Storm Boris: Gigs cancelled across central Europe
A number of concerts have been cancelled after Storm Boris unleashed severe flooding across central Europe.
The death toll has reached at least 19, with seven confirmed fatalities so far in Romania, five in Austria, four in Poland and three in Czech Republic, with several people missing, and thousands evacuated from their homes.
Elsewhere, Slovakia has declared a state of emergency in the capital Bratislava, while the Hungarian capital Budapest is braced for record high water levels on the River Danube. Italy is also expected to be hit by thunderstorms.
In Vienna, Austria, a headline show by US band Agriculture scheduled for Arena Wien last night (16 September) was called off “due to weather conditions”, although a gig by Peter Fox at Wiener Stadthalle went ahead as planned on Sunday.
Other cancellations include Böhse Onkelz’s 14 September concert at Trabrennbahn, Wels, and televised live music special Starnacht aus der Wachau (Star night from the Wachau), which was planned for 20-21 September. Flooding means the arena site in Rossatzbach must be dismantled.
“Due to the worrying water level of the Danube and the associated official requirements and orders, it is impossible to hold the event safely,” says a statement. “According to the notice, the event site must be cleared… Reconstruction of the event site could not begin until the middle of next week at the earliest and is no longer feasible in terms of time and technology by the planned day of the event.”
Acts lined up for the season finale TV spectacular, which has previously starred the likes of Anastacia and Chris De Burgh, included Andrea Berg, Söhne Mannheims, Patrizio Buanne, the Poxrucker Sisters, Charlien and Aura Dione.
“The weather forecast is so bad that it is not possible to responsibly guarantee that the event would take place”
A source tells IQ the situation is “pretty bad” in the south of Romania but is unaware of any gig cancellations, since the floods have mainly affected small villages – where one local mayor has described the scene as a “catastrophe of epic proportions”.
In Poland, a performance by Shunske Sato and the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra has been relocated from Wrocław to Warsaw as the wave moves towards larger cities from mountainous regions in the south.
Elsewhere, a concert of the Three Sisters in Valečov, Czech Republic has been rescheduled for May 2025.
“The weather forecast is so bad that it is not possible to responsibly guarantee that the event would take place in order, or that it would take place at all,” reports Idnes. “The area is grassy and unroofed, so it could be a problem to get all the equipment there, not to mention the musicians, not to mention the bars.”
David Nguyễn of Rock for People tells IQ that the capital Prague appears to be unaffected at present.
“We just had The Hu [at SaSaZu] three days ago and I think other Prague promoters are doing shows,” he says. “Some people didn’t arrive to the show, so I guess they are from the part of country that is affected by flooding.”
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The New Bosses 2024: Filip Košťálek, Colours of Ostrava
The 17th edition of IQ Magazine’s New Bosses, in association with Futures Forum, was revealed in IQ 129, recognising 20 of the most promising 30-and-unders in the international live music business.
To get to know this year’s class a little better, IQ conducted interviews with each one of 2024’s New Bosses, discovering their greatest inspirations and pinpointing the reasons for their success.
As a teenager, Filip started organising concerts for student bands, film screenings, and other cultural events in his hometown of Ostrava, and his efforts were rewarded when Colours of Ostrava offered him a temporary role at the festival. After two years, he was invited to become a full-time member of the festival booking team, starting with Czech and Slovak bands and progressing through smaller international artists to bigger names and headliners.
What one thing would you like artists, fans, and other music industry professionals to learn about your country to persuade them to visit your events, or to listen to some Czech bands and artists?
I think Czechs in general are very open, honest and friendly. This is what you experience when interacting with Czech artists and promoters but also when attending local events. Overall, we are very easygoing.
As a programmer, are there any particular events, forums or platforms that you visit to try to discover the next big act?
I like SXSW in Austin, Texas, but also Transmusicales in Rennes, France. Eurosonic and IFF are very effective too. However, to discover next big act, it is very valuable for me to speak with colleagues, agents, other promoters and also visit smaller, genre/regional-specific showcases and conferences.
What has been the highlight of your career, so far?
Every year is a highlight. Since 2015, each edition of Colours of Ostrava is groundbreaking for me — each year is different, offers new challenges, opens up new experiences and brings amazing moments to share with tens of thousands of people.
What advice would you give to anyone who is trying to find a job in live music?
