the US to look after the band there. Great band, then and now. Our paths criss-crossed over the years, as they do. You’ve always been generous of spirit, upbeat when at times that must have been difficult, and the best company. You come from the generation of the handshake deal and you inspired and got loyalty from the bands and managers you’ve worked with. Deep respect for that. Now I hear you’ve fallen on hard times. Oliver has ousted you in a bloodless coup. You’ve had to sell up in Germany and rent a tumbledown farmhouse with no running water in France. France! Doc McGhee sold you his collection of cheap wine. You’ve washed off the labels, substituted your own brand “Hoppe’s Vintage Gnat’s Piss” and flogged the whole lot on to the ILMC for their gala dinner. Worst of all, you and I are living proof that Grecian 2000 is useless. It doesn’t even work on your wig. Incorrect Quotes Magazine put me up to this on the grounds it’s your 70th birthday. They said if I’d write something they wouldn’t pester me for an ad. Just as well, I wasn’t going to take one anyway. Be safe, be well. Biggest congratulations! Ed Bicknell, Damage Management Ossy is a true character and Wizard is not only a family business – it is our family, which means we take care of each other, fight at times, and our favourite pastime is playing tricks on each other. You do not get up during lunch unless you are fine with him seasoning your food with Tabasco. A couple of gold records were damaged over the years when hit by an airborne backgammon board. We take it out on each other but we really grow together also. So I was more than happy to help out, when years back at the ILMC there were flags up in the main conference room except for the German flag, and Ossy thought it was necessary to fix this, which we did with helium balloons. Julia Frank, Wizard Promotions

OSSY HOPPE Thank you for 70 years of Rock‘n‘RoLl Congrats from Martin & Okan, and all your friends at eps

info@eps.net | www.eps.net

Profile_The Gulf States

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The Gulf States_Profile

BRIDGING THE GULF The Gulf States are finally shaping up to offer artists and touring productions a viable circuit to link Europe with Africa, Asia and beyond. So while coronavirus may have temporarily halted live entertainment, professionals working in the region are optimistic about the future. Adam Woods reports.

nd it was all going so well! Going into Christmas, you might have said the live entertainment business in the Gulf States was on a decisive path to maturity, at least in certain prominent markets. Dubai finally had its permanent Coca-Cola Arena and was hauling in the crowds and the talent, including Maroon 5, Westlife, The 1975 and John Legend. Abu Dhabi, meanwhile, had nailed down a name for its own 18,000-cap indoor venue – Etihad Arena, part of the AED12billion (€3bn) Yas Bay development project – and an expectation of a 2020 opening. Even Kuwait, fairly quiet lately on the touring front, was preparing to cut the ribbon on a 5,000-cap mixed-use arena: the Sheikh Jaber Al-Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah International Tennis Complex in Al-Zahra, managed by Live Nation and opened in February. And, of course, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the pedigree dark horse of the region, was fast emerging as by far the most promising market of them all, with concerts, festivals, Formula E racing, international tennis, equestrian competitions and boxing. To varying degrees, these events have met with international controversy due to Saudi’s

MAP KEY QATAR

Doha ● Alive Entertainment ● Aspire Logistics ● Liveworks ● Aspire Dome ● Jazz at Lincoln Center ● Qatar International Exhibition

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Abu Dhabi ● Flash Entertainment ● Vibe Events ● du Arena ● du Forum ● Etihad Arena ● The Rotunda ● Zayed Sports City Dubai ● 117 Live Events ● Broadway Entertainment Group ● Chillout Productions ● Done Events ● Dubai Opera ● EarthBeat Events

well-known diplomatic issues. But they have also been powered by large amounts of cash, rabid local demand and the grand ambitions of ‘MbS’ – controversial Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmán – and his Vision 2030 plan to reduce Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil, diversify its economy and develop its public sector. Then came Covid-19, which still rages worldwide at press time, and the region was forced to hit pause on its entertainment aspirations. Like almost everywhere else, concert halls closed, shows were postponed, and the industry went into enforced hibernation. When it will rouse itself again is anyone’s guess. “As with the rest of the world, all events [in Saudi Arabia] are cancelled until further notice,” Vassiliy Anatoli, managing director of regional ticketing hub Platinumlist told IQ in lateMarch. “The public is not allowed to go outside the house from 3pm until 8am and the death toll is rising. People are worried.” The UAE states had imposed similar measures and were already daring to dream of a light at the end of the tunnel, though by the time this

