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ILMC’s Misogyny in Music panel: Key takeaways

In the wake of the recent Misogyny in Music report, key figures from the music industry came together at ILMC last week to discuss the “endemic” misogyny and discrimination in the UK music industry.

Louise Halliday (Royal Albert Hall), Christina Hazboun (PRS Foundation/Keychange), Jen Smith (Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority – CIISA) and John Shortell (Musicians’ Union UK) assembled for last Thursday’s panel, moderated by Eunice Obianagha (Enspire Management/UK Music).

The panel considered the report and its recommendations and what more the live music business can do to combat misogyny and sexual harassment in the workplace. Below are five key takeaways from the session.

Women in senior leadership positions are crucial
Halliday: “If you’ve got women in positions of authority then that people feel that they have allies. For example, at the hall, we have our event managers and I think almost all but one are women. I think that’s a really important statement.”

Christina Hazboun, PRS Foundation/Keychange, said: “The core problem is mainly white cis men being in leading positions and the normativity that comes with the gender expectations and behaviours that come with that. This is very problematic for many women.”

The non-reporting of sexual harassment and misogyny is high
John Shortell, Musicians’ Union UK, said: “Our membership is made of about 35,000 musicians and 40% of that are women. We surveyed our female members about their experiences with misogyny and sexual harassment while working in the music industry. Over 48% of people who responded had been sexually harassed and of that 85% of them didn’t report it.

“So [the report] was an opportunity for us to voice the concerns, opinions and experiences of our female members without them suffering any dire consequences. We provided a written submission to the court for evidence, as well as oral evidence.”

Louise Halliday, Royal Albert Hall, said: “The thing that’s most worrying for us is underreporting. It’s easy to think that if you’re not hearing this as a problem, it means that it’s not a problem. So what we’re trying to do is to instil a culture of listening and hearing.”

Freelancers aren’t protected by existing policies
Jen Smith, CIISA: “70% of people working across the creative industries are freelancers so it’s really difficult to get a grip on the scale of what’s happening to people.

“We’re all reliant on freelancers and individuals who support the music. Sometimes they are left with nowhere to go or a multitude of places to report and that’s one of the failings that the report articulates – that the part of the jigsaw that’s missing is an overarching body.”

Resources and support must become unified within Europe
Hazboun: “This is a huge challenge where the moment you leave the UK and go to other countries, even across Europe, it becomes challenging to feel protected. The tools and mechanisms become less unified, especially after Brexit.”

Smith: “Jurisdiction is one of the key legal technical underbellies of CIISA. So if you are touring abroad, you’re based in the UK normally, we will consider that to be part of our jurisdiction. In terms of an international version, that’s something that the government is very keen to move forward with in the coming year.”

Shortell: “Different legislation in different countries prevents us from taking legal action but we’re definitely someone that you can always call to receive advice.”

If you’re not measuring representation, you can’t change it
Halliday: “We’ve got an audience development plan and we have milestones and targets that we were working towards because if you’re not measuring it, you don’t know where you are. It is a challenge for us, honestly, to get that kind of diversity and that balance in the lineup. But it’s something that having specifically measured and put targets in place, we can start to move towards it.”

To read more about the Misogyny in Music report, click here.

 


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Festival Republic relaunches gender-balance initiative

Festival Republic has announced the relaunch of its development programme for female and gender-expansive artists, on International Women’s Day.

ReBalance, which initially launched in 2017, is a year-long initiative designed to address “challenges along the new music pipeline journey while providing crucial, tangible support to emerging talent,” organisers said in a press release.

The programme is designed to provide opportunities on both the stage and in the studio. Beneficiary acts will receive dedicated studio time, mentorship from industry leaders, a year-end showcase, and a guaranteed Festival Republic event performance in 2025.

“We’ll be investing in emerging artists, offering practical support at a pivotal stage in their careers”

Studio work will be “led and/or assisted by a woman or gender-expansive professional,” in an effort to both diversify the recording environment and provide opportunities for production professionals.

“We’ll be investing in emerging artists, offering practical support at a pivotal stage in their careers. This includes providing them with tools, connections and a commitment to a festival booking at one of our events,” says Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic.

The six UK-based acts for this year’s class are Mary O’Donnell, Sprout, Bebeluna, samxemma, cruush and Red Ivory.

