The New Bosses 2024: Tom Matthews, UTA
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.
Tom has risen swiftly through the ranks and is enjoying a standout year. Alongside colleagues, Jbeau Lewis and Jules de Lattre, he aided the success of Karol G’s record-breaking Mañana Será Bonito tour. Demonstrating his ambition, Tom was recently made the point person for Asia in UTA’s London office, ensuring fellow agents find the best possible partners across the region while guaranteeing clients find their audiences on relevant Asian social media platforms like Weibo, WeChat, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, QQ, and more.
You’re working with some superstars, while also beginning to build your own roster. Are there any lessons you can learn from stadium acts that can help with those who are just performing their first club shows?
Whether it be a stadium show or a debut show in a 150-cap venue, the principles are still the same. The fan has purchased a ticket to see an artist give the best performance they can and that’s what I say to all of my artists. If you can get 150 people in a room, make sure that 150 of them want to buy a ticket to the next show and they tell five of their friends how incredible it was, and suddenly you’ve got a powerful multiplier on your debut show and you will see great growth in the market. I’m also huge on the visual aspect of a performance. The better the visuals, and the more immersive an experience can be, the more it gets shared across socials and that in itself is a great way to build your fanbase.
With all the competition out there, how do you persuade a new act to allow Tom Matthews to represent them?
The one main focus for me is ensuring that my clients really do get a fully tailored experience. One that matches both their long-term goals and also pays attention to the data points that we get from the online analytic tools that we have access or the information our IQ department is able to gather. It’s incredible how much further an artist can develop if you really pay attention to the markets in which their fans are organically engaging, both from a streaming and social media perspective. One artist may start to break in Germany and another may start to break in parts of Southeast Asia, and I make sure that we strategise around those important markets and build out the global strategy from there. Natalie Jane is a great example – we saw huge social media growth (through her 10M+ followers) and streaming growth in Germany, and she just sold over 3600 tickets in Germany alone on her recent European tour.
Do you have any mentors or people you can rely on to bounce ideas off?
Before becoming an agent I was lucky enough to spend the first half of my career at UTA as a booker to Gary Howard. Gary is still to this day my go-to for advice on navigating what can be at times a complex but incredibly rewarding career. I also need to give a huge shout-out to Jbeau Lewis (partner, UTA) and Jules de Lattre (agent, UTA) who I both work with on KAROL G. They’re not just colleagues, but also incredible resources who constantly share their expertise not just to me, but agents globally at UTA.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
In the famous words of our global head of touring, Neil Warnock… “Pick up the [insert word of choice here] phone!”
“Seeing 500,000 in the queue to buy a ticket to the second night of Karol G at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium was surreal”
What’s been the highlight of your career so far?
Okay so this is a tricky one… Refreshing my laptop and seeing 500,000 in the queue to buy a ticket to the second night of Karol G at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium was quite a surreal experience, but also comforting knowing that we did the right thing and held a few more nights so we were definitely prepared! The shows in Madrid were without a doubt the best shows I have ever seen in my career.
The other highlight that springs to mind is, before I recently moved out of London back in June, I lived 15 minutes from North Greenwich, where the O2 Arena is. Having two nights sold out for Karol there was definitely a great moment for me after seeing the venue almost every day for two years and the shows were the same week that I moved out, so it was a really great send-off to that part of my life. I had my fiancé and parents there for the second night which made it all the more special.
And are there any particular platforms, venues, or events that you favour to discover new talent?
I’m definitely deep into the TikTok algorithm these days as I’m sure most of us are, but I still get great tips from people working in the industry, whether that be an A&R at a record label, a manager of a client or a promoter that I work with.
Which one act on your roster should promoters be keeping an eye on in the next few months?
asiris is a client of mine who I am sure will be on everyone’s radar in the next 12-18 months. Originally from Texas and now based in Virginia, he is one of the most talented songwriters I’ve come across in recent years. He recently released a song named ‘miramar’ which is a truly stunning record. Promoters – you know what to do!
“Kindness really isn’t a weakness, it is a key ingredient to a successful and fulfilling career for yourself”
You’ve recently been made UTA London’s point person for Asia – a massive market. How do you keep on top of everything that’s happening out there, business-wise, while learning about the nuances of cultural differences, language barriers, exchange rate fluctuations, and opportunities for clients?
Between all of the agents at UTA who book in this region, we ensure that there is a constant information flow between all of us. It’s not just me who gathers the data for this region, it’s agents who are booking there and providing feedback from their experiences, it’s information that we get from our promoter partners out in the region who provide us with their local expertise and it’s my responsibility and that of the of the wider team to be on hand to pass that information across to agents when needed. Being a global business, we also have point people based in our US offices, so in a 24-hour period it’s highly likely there is someone awake and on-hand to assist. I recently spent some time in Taipei and Shanghai for the Elijah Woods tour, and being on the ground seeing these venues first-hand and not just from seeing images online really does make a difference. It allows us to correctly advise our clients when we’re proposing our touring strategies.
As a new boss, what one thing would you like to change to make the live music industry better?
The relentless drive for success in the music industry can often overshadow the importance of kindness. As an agent, I see firsthand the toll that extensive touring and relentless pressure can take on artists and their teams. Burnout is a real threat, and it stifles creativity and long-term health. A kinder music industry attracts and retains talent who feel valued, respected, and empowered to do their best work. Kindness really isn’t a weakness, it is a key ingredient to a successful and fulfilling career for yourself and massively impacts the people you work with on a day-to-day basis in a positive way.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I think it goes without saying that I want to continue to sign incredible artists to my roster and continue to develop live strategies for them on a global scale, but I also want to continue helping the next generation thrive in this business. I feel a tremendous amount of happiness seeing my fellow colleagues succeed and I would love to see my assistant grow into the incredible agent I know they will be one day. It’s down to me to make sure I’m giving them all of the tools they need to learn and succeed, the same as I was given by my mentors starting out.
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.
UTA launches Christian music division
Leading global talent company UTA has announced the launch of a dedicated Christian music division.
The Nashville-based arm will be led by Jonathan Roberts, who joined UTA in May and possesses more than a decade of experience in Christian-focused music acts.
“We are witnessing an unprecedented moment in the music industry, where Christian music is resonating with wider audiences,” says Roberts. “UTA’s roster of Christian artists reflects the growing demand for the genre and we are thrilled to be part of this exciting moment alongside these artists.”
