In the concluding part of our interview with pop monarch Gary Howard, the UTA agent reflects on the second half of his career and shares his hopes for the future. Catch up on part one here.

Going Live
In the late 90s, Gary Howard realised that if he wanted to remain in music for the long haul, he needed to shake things up. “As a young lad, I genuinely thought anyone over 30 didn’t have a clue about music because they were too old. But at the age of 29, it dawned on me that I could not do nightclub PAs forever and needed to get into live music.

“The problem was I didn’t have a clue how to put a tour together. I didn’t know about spread-sheets, band end deals, production, etc. I tried some live bits at Mission Control, and my first attempt was PJ & Duncan, but I never went to a single show because I got fired the night before the tour started. And I realised it was because I didn’t know what I was doing, and I had no help at Mission Control.”

Determined to start working with live acts, Howard convinced Jason Donovan to return to touring. “That was the start, and my way in was working with artists like Tony Hadley, Go West, Bananarama, Peter Andre, and East 17.

Through Samuel’s management firm, ASM, Howard also worked with acts like So Solid Crew, Oxide & Neutrino, and Blazin’ Squad. “So I was really starting to cut my teeth, live wise, but despite the fact I owned half of Mission Control by that point, I knew after 17 years I had to move on. CAA and WME had arrived in town, and I needed more experience to get them to look at me. I needed to go somewhere where I’d get more support.

“With N-Dubz, the boys were geniuses and Tulisa just gave them that pop edge that was setting them apart from others”

“I met with the legendary Barrie Marshall and discussed setting up a new agency with him called Marshall Arts Talent. It was 2008, I left Craig D’Souza (now at WME) to take the managing director role at Mission Control. I told Craig when I left that Mission wouldn’t survive without me and had 24 months, tops. Craig left two years later and Mission perished.

“But I figured that if I was going to learn about the live business, who better to be around than Barrie Marshall?”

The only problem was that Barrie was so busy with clients such as Paul McCartney, Elton John, and P!nk that Howard had very few opportunities to work alongside him.

“I didn’t really get the full benefit of Barrie, but while I was there, I signed N-Dubz. I could see their potential for arenas, even though at that point, the only arena shows I’d done were with Simon Moran at SJM when we put together the Clubland Live tours. But I knew this band had that something, so I promised I would have them in arenas within three years. I did it in two.

“With N-Dubz, the boys were geniuses and Tulisa just gave them that pop edge that was setting them apart from others. Most people saw just another British urban band only doing clubs. I saw a group that made amazing songs and was mind blowing live. Before I signed them, I went to Amadeus nightclub in Rochester, a 3,500-cap venue on a Sunday afternoon, and it was just rammed, with every kid in that room singing every word to every song. They blew me away and still do to this day.

“That’s always been the difference for me with pop. I see it. I understand it. That’s maybe a lot to do with learning from Pete Waterman. He was the best to learn from, and I’m so proud that I have maintained my relationship with him after all this time.”

“Jason Donovan came in to see me, and all these metal heads were just freaking out”

Having recently enjoyed a sell-out comeback tour with N-Dubz, Howard contends that the trio were pioneers who helped pave the way for numerous UK urban acts. “For instance, back in the noughties, Wireless Festival had only been putting on big American acts and hadn’t had any British urban acts. But I told Steve Homer he should do it, and to be fair, he put N-Dubz on the main stage. And then Simon Moran put them on V Festival. And those performances opened the door for many others that had been locked in clubs to make the climb.

“That said, I also convinced Simon to book Peter Andre for V Fest, and he caused a roadblock, as I had predicted.”

Getting Support
Unsure about where to go next to further his career, a conversation with George Michael’s manager, Andy Stephens, put him on the right track. “Andy said to me that Neil Warnock was the best agent in the business – and that’s basically the reason I am where I am – because of Neil. I’m a big believer in the saying ‘go where you’re celebrated, not where you’re tolerated,’ and I felt that straight away when I met Neil.”

However, being at what was then The Agency Group was rocky to begin with. “For 19 years, I’d been at the top of the firm,” explains Howard. “I’d run my own companies, but suddenly, I was just part of this big chain, which sometimes means it takes a bit longer to get things done. I remember arriving with Dani [Simmonett] on our first day at The Agency Group. We came from a pop world that wore nice clothes and went to nice venues. The receptionist was covered in tattoos and had loads of piercings, and the whole feel of the place was rock and indie, and we were like, ‘What the fuck have we walked into?’”