The relaunch of the initiative, which ran for three years before being paused due to the pandemic, comes during a period of heightened focus on misogyny in the UK music industry.

National lawmakers recently reported that the industry is a “boys’ club” with women facing intersectional barriers including racial discrimination.

“Women’s creative and career potential should not have limits placed upon it by ‘endemic’ misogyny which has persisted for far too long within the music industry,” says MP Caroline Nokes, Women and Equalities Committee chair.

Across 50 of Europe’s leading festivals last year, 90% of headlining performers were men, according to a study by IQ and ROSTR. Artists across the complete lineups also skewed male, with 35% of artists being female and 1% non-binary.

 


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French association Prodiss rebrands following merger

French trade association Prodiss has rebranded following a merger with the National Union of Private Theatres (SNDTP) and the Union of Cabarets and Music Halls (CAMULC).

The association will now be called Ekhoscenes, marking its expansion to all stages including music, theatre, comedy and cabaret.

Its membership comprises 600 companies and tens of thousands of employees including show producers, concert hall operators, theatre and cabaret directors, broadcasters and festival organisers.

Ekhoscenes says its objectives are representing the scenes in all its diversity, relaying the expectations and challenges of entertainment entrepreneurs, and developing an ever more daring and inclusive culture.

Ekhoscenes’ membership now comprises 600 companies and tens of thousands of employees

“From 2024, Ekhoscenes will be fully mobilised to meet the many current challenges that live performance actors, in all their diversity, are facing: the sequence of the Olympic and Paralympic Games which will greatly disrupt the activities of the live performance sector,” reads a statement from Ekhoscenes.

It continues: “The structuring of the National Music Center by contributing to an overhaul of aid and support programs in line with the evolution of the ecosystem; the strengthening of the Association for the Support of Private Theater (ASTP); the question of artificial intelligence and the need for recognition of the rights of show producers and the challenge of ecological transition with the transformation of models.”

Created in 1984, Prodiss was the first national union representing private performing arts. Its members in the live music industry include Accor Arena in Paris, the Bataclan in Paris, Live Nation France Festivals, Live Nation SAS and Mama.

 


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Raye steals the show at 2024 BRIT Awards

Raye dominated the 2024 BRIT Awards with a record-breaking six wins from seven nominations.

The UK singer-songwriter surpassed Harry Styles, Adele and Blur’s previous joint record of four for the most BRIT wins in one night, taking the awards for Album, Artist, Songwriter, Song (Escapism), Best New Artist and R&B Act.

The 26-year-old BRIT School graduate, who was signed to Polydor before finding success as an independent artist, also performed a medley of her hits at the event, held on Saturday (2 March) at The O2 in London. She will return to the venue on 15 March to play her biggest headline show to date.

“Raye stole the night, but we all know that,” her live agent Tom Schroeder of Wasserman Music tells IQ. “She stole it with the record breaking wins, with the performance, with her messaging about fairness within the industry, but most importantly with her story.

“Raye’s career took off when she took control, when she started making decisions; Raye runs Raye. We continue to break the rules, with March’s O2 being another chapter in the story – but everyone around the globe now knows what a complete artist she is – one of the UK’s greatest. She has changed the game and is the blueprint of how to do it.”

The 44th BRITs also saw performances from Dua Lipa, Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding, Tate McRae, Jungle, Becky Hill and Chase & Status, Rema and BRITs Global Icon Award recipient Kylie Minogue, who closed the show.

Other winners included Jungle (Group), Bring Me the Horizon (Alternative/Rock), Calvin Harris (Dance), Casisdead (Hip-hop/Grime/Rap), SZA (International Artist), Dua Lipa (Pop), Boygenius (International Group), Chase & Status (Producer) and Miley Cyrus (International Song – Flowers).

Hosted by Maya Jama, Clara Amfo and Roman Kemp, the Mastercard-sponsored event was broadcast live in the UK on ITV1 and ITVX, and livestreamed on YouTube for international viewers.

“Artists and managers and labels and agents have kept supporting it to enable it to be the event that it is today”

Meanwhile, the annual BRITs Week wraps up tonight (4 March) with BRITs Rising Star winners The Last Dinner Party at The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge.