Do not try to find a JOB in live music. You should start doing it because you love it, regardless of time or money. The second advice is: always respect colleagues. The live music industry is a teamwork.
“Do not try to find a JOB in live music. You should start doing it because you love it, regardless of time or money”
Your remit also includes the development of the festival – where do you find the inspiration for new ideas, and how do you gauge their success?
I take inspiration from everywhere around me: Media, films, internet, community events, sports events, travelling, leisure activities. Travelling is very important to me. I am trying to be receptive and store everyday impulses and experiences somewhere in the brain. Some ideas stay stored there for years before implementing them into the event.
As the festival is a package of many things, sometimes, it is very hard to measure the success – especially as we need to track emotions and feelings of people. Surveys are useful, data analysis from wristbands too, however, I think, that nowadays, you can get quick feedback from social media, especially from Instagram photos.
Do you have a mentor or anyone you rely on to bounce ideas off?
I am glad to be working with Zlata Holušová. She is the artistic director of the festival and 23 years ago she founded the festival in a city whose cultural and social conditions did not suggest the potential for one of the best international music festivals in Europe at all. She created this festival from scratch based on non-mainstream genres with a desire to discover new artists from all around the world. I think this desire, not to be shallow and fully absorbed by the mainstream despite the size of the event and to try to go to the heart of the music and ideas is very inspiring.
And what about meeting new contacts in the business – are there any conferences, festivals or other events that you have attended that been useful for networking?
I think this matches with the previous question of discovering next big act. Usually, the events that can bring in the new talent can also gather inspiring people who can do things. Nevertheless, I think, that very often, smaller events with 20-30 delegates are better to find real connections which go beyond business. As the live music industry is more a lifestyle than a job, I think, it is very valuable to have deeper relations to understand each other.
“Having more protection and advocacy in case of emergencies and concert cancellations would definitely be beneficial”
As a New Boss, what one thing would you change to make the live entertainment industry a better place?
Everyone involved tends to say that we are all equal partners in this industry. It would be great if this were really the case, both on a legal and on a human level. Everyone is fighting their own battle, but from the festival organiser’s point of view, we are exposed to a huge risk every year. We are now working with budgets in the millions of euros and our potential for success is really uneven compared to the extreme risk. That’s our business, but having more protection and advocacy in case of emergencies and concert cancellations would definitely be beneficial for healthy industry.
What would you like to see yourself doing in five years time?
I hope that I will be doing the same: working with music, exploring the boundaries of art and ideas and bringing joy and deep experience to wide audience.
You’re a big advocate for the Meltingpot programme at the festival. Can you tell us more about it?
I am glad that most of the people coming to our festival are entering the festival venue around lunchtime, so they are enjoying the festival all day all night four days in a row. Since morning, they are attending 13 stages of Meltingpot — panel discussions, interviews, key notes and workshop on the topics such as longevity, AI, ecology, education or world in change. At the moment, we are hosting more than 300 speakers from all around the world at this discussion forum. I’m proud, that our audience is open to listening and talking about different global and personal challenges. At first glance, this is far from a music festival vibe, but at second glance, this is the magic and essence of music – bringing people together, sharing ideas, all in a pleasant, friendly atmosphere, isn’t it?
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Colours of Ostrava: ‘There’s a thin line between success and failure’
Colours of Ostrava programmer Filip Košťálek has spoken to IQ about the 21st edition of the Czech festival.
This year’s instalment returned to Ostrava, the country’s third-largest city, between 17–20 July, with Sam Smith, James Blake, Tom Morello, Lenny Kravitz, Sean Paul and Khruangbin among the top-billing acts.
Here, Košťálek tells IQ how the festival is bridging a generational gap, what the global IT outage meant for them and why it wasn’t the “easiest” year for the event…
IQ: How many tickets did you sell for this year’s edition?
FK: We have not been publishing attendance figures for several years. Since there is no single metric for counting attendance, we consider the quality of artistic performances and visitor satisfaction to be more important. However, we are still one of the largest international festivals in Central Europe.
What are you most proud of with this year’s edition?
I’m very proud of our audience and the overall atmosphere of the festival. This edition showed us once again that our festival is about discovering new original music from all over the world, regardless of genre. Visitors of all generations filled our eight music and 13 discussion stages to the brim, no matter how well-known the performer. Our visitors showed warmth and love to the world’s biggest stars and emerging artists across all four days.
