IQ97

97 An ILMC Publication MARCH 2021 | £25 | €25

INDUSTRY CHIEFS ON THE COVID ANNIVERSARY

PLUS

UK SOUNDS & SHOWCASES ARAʼS OPERATION RESTART LIVESTREAMING COMES OF AGE TECH SPOTLIGHT

IQ97 CONTENTS

Cover: Photos © AdobeStock Illustration Phil Millard

28

20

08

38

NEWS

FEATURES

COMMENT AND COLUMNS

6 8 12

18

14 15 16 46

Index In Brief The main headlines over the last two months Analysis Key stories and news analysis from around the live music world New Signings & Rising Stars A roundup of the latest acts that have found agents during lockdown

20 28 38 44

ILMC Tech Spotlight Previewing half a dozen of the products and services developers will be presenting at this year’s conference Showcasing Talent Details of the 50+ acts showcasing their talent at this year’s ILMC One Year On Gordon Masson talks to a cross-section of the business for an industry health check, 12 months into pandemic restrictions Streaming’s Bright Future Jon Chapple talks to live-streaming pioneers to discover how they are preparing for post-Covid life Rationale for a Resilient Return The Arena Resilience Alliance launches its manifesto for the safe return of live events

State of Independents Sybil Bell recounts a challenging Independent Venue Week Turning Adversity into Opportunity Mark Bennett describes how he fought depression using self-care and positivity The Waiting Game Tone Østerdal highlights funding frustration in Norway’s live sector Your Shout Who was the most surprising person you met at a gig or added to a guest list?

Thousands of professionals read IQ every day. Make sure you get the whole picture…

SUBSCRIBE HERE Magazine 3

Rebecca Hale

THE SMASH HIT FILM CONCERTS & SPEAKER SERIES

Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

Prasenjeet Yadav

Davide Bonadonna

Keith Ladzinski

David Gruber

Danielle Villasana

SYMPHONY FOR OUR WORLD

JANE IN CONCERT

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE SPEAKER SERIES

NOW AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE FROM IMG ARTISTS www.imgartists.com  Contact: Toby Tumarkin e: ttumarkin@imgartists.com

In Brief

UNDERVALUED, OVERLOOKED

F

ebruary is always a tricky month at IQ Towers, what with production ramping up as we prepare for ILMC, while trying not to take our eyes off the magazine and, of course, delivering industry news. But given the pit that we continue to find ourselves in, this February has been even more challenging, although the pre-conference conversations have been truly uplifting and even inspiring, as the genuine optimism of professionals working in live events has buoyed even the gloomiest Scottish journalist.

One frustrating phenomena that has emerged during the past year is the response – or rather, the lack of response – from governments and politicians to the plight of the live entertainment industry and night-time economies. A comment that has stuck with me over the past few days is my friend Christof Huber’s observation, in the pages of this magazine, when he notes “One of the key jobs of a promoter is to plan events that keep everyone safe, but the governments are not using our expertise and instead they are relying on bureaucrats. If we could at least get a seat at the table with them, we could help come up with solutions.”

That for me sums up one of the key dilemmas that the industry has to change – and to be fair, there are monumental efforts everywhere to improve lobbying and get that seat at the table, wherever possible. However, I believe a more fundamental problem is at the root. These days, many of our parliamentarians are career politicians who have never had any kind of career outside of government. But they pontificate to the general population that they know best, while investing stupid amounts of their time and energy to cover up mistakes, rather than engaging with those who already have the tools and knowledge to deliver workable solutions.

When the inquiries are held in the coming years into how various governments conducted themselves during the Covid pandemic, who among us is going to be surprised by the headlines of the countless billions of pounds, euros, dollars, etc, that were plundered through contracts awarded to political donors, relations and friends?

And when corruption is the name of the game, earning that seat at the table is always going to be a marathon, rather than the sprint that is currently required.

For an honest appraisal of where we are and how people have been coping with the past year, I commend you to read our One Year On feature (page 28) for some fascinating lessons, as well as some experiences that lots of us will no doubt recognise.

Elsewhere in your March edition of IQ, Jon Chapple talks to a number of livestreaming pioneers to discover what life post-Covid might be for this exciting business sector (page 38).

For those trying to devise a strategy to return to business, the details in the Arena Resilience Alliance’s manifesto (page 44) should be mandatory reading, as should be tuning in to the organisation’s lunchtime session during ILMC on Wednesday 3 March.

Indeed, with IPM, GEI and ILMC just days away, if you haven’t already registered to attend – virtually, of course – then there’s still time, if you get your virtual skates on.

This year’s conferences will undoubtedly be the most important industry gathering we’ve ever hosted, as leaders from around the world debate how the business can plot a successful return.

I hope you will all join in the ILMC conversations and share your experiences – good and bad – by way of helping your peers and the live entertainment world at large get back to work.

See you online.

ISSUE 97 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 Lisa Henderson Advertising Manager Steve Woollett Design Philip Millard Sub Editor Michael Muldoon Head of Digital Ben Delger Contributors Sybil Bell, Mark Bennett, Tone Østerdal 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

Thousands of professionals read IQ every day. Make sure you get the whole picture…

SUBSCRIBE HERE Magazine 5

IN BRIEF INDEX The concert business digest

FEBRUARY Portugal’s music festivals look into the possibility of restricting entry to ‘bubbles’ of vaccinated fans as a way of enabling events to go ahead safely this summer.

Goldenvoice’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and Stagecoach Festival will no longer take place this April after being issued with a cancellation order by local authorities.

French festivals meet with minister of culture, Roselyne Bachelot, as concern mounts over the impact of France’s ongoing state of emergency.

The Netherlands’ A State of Trance (ASOT) sells all 55,000 tickets for this September’s festival.

PRS for Music amends its controversial tariff for small-scale live-streamed shows, to exempt artists performing their own material.

The Competition and Markets Authority orders the partial unwinding of the $4billion (€3.3bn) merger of Viagogo and StubHub, which must sell its international business.

6

iq-mag.net

Dutch festivals push back spring editions following the government’s pledge to provide cancellation insurance for events taking place in the second half of 2021.

German scientists release the results of the most positive study yet on whether detection dogs are able to reliably sniff out Covid-19 infection.

Montreux Jazz Festival will stream all future editions of the festival through Stingray’s Qello Concerts as part of a hybrid model.

Canada’s live music industry offers its venues, staff and logistical expertise towards the country’s vaccine rollout.

Radiohead bassist, Colin Greenwood, becomes the latest high-profile British artist to make the case for free movement for musicians in Europe.

Slovakian organisations offer assistance towards its government’s vaccination programme.

Dutch dance promoter ID&T hires Rosanne Janmaat as its new COO, capitalising on her 14 years of experience in the organisation.

Rapper 50 Cent and DJ Steve Aoki perform at Super Bowl parties where there are no masks or social distancing.

Fieldlab, the organisation spearheading the Back to Live test series in the Netherlands, reveals details on the open-air festival pilots.

One Fiinix Live, Jon Ollier’s new booking agency, has made its first hire, recruiting ex-Paradigm agent Jess Kinn.

Live Nation will sue insurer Factory Mutual for failing to cover its “unprecedented” losses as a result of the nearly year-long concert business shutdown.

South Coast Events Forum, a new industry association based on the south coast of the UK, launches.

Switzerland and Denmark become the latest European markets to call for a strategy that will pave the way to the festival summer.

The UK live industry urges the chancellor of the exchequer to keep the lower rate of VAT on tickets until after the business restarts.

StubHub and Viagogo will work with UK regulators to “implement the agreed-upon remedy” of selling off StubHub outside North America.

The Swedish government reveals plans to launch a digital coronavirus vaccine passport by this summer.

EEMA, one of India’s industry associations, has sharply criticised the government for making no provisions in its most recent budget for the live entertainment sector.

Altin Gün are the most popular European Talent Exchange Programme act of the year so far.

The Norwegian government commits NOK350million (€33m) to a cancellation insurance fund for festivals.

LIVE publishes an infographic showing country-by-country entry requirements for British musicians and crew.

Jukebox, a music PR agency, unveils its new-for-2021 brand identity, co-created with creative agency Muuv.

A French Covid expert says the risk of contamination in cultural places is lower than in home, work and school environments.

