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‘It’s rare to see a group work this hard’: Giddings on Little Mix’s road to the Brits

Little Mix agent John Giddings talks awards, touring, stagecraft – and why the double Brit winners remind him of the Spice Girls…

By IQ on 22 Feb 2019

Little Mix, Solo Agency, Brit Awards 2019

Little Mix perform ‘Woman Like Me’ at the Brits


image © BPI/Brit Awards 2019

On Wednesday, UK pop superstars Little Mix picked up their second Brit Award, taking home the best video artist prize for ‘Woman Like Me’ featuring Nicki Minaj.

Coming on the back of five studio albums and five years of nearly constant touring, the band’s UK/RoW agent, Solo Agency’s John Giddings, says it’s a well-deserved reward for the hardest-working pop group out there…

 


IQ: It’s the second Brit award for the band, and the first since 2017, when they won British single of the year for ‘Shout Out to My Ex’. How important is it for you, and the team around the band, to be recognised for your hard work?
JG: I think it’s fantastic.

It’s so rare to see a group who work this hard – I’ve said this before, but pop groups work ten times harder than rock acts when it comes to things like promotion, working the room, meet-and-greets… Little Mix are rightly being rewarded for that.

The band hit the road again this autumn for the LM5 tour, their sixth in six years. That’s a pretty gruelling touring schedule…
It is. It’s amazing to see how hard these girls work.

And they still like each other! They get on, they enjoy each other’s company… and that’s so important. It’s the same with any group – you take away the fun element and nobody wants to be there; they just all want to go home.

You’ve worked with Boyzone, the Spice Girls, Westlife, the Corrs… Is the Little Mix phenomenon a similar vibe to those acts in their heydays?
Very much so. I remember when we opened the gates at Wembley Arena on the Spice Girls’ first tour [in 1998] and I suddenly realised there were mothers dragging their children in, as they enjoyed the music as much as their daughters!

That was the first time I remember selling tickets in sixes and eights, as opposed to twos and fours, because it was proper family entertainment. And that’s definitely the case with Little Mix too.

“It’s amazing to see how hard these girls work”

How has the fanbase evolved since you started working with Little Mix? Is it a case of the fans growing up with the band?
Yes, to an extent. But there are also women of 40, 50, who love their music, too, and not just through their children. So we’re seeing their audience growing in multiple ways; the girls are going from strength to strength.

The group were formed on the X Factor in 2011—
They were, but I think most people have forgotten they’re X Factor winners at this point. They’re not considered a reality TV band – they’ve gone way beyond that.

You’ve obviously played a key part in that growth. Who else has been instrumental in Little Mix’s ascent?
Richard Griffiths and Harry Magee at Modest Management, who have steered the ship incredible well. Their collective experience really came into play in looking after [Little Mix] – they’ve kept them together and took them to the next level.

How did the rate their performance of ‘Woman Like Me’ on Wednesday night?
I thought they were incredible. They’re such athletic performers and that really came across. You can see the stamina [they bring to their live shows].

Two Brits wins under the belt now, then… You must be hoping for a third next year?
Absolutely. It’s important for groups to see their results of their success. They work so hard, and they love getting close to their public.

I’d like to see them win best album – they’d be deserving winners.

 


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