Green Guardians 2023: Octopus, REVERB, Satis & Fy
Welcome to the third part of IQ Magazine’s 2023 Green Guardians – our annual recognition of those eco-warriors and innovators at the forefront of the battle to make the live entertainment industry more sustainable.
The Green Guardians is spearheaded by IQ and an international panel of sustainability experts to highlight and congratulate companies and organisations who are improving the live music business when it comes to being more environmentally friendly.
This year’s list includes 20 entries across a wide range of event suppliers, campaigners, and solutions providers, all of whom are working tirelessly to reduce the carbon footprint of the live entertainment business.
IQ will publish entries across all categories over the coming days. Catch up on the previous instalment profiling Eviny, GMC Events, LOTUS Producciones, Morgenwelt and Music Declares Emergency here.
Octopus is an online marketplace for trading second-hand professional equipment in categories like audio, lighting, staging, video etc. The company believes that there is way too much good and functional equipment simply just stored away, gathering dust, in warehouses – or even worse: at the landfill. Equipment that might be old and out-dated for a certain application could turn out to be just the right fit for another: this is where Octopus comes in. Trading second-hand gear is good for the wallet – and the environment!
Octopus, launched in April 2022, is run by a Norwegian production company called Spectre, who continuously adds features and updates functionality.
Spectre exec Frode Eggum Have, tells IQ that most deals are straight B2B, “but we also have quite a few freelance technicians on both sides of the trade.” He continues, “The size of the businesses that use Octopus vary from freelancer all the way up to larger rental houses with 100+ employees. We also have special features made
for brokers, and we see that some of the bigger deals are often done with a broker sitting between the buyer and the seller.”
Overdrive Energy Solutions is committed to reducing and even- tually eliminating diesel generators in live events.
Founded by veteran production staff with sustainability engineering backgrounds, the company’s systems serve the demands of touring and festivals while reducing their carbon footprint. These solutions allow for much more flexible power layouts, reducing the cost and complexity of power distribution, making sites safer and healthier for artists, staff, and audiences alike.
For 2023, Overdrive has been focused on demonstrating sustaina- ble energy’s practical benefits, deploying the largest temporary solar farm ever used in North America for Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion, which saw a 95% reduction in diesel use compared to previous years. Afterwards, Overdrive went to Coachella/Stagecoach, where it replaced generators at 14 remote locations with solar/battery systems, saving hundreds of gallons of fuel and reducing production workload.
Overdrive next went to Shoreline Amphitheatre for the Google I/O conference, where the attendee registration area used onsite battery/solar systems for sound, lighting, computers, communication gear, and restroom trailers. Overdrive also completed its first touring project by providing sustainable energy for the VIP activation on Dead & Company’s Final Tour.
In August 2023, Overdrive once again deployed the largest solar field yet for a North American concert, with over 60 kW feeding 1.4 mW of energy storage. This ran the floor package for Billie Eilish’s headliner set at Lollapalooza completely with energy captured onsite.
Leading the green music movement since 2004, REVERB partners with artists, festivals, and venues to reduce their environmental footprint while empowering millions of fans to take action on today’s most pressing environmental issues.
Working with artist partners like Billie Eilish, The 1975, Odesza, Harry Styles, Dave Matthews Band, Boygenius, Jack Johnson, The Lumineers, Dead & Company, Tame Impala, and many more, REVERB has created and executed comprehensive sustainability and fan engagement programmes on over 350 tours, 60 festivals, and 7,000 concerts. Positive impacts to date include neutralising 375,000+ tons of CO2e, raising over $12m for environmental causes, hosting over 5,000 NGOs in fan-facing Action Villages, and preventing the use of over 4m single-use plastic bottles at concerts.
REVERB recently launched the Music Decarbonization Project to fund and advance innovative climate solutions that directly eliminate carbon emissions created by the music industry. In 2023, this music industry-supported campaign focused on replacing highly polluting diesel generators with solar-charged battery systems – creating the largest 100% solar-powered festival main stage in North America at Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion; next-generation solar-powered festival light towers at Coachella; and integrating solar-charged battery systems for Billie Eilish’s headline set at Lollapalooza.
Satis & Fy have been active in the live music industry for more than 25 years. With ten offices across Germany, the Netherlands, and the USA, the company looks after numerous touring acts, some of whom they have been involved with since their beginnings in the business. They also count the likes of Rock am Ring and Rock im Park among their clients.
The company employs teams of experienced and highly specialised sound engineers, lighting, media and stage designers, as well as stocking touring road-and rider-suitable equipment from various brand-name manufacturers. Additionally, Satis & Fy boast extensive rehearsal studios and offer access to a complete equipment pool.
The company’s philosophy is that sustainability should not be an abstract concept but rather one filled with life. It therefore reviews all facets of its actions in an effort to try to have a more sustainable effect. All of its departments join forces to contribute to this effort, putting the environment, society, economy, and culture at the heart of every project it undertakes.