DEAG founder and CEO Peter Schwenkow says the return of Thousands of outdoor and smaller indoor concerts professionals read in Germany is possible

by July.

IQ every day. Make

sure you get the whole picture…

SUBSCRIBE HERE

Analysis In Brief

© Simon Dawson / No10 Downing Street / Creative Commons

MAJOR MARKETS PAVE THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths.

Third, that infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations, which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS. And fourth, that the of the risks is not funTEG acquires a majority stake A research project by two British Latin music star Gilberto government’s Santa A assessment popular Brazilian singer damentally byafter newplaying variants in Handsome Tours, a Sydneyuniversities is awarded funding Rosa plays three back-to-back, sold- changed is arrested anof Covid that of cause concern. based boutique tour and events to investigate the monetisation of out shows in Florida, in some unlicensed, non-socially distanced In Germany, German alliance Event Manpromoter. live-streaming concerts. the state’s first concerts of 2021. concert in a school. agement Forum (EMF) has presented a proposal detailsina uniform Yourope calls for clear guidelines, Post Malone will headline a Italy prepares to host Thetitled Last Manifest UpRestart, to 2,300which companies approach to Finland’s the gradual safeexpect reopening of a financial bailout plan, and virtual concert celebrating 25 years Concert? campaign to highlight liveand sector to proportionate measures to enable of Pokémon on Pokémon Day, 27 the increasingly uncertainevents. future permanently close in the next six The Alliance – which consists of fiveisn’t major the ‘21 festival season.

February. of music venues. months if financial support organisationsquickly including live music associations provided.

BDKV and LiveKomm – has devised an ‘approvTicketmaster launches global #SaveOurStages launches in London-based Various Artists al matrix’ to CTS helpEventim organisers and authorities streaming platform Ticketmaster Korea with an eight-day, five-venue Management promotes Rebecca acquires a majoritydetermine levels, under which generLivestream. benefit concert in aid of grassroots Dixon to head of marketing and in which stakerisk in new Berlin-based measuresDreamHaus of infectionand protection cinemas, pubs, restaurantspromotions. and other hospitality al and specialpromoter venues in ndoor performances are expected to Seoul. and with which capacities events Matt Schwarz as CEO and Event Management return to music Forum venues across England to- businesses welcome people indoors subject to and hygiene,appoints permitted. distancing and capacity limits, depending managing partner. presents Manifest The counFlemish social government The Technical University are of Berlin wards the endRestart, of May,a provided the The comprehensive matrix takes into account on the of the venue. publishes a study showing that proposal details a uniform ofsize €60million the try’s that Covid-19 response is going asdesignates planned, a total in venues such as different Indoor performances risk willofbe restricted to ais range The French industry reacts to approach the safe reopening of announced to help the region’s organisers Covid-19 infection very of nuances primetominister Boris Johnson methods, special new features of event the lower for of 1,000 or 50% capacity; out- construction the government’s festival events kickstart preparations this peoplelow in cultural places. onin 22Germany.

February. ventilation door performances limited to the lower of either formats or existing framework, whichsystems. restricts festivals summer’s season.

Johnson has set out a “cautious” four- festival The alliance presented and seated to 5,000 seatedManifest guests. Restart durUniversal Music and K-pop More than 60,000 outpeople apply step roadmap for Group the reopening of society, with 4,000 people or 50% capacity; a press conference on 9 February, in which door performances, 10,000 or ing for label YGfive Entertainment invest in step.BDKV chief Jens Michow reveals to either for the 1,500people tickets available at least weeks between each The first Jens Michow,The president of the BDKV, empha25% federal of capacity.

EAA’s Arena Resilience live-streaming company KBYK that the the two experimental festivals step commences on 8 March, when children willGerman goal of the matrix its is to make events The finalto step, which will startorganised no earlierasthan launches manifesto Live. to schools, while outdoor gatherings government being part ofsised that theAlliance return of is planning “the safest place in the the pandemic.”

21 June, will see the lift all restricoutlining next steps required postpone scheme for government the Netherlands’ Back to Live either six people or two households will be al- its insurance “The industry hassafe shown in the pastevents year that tions, allowing nightclubsinitiative. to reopen and large for the return of live UTA signs Nathan Evans, who lowed from no earlier than 29 March. event organisers. implemented Europe. safely. With the folfound TikTok forcommence his Stepfame two,onwhich will no earlier events to take place “above the limits of step three.” events can beacross However, theexpress PM has stipulated to moveis setlowing rendition of thewill whaling ballad French festival associations Byron Baythat Bluesfest to go suggestions we show the way to a step-bythan 12 April, see non-essential retail and step achievement of this goal and finally create a from one stage to new the next, fourat conditions willits capacity The supreme court of Austria Soon Mayhospitality the Wellerman Come. concerns about a controversial ahead around half outdoor open without curfew. perspective for themore industry the proposal needwould to be met: first, vaccine deploymentof New finds thanagain,” 40 clauses of security allow off-that the after the government Step three, expected to launch no earlier thanbill that reads. continues successfully.

Second, thatits Covid-19 Viagogo’s general terms for buyers Wales’ festivals band duty police toprogramme carry weapons.

South Wales approves 17 May,best-known will see music venues, sports stadiums, and sellers are illegal. together to create free online safety plan. event, Gŵyl (Festival) 2021.

K-pop platform, Universe, records Erich Zawinul, a concert promoter, 2.6 million views for its first online Lights for Live, a fundraising Australia and Iceland announce show. initiative, raises more than €50,000 booker and tour manager, who was a fixture of the Austrian live music plans for digital health passports for Belgium’s live music industry scene for three decades, dies after that will show citizens’ Covid-19 Norwegian festivals benefit from after selling out the Antwerp contracting vaccination and test status. the government’s latest roundfor of culture, Sportpaleis.

France’s trade union,Covid-19. the SMA (Syndicat The minister Roselyne Bachelot, compensation, amounting more announced thetoframework on 18 February along des Musiques Actuelles), said: “At the present Industry veteran Glen Rainsburyby New York stadiums and arenas than NOK120m LIVE (Live Industry Venues time and under the conditions announced with(€12m). a €30million fund, which will music compensate joins Ticketek as general manager with a capacity of 10,000 upwards and Entertainment), the new body we [Bachelot], cannot say that festivals will be organisers – both for losses incurred due to the for Australia and Zealand. are allowed to reopen at 10% The French minister for culture servingformats, as the collective held this summer because, forNew a major part of implementation of alternative and in voice capacity from 23 February. says the upcoming test concerts of cancelled the UK live music business, our audiences, our artists and our teams, a seatthe event that festivals are due to an Barcelona records5,000 six consecutive will admit participants tested officially ed event bringing together maximum increasing who Covid-19 infection rate. launches. nights of street protests, Brendan Biesen, ex-assistant to positive for Covid-19 before without access to thefollowing bar or the Bachelot hasthe committed to a monthly consul- people, perhaps the jailing of Catalan rapper, Pablo Erik Selz and Tom Windish at event.

Four are sentenced, restaurant, cannot be called a festival.” tation meeting with festivals toprofessionals adapt the frameHasél.

Paradigm Talent Agency, launches following the at metal French festival Hellfest Open Air (cap. work according to the development of collapse France’sof a stage new agency Field Booking.

The European Musicsituation, Managers a Madonna concert in France thatinformed IQ that this year’s event is can60,000) health but France’s live sector already prime minister Alliance sayshas European killed twounanswered. people in 2009.celled due toBritish the uncertainty aroundBoris the health many questions that have gone unveils four-step Pearle* publishes newmajor edition of performance rights the government regulations.

AEGorganisations Presents France GM and VP, Arnaud situation andJohnson rance is theafirst European market whichsays, may“Unlike allow indoor its Maptoofdeliver Europe, which presents cannot act unilaterally in told IQ: “I Bergen and Øya form roadmap, Ben Barbaud other Meerseeman, feel it’s Live essentially anFestivalOrganiser a framework for this summer’s performances return toto music updates on theseason. resumption of imposing new for live- communication part of Norway’s festivals, we make the hardto choice not accept acttariffs of political to gain newly some formed festival venues across England towards the of venues and live events across streamed working group is charged theoverly restrictive these rules.

