SFX Entertainment founder Robert Sillerman dies, 71
Robert FX Sillerman, the founder of SFX Entertainment, died of respiratory illness on Sunday (24 November), at the age of 71, Billboard confirmed.
Sillerman first founded concert promoter SFX Entertainment in the 1990s, paving the way for the modern-day consolidation of the business by acquiring promotion companies including Delsener/Slater Enterprises, Sunshine Promotions, Bill Graham Presents, Cellar Door Concerts and Avalon Attractions.
The original iteration of SFX was sold to Clear Channel in 2000 for US$4.4 billion, and later spun off to become what is now known as Live Nation.
In 2012, Sillerman refounded the company as an electronic dance music (EDM) festival promoter, rolling up promoters including React Presents in the US and ID&T, Made Events and Alda Events in Europe, as well as Florida-based venue operator MMG Nightlife in the US.
SFX 2.0 filed for bankruptcy in early 2016, rebranding as LiveStyle under the leadership of Randy Phillips later that year.
Following SFX’s demise, Sillerman was embroiled in a number of lawsuits. In July, he paid $179,000 to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, in a fraud case relating to his post-SFX online publishing business Function(x).
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AMF appoints new director of business development
LiveStyle president Gary Richards has announced the appointment of Taylor Stevens as West Coast director of business development to the company’s LA-based concert and festival promoter All My Friends (AMF).
Stevens joins with experience in the electronic music space, running his own concert promotion and production company, the CLCTV (formerly Collective Efforts Events).
Founded in 2017, the CLCTV has put on multiple events on the West Coast and Hawaii. Past events include the Feels Music and Art Festival in San Luis Obispo, California, Electric Palms Music Festival, in Honolulu, Hawaii and Avila Beach Party, also in San Luis Obispo.
In his new position, Stevens will manage and expand the AMF and LiveStyle brands, as well as rolling several CLCTV events into the LiveStyle portfolio of properties. He will be based in the company’s Beverly Hills office and report to LiveStyle president Richards.
“Taylor has an undeniable passion for the scene and creating exciting events”
“Taylor has an undeniable passion for the scene and creating exciting events. We look forward to him working on behalf of our brands and events, and for us to expand upon the events he is bringing to the LiveStyle family,” says Richards.
“LiveStyle has become a force in the industry and I am happy to be a part of the team. I am very excited to work with and learn from Gary, Chuck (Ciongoli, executive vice president) and Randy (Phillips, chief executive) as we explore new and exciting projects from small to big in the west,” comments Stevens.
“Gary has built a number of successful brands over the course of his career and I look forward to having a hand in the growth of AMF and the other LiveStyle properties,” adds Stevens.
LiveStyle formed in September 2016 from the remains of dance music behemoth SFX Entertainment and is the world’s largest promoter of electronic music festivals. LiveStyle produces and promotes a number of festivals including Electric Zoo (US), Spring Awakening (US), Mysteryland (the Netherlands), Awakenings (the Netherlands) and Tomorrowland Brazil.
The company also owns key operating entities across the United States and Europe such as b2s, Disco Donnie Presents, I-Motion and Made Event, as well as DJ e-commerce platform, Beatport.
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Randy Phillips confirmed for SFX 2.0
After months of speculation, it has been has confirmed that former AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips will take over the running of SFX Entertainment when it emerges from bankruptcy in early 2017.
Buried in a mammoth 241-page court document, filed on Friday, is the news that Phillips (pictured) – listed under his real name, Brandon Phillips – will become SFX’s new CEO and president, with Global Entertainment alumni Charles Ciongoli named executive vice-president and chief financial officer, Alan Walter – presumably rival Insomniac’s current senior vice-president of finance, who also previously served at Global – becoming senior vice-president and Jason Barr remaining as senior vice-president, general counsel and corporate secretary.
The new board of directors for what the court calls the “Reorganized [sic] SFXE” is named as Phillips, Ciongoli (appointed by Phillips) and three money men: Axar Capital Management’s Andrew Axelrod, Allianz Global Investors’ Douglas Forsyth and Carlyle Group’s Nils Larsen.
A hearing to approve the new board and reorganisation plan will take place this Wednesday
Adam Richman, festival director of Electric Zoo, will take a senior role in SFX’s festival divisions as senior vice-president of EZ Festivals and Made Event, while Florida nightclub promoter David Grutman will continue as CEO of SFX Nightlife.
A hearing to consider the new board and reorganisation plan will take place this Wednesday (9 November) at 10am eastern time (15.00 GMT).
Also of note is that Viagogo – which is seeking US$1.6 million from SFX for alleged breach of contract – will be given a vote on the plan of reorganisation. While both parties are clear neither accepts the other’s grievances, Viagogo will nevertheless be eligible to cast a ballot: $1 worth.
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Best festival since 2013 for SFX’s Electric Zoo
While troubled dance music group SFX Entertainment waits for court approval of its revised post-bankruptcy restructuring agreement, at least one of its festivals is going from strength to strength: The eighth Electric Zoo, held in New York last weekend, saw its highest attendance since 2013 and a sold-out Sunday that crammed 33,000 EDM fans onto the mile-square Randall’s Island in Manhattan.
In total 83,000 people attended the three-day festival, which had a ‘Wild Island’ theme – most obviously in the giant cobra looming over the main stage and the octopus-shaped Riverside stage – and featured headline performances by Tiësto, Hardwell, The Chainsmokers, Bassnectar, Porter Robinson and Steve Aoki.
“We thank New York City and the electronic music community for another massively successful weekend on Randall’s Island,” says Adam Richman, the festival’s director and senior vice-president of SFX-owned promoter Made Event. “SFX is proud to be a part of this unbelievable atmosphere and looks forward to the challenge of topping this weekend when we return for another festival next year.”
“This was an incredibly important time for all of us… We met a big milestone this year and look forward to working ever harder to exceed expectations for next year”
Michael Julian, Made Event’s director of marketing, adds: “This was an incredibly important time for all of us as we re-imagined Electric Zoo to give the community an immersive experience. This festival represents the best of any electronic music event globally while keeping our hearts rooted in New York dance floors. We met a big milestone this year and look forward to working ever harder to exceed expectations for next year.”
Randall’s Island is also home to newly Live Nation-owned Governors Ball and rival AEG Live festival Panorama.
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