But the pop department soon had the upper hand. “One day, Jason Donovan came in to see me, and all these metal heads were just freaking out. There’s always a buzz about the place when one of my clients comes to visit. Pop music does that to people – in pop, you’re a brand.”

“I was thrilled a few years later when the company announced that David Zedeck was coming onboard. It was literally a dream come true for me”

And while others might have panicked when the company was acquired in 2015, Howard was ecstatic.

“I was in New York with my family when I got an urgent message from Geoff Meall to call him. It was to hear that Neil had sold the company to UTA. I thought it was absolutely brilliant news because it meant I would finally be able to compete with William Morris and CAA, who had all turned me down before.

“In fact, on my first meeting with [UTA CEO] Jeremy Zimmer, when he asked me what the company could do to help drive growth, my immediate answer was ‘Get David Zedeck!’ So I was thrilled a few years later when the company announced that David Zedeck was coming onboard. It was literally a dream come true for me. This is the biggest pop agent in the world, and I knew the value of having him.”

Having clocked up 15 years at the company, Howard notes that his skills have developed markedly under Warnock’s tutelage. “Neil is an amazing soundboard,” he tells IQ. “Like all agents, I can get a bit above my station, but Neil can pull me down a peg or two when it’s needed, and I appreciate that, so it was a great move for me – and I’ve finally found someone who is willing to put their arm around me for support. Although Doris [Dixon] at Marshall Arts was also good at that, I have to say.”

With more than a decade of selling out arena tours for his popstar clients, Howard’s contribution is not taken for granted by building operators. Indeed, in addition to collecting the coveted Agent of the Year gong a couple of years ago from the world’s busiest venue, The O2, rumour has it that venue staff now refer to hospitality suite 210 as The Gary Howard Suite, given his perceived omnipresence, thanks to his acts dominating the calendar (and his love of watching shows).

“There’s a wall backstage at The O2 with all the promoters’ names on it that all the agents freak out about because we’re not on it – none of us. It’s outrageous,” observes Howard. “However, during the N-Dubz tour, someone added my name on the wall,” he adds, feigning innocence. “It stayed up there for quite a while, apparently…”

“I always had a very clear plan for Craig [David], as I knew he could fill arenas”

Comeback King
Addressing industry bias toward pop acts, Howard says it remains an issue, but the accusations of artists not being credible no longer stack up, as the revenues they can generate are very serious indeed. “Colleagues like Paul Ryan – who looks after Bring Me The Horizon and loads of cool bands – absolutely love my roster and the shows that we book for them.”

One act that his UTA peers always like to see in their offices is Craig David, whom Howard waged a long-term campaign to represent. “I was knocking on [manager] Colin Lester’s door for 16 years,” he states. “I represented Artful Dodger back in the day, plus all the spin-offs – Robbie Craig, Lifford, Romina Johnson, Michelle Escoffery… the only one missing was Craig David. At first, Colin ignored my calls, but I never gave up. I knew I would be Craig’s agent even if he and Colin didn’t.”

Eventually, Colin caved and opened the door, but it was not as straightforward as Howard had envisioned. “I have to be honest, I didn’t understand the TS5 concept at first. If you’re selling something and you don’t get it, it’s very difficult. But thankfully, [the late] Ben Kouijzer, one of our DJ agents who I brought on board explained it to me, and I got it.

“I always had a very clear plan for Craig, as I knew he could fill arenas.” Revealing his strategy, Howard says, “I wanted to go for the younger crowd first, so we just did festivals to begin with, performing as only Ts5 sets. I held back the arenas as we built the comeback.

“Craig coming back was a massive moment for me as an agent, as well as for him, because a lot of people were saying it was the greatest comeback of all time.”

“I got Steps back. I was over the moon because they are just the best people to work with, and I love them”

Having tempted many artists back out of their living rooms (Rick Astley and Jason Donovan, included), it’s another act that Howard cites as one of his biggest coups – Steps, who under his stewardship have enjoyed huge success with a number of sold-out arena tours since their comeback.

“I’d been banging on everyone’s doors for about four or five years, and finally, the feedback from [singer] Claire [Richards] was that everyone kept talking about the band reforming, but nobody put any money on the table.”

Arranging a meeting with Richards, Howard reveals that in the meantime, he turned to then Live Nation’s Steve Homer and Simon Moran to hammer out a deal. “They both trusted me and believed what I believed, so quickly came on-board. I walked into that meeting with Claire and put the money on the table. And I got Steps back. I was over the moon because they are just the best people to work with, and I love them.”