It would go against time with the sector. The framework very with French festivals – both indoor and shows.

Thousands end May. Europe. safethe reopening thisvery DNA ofof the festival.

We owe our festitimelineof offestivals this the outdoor – are permitted to take place this loose. There is no detail on professionals read summer.start and end? val-goers consistency in the project weday. want to summer but attendance will be restricted decision: ie when does ‘summer’ IQ every Make to pay to 5,000 spectators, who must be seated From what point does this apply? Does this cover offer them and for which they have sureagreed you get the a high price.” festivals in August/September?” and socially distanced.

I

FRENCH FESTIVALS HAVE THEIR FATE SEALED

F

whole picture…

SUBSCRIBE HERE Magazine Magazine 97

NEW SIGNINGS

LISTEN TO THE ILMC SHOWCASE PLAYLIST HERE

With more than 50 acts showcasing at this year’s ILMC, is dedicating its monthly Spotify new music playlist to further promote their talent. Click on the link above to hear acts from ATC Live, ITB, Paradigm, Primary and UTA, as well as new music from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Portugal and the UK.

THE KID LAROI.

M

(AU)

AGENT

Mike G, David Zedeck, Chris Jordan, Matt Meyer & Noah Simon UTA

LAEL NEALE AGENT

12

Nikita Lavrinenko Pitch & Smith

iq-mag.net

(US)

ultiplatinum Australian rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer The Kid LAROI. has emerged as one of the hottest rising artists in the hip-hop landscape. His July 2020 debut mixtape F*ck Love peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 200 Albums Chart, while his most recent single Without You ascended to #52 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles chart and has been certified gold by the RIAA. It also reached #2 on the Australian charts and has been certified platinum in Canada.

Currently working on his highly anticipated debut studio album, The Kid LAROI. first gained mainstream popularity outside Australia in 2019 with his single Let Her Go, and has earned international accolades for his work. Those achievements have helped amass a rapidly expanding social media fanbase with more than 27 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

L

ael Neale grew up on a farm in Virginia among acres of clouds, fields, and woods. It was writing and writers close to nature – Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Steinbeck, and Mary Oliver – that she most connected with. In 2009, she moved to California with a rising devotion to music and for nearly ten years she has called Los Angeles home.

Neale has worked with countless musicians, producers and collaborators, making entire records and eventually stowing them away. Despite endless frustration, she never resigned.

After discovering a new instrument, the Omnichord, she experienced a moment of illumination and began recording a deluge of emerging songs with the intention to capture them in their truest form. Using a cassette four-track, she recorded most of the songs for her album Acquainted with Night in her of Thousands bedroom in the early darkening evening. professionals read

IQ every day. Make sure you get the whole picture…

SUBSCRIBE HERE

Comment

Turning Adversity into Opportunity Mark Bennett, founder of agency MBA Live, describes the fall and rise of his career trajectory in the wake of tragedy and privation, and how he fought back using self-care and positivity

E

very year, one in five people in the UK experience mental health issues, and in a year like no other, mental health has become an even greater issue. With the music business facing such uncertainty, people are struggling, many of whom have never experienced these issues before.

In our industry, discussing the topic of one’s own mental health can be seen as a weakness. But in spite of recent years being the most challenging of my life, today I am mentally the strongest I have ever been.

I joined The Agency Group in 2013 with no roster and limited connections. I worked tirelessly to sign artists and network, going to gigs every night, taking every meeting I could, and attending every possible industry event. I loved it. However, sometimes we can get lost in the pursuit of our ambitions, and eventually my health was affected. At the start of 2016, I was hospitalised with GERD, acid leaking from my stomach, forced to work from home.

I was due to return to the office on 15 February, after a trip to Sweden for Where’s The Music. In a heartbreaking turn of events, my clients Viola Beach and their manager, Craig Tarry, died in a tragic accident a few hours after performing at the festival. Nothing could have prepared me for the situations I would face in the aftermath while struggling to grieve for each of the five men, whom I called friends. I tried to give as much comfort as possible to their families, and it wasn’t until later that I realised the effect it all had on me.

A few weeks after the accident, my mum became ill and two close personal friends also suddenly passed. The combined pressure of my work, home, and personal life being in turmoil, without a support network, made me feel very isolated and lonely.

I have never been one to ask for help, and in those moments, I wasn’t sure how. I believe there were people who wanted to help, but I don’t think they knew how either.

Over the next two years, I became despondent, paranoid, irrational, and short tempered. I fell out with people. I stopped doing things I loved. I was miserable.

Changes were needed, but as I started to make positive steps, I had a huge setback. A few weeks after leaving an agency, I watched helplessly as my roster started to appear on other agen-

cies’ websites. Every agent and promoter knows the feeling of frustration and powerlessness when losing a client. I had been incredibly proud of my client retention rate and losing nearly my entire roster in a short space of time was tremendously painful. But I used the fact that I never had the urge to quit as motivation. I realised that I was doing what I loved and had to fight my way back, just as I had fought my way in.

I opened up to friends and loved ones, and with their support, put my energy into making small steps each day. Ben Kouijzer, a friend and colleague, reinvigorated my passion for reading by suggesting (audio) books that opened my mind to the importance of sleep, exercise, and health.

These, in turn, contributed to positive thinking, understanding gratitude and goal setting.

This gave me the foundation to grow, understanding that change is inevitable, and that everyone experiences setbacks and knockdowns. It’s not about why something is happening but about how you react.

I took this knowledge and invested in myself. I set short-, medium-, and long-term goals, created healthy routines, exercised, visualised my future, and made time for doing things I love, including the one passion that never left – live music!

Starting my own agency, MBA Live, has given me the freedom to grow and service my clients on my terms, cultivating my own passion. I’m grateful to the artists and managers that trust me to deliver, the promoters that always take my calls, and to my wife, Polly, whose support has given me the foundation to create and build a profitable business, even within the difficulties of the global pandemic.

If you are reading this and are finding things difficult, understand that you are not alone. It isn’t a weakness to ask for help – it takes strength to start the conversation. Everyone is different but the most important thing is to seek professional help.

I’m encouraged by the efforts being made by people in power to make a positive change to ensure there is support for people when they need it, and more importantly, to identify issues and offer help before it’s needed.

It’s not always easy to ask for help. If you see someone whom you think is struggling or acting out of character, then reach outThousands of and check in with them. It will mean more than you think. professionals read

IQ every day. Make sure you get the whole picture…

SUBSCRIBE HERE Magazine 15

Comment

SPOTLIGHT ON TECH The Waiting Game HEARBY.COM

Hearby.com is a live music discovery platform that combines big data and anthropology to provide the most comprehensive collections of local music listings. The company uses AI, data cleaning and social matching to yield data on 4x more shows across 100+ cities in North America and the UK, with expansion to European and other As ILMC goes virtual, hopefully global cities in 2021.

“We’re powered by the thrill of discovery and for one year only, it will choice, and ultimately, the satisfaction of a great the joy of sharing with others.” feature more presentations Hearby’s founders – serial data entrepreneur night out.

The company monetises through licensing Gary Halliwell, and Ian Condry, professor of culof new technology than ever tural anthropology at MIT – were frustrated by its daily updated live-show data for interactive before in the event’s history. the difficulty of finding live music nearby and in maps, browsing carousels, and calendar widgets.

Here, we preview six of the Its customers include news, media, travel and cities they visited. They merged AI venue scraping with anthropology to connect people to local entertainment companies. The company also products and services that butshows. the money can’t help anyone if it’s not being to distributed. works with partners provide a cost-effective music: more people to more e’re rather used to being on the top of the world, delegates can expect to learn There’s also a growing that emergency funding means of engaging passionate, diverse, and netall neighbourhoods and frustration up here in Norway. We have Hearby oil wealthcovers and plenabout during the tyconference’s for 2020– has hadsmall, some severe failures, especially regarding worked audiences, and to build communities andthat all always kinds of venues large, of fish in the sea. We’rescenes, a country artists and in the cultural the assothe lovesector. for liveFor music. restaurants, – to subcontractors give people around high in the World Happiness Report and onbrewpubs, the UN’s drive-ins three-dayranks schedule… list of the best places to live. The government’s strict actions ciations in the live music business, who have struggled with in handling the Covid-19 pandemic have also made us one of the government to get the funds to work according to their intentions, the last 11 months can best be described as the countries with high scores on the Covid Resilience an everlasting uphill race.

