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Wasserman promotes nine, creates orchestral arm

Talent agency Wasserman Music has announced the promotion of nine team members, as well as the creation of a dedicated orchestral division.

Promotions include London-based agent Holly Rowland, who started out at Wasserman precursor Coda in 2014, and serves clients including Louis Tomlinson, Rag’n’Bone Man, INJI and Liang Lawrence.

Other promotions include New York-based Alex Christie (agent), Annie Cole (manager, touring), Owen Hynes (manager, tour marketing) and Noah Plotnicki (agent), Nashville-based Anna Kathryn Groom (manager, brand partnerships), and Los Angeles-based Kara Klein (manager, brand partnerships) and Lindsay Roblesi (agent).

In addition, Miami-based agent Brittany Miller, who joined Wasserman precursor AM Only in 2014, moves to the agency’s global festivals department as director, festivals, focusing on electronic music events around the world.

“Nurturing and advancing the careers of talented members of our global team is central to our culture of support and empowerment, so we’re proud to announce these well-earned promotions,” says Lee Anderson, Wasserman Music EVP and managing executive. “Continually creating new ways to super-serve our clients is our core mission, and it’s most gratifying when we’re able to do that by elevating exceptional Team Wass colleagues to serve them even better.”

“Emily has been able to see the enormous opportunity in the live symphonic space beyond just talent booking”

Meanwhile, in a “first-of-its-kind” move for a major talent agency, Wasserman has also announced the creation of a new dedicated orchestral division headed by VP Emily Threlfall Yoon.

The new division represents IP-driven symphonic properties such as SQEX’s Final Fantasy VII REBIRTH World Orchestra Tour and the dozens of titles produced by Disney Concerts, including Marvel Studios’ The Infinity Saga Concert Experience, as well as a group of conductors, orchestrators, and arrangers.

The division will also partner with artists across Wasserman Music’s client roster, such as John Legend, Melissa Etheridge, Laufey, and Zedd, to conceive and produce new popular programming symphonic projects.

“Emily has been able to see the enormous opportunity in the live symphonic space beyond just talent booking,” adds Anderson. “By working as a creative partner with artists and IP-driven properties – whether movies, TV, video games, or pop music – Emily and our new orchestral division are taking the music that people love in their everyday lives and presenting it in exciting new ways to fans of all kinds.”

 


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Coldplay set to become first band to net $1bn tour

Coldplay’s globe-trotting Music of the Spheres run could see them become the first band to gross $1 billion from a single tour.

The group topped Pollstar‘s Worldwide Top 100 Artists chart for Q1 2024, earning $100.5 million from 13 concerts, including six nights at Singapore National Stadium. The top 3 also consisted of U2, whose Las Vegas Sphere residency garnered $95.2m, and Madonna’s The Celebration Tour, which grossed $86.2m.

The Music of the Spheres World Tour, which was the fourth highest-grossing trek of 2023, kicked off in Costa Rica in March 2022 and has an average gross of $6.1m, with 43 stadium dates remaining.

At last count it had earned $810.9m, having been attended by 7.66 million fans.

“It’s no surprise to me that Coldplay has become one of the most successful touring acts of all time”

“It’s no surprise to me that Coldplay has become one of the most successful touring acts of all time,” the band’s international agent Josh Javor of WME tells Pollstar. “The band has been setting trends and pushing the boundaries of how fans experience a concert for years. This show has a great value for the ticket price and is one that attendees truly never forget – the amount of pure entertainment that the band packs into one show is unparalleled!”

Should they surpass the billion-dollar mark, Coldplay would follow in the footsteps of Taylor Swift, whose Eras Tour officially become the first tour in history to surpass $1 billion in revenue last December.

This June, Coldplay will become the first act to headline Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage five times. They previously topped the bill in 2002, 2005, 2011 and 2016. The date will mark the band’s only European festival appearance of the year. Revisit IQ’s Music of the Spheres Tour feature here.

According to Pollstar data, the total of the Top 100 Tours in the first quarter of 2024 was up 35% year-over-year to $1.252bn – passing the billion-dollar mark for the first time in a Q1.

 


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Touring power players enjoy stock market surge

Live music powerhouses have recorded big six-month gains on the stock market, with CTS Eventim sailing to its highest ever share price.

Shares in the German pan-European ticketing and live entertainment giant reached an all-time high of €77.90 yesterday (19 March) – representing a 13% upswing in the last month and a huge 40% rise on six months ago.