Founded by Maggie Baird, mother of Billie Eilish and Finneas, Support + Feed combats the climate crisis and food insecurity by working toward a global shift to an equitable plant-based food system. Driving culture change through multiple strategies, the programme has reached global audience awareness of 95m, and delivered more than 300,000 urgently needed meals and pantry items through a consistent presence in 11 major US cities and through partnerships in the EU, UK, and Australia, with a growing footprint in London.
Artist collabs have included working with Janelle Monáe’s Wondalunch team to deliver more than 4,000 meals and pantry items in Los Angeles; going on world tour with artists such as Billie Eilish and Paramore to share the organisation’s calls to action and featured food drives; and supporting Pharrell’s Something in the Water Festival and presence in Virginia Beach with a meal programme and plant-based educational programming.
Alongside Billie Eilish and Reverb, Support + Feed co-presented the first Overheated climate summit in 2022, a two-day event held at The O2 Arena. In August, Overheated returned to London at Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace to bring together climate activists, musicians, and designers to discuss the climate crisis and the work that is making a meaningful difference. Sessions discussed the impact of our food systems, sustainable fashion, eco anxiety, technological innovations, and actions we can all take to mitigate climate change.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Billie Eilish’s Lollapalooza set to be solar powered
Billie Eilish’s headline set at Lollapalooza in Chicago will be partially solar powered by zero-emission battery systems.
The climate-friendly performance on Thursday 3 August is part of the Music Decarbonisation Project co-founded by Eilish herself in partnership with the environmental non-profit Reverb.
The 21-year-old’s set at the flagship Lollapalooza will be powered by zero-emissions battery systems, supplied and managed by Overdrive Energy Solutions and charged via a temporary “solar farm” at the Grant Park festival site.
The battery systems will serve as a demonstration of clean energy technologies that can drastically reduce live music’s greenhouse gas pollution and accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels, reads a release.
“By showcasing this technology with one of the biggest artists in the world, we’re accelerating toward a decarbonized future”
“We hope and believe this will be a watershed moment for the music industry,” says Adam Gardner of Reverb in a statement. “There are real climate solutions available right here, right now. By showcasing this technology with one of the biggest artists in the world, on one of the most revered festival stages, we’re accelerating the necessary transition toward a decarbonized future, for music and beyond.”
The sustainability project is one of Elish’s many efforts to combat climate change. The US singer previously partnered with Reverb for her 2022 Happier Than Ever world tour, where they set up Eco-Villages at her concert venues.
The star has also performed at numerous climate change-awareness events such as Global Citizen, the Earthshot Prize and Overheated.
Lollapalooza takes place between 3–6 August with acts including Kendrick Lamar, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lana Del Rey, Odesza, Karol G, The 1975 and Tomorrow X Together.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Green Guardians 2022: My Cause, Reverb, Smart Power
The Green Guardians is spearheaded by IQ and an expert panel of sustainability experts to recognise suppliers who are improving the live music business when it comes to being more environmentally friendly.
Our international panel of judges this year includes representatives from A Greener Festival, Green Events & Innovations Conference, Greener Events, Green Operations Europe (Go-Group), Julie’s Bicycle, Le Réseau des Femmes en Environnement, Sustainable Event Alliance, Sustainable Event Solutions, Tour Production Group, and Vision:2025.
The 2022 list of Green Guardians includes 20 entries across a wide range of event suppliers and solutions providers, all of whom are working tirelessly to reduce the carbon footprint of the live entertainment business.
IQ will publish entries across all categories over the coming weeks. Catch up on the previous instalment profiling Gem-Stage, Instagrid and Green Producers Club here.
My Cause UK
My Cause UK offers people the chance to volunteer at the UK’s biggest festivals whilst making an impact for a cause they care about. The concept is simple – volunteers give their time at a festival, and in return, My Cause makes a donation to a charity of their choice.
Volunteering, says the organisation, “is a gateway to making unforgettable friends while getting free entry to the UK’s leading festivals!”
Volunteering with My Cause UK allows participants to “become part of a community that is exciting, adventurous, and passionate about making a change in the world we live in.”
In its first six years of operation, My Cause UK has donated close to £180,000 (€208,000) to more than 700 charities in the UK, thanks to the efforts of a steadily growing army of festival volunteers.
Reverb has greened over 350 tours and 6,000 concert events
Reverb.org
Leading the green music movement since 2004, Reverb partners with artists, festivals, venues and more to reduce their environmental footprint while empowering millions of fans to take action on today’s most pressing environmental issues.
Working with artist partners like Billie Eilish, Maroon 5, Pink, Harry Styles, Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, and many others, Reverb has greened over 350 tours and 6,000 concert events. With a focus on creating measurable impact, Reverb has eliminated 280,000+ tons of CO2e, prevented the use of over 4 million single-use plastic bottles at concerts, supported 4,800+ environmental non-profits, and more.
Reverb launched the Music Climate Revolution campaign in June of 2021 to unite the music industry in the fight against the climate crisis by cutting industry emissions, funding carbon-fighting projects, and demanding climate action from world leaders. Since its launch, the campaign and its partners have raised more than $3million (€2.9m) to support dozens of diverse global projects that draw down, sequester, or eliminate greenhouse gases, resulting in a reduction of 50,000 tonnes of CO2e. Music Climate Revolution partners have also engaged millions of fans at shows and online in climate action and advocacy.