Ranking. But the Norwegian live music business As we close in on the one-year mark, it’s also is still stuck in the rut. More than it needs to be. getting more and more obvious that we’re fallLittle did we know, when IQ Magazine pubing behind on the road to reopening. The minlished its Norway Market Report in October istry of cultural affairs has appointed a working 2019, how rapidly our world would change. group that has been tasked with the safe reoThe Norwegian live music business hit “the pening of large outdoor events this summer. But corona wall” during the first week of March the Norwegian government can be described as 2020 and has been in the dark ever since. Up risk averse, at best. Some will claim that the cultural until then, the business had been thriving, growsector is being systematically prioritised last when it comes ing on average 5% every year since 2012, reaching NOK5.3billion [€500m] in 2019. The concert business makes to the government’s measures to tackle the pandemic; always the first to be shut down, always the last allowed to open. Venup 57% of that, being worth NOK3bn [€290m].

Our experience with the pandemic has been similar to ues are still under strict regulations. From Tuesday 23 Februmost other countries. The cycle of lockdown, followed by ary, you can put on concerts with a maximum capacity of 100 periods of careful optimism, followed by new waves of the people indoors, regardless of how large your venue is.

We have urged the government to differentiate more, to virus spreading rapidly, and new lockdowns. Being in an ecoprofessionalism serious experience in or a crowded nomically situation, the Norwegian government trust organisers’ Goodtill’s POS solution privileged offers the perfect platform to help busiWe’ve all been there. At aand concert, a music festival, If the max capacity in shops and departalready providedand compensation from scheme for organis- crowd management. nesses become Covid-secure reopen safely andthe speedily.

The outdoor event, and having a fantastic time…

And then you need can vary accordance with You the space ers and subcontractors the cultural sector in the early days ment stores company automates a whole host ofin processes within its easy-toa drink.

Andinyour heart sinks. know available, that it is going to be a why not apply the and sametime-consuming to venues? But the health authorities of the pandemic. use and cost-effective POS and has helped a number of big names painful roundtrip queuing up with hunhard,” and by applying this of to other politics, the governSince then, the government a stimulation say it’s “too on the way, including Printworks, Wembleyhas andalso thelaunched O2 Arena. dreds, sometimes thousands people, to try and get your to ignore fact that the only thing that can scheme, aiming organisers backallow in business, Goodtill champions a rangetoofget features that will clients toeven with ment continues order in, and inthe the meantime, you’ve missed what you were whole is to bring us back to live, limited capacities regulations. streamline their operations andand keepsocial their distancing music venues running The last save the music there business to see in as thea first place.

The health authorities are also showing littlehas or built a cashsum addediPad-based to the pile was NOK350m [€33m] for a financial safe- in numbers. This safely with the Goodtill point-of-sale system. is where NOQ comes in. The company wanting to talk about a reopening and it customers ty management net to allow festival organiserscapabilities, to plan for setting July and August no sign ofless From stock and reporting and contactless mobile orderingstrategy, app, connecting to even think about doing test shows in Norwithout the financial risk posedloyalty by a potential up bespoke promotions and points-based systems Covid to ex- outbreak. seems utopian to vendors at events. way in the foreseeable It’slead quite considering the Thisstaff makes fortunatemanagement, in so many ways, and we know it. tensive product, anduscustomer Goodtill states The NOQfuture. app will to ironic, speedier transaction times, increasweinpossess a nation.

But using it’s notitsall fun and games.

The major problem now resources es that it is all possible one-platform solution. vendorassales and reductions in queue times whilst enhancSo, with available overall fundingevent and experience. very limitedUnder possibilis that none of the announced emergency With the company’s GoodEats click & collect and tablefunding order- schemes ingno customers’ the current cliandsays doing live shows, the Norwegian for thecan cultural sectorthe areway up they and take running 2021. Without ities for planning ing service, clients transform and for manage mate, NOQ its solution is going to help thelive events industry is stuck a waiting game.

It’s excruciatof howprocessing funding will distributed, it’s almost im- music business orders, with knowledge remote payment allbe built-in.

Goodtill’s recover fasterplaying by allowing events to take place while following see people giving upguidelines. on the music business every forlocation organisers to takeasa well financial risk planning any- ing, and we system offerspossible table and ordering, as self-service, safety and distancing have mission to look is fortothe rays of hope.

We leader will rething.

No one really doubts the good intentions from our min- week. Still, we to help staff and customers socially distance with ease.

The set-up NOQ’s become the market in providing a of Thousands isterdevelopers of culture,says Abidthat Q. Raja, to keep the business afloat, turn to live. is easy, and the integration of amusic GoodEats’ seamless order management system for events across the UK and professionals read menu into an outlet’s website can take place in a matter of hours globally. The company will look to broaden the IQ concept everybeyond day. Make and can be carried out seamlessly, allowing clients to take their just food and drinks into other areas such as merchandising, sure youtickget the first orders the very same day. eting and parking.

Thanks to its wealth, Norway has set aside piles of Covid relief cash for those in the live events business, but Tone Østerdal, CEO of the Norwegian Live Music Association, reveals that distribution of those funds is still to happen, leaving many companies and individuals in dire straits

W

GOODTILL POS

16 18

iq-mag.net

NOQ

whole picture…

SUBSCRIBE HERE

Spotlight on Tech_Feature

RESYSTEN

Resysten is a Budapest-based company that manufactures a durable hygienic coating that protects surfaces from the spread of Covid-19.

It eliminates the presence of harmful pathogens (including the novel coronavirus) by up to 99.9%, and is already in extensive use in Hungary’s public hospitals and passenger transport networks.

The company expanded its presence from one to 35 countries around the world throughout 2020, with high-profile clients including Audi, T-Mobile, Arriva, KFC and Metro stores. Müpa (formerly known as the Palace of Arts), one of Budapest’s best-known performing arts centres, was also coated with Resysten last year.

The product, which was developed in response to the SARS epidemic of 2003 as a way to combat Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs), is the most advanced photocatalytic hygienic coating technology in the world today. Upon contact with light, the sprayed solution produces hydrogen peroxide, which prevents the presence of pathogens on any surface. It has been developed to integrate into any surface on a molecular level, meaning that it cannot be removed by conventional cleaning methods and so remains active for up to a year. These two key properties result in surfaces that protect users and their environment from the spread of contamination.

BACKTOGETHER’S COVID-19 PASSPORT

BackTogether provides Covid-19 PCR and antibody test status. As going back to events is on everyone’s mind (performers, organisers, and most importantly, the fans ), the company knows that, in the short term, events will likely take a different form.

As social distancing measures relax further, ensuring the safety of everyone participating in an event will present new challenges to the industry. BackTogether enables the verification of a participant’s Covid-19 testing status to be confirmed prior to allowing entrance to a venue.

Built on Blockchain, BackTogether’s data is fully secure and private, belongs to the user, and can only be used for validation of the passport. What’s more, BackTogether is interoperable with other solutions that use the most popular standard for verified credentials.

BackTogether will be available as a module within the ComeTogether app or via the network as an add-on to existing ticketing apps via open APIs.

Additional materials are also available via https://bit.ly/Resysten_EPK

NOTETRACKS

Notetracks is an award-winning platform for music creators and collaborators to easily take notes, gather feedback, and share music, performances and any other audio/video content, in order to refine and produce their best work for its debut into the world.

The platform allows a user to get real-time feedback pinpointed directly on the media file itself.

Whether the user is a musician, performer, or producer, Notetracks allows creative teams to work together without having to be in the same place.

The system allows audio or video files (MP3, WAV, M4A, MP4, MOV) to be draggedand-dropped from a desktop into the browser, or uploaded via Dropbox or Google Drive, also making it an ideal tool for anyone in the live-streaming sector.

Once the track is imported, users will be able to see the audio waveform visually and jump to

specific segments quickly with a simple keyboard shortcut. While the track plays, users can insert time-stamped comments directly onto the track without interrupting the playback.

Notetracks also lets users download a PDF or text file with a report to document all the comments. The system allows users to share projects

by simply entering the email addresses of collaborators and setting view or edit permissions.

