The New Bosses 2024: Gerbine Ulehake, Mojo Concerts
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.
Gerbine began working for MOJO in 2015 as an intern at the North Sea Jazz Festival. Thriving in the role, she was offered a position as festival and booking assistant. In 2018, Kim Bloem asked her to become project coordinator and team up with her on her roster, while in 2021, she also started working for Leon Ramakers, adding shows like The Stones and Bruce Springsteen to her CV.
You’ve worked through the ranks at the company to become a promoter in your own right. What’s been the highlight of your career so far?
There have been multiple highlights throughout my career so far. The most memorable show I’ve worked on was the Rolling Stones in 2022. We had to cancel the show 30 minutes before stage time while fans were already in the stadium, because of Covid in the band, only to re-do the show three weeks later all over again. It was a massive team achievement that asked a lot from all of us in an already crazy year but for sure It’s one to remember. Then there are smaller highlights like booking my first show in Amsterdam (and immediately upgrading because of the good sales) or promoting my first sold-out main hall show for 1,400 fans. For me, getting the promotion to promoter has been the biggest highlight. Getting full trust and time from a company to go and do it on your own has been the biggest compliment I’ve ever received.
Who on your roster should we all be looking out for in the year ahead?
I’m really excited about promoting Mark Ambor. He has shown massive growth over the last six months and made The Netherlands one of his strongest markets. Being involved from such an early stage in his career has been really special. It’s so nice to know the entire team personally and I can’t wait to see where his growth will bring him.
As a promoter who is developing emerging talent, are there any particular events, forums or platforms that you visit to try to discover the next big act?
I’m focusing on TikTok as a platform a lot. I feel artists use this way more than their other social media platforms. It always feels like scouting acts there gives me a headstart to get involved with artists in an early stage of their career.
What advice would you give to anyone who is trying to find a job in live music?
Don’t focus on a certain job or company too much but try to find the right boss for you. Wherever you work, you need someone around you to give you chances and room to grow and learn to get to the place you want to go. The right person to work for might be worth more than a certain title that comes with a job.
Where is your favourite venue?
I don’t really have one to be honest. It totally depends on the artist and the kind of show.
“Don’t focus on a certain job or company too much but try to find the right boss for you”
What events, tours or festivals are you most looking forward to in the year ahead?
I always love festival season as it’s always an overload of (re-)discovering new acts. As part of the Pinkpop programme committee, I’m really looking forward to next year. Although we just had the 2024 edition, the festival is really developing into a new audience and it’s exciting to gradually see the programme and new generation of visitors find each other.
You’re obviously enjoying learning about the business as your career progresses. How would you encourage the next generation to choose the live music sector for their chosen career path?
It’s a business where you give a lot of yourself but you get so much back. By doing your work you create special moments for fans, and often for artists too.
Do you have a mentor, or anyone you rely on to bounce ideas off?
I don’t have an assigned mentor, but I have great colleagues and I’m surrounded by years of experience and love for the business.
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?
It’s so helpful to go abroad and meet people face to face. If you start to work on artists you are truly passionate about it really helps you to find ‘your people’ and agents out there.
As a New Boss, what one thing would you change to make the live entertainment industry a better place?
In a business where everybody is giving so much, it’s so important to remember we are all passionate people looking for the same thing. I’d like to believe we all truly have the best interest at heart for artists and fans, but let’s not forget the passionate people behind the scenes too. Let’s keep it human.
What would you like to see yourself doing in five years?
I’d like to say I’m still at Mojo. I’m confident a lot of the acts I’m working on right now are able to grow to arena-level acts in the next few years. I hope I can get them to the stage they deserve to be on.
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Rachel Chinouriri cancels US dates over costs
Rachel Chinouriri has cancelled her upcoming dates in the US as “the financial strain on touring has become too much”.
In April, US visa petition fees increased by as much as 260% for international musicians hoping to perform in the country.
Artists including Chemical Brothers, Little Simz, Santigold, Metronomy, Easy Life and Roger Daltrey have previously raised concerns about the cost of touring – particularly in the States – with some axing entire tours.
Chinouriri was due to support Remi Wolf on the US leg of her Big Ideas tour, which kicks off on 10 September, and perform at several festivals.
In a statement, the English singer-songwriter said she was “deeply saddened” to axe the upcoming dates.
“This year I’ve invested all my savings and earnings into my shows, styling, and band to be able to tour,” she wrote. “While my debut album has opened many amazing opportunities, the financial strain on touring has become too much.”
Earlier this year, Chinouriri released her debut album What A Devastating Turn of Events, which was followed by performances at Radio 1’s Big Weekend and Glastonbury.
“I was so excited to come to the States. However, I cannot justify the financial risk it would entail”
“Despite my best efforts to secure funding for this incredible opportunity, it hasn’t been possible,” she continued. “This is the tough reality of the music industry, whether you’re signed or independent.
“I’ve explored every possible option to make this work because I adore Remi and her fanbase, and I was so excited to come to the States. However, I cannot justify the financial risk it would entail.”
Chinouriri, who will be replaced by Slimdan on Remi Wolf’s US outing, told her American fans she’d be back as soon as possible.
It’s unclear which festival slots the CAA-repped singer is pulling out of, although she confirmed to a fan online that the planned appearances at Rock En Seine and Reading & Leeds will be going ahead.
The 25-year-old will kick off her six-date UK headline tour in November and is locked in for a handful of support slots on Sabrina Carpenter’s UK tour in March 2025.
Following the changes to US visa applications in April, The Music Managers Forum (MMF) and Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) stepped up their #LetTheMusicMove campaign.
#LetTheMusicMove was originally established in June 2021 to campaign for reductions in post-Brexit costs and red tape for UK artists and musicians when touring in Europe.