In its latest financial results, published last month, the company reported it had “significantly exceeded” its 2023 forecast thanks to a “very strong” Q4. It enjoyed a record year, attaining consolidated revenue of €2.359 billion – a 22.5% increase on the previous year’s €1.926bn.

“The CTS Eventim share has been in a long-term upward trend since January 24, 2024 and has gained +28.96% in value during this period,” reports Boerse.

Live Nation is also on a significant upward trajectory. Its current price of US$103.47 (€95.31) is 12% higher than a month ago and has leapt 27% over the last six months. The firm posted all-time highs for attendance, ticket sales and sponsorship activity in its financial results for full-year and Q4 2023.

“The live music industry reached new heights in 2023, and demand for live music continues to build,” Live Nation president and CEO Michael Rapino told investors at last month’s earnings call.

Furthermore, Madison Square Garden Entertainment shares have jumped 18.8% in half a year to their current price of $38.87, while shares in its Sphere Entertainment spinoff have seen a 28% uptick in the same period to $46.73.

German live entertainment power player DEAG postponed its return to the Frankfurt Stock Exchange earlier this year

Sphere Entertainment encompasses the first Sphere venue in Las Vegas as well as MSG Networks and Tao Group Hospitality businesses. The company reported revenues of $314.2m for fiscal 2024 Q2, an increase of $154.6m on the prior year quarter, and an operating loss of $159.7m, (up from the prior year’s quarter $109.9m).

In addition, MENA streaming service Anghami, owner of Dubai-based event management company Spotlight Events, has climbed 63% in six months to $1.30, while music company ATC, which listed on the Aquis Growth Market in London in December 2021, has risen from 92.5p to 115p. The UK-based company announced in February 2024 that it had raised £2.3 million through a subscription of 2.2 million shares priced at 105p each.

And Roblox Corp, the company behind social gaming platform Roblox, is up 40.5% since September 2023 to hover at $36.88.

Meanwhile, German live entertainment power player DEAG postponed its return to the Frankfurt Stock Exchange earlier this year.

The group was due to list in Q1 2024 with an offer consisting of a capital increase of €40-50 million, together with an additional offering of existing shares from the holdings of current shareholders. However, it announced that the management board has decided to continue conversations with investors at a later date as it is “currently in advanced conversations with several acquisition targets”.

The Berlin-headquartered firm first went public in 1998 and delisted in January 2021 in the wake of the pandemic after accepting a takeover offer from its largest single shareholder Apeiron Investment Group and its Malta-based subsidiary Musai Capital.

 


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WME hires agent to represent creative directors

WME has hired Erin Kapor as an agent with a focus on representing creative directors.

Kapor, who brings more than a decade of experience in creative representation and strategy, most recently served as SVP of creative at Original Creative Agency and previously worked for Downtown Music Publishing and Red Light Management, before switching to consulting as a creative strategist.

Her work has involved leading a roster of clients spanning music, politics, sports, fashion, brands and art.

WME says the hire is “a response to the rising number of talent across culture verticals”

The company says Los Angeles-based Kapor’s appointment is “a response to the rising number of talent across culture verticals continuing to blur the lines” between the various fields.

Joining Kapor at WME are clients including Ben Chappell, who has worked with acts such as Arctic Monkeys and Niall Horan, Clare Gillen (Rihanna), Cody “SSION” Critcheloe (Kim Petras, Robyn), Franc Fernandez (Lady Gaga, Miguel), James “Yimmy Yayo” Bailey (Alicia Keys, Nintendo), Joe Perez (Beyoncé, Louis Vuitton), creative studio TAWBOX (Drake, Boygenius), and Undercard Studio (FKA twigs, Blur).

They join WME’s existing roster in the space, which already includes designer KidSuper, Ethan Tobman, creative director for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, The Weeknd’s creative director La Mar Taylor and design studio Vita Motus, which has created concepts and installations for Coachella and Electric Daisy Carnival.

 


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Gadget abc swoops for Swiss festival

Switzerland’s Gadget abc Entertainment Group has secured a majority stake in the Stars in Town festival.

The Swiss festival attracts around 60,000 visitors a year over two weekends to Schaffhausen’s Old Town. It will now become part of Gadget’s extensive festival portfolio, which also includes OpenAir St.Gallen, SummerDays Festival Arbon, Seaside Festival, Unique Moments at the National Museum Zurich and Radar Festival.

The companies have partnered for many years, with all contact partners, as well as management and company headquarters, set to remain unchanged in the wake of the deal.

Festival director and board member Adrian Brugger remains a shareholder of Stars in Town with a minority stake and will continue in his role.