The annual charity concert series features intimate one-off performances from big names. Since BRITs Week’s inception in 2009, the shows have raised more than £7 million for War Child to help children whose lives have been torn apart by war.

Produced by AEG Presents, BPI, Bauer Media Audio UK and War Child, BRITs Week commenced on 19 February with gigs by Cian Ducrot and You Me At Six will kick off proceedings at London’s Union Chapel and Brighton’s Concorde 2. The 2024 line-up has also included the likes of Baby Queen, Aitch, Ash, Pendulum, Sleaford Mods, CMAT and Venbee.

“It’s genuinely a joy to work on,” says Simon Jones, AEG’s SVP, live music international, speaking to IQ. “An industry fixture that has grown and grown over the past 10 years. Artists and managers and labels and agents have kept supporting it to enable it to be the event that it is today, and I hope it continues in that fashion.

“Maggie Crowe from the BPI has continued to give it its full backing, and Will Smyth from AEG and the whole War Child team have continued to tirelessly deliver the event to an even higher standard every year. We’re lucky artists want to play it; it’s not easy, but it always comes together!”

 


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The Great Escape unveils first speakers for 2024

The Great Escape (TGE) conference has announced its themes and first guest speakers for its revamped 2024 edition.

The UK music industry event returns to Brighton from Wednesday 15 May to Saturday 18 May, with the Council of Music Makers (CMM), The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), BBC Introducing and Youth Music each set to curate a day of the programme.

Confirmed speakers include Lauren Mayberry (Chvrches), Parklife and The Warehouse Project co-founder Sacha Lord, who is also night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester and chair of the Night Time Industries Association, and the They Think It’s All Sober podcast.

In the second room, The Great Escape’s partners will host panels including TikTok x Ticketmaster, The Spanish Wave, Audio Network, BPI, Pollstar, and Music Declares Emergency.

TGE has also announced the return of the Steve Strange Award for its third year. Introduced in honour of the late live agent and X-Ray Touring co-founder, the award recognises a music act that is breaking through creative boundaries. The recipient, who will receive a cash prize of £5,000, will be revealed on Monday 20 May.

“The scope of what’s going to be covered is more in depth and bigger and better than ever”

“We’re incredibly excited for how this brand new evolution of The Great Escape conference is shaping up,” says Rory Bett, CEO of organiser MAMA Festivals. “By bringing in some of the industry’s biggest and best networks and experts to develop the event, the scope of what’s going to be covered is more in depth and bigger and better than ever. This is the UK’s number one event for networking and getting ahead in the music industry like you’ve never seen it before.”

On 16 May, the CMM, the umbrella organisation representing the Ivors Academy, Featured Artists Coalition, Music Managers Forum, MPG and the Musicians’ Union, will cover key areas for people working in the business of music creation

The following day, the NTIA will provide a deep dive into the night time economy and current the state of play for venues and live entertainment. Then, on 18 May, BBC Introducing and Youth Music will focus on professional development for the next generation of emerging artists and entrepreneurs.

Saturday will also feature partner panels hosted by AudioActive, an organisation creating social change through music, and educational event platform THEFUTUREIS.

New for 2024, TGE has launched a brand-new Saturday-only conference ticket for £35, with a Saturday conference & festival combo ticket priced £75.

 


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HYBE concert revenue surged 40% in 2023

Seoul-based K-pop giant HYBE surpassed annual revenue of KRW 2 trillion (€1.5 billion) in 2023, powered by growth in its concert and album businesses.

Concert revenue soared around 40% year-on-year from KRW 258.2 billion (€178 million) in 2022 to KRW 359.1 billion (€253m) in 2023, with the total number of performances increasing from 78 to 125 during the period.

World tours by Suga of BTS and Seventeen, as well as the first North American stadium and Japanese dome tours by Tomorrow X Together and Enhyphen, contributed to the company’s revenue growth. Le Sserafim also held their first Asia tour with sold-out shows in Seoul, Japan, and Hong Kong.

Overall, the South Korean firm behind BTS scored the highest annual revenue (KRW 2.17 trillion) and operating profit (KRW 295.8bn) since its establishment in 2005, representing a year-on-year increase of 22.6% and 24.9%, respectively.