The division will serve as an extension of UTA’s Heartland initiative, founded in 2020 by UTA agent Nick Barnes, and will tap into the company’s music network and resources, spanning from music crossover to brand partnerships.
“We are leveraging the full strength of the agency, bringing together agents who are inspired by the genre and its connection with fans”
“UTA is deeply committed to the growth of the Christian music division,” says Scott Clayton, UTA partner and music co-head. “We are leveraging the full strength of the agency, bringing together agents who are inspired by the genre and its connection with fans.”
The agency’s growing roster of Christian artists includes acts such as Brandon Lake, Phil Wickham, Forrest Frank, Lecrae, Elevation Rhythm, Mosaic MSC, Bodie, Sam Rivera and Gio.
In June, UTA appointed veteran entertainment and tech entrepreneur and executive Bob Roback as COO. The company also expanded its sports portfolio with the acquisition of Representatives Of Outstanding Footballers (ROOF).
UTA also acquired the UK’s Curtis Brown Group in 2022 and opened new offices in London last year. Its pop and rock music clients include the likes of Bad Bunny, Take That, Dolly Parton, Florence and the Machine, Guns N’ Roses, Halsey, Jason Derulo, Lil Nas X, Lil Wayne, Wizkid, Lizzo, Paramore, Post Malone and Jonas Brothers.
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.
This Life on Tour: On the road with Take That
As one of the biggest boy bands of the 90s, Take That have been selling out venues for more than 30 years, while racking up millions of record sales, numerous awards, and a reputation for putting on spectacular concerts. Current outing, This Life on Tour, is only enhancing the band’s status, while taking the group into new markets internationally. IQ reports.
As one of the UK’s most-loved acts, Take That have sold more than 14m albums in their home nation alone, consistently setting the bar high with live performances that thrill arena and stadium crowds alike. But unlike many of their peers, the trio of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, and Mark Owen are determined to further build their fanbase, with the current tour taking them to new territories, as well as markets they haven’t visited in decades.
Last year, Take That switched allegiances by entrusting James Wright and Oliver Ward at United Talent Agency to handle their representation globally.
In their native UK, however, the band has a longstanding arrangement with SJM founder Simon Moran, who is often credited with persuading them to end their nine-year hiatus to reform. That decision saw SJM enjoying phenomenal success on The Ultimate Tour in 2006, in addition to the six tours prior to the current outing.
Nonetheless, Moran admits to being once again surprised by the volume of ticket sales. “We never take anything for granted,” Moran tells IQ, in the knowledge that 700,000 ticket sales makes them the biggest-selling UK tour by a UK act this year. “The high level of the tours previously and the production values thus far have delivered tremendous results, but it’s nice to see thew sales come through to this level.”
This Life marks Take That’s 12th tour, but ever ambitious, the band are taking their production to a number of new markets. “We want to go to places they’ve not been to,” says Moran. “We haven’t played in Leeds before, so to sell-out four shows and 40,000 tickets is a great result.”
“We’re very careful on pricing to [ensure we] have a wide range. There were probably 15-20% of the tickets priced at £60, which is great value”
And the SJM founder observes that the band’s popularity seems to still be expanding. Detailing the demographics of the ticket holders, he comments, “We still see the original fans from the 90s and then there’s a whole new fanbase that came on board with the Beautiful World [2007], Circus [2009], and Progress [2011] tours, but we also see the sons and daughters of the original fans and maybe even of the ones from [the noughties] as well.”
The fact that the tours attract so many young fans also plays a part in ticket prices, according to Moran. “We’re very careful on pricing to [ensure we] have a wide range. There were probably 15-20% of the tickets priced at £60, which is great value. At the other end, we have some VIP tickets, but we want to keep prices affordable for the vast majority of people.”
New relationships
While Moran promotes the UK tour leg – along with DF Concerts in Scotland and fellow Manchester-based operation Kennedy Street Presents – globally, Take That are now represented by UTA’s Ward and Wright who went back to basics for the set-up of This Life on Tour.
“We took the decision, collectively with management, to speak to every promoter in every market, including historical promoters,” says Ward. “Essentially, it was an open door, with us being the new agents, to have fresh conversations with everyone to find the right partners for the band in every territory. The enthusiasm amongst the promoters to bring the band to these markets, where they hadn’t been for ages or [had] never been, was massive.”
Disclosing some of the research undertaken in pulling together their proposal for Take That, Ward explains, “Our IQ Department here at UTA is an amazing resource and using their analysis we could see there were some really prominent markets, at least in terms of digital audience, where the band either had never been or hadn’t been for years. We took that information in good faith to [band manager] Chris Dempsey, and he then took it to the boys to show them there might be some untapped markets that should be considered.”
“The boys themselves were very keen on this campaign to do more in these markets and meet these fans for the first time or for the first time in a long time”
Wright says, “The boys themselves were very keen on this campaign to do more in these markets and meet these fans for the first time or for the first time in a long time. So it just became a big part of our conversation in the lead up to us working with them.
“We were also able to present an understanding of where fans were looking at things like Take That’s Wikipedia pages, so we really had a deep understanding of exactly where their fanbase was.”
That data has helped Take That plan a routing across 51 cities in 21 countries, as the band plays 79 dates before the end of the year, plus their own bespoke festival in Malta.
Burning ambition
Underlining the scope of the new markets that UTA’s research identified, the tour will see Take That play their first-ever shows in Portugal, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia. Additionally, Ward and Wright have agreed deals that will see the band performing in Asia for the first time since the 90s and their return to Spain after a 17-year absence.
Wright comments, “There’s a fundamental fear when a band or an artist has been going for that length of time, they want to sort of sit back. But Take That’s energy is quite remarkable – it’s very infectious to be around. And it just drives us to step up and deliver for them.”
And flagging up the professionalism of the artists, Ward says, “We’ve got a band who’ve been willing to do the promo and to go to these markets to excite the fanbase. The best example is Australia, where this will be only the band’s second visit since the 90s. Working with the promoter, Gary [Barlow] went to Australia to launch the tour with four days of packed promo. Credit to Gary, that has helped us have the best sales the band have ever seen in Australia.”
“We have many original fans, but we also have lots of teenagers coming to the show – it’s about a 50/50 split between the generation”
Susan Heymann, chief operating officer at Frontier Touring, which is promoting the band’s six-date tour, is delighted with the band’s return down under. “Gary was adored everywhere he went on his Australian promo trip,” she says. “The band and their team are some of the nicest people we’ve worked with and incredibly hardworking.”