Those named collaborators can then log in, make their own notes, and reply to comments while uploading their own files for reference, with comments and notes appearing in real-time (like Google Docs, but for music).

Magazine

19

PROMOTED CONTENT

UK SOUNDS ILMC SHOWCASES

3 MARCH 20:00-21:00 GMT | 4 MARCH 19:30-20:30

U

K Sounds is a joint initiative between PRS Foundation’s International Showcase Fund and Department for International Trade’s Music Export Growth Scheme. The International Showcase Fund is run by PRS Foundation in partnership with Department for International

Trade (DIT), British Underground, Arts Council England, The Musicians’ Union (MU), PPL, Creative Scotland, Wales Arts International and Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Invest NI. The Music Export Growth Scheme is funded through DIT and administered

by the BPI. UK Sounds partners have provided support for high-production value performances and bespoke partnerships with other companies and platforms domestically and internationally such as IQ and ILMC. The content supported by UK Sounds partners is to enable export-ready talent during this lockdown period to continue to reach their potential and compete internationally through trusted curation of content, reaching overseas music networks and providing a spotlight on talented underrepresented groups in the UK.

CHERYM

DEAD PONY

Serving up a zingy, fearless new recipe for pop-punk rock, Cherym are Hannah Richardson, Nyree Porter and Alannagh Doherty from Derry in Northern Ireland, and they are responsible for some seriously infectious songwriting.

Taking influence from The Smashing Pumpkins, Bikini Kill, American Football, PUP and Pixies, the trio formed after meeting in college over a joint love of garage rock, pop-punk, and being the biggest band in the world.

Fresh from a successful 2020, Dead Pony are a departure from Scotland’s fertile rock/post-punk movement. The band has cultivated a grunge-infused sound akin to Bikini Kill, Wolf Alice and Queens of the Stone Age. In 2021, Dead Pony have hit the ground running after unprecedented success both in the UK and US last year. Despite the limitations of the global pandemic, the Glasgow-based outfit secured national radio play amongst some of the top music shows.

The band has enjoyed firm BBC support with plays from Jack Saunders and Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 1, including Jack Saunders’ Next Wave features for two previous releases. BBC Radio Scotland has also shown support, with plays from Vic Galloway, Phoebe Inglis and Shereen Cutty, as well as a live session for Stephen McCauley’s Shutdown Sessions at BBC Ulster, a feature with Under the Radar Top Tips for 2021, along with an impressive performance on Brad Wagner’s New Colossus Festival sessions.

The band is eager to return and is looking forward to tastemaker festival slots and international showcase dates in the coming months.

“A gut-punch of energy and DIY enthusiasm” THE IRISH TIMES “It won’t be long before Cherym break into the big leagues” HOT PRESS “Definite ones to watch… a refreshing blast of earnest songwriting and nostalgic joy” NIALLER9

20

iq-mag.net

PROMOTED CONTENT

ELLES BAILEY

GENGAHR

2020 started with a bang for the super-smoky-voiced, hardworking, far-touring chanteuse Elles Bailey when Little Piece of Heaven, written with storied Memphis and Nashville giant Bobby Wood, and Dan Auerbach (of The Black Keys) picked up UK Song of the Year at the UK Americana Awards. It’s taken from her chart topping sophomore album Road I Call Home, which was released to rave reviews and awarded Album of the Year at the UK Blues Awards. The album charted in both the Official UK Country Charts and Americana charts, has gained over 3.4 million streams since its release and reached No.1 on the Amazon Blues Bestseller chart. Adding to Elles’ string of awards, she also picked up the high accolade of Artist of the Year at the UK Blues Awards.

Despite the global pandemic, Elles has kept up her profile by doing many live-streams; dropping a critically acclaimed, awardnominated live acoustic album Ain’t Nothing But; raising money for charities and campaigning for Women in Music; and picking up another three nominations in the UK Blues Awards 2021, including Artist of the Year again (awards in May 2021).

She will be releasing a brand new studio record in September 2021 and, if restrictions lift, touring shall begin again in October, November and December, after joining Joe Bonamassa on his Keeping The Blues Alive at Sea cruise.

Miss Bailey really does call the road home, and when she arrives near you, don’t think twice, get there. A great evening and a long musical friendship will be waiting. www.ellesbailey.com

Gengahr are an English indie band, formed in 2013 at Stoke Newington School in Hackney, London. Though originally named RES, they were forced to rename after discovering an artist with that name on iTunes. Their new name is a play on Gengar, one of the original Pokémon.

After BBC Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens played their first single, Fill My Gums With Blood on his radio show, the band were invited to perform at the Introducing stage at the 2014 Glastonbury Festival.

Their critically acclaimed debut album, A Dream Outside, was released on 15 June 2015 after signing to Transgressive records.

A second album, Where Wildness Grows, was released in 2018, and the band’s third album SANCTUARY was released in January 2020 via Liberator Music. www.gengahr.com

Magazine

21

PROMOTED CONTENT

HARLEIGHBLU

HMS MORRIS

Harleighblu’s classic yet truly distinctive soul voice pulls no punches and makes no apologies. Her raw, beat-heavy style is uniquely captivating, pushing the neo-soul and R&B template to its absolute limits.

Supported by Radio 1, BBC Radio 6 and Jazz FM, to name a few, she has been given the title of ‘Queen of hip-hop and soul.’ Her electrifying latest album, She, led to a headline appearance at the prestigious Lollapalooza in Berlin. This same album gained over two million streams on Spotify alone, securing her the cover image on their ‘Butter’ and ‘Jazz UK’ playlist. She also sold over 1,500 vinyl worldwide.

2021 is looking bigger than ever, with new music coming in March, a US writing tour and a Jazz Café London headline gig all on the cards for the talented Nottingham native.

Bringing us raw, unapologetically feminine and honest lyrical touches, Harleighblu has established herself as one of the UK’s most promising artists. www.harleighblu.com

HMS Morris is an art-rock group from Wales. They’ve been touring and recording since 2015, and are supported by the Cardiffbased Bubblewrap Collective.

Their two full-length albums to date (2016’s Interior Design and 2018’s Inspirational Talks) both earned nominations for the Welsh Music Prize, and were variously described as “Innovative, forward-thinking pop music” (Earthly Pleasures), “strange and beautiful music” (Electronic Sound), and a “multi-dimensional sound that traipses across hitherto unexplored regions of sound” (Clash).

They’ve taken their music to Toronto, Montreal, Osaka, Tokyo and Kyoto, and are currently working on a piece of theatre/art/ dance/music about running away from Earth. www.hmsmorris.com

22

iq-mag.net

PROMOTED CONTENT

LADY NADE

TRUEMENDOUS

Indie-folk-Americana singer-songstress Lady Nade started writing songs as a form of healing from grief. Performing in venues across her native city of Bristol, her work developed into a calling to connect with her fans on a deeper level and help lead them through life’s complicated tapestry with the healing power of music.

Often being told that Black females only sing soul, R&B or jazz has always quietly been playing on Lady Nade’s mind, however during her creative process the one thing that is always at the centre is staying true to her art regardless of the genre. “I am awaking to my heritage, seeing things differently... but one thing that strikes me is that there are so many incredible Black artists... there really is no need to put us all into one box!”

Nominated for UK Song Of The Year (Ain’t One Thing) at the UK Americana Awards 2021, Lady Nade is moving forward with a brand new album in the making, Willing, which is set for a June 2021 release. www.ladynade.co.uk

Rioting into 2021 with the explosive hard-hitting single Cause a Scene landing on the Made in UK playlist, TrueMendous is set to have an incredible year.

In 2020, the rising star signed to High Focus Records where she released her EP HUH? The EP had an exceptional response, accumulating over 222,000 streams with one of the singles from the project landing on the Adidas COLD.RDY campaign, and another on the FIFA 21 soundtrack.

If this wasn’t enough, TrueMendous managed to bag the lead role in the 2020 Christmas Pepsi Max advert along with the lead role in a separate McVities ad, at the same time.