HYBE has maintained growth of annual revenue of more than 20% each year since going public in 2020

Its three-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) stands at 31.7% for revenue and 24.7% for operating profit. HYBE has maintained growth of annual revenue of more than 20% each year since going public in 2020.

Album sales were another key driver in the financial results, with HYBE artists collectively selling 43.6 million units last year, doubling the figure from the previous 12 months. Its global fandom platform Weverse also exceeded a monthly active user base of over 10m.

In addition, HYBE America’s management affiliate SB Projects has signed new artists including singer-songwriter Ozuna and rapper Kaliii, last year. SB Projects is forecasting substantial revenue growth for this year with the release of Ariana Grande’s new album in March.

HYBE has also disclosed plans for a cash dividend of KRW 700 won per share, totaling KRW 29.2bn.

 


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The Touring Business Handbook 2024 out now

The Touring Business Handbook, a brand-new resource produced by IQ in association with Centtrip, is out now.

The first edition of the handbook features a wealth of advice and information from specialists in insurance, law, visas & immigration, accountancy & tax, performance royalties and currency exchange.

“With thousands of tours heading out each year, IQ wanted to produce a single publication, updated every year, containing as much practical information as possible to help artists and their teams as they plan to cross borders,” say editors Francine Gorman and Eamonn Forde.

“When we started planning this first edition of the Touring Business Handbook, it was hugely encouraging that so many of the professionals we approached said the same thing – that this was something sorely missing from the desks of those planning, budgeting, and building tours. So in this first edition, we’ve invited contributions from many of the world’s top experts, who have kindly taken time to put pen to paper.”

Contributors include Blacks Solicitors, Bullocks Touring, MSE Business Management, Viva La Visa, PACE Rights Management, Voly Group, Miller Insurance, International Theatre Institute, Schickhardt Rechtsanwälte and Russells.

Higginbotham Insurance Agency, CC Young & Co, All Arts Tax Advisers, mgr Weston Kay, International Theatre Institute, T&S Immigration Services, Gelfand Rennert & Feldman, Tysers Live, SRLV and Centtrip have also lent their expertise.

The Touring Business Handbook is available in print, digitally, and on this dedicated year-round mini-site. To purchase a print copy of the report, get in touch.

A preview version of The Touring Business Handbook 2024 is below.

 


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IQ 125 out now: Peter Schwenkow, MVT, Gulf States

IQ 125, the latest issue of the international live music industry’s favourite magazine, is available to read online now.

The February/March edition sees DEAG founder Peter Schwenkow look back over 50 remarkable years as a live entertainment pioneer, while Derek Robertson talks to grassroots venue campaigners around the world as Music Venue Trust marks its tenth anniversary.

In addition, Lisa Henderson talks to female crew members and women backstage about the work they’re doing to pave the way for future generations, and Adam Woods shines a light on the burgeoning live entertainment markets in the Gulf States.

Elsewhere, we profile ten new festivals that are making their debut in 2024, and the full agenda for ILMC 36 is revealed.

For this edition’s comments and columns, IQ passes the mic to Cliff Fluet who previews his ILMC panel Artificial Intelligence: Moving at Light Speed, while ticketing guru Tim Chambers opines that the marriage between private equity and live entertainment has become too big to fail.

As always, the majority of the magazine’s content will appear online in some form in the next four weeks.

However, if you can’t wait for your fix of essential live music industry features, opinion and analysis, click here to subscribe to IQ from just £8 a month – or check out what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below:

 


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Futures Forum 2024 agenda ramps up

Futures Forum, the leading conference for the next generation of live music industry leaders, has unveiled the full speaker lineup for panels.

The fourth annual instalment of the gathering will again take place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on 1 March 2024 – the final day of its renowned parent event, the International Live Music Conference (ILMC).

The Agents vs Bookers panel is completed by CAA’s Beckie Sugden and Aimée Kearsley who will go head-to-head alongside Wasserman Music’s Alex Hardee and Holly Rowland, with Marc Saunders (The O2) set to lead the charge.

Joining the A&R in 2024: Unchartered Territory session are Maddie Arnold (Live Nation), Louisa Robinson (FORM), Caroline Simionescu-Marin (WME) and Lottie Bradshaw (TEG Live Europe). Sally Dunstone (Primary Talent) will spearhead the session.