As one of the new promoters on the tour, Heymann tells IQ, “We had a great response to the announcement of their November tour and with the addition of their old friend, Sophie Ellis-Bextor on the bill, announced right around the time when her hit Murder On The Dance Floor had re-entered the global charts, this Take That tour is reaching a broader audience than ever before.”
Back in Europe, Carsten Svoldgaard at CSB Island Entertainment is looking forward to welcoming the band back to Denmark, having hosted their only non-UK date in 2023.
“They played Hindsgavl Castle here last year and sold out 10,000 tickets, so we were very keen to be involved in this year’s tour as well,” says Svoldgaard. “We did not know how popular they would be for the Hindsgavl show because we had not worked with them before and it had been a long time since they had performed in Denmark, but it worked really well.”
Having sold out all 5,500 tickets for the 27 June gig at the Skovdalen amphitheatre in Aalborg, Svoldgaard reports that the fans span the generations. “We have many original fans, but we also have lots of teenagers coming to the show – it’s about a 50/50 split between the generations.”
“That’s what I find so inspiring – here they are all these years later, still going really strong and still massively ambitious in a way that not all artists are”
Further south, Will Anderson at Madrid-based Mercury Wheels is promoting six of Take That’s seven shows in Spain, including dates in Marbella, Seville, Murcia, and Jerez, as well as the capital city. “We have these outdoor concert series in Spain that are quite popular, so they’re sort of a festival vibe, but they’re all outdoor headline shows, essentially,” says Anderson of the gigs.
“Take That haven’t been to Spain for 17 years, so that was part of the conversation when Olly and James at UTA got in touch, as there’s a lot of pent-up demand from Spaniards to see them. But naturally, there will also be a lot of British expats that live here, as well as people flying in for the shows – the audiences should be a real mixture.”
While this will mark the first time that Anderson himself has worked with the band, he is relishing the experience. “Expectations are pretty high,” he tells IQ. “Just speaking with the agents at UTA, you get a sense of the ambition coming from the band themselves. That’s what I find so inspiring – here they are all these years later, still going really strong and still massively ambitious in a way that not all artists are. They could very easily sit on their laurels and not do very much if they wanted to. But they want to get out and see their fans in all parts of the world.”
In terms of ticket sales, Anderson reports, “In Madrid, the show sold out in a day, while Marbella was one of the fastest-selling shows they’ve ever had in the history of the concert series, so they ended up adding a second date. But right across the board, it’s going great guns, so we’re really happy with how it’s coming together.”
The agents are similarly enthused. “Spain’s been a big one,” confirms Wright. “We’re just delighted that having not been there since 2007, we’re now doing seven concerts. The show in Madrid sold out in 24 hours, which was one of the fastest sellouts ever by an international artist at that concert series.”
“The sales are tracking very well against our other recent arena shows, and the band have both a strong ex-pat and international following”
Also on the tour routing is a 25 October date in the United Arab Emirates where MAC Global previously promoted the band’s 2017 Wonderland Live outing.
“We fully expect people to travel from Dubai and other Emirates in the UAE: we are seeing the ticket-buyers more willing to travel from Dubai to Abu Dhabi for shows and vice versa,” comments MAC Global co-founder and chief creative officer, Daniel Goldberg. “Take That have a huge global following, and we fully expect to see fans travel from the UK to attend the show and build in a short winter break around it.”
With the band’s agents looking to potentially add dates to the Middle East leg, Goldberg notes, “We’re hoping Take That will do two or three regional plays. We are based in Dubai, but our remit, being part of the Sony Masterworks network, is very much regional routing. Even dating back to 2015, we successfully routed Ed Sheeran to Dubai, Oman, Qatar, and India in one regional run, and we always try and route artists to more than one market here.”
Indeed, he reports that demand for the October show is encouraging. “The sales are tracking very well against our other recent arena shows, and the band have both a strong ex-pat and international following. Robbie Williams recently sold close to 14,000 tickets in Abu Dhabi, so we’re hoping to hit a similar number.
“Their UK sales speak for themselves and there’s a huge amount of excitement for them coming to Abu Dhabi. The band and entire team are a delight to work with, and this will surely be one of the event calendar highlights for the UAE this year.”
“Generally, when it comes to the live show, it’s about communication of what it looks like, what it feels like, and how it works with new gags or new equipment”
Large-scale production
Having formed in 1990, Take That have worked with many professionals in the industry over the decades, but one member of their team who dates back beyond their first tour is creative director Kim Gavin.
“Weirdly, the band contacted me as soon as they had a hit, back in 1992, so I’ve now been 32 years with them,” Gavin informs IQ.
Recalling his first encounter with the band – which was then a quintet – he explains, “I was working for the BBC, doing the Children’s Royal Variety Show, and the director wanted a pop act at the beginning of the show. We saw four different acts, and when the director asked who out of the four I would put on stage, I said, ‘Without doubt, Take That.’ I remember having to splice in cheers and screams when they entered the stage in the edit, because nobody knew who they were.
“When their third single, It Only Takes a Minute, went to number seven in the charts, they decided they wanted to go on the road, so I did that first tour with them. I choreographed all the songs on the album and staged their tour, and that’s been my position with them right through till this moment.”
Renowned for their state-of-the-art sets, Gavin has been at the forefront of Take That’s spectacular shows since day one but reveals that this tour is putting more emphasis on the repertoire than aesthetics.
“Generally, when it comes to the live show, it’s about communication of what it looks like, what it feels like, and how it works with new gags or new equipment. On this tour, what Take That want to try and get across is more the singing and what the songs are, inherently. So, they’ve stepped back from the spectacular, even though they still do pyro and all sorts of special effects. But it’s the first production since 1995 where they haven’t had dancers, for instance.”
“We make sure that things are fairly elastic, so that we can respond once we get into rehearsals”
Gavin says planning for the current production started last autumn. “We’ve gone with a very big stage on this because it’s got these two swivelling staircases, and it needs to be that big in order to do everything we want it to do. But the stairs portray the ups and downs of This Life, so they are integral to the show.”