“The outage of the global air traffic clearance system in the middle of the festival was a shocking moment”
What were the main challenges of this year’s event?
The outage of the global air traffic clearance system that hit our performers at European airports right in the middle of the festival was a shocking moment. Although we had made all sorts of plans for replacements and rescheduling, in the end, we were lucky and it only meant rescheduling one show. We are delighted that we were able to deliver all the shows.
How much have costs risen since last year and what measures have you taken to ensure the festival remains profitable?
Overall costs have risen by 20-25% year-on-year, so it is clear that we have had to continuously respond to these significant changes. As we strive to keep the festival as accessible as possible, working with ticket prices is quite sensitive for us – we’ve addressed this by adding new categories that expand the ticket offer while opening up the opportunity for new audiences to attend. At the same time, our commercial partners are helping us a lot, for which we are very grateful!
Nevertheless, the line between the success and failure of festivals is getting very thin. I believe that the current economic setup of the industry dramatically increases extreme risks for promoters compared to the potential profits. We never compromise on quality, but we are forced to think more and more about each item in our budgets.
“Overall costs have risen by 20-25% year-on-year, so it is clear that we have had to continuously respond to these significant changes”
Czechia is one of the only European countries that hasn’t adopted the Euro (though it seems there are plans to) – how does the currency fare when it comes to artist fees?
Of course, this means more work for us in the economic department. We have to monitor exchange rates and buy currency as necessary. But I think we are managing and it doesn’t limit us.
There have been many reports of festivals struggling to book headliners. What was your experience with securing the 2024 lineup?
I think we did very well this year thanks to the support of our agents and the good name of our festival with 23 years of history. It was definitely not the easiest year, but to complain would be blasphemy.
When Sam Smith, a non-binary artist, was announced to play at the festival, there were some uncouth remarks from people on social media. Why do you think that was? Do Czech audiences embrace LGBTIQ+ artists?
It is about the fact that our festival is one of the biggest cultural events in the Czech Republic. This means that we have a truly society-wide reach and impact, reaching the majority of the population, who are not necessarily festival-goers. However, I must say that the Czech Republic is generally a very open and tolerant country.
“We also introduced psychological First Aid for staff and visitors… we know that huge events can be challenging for a lot of people”
Was there anything new or improved at this year’s festival?
No edition is the same, we strive to improve across all departments. To innovate every year. This year, we added two stages: the NYC stage with an eclectic lineup full of music, stand-up comedy, theatre and discussions in a new glamour tent, and the storytelling tent for sharing stories about Indigenous culture and connection with the soul and nature.
We also introduced psychological First Aid for staff and visitors. We know that huge events can be challenging for a lot of people. This service has been warmly received and I am pleased that, in the end, the number of people who had to use this service was less than we had anticipated. This means that Colours of Ostrava is a safe, comfortable and inclusive festival.
Pavla Slivova (head of booking & artist liaisons) said at IFF 2022 that there was a generation gap at the festival and the team needed to refocus its attention on what Gen Z finds attractive. Have you managed to do that?
I think it’s on the right track. This transformation is definitely not a task that can be accomplished in one year but I feel that not only Gen Z, but society in general, is starting to realize again how important it is to meet and have long, intense experiences.
We’re going to work on this step by step, and this year has shown us the right way. I think it’s mainly about communication: the way we receive information is evolving dynamically, and we try to adapt to that so that young audiences understand us, so that they realise the importance of culture, simply so that we speak the same language. At the same time, we are placing even more emphasis on the safety and comfort of visitors. We have introduced psychological first aid and with the help of our partners, expanded the range of relaxation rest areas.
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Rock For People on triumphing over the ‘headliner drought’
Rock For People booker David Nguyễn has told IQ how the festival triumphed over the ‘headliner drought’ to produce the record-breaking 2024 edition.
The Czech Republic festival returned to Hradec Králové’s Park 360 between 12–15 June, attracting over 40,000 visitors.
The 29th edition featured the likes of Bring Me The Horizon, The Offspring, Yungblud, The Prodigy, Avril Lavigne, Sum 41, Palaye Royale, Parkway Drive, Pendulum, Enter Shikari and Dogstar Ft. Keanu Reeves.