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All Things Live Denmark strengthens promoter team
All Things Live Denmark has bolstered its promoter team with new recruits Snorri Astradsson and Louis Andersen-Risager.
Astradsson joins from Reykjavík-based concert promoter Garcia Events, which he co-founded in his native country Iceland in 2021.
Garcia Events has promoted acts such as Skepta, Sammy Virji, Yung Lean, as well as a raft of Scandinavian and Icelandic talent. Alongside his career at Garcia, Astradsson has managed the careers of Icelandic hip-hop and electronic artists.
The 2024 IQ New Boss launched his career in the music industry at 15 years old, as a runner in the artist liaison team of Icelandic festivals such as Secret Solstice, Iceland Airwaves & Sónar Reykjavík.
“Both Louis and Snorri are young, knowledgeable, hardworking individuals that are keen to make a name for themselves”
At 16, Astradsson founded Hip Hop Hátíðin (The Hip Hop Festival) an annual free-to-attend festival platforming the biggest names in Icelandic hip hop. Read more about his journey here.
Louis Andersen-Risager has also joined the promoter team at All Things Live Denmark. His previous roles include agent assistant at UTA in London and booker for various Danish venues.
In his new role at ATL, Andersen-Risager is promoting shows with Jordan Ward, Iron & Wine, Girlband! and more.
“I am very pleased with the two new hires,” says Pernille Pedersen, CEO, All Things Live Denmark. “Both Louis and Snorri are young, knowledgeable, hardworking individuals that are keen to make a name for themselves in our business. They are great additions to our existing strong team in Copenhagen.”
Since All Things Live was founded by Waterland Private Equity in 2018, it has expanded to 28 companies in eight countries. The company’s portfolio ranges from musical productions to music festivals and standup events to stadium concerts, with Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, The Rolling Stones, Eminem, and Rammstein among its clients.
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TEG Live names Tim McGregor global head of touring
TEG Live’s managing director Tim McGregor has been appointed global head of touring, overseeing the firm’s concert and festival portfolio.
With effect from today, McGregor is responsible for overseeing the continued growth of the global touring businesses across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, UK, Europe, and North America.
This portfolio includes TEG Live, TEG Dainty, TEG Van Egmond, TEG MJR, Handsome Tours, Laneway Festival, TEG Asia, TEG Live Europe and TEG North America.
McGregor has been the MD of TEG Live since joining the business in 2016.
“I am delighted to appoint Tim to the role of global head of touring,” says TEG Group CEO Geoff Jones. “Tim’s outstanding track record in the live entertainment industry draws on more than three decades of experience. His in-depth industry knowledge and excellent business acumen makes him the ideal choice to lead the overall concert and festival touring strategy for TEG across the globe.”
“”Tim’s outstanding track record in the live entertainment industry draws on more than three decades of experience”
“I look forward to continuing to work closely with Tim in his new role to drive growth and success for the TEG business.”
McGregor adds: “I am excited to be furthering my remit with TEG to build its touring operations both locally and globally. I am immensely proud of all that we have achieved to date, but this is only the beginning.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Geoff for this opportunity and for his ongoing support. We’ve been on a long journey together, and I look forward to embarking on the next phase of TEG with Geoff and the senior leadership team.”
Based in Sydney, TEG is a specialist in live entertainment, ticketing, digital and data.
Earlier this year it was reported that the owner Silver Lake had secured a A$1.1 billion (€663.8 million) dividend recapitalisation for the Australian live entertainment giant after attempts to sell the company stalled.
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Shawn Mendes returns to live with intimate shows
Canadian pop star Shawn Mendes is returning to the road with a series of intimate theatre shows in the UK and the US.
The 25-year-old singer-songwriter has announced six “special” concerts in August and October at theatres in Woodstock, London, Nashville, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and Seattle.
The For My Friends And Family Only outing will see Mendes perform his upcoming album Shawn (due on 18 October) from start to finish.
It will kick off at Bearsville Theater in Woodstock (NY) on 8 August, marking his 26th birthday and the release of the first two singles from Shawn, Why Why Why and Isn’t That Enough.
He’ll take the stage at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London the following week, and then Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, Brooklyn’s Brooklyn Paramount, Los Angeles’ The Ford, and Seattle’s Paramount Theatre in October.
Aside from the 500-capacity Bearsville Theatre, all the venues range between 2,000 and 3,000 capacity – a major departure from his previous tours, the majority of which have been extensive arena runs.
“Music really can be medicine. Two years ago I felt like I had absolutely no idea who I was”
“I wanted the first shows back to be special and to play this album for you live in the places we recorded it,” Mendes wrote on Instagram. “I’ve never played an album top to bottom before but it’s already one of my favourite shows I’ve ever rehearsed.”
The intimate outing sees Mendes return to the stage for the first time since cancelling his world tour in 2022 to prioritise his mental health.
Wonder: The World Tour was due to span 87 shows across the US and Europe but the pop star called it quits after just seven shows.
Referring to the cancellation in his Instagram post, Mendes added: “Music really can be medicine. Two years ago I felt like I had absolutely no idea who I was. A year ago I couldn’t step into a studio without falling into complete panic. So to be here right now with 12 beautiful finished songs feels like such a gift.”
Fans will be randomly selected for the opportunity to buy tickets to the For My Friends And Family Only tour after signing up for registration. Those looking to attend the London show will have to pre-order the new album via Mendes’ official UK web store.
Shawn Mendes is represented by Nick Matthews at Wasserman Music in Europe and Matt Galle at CAA for the rest of the world.
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PinkPantheress, Garbage cancel all 2024 dates
PinkPantheress and Garbage have each cancelled all upcoming tour dates for varying health reasons.
English singer-songwriter-producer PinkPantheress has axed all scheduled dates for the rest of this year, including opening slots on Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts tour and Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour.