Providing some insight into the creative process, Gavin says, “Even back in ‘92, Mark [Owen] would be concerned about what they were wearing, and he’d involve himself in the clothes. He still does that now, but now he also likes to be involved in the concept for the tour and what the album evokes. So, in the early stages of planning, Mark and I discuss what we could do, and that evolves until we bring the other two – Gary and Howard – in, when we’ve got something to talk about.”
When it comes to the video elements of Take That’s live performances, Luke Halls Studio has been working on the creative side since the 2007 Beautiful World Tour.
“It’s usually a collaboration between the guys, Kim Gavin, and myself,” says company principal Luke Halls. “Usually, the band will have an idea – Mark being the more visually led member of the band – then I will get a sort of amalgamation of their hopes for the show, which I can respond to with some ideas or concepts, and we take it from there.”
Using animation that can be quickly tweaked during rehearsals, Halls reports that This Life on Tour saw about 15 members of his team working on the video content.
“We make sure that things are fairly elastic, so that we can respond once we get into rehearsals. Thankfully, there’s a level of trust that’s been built over the years, so we’re left very much to generate the visual elements.”
“As soon as you go outdoors in the UK, you’re not quite sure what’s going to happen – as Middlesbrough proved”
Detailing some of the differences between the indoor and outdoor shows, Halls says, “We have to make sure that those images are bigger and clearer for the outdoor show just so that everyone gets the experience that they’ve paid for.”
He adds, “We call ourselves sculptural film-makers. Everything that we do has a sculptural outworking, so we don’t just generate for rectangular screens: we make sure everything is very bespoke to the stage and the shape and everything that we’re playing with. That’s really our skill.”
Backed for good
With production manager Chris Vaughan pulling the strings, many of the professionals working on This Life on Tour have been involved in Take That’s world for a number of years.
Audio expert Liam Tucker, of Skan PA, has been working in a senior role since 2015, although his relationship with production manager Vaughan dates back further on tours for the likes of A-Ha and Muse, while he also worked in a junior position on Take That’s 2009 Circus tour and 2011’s Progress shows. “I was the extra delay guy when they had extra speakers and things like that,” he recalls.
Highlighting one of the main challenges of outdoor shows in the UK, Tucker comments, “As soon as you go outdoors in the UK, you’re not quite sure what’s going to happen – as Middlesbrough proved.”
Recalling the deluge the crew experienced at the city’s Riverside Stadium ahead of the 24 May concert, Tucker says, “Load-in was just rain all day, from every single angle – it was coming in sideways, it was bouncing off the floor. Technology is as rated as it can be, but sometimes it doesn’t like the weather.
“From an audio point of view, the main issue was network, as some of the inclinometers decided they weren’t going to work, while the rain also refracted the lasers, so it was difficult to get a true reading. But those are hurdles rather than problems.”
“Festivals are always good fun because you’re walking into something different in every location”
While the audio team, including engineers, numbered seven on the arena shows, it gained two additional members for the stadium run. “They do the extra hangs, the delay masks, that sort of thing. And when we go into the European leg, we drop down to four audios, including the engineers.”
The difference between the indoor and outdoor shows also entails more equipment, although from an audio point of view, Tucker says, “The stage itself and the inputs stay the same, but outdoors it gets bigger and wider. It’s the way the show is put together that changes. So, rather than having one truck of speakers on arenas, we’re up to two trucks of speakers for stadiums. And when we go into festivals, we have no trucks of speakers because it’s all supplied by the festivals.”
However, it’s the festival run that Tucker is most looking forward to. “Festivals are always good fun because you’re walking into something different in every location – it’s not Groundhog Day. That’s why we get asked to come back. The challenges are what makes your day a bit different.”
Stewart Scott at Phoenix Bussing tells IQ the company had been working with Take That ever since Chris Vaughan became PM. “We supplied seven sleeper buses for the arena and stadium tour: two 14 berths, and five 16 berths, while for the European tour we go down to two buses,” says Scott.
“However, we need some double drivers for the European journeys because there are some long distances involved between some of the dates – in fact I’ll be going out myself to drive the Bologna to Barcelona route, which allows me to see the clients at the same time.”
He adds, “Chris Vaughan is one of our top clients and it’s always good to be involved on one of his projects because they are always superbly organised and run smoothly, with a lot of great people working on them.”
“Stufish did the set design, and they always come up with some clever things. It’s up to us to make it happen”
Having been involved with the band since 2017’s Wonderland Live tour, Belgium-based stage motion specialists WICREATIONS are used to delivering the complex scenic effects that wow audiences.
“Stufish did the set design, and they always come up with some clever things. It’s up to us to make it happen,” says key account manager Koen Peeters. “The main show elements are the two large tracking staircases, which are about 8 meters deep, 4 meters wide, and 3.5 meters high. They track over the stage at stage level, and can spin 360 degrees. But we’re talking about an object that weighs around six tons, each staircase, so we need to use an embedded and integrated tracking system that sits below stage level.”
Despite the complexity of those operations, the WICREATIONS crew numbers just six people on the road, managing and operating all the WIMOTION machinery. “There is a long term history between Chris Vaughan and myself,” says Peeters. “Before we did the Wonderland tour in 2017 with WICREATIONS, I worked at Stageco where I had done many projects with Chris since 2009.”
The performers’ entrance on stage hints at the production’s groundbreaking elements. Appearing from a hidden elevator behind a semi-transparent video screen, Barlow, Donald, and Owen effectively appear to walk out of that screen as the giant staircases slide apart, splitting the video wall in two.
“That performer lift is also used to evacuate the technicians who operate each of the staircases for that opening scene,” states Peeters.
A further telescopic lift is used to bring Take That from stage level to the top level of the staircases, again hidden from the audience. A third elevator is used multiple times during the show to bring different sorts of pianos up and down stage, while other tracking systems are embedded in the stage to track the band’s musicians by around ten meters up and downstage.
“Every act seems to look for things that have not been done before, and that makes it so interesting and challenging to be in this business”
Finally, WICREATIONS also supply a six-by- six-meter B-stage, featuring a rotating and elevating circular stage for the artists.
“Every act seems to look for things that have not been done before, and that makes it so interesting and challenging to be in this business,” adds Peeters, noting that those those heavy-duty WICREATIONS motion elements and the complete rolling stage fill ten trucks.
“We had 34 production universal trucks for the arena run and a couple extra for the stadium shows,” says Matt Jackson at Fly By Nite. “This is a pretty unique scenario where the band has gone from arenas straight into stadiums, but the logistics issues are more for the crew than us.