“If we compare this year’s lineup with the previous year, the headliners are not [as big as] Muse or Slipknot but it worked very well as one package combining lots of bands our fans wanted to see,” says Nguyễn.
The availability of headline talent has been a major issue across the festival industry, with UTA’s Jules De Lattre surmising at ILMC 36: “Major artists have less of a financial incentive to play festivals since the headline touring business is more rewarding than ever.”
“[This year’s lineup] worked very well as one package combining lots of bands our fans wanted to see”
Nguyễn testifies to that, remembering: “Last September when I was at IFF, I already had some headliners pencilled in. Then everyone at the conference was talking about how difficult it was to find headliners and when I got back, mine started to cancel. It was quite tough to find the right bands that go together. In the end, we found a way to make it work.”
In fact, the headliner drought gave Rock For People the opportunity to boost some burgeoning acts up the bill and induct a new class of headliners.
“We had Bring Me the Horizon headline the Friday – who are a new-generation headliner,” says Nguyễn. “And on Saturday, Yungblud headlined, which I think was one of his first festival headline shows.”
Fans were initially critical of Rock For People booking Yungblud in the top spot above more mature acts like Pendulum, says Nguyễn, but the naysayers were won over in the end.
“After the show, we got so many messages from fans saying they’re sorry, they saw Yungblud’s show and said they actually quite liked it,” he says.
“It’s important for us to create new headliners,” he continues. “To be honest, I’m not a fan of these old dinosaur headliners who have played everywhere for the last 30 years.”
The balance of talent across the bill worked well across the festival’s main and second stages, which this year became the same size and alternate performances.
“It’s important for us to create new headliners”
However, Nguyễn hastens to add that packing the bill with tomorrow’s headliners doesn’t necessarily save the festival money on artist fees, especially with the fluctuation of the Czech Koruna.
“Sometimes, if you have to pay the invoice right now and the rate is not good, then we might pay more,” he explains. “I still remember a situation a few years ago when we signed the artists really early so the rate was quite different from what it was at the end of the festival. The deposit and the balance were quite different prices…”
Other challenges for this year’s edition include staffing – particularly in the security department – with the festival “still trying to find a solution for that”.
On the sustainability front, the festival is going from strength to strength. With a goal to be climate-neutral and energy-self-sufficient by 2030, the event employs alternative energy sources, including hydrogen and solar panels, and sorts waste into 18 categories.
The booking team also plays their part in the cause, making it a priority to find locally sourced replacements for items on artist riders, according to Nguyễn.
So with this year’s festival inked in the record books, the only question is how Rock For People is going to raise the bar once again for its 30th edition.
“That’s our question every year because since Covid the festival keeps growing,” laughs Nguyễn. “In 2022, our first year after Covid, we had Green Day and then we were like ‘Oh, what are we going to do next year?’. Then in 2023, we had Muse and Slipknot and the question again was, ‘What are we going to do next year?’. Even though we didn’t have the bigger names this year, in the end, it worked really well. So we’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing.”
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‘We take pride in hosting international talent’
Rock for People is retaining its four-day format and international focus after unveiling Bring Me The Horizon as its first headliner for 2024.
Promoted by Ameba Production, the 40,000-cap Czech Republic festival will return to Park 360 in Hradec Králové from 12-15 June. It expanded from three to four days last year when returning from its pandemic-enforced hiatus.
“Fans come first with us, so when they let us know that they wanted Bring Me The Horizon the most, we did everything we could to make sure they got their wish,” says festival director Michal Thomes. “Booking bands is not a simple thing at all, a lot of circumstances have to come together correctly, such as the band is touring that year, it suits the date and so on. So I am very happy that we managed to do it.”
Three headliners are still to be announced, while other acts confirmed so far include Avril Lavigne, Corey Taylor, Parkway Drive, Pendulum and Keanu Reeves’ band, Dogstar. Four-day tickets start at €156.
“Seeing Dogstar perform with the stellar Keanu Reeves on bass is a dream come true for me,” adds Thomes. “We tried to invite the band back in the 90s, but it didn’t work out and the band was not active for almost 20 years. We are even more happy that it finally happened.”
Founded in 1995, the festival featured in IQ Magazine‘s recent list of ten of Europe’s brightest independent gatherings. Its 2023 line-up starred the likes of Slipknot, Muse, Architects, Machine Gun Kelly, The 1975, Papa Roach, Billy Talent and Nothing But Thieves.