“With the integration of Stars in Town, one of the highest-quality festivals in Switzerland, into the Gadget Group, the story that began together a long time ago will gain a new chapter,” says Christof Huber, director festivals & events at Gadget.

“We are very much looking forward to working even more closely with Christof Huber and the entire Gadget team”

Huber has been jointly responsible for booking Stars in Town for a decade and has been a board member since 2015.

“I warmly welcome Adi Brugger and his team to the Gadget family,” he adds. “Over the past few years, they have established Stars in Town as one of the most important festivals in Switzerland. I look forward to developing the festival together with them and to offering all Schaffhausen residents and guests even more exciting artists and an even more intense musical experience.”

Stars in Town will gain direct access to the Gadget network and benefit from expanded opportunities in booking, ticketing, marketing and sponsorship, among other areas.

“We are very much looking forward to working even more closely with Christof Huber and the entire Gadget team,” adds Brugger. “Thanks to this strong support, we will not only lead the festival into a successful future but also further strengthen Schaffhausen as a regional centre for culture and entertainment.”

The festival’s next edition will take place in Schaffhausen from 2-10 August, featuring acts such as Placebo, Passenger, Tom Odell, Status Quo and Editors.

 


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CAA promotes trio to agents

Global talent firm Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has announced a trio of promotions in its music touring department.

Lola Castillo Murphy, Hugh Parsons and Matthew Rutledge have each been elevated to agents at the company.

London-based Murphy began her career as an intern in The Agency Group (now UTA) a decade ago before joining CAA in 2015 as a general department assistant. She worked with Jon Ollier, Rebecca Nichols, Ben Coles, Emma Banks, and Mike Greek prior to being promoted to coordinator in 2022, before being accepted to the agency’s trainee programme Elevate in 2023.

CAA’s Elevate programme is designed to nurture the talents of its agents and executives in training

Parsons, who is also based in London, started out at Island Records in 2016, where he worked in their Marketing team. In 2017, he joined CAA as an assistant to Laura Newton, and subsequently to Ben Kouijzer and Jen Hammel. He was accepted into Elevate in 2022 and promoted to coordinator in 2023.

Nashville-based Rutledge, meanwhile, held positions at The Agency Coalition and Agency for the Performing Arts (APA) before joining CAA as an assistant to Brian Waymire in 2021. He was upped to booking professional for the agency’s country fairs and festivals division within the music touring department last year.

CAA Elevate is the firm’s next-generation training and practical development curriculum with “an emphasis on entrepreneurialism, inclusion, curiosity, collaboration, service, and a growth mindset”. It is designed to cultivate best practices, encourage innovation, foster global strategic-thinking and nurture the talents of CAA’s agents and executives in training.

 


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Appeals court backs Lizzo over $5m festival fee

A US appeals court has upheld a ruling that Lizzo can keep her US$5 million booking fee for a cancelled 2020 festival in Los Angeles.

Promoter VFLA Eventco LLC filed a lawsuit against WME in July 2020, as well as artists Lizzo, Ellie Goulding and Kali Uchis, saying the parties had agreed to return monies they had been advanced in the event of cancellation of Virgin Fest due to “an uncontrollable factor”.

The acts had been scheduled to play the debut edition – which was funded by commercial real estate magnates Marc and Sharon Hagle, and run by Jason Felts, CEO of the Virgin Group’s festival arm – at the Banc of California Stadium (22,000-cap.) and Exposition Park in LA on 6-7 June 2020, before it was axed due to the pandemic.

WME insisted that Lizzo be paid 100% of the fee prior to the festival announcing her as a headliner and that Uchis and Goulding be paid 50% upon signing and the remaining 50% paid 90 days prior to their performances, emails produced for the lawsuit showed.

“As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and in compliance with the government restrictions meant to mitigate the pandemic, VFLA cancelled the festival and demanded the return of the deposits from WME, who negotiated the performance contracts and held the deposits as the artists’ agent,” reads the court filing.

“VFLA claimed its right to the deposits under the force majeure provision in the parties’ performance contracts, which determined the parties’ rights to the deposits in the event of a force majeure cancellation. The artists refused VFLA’s demand, claiming VFLA bore the risk of a cancellation due to the pandemic.”

“Since VFLA conceded that, if the artists prevailed, WME should prevail as well, we affirm the judgement in its entirety”

VFLA sued the acts for breach of contract and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, plus WME for conversion, money had and received, unfair business practices and declaratory relief.