“We’ve mainly been able to operate with single drivers in the UK because we’re getting into each new city in plenty of time. The most complex move was from Dublin into London, where we had to rely on a sympathetic ferry operator who delayed the crossing so that we would make it in time to The O2 Arena. We needed double drivers to facilitate that, but otherwise, Chris Vaughan plans brilliantly well, so it’s been a very smooth project,” adds Jackson.
Another regular supplier is special effects wizards ER Productions, which have been working with Take That since the company’s launch in 2007. “In a nutshell, we’re doing all the water effects, we’ve got a load of flames on the show, confetti, and a lot of pyrotechnics for the outdoor shows,” says ER director Dan Mott, who has been part of the company since it merged with his operation, Pyrojunkies, two years ago.
“We’ve fabricated some of the equipment specifically for the tour, such as a snowstorm, where we’ve created a custom dolly that mulches 60 kilos of confetti with high-powered fans and CO2 blowers that carry a whirlwind of confetti through the guys standing on stage straight into the audience as the show opens.”
“It was really refreshing to be involved in that early design stage and have input, to be honest, because we work in a last-minute industry, usually”
ER also supplied eight low-smoke machines for use during ballads, while the band are also the first beneficiaries of the company’s bespoke Flamber equipment used during Relight My Fire. “It allows us to set fire to the two automated staircases,” says Mott. “It involves 72 custom flame units, allowing us to chase flames and pulse the flames to the beat of the music.”
Elsewhere, ER has brought in multiple flame blazers, while a water feature activated for the song Back For Good that makes it rain onstage indoors, is replaced outdoors by over a ton of pyro.
“We’ve got a lot of stuff, but there’s a lot from every department,” observes Mott. “I think the crew is 150 people, who from the minute they wake up are busy. Everyone’s putting so much equipment in on the show, so we’ve all got to interact and work closely with each other, but Chris Vaughan runs a tight ship, and everyone’s really nice to work with.”
Indeed, Mott tips his hat to Vaughan’s approach to the tour, which engaged suppliers from the planning stages. “Myself and Marc Webber from ER went down to Chris’s house back in December, to sit down with Stufish and all the other departments to talk through the show from start to the finish. It was really refreshing to be involved in that early design stage and have input, to be honest, because we work in a last-minute industry, usually.”
But the results speak for themselves. “Ultimately, it’s a really good show; the whole concept is fantastic, and everybody puts the effort in, so we’re really proud to be working on it,” says Mott.
The greatest weekend
With a reputation as one of the hardest-working bands on the circuit, it comes as no surprise that Take That are once again setting new records as part of the current tour – including an astonishing 50th hometown show in Manchester’s AO Arena.
“Amidst all their ambition to go to all these other countries, there was also an idea early on of the band having essentially their own festival takeover”
“We’re delighted that we’ve been able to celebrate Take That’s 50th show at the AO Arena, right here in the heart of the action,” states venue general manager, Jen Mitchell. “Not only do we enjoy having the band here, we love hosting their fans and making every moment memorable.”
Always looking forward, the band’s tour itinerary also includes their first-ever curated festival – The Greatest Weekend – which will see the trio visiting Malta for the first time, where Festival Republic is organising the event.
“Amidst all their ambition to go to all these other countries, there was also an idea early on of the band having essentially their own festival takeover, which is what the Malta event is,” notes UTA’s Olly Ward. “It’s exciting. Four days in Malta with two Take That sets, one a never-before-seen front-to-back of the album, Everything Changes, and the other a greatest hits set.”
The event’s undercard of talent will include Sugababes, Ella Henderson, Daniel Bedingfield, Heather Small, and Sam Ryder, amongst others, while Howard Donald will host a DJ takeover at Café Del Mar, among a host of other bespoke experiences.
“For fans used to seeing the band in stadiums or arenas around the world, this is a chance to have a four-day Take That extravaganza in a much more intimate environment,” says Ward. “And it’s again credit to the band’s ambition that they wanted to do it this year, when they’re doing so much already.”
Delighted by their first experience of working with Take That, Wright concludes, “This is a band that had a huge amount of success pre-social media, meaning that not all the fans will be connected to the band via social media. Sean Hill who is head of music marketing at UTA, here, and Emily Rhodes from his team where a huge part of looking into this for us.
Consequently, there was a need to reverse engineer this a little bit with promoters to make sure they understood the value of traditional media and marketing alongside digital marketing, but that worked and that’s why these shows – and this tour – are a success.”
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.
CAA hires veteran agent Cheryl Paglierani
Veteran music agent Cheryl Paglierani, who has helped guide the live careers of artists such as Post Malone, 21 Savage and Dominic Fike, has joined CAA.
Paglierani joins the company’s global touring department from UTA, where she most recently served as a partner. She has played a pivotal role in the rise of clients including 21 Savage, who sold more than 140,000 tickets for his recent 30-date North American amphitheatre tour and will be headlining a number of European festivals this summer.
She has also worked with Post Malone from early in his career and throughout his development to becoming a worldwide superstar.
“We are thrilled to welcome Cheryl to CAA,” say Darryl Eaton & Rick Roskin, co-heads of global touring. “Cheryl has a deep understanding of artists and how they envision their careers, and she brings the expertise and tenacity to help make them a reality. Her acumen, experience, and character will make her an outstanding member of our team.”
Los Angeles-based Paglierani served a stint at CAA, as well as William Morris, earlier in her career and went on to work for The Agency Group prior to its acquisition by UTA in 2015.
“It’s an incredible feeling to return to CAA,” says Paglierani. “I’m excited to work with this extremely talented and driven team. I’ve been lucky to call so many of them friends for years and can’t wait to hit the ground running together.”
CAA, whose touring clients include The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Harry Styles, Katy Perry, Lana Del Rey, Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, Blink-182, Kelsea Ballerini, Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, has booked more than 38,000 shows over the last year.
“Cheryl is highly respected in the music industry for her ability to identify and elevate emerging talent and foster the careers of superstars”
“Cheryl is highly respected in the music industry for her ability to identify and elevate emerging talent and foster the careers of superstars,” says CAA’s co-chair and CEO Bryan Lourd. “Today’s announcement underscores the strength and momentum of CAA’s touring business and also speaks to the agency’s ongoing commitment to helping develop the careers of next-generation artists.”
Separately, the agency has named Elizabeth A Morrison as its first global head of inclusion, recruiting and development.