“We take pride in hosting more international talents than local acts, setting us apart from other Czech festivals”
“We take pride in hosting more international talents than local acts, setting us apart from other Czech festivals,” said booker David Nguyen. “Our event emerged as a charitable festival in the quaint town of Český Brod. Its inaugural edition garnered an unexpected attendance of 1,100 visitors, catalysing the journey that lay ahead.
“The resounding success of this modest beginning propelled Ameba Production to elevate the festival into a full-time pursuit, ultimately establishing it as one of the foremost festivals in the Czech Republic. Notably, the event’s evolution prompted a pivotal relocation to the former military airport in Hradec Králové in 2007, a decision that was driven by its burgeoning popularity.
Nguyen acknowledged the increased complications for independent promoters around rising production costs and “skyrocketing” booking fees, in addition to some artists choosing to work exclusively with multinationals, but also noted the benefits of staying indie.
“Remaining an independent entity offers us the freedom to execute our creative vision without constraints, enabling us to curate a unique and authentic experience for our attendees,” he said.
Ed Sheeran will also perform a standalone show at Park 360 on 27 July next year, staged by Ameba Production in conjunction with FKP Scorpio, as part of the Rock for People Concerts series. Tickets, which will include the Park 360 Fan Zone, located in the immediate vicinity, are priced 1,990-2,990 CZK (€81-122).
“I am very happy that we can organise a concert of such a personality and unique musician as Ed Sheeran. The fact that he has chosen Park 360 for his show in the Czech Republic, which is also home to our Rock for People festival, is a huge honour and a milestone for us,” adds Thomes. “It’s proof for us that we are really pushing ourselves every year and our venue can compete with the world’s great arenas.”
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Metronome Prague adds rap stage for 2023 edition
Metronome Prague this year will feature a rap stage showcasing domestic and international talent from the hip-hop, grime and trap genres.
J.I.D (US), Kelvyn Colt (DE) and Frosti (PL) are among the international rappers that will perform on the new stage at the Czech Republic festival.
J.I.D’s performance will mark the first time an American artist has appeared on the main stage of Metronome Prague, which has so far spawned five editions.
J.I.D’s performance will mark the first time an American artist has performed on the main stage of Metronome Prague
The sixth edition of the festival will also see Czech artists such as Supercrooo, PSH live band, Sawsane, LU2 Vinyl Flexer, Annet X, Baby G, Gesto Booth, Pio Squad, DJ Doemixxx and DJ Noir join the female-heavy lineup for the rap stage.
They join previously confirmed artists Jamiroquai, M83, Moderat, ZAZ, Tove Lo, Aurora, Editors, Biig Piig and White Lies, who will perform at the festival between 22–24 June.
Taking place once again at the Prague Exhibition Grounds, the 2023 edition will comprise 80 concerts, taking place across four outdoor stages and three indoor stages.
Adult tickets for Metronome Prague currently start from €96 for a one-day ticket and €135 for a three-day ticket.
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10:15 Entertainment founder Milena Palečková dies
Milena Palečková, head of Czech entertainment agency 10:15, passed away on Saturday 7 January aged 55.
Palečková founded the 10:15 Entertainment agency in 2008, which followed on from the oldest private agency in the Czech Republic operating in the field of large concert productions, 10:15 Promotion.
10:15 Promotion staged the first concerts of Bob Dylan, Sinead O’Connor, Sex Pistols, Oasis, John Cale, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds or The Velvet Underground in the free post-1989 country.
Palečková was known for focusing not on the quantity but rather on the quality of artists she promoted
The company also promoted the JAM festivals at Prague’s Džbán camp with acts including Iggy Pop, Björk, Bryan Adams, Sinead O’Connor and Erasure.
Palečková was known for focusing not on the quantity but rather on the quality of artists she promoted, many of whom she developed long-term relationships.
Last year, her agency brought Patti Smith, Einstürzende Neubauten, Nick Mason from Pink Floyd and The Toy Dolls to the Czech Republic.
In the past, she promoted the local premiere of Gorillaz, concerts of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Leonard Cohen, Diana Krall, Suzanne Vega, Marianne Faithfull and the Harlem Gospel Choir.
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Festival Focus: More huge names confirmed for ’23
Another spate of European festivals have announced headliners and main stage artists for their 2023 editions.