● Promoter ● Agent/Promoter ● Venue ● Festival ● Live Nation Middle East ● Madinat Jumeirah ● Thomas Ovesen ● Sport & Entertainment Solutions ● Madinat Jumeirah ● Caesars Palace Rotunda ● Coca Cola Arena ● Dubai Media Centre Amphitheatre ● Dubai Opera House ● Dubai World Trade Centre ● The Autism Rocks Arena ● The Palladium Dubai ● Blended ● Emirates Airline Dubai Jazz Festival ● Fiesta De Los Muertos ● Groove On The Grass ● RedFestDXB ● What’s On Party in the Park Sharjah ● Sharjah Media Centre

● Royal Opera House

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Jeddah ● King Abdullah Economic City Riyadh ● Granada Center ● King Fahd Cultural Centre ● King Fahd Stadium ● Diriyah Gate Development Authority ● General Entertainment Authority ● Rotana

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● The Al-Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah International Tennis Complex ● Live Nation

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Muscat ● Alive Entertainment

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Profile_The Gulf States Saudi Arabia’s historic Diriyah Gate is emerging as one of the Kingdom’s entertainment hubs

issue lands it is distinctly possible a different picture will have emerged. “Large organisers are hopeful to restart their operation in July, but again, that depends on how the situation pans out in the coming weeks,” said Anatoli. “Dubai is a country that depends on tourism and entertainment, so I’m sure they will be very keen to reopen as soon as possible,” he added. “It is very likely that [Dubai’s] Expo 2020 will be moved to ’21. As for the rest of the organisers, they have moved all events to November and December. Rugby Sevens is confirmed for December, but again, it depends on government regulation.” Each of the various Gulf markets has its own economic logic: generous state funding combined with remarkably strong ticket sales in Saudi; a similar balance in Abu Dhabi, albeit on a far less turbo-charged scale; and a grittier commercial market in Dubai, closely controlled, but not underwritten, by the state. Clearly, all will suffer damage, even if some can absorb it better than others. Thomas Ovesen, a Middle East veteran who now works as entertainment director at the Diriyah Gate Development Authority – an MbSbacked project to develop the town of Ad Diriyah, the original home of the Saudi royal family, into a major national, cultural and tourist centre on the edge of Riyadh – suggests the likely eventual impact on the live business across the region may

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initially be masked by the timing of the outbreak. “Naturally, things slow down during Ramadan [from April 23 to May 23 this year] and then over the summer, so while not that many events have been cancelled yet regionally, the ‘back to normal’ scenario will not become a possibility until sometime in the autumn,” he says. Which probably means, he adds, that the “industry, venues and employees will have to endure easily six months with no business.” The live industry is far from the only one hanging in the balance in the Middle East due to coronavirus. The regional aviation business is similarly imperilled, having cancelled more than 16,000 flights in February and March, and free-falling oil prices pose an existential threat to oil-rich states such as Saudi and Kuwait. Clearly, these are awkward times. But with so much of the story yet to be played out, and so much work invested in building and reinforcing the live markets of the Gulf in recent years, it makes sense to look at where they stood just a few months ago. With a lot of luck, they may be back somewhere near that point again before too long.

Saudi Arabia

There are very few markets in the world with the ability to rise out of nowhere in the manner of Saudi Arabia in the past year. But with a population of 33million – 70% of them under

the age of 30 – and cities of the magnitude of Riyadh (6.5m) and Jeddah (4m), Saudi’s absence from the international live circuit always was an elective one. And now that MbS has pulled back the curtain, the sudden vibrancy of the state has thrown the Gulf’s other markets – Dubai with its population of 3.3m and Abu Dhabi with 1.5m – into sharp relief. “Saudi Arabia is going through major, positive, progressive changes,” says Ovesen. “It is under dynamic leadership, with a really strong domestic market, which is now seeing an unleashing of a significant events and entertainment spend by a very young audience. So there is a very different feel to this boom than what has been seen elsewhere in the region in the past. “More importantly, perhaps, there is a real sense of long-term sustainability and focus on developing a market, for its own population initially, and in the longer term for what is expected to be more than 100m tourists visiting the Kingdom annually.” The increasingly heavy touring traffic to Saudi Arabia in recent months has met with criticism in the Western world, given the controversial human rights record of its regime on many fronts. Perhaps not quite so widely known is quite how dramatically the live calendar in Saudi’s main cities has blossomed. On 11 October, South Korean superstars BTS