In her new position, she will lead the teams overseeing ongoing inclusion efforts, learning and development, in addition to recruiting programs across the agency’s offices and divisions.
“We are thrilled to have Elizabeth join us,” says CAA co-chair Richard Lovett, as per Deadline. “We always prioritise the development of our colleagues and an inclusive environment within our walls and beyond. Elizabeth’s professional experiences and expertise will further bolster CAA as a professional home where people of all backgrounds can be inspired daily, grow their careers, and best serve our clients.”
Morrison’s past roles include chief diversity, equity & inclusion officer and VP global talent management at Levi Strauss, having previously overseen diversity & belonging at Live Nation.
“I have long admired CAA for its highly regarded focus on collaboration and community, and for the agency’s deep and optimistic belief in what’s possible for employees and clients,” adds Morrison. “I am passionate about championing experiences that allow individuals to present their full and best selves within the workplace, and look forward to joining my new partners on this ever-evolving journey.”
Read IQ’s latest feature about how live music firms are diversifying the workforce here.
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.
New COOs at UTA, Sphere Entertainment
Talent agency UTA and live entertainment company Sphere Entertainment have each announced new chief operating officers.
UTA has appointed Bob Roback, a veteran entertainment and tech entrepreneur and executive, as its new COO.
In joining the firm, Roback will also be a partner and join UTA’s board of directors. He takes over the COO role from Andrew Thau, who will continue as co-head of UTA Sports.
This week, Thau and Rich Paul, UTA Sports co-head and KLUTCH Sports founder, announced UTA’s acquisition of ROOF (Representatives Of Outstanding Footballers), a leading football agency representing top soccer players in Europe and beyond.
Roback will report to UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer and president David Kramer. As COO, his responsibilities include overall business operations and overseeing growth, strategy and technology, with a focus on efficiency and innovation, the agency said.
Roback’s career spans content, digital consumer services and consumer products, as well as business-to-business platforms and marketplaces. He spent seven years as CEO of Ingrooves Music Group, a tech-led music and marketing business acquired by Universal Music Group in 2019. Prior to that, Roback served as president and a member of the board of Fender Musical Instruments Corp. He also co-founded several companies, including Dashbox, The Media Farm and Launch Media, which became Yahoo Music.
“Throughout his accomplished career, Bob has built and led multiple businesses at the intersection of entertainment and technology, and he will be a valued partner at UTA as we help our clients thrive in an increasingly global and complex marketplace,” says Zimmer.
Roback adds: “I’ve long admired UTA’s dedication to its clients and ability to lead the way in defining what it means to be a global agency during a time of tremendous change and opportunity. I’m thrilled to be joining the company at this exciting time and look forward to shaping the future with UTA’s talented and ambitious team.”
“Bob will be a valued partner at UTA as we help our clients thrive in an increasingly global and complex marketplace”
Elsewhere, Sphere Entertainment Co has expanded Jennifer Koester’s role at the firm to president and COO. Koester most recently served as the company’s president, Sphere business operations, where she led the strategy and execution of all business aspects of Sphere, a futuristic $2.3 billion arena launched in Las Vegas in September 2023.
In the expanded role, Koester will continue working with executive leadership, and across the broader Sphere team, to grow the business and optimise its operations, said the firm.
Koester will now also provide strategic oversight for Sphere Studios – the immersive content studio in Burbank dedicated to developing multi-sensory experiences exclusively for Sphere – including further developing the Studios’ capabilities as a full-service production studio.
She will continue to focus on maximizing venue utilisation across a range of categories, such as original programming, attractions, concerts, residencies, and corporate and marquee events; driving strategic partnerships; delivering the best customer experience; and growing Sphere as a premium global brand.
“Since joining our team earlier this year, Jennifer’s contributions have had a significant impact,” says James Dolan, executive chairman and chief executive officer, Sphere Entertainment. “We believe we are just scratching the surface of what is possible with Sphere, and her expertise will be essential as we continue to advance on our long-term vision for this next-generation entertainment medium.”
“I welcome the opportunity to take on this expanded role,” says Koester. “Across the Sphere organisation we are focused on both bringing unique experiences to life in Las Vegas, and developing new experiences that will keep Sphere at the forefront of immersive entertainment. I look forward to continuing to work with our world-class team to grow our business and deliver on Sphere’s vision for the future of entertainment.”
A seasoned executive with 30 years of diverse experience in technology, media, and entertainment, Ms. Koester’s experience spans across functional areas including business development, marketing, technology, legal, and product management.
She joined Sphere Entertainment in February 2024 from Google, where she served as managing director, Americas Strategic Alliances, Global Partnerships.
She also previously served as director, telecommunications and video distributors, global partnerships at Google, where she was a key contributor to product strategy and roadmaps that delivered new revenue opportunities, including development and monetisation of advertising product lines. Her experience prior to Google includes serving as senior vice president of advanced advertising product development, data analytics and ad operations at Cablevision, as well as various legal positions.
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.
UTA acquires soccer agency ROOF
United Talent Agency (UTA) has expanded its sports portfolio with the acquisition of Representatives Of Outstanding Footballers (ROOF).
ROOF represents around 130 players and 20 managers and coaches across Europe’s “Big Five” soccer leagues, with clients including Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk, Arsenal’s Kai Havertz and Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
UTA created a dedicated sporting division, UTA Sports, in 2019 after making a significant investment in KLUTCH Sports Group. ROOF is now set to integrate with KLUTCH.
“Building out our global sports platform is a critical part of UTA’s growth strategy, and welcoming ROOF’s world-class agency and management team into our ranks marks another pivotal moment for UTA Sports,” says UTA chief operating officer and co-head of UTA Sports Andrew Thau. “With KLUTCH already the gold standard, and now ROOF and the other growing areas of our sports enterprise, we are poised to build out a best-in-class business unlike anything else in our industry.”
ROOF, which will continue to operate under its own name and founding leadership team, who will become shareholders in UTA, currently operates from offices in Munich, London and Madrid, and is targeting further international expansion.
“This exciting partnership gives us access to industry-leading resources and expertise to better serve our clients and broaden our reach globally”
“We could not be more energised by this opportunity to work with KLUTCH and UTA,” says ROOF co-founder and MD Björn Bezemer. “This exciting partnership gives us access to industry-leading resources and expertise to better serve our clients and broaden our reach globally. With ROOF partners becoming shareholders in one of the most transformational agencies in global sports and entertainment, we are excited to bring our industry-leading football representation to this team.”