“Dani, my long-term assistant, says going to a Steps show is a cure for depression. She is so right – they are just the best, and it’s fun when you watch 15,000 people in an arena all doing the same dance moves. It always cheers you up.”

As the master of the comeback, Howard discloses his thinking behind persuading pop acts to get back together. “It’s definitely a ten-year thing,” he says. “You need that distance and to keep your powder dry. Look at what my good friend Solomon [Parker] did with Girls Aloud – he did a great job – along with Paul Franklin with McBusted and Five.”

“Barrie Marshall taught me that the two most important people to keep happy are the artist and audience”

Indeed, it’s a couple of acts Howard is working on with David Zedeck that have him most excited about the next couple of years.

“Leona Lewis looked at what we’ve done with Craig and everybody else and wanted us to represent her as we look to plot the next part of her live career. That was a lovely moment, knowing that this amazing artist could see the hard work and love we put in over the years on others,” he states.

“The act that I’m most excited about working on is Zayn. David Zedeck signed Zayn and brought me in as part of the team.

“Zayn is a very special and important client, and again, we had a clear plan in reintroducing him back to live shows and working closely with his manager Nicola Carson, who was extremely instrumental in building the plan, which we’ve been able to deliver with perfect results.

“We opened with a Shepherds Bush Empire show in May last year and then added a small run of underplays in the UK and US. It was the right thing to do: he loved it, and the audience loved it. Barrie Marshall taught me that the two most important people to keep happy are the artist and audience.

“The pent-up demand for tickets and fans sitting in the waiting room for all of his shows was outstanding. That build continues and we are kicking things off with three sold-out arena shows [25, 27, and 28 March] in Mexico City.

“Success is that I’m still in this business after 35 years doing what I love and that amazing artists still want to work with me”

“As we plot the future for Zayn, I can tell you that sales will continue to be stratospheric. The demand is a real eye-opener. David and I get constant emails from every major promoter globally to book Zayn.

“Zayn will be in stadiums – there’s no question about that. But it’s about doing the right things at the right time and, luckily, I’ve got 35 years’ experience behind me. But more than that I’m working with the best pop agent in the world, David Zedeck. We share the same values for our clients, we truly care about them. So we’re making sure that we get it right for Zayn.”

Success & Successors
As he celebrates his latest milestone in the business, Howard puts his longevity down to hard work and gut instinct.

“I started a career and didn’t have much help but was determined to make it this far. 35 years later, I’ve earned good money, I drive very nice cars, I own property, have nice holidays. Is that success? No! Success is that I’m still in this business after 35 years doing what I love and that amazing artists still want to work with me.”

He notes. “I’m the kid who got told I wasn’t going to make anything of myself, had zero qualifications to my name, and hit a low by signing on the dole.”

And when it comes to his favourite signings, Howard doesn’t hesitate: “My two kids – Kenzie and Mason. My second wife and I couldn’t have children, so we adopted. And, without a doubt, they were my greatest signing… well, depending on what day it is,” he laughs.

“I’m still yet to achieve one goal and that is to represent the biggest boy band in the world – so watch this space on that one!”

Indeed, his occupation is maybe rubbing off…

“Musically, my daughter is across everything like I was, and I think she could make a great A&R. My son is more academic and would make a brilliant agent. But they’re both still figuring out what they want to do, and given the path I’ve had, there’s no way I’m rushing them into any decisions.”

But no matter which career they choose, hard work will be the proven Howard family route to success. “My granddad taught me that more than anyone,” says Howard. “When he was in hospital in 1993 and I was a young agent, I’d go to visit him every day after work. But one Friday, I had a wedding to go to, so I went to see him during the morning, and he berated me for not being at work.

“He was dying but his message was, ‘What are you doing here? You should be at work, you have a career to build.’ And even 35 years in, I still have that drive to be more successful and sign more acts.”

Some say he’s at the top of his game, but Howard concludes that the best is yet to come. “As Neil Warnock says, I’m just starting out. I have some amazing things coming, and I’m still yet to achieve one goal and that is to represent the biggest boy band in the world – so watch this space on that one!”