The Gulf States_Profile

Done Events have enjoyed great success with the Emirates Airline Jazz Festival

“Essentially it is smart, very highly educated young women that are making the case for live music, creating the environment and pushing through” played to around 30,000 at the King Fahd International Stadium to kick off the inaugural Riyadh Season Festival – a three-month blow-out in the capital city directed by the General Entertainment Authority, the Vision 2030 agency tasked with overseeing the nation’s new entertainment sector. From that weekend until well into January, there were shows in Riyadh every weekend, in front of audiences ranging from 15,000 to 45,000 people. In addition to Western acts such as Imagine Dragons, Lil Wayne and Marshmello, Indian and Pakistani shows sold dramatically well, and at very healthy ticket prices.

The growth of the embryonic Saudi business has been rapid and has drawn copiously, if sometimes covertly, on international assistance. Companies such as Mediapro, PRG, EFM Global, eps and Showsec have been busy in the Kingdom, while Anatoli calls Saudi an “absolute jackpot” for Platinumlist. “We saw a 30% growth in 2019 in UAE, and 75% growth in KSA, with offices in Jeddah and Riyadh,” he said. “Platinumlist turnover in KSA has now eclipsed the UAE.” In Saudi Arabia, a range of local promoters and prominent individuals has emerged to drive the entertainment sector forward. In addition

to the GEA and the General Sports Authority (GSA), Saudi media groups such as Rotana have played an active role. Western suppliers report that Saudis are both uncommonly plugged into Western music and eager to learn how to stage it well, and the profile of those taking the reins might not be quite what outsiders would expect. “Essentially it is smart, very highly educated young women that are making the case for live music, creating the environment and pushing through,” says one supplier with Saudi experience, who declined to be named. “It’s amazing how far they’ve come in such a short period. They know exactly what they want; they absolutely know the type of music kids in Saudi Arabia want to see. 70% of the country is under the age of 30; it has the highest per-capita YouTube music usage on the planet. The demand is voracious.” Veteran live music and event production opMagazine

Profile_The Gulf States erative Jim Digby, of Show Makers, produced the Formula E after-show concerts in December 2018 – the first ever international concerts in the Kingdom, hosted at Diriyah Gate – as well as 13 more events last year in three further purpose-built locations. Though he is very aware of the political sensitivities of such work, he also believes there is great potential for Western professionals to create a positive legacy in the Kingdom. “The thing we did that I’m really proud of, that no one else has yet done, is to deliver an internship programme,” says Digby. “Through MiSK [the Crown Prince’s youth education foundation] ten college graduates with an interest in live events were selected, and with great help from The Event Safety Shop, we quickly developed a programme for them, bringing them to the UK and immersing them in all sorts of music, theatrical and sporting events. We created a variety of experiences for them, and managed to have four of them work with us through everything we delivered last year in 2019. “For me, that’s the big win: to have influenced the growth of the country and the development of young folks who might be delivering events on their own in the next couple of years. But I also fear that some companies might see [Saudi] as a gold-rush opportunity – flying in, charging an arm and a leg and leaving nothing behind.” In addition to Riyadh, both Jeddah and Dammam have begun to stage concerts in the

CONTRIBUTORS

The Etihad Arena in Yas Bay is helping bolster the Gulf region’s live entertainment destination credentials

The Sheikh Jaber AlAbdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah International Tennis Complex in Kuwait includes an arena operated by Live Nation

“Dubai is a country that depends on tourism and entertainment, so I’m sure they will be very keen to reopen as soon as possible” Vassiliy Anatoli, Platinumlist

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past year, creating the potential for a touring circuit in Saudi alone. The country’s challenge, of course, is to become a sustainable market. Though tickets sell well – and often very fast – the cost of doing business in the Kingdom is such that most events are necessarily still heavily subsidised. Many events are currently held in temporary venue spaces, and while an arena is planned for Diriyah Gate, it will not open until around 2023. Ovesen spent years in Dubai with companies such as 117 Live and Done Events, trying to carve out an industry that could support itself. He believes he may now have found just that, 1,000 km westwards.