Following an initial two-year legal battle, LA Superior Court judge Mark Epstein ruled in September 2022 that clauses added by attorneys for WME to its clients’ performance contracts shifted the financial risk of cancellation onto the festival. That ruling has now been backed by a California court of appeal.

“The trial court granted summary judgement in favour of the artists and WME, finding VFLA bore the risk of the festival’s cancellation, and that WME could not be held liable as an agent for the actions of its principals,” it concludes.

“We hold the trial court properly granted summary judgement in favour of the artists and WME. The force majeure provision is not reasonably susceptible to VFLA’s interpretation, and, in any event, the parol evidence favours the artists.

“Further, we also hold the artists’ interpretation does not work an invalid forfeiture or make the performance contracts unlawful. Since VFLA conceded that, if the artists prevailed, WME should prevail as well, we affirm the judgement in its entirety.”

 


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Booking agency Upsurge expands to Europe

UK-based independent booking agency Upsurge has hired Philippe Van Leuven from Bandwerk in Belgium as the company’s first EU agent.

Van Leuven brings a roster that includes Death Lens, Ruby Haunt, Trauma Ray, Wrong Man, Soft Blue Shimmer and Chase Petra.

“Joining Upsurge is a very logical step to keep developing and growing the acts I’ve been working with the last few years,” says Van Leuven. “In an already competitive market, it also feels natural to combine forces. I very much admire Upsurge’s existing roster and their artist-focused approach. I’m super pleased to be able to reinforce the team and bring my own personal touch to the already amazing line-up.”

Upsurge, which is overseen by tour coordinator Flick Price-Thomas, has grown to a team of five since its inception by Eddie Griffiths in July 2022. The firm has booked artists on festivals such as Download, 2000Trees, Outbreak, Full Force, Resurrection, Summer Breeze, Copenhell and Damnation.

“Upsurge was born out of a love for alternative music and putting on shows”

“Upsurge was born out of a love for alternative music and putting on shows,” says Griffiths. “There’s so many incredible artists coming through those scenes and the underground, so with Upsurge I wanted to provide a home for these types of artists for touring.

“The stellar network of independent venues throughout the UK and Europe plays a very key role in what we do and is vital to our artists. I’m stoked to be part of an incredible team of Flick, Oscar, Lee and now Philippe who all share that same passion as I do and do it for the love of it.

“I didn’t expect things to grow like they have over such a short period of time and I’m truly honoured that Upsurge gets to work with so many of our favourite artists. This is all down to the hard work of our growing team.”

The agency’s roster includes the likes of Superheaven, Fiddlehead, Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, Speed, Split Chain, Bug Bath, Knives, Sick Joy, Pure Hex, Present, Panik Flower, Shooting Daggers, Splitknuckle, Stiff Meds, Out Of Love, Plastics and Cruelty.

 


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ILMC 36: The Agency Business

Leading agents offered an upbeat overview of the agency trade in 2024 and pondered the future of the model in the annual ILMC panel on the sector.

The Agency Business 2024 panel chair Anna Sjölund was joined by guest speakers Bex Wedlake (One Fiinix Live), Brian Ahern (WME), Tom Schroeder (Wasserman Music) and James Wright (UTA) to debate a range of topics.

“The great thing after the pandemic, [Brexit], and the general inflation of costs, we’re still having a strong touring business. The difficulty is costs, be that for artists, promoters or venue operators,” said Wright.

Asked how it was to be an agent in 2024, Schroeder said, “I bloody love it. I don’t disagree that there are problems, but they’re a bit like a jigsaw that we have to work out and I really enjoy that challenge. The fact is that artists are a lot more involved in their careers these days, and that makes things fun.

“The rules have changed and some historic templates have [been discontinued], and because social media plays such a big part in things now, artists have to be a lot more involved in their career and decisions about their career, so I truly believe this is the best time I’ve had in my career.”

“The appetite for live music is bigger and better than ever before”

Wedlake noted, “The appetite for live music is bigger and better than ever before, and there’s a bigger emphasis on women in music and LGBTQ issues, led by the artists, and it’s amazing to witness that levelling of the [playing field] and the evolution of our job. There’s no one-size-fits-all for either clients or us as agents, so the fact that big corporations and independent operations can happily co-exist is pretty healthy.

Ahern agreed, commenting, “I believe our company can provide a competitive advantage to our clients, but there are also bands and artists who simply want to tour, and therefore being at another agency is a better fit for them. I have a lot of respect for the indie agents and what they do – thankfully there is enough work for all of us.”

