The LGBTIQ+ List 2022 – IQ Magazine’s second annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business – was published in the Pride edition (issue 112) last month.

The July 2022 issue, which is available to read now, was made possible thanks to support from Ticketmaster. 

To get to know this year’s queer pioneers a little better, we interviewed each individual on their challenges, triumphs, advice and more.

Throughout the next month, IQ will publish a new interview each day. Catch up on the previous interview with Jill Wheeler, promoter at Red Mountain Entertainment in the US.

The series continues with Joel Siviour (he/him/his), director & booking agent at Seismic Talent Agency in Australia.

Tell us about a personal triumph in your career
Being able to launch Seismic Talent Agency in 2020, right in the thick of the pandemic. As an independent operator, it took a lot of mental fortitude and endurance and an amazing support network to persevere through so much uncertainty, but I’m really grateful that I was able to make it work!

What advice could you give to young queer professionals?
Don’t be afraid to bring your authentic queer self into the workplace, it can be a major strength. Early in my career, I tried to compartmentalise parts of my identity and isolate that away from my professional career, but since embracing those parts of myself within the context of the music industry, I’ve been able to work on some incredibly personally satisfying projects that previously I might have been too guarded to take on.

One thing the live industry could do to be a more inclusive place
Honestly, I’d just love to see more companies practice what they preach in terms of inclusive values. I’ve witnessed plenty of virtue-signalling from within our industry, but when push comes to shove there are companies whose actions don’t align with the values they claim to hold.

A cause you support
Support Act is an incredible Australian-based charity that support musicians and music-industry workers with relief through periods of crisis. They were absolutely instrumental in keeping the local live performance industry afloat through the pandemic, both through financial support and mental health support services. I’m so grateful for their support and hope to be able to continue to support them as much as they supported us throughout the toughest times of the pandemic.

“I’d just love to see more companies practice what they preach in terms of inclusive values”

The queer act you’re itching to see live this year
I’m super excited to be seeing Lady Gaga at The Chromatica Ball in Paris soon! That album became such an appreciated escape during the peak of the pandemic and lockdown, so I think there’s going to be something super cathartic in seeing her perform those tracks live.

Your favourite queer space
Sircuit in Melbourne. Every trip I take to Melbourne mysteriously sees me arrive early enough to pop into their Thursday night event “Hey Henny” hosted by Sabrina and Kali. Yet to have a bad night there!

What’s the best mistake you’ve ever made?
I can’t think of a specific example but taking risks and being open to making mistakes is such a crucial part of growth, both personal and professional. They don’t have to be catastrophic mistakes either, you can learn a lot from small mistakes, and ideally, if you keep an eye out you can learn quite a lot from other people’s mistakes too.

Tell us about a professional challenge you’ve come across as a queer person in the industry
I feel quite fortunate that I haven’t personally encountered much in the way of homophobia or my identity holding me back in the music industry, and I’m grateful and appreciative of the queer people who came before me to make help pave the way for that experience.

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IQ Magazine has revealed this year’s LGBTIQ+ List – the second annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business.

The landmark list is the centrepiece of IQ’s second Pride edition, which will be available for subscribers online and in print, in the coming days.

The 20 individuals comprising the LGBTIQ+ List 2022 – as nominated by our readers and verified by our esteemed steering committee – are individuals that have gone above and beyond to wave the flag for an industry that we can all be proud of.

The sophomore class comprises agents, promoters, CFOs, CIOs, tour managers, marketing managers and more – all of whom identify as LGBTIQ+ and, in the face of adversity, have made enormous contributions to their respective sectors.

In alphabetical order, the LGBTIQ+ List 2022 is:

Alexander Rastén Rydberg, head of diversity and talent management, Dansk Live (DK)
Alexandra Ampofo, promoter, Metropolis Music (UK)
Can Büyükcinar, head of operations, Wizard Promotions Konzertagentur (DE)
Cloe Gregson, senior events manager, Manchester Pride (UK)
David Davies, founder and head of live, Double D Live (UK, IE)
David Jones, chief information officer, AEG Global Technology (UK)
Georgie Lanfranchi, tour manager for Years & Years, Only Helix (UK)
Hatice Arıcı, promoting director/ artist agent, Charmenko (TR)
James Fleury, marketing lead, Ticket Swap (NL)
Jill Wheeler, director of booking, Red Mountain Entertainment (US)
Joel Siviour, director & booking agent, Seismic Talent Agency (AU)
Jonas Sjödén, CFO, Live Nation Sweden (SE)
Natalie Rudland, senior promotions assistant, Live Nation (UK)
Nikos Kazoleas, agent, UTA (UK)
Nix Corporan, fan support team lead, DICE (US)
Patrick Erhardt, senior manager content & creation, Goodlive (DE)
Patrick Janssen, marketing manager, Live Nation Germany (DE)
Paul Bonham, director of professional development, MMF (UK)
Peter Taylor, promoter, Cuffe and Taylor (UK)
Troy Suda, chief product officer, Ticketmaster (UK)

Throughout the next month, IQ will be publishing full-length profiles of each person on the LGBTIQ+ List 2022.

“We work in an industry that aims to entertain the entire population. And that population is made up of extremely diverse audiences,” says Ticketmaster’s Troy Suda in his profile.

Joel Siviour, Seismic Talent Agency, adds: “I’ve witnessed plenty of virtue-signaling from within our industry, but when push comes to shove there are companies whose actions don’t align with the values they claim to hold.”

Check out last year’s cohort of queer pioneers here.

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