The 23-year-old, whose real name is Victoria Walker, says she has “reached a wall which I’m struggling to penetrate” and that she needs to “focus on my physical health and overall wellbeing”.
PinkPantheress has been one of the opening acts on Rodrigo’s Guts tour since 19 July and was due to play support slots on it for several more weeks.
She was also due to open for Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour in Australia this November and perform at festivals including III Points (US), Field Day (UK), Summer Sonic (JP) and FORM (US).
“It is with great regret that we announce the cancellation of all our remaining dates for the rest of the year”
Elsewhere, 90s rock band Garbage have cancelled all remaining tour dates in 2024 due to an injury sustained by lead singer Shirley Manson, which will require surgery and subsequent rehabilitation.
“It is with great regret that we announce the cancellation of all our remaining dates for the rest of the year due to an injury that [frontwoman] Shirley [Manson] sustained on our recent tour in Europe that will require surgery and rehabilitation to correct.”
The band were due to perform at several festivals including Ohana Fest in California, HFStival in Washington, DC and Festival Hera in Mexico City.
During Live Nation’s earnings call this week, president and CFO Joe Berchtold played down concerns regarding increased tour cancellations of late, stressing there had been no more than normal.
“In terms of our cancellation rates, we’re seeing historical norms below last year,” he said. “They historically run kind of 4% to 5% of shows, about 1.5% of fans, absolutely in line with historical trends. I think most of the reports that we’ve seen have been efforts to take one or two data points out of a very large number of tours and shows, and we’re just not seeing anything unusual there.”
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Swiss Precision: 30 years of Gadget Entertainment
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Sage advice. Timeless, too – that quote is attributed to famed Chinese philosopher Confucius. And it could certainly be applied to the people behind Gadget Entertainment Group AG, the Swiss live entertainment company celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
“After finishing school, I wanted to follow my passion – organising concerts and working with musicians,” says Eric Kramer, one of Gadget’s founders and current managing partner, director business operations. “That’s why I decided against pursuing a study programme and started a company instead.”
And so, Gadget was born. Together with his then business partner and friend Alon Renner, Kramer began managing Swiss bands and booking bigger shows by international artists – in the first year or so, this included the likes of Run DMC, The Sugarhill Gang, Millencolin, and ‘Ol Dirty Bastard. Not bad for a company that was being run from the storage room of a paint shop.
And now, 30 years on, they are a behemoth; the largest and most important live entertainment company in Switzerland, active via three locations in Zurich, St.Gallen and Bern, they’ve gone beyond promotion and artist management to become a true 21st Century, 360° agency. As their website proclaims, they are “everything music.”
“We’re still full of ambition, passion, and commitment to music”
Easy as 1,2,3
As Kramer tells it, in the early years, they kept Gadget small and manageable. “It was just the two of us,” he says, “and the company grew very organically, with one thing leading to another.” It was over a year before they hired their first employee – Marion Streit – who joined “more or less by accident.” She was working in the post office; Kramer and Renner were frequent customers. “I had quit that job to go travelling,” she says. “And they asked if I wanted to work for them when I came back.”
Being such a small, inexperienced organisation, Streit had, she says, “no expectations.” But 29 years later, she’s still there – she’s now process manager, concerts and touring. “We have a great team – 100% authentic,” she says of her long Gadget career. “And we’re still full of ambition, passion, and commitment to music.”
That organic growth continued over Gadget’s first decade, with the company slowly building up their operations and a stellar reputation for professionalism and excellence. In 2004, Renner left the company, and Reto Lazzarotto, an artist manager and former marketing director of Warner Music Switzerland, joined. They also began branching out into brand partnerships and launched their own in-house record label – Gadget Records.
A year later, Stefan Wyss, the former booker of Salzhaus Club Winterthur, joined, and their expansion began to gather pace. “At Salzhaus, I booked a lot of shows from Gadget,” says Wyss. “After three years, Eric Kramer asked me to join Gadget as a booker and promoter – to basically run the live department and build up and expand Gadget’s live activities. It was a very interesting of- fer – and it was clear straight away I had to do this.”
“From the beginning, I felt there was a lot of potential to grow in the Swiss market and that we had all the possibilities to do what we love to do”
When he joined, Gadget consisted of just five people. “Very small and very familiar,” says Wyss. “It was great to work in such a very motivated team. From the beginning, I felt there was a lot of potential to grow in the Swiss market and that we had all the possibilities to do what we love to do.”
Gadget’s live entertainment and entertainment marketing divisions were established and expanded, so too their label and in-house publishing house. They also brought Christof Huber, partner and director festivals, on board. A booker who started his career at OpenAir St.Gallen in 1993, Huber had frequently worked with Renner and Kramer, booking Gadget acts, and was approached by Wyss to deepen their collaboration.
“He asked if we could join forces and if I could introduce them in London and work together in promoting international artists,” he says. “With Gadget Touring, we founded a company and started to establish good relationships with agents in the UK.”
Alongside this international expansion, they continued developing domestically and, says Kramer, “deepening our long-standing friendships and collaborations with key partners.” 2007 saw them promote their first show at the 3,000-cap MAAG Music Hall in Zurich; in 2012, they did the same at Zurich’s 13,000-cap Hallenstadion.
“With this network, we became the ideal gateway for international artists into the Swiss market”
That first event was, says Wyss, a “big move” and an important milestone for Gadget. “We decided to start promoting bigger shows as a local promoter – up until then, it had been club shows and festival bookings.” He says it was unequivocally the right decision and one that allowed Gadget to grow with their artists and continue expanding to that first arena show in 2012 and later their first stadium show in 2019.
We Promote
Eventually, it made sense to organise all this closer collaboration and cooperation more formally, and so together with wildpony AG – whose principal, Philippe Cornu, now runs Gadget’s Bern location – Incognito Productions AG, OpenAir St.Gallen, and SummerDays Festival, the Wepromote Entertainment Group Switzerland AG was formed.