Dutch festival Pinkpop has confirmed that British pop star Robbie Williams will return to Landgraaf for the first time since 2015.
He will close out Saturday night at the festival – which is said to be “the oldest and longest-running annual dedicated pop and rock music festival in the world” – while P!nk will top the bill on the Friday night. English indie rock band Editors and Dutch electronic band Goldband are also on the 2023 bill.
The 52nd edition of Pinkpop, promoted by Live Nation-owned Mojo Concerts, will take place between 16–18 June, next year.
Williams is also set to perform at the UK’s Isle of Wight festival, alongside Pulp, George Ezra and Chemical Brothers. Sugarbabes, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Anne-Marie, Gabrielle, Blondie and Ella Henderson have also been confirmed for the event, which runs between 15–18 June in Seaclose Park, Newport.
The festival is promoted by Solo Agency’s John Giddings and Live Nation.
Lowlands: “The oldest and longest-running annual dedicated pop and rock music festival in the world”
Elsewhere in the UK, DF Concert’s TRNSMT festival will see Pulp, George Ezra, Niall Horan, Sam Fender, Kasabian, The 1975 and Royal Blood perform at Glasgow Green in Scotland between 7–9 July next year.
Further South in the UK, Latitude will bring Pulp, Paulo Nutini, George Ezra, The Kooks, Metronomy to Henham Park, Suffolk, between 20–23 July.
In Poland, promoter Alter Art has announced Arctic Monkeys for the 2023 edition of Open’er, slated for 28 June to 1 July at Gdynia-Kosakowo in Gdynia. The English rockstars will close the Orange Main Stage on the Friday night, in support of their new album The Car.
And in neighbouring Czech Republic, Colours of Ostrava have confirmed US pop rock band One Republic as the first headliner for next year’s instalment, set for 19–22 July at Dolní Vítkovice in Ostrava.
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The New Bosses 2022: David Nguyen, Rock for People
The 15th edition of IQ Magazine’s New Bosses was published in IQ 114 this month, revealing 20 of the most promising 30-and-unders in the international live music business.
To get to know this year’s cohort a little better, IQ conducted interviews with each one of 2022’s New Bosses, discovering their greatest inspirations and pinpointing the reasons for their success.
Catch up on the previous New Bosses 2022 interview with Dan Rais, brand partnerships agent at CAA. The series continues with David Nguyen, booker at Rock for People in the Czech Republic.
David Nguyen is second-generation Vietnamese, living in the Czech Republic where he was raised in the spa town of Jáchymov, where Marie Curie discovered the uranium for which she won the Nobel prize.
In 2010, high schooler Nguyen wanted to see The Prodigy, Billy Talent, Alexisonfire, and Skindred at Rock for People festival, and to have enough money to buy beer, so he launched an ambassador project for the fans to get a free festival pass. The fateful festival led him to a work opportunity for social media agency Social Visage and renowned music magazine Rock & Pop, where he reached the position of online editor-in-chief.
At Rock for People, he gradually became one of the main bookers, and with his contribution, the festival sold-out this year for the first time since 1995. Nguyen also manages Prague-based indie band I Love You Honey Bunny and books talent for Nouvelle Prague showcase festival, Prague Summer Festival, and Rock for People Concerts shows in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Does your background in journalism and social media help with any aspects of your festival work?
The knowledge from my previous jobs helped me a lot with my booking career. All these previous experiences, plus the possibility to tour with a band made me a more complex person, and thanks to this I can see things from a different perspective.
As a talent booker for a number of events, what is your process for trying to discover the next big act? (are there any showcase events/radio stations that you prefer, for example)?
It’s a little mix of everything, but I believe that nothing will beat the personal recommendation from the agents that I’ve been working closely with. Or sometimes you are just lucky because you found a great band opening for a bigger act or hidden somewhere at a showcase festival. My goal is actually not to discover the next big act, I prefer working with so-called baby bands on a long-term basis and grow with them step by step. Starting with the best possible slot at the festival and a follow-up with a headline show is the best scenario for every new band in the market.
If you could offer the 20-year-old David one piece of advice, what would it be?
Buy a lot of bitcoins and sell them eight years later? (ha-ha) Tell my younger self to be patient with whatever he is dealing with in life and try to solve everything with a calm mind.