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Currently celebrating 35 years in music, UTA agent Gary Howard is the undisputed agency king of pop, with a roster that includes Craig David, Steps, N-Dubz, and Zayn Malik. Here, he tells Gordon Masson about his route to the top – from shovelling shit (literally) to becoming the only agent named on The O2 arena industry wall of fame…

As a wayward teenager, Gary Howard was, perhaps, the only person who didn’t know what he was going to do for a living.

“I’m still friends with people I was at school with, and they all tell me that they knew what I’d end up doing for a living because I was obsessed with music: I was always playing music, talking about it, and singing,” he recalls.

School days are best forgotten, however. “I got expelled, sort of, when I was 15. I loved being at school but didn’t take it seriously enough. It was a fun place for me to have a laugh with friends. Plus, I loved sport – I captained the rugby team, got picked to represent my district, and represented the school at football and basketball,” he says. “But after a series of altercations, they told me on January 31st, 1986 that I was suspended until further notice. Then just before my 16th birthday in April, I found a job polishing hotel bathtubs that paid me £80 per week, cash-in-hand. Back in 1986, that was a lot of money. And come Friday night, I was spending all my money on my mates in the pub, having a great time. So, when the school asked me to go back and do my exams, I couldn’t see the point. I’d missed out on all the coursework, so I felt they were setting me up to fail. But meanwhile, I had a job and was making my own way in life.”

“I didn’t go to my first concert until I was about 15 – Madonna and Michael Jackson at Wembley Stadium”

Flitting from job to job, Howard reveals that one of his favourite jobs was also the most disgusting. “We were cleaning up industrial estates – cutting the grass, sweeping the kerbs. Up in Boreham Wood, behind this row of shops that backed onto Elstree Studios, there was an alleyway where we had to clean up dog shit. On those days, you’d always want to be driving the van because the driver would have the keys, meaning they could get into the back first to grab the shovel, because when you were shovelling, you’d deliberately miss the opening of the bag and cover your mates in shit… I think this is why, now, I can handle most things that are thrown at me.

“Even on that job, my mates would accuse me of singing just to try to get discovered, because they then filmed Top of the Pops at Elstree.”

Rewind
Passionate about music from day one, Howard grew up in the village of Istead Rise in rural Kent before his parents’ divorce saw him move to Gravesend, on the outskirts of London.

“In 1981, I was obsessed with Adam Ant and would play his album, Kings of the Wild Frontier, over and over. Amazing that one day [he would be sitting] in my office asking me to be his agent. My 11-year-old self would have died.

“But I didn’t go to my first concert until I was about 15 – Madonna and Michael Jackson at Wembley Stadium, and then Wembley Arena for Alexander O’Neal, who I also later represented.”

“I told my mum I needed to borrow the money as I knew that this was the thing I could make money from”

However, his passion for pop meant teenage Howard was a regular “at a lot of underage discos in Gravesend.” Indeed, the town’s DJ alumni included the likes of Eddie Gordon, head of A&R at Polydor, Pete Tong, and Steve Wolfe, was head of A&R at A&M Records.

“These guys really made me find my love of soul music, and they would also host personal appearances [PAs], which really engaged me – artists like Mel & Kim and Phil Fearon from Galaxy,” says Howard. “At around that time, I got into the ticket selling business. Things were different then as it was box office sales only. I lived in Gravesend and went to school in [small village] Meopham, so my friends struggled to buy tickets. It was my first lesson in supply and demand, I guess, because I would pop in and get everyone’s tickets, adding a few quid on top to ensure that I had enough for my ticket and to pay for my night out.”

Forever ambitious, Howard said his eureka moment came courtesy of one of those local DJs, Richard Smith. “He also worked as an agent for Worldwide Talent, with Albert Samuel and David Levy. And when he told me about what he did for a living, I realised that he was the first person I had ever met that actually wanted to go to work on Monday. And that was the lightbulb moment for me, having not known what I wanted to do for a living.”

Suitably impressed by Howard’s passion for music, Smith offered him a job as a tour manager. “It was 1989, so I was 19 at the time – the year before I became an agent. Richard told me that tour managers needed a car to drive the acts around to all the clubs. So I ended up borrowing £1,000 from my grandad to buy a big old Ford Sierra,” he recalls. “I told my mum I needed to borrow the money as I knew that this was the thing I could make money from. She backed me, and I will never forget her belief in me – I always wanted to make her proud of my success. She should have worked in A&R because she could hear a hit before anyone I ever met.

“My first job was touring a young act called Akasa, who was signed to Warner, for which I got paid something like £600 to do this very long tour… I say I got paid but Warners still owe me the money.”