“It was a very important step,” says Wyss. “It brought us closer to the established festivals on one hand and our promoting and management activities at Gadget on the other.” Joining forces allowed the new network to build international artists’ careers in Switzerland better, getting them into major arenas and promoting some of the most successful festivals as well as stadium shows and special events.
It also saw Cyrill Stadler brought into the fold. The CFO of OpenAir St.Gallen festival, he’d been working with Gadget since the early noughties, but he first worked with Kramer back in 1996, when Kramer was booking bands for the festival. “The combination of festivals with the artist scouts from Gadget was a perfect match,” he says of Wepromote. “And with this network, we became the ideal gateway for international artists into the Swiss market.”
“Thanks to our 500 concerts a year, eleven festivals, and 15 Swiss artists, we have a certain market position and a unique selling point”
The last of the current five partners, Oliver Rosa, joined in 2017. The former managing director of Warner Music Switzerland first got to know Gadget in the late 90s, when he was working PR for Warner and Kramer was managing a popular Swiss band. “We hit it off immediately,” recalls Rosa, “and it was the beginning of our long friendship.” He says that for him, back then, Gadget were the “cool kids – not just the small team itself but also their artists. Although we had a really good team at Warner, the Gadget people were somehow closer to the action than we were at a big, major label.”
Joining Gadget was something he always envisioned happening, but, he says, “it only became a serious option 20 years later – I’d left Warner at the end of the noughties, founded the Swiss Music Awards, and started managing Swiss acts.” When he came on board, his network was more focused on the domestic market and his event experience; currently, Rosa serves as managing partner, director artists and brands, and has brought in numerous new management mandates.
Much of Gadget’s success has been due to its ability to foster cooperation and forge important networks with like-minded organisations. This ethos of strength in numbers – as evidenced by the success of the Wepromote network – has stood the company in great stead as the Swiss market has evolved and become more competitive, and everyone IQ speaks to is keen to emphasise just how fundamental this aspect is.
“Thanks to our 500 concerts a year, eleven festivals, and 15 Swiss artists, we have a certain market position and a unique selling point,” says Rosa. “We keep our finger on the pulse and are a reliable partner.”
“Our market was always very competitive but our strong numbers will allow us to stay competitive in the Swiss market in the future”
Stadler comments, “In addition to our international roots, domestic artists play a very important role for us – local music is strongly ingrained in Gadget’s DNA.”
Kramer notes, “Due to the range of our offerings, we’re close to the people – we organise festivals, promote many shows, manage artists, and have offices in three different cities in Switzerland. We authentically embody our 360° full-service offering.”
Huber adds, “Our market was always very competitive, with lots of promotors and agents, but our strong numbers will allow us to stay competitive in the Swiss market in the future.”
We Unite
Indeed, this collaborative spirit has also filtered down to Gadget’s employees. Many spent time working with or for one of the five current partners; all knew of Gadget’s reputation for excellence, passion, and quite simply being brilliant at what they do. “It’s the spirit – you either have it or you don’t, but it’s something you can’t learn,” says Sarah Blum, head of project management, concerts and touring. “And the Gadget team has it.”
“I still feel the tingling in the team when we discover an upcoming artist, have the opportunity to give them a platform”
“Benefiting from each other and creating unique experiences for the public together,” is what Nora Fuchs, head of marketing and communications, festivals, says sets Gadget apart. “We all have the same passion for the music business and live entertainment, so we can enable unforgettable experiences in all areas of the field of music.”
“When I started at Christof Huber’s agency Incognito Productions over a decade ago, we were a team of four people, sent out festival tickets by post and regularly received band applications with CDs,” says Gadget’s head of projects festivals, Fabienne Wolfschläger.
“In the meantime, we have grown and professionalised as a company, but have remained agile and dynamic, like we used to be in the small team, which I really appreciate. And the passion is unchanged: I still feel the tingling in the team when we discover an upcoming artist, have the opportunity to give them a platform, and introduce them to a larger audience each time.”
Booker/promoter, concerts and touring, Sandra Schweizer says, “Joining Gadget amidst the pandemic posed challenges but turned out to be a positive transition. Working with Stefan Wyss was seamless, and we quickly aligned our efforts. The whole team is incredibly passionate and committed to achieving the best outcomes for our partners, artists, venues, and everyone involved in our vibrant industry.
“CTS Eventim relies on local entrepreneurs for its engagements, and that’s exactly what we wanted to remain”
“We place a high value on our relationships with agents, recognising their crucial role in our success. What I value most is the mutual respect and appreciation we have for one another, both within the company and in our external interactions.”
Head of booking, concerts and touring, Olivier Joye, adds, “I have been working at Gadget since 2010 as a promoter for international artists, as well as an agent for domestic artists. It’s a special thing to be able to work on different sides of the job and to share the office with so many people working in different fields of the business as part of our 360° model.”
Wepromote clearly benefitted all who contributed – as Kramer puts it, “In our business, the network is extremely important.” After closer and closer collaboration, the next step seemed obvious – and inevitable. “After the rather informal merger of Wepromote, we realised that we would like to unite everything in one company,” says Kramer.
Talks with possible investors and partners were initiated and options considered. “A strong, well-connected partner made sense given the high risks of the international concert market and the staging of major festivals,” says Rosa – and CTS Eventim fitted the bill perfectly.
“A perfect match” is how Kramer describes the company; “the partner that best suited us – we saw the most synergies,” adds Stadler. “CTS Eventim relies on local entrepreneurs for its engagements, and that’s exactly what we wanted to remain,” says Rosa. “We saw the opportunity to create something new.”