A Greener Future: The Case Studies will see Nikoline Skaarup (DTD Concerts) discuss NorthSide Festival’s journey to going meat-free and Mark Stevenson (CUR8) explain The 1975’s carbon-removal shows at The O2. In addition, Mickey Curbishley will discuss how Solotech’s sustainability approach was redefined through their work on a Jonas Brothers concert. AEG Presents and Live Nation will also appear in this session.

CAA’s Beckie Sugden and Aimée Kearsley will go head-to-head alongside Wasserman Music’s Alex Hardee and Holly Rowland

Elsewhere, the Evolution of the Music Festival panel has gained Jamie Tagg (Mighty Hoopla), Daniel Lawson (GALA Festival/TOGETHERZERO), Jess Shields (Live Nation) and Bee Grzegorzek (Attitude Is Everything). The join moderator Ross Patel (Whole Entertainment/MMF Board).

Meet The New Bosses: Class of 2024 is now a full house, with Connie Shao (AEG Presents) in the moderator’s seat. Speakers are: Chloé Abrahams-Duperry (Ticketmaster), Vlad Yaremchuk (Atlas Festival), Jamie Shaughnessy (CAA) and Katja Thalerová (LALA Slovak Music Export).

Forming the speaker lineup for Now That’s What I Call 2024 is Melanie Eselevsky (Move Concerts), Niklas Magedanz (Goodlive Artists), Kerem Turgut (All Things Live) and Gurj Sumann (Live Nation), with Louise McGovern (Midnight Mango) at the helm.

Soapbox Sessions and the hotly anticipated Futures Forum Keynote will be announced soon.

Passes for the 1 March 2024 event are available for just £125+VAT, which includes all of the above, a five-star lunch, refreshments, drinks, and networking opportunities. For more information on Futures Forum 2024 or to purchase passes, click here.

 


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Montreux Jazz Festival stalwart passes

The Montreux Jazz Festival (MJF) team has paid tribute to European music industry stalwart Jaquelyne Ledent-Vilain following her death at 78.

German-born Ledent-Vilain, who died on 18 January, was an English teacher before meeting MJF’s legendary founder Claude Nobs in 1974.

She is credited with making the Swiss festival “a haven of peace” for artists, and was recruited by Nobs, then director of Warner Elektra Atlantic (WEA) Records, to work for the label.

“She developed a relationship of trust and complementary friendship with Claude,” reads a tribute shared by the event. “She was the rigorous one, he was the artist. By his side, she worked for over 30 years.”

Speaking to Le Temps in 2019, Ledent-Vilain explained: “One day, Claude Nobs’ assistant, whom I knew, called me to tell me that a guy who worked for the festival had just been hospitalised. She then asked me to come and help them out, and I accepted. That’s how I met Claude and also Nesuhi Ertegün, the big boss of WEA International. I really felt like I was discovering another world.

“The fiercest rockers nicknamed her ‘mom’ while Prince greeted her with a mischievous smile and a bow”

“I gave myself six months to see if I liked it. I started doing my homework: every weekend, I brought back stacks of vinyl, and I started reading Billboard magazine like the Bible.”

Ledent-Vilain spent more than two decades living in London during her WEA tenure, but returned to MJF each year to help out in an unofficial capacity.

“Every summer at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Jaquelyne took care of the backstage area, where she reunited with longtime friends and looked forward to meeting the new generations,” adds the MJF team. “When introducing herself to artists, she would simply say, ‘I am the backstage girl.’

“Whether they were emerging talents or global stars, all quickly discovered that Jaquelyne was much more than that. During their stay, she was both a protector, a trustworthy ally, a strict coordinator, and a fantastic storyteller. The fiercest rockers nicknamed her ‘mom’ while Prince greeted her with a mischievous smile and a bow. She could tell you many stories about AC/DC, Mariah Carey, or Nina Simone.

“After each concert, Jaquelyne would put down her notebook and gather everyone backstage to applaud the artists when they got out of stage. A gesture that surprised and touched the artists, accustomed to being applauded on stage, rarely backstage. We invite everyone – family, former colleagues, staff, managers, and artists – to come together to applaud, in turn, this great lady who ‘simply loved people’.”

 


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