“I got to know all the club managers, and I learned about routing without even realising it”

One advantage of the thousands of miles that he clocked up on the road delivering talent for PA performances was that in addition to gaining a good grasp of geography, his industry contacts were multiplying. “I got to know all the club managers, and I learned about routing without even realising it, given that back then every city had a club, and I went to all of them.”

When the work dried up, he found himself temporarily working on a building site. “I hated it. But it really taught me that I needed to find something full-time in music if I wanted to be happy.”

Luckily, Richard Smith recommended Howard to MK Artists, whose founder, Mario Kyriakou, was looking for someone to help build his agency, having just had massive success with (Dirty Cash).

“MK were based above a bakery, and there were three floors of offices: we were on the first floor, the second floor was empty, and the top floor was Simon Napier-Bell, who managed Wham! I remember seeing all his gold discs and being blown away. And then Simon Cowell moved into the empty office, and through him, I met Albert Samuel, who owned Mission Control agency with Pete Waterman.”

As he began to make a name for himself, Howard’s first proper signing, Xpansions, had a top ten hit with dancefloor filler Elevation, and people elsewhere in the business began to take notice of his talents.

“When I was tour managing, I’d worked with an artist called Lonnie Gordon, who had one massive hit: Happenin’ All Over Again. So, when an agent left her agency, Mission Control, Albert approached me. But when he offered me the job, he also told me he thought I was shit, and he didn’t think it would work out, so he put me on a commission rather than a wage. It was brilliant reverse psychology because I was determined to prove him wrong.”

“At one point in the 90s, I had seven artists in the top ten, and I had three years where I always had at least one act in the top 20”

Within a month, Howard was the agency’s top earner, prompting Samuel to review his decision. “I was put on a wage, which wasn’t that great, but I was in the proper music business, and I was getting respect.”

With Mission Control, Howard was working closely with many of Pete Waterman’s PWL artists, so other acts would flock to the company, and Howard’s first signing at the firm changed everything. “I started working with Right Said Fred, and on the first single [I’m Too Sexy], we went to number two in the charts and stayed there for six weeks, with Bryan Adams’ (Everything I Do) I Do It for You at number one. Then my second signing, 2 Unlimited, also went to number two with Get Ready For This for three weeks – also kept off the top spot by Bryan Adams. We couldn’t break number one, but it was a really great start.”

That success opened doors and established one of Howard’s most fruitful relationships. “It allowed me to have a first meeting with David Zedeck, who is a hero of mine. I was only 21 years old, but I knew Right Said Fred would break America, so I introduced David, and I think they gave him his first number one in America. In return, he gave me CeCe Peniston and Kym Sims, and I was just smashing it!”

While Howard was enjoying triumph after triumph: “At one point in the 90s, I had seven artists in the top ten, and I had three years where I always had at least one act in the top 20.” As a result, Howard would win agent of the year at Disco International Magazine’s annual awards, seven years in a row.

However, he notes that the bigger agency world was yet to grasp the contributions that British pop acts could make to their businesses.

“At the time, there was only really us and Louis Parker at Concorde doing pop; the others largely ignored what we were doing,” Howard recalls. “Louis was a gentleman, and I really looked up to him and respected him. Watching him, I learned how I should be as an agent. In fact, once we were at an after-show party, and because I was on my own, he invited me to join him and introduced me to his clients and others in the music industry. I was shocked that he could be so nice and amazed that he was giving away his contacts to me. But I realised that he didn’t live in fear of me stealing his acts. He was looking out for the little guy, and of course he was trying to get me to work for him. He tried a few times to persuade me to join Concorde but for various reasons that never happened.”

“The big agencies were all into rock bands, indie acts, and stuff like that. But it was a short-sighted approach”

Despite the lucrative business, for decades other agencies failed to see the value in pop acts. “The big agencies were all into rock bands, indie acts, and stuff like that. But it was a short-sighted approach because we were doing phenomenal business with JX, Phats & Small, Whigfield, Baby D, The Venga Boys, Undercover… the list is endless of those pop things that we did,” says Howard.

Overcoming reservations of dealing with academia – “I was very anti-student at the time,” – Howard recognised that student unions offered opportunities to expand his clients’ fanbases.