The CTS deal was, says Wyss, “a unique chance for us to become a bigger company and a much stronger player”
The partners talk more about a shared vision than this being a simple acquisition. CTS Eventim took a 60% stake in the company and contributed their Swiss subsidiary abc Production AG to the deal, allowing them to become Switzerland’s leading promoter. The company was formally renamed Gadget Entertainment Group, with the five partners – Kramer, Rosa, Huber, Wyss, and Stadler – retaining 40%.
The deal was, says Wyss, “a unique chance for us to become a bigger company and a much stronger player.” “It gave us new opportunities to develop and to reposition ourselves in the market,” adds Kramer. However, the way they worked didn’t change, with CTS Eventim giving the new company plenty of freedom. “We are still the same people and are able to make our own decisions as businesspeople,” says Wyss.
Such autonomy – and trust – was soon sorely tested. The new joint venture was publicly announced in January 2020; four weeks later, in March, Covid-19 hit, and the world basically shut down. In the music and entertainment business, as in so many walks of life, the effect was devastating. “The contrast between the urge of the new and the sudden lack of direction was tough,” says Rosa, “but we were able to switch gears and use the time to set up our new company properly.”
“Challenging” is how Kramer remembers that time. But despite this and all the upheaval, the new company demonstrated innovation and flexibility, successfully building up the structures that would be required for future success – even though some of the newly formed teams didn’t properly meet in person for over a year and a half. “We had to work out processes that didn’t exist yet, with a team that had never worked together before,” adds Blum. “Then came the year with the most shows ever – it felt like a final exam!”
“It’s impressive what our Swiss colleagues have achieved over the past three decades, continuously advancing the Swiss live entertainment”
“We were able to maintain faith in the new company at all times, both with our business partners and our people,” says Rosa. “We found the right mindset, which strengthened our belief that we had done the right thing with the merger, and that we were committed to each other.”
First & Last & All Ways
In a neat coincidence, Gadget were the first company to have to cancel a concert at Zurich’s Hallenstadion – German rock band Annen- MayKantereit on 28 February 2020 – and the first to promote a show there after Covid restrictions were finally eased – Swiss pop/rock band Pegasus, on 1 October 2021. And the company had more than just survived – it had grown from the 35 employees it had in January 2020 (they now have over 70) and emerged ready to re-establish its excellence across borders and entertainment sectors.
“We were able to deliver really strong results in 2022 and 2023 when we restarted,” says Huber. “This gave our main shareholder confidence.”
A testament to Gadget’s enduring popularity, professionalism, and growth is how highly various providers, suppliers, and fellow music business colleagues speak of them. “Our first contact was probably in 1984 – with the founders of OpenAir St. Gallen – so we can talk about a business relationship of a good 40 years,” says Jan Lemmenmeier of Stagelight. “They have always developed in the founders’ spirit and with a lot of passion. Since the 80s, cooperation has always been friendly – and what unites that wild bunch is their great love of music.”
Principal shareholder, CTS Eventim, also admires Gadget’s approach to business. “It’s impressive what our Swiss colleagues have achieved over the past three decades, continuously advancing the Swiss live entertainment [land- scape] both creatively and economically,” says Frithjof Pils, managing director of Eventim Live.
“Gadget’s openness in sharing know-how and best practice, but also challenges and failures, is something you only find in very few”
“In our volatile industry, pillars like Gadget are essential to offer artists, fans, media, and business partners maximum reliability and professionalism. We are happy that the company has been a part of Eventim Live for the past four years, and has grown into a solid cornerstone of our group with a lot of potential on top. Gadget is an example of the great development opportunities our group offers to independent and entrepreneurial promoters. We appreciate you and look forward to the joint future.”
Holger Jan Schmidt first met Gadget’s principles through Yourope – the European festival association, of which he is now general secretary. And he pays tribute to Gadget’s willingness to divulge data and information that can help improve the overall live music business.
“I am networked throughout Europe and beyond in the festival world, and I can honestly say that Gadget’s openness in sharing know-how and best practice, but also challenges and failures, is something you only find in very few,” says Schmidt. “They have understood that sharing results [makes] you richer in experience, knowledge, and contacts afterwards, and thus [result in] faster and more targeted progress.
“We at Yourope can count ourselves lucky that this mindset has also established itself as a philosophy in our association, thanks to these, our favourite Swiss, whose European thinking and identification many could learn a thing or two from.”
“Gadget have always evolved and grown bigger and bigger, but they always made smart moves”
As the CEO of Hallenstadion, Philipp Musshafen has a very close working relationship with Gadget – “They are one of the biggest promoters at our venue,” he says. “They have developed enormously, especially in the last five years, but they have simply remained good people and have their hearts in the right place – we’ve already done so much together and laughed so much.” He notes that, since the Eventim deal, discussions have become “somewhat different and more business-driven, but I’m always happy to meet Eric, Stefan, and all the others to do business or just to chat.”
It’s a similar story from Thomas Kastl and Oliver Pompetzki at Basel’s St. Jakobshalle. “Every interaction with Gadget has been memorable due to their professionalism and the enjoyable nature of our collaborations – their team consistently brings a positive and energetic atmosphere to every project we undertake together,” they say. They talk of Gadget’s “genuine joy and emotional investment” in their work, and again, an unwavering passion. “They are a unique and resilient organisation that continues to thrive and deliver exceptional entertainment experiences.”
“Gadget have always evolved and grown bigger and bigger, but they always made smart moves – they were always open to new fields in the business and were one of the first companies doing brand deals in Switzerland,” says Julie Born, managing director of Sony Music Entertainment Switzerland. “I’ve worked with the team there on various different projects over the years – we have artists they manage and artists they book – and they are one of the best management companies we have here in Switzerland.”