“Absolutely,” he says. “Saudi is already one of the biggest entertainment and events markets, and in its first year of real entertainment focus it has surpassed the volume and quality of events put on across the region combined.” Saudi Arabia makes most sense as it has a group of viable cities and is key to the wider region, Ovesen suggests. “Key for touring will be the ability to play several major cities and markets when in Saudi. Once you then perhaps add a Levant and UAE play, what is happening in the Kingdom might finally enable the Middle East to become a real tour market of its own.” And while the United Arab Emirates have built themselves out of the desert in mere decades, Saudi Arabia represents a far more developed culture in its own right, which means it has music of its own and plans to commercialise and export it. “There is a big and fast-growing pool of homegrown talent not seen in the other regional markets,” says Ovesen. “There will soon emerge a real domestic entertainment and touring business, which in addition will drive sustainability and market growth. The Saudi market has got the volume and potential to drive growth across the region, so markets like the UAE will hugely benefit from what happens with both live events and infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia.”

The Gulf States_Profile Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai had a fantastic initial impact on the UAE’s live music scene

UAE

Alongside Tel Aviv, Dubai has for some time been the key concert city in the Middle East, while the smaller Abu Dhabi has made its name with sporting blockbusters and occasional state-funded mega-gigs – Coldplay, Rihanna, The Stones et al. In a likely future in which Riyadh becomes the long-term centre of gravity for the Gulf’s entertainment industry, Dubai and Abu Dhabi hope the benefits of a mighty new neighbouring market will outstrip the increased competition it clearly provides. Nonetheless, it is said that there has been unease in these long-standing markets about the threat from Saudi. “There have been a couple of instances where Abu Dhabi has been a bit antsy about Saudi shows, trying to enforce a radius clause,” says one international agent who preferred to speak off the record. “But that is kind of the equivalent of Anaheim enforcing a radius clause on LA. The Saudi market is going to become the hub. It’s starting to change now – everyone understands why it’s important to develop a circuit, and radius clauses become an obstacle very quickly.” Significantly, both Dubai and Abu Dhabi

have done important work on their long-term infrastructure in recent times. Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena opened in June 2019. Owned by local property group Meraas and operated by ASM Global, the 17,000-cap arena provides a long-awaited indoor replacement for temporary structures on vacant lots on the edge of town, and has single-handedly shifted the large-scale event business to a year-round calendar. In addition to Western concerts, its events to date have included comedy from the US, Asia and India; Arabic music festivals; Bollywood shows; and sport from the Philippines, with a K-pop double-bill of Super Junior and NCT 127 among March’s cancelled events. Abu Dhabi is working to the same principle, with state-owned promoter and venue operator Flash Entertainment this year slated to add the 18,000-cap indoor Etihad Arena, in Yas Bay, to a stable that includes the 42,000-cap du Arena and the neighbouring 4,500-cap steel-and-Duraskin structure known as the du Forum. Flash reported a 20% downturn in the number of concerts it staged last year, while posting record revenues – a development Flash CEO