Discussing the reality of global deals, Wright revealed that he had chosen a lower offer for one of his clients because a higher offer would have meant unrealistic ticket prices for that act’s fans. And talking about the changing role of the agent, Schroeder said that while 15 years ago his job involved booking gigs, “What was 90% of my job is now just 10%, as I spend a lot more time working on strategy and creativity. And the best thing is I don’t know how I will be doing things in 18 months because the business keeps changing and I think the industry is all the better for it.”

Schroeder courted controversy by stating that grassroots venues were no longer a part of the ecosystem for his roster of clients, although he acknowledged their importance. But Wedlake responded, “We all have a responsibility to feed back into the grassroots sector – that’s why I’m a proponent of using independent promoters.” She added, “My job as an agent is to ferret out promoters who understand my artists and with whom we can grow sensibly, slowly and creatively.”

Addressing concerns about agents signing too many acts to their rosters, Wright said, “We are opportunistic, but we have to believe in the artists we sign. It’s complicated and it’s hard work, but we don’t get paid straight away, so belief is a big part of it.”

“We need promoters to help us get to a point where touring becomes financially sustainable”

Underlining that point, Schroeder revealed that he has been working with Raye for eight years – “Six and a half years were a real slog, but I always had that belief and I stuck with her.”

Turning the discussion to the different ways in which agencies operate, Sjölund asked Ahern about WME’s territorial model, leading Ahern to dismiss some of the myths about the practice.

“We don’t simply hand off to someone who does not know what they are doing. We engage experts who have knowledge about specific markets, or who speak the local language, and who can advise me as the agent who can then use that information to make a decision. But the person who presents the artist always has that direct relationship – if I do not have that direct contact with my artist, I get fired.”

Schroeder also underlined the importance of the promoter in planning career strategies for artists. “If we choose a promoter that we trust, why would we not want their opinion in a meeting with the artist and management? They are the well informed gamblers that we rely on.”

He concluded, “We need promoters to help us get to a point where touring becomes financially sustainable.”

 


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Marsha Vlasic honoured at 2024 Arthur Awards

Legendary agent and Independent Artist Group vice-chair Marsha Vlasic collected the prestigious Bottle Award during ILMC 36’s Arthur Awards.

The Oscars of the international live music business were attended by 470 of the industry’s top brass last night (29 February) in the midst of a sold out ILMC 36, which attracted 1,500 delegates to London’s Royal Garden Hotel.

Awards were handed to 11 winners at ILMC’s ‘Big Bang’ Gala-xy Dinner, with CAA’s Emma Banks reprising her role as host. The top promoter gong went to Steve Homer of AEG Presents, while the Second Least Offensive Agent category was won by Wasserman Music’s Tom Schroeder.

Live Nation’s Andrea Myers was named Most Professional Professional, and Ticketmaster’s Bhavika Patel was crowned The People’s Assistant.

“Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners at this year’s Arthur Awards”

“Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners at this year’s Arthur Awards,” says ILMC MD Greg Parmley. “Congratulations in particular to this year’s Bottle recipient, and live business icon, Marsha Vlasic!”

For more than two and a half decades, The Arthur Awards have been handed out during ILMC.

The shortlist of nominees in each category are decided by a committee of 150 industry professionals. Winners are then decided by a combination of an open vote of all ILMC members and IQ Magazine readers, and a closed panel of judges made up of senior industry figures.

The full list of Arthur Awards 2024 winners was as follows:

THE VENUE AWARD (FIRST VENUE TO COME INTO YOUR HEAD)
Hallenstadion, Zurich

THE PROMOTER AWARD (THE PROMOTERS’ PROMOTER)
Steve Homer, AEG Presents

THE AGENT AWARD (SECOND LEAST OFFENSIVE AGENT)
Tom Schroeder, Wasserman Music

THE FESTIVAL AWARD (LIGGERS’ FAVOURITE FESTIVAL)
Wacken Open Air

THE PRODUCTION SERVICES AWARD (SERVICES ABOVE & BEYOND)
The Tour Company

THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AWARD (MOST PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL)
Andrea Myers, Live Nation

THE ASSISTANT AWARD (THE PEOPLE’S ASSISTANT)
Bhavika Patel, Ticketmaster

THE TICKETING PROFESSIONAL AWARD (THE GOLDEN TICKET)
Bryan Perez, AXS

THE INDUSTRY CHAMPION AWARD (THE UNSUNG HERO)
Andy Franks, Music Support

YOUNG EXECUTIVE AWARD (TOMORROW’S NEW BOSS)
Daniel Lopez, Live Nation España

THE BOTTLE AWARD
Marsha Vlasic

 


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