Born attributes some of their success to doing things differently – “thinking outside the box,” as she puts it – and maintaining open minds regarding business and friendships. “I have a really close relationship with Eric Kramer, and even though we don’t always agree, we still have huge respect for each other and can have a drink or lunch together,” she says. “That’s a highlight for me because usually, in this business, people are very opinionated, and if you disagree with them, they can turn on you. That mutual respect means a lot to me.”
“We’ve managed to maintain our DNA over all the years, despite the many changes”
Even within the organisation, there is pride and satisfaction in what they accomplish – and in making the spectacular seem routine. “We did the first club show with Imagine Dragons and accompanied the band through their fantastic career – right up to a sold-out stadium show for 42,000 at Berne’s Stadion Wankdorf,” says Christof Huber. “It’s rare to have such a consistent relationship with an artist, but it was a really proud moment for our company.”
We Celebrate
“I remember our first stadium show in 2019 – we were so excited and put so much work into the project. The show opened with pyro, and everything just ran smoothly,” says Blum. “Afterwards, we sat in the stadium and watched the dismantling. Since then, it’s been our ritual – to get together after every stadium show, look back on what we’ve put our heart and soul into for several months, and be proud of it.”
“We’ve managed to maintain our DNA over all the years, despite the many changes,” says Rosa. “Someone said to me at an industry meeting (we’d all had a few drinks) that it was amazing how well-received Gadget people still are, how nice we are. I had to laugh, but it was a great compliment.”
That humbleness shines through in another story that Nora Fuchs tells, a tale that speaks to the simple drive that keeps Gadget, its employees, and the five main partners on the straight and narrow. “We are all up for anything at our events – Christof places the rubbish bins correctly on the festival site when necessary, and Eric drags PA around,” she says. “And we shred the ground with Trash Heroes – always in the spirit of events that we plan for so long throughout the year, so that everything turns out just as we imagined.”
“I still see it as a major goal to be the first port of call for domestic and foreign artists who want to grow and develop in Switzerland”
Or of a simple yet humorous bet between Wyss and Kramer – one that was faithfully, and professionally, honoured. “When I started at Gadget, I had my own band, and Gadget already had a record label,” recalls Wyss. “I had a bet with Eric about my budget and turnover in the live department – I won, so Eric had to release my band’s album on Gadget Records and book a couple of support and festival shows for us, too! The album was not very successful, but it was a lot of fun to release it and play some amazing shows.”
Forward Thinking
What then of the future and ensuring that the next 30 years are as productive and pleasurable as the last? There are corporate events to explore, new marketing opportunities, and content creation in the entertainment environment areas of growth on the periphery of Gadget’s core business in which they have intensified their activities. (“Our market is constantly evolving and becoming increasingly dynamic,” says Rosa. “We want to pick up on this.”)
Ambitious developments are afoot, but Gadget’s principals are keen not to lose sight of the qualities that have got them this far – and made them such a respected, trusted player. “I still see it as a major goal to be the first port of call for domestic and foreign artists who want to grow and develop in Switzerland,” says Stadler. “We want to be an empathetic and trustworthy company, both for our employees and our artists,” says Wyss, adding that this will be key in keeping the company successful in a “crazy and very competitive business.”
Ultimately, the plan is to continue a steady evolution, adding expertise where possible and striving to do their best – with artists, partners, employees, fans, and the music they’re so passionate about. “I hope we enjoy many more years,” says Kramer, “as I’m so proud – we have a fantastic team with great dedication, without whom this journey would not have been possible.”
Looking back, it’s impressive to see what they’ve achieved and a testament to what can be done by simply working hard, believing in your- self, and following your passion. “After finishing school, I had the dream of owning my own company in the entertainment industry. I still get to live that dream today,” says Kramer. He makes it sound like he’s barely worked at all.
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UK general election: What the live biz wants
As the United Kingdom gears up for next month’s general election, a range of music organisations have told IQ how the new government can best help the live business.
The main political parties have now put out their manifestos ahead of the 4 July vote, with varying degrees of support for the arts. Labour, the party currently leading all opinion polls to form the UK’s next government, has reiterated its pledge to cap ticket resale if it wins the election.
“Access to music, drama and sport has become difficult and expensive because of ticket touting,” it states. “Labour will put fans back at the heart of events by introducing new consumer protections on ticket resales.”
While stressing that Britain will remain outside the European Union, the party vows to improve EU touring for UK artists.
“Labour will work to improve the UK’s trade and investment relationship with the EU, by tearing down unnecessary barriers to trade,” it says. “We will seek to negotiate a veterinary agreement to prevent unnecessary border checks and help tackle the cost of food; will help our touring artists; and secure a mutual recognition agreement for professional qualifications to help open up markets for UK service exporters.”
Touring regulations also feature in the Liberal Democrats and Green Party manifestos, with the former saying it would push to “negotiate free and simple short-term travel arrangements for UK artists to perform in the EU, and European artists to perform in the UK”, and the latter promising to “ensure that musicians have access to visa-free travel to the EU through negotiating a reciprocal arrangement at the earliest possible opportunity”.
“This will be a government seeking to kickstart economic growth, and implementing the right policies to support the live music sector”
The Lib Dems also set out their desire to “protect fans from being exploited by ticket touts by implementing the Competition and Markets Authority’s recommendations to crack down on illegal ticket resale”.
The Conservatives, meanwhile, pledge to “extend our Community Ownership Fund to help more communities across the UK take control of vital community assets like pubs, music venues, libraries, green spaces, leisure centres and more”.
Stressing its support for apprenticeships as “a key pipeline of talent into our world-leading creative industries”, the party adds: “We will work with industry to deliver a dedicated flexible coordination service so that everyone who wants to work in the film, TV, gaming and music sectors can work on live productions whilst benefiting from at least 12 months of secure training.”