Smart Power’s client roster includes Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour
Smart Power
Smart Power specialises in delivering carbon and low-power solutions for the international live, touring, broadcast, and screen
sectors. The company provides full-service technical hires, including power advancing; onsite technical support; fuel management; comprehensive distribution planning and installation; site lighting; energy monitoring; and reporting.
As specialists in battery and DC solutions, Smart Power is leading the charge for a transition away from generator power towards grid-connected battery solutions. Its approach to energy management is simple – deliver the most renewable energy mix available for the job in hand. To this end, it integrates a range of strategies, including biofuel generators, kinetic (people-powered) solutions, solar, and mobile battery solutions.
The company’s suite of energy and power monitoring tools ensures that clients have the data they require for their scope 1 and 2 emissions reporting, whilst also enabling Smart Power to optimise power management systems to ensure ongoing reductions in fuel consumption, GHG, and tailpipe emissions.
2022 has been an exceptional year for Smart Power with its client roster including Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, the BBC Earthshot Awards, the Great Escape Festival, and the Great North Run.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Billie Eilish announces climate-focused event
Billie Eilish has announced multi-day climate-focused event Overheated in collaboration with Support + Feed and environmental nonprofit Reverb.
The event set to take place across six days – 10-12, 16 and 25-26 June – at The O2 in London during Eilish’s Happier Than Ever, The World Tour dates at the venue.
Fresh after last week’s Green Events & Innovations Conference (GEI), Overheated will bring together climate activists, musicians and designers to discuss the climate crisis, and their efforts to make a difference. Topics will range from greening practices in the music industry to the benefits of a plant-based diet, and sustainable fashion.
“We are thrilled to be in London and to have this opportunity to connect and discuss different ways we can take action to mitigate the climate crisis,” says Maggie Baird, founder of Support+Feed.
“We’re excited to empower even more people to take significant climate action and engage the music industry to do more”
Each day will feature unique programming including panel discussions, live performances, a documentary viewing, and opportunities for the public to take climate action. The cross-campus event will kick off on Friday, 10 June with Overheated Live – a panel event at Indigo at The O2, featuring introductions by Billie Eilish and Finneas and a special keynote speaker to be announced.
A Music Climate Session on 16 June, meanwhile, will feature representatives from Reverb, The Big Climate Thing, A Greener Festival, Julie’s Bicycle, Beggars Group, Live Nation, Earth/Percent, Tour Production Group and the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. It will also see performances by Sigrid and Love Ssega, with others to be confirmed.
“Building upon our sustainability work on Billie’s world tour, and engaging fans at her shows to take climate action, we’re excited to empower even more people to take significant climate action and engage the music industry to do more through Overheated,” adds Reverb co-founder Adam Gardner.
The takeover will also include special screenings of the new Overheated short documentary at Cineworld at The O2 throughout the full six-day period, while all visitors to The O2 will have the opportunity to experience the free Citizen-TPlayground, which will feature a free clothes swap as well as talks from fashion sustainability experts, at the All Bar One Space from 10-12 June.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
The Lumineers announce ‘climate-positive’ world tour
The Lumineers are partnering with environmental non-profit Reverb to embark on another ‘climate-positive’ tour.
The band’s 60-date Brightside World Tour is due to kick off at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, UK, on 24 February and conclude at Sound on Sound music festival in Bridgeport in Connecticut, US, on 25 September.
Once again, the American folk-rock band is committing to a comprehensive climate action programme via REVERB’s Music Climate Revolution campaign, with aims to reduce their environmental footprint whilst on the road.
The tour will also see the band commit to eliminating more greenhouse gas pollutions than they emit by supporting projects that directly eliminate greenhouse gases.
Founded in 2004, Reverb helps to limit the carbon footprint of tours and educate those within the live touring industry on their consumption habits so that they can make a difference.
The Lumineers will commit to eliminating more greenhouse gas pollutions than they emit
The company has ‘greened’ concerts for the likes of The 1975, P!nk, John Mayer, Shawn Mendes, Maroon 5 and Fleetwood Mac. Future clients include Billie Eilish, Harry Styles and Tame Impala.
The Lumineers previously teamed up with Reverb for their 2020 North American Tour.
The Brightside World Tour is due to visit arenas including the O2 (cap. 21,000) in London, UK, the Wizink Center (16,000) in Madrid, Spain, the MGM Grand Garden Arena (16,800) in Las Vegas, US, and the Crypto.com arena (20,000) in Los Angeles, US.
Special guests throughout the tour will include Caamp, Gregory Alan Isakov, Daniel Rodriguez and James Bay.
The Lumineers managed to get out onto the road for more than 20 shows before the pandemic shut the entire live industry down in 2020. Their run saw stops in Louisville, Toronto, Nashville, Indianapolis, Brooklyn, NY, Detroit and more.
The Lumineers are represented by Joe Atamian at Wasserman Music in North and South America and Australia, and Alex Bruford at ATC Live in Europe, Asia and South Africa.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.