“At the time, they were booking bands and not club PAs, so I used the Endsleigh Insurance directory to contact student unions’ entertainment [ents] officers to persuade them to book my roster, pointing out that we were selling out 2,000-plus-capacity nightclubs. One person who helped me pioneer the university world was Steve Homer (now at AEG), who was at Sheffield Uni. I still take the piss out of Steve because he’s known for the massive acts that he’s worked with – Rihanna, Bruno Mars, loads of heavy metal bands – but I like to remind him he booked Whigfield off me, along with Mike Flowers Pops, and others.

“Steve distributed my roster and contact details to about 80 ents officers at a convention they were at and that’s how we became good friends – he was massively helpful to me, and I’ve never forgotten that.”

• The concluding part of IQ’s Gary Howard interview can be read here.

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IQ 134, the latest issue of the international live music industry’s leading magazine, is available to read online now.

In the April 2025 issue, Gordon Masson chats with UTA agent and undisputed king of pop Gary Howard about his 35 years in the music business.

Elsewhere, Hanna Ellington talks to the architects behind Gracie Abrams’ The Secret of Us trek about the pop star’s unstoppable trajectory while DJ Mag editor Carl Loben unpacks the Electronic Music Report 2025.

As prospects for Türkiye’s live music industry grow, Adam Woods looks into the country’s challenges and opportunities. Meanwhile, Derek Robertson dives into the cutting-edge innovations, logistical challenges, and the fierce competition defining the high-stakes video and screens business.

One month after ILMC, this issue looks back on some of the sessions, highlights, and nautically themed shenanigans that took place during the 37th instalment.

For comments and columns, Lloyds Private Bank’s Etiksha Patel outlines five key banking tips for touring artists and Black Lives in Music founder Dr Charisse Beaumont discusses over-policing and licensing bias at Black and ethically diverse events.

A selection of magazine content will appear online in the next four weeks but to ensure your fix of essential live music industry features, opinion and analysis, click here to subscribe to IQ – or check out what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below:

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UTA agent Gary Howard warns ticket prices will likely have to increase to cope with rising costs as the business readies itself for another packed 12 months.

Howard, who represents the likes of N-Dubz, Craig David, Blue, Steps and UB40 ft. Ali Campbell, is coming off a sterling 2022, which saw him named The O2’s Agent of the Year after handling eight shows at the London venue – more than any other agent.

“2023 will again be a busy year for most although some of the logistical issues caused by Covid and Brexit will still be with us for at least another 12 months,” he tells IQ. “Also, I think ticket prices will have to increase to deal with rising costs of production and the current cost-of-living [crisis].”

The veteran pop agent describes the sheer volume of concerts held last year as an “eye-opener”.

“I have never seen so many stadium shows happen at the same time”

“It was a wild year,” he says. “I have never seen so many stadium shows happen at the same time. On Glastonbury weekend alone, you had BST on with three nights, Red Hot Chili Peppers at London Stadium, Ed Sheeran at Wembley, Diana Ross and Billie Eilish at The O2 and hundreds of other shows happening at the same time – and that was just in London!

“My expectations were high as I had four massive arena tours out and a huge summer programme as well, and the year didn’t disappoint.”

Personal highlights included hip-hop trio N-Dubz’ UK arena comeback tour, which sold more than 250,000 tickets, and an emotional UB40 ft. Ali Campbell tour in memory of late bandmate Astro, who died in November 2021.

“Seeing [Astro] digitally up on the massive screens performing Rat in mi Kitchen in February was so emotional,” says Howard. “I, like most of the audience was brought to tears. I really loved that man, he was a top fella who had time for everyone and would always greet me with a big smile and say in his Brummie accent, ‘Alright Millwall.'”

“I just hope that by the end of 2023, I’m staring at 2024 with a big smile on my face as we have so much new talent breaking globally”

He adds: “Also, N-Dubz selling out four O2 Arenas and 23 arenas across the tour when most of the industry said we couldn’t sell out Shepherd’s Bush Empire, and that I was apparently mad for trying is something that will always stick with me. But more than that, Tulisa from the band calling me with tears of joy the moment it all flew out of the window saying, ‘We did it Gary. No one believed us, but we did it.’ That was also a major highlight.”

In closing, Howard discusses his high hopes for some of the newer additions to his roster.

“I just hope that by the end of 2023, I’m staring at 2024 with a big smile on my face as we have so much new talent breaking globally like JVKE, Natalie Jane, Johnny Orlando, Leah Kate, Bellah Mae and Junior Andre. It would be great for some of them to break through in a major way. We are definitely expecting that they will!”