Jon Collins, CEO of LIVE (Live music Industry Venues and Entertainment), which serves as the collective voice of the UK live music business, says the trade body is looking forward to working with the next government on “a range of issues that require a fresh focus, considered investment and informed action”.
“With Labour likely to form that government, it is very encouraging to see many of our key asks set out in their manifesto and their action plan for the arts, culture and creative industries,” he says. “This will be a government seeking to kickstart economic growth, and implementing the right policies to support the live music sector with a value of £5.2 billion will deliver that growth – both domestically and internationally.
“Labour is committed to facilitating easier touring arrangements with the EU which will critically drive up activity; the current provisions have seen a 74% drop in activity and left orchestras either unable to tour or facing prohibitive costs. We welcome Labour’s support for our grassroots sector and look forward to working with ministers to ensure grassroots music venues are able to thrive, update them on the progress of the LIVE Trust, and ease the trading environment through business rates reform.”
“The rest of the world recognises this country as a beacon of music innovation, and it’s vital that an incoming government maximises that potential”
Collins adds: “Whilst not a manifesto commitment, we will be looking to the next government to act on the recommendations made by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in their recent report (May 2024) on grassroots music venues to reduce VAT on tickets and undertake a comprehensive economic analysis of the impact of a reduced rate applied across the sector.
“We are pleased that Labour has committed to take forward our proposals published in our Live Music Manifesto on secondary ticketing and reforming the apprenticeship levy. LIVE will work with the next government on plans to deliver Martyn’s Law in a way that protects fans without putting unnecessary burdens on venues and festivals.”
Last week, the Music Venue Trust (MVT) published a report entitled, A Manifesto for Grassroots Music, which outlined the steps the charity says are required in order to stem the closures of grassroots music venues and bring stability to the sector.
“In 2023, of the 366 small music venues Ed Sheeran played while learning his trade, at least 150 are now closed,” said MVT CEO Mark Davyd. “Another 72 grassroots music venues significantly reduced or ended their live music offer. 38% of GMVs in the UK made a loss in the last 12 months. The sector operated on a 0.5% profit margin overall while running live music events at a £115 million loss.
“All of this can be changed if the next government delivers the five simple steps we have set out.”
Music Managers Forum (MMF) CEO Annabella Coldrick highlighted touring, the grassroots scene and streaming as key areas of concern.
“When the general election was called, the industry was in deep discussion with policy makers about reforms to music streaming and to grassroots live music,” she says. “In the next parliament, those discussions must be transformed into tangible actions – and fast! Our artists and music makers deserve nothing less.
“Underpinned by those reforms, it’s really important that music, culture and the creative industries are at the heart of the UK’s business and growth strategy. The rest of the world recognises this country as a beacon of music innovation, and it’s vital that an incoming government maximises that potential – for instance, by negotiating new improved touring arrangements for UK artists wanting to perform in Europe, and by addressing our concerns about exorbitant visa fees for the US. Both have been a real focus for the MMF, and for the FAC, with our joint #LetTheMusicMove campaign.”
“To reset the market, we want the UK to follow the example of Ireland and outlaw ticket resale for profit”
David Martin, CEO of the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), says: “The FAC’s priority is to ensure that the momentum to drive forward artist-friendly reforms of streaming and the sustainability of the live music ecosystem continue into the next Parliament. The next government must take forward the work that was started by the Culture Media & Sport Select Committee in these areas. We can’t let progress slip.
“There are plenty of challenges facing our industry, but with a UK music strategy for growth the next government can maximise its untapped potential. Through practical changes to the way we do business – such as implementing fair royalty rates or a live ticket levy that directly supports artists – British music will thrive. The new government should legislate on these issues if industry consensus cannot be found.”
Unsurprisingly, the focus for Adam Webb, campaign manager of of anti-touting pressure group FanFair Alliance, is on cleaning up secondary ticketing.
“To reset the market, we want the UK to follow the example of Ireland and outlaw ticket resale for profit,” he tells IQ. “Thankfully, because of FanFair’s campaigning, this is firmly on the radar of politicians. The Labour Party has already committed to introducing a 10% cap on resale prices, and action against ticket touting is one of the key music-related pledges in their manifesto. The Liberal Democrats also have a manifesto commitment to clamp down on speculative ticketing and other anti-consumer practices.
“Alongside that, I’d like to see the Competition & Markets Authority provided with new enforcement powers. The UK’s ticket resale market is not highly regulated. We need that to change, and for capped consumer-friendly ticket resale to be made more visible and viable.”
Meanwhile, the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) plans to resume its Five Percent For Festivals campaign – calling for a reduced VAT from 20% to 5% on ticket sales for the next three years – post-election.
“We are delighted to see so many references to music and meaningful commitments that will change our members’ lives for the better”
“I think there will be intervention. My concern is that by the time something does happen, how many [festivals] will have gone?” AIF CEO John Rostron told IQ earlier this month. “What’s good for us is there is an election about to happen, so we’ll have a new group of politicians with a five-year mandate, and that is stronger to work with than where we were, which was with a group of MPs that didn’t know how long their futures would be.”
Elsewhere, the Musicians’ Union (MU) has welcomed the Labour Party Manifesto, saying it tackles many of the issues the organisation has raised with the party on behalf of members.
“The MU is Labour-affiliated and, along with fellow unions, we have been involved in shaping policy for a Labour government for many years now,” says MU general secretary Naomi Pohl. “Having not had significant access to Conservative ministers, with a few notable exceptions, we have a chance of a government that prioritises the arts and wants to engage with us on issues facing musicians.
“This is the first time that the MU has been so directly involved in the Labour Party manifesto process and had a chance to influence the final document. We are delighted to see so many references to music and meaningful commitments that will change our members’ lives for the better.