Led by founder and CEO Rich Paul, who is also co-head of UTA Sports, KLUTCH has negotiated more than $4 billion in contracts on behalf of its roster across the NBA, WNBA, NFL and MLB.
“Football is the most global and popular sport on the planet, and in charting our path into the game, we’ve searched for a partner who aligns with KLUTCH’s values and takes a similar client-first approach,” says Paul. “It was clear very early on that ROOF was the perfect fit; our agencies share the same philosophy, passion and professional approach to representing the world’s best athletes. Together we look forward to bringing new energy to the beautiful game and its athletes through the lens of empowerment, storytelling and forward thinking.”
KLUTCH, UTA, and ROOF will also focus on the increasing opportunities across women’s sports.
In addition to its sports interests, UTA acquired the UK’s Curtis Brown Group in 2022 and opened new offices in London last year. UTA’s music clients include the likes of Bad Bunny, Take That, Dolly Parton, Florence and the Machine, Guns N’ Roses, Halsey, Jason Derulo, Lil Nas X, Lil Wayne, Wizkid, Lizzo, Paramore, Post Malone and Jonas Brothers
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.
Loud and Proud 2024: IQ’s pride playlist now live
IQ Magazine’s fourth annual Pride takeover edition heralds the return of the Loud & Proud playlist, for which our partner agencies have spotlighted fast-emerging queer artists to note.
This year, IQ has extended the Loud & Proud profiles to include a dozen acts represented by ATC Live, CAA, Earth Agency, Midnight Mango, One Fiinix Live, Playbook Artists, Primary Talent, Pure Represents, Queer Artists Agency, Solo, UTA, and WME.
Artists included in Loud & Proud 2024, along with their agents, are:
Asbjørn (DK) Frederik Diness Ove, Queer Music Agency
Beth McCarthy (UK) Jess Kinn, One Fiinix Live
Brimheim (DK) Paul McGivern, Playbook Artists
Evangeline Gentle (CA) Rich Quarterman, Midnight Mango
Fletcher (US) Bilge Morden, CAA
Gia Ford (UK) Caitlin Ballard, ATC Live
Girlband! (UK), Charly Beedell-Tuck, Solo Agency
Liz Lawrence (UK) Hayley Morrison, Simon O’Neill & Angus Baskerville, Pure Represents
Lucky Love (FR) Christina Austin & Jules de Lattre, UTA
Reneé Rapp (US) Lucy Dickins, Ben Totis & Dvora Englefield, WME
She Drew The Gun (UK) Claire Courtney, Earth Agency
Tom Rasmussen (UK) Sally Dunstone, Primary Talent International
Listen to the full Loud & Proud playlist below:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5U1Wb37yhJT9XuYeLfO8cR?si=dc38b05ef6a346cc
The full Loud & Proud feature, including all 12 profiles, is available here for subscribers of IQ Magazine.
Click here to subscribe to IQ from just £8 a month – or check out what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below.
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.
UTA names Obi Asika among five new music partners
United Talent Agency (UTA) has promoted five music agents to partner, including UK office co-head Obi Asika.
The company acquired Asika’s Echo Location Talent Agency back in 2021, in a deal that saw him assume the role of co-head of UTA’s London office alongside Neil Warnock. Asika is also co-founder of festival brand Afro Nation.
UTA has also named US-based music agents Kevin Gimble, Steve Gordon, Jeffrey Hasson and Matt Meyer among 24 new partners, spanning talent, publishing, comedy touring, executive search, endorsements & voiceover, MediaLink and KLUTCH Sports Group.
“Each of these new partners embodies UTA’s commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration”
“Each of these new partners embodies UTA’s commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration, which translates into impeccable service for our clients,” says UTA president David Kramer. “We are thrilled to welcome them to the UTA partnership. I’m especially encouraged to see the wide variety of newer departments and businesses this group of partners hails from, reflecting the success of our expansion and diversification strategy over the past several years.”
Other new partners include Dan Constable (endorsements & voiceover), Devrie DeMarco (MediaLink), Doug Edley (comedy touring), Roysi Erbes (UTA executive search), Heidi Feigin (comedy touring), Andrew Feinberg (KLUTCH Sports Group), Christy Fletcher (publishing), Michele James (UTA executive search), Damon Lau (UTA Creators) and Byrd Leavell (publishing).
The list is completed by Albert Lee (publishing), Nicole Lynn (KLUTCH Sports Group), Nigel Meiojas (talent), Brian Nossokoff (talent), Jennifer Palacios (entertainment & culture marketing), Andrea Kerr Redniss, Donna Sharp, Christopher Vollmer and Mark Wagman (all MediaLink).
UTA has promoted almost 130 people over the past year. As part of the firm’s multi-year expansion strategy, recent acquisitions have included sports agency Rep 1 Baseball and One Legacy Sports Management by KLUTCH, Gen Z-focused JUV Consulting, literary agency Fletcher & Co. and executive search firm James & Co. The company has also opened new offices in Atlanta and expanded its presence in London.
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.
Karol G shifts 1m+ tickets, shatters records during LatAm tour
Latin superstar Karol G sold over one million tickets during the Latin American leg of her Mañana Será Bonito Tour, shattering several records across numerous LatAm countries.
In support of her fourth studio album, the Colombian singer embarked on the second leg of her ‘Tomorrow Will Be Beautiful’ Tour in February after wrapping up a 15-city stadium run across the United States, plus two multi-act ‘Mañana Será Bonito Fest’ shows at her home Estadio Atanasio Girardot stadium (cap. 45,900) in Medellin, Colombia.
Beginning the Live Nation-backed LatAm tour in Mexico, the Grammy-Award-winning songstress became the first Latina artist to sell out three nights at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium (cap. 87,523) — the largest stadium in the region. She went on to do two nights in Guatemala, where she sold the most tickets for any international artist in the country. In Costa Rica, she broke Coldplay’s record by selling 104,686 tickets over two nights at the country’s national stadium.
Breaking records at nearly every stop on her 15-city venture, Karol G became the first female artist to sell out two nights at the Dominican Republic’s Olympic Stadium (60,000) and three shows at Chile’s national stadium (60,000). She’s the only artist to sell out two nights at Venezuela’s Estadio Monumental (84,567) and became the fastest Latin female artist to sell out two stadium shows in Argentina with her two Estadio Vélez Sarsfield (49,540) performances.