She secured a mind-blowing 11 festival slots throughout the summer of 2019 including: Glastonbury, Leeds and Reading, where she opened up the BBC 1xtra stage. TrueMendous was also one of the leading artists on Queens of Art, the first ever allfemale hip-hop tour, which visited eight cities across the UK. www.TrueMendousMusic.com

WEDNESDAY 3 MARCH 20:00-21:00

ARTIST SHOWCASES This year’s ILMC will feature a more extensive showcase programme than ever before, with five agency partners and four music export organisations providing the platform for more than 50 acts. To further boost the profile has of these artists, also dedicated its monthly Spotify playlist to our talented performers.

Click on the link below to hear tracks from ILMC’s showcase stars.

20:00-21:00

FENNE LILY AGENT: ALEX BRUFORD

LOS BITCHOS AGENT: ROXANE DUMOULIN

BERNHOFT AGENT: PHYLLIS BELEZOS

CONRAD AGENT: KARA JAMES

PILLOW QUEENS AGENT: SARAH BESNARD

REUBEN JAMES AGENT: MARLON BURTON

KAPIL SESHASAYEE AGENT: STEVE ZAPP

MOBS AGENT: FILIPPO MEI

THE GOA EXPRESS AGENT: ALEX BRUFORD

THE ZEN ARCADE AGENT: STEVE TAYLOR

NATURE TV AGENT: OLIVIA SIME

NICOLE SLACK JONES AGENT: LUCIA WADE

FULL DETAILS HERE

FULL DETAILS HERE

20:00-21:00

LISTEN TO THE ILMC SHOWCASE PLAYLIST HERE

24

iq-mag.net

BARTEES STRANGE AGENT: ANNA BEWERS

CHRISTY AGENT: JAMES WHITTING

JP SAXE AGENT: RYAN PENTY & TOM SCHROEDER

ROLE MODEL AGENT: MIKE MALAK

TV PRIEST AGENT: ADELE SLATER

UPSAHL AGENT: ANDY CLAYTON

RITT MOMNEY AGENT: TOM SCHROEDER & ANDY CLAYTON

FULL DETAILS HERE

ILMC Agency Showcases

THURSDAY 4 MARCH 1930-20:30

1930-20:30

20:45-21:45

NATHAN EVANS AGENTS: EMILY ROBBINS, GARY HOWARD & JEFFREY HASSON

NUBYA GARCIA AGENT: JAMES WRIGHT

BVDLVD AGENT: FRANCESCO CACCAMO

DEEMA AGENT: FRANCESCO CACCAMO

HRTL

LAMBDA

PEACH TREE RASCALS AGENTS: NOAH SIMON, CHERYL PALIERANI & PARKER GLENN

POUTYFACE AGENTS: JULES DE LATTRE, NOAH SIMON, MATT MEYER & NATALIE KOE

JOESEF AGENT: PETER ELLIOTT

KATY KIRBY AGENT: MATT PICKERING-COPLEY

LAZER VIKING

PLEASE THE TREES

LOUISAHHH AGENT: MARTJE KREMERS

MILOE AGENT: MATT PICKERING-COPLEY

SKULLCRUSHER AGENTS: OLIVER WARD & NIKOS KAZOLEAS FULL DETAILS HERE

TEEPEE

FULL DETAILS HERE

FULL DETAILS HERE

20:45-21:45

20:45-21:45

BABÉ SILA

JAZZBOIS

DREAM PEOPLE

LINA_RAÜL REFREE

PLATON KARATAEV

THE DEVIL’S TRADE

SURMA

WHALES

FULL DETAILS HERE

FULL DETAILS HERE

Magazine

25

Feature_Live Streaming

RETURN TO LIVE Industry leading insights, advanced ticketing technology, local expertise and global reach to help you on your journey back to live.

Discover more at busin 26

iq-mag.net

Live Streaming_Feature

ness.ticketmaster.co.uk Magazine

27

Feature_One Year On

A full 12 months into pandemic restrictions, Gordon Masson talks to professionals across a number of live music business disciplines to gauge the industry’s health and its state of preparedness for a triumphant restart…

28

iq-mag.net

E

ven before ILMC in 2020, a number of countries were beginning to shut down when it came to mass gatherings such as concerts and live entertainment, while for many ILMC 32 attendees, the artist showcases that week in London were the last live performances that they witnessed.

Talk about the coronavirus, back then, swung between the hope that it was just a new form of flu, to fear that we might have to postpone a month or two of upcoming dates. Certainly, nobody was predicting the loss of a full calendar year of events and the redundancies of countless thousands of industry professionals around the world.

Indeed, as the year progressed and restrictions imposed by governments on everyday activities even drilled down to how often you can leave your home, the optimists among us still believed that, maybe, festivals in August and September might happen, allowing indoor venues to reopen in October.

Fast-forward to February 2021, and despite vaccine programmes inoculating millions of people every day, there’s a growing consensus that there might not be any kind of outdoor season in the northern hemisphere until next year, while a few hopeful souls are holding out for indoor shows by November or December, albeit featuring domestic talent rather than international superstars.

One Year On_Feature “Everybody underestimated the impact of Covid,” admits Christof Huber, general secretary of European festivals organisation, Yourope. “I remember being at the Swiss Music Awards in February last year, on the day when all the big events were banned in Switzerland. But our attitude was that in two weeks we would be back.

“The strange thing is, we could see what was happening elsewhere, but nobody was talking about it. Now though, we’re all working desperately hard and trying everything possible to make things happen. But the general consensus seems to be that Q4 is when we might be able to return .”

The gradual dawning of the reality of Covid has been a harsh lesson for an industry that thrives on optimism and creativity.

“After the UK government announce on the 22nd February, we now have a ‘nothing before’ date, which has really helped us,” notes Toby Leighton-Pope, co-CEO of AEG Presents in the UK. “For so long we were operating in the dark not being able to plan for the future. Now we know officially there will be nothing before 22nd June and although I’m not 100% confident we will be fully open directly after this, it does give us a decent roadmap to work to.

“I’m not a big fan of socially distanced gigs.

Artists rely so much on the vibe for the crowd and seeing so many empty seats from the stage cannot be fun for them. It also doesn’t work financially for the artist, venue or promoter. In a dooms day

scenario, if we never get back to full capacities then I guess we have to deal with it, but for now, I’m not a fan.”

John Reid, president Live Nation Europe Concerts comments, “The reopening timeline will differ from region to region. The vaccine roll-out is encouraging and will underpin confidence. As that continues to scale we will be able to get back to regular capacities, and we’re still hopeful some events are able to return sometime in the summer.

“We are working with governments, scientists and local authorities to make sure that, as soon as it’s possible to do so, we’ll be there and ready to go. Don’t forget, there are markets in Asia Pacific that are already opening – it was great to see Rhythm & Vines festival taking place in New Zealand over the new year.”

Those regional idiosyncrasies are also highlighted by UTA co-head of music, Sam Kirby Yoh. “The need for industry support varies from country to country,” she says. “Smaller European countries like Norway or Iceland have prominent music scenes, deeply ingrained into their cultures, and their local fundraising efforts have been quite successful. Additionally, if a country’s recovery from Covid-19 is going successfully enough for domestic artists to be able to perform, we anticipate that it will open itself up to artists from nearby countries shortly thereafter.”

Detlef Kornett, Deutsche Entertainment

AG’s CMO and head of international business affairs is more blunt about the year ahead for the live entertainment sector. “I foresee that come March or April, government in the UK (but less so across Europe) will have run out of their reserves and will put on the brake for live music industry grants and support. Whereas continental Europe continues to support the event industry in various degrees but all the way until the end of 2021, that type of support is currently not foreseeable in the UK. So I’m afraid that, for us in the UK, the hardest days are yet to come, unless the government backed insurance plan and flexible furlough schemes fall into place,” he predicts.

Kornett is brutally honest about the current state of the business. “US artists are shying away and are not committing to anything before, possibly, the end of the year, but most likely 2022,” he says. “The local authorities have already said that no matter what happens they do not want a festival in July. That leaves the big question about what can be done in August, because it won’t work that events are banned until 31July but then on 1 August you can have 50,000 people in a stadium. It will be gradual, with social distancing and test events, and depending on those results, we may be encouraged to do more. But that gets you to September or October, and it’s hard to see a full O2 on the first of October as well, in the current circumstances.”