John Lickrish has assigned to a careful focus on “must-attend concerts.” This year, the picture will presumably be less rosy, and an April opening for the Etihad is of course no longer in prospect. “The arena will open when events are permitted to go ahead,” says Lickrish. “That is obviously fluid at the moment.” Down the road, Dubai’s promoters have been working hard to balance the need for big shows with the dangers of market saturation. Arab Media Group-owned Done Events, which before the arrival of the arena had taken a step away from standalone shows in favour of corporate events and annual festivals – RedfestDXB, Blended, Dubai Jazz Festival and others – was back in the game, bringing Maroon 5 and A.R. Rahman to the arena. “Strategically, we have now decided that we will promote more concerts,” said Done managing director Girish Bhat, speaking in late-February, just as the coronavirus was beginning to spook ticket-buyers. “The arena has made a lot of difference, though the coronavirus is not helping us. Things have collided at the wrong time, so let’s see how it goes.” Done-promoted Coca-Cola Arena concerts by Louis Tomlinson (April) and Iron Maiden (May) were not yet cancelled but looking exceedingly unlikely at the time of writing. Live Nation has maintained an office in the UAE for some years, but the company’s VP Middle East/South Asia, Zaed Maqbool, has never made any secret of his view of the region as a piece of a far larger puzzle: a circuit encompassing not just the Gulf States and Israel but Egypt to the west, perhaps Turkey to the north, certainly India on the other side of the Arabian Sea. The Mumbai leg of U2’s Joshua Tree Tour in December indicates this is finally more than a distant dream. “It is building really nicely,” says Maqbool. “In Kuwait, there’s an arena that’s coming online that Live Nation is managing, so that becomes one more market to add to the already growing number. Egypt and India are coming online too. We realised that it’s about doing smaller shows in some of these markets to drag them into place from a production, security, safety standpoint and use that as a foundation. “I’m glad it’s starting to happen – it took a while and I started to sound like a broken record. All the panels, all the interviews, I’ve been saying: ‘This is what we have to do. We need to build a touring market.’ “You have to find the right partners on the ground that understand what this is really about, what it takes to put on a show where the band and the audience feel safe, and they have to understand the value of doing things through proper channels,” Maqbool continues. “And as more and more artists are coming to this part of the world, regional touring here is changing. It has taken a ton of work to get here, but I’m happy to report that it is starting to happen.” Magazine

ILMC’S TECHNOLOGICAL LEADERS As one of ILMC’s most popular sessions, this year’s technology showcase, New Technology: Pitch It To Win It, featured a number of breakthrough products, systems and services. For those who didn’t make it to the gathering, hosted as ever by FanDragon Technologies’ Steve Machin, or for those who just need a reminder, here is a selection of the technological leaders that profiled their wares…

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ILMC’s Technological Leaders_Feature

gigmit Gigmit is one of Europe’s leading digital artist booking solutions, with more than 110,000 users, artists, managers, agents, festivals and venues. The gigmit system makes booking an artist easier than ever before and helps to filter, structure and manage booking requests for both parties – the artist-side and the promoter-side. While streaming has changed the music industry, an unprecedented insight can be gained into the market value and the potential of a live act, which is why gigmit developed a new analytics and discovery service. The new gigmit Fan Insights makes the current fan and streaming data of a live act visible at a glance, with local reference and trend display – a “game-changing booking tool for clubs & festivals, local promoters, agencies, labels, A&Rs, management, tour bookers, and artists themselves,” according to gigmit CEO Marcus Fitzgerald.

Data points about fans and listeners are created everywhere and this data revolutionises a decisive moment in booking. “What counts now is not so much who has the best sales pitch and is marketed well, but who people really want to hear,” says Fitzgerald. “That’s our contribution to the visibility and the booking of previously undiscovered live acts.” So far, there has been one problem: the data is fragmented and proprietary – i.e. only accessible from the act itself and only on the respective platform. So the data is coveted but not really accessible. However, now the results are available as a first prototype on every free gigmit artist page. It’s the fan base and fan location module, explains Fitzgerald. “They make current fan and streaming data of the live act visible at a glance – with local reference and trend display.” promoter.gigmit.com/promoter/ Magazine

Feature_ILMC’s Technological Leaders

Lookport

Festicket Festicket is a platform for fans to discover, book and experience music festivals in a more streamlined and convenient manner. Its magazine, artist and festival pages focus on high-quality content that is well researched and informative, whilst innovative new features aid in finding and purchasing tickets, travel, accommodation and add-ons. In 2019, Festicket developed two methods of enhancing the discovery and booking processes – Festival Finder and Pay with Friends, allowing fans to connect their Spotify accounts to Festicket and receive recommendations for festivals that best match their music tastes. Pay with Friends, meanwhile, allows one person to book tickets or packages as part of a group of friends without shouldering the burden of paying for everything up front. They pay their portion only and their friends have the opportunity to do the same. “What sets us apart is the breadth of services we offer,” explains Festicket CEO, Zack Sabban. “Fans can not only find and book festivals on our platform, but also travel, accommodation, add-ons and package deals. Having acquired Event Genius in 2019, our new Event Genius by Festicket platform comprises everything from ticketing to travel, intelligent reporting, access control and cashless payments.” The Festicket platform is now an end-to-end solution, allowing promoters to benefit from ticketing, travel, marketing and more, whilst customers receive a seamless experience, from booking their ticket to entering the festival and purchasing their drinks, food and merch with their cashless RFID POS system – Event Genius Pay. festicket.com