The reggaeton starlet kicks off her debut European tour next month, and is already breaking records in the continent
This leg concluded last Friday (10 May) at São Paulo’s Centro Esportivo Tietê (16,000), G’s first show in Brazil. Organisers upgraded to the sporting complex from the 8,000-capacity Espaço Unimed after high demand for the Spanish-singing starlet from the Portuguese-speaking market. She’s due to return to the country to co-headline the seven-day festival Rock in Rio in September.
Next month, the 33-year-old reggaeton starlet will tour Europe for the first time, starting at Zürich’s Hallenstadion (11,200). The 18-date arena tour, to which eight shows were added after the initial announcement, will see her play two nights respectively at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome, London’s The O2, Paris’s Accor Arena, Milan’s Mediolanum Forum and Lisbon’s MEO Arena.
The European leg will close with four stadium performances from Billboard’s 2024 Woman of the Year at Madrid’s Estadio Santiago Bernabéu (85,000), the first artist to sell out four consecutive nights at the venue.
Karol G, real name Carolina Giraldo Navarro, is represented worldwide by UTA’s Jbeau Lewis and Ryan Soroka.
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.
Private equity & live music: Who owns what?
It was recently reported that Providence Equity Partners-backed live giant Superstruct Entertainment was being readied for a sale, with a formal auction process set to be launched within weeks.
Providence was said to be working alongside banks Liontree and HSBC to gauge interest after planning the sale last summer, with Blackstone and CVC highlighted as potential bidders.
The report once again brought the international touring industry’s relationship with private equity (PE) into focus, with a number of the world’s biggest companies now wedded to that world. Ticketing guru Tim Chambers tackled the increasingly hot topic in a recent op-ed for IQ.
“The corporatisation of the live music industry to form a series of vertically aligned international conglomerates has attracted the attention of a growing number of private equity and capital investment groups, all, it seems, subscribers to the notion of perpetual sector growth,” he said.
“PE investments are made in the belief that they will lead to a profitable return, rather than any abstract concerns such as great art or a vibrant and diverse live music ecosystem.”
Providence expanded its music portfolio in 2022 with a strategic investment in agency giant Wasserman
Superstruct, the second-largest festival promoter on the planet after Live Nation, was founded in 2017 by Creamfields founder and ex-Live Nation president of electronic music James Barton and Roderik Schlosser while at Providence Equity Partners.
Providence expanded its music portfolio in 2022 with a strategic investment in agency giant Wasserman, and also backs Ambassador Theatre Group and Tait (Towers). In addition, it bought into Sweetwater, the leading US retailer of musical instruments and audio equipment, in 2021.
Last year meanwhile, it acquired audio specialist d&b Group along with a minority stake in Populous, an architectural and design firm for sports and entertainment venues, whose portfolio spans 3,000 projects including London’s Wembley Stadium and the Las Vegas Sphere.
Sixth Street-backed premium experiences specialist Legends revealed an agreement to purchase venue management giant ASM Global in November last year. The reputed $2.4 billion deal is planned to lead to the creation of a premium global live events company.
Silicon Valley-based PE firm Silver Lake announced last month it is to acquire all outstanding shares WME parent company Endeavor. Silver Lake made its initial investment in WME in 2012 and bought fashion and sports-focused talent agency IMG for $2.4 billion in late 2013, rolling up both acquisitions into WME-IMG. The mega-agency was rebranded as Endeavor in 2017.
Furthermore, Silver Lake acquired Australian live entertainment behemoth TEG from another investment company, Affinity Equity Partners, in 2019, in a reputed A$1.3bn deal, and also owns shares in Oak View Group and invested in sports merchandise company Fanatics.
“Arguably, only other PE-backed entities have the means to undertake such large-scale acquisitions, and so the concentration of ownership within the sector will inevitably continue”
Global investment firm Blackstone got in on the act in 2018, snapping up the UK’s NEC Group in a deal reportedly worth more than £800 million and looks poised to acquire song management company Hipgnosis Songs Fund.
In 2018, Netherlands-based multinational investment firm Waterland Private Equity acquired six leading Scandinavian promoters and agencies – ICO Concerts and ICO Management and Touring (Denmark), Friction and Atomic Soul Booking (Norway) and Blixten & Co and Maloney Concerts (Sweden), bringing them together as All Things Live.
Elsewhere, Artémis, an investment firm led by billionaire French businessman Francois-Henri Pinault, acquired TPG’s majority stake in Creative Artists Agency (CAA) last year. PE company TPG had upped its 35% stake in CAA to 53% for a reported $225 million in 2014. The previous year, “purpose-driven global investment organisation” EQT entered the global touring business to become the largest outside shareholder in United Talent Agency (UTA).
US businessman Ron Burkle’s private equity firm Yucaipa Companies invested in booking agency Day After Day Productions in 2022, adding to existing live music interests such as booking agencies Artist Group International, X-ray Touring, APA and K2, Primavera Sound and Primavera Pro, and promoter Danny Wimmer Presents. APA and AGI merged to form Independent Artist Group (IAG) last year.
Plus, Chicago-based PE company GTCR made a “strategic investment” in American ticket exchange Vivid Seats back in 2017, and South by Southwest’s newly announced SXSW London spin-off will be produced under licence from SXSW LLC by Panarise, a live entertainment company established and owned by private investment vehicle Panarae. According to documents obtained by CMU, Panarae is associated with Ali Munir, an investor and director of SXSW’s majority owner, Penske Media Corporation.
In conclusion, Chambers, who serves as a ticketing advisor, consultant, and non-executive for various live entertainment operators, pondered whether the marriage between private equity and live entertainment had become too big to fail.
“In short, the PE strategy is to increase the volume of events by extending the territorial reach, improving the physical environment where events occur, and by then extracting more from audiences via value-add bundles, packages, and surge-pricing,” he said. “The consolidation of the live entertainment sector by a diminishing number of ever larger congloms has therefore been both a cause and effect of the influx of new capital.
“After the economic impact of layers of (vertical) consolidation and (horizontal) aggregation, the squeezing of costs, and the surge-pricing of audiences, to whom can PE-owned live music congloms sell as part of their exit strategies? Arguably, only other PE-backed entities have the means to undertake such large-scale acquisitions, and so the concentration of ownership within the sector will inevitably continue.”
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.