“Governments are not using our expertise and instead they are relying on bureaucrats. If we could at least get a seat at the table with them, we could help come up with solutions” Christof Huber | Yourope

Thousands of professionals read IQ every day. Make sure you get the whole picture…

SUBSCRIBE HERE Magazine 29

PROMOTED CONTENT

closely observed by many governments with a view to support their vaccine deployment initiatives.

HEALTH PASSPORT WORLDWIDE

I

n summer 2020, Ireland-based Roqu Group launched Health Passport Worldwide (HPW), a secure platform that combines mobile technologies with official Covid-19 tests and vaccinations.

The technology has been engineered specifically to help curtail the spread of Covid-19 and is enabling the safe reopening of events, travel and sports in nine countries worldwide.

Here, Robert Quirke, president and CEO at Roqu, tells IQ how HPW is now working alongside leading international events producers, live music organisations, and ticketing companies to create solutions that will reopen events this summer.

IQ: Who is able to use HPW? RQ: The app is free to be used by the public and also by official healthcare providers. The system is multilingual. Depending on the model of smartphone, font sizes can be increased and text-to-speech can be enabled. The overall technology platform is being used by event producers, the travel industry, pharmacies and many more. The ‘dependents’ feature means that people

36

iq-mag.net

with disabilities can make full use of the tech if they wish.

In which countries has HPW established a presence?

The technology is actively being used in the UK, Ireland, Portugal, South Africa, Canada, Bulgaria, Kenya, Nigeria, and Spain.

Where has it been trialled so far?

Extensive system trials have already been performed in Ireland, the UK and South Africa at healthcare centres, pharmacies, nursing homes for staff vaccinations, schools (staff), offices and more. In December of last year, the system was successfully used at the trial live music event in Cape Town called Recharge2020, working alongside Ticketmaster, the City, and local production companies: https://youtu.be/QOQCUngy0K4 Has HPW received the stamp of approval from any governments?

The organisation focuses on the successful industry adoption across various sectors. Our approach is to not wait, but rather to immediately support industries who urgently need solutions. The technology is being

The digital passport market is becoming increasingly saturated. How does your product stand out?

This is not a concept, it is a living, breathing solution, and has been since last summer. There is currently no other health passport solution that has achieved the level of support and adoption compared to HPW. Our solution is already being used by some of the world’s leading organisations. Every minute, someone somewhere in the world receives their Covid-19 test result safely via our technology.

How does the app keep users’ data secure and private?

The founders of the technology have put user privacy as a priority, because unlike some other mobile technologies, the HPW app does not track people’s location, does not use Bluetooth, does not use GPS, and does not monitor people’s usage of the system. Data is not shared with any third parties. This function does not even exist within the technology.

Does the app work in harmony with existing healthcare and tech systems?

Yes, the system can integrate where necessary with labs, hospitals, and existing public health platforms.

A special function is included to support various doses of vaccinations. You can also book a test from directly within the app, making everything as easy as possible for the user.

The technology also integrates with public health systems, festiHPW took part in the Recharge 2020 event in Cape Town, South Africa

vals, airports, test centres, event ticketing platforms and more.

For what purposes do you see the health passport being used?

Enabling efficiencies at testing and vaccination centres, international travel, and major sporting and music events with very large crowds.

This platform will absolutely not be used for everyday life, such as going out for dinner or to the pub!

How could HPW facilitate the return of live music?

The technology enables event producers to scan high volumes of people in a very short period of time, the same as scanning your event ticket at entry. The system gives guests and producers the reassurance that people entering the venue are at a very low or zero risk of transmitting Covid-19. The HPW team has extensive experience in testing and can support events not just with the technology but also with the end-toend efficient and safe process.

Can HPW integrate with event ticketing platforms?

Yes, for example an anonymous code could be shared. But the system will not share medical information or personal details.

Festivals admit tens of thousands of people over a relatively short amount of time. Is HPW capable of processing a high volume of testing onsite?

Yes, the solution to safely test 65,000 people within eight hours is already being deployed into Europe.

Will venues and festivals have to implement any kind of hardware in order to use HPW? No.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Enabling the Safe Return of Live Events We long for the feeling of togetherness, enjoying those shared moments at events, festivals, concerts and sports. Nothing beats the live experience and Health Passport Worldwide helps to get the show back on the road and fans back together.

Test. Protect. Enjoy. www.healthpassportworldwide.com

Download from your app store today

Feature_Live Streaming

© Joel Ryan Photo

I STREAM, YOU STREAM, WE ALL STREAM (FOR LIVE-STREAMS)

38

After 12 months of little traditional concert activity, artists, promoters and fans continue to rely on digital concerts for their live music fix.

Jon Chapple asks leading players in the space what comes next… iq-mag.net

Live Streaming_Feature

Thousands Idiot Prayer – Nick Cave Alone atof Alexandra Palace was a hugely professionals read popular live-stream eventday. that Make has IQ every since spun off a vinyl album, and sure youCD get the a whole line of merchandise whole picture…

SUBSCRIBE HERE Magazine 39

RATIONALE FOR A RESILIENT RETURN Feature_Arena Resilience Alliance

Ahead of its ILMC session, the Arena Resilience Alliance (ARA) held its second webinar, entitled #AGameofTwoHalves: The Return Leg, on 18 February, attracting impressive support from all three key institutions of the European Union – the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament – as leading venue operators laid foundations for a route to reopening.

U

sing the opportunity to launch the ARA manifesto for the safe return of live music and sport, the organisation (which is a special purpose initiative, created by members of the European Arenas Association) benefitted from opening addresses delivered by Rita Brasil de Brito, chair of the Cultural Affairs Committee, Portuguese presidency of the council of the EU; and Viviane Hoffmann, deputy director general at the European Commission Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture.

The online event also included a keynote speech and presentation by Sam Tanson, minister of culture for Luxembourg, who praised the efforts of the Rockhal Arena and Luxembourg’s health authority for their efforts in helping to successfully organise a recent series of test events at the venue.

Tanson underscored the importance of such tests, as they highlight the potential for live events to return with the appropriate measures in place. The minister also acknowledged that government support for the live entertainment and sports industries will be important moving forward. “Culture, music and, of course, also sports are key components of our community’s wellbeing,” she said. “I was very pleased to read that the European Parliament has adopted,

44

iq-mag.net

on February 10, a joint resolution stating under point 33 that it ‘considers that arenas and stadiums are at the core of the social fabric of sport and cultural ecosystems in our societies’ and that it ‘recognises that enabling venues to reopen is essential for the health and wellbeing of our citizens and for economic recovery, both now and in the future.’ I believe that the support that we give to initiatives that will enable the return of live events is crucial.”

Further strengthening the ARA’s credentials with policy makers, Domènec Ruiz Devesa, a Member of the European Parliament, also took part in the webinar’s panel sessions, where he admitted to being impressed by the “concrete measures that are being put forward by the likes of ARA,” and spoke of his desire to develop a common European approach to deal with the resumption of cultural events so that they are not different in each city or country.

“The vaccine is not going to be a silver bul-

let,” noted Devesa. “Covid is going to stay with us for while, so we’re going to have to adapt and live with this thing [by utilising] the right measures.” Indeed, Devesa also warned that the events industry could have a lot to do when it comes to changing etiquette, especially among fans, citing that sports teams and franchises may have to discourage yelling, shouting and hugging other members of public, as part of their Covid-safe measures.

The live virtual event also featured contributions from EAA president John Langford; Alex Jäger, sport director for Champions Hockey League; Luca Scafati, business director for basketball’s Euroleague; Adam Goodyer, CEO of Realife Tech; Coralie Berael from the Forest National arena in Brussels; Member of the European Parliament, Laurence Farreng; Lotta Nibell, CEO of Swedish venue operator Got Event; Timo Hoppen from Semmel Concerts; and Dr Anne Vergison from Luxembourg’s ministry of health.

The online conference also focussed on the ambitious 10-14 February live music experiment organised by Rockhal arena. The venue hosted a series of five live shows as part of the Because Music Matters showcase. Audiences were limited in capacity to 100 people each night, with allocated seats set up around a central stage to ensure a certain level of proximity to the action whilst ensuring social distancing controls were in place throughout the venue.