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When pitching his new technology at ILMC in early March, Lookport founder Alex Wolf did not even suspect how relevant the online broadcasting service for VR events would become in just a couple of weeks, when, along with medical masks, people began to buy virtual reality masks to watch concerts from home while in quarantine. Lookport is an innovative VR-streaming service and platform that brings viewers around the globe to music festivals, performances, sporting events, fashion shows, circuses, theatres and any place or event where they can experience vivid new emotions. During ILMC, Lookport also hosted a VR showcase that offered delegates a unique opportunity to experience stunning performances of some of the most promising new acts in Russia, using state-ofthe-art technology and VR headsets. Increasing any event’s attendance by “teleporting” viewers from anywhere in the world, Lookport can then place them directly on stage, take them behind the scenes, and have them see the show through artists’ eyes. Lookport creates unique experiences, such as being inside a cage with tigers as part of a circus performance, or sitting in a front row at Paris Fashion Week shows… and it’s all live! Lookport has partnerships with online ticketing platforms, promoters, brands and venues, and is actively expanding its user base in Eastern Europe and Asia. Being little more than a year old, Lookport has already worked with renowned artists, such as 30 Seconds To Mars, Die Antwoord, Bring Me The Horizon and more; streamed some of the largest music festivals in Russia; and created a massive ecosystem of VR 360 content with an ever-growing library of quality experiences. Lookport.live is a web-based platform, not requiring the use of a specific app, thus making it accessible from any device. lookport.live/?lang=en

ILMC’s Technological Leaders_Feature

MelodyVR MelodyVR launched in 2018 with a simple mandate: not to replace the live experience, but to harness the power of virtual reality to get people closer to the music they love. By using VR technology, the founders realised that they could place fans in the crowd or on stage with their favourite musicians at live events. From epic stadium shows to intimate studio performances, the possibilities are endless: capacity restrictions are eliminated, music lovers can attend otherwise sold-out dates, and the barriers (distance, age, cost, access) that might keep people from experiencing their heroes live are swept away. The result? Artists can reach more fans than ever before, with a level of intimacy that has previously not been possible. MelodyVR claims to be the only licensed VR music platform and has the world’s largest library of exclusive on-demand immersive music experiences from the likes of Post Malone, Lewis Capaldi, Mabel, Wiz Khalifa, The Streets, Kelly Clarkson, KISS, Katherine Jenkins, The Chainsmokers and Imagine Dragons. MelodyVR also streams shows live in real time, with past moments including an intimate London gig with Liam Payne, and partnering with Wireless Festival to create the world’s first festival VR broadcast. Available on smartphones and VR headsets, the MelodyVR app can be downloaded via on.melodyvr.com/App.

TicketsCloud TicketsCloud is a ticketing ecosystem, providing complex technological solutions for ticket sales management. The service says it can increase the interaction efficiency of all players in the entertainment market: promoters, ticket distributors and spectators. Noting TicketsCloud’s distinct differences from other apps and its key benefits, the company’s head of marketing, Dasha Stepanova, states that all of its services are developed on a turn-key basis to completely solve customer problems in ticketing (and more). “We try to develop products that make the entertainment business more profitable and easier,” she says. “For example, as part of our Mobile Cashdesk product, we fully organise ticket sales at the event, directly at the venue, and we can customise software and rent scanners and cash registers.” Highlighting one of the company’s other products, Eventspromo, Stepanova says, “We use the most complete set of marketing tools to promote events. This includes media planning, parsing, targeting and contextual advertising in social networks and search engines, cross-promotion, e-mail marketing and cross-cutting analytics. But most of all, we are proud of our innovative product in the field of b2c ticketing – Ticketswallet. This is a smart ticketing application that provides convenience and safety for users and gives an absolutely new experience in ticketing. “Smart tickets in Ticketswallet are completely protected from fraud due to a dynamic QR code that changes every ten seconds. Moreover, they can be easily resold inside the application, and the organiser will receive a percentage of profit from each resale. For promoters, it is the easiest way to monitor and analyse the secondary market. For users, we have integrated chat for every event with Ticketswallet, giving everyone the ability to communicate during the event, and even enabling artists to join this chat and communicate directly with the audience.” ticketscloud.com

Magazine

Your Shout

“What’s the most unusual way you’re passing time at the moment?”