Howard is also excited to be working with singer-songwriter Jess Glynne, who recently signed to UTA for worldwide representation.

“She is just the most amazing talent and a true British icon,” gushes Howard. “I represent her with Oliver Ward and we are currently building the comeback plan alongside her management at Roc Nation and her new label EMI. I just can’t wait.”

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UTA agent Gary Howard is hoping to build on N-Dubz’ success internationally after the trio sold 260,000 tickets for their UK arena comeback tour.

The British hip-hop group – cousins Dappy, Tulisa and Fazer – recently reunited following an 11-year hiatus and Howard tells IQ the enormous public demand for their live shows has left many within in the business eating their words.

“The whole industry thought we were completely mad,” laughs Howard. “An email from one agency, which will remain nameless, said, ‘Gary Howard is off his head, this is no more than a Shepherd’s Bush [Empire level tour].’ And all the record companies were going, ‘This is never going to work.’ But what no one saw at that point was that the mere fact they were all talking about it showed you how big it was.

“There were only three people that really believed this was going to be big if I’m being honest and that was Tulisa, her manager and myself. We knew what would happen.”

“We announced the first 10 shows and they just popped out in minutes, it was unbelievable”

Promoted by AEG Presents, the November/December tour now comprises more than 20 dates, including four nights at The O2 in London.

“We [announced] the first 10 shows and they just popped out in minutes, it was unbelievable,” says Howard. “We then added another seven shows and they all went within 10 minutes.

“Keep in mind, they’d already sold 100,000 tickets, so we announced another seven shows and within 10 minutes, had sold out another two O2 arenas. But we still had half a million people waiting to buy tickets. That was crazy and it was a lovely moment for us all, given the band had had a lot to deal with and some dark moments over the years.

“Of course, at this point, everyone’s calling us now and telling us what geniuses we are all of a sudden! So we put the other six nights on sale and they went as well.”

“Everyone asks me, ‘What’s the secret? Why does it work?'”

Howard represented the band during their first run and has previously guided successful comeback tours by the likes of Craig David and Steps.

“Everyone asks me, ‘What’s the secret? Why does it work?’ And it works because one, they left enough time, which is the first point,” suggests Howard. “But two, what people forget about N-Dubz is they were very ingrained into British pop culture and the kids related to them.

“When the band split up, I knew that if we were ever going to get back together, we needed that long period. Tulisa and Fazer came to see me in 2019 and were like, ‘Gary, we’re ready.’ We started discussing it and I felt there’d be enough water under the bridge and said, ‘You’ll be bigger this time around.’ I knew it because what I’d seen when we brought people like Craig and Steps back is that your audience broadens a lot.”

N-Dubz dropped Charmer, their first single in over a decade, ahead of the tour going on sale in May. The presence of new material was a key part of the promotional strategy, explains Howard.

“When we brought Craig David back it was massive, but this was a different level”

“Obviously, we had [the pandemic], which put us back, and then we were hanging on for the first song, because the whole point of bringing them back wasn’t just a nostalgic trip, it was to make them contemporary again, as we had done with Craig David,” he says. “As soon as we got Charmer ready, we knew we were ready to go and we put everything in place.

“We announced the tour and the swell was unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it. When we bought Craig back it was massive, but this was a different level. We expected the audience to be 25 to 35, but 21-year-olds were losing their shit.”

Howard, who reveals the group have outdoor UK shows in the offing for next year (“We’ve got a surprise or two up our sleeve”), is now bidding to guide the trio to the global success that largely eluded them first time around.

“The hope is that we can make N-Dubz international this time around. Nothing would please us more”

“We did some stuff in Greece, Norway and maybe Germany, but there was no real push from the label,” recalls Howard. “Keep in mind that back then, Europeans just weren’t into British urban music, which is what it was called at that point. They weren’t listening to it and didn’t understand why they needed it when they had hip-hop coming out of America.

“When you think of artists now like Stormzy and Dave, what they’ve done internationally is absolutely brilliant, so the hope is that we can make N-Dubz international this time around. Nothing would please us more.”

Howard, who says he is also working on a live comeback by another blast from the past, adds he is staggered by the amount of shows seen in the UK this summer.

“It’s mind blowing what’s going on in the industry right now,” he says. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen as many shows in the summer as I have done in the past month or so. Live music it definitely back and business is great. It’s probably a little bit flooded at the moment, but it’s good to be back.”

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