“I prefer working with so-called baby bands on a long-term basis and grow with them step by step”
You are also the manager of a band – I Love You Honey Bunny. What has been the biggest challenge for them as they try to restart their live career in the post-covid ‘new normal?
The band was close to signing a label and then covid came and stopped our plans. Thinking back, so many things happened in these past two years – livestream concerts, drive-in cinema concerts, virtual concert in a computer game (Rock for People In the Game), first Covid-free live shows, recording new songs in Amsterdam, and an attempt to finish the album in Brighton, which thanks to Brexit-related complications the producer flew to Prague instead. We did not expect the song Yellow & Blue to be still relevant eight years after it was written. Hopefully, the war in Ukraine will end soon.
As a new boss, what one thing would you change to make the live entertainment industry a better place?
We need to improve our interpersonal relationships. During Covid, everyone was saying that we are in this together and now it’s back to what it was before Covid and sometimes even worse. The entertainment industry is still struggling, the war in Ukraine is affecting our lives, and everyone is trying to make all the money they lost in the past two years, as fast as they can. This is not the sustainable way, we need to be more open and honest here. And it’s not only between us and the agents/management… all the suppliers shouldn’t take advantage of this and make inflation an excuse to make everything more expensive when they are still paying the same to their staff.
What has been the highlight of your career, so far?
When I Love You Honey Bunny got a chance to play at the Envol Et Macadam festival in Quebec. We DIY-booked our first tour ever with a sleeping at Walmart parking lot experience and surviving on eating poutine and Vietnamese baguettes. The Canadian tour connected us and showed us that this is really what we want to do in our lives, and also that the card you are using for payments in Europe is actually not a credit card, and you can’t rent a car with it.
“We need to improve our interpersonal relationships”
Which three acts would be on your ideal festival line-up?
Hard question… that’s worse than asking me what I am going to eat, because I spend hours choosing my food. Billy Talent is one of my oldest favourite bands, so definitely them. I love the guys from Missio, who took the risk and flew from the US to the Covid-safe version of Rock for People last year. Leoniden from Germany is one of the best live bands that I know, and they can handle drinking Slivovitz with their promoter, so they must be on the bill!
What one thing would you like artists to learn about coming to perform in the Czech Republic?
The Czech Republic is beautiful and has places other than just Prague. I understand that some bands are flying in and driving an hour or two so they think they are still in the capital city but shouting “Hey, Prague!” in a different city is disrespectful.
Also, never take money from Euronet ATMs, which give rip-off exchange rates, and that we have a different currency than in Budapest where they played the day before. HUF20,000 (€50) is not like CZK20,000 (€800), or with a bad Euronet rate it’s even €1000+… you can’t even drink that much beer in an evening!
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The New Bosses: Introducing the class of 2022
The 15th edition of IQ Magazine‘s New Bosses can now be revealed, highlighting 20 of the most promising 30-and-unders in the international live music business.
New Bosses 2022 inspired the most engaged voting process to date, with hundreds of people taking the time to submit nominations. The final 20 comprises executives working across agencies, promoters, ticketing companies, charities and venues in 12 different countries.
In no particular order, the New Bosses 2022 are:
Benji Fritzenschaft, DreamHaus (DE).
Clara Cullen, Music Venue Trust (UK).
Dan Rais, CAA (CO).
David Nguyen, Rock The People (CZ).
Daytona Häusermann, Gadget ABC (CH).
Grant Hall, ASM Global (US).
James Craigie, Goldenvoice (UK).
Kathryn Dryburgh, ATC Live (UK).
Resi Scheurmann, Konzertbüro Schoneberg (DE).
Seny Kassaye, Fort Agency (CA).
Agustina Cabo, Move Concerts (AR).
Sönke Schal, Karsten Janke Konzertdirektion (DE).
Steel Hanf, Proxy Agency (US).
Steff James, Live Nation (UK).
Stella Scocco, Södra Teatern (SE).
Vegard Storaas, Live Nation (NO).
Lewis Wilde, DICE (UK).
Zoe Williamson, UTA (US).
Jonathan Hou, Live Nation (US).
Maciej Korczak, Follow The Step (PL).
Subscribers can read shortened profiles of each of the 2022 New Bosses in issue 114 of IQ Magazine, which is out now. Full-length Q&As will appear on IQ in the coming days and weeks.
Click here to subscribe to IQ for just £7.99 a month – or check out what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below:
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