Attendees had to wear masks at all times inside the venue and every participant and audience

“I was very pleased to read that the European Parliament has Thousands of adopted a joint resolution stating that it ‘considers that arenas professionals read and stadiums are at the core of the social fabric of sport and IQ every day. Make cultural ecosystems in our societies’” sure you get the Sam Tanson | Minister of culture for Luxembourg

whole picture…

SUBSCRIBE HERE

Arena Resilience Alliance_Feature

THE MANIFESTO

“Building confidence amongst all our stakeholders that live events are a safe environment is so important”

The ARA used the platform of the webinar to launch its manifesto, outlining the next steps required for the safe return of live events across Europe. The alliance unveiled its action plan under the heading of Rationale for a Resilient Return, which centres on four core concepts:

1

CREATION OF AN ADVISORY BODY The ARA is proposing the creation of an advisory body that will work in tandem with European political interest groups to guide and instruct on the workings of the live events ecosystem and maximise resource for an effective return.

2

A HUB FOR RETURN AND FOR CHANGE The ARA, through its extensive network of large-capacity arenas across Europe can offer its venues as a hub for the renewal of the music and sporting industries. The ARA believes its members’ venues can provide the physical space the live events ecosystem needs to build towards a safe return: a space for practice, for collaboration, for communities, and for medically conditioned tests that will measure the feasibility and act as a catalyst for the return of fan-attended events.

Oliver Toth | CEO,Rockhal

member was tested before and after each show.

Other safety precautions included contactless audience security screening and access control and guidance inside the venue.

Full results from the experiment are expected in early March, and will be exclusively revealed to delegates of the International Live Music Conference during a special ARA panel session.

Olivier Toth, Rockhal’s CEO, comments, “After almost a year without live events, experiments like our Because Music Matters showcase and other test events that have been taking place across Europe, are an important and positive step forward in testing the safety measures we can employ to support our back-to-business strategies.

“Building confidence amongst all our stakeholders that live events are a safe environment is so important. We were pleased to share initial feedback from the experiment at the ARA conference and we look forward to reviewing the findings fully, with a view to building towards a model that can be scaled as the industry continues to work towards the safe and sustainable return of live events.”

LIVE MUSIC’S GLOBAL GATHERING REBOOTS TO A NEW VIRTUAL REALITY SUPPORTED BY

3

ADAPTING FOR THE FUTURE OF LIVE EVENTS The ARA is ready to lead the discussion on the need for arenas to provide the physical space for the development of new environmentally sustainable and digital practices within the context of the provision of community-based and fan-based group gatherings.

PL AT IN U M

4

A SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE POST-COVID 19 ECOSYSTEM The Rationale for a Resilient Return manifesto has been prepared to face a critical moment for the events industry. The ARA believes we must embrace the opportunity to get arenas back to working for our communities. We must preserve the key elements of Europe’s cultural G O Lback D live music and sporting events. We must bring identity by bringing the different parts of the ecosystem together to create safer, greener and more efficient environments where European citizens can meet to relax, socialise and enjoy themselves.

Robert Fitzpatrick, CEO of The Odyssey Trust, owners of The SSE Arena, Belfast, EAA Member and co-founder of the ARA, says, “AsOthe ASS CI AT E advocacy platform for European arenas, the ARA’s manifesto will be an important tool as we prepare for a return to live events, whilst working to protect the health and wellbeing of our communities and the sustainability of our industry.”

The ARA’s #AGameofTwoHalves: The Return Leg virtual conference was delivered in partnership with IQ Magazine. The event is S I Lvia V Ethe R EAA’s YouTube available to watch channel and Facebook page.

The ARA session at ILMC will take part on Wednesday 3 March from 13:30-14:30GMT and is open to all registered conference delegates.

FE AT U R E

SHOWCASE

MEDIA

Magazine

45

Your Shout

“Who was the most surprising person you met at a gig or added to a guest list?”

TOP SHOUT

The most surprising person I added to a guest list was Nelson Mandela for Michael Jackson’s Cape Town History concert in 1997. On his arrival, he received a standing ovation from everyone in the stadium and, at his request, I took him to Michael’s dressing room to pay him a surprise visit. When Michael saw Madiba, he burst into tears and hugged him.

Attie van Wyk, Big Concerts International

President Obama turning up in a pair of jeans and sweatshirt to watch Jeff Beck rehearsing.

And Bill Gates found wandering around Hyde Park for Live 8.I put him on the side of the stage with Peter Blake who was sketching the artists.

Bill Gates couldn’t understand what Peter Blake was doing.

Harvey Goldsmith David Zard brought Sophia Loren to the opening night of Notre-Dame de Paris at the Dominion in London. I thought it was a joke when he told me, but I walked round the corner straight into her.

Her heels were so high, I was shoulder height.

John Giddings, Solo Agency Seeing David Cameron strolling around Cornbury festival site with his family and a couple of very discreet security people while he was still prime minister. Very few people even did a double take and I thought then of the truly heartening difference between this and the entourage and general palaver that would surround a visit by, say, the US president.

46

iq-mag.net

Mind you, if I’d known he was about to unleash Brexit on us, I might have been tempted to have a few strong words with him, accompanied by a knee to the bollocks.

Bryan Grant, Britannia Row Eric Clapton appearing and playing at a Sting show in Milan, back in the 80s. And Axel Rose appearing on the Foo Fighters stage at FirenzeRocks in 2019. Both came out of the blue.

Roberto De Luca, Live Nation Italy The Crown Prince of Bahrain, at Glasgow Fruitmarket of all places. He is a big Sturgill Simpson fan.

Rob Challice, Paradigm I had Space play three Christmas gigs at Liverpool Royal Court, which, in those days, didn’t have a lot of investment and was freezing backstage. A bunch of the (in)famous Liverpool FC Spice Boys came along to the show including Steve McManaman and a hero of mine, Robbie ‘God’ Fowler. I eventually found a reason to say

something to them and invited them to meet the band in the dressing room. The band were delighted to see them and to make the night better, the legendary late promoter rep John McBeath brought some champagne that had been in his freezing office all night. As anyone who has ever opened frozen champagne learns, it does not stop spraying until it’s completely empty. Yep, I soaked ‘God’ and everybody else in the room… skillz!

Geoff Meall, Paradigm I was producing a gig at the Bakersfield Civic Auditorium in California in the summer of 1968 and I had a room next to Jim Morrison. We hung out after the show. He was very quiet and introspective and I watched TV with him when others were partying around us.

Gary Smith, quarantined entrepreneur C

Lyor Cohen and the entire YouTube Music crew of execs at Bigflo & Oli’s show at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC, in 2019.

Jad El Alam, Bleu Citron Production & Tournée The biggest surprise was when I met Frodo from the Lord of the Rings, actor Elijah Wood, at Colours of Ostrava in 2006. He was there with his girlfriend from the band Gogol Bordello who were on the bill.

Patrik Kohut, Ostrava Plamanech I had a tiny show in Antwerp with the Pink Slips who were touring with Guns ’N Roses (Pink Slips’ singer is Duff’s daughter), and I was told some crew members would probably show up.

While scanning tickets, Duff and Axl Rose appeared – they weren’t on the list, but you can’t really say no, can you? They hung out at the bar all night and looked like they were having a good time. I was a mega GNR fan when I was younger so that’s probably the only time I’ve really been star-struck.

Natalia Zabkar, Live Nation Belgium Mine is a story of who didn’t get on the guest list. We had a RedMan & Method Man gig at HMV Forum Kentish Town in 2010. A guest list request came from a PR agency that represented footballers from Chelsea and Arsenal. I replied telling them that being an Arsenal Thousands fan it was of difficult for me but I would have to decline, professionalsasread players earning minimum £40kIQtoevery £50k aday. weekMake could afford to pay for all the attendees. sure you get the Marcus Anthony, KSO Entertainment

whole picture…

SUBSCRIBE HERE

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

WANT TO READ THE FULL VERSION OF IQ MAGAZINE? Click this page to get a digital subscription now for Premium, subscriber-only features including: Monthly digital edition of 92 An ILMC Publication SEPTEMBER 2020 | £25 | €25

PLUS iFF 2020 GUIDE TOP LIVE-STREAMING PLATFORMS

Magazine

Unlimited access to industry leading news, articles and insight Exclusive interviews with industry leaders, long-form analysis and features All of our annual reports Access to all of our previous editions

FROM JUST £5 PER MONTH!