“While we know our membership is a broad church politically, we would be missing a once in a generation opportunity if we didn’t encourage musicians to vote Labour. This is an opportunity to shift the dial for the creative workforce of today and tomorrow.”
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Ice Spice announces inaugural world tour
Ice Spice has announced details of her first-ever global outing, the Y2K! World Tour.
The American rapper, who signed with WME last year, will play festival dates across Europe, followed by headline shows across North America this summer.
The 24-date tour kicks off at Roskilde Festival in Denmark on 4 July, followed by slots at Poland’s Open’er Festival (5 July), Rolling Loud Europe in Austria (7 July) and Beach, Please! Festival in Romania (11 July).
She will then wrap up the European leg with performances at Wireless Festival in the UK (12 July) and Switzerland’s Openair Frauenfeld (13 July).
The trek, produced by Live Nation, will then head to North America, starting in Washington, DC on 30 July at The Anthem, with additional stops in cities such as Philadelphia, New York, Toronto, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Oakland and Atlanta before wrapping up on 31 August in Miami at The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater.
Special guests RIOTUSA and Cash Cobain will join as support on all North America dates. The tour coincides with the release of Ice Spice’s debut album, Y2K!, which drops on 26 July.
The full list of dates is as follows:
Thu Jul 4 – Roskilde, Denmark – Roskilde Festival
Fri Jul 5 – Gdynia, Poland – Open’er Festival
Sun Jul 7 – Vienna, Austria – Rolling Loud Europe
Thu Jul 11 – Costinesti, Romania – Beach, Please! Festival
Fri Jul 12 – London, UK – Wireless Festival
Sat Jul 13 – Frauenfeld, Switzerland – Openair Frauenfeld
Thu Jul 18 – Dour, Belgium – Dour Festival
Tue Jul 30 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
Thu Aug 1 – Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theater
Fri Aug 2 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia presented by Highmark
Sun Aug 4 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Tue Aug 6 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17
Fri Aug 9 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
Sun Aug 11 – Toronto, ON – HISTORY
Tue Aug 13 – Chicago, IL – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
Wed Aug 14 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory
Sat Aug 17 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium
Mon Aug 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
Wed Aug 21 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
Fri Aug 23 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre
Sun Aug 25 – Dallas, TX –The Factory Deep Ellum
Mon Aug 26 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
Wed Aug 28 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy
Sat Aug 31 – Miami Beach, FL – The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater
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Coldplay beat world tour emissions target
Coldplay have revealed they have beaten their target for cutting carbon emissions on their Music of the Spheres World Tour.
The band’s tour announcement back in late 2021 came hand-in-hand with a 12-point plan for cutting their carbon footprint, including a pledge to reduce their direct carbon emissions from show production, freight, band and crew travel by at least 50% compared with their previous A Head Full of Dreams stadium tour.
In their last update in June 2023, the group said the tour had produced 47% less CO2e emissions than their 2016/17 trek. Twelve months on, they have improved on those figures significantly.
“We’re happy to report that direct CO2e emissions from the first two years of this tour are 59% less than our previous stadium tour, on a show-by-show comparison,” say Coldplay in a statement. “These figures have been verified by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative.
“We’d like to say a huge thank you to our incredible touring family and to all the brilliant people who’ve made this possible. Most of all, we’d like to thank everyone who’s come to a show and helped charge the show batteries on the power bikes and kinetic dance floors; everyone who’s arrived by foot, bike, ride share or public transport; everyone who’s come with refillable water bottles or returned their LED wristband for recycling; and everyone who’s bought a ticket, which means you’ve planted one of seven million trees so far.
“As a band, and as an industry, we’re a long way from where we need to be on this. But we’re grateful for everyone’s help so far, and we salute everyone who’s making efforts to push things in the right direction.”
A comprehensive study of the live music industry’s carbon footprint is being conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), co-funded by Coldplay, Live Nation and Warner Music Group (WMG).
Coldplay also launched a free app for fans as part of their pledge to make the tour as eco-friendly as possible. Highlights from the ongoing trek have included an 86% average return and re-use rate of LED wristbands, 18 shows powered entirely using the tourable battery system in 2023 made from recycled BMW i3 batteries and 23 partnerships with green travel providers to help fans travel to shows via super-low carbon transport.
“This latest analysis of Coldplay’s impact on the environment from touring is again setting a new standard for the entire music industry”
In addition, 17kWh average power per show has been generated via in-venue solar installations, kinetic dance floors and power bikes – enough to power the band’s C-stage performance each night.
All shows have offered free water refill stations for fans, while over 3,000 tCO2e has been saved by purchasing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for flights, and 72% of all tour waste has been diverted from landfill and sent for reuse, recycling and composting, while 9,625 meals and 90kg of toiletries donated from tour catering to the unhoused and unsheltered.
“For some time now, Coldplay has been leading by example in taking seriously and acting on the various interrelated environmental and social challenges facing humanity; climate change, biodiversity loss, air and water pollution, environmental injustice and more,” says Prof. John E. Fernández of MIT.
“With each subsequent year of their tour they demonstrate an evolving vision and expanded commitment to move the entire music industry toward true and humane sustainability and planetary resilience. From collecting unprecedented amounts of data to taking specific actions today based on rigorous analysis, Coldplay is modelling a trajectory toward a low carbon, biodiverse and equitable future.
“This latest analysis of Coldplay’s impact on the environment from touring is again setting a new standard for the entire music industry. The data and the methods of analysis support the conclusion that substantial progress has been made to reduce emissions in touring.”
The Music of the Spheres Tour could see Coldplay become the first band to gross $1 billion from a single tour. At last count it had earned $810.9m, having been attended by 7.66 million fans. This June, the group will become the first act to headline Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage five times. They previously topped the bill in 2002, 2005, 2011 and 2016. The date will mark the band’s only European festival appearance of the year.
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