TOP SHOUT

I took on one of the plans that I have had for a long time, and never got round to, which is building a proper tree house for the kids. We have been using all recycled materials, we’ve made it a family project and it has turned out nicely. With the kids not going to school they have a place of their own to hang out and we are not getting on each other’s nerves with being stuck together for such a long time without a break (due to the strict confinement in Spain). Florian Ahrens, Universal Exhibition Group Like most people binge-watching Netflix (I highly recommend Tiger King, it makes me realise just how normal the people I know are in comparison) and Amazon Prime; rearranging postponed and cancelled tours, which is a complete nightmare; hitting the treadmill; going out for walks in Regent’s Park; and occasionally enjoying a glass of wine or an IPA. Steve Strange, X-ray Touring The winter storms spliced the willow tree and almost ruined my garden shed. It has to have a ‘haircut.’ Now I have the time to do it. Eric van Eerdenburg, Mojo Concerts Practising fire hula-hoop. Claire O’Neill, A Greener Festival I am a Spurs fan and currently sat in Riyadh under lockdown with no immediate potential of

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reuniting with my family – but as I said, I am a Spurs fan so my year was pretty miserable even before Covid-19 and the terrible situation our industry and, of course, most people globally now have to deal with. But when things are at the worst and I need a bit of cheering up, I turn to Netflix, and whilst there are many great music-related options there, what really cheers me up is watching an episode of the Sunderland ’Till I Die series… big problems – small pleasures!! No matter how bad things look here, I know there’s plenty out there much worse off than me right now, so here’s to a speedy return to better times! Thomas Ovesen, Diriyah Gate Development Authority I’m teaching myself piano to see what the fuss is all about, can’t be that hard, surely? Bryan Grant, Britannia Row We sneak out of the house, head to the forest (Istanbul is surrounded by forests) and forget all the damn insoluble professional problems. Dancing with Cleo the cat in our living room while the sun sets over the Bosphorus is also pretty cool Nick Hobbs, Charmenko I didn’t realise how many chores I had been pushing aside, so I have been doing a lot around the house. I’ve bonded with my family more than ever and my ten-year marriage has never been so much fun. Also, I had never baked in my life, but I found out how much fun it is. Lefa Tsiane, Gearhouse

In Berlin, we are still allowed to do sports outside in pairs. So to stay mentally healthy I take my trainer and do an outdoor training called Grit. You work out so hardcore for 30 minutes that you forget all your worries. That’s what keeps me sane at the moment and everyone should do it to boost their immune system and for their physical as well as mental health :) Julia Gudzent, Goodlive Artists A nice moment has been the Download charity T-shirt that we launched. It has raised more than £100,000 for the National Health Service so far – got to love the Download audience! Jane Kearney, Festival Republic Since the shutdown in Germany, we write a daily diary… and something about Haldern Pop. Stefan Reichmann, Haldern Pop What feckin’ free time? What I save on commuting I’m spending trying to get answers out of authorities. Time not spent at gigs is now spent on rescheduling… and a bit of dusting, cleaning, walking the dog and cooking! Geoff Ellis, DF Concerts We hosted a Zoom bake-along where we made cookies with UTA and AEG colleagues to have fun and stay social in these socially distancing times. Phil Wimble (UTA) & Chloe Pean (AEG) Two things I’ve done during this crazy time that I’ve never done before: 1. I had my best friend, who is a doctor in Atlanta, USA, take a look at my throat via Facetime and diagnose me with strep throat, as I couldn’t get hold of my family doctor in Romania. 2. I gave Guido a facial, with all the serums and creams and masks that I apply myself. His face has never looked more hydrated! Laura Coroianu, Emagic In between postponing, rescheduling, cancelling – this… John Giddings, Solo Agency