Alex Hardee
“I turned drugs into interior design... I’m really into mid-century furniture and art.” Away from Coda, Alex’s life centres around wife Eloise and children, two-year-old Atticus Leonard Danger Markwall Hardee – “His middle name is Danger,” smiles Alex – and baby Huxley Frank Wilder Markwall Hardee. Outside of music, Alex’s hobbies are surprising. “I turned drugs into interior design,” he laughs, “so I’m really into mid-century furniture and art.” He also enjoys fishing and is looking forward to integrating that passion into a couple of ambitions in 2017. “I’ve bought a house on the coast in Kent which I’m finishing off and once that’s done I’m going to buy a fishing boat,” he reveals. “I had to wait until my mum died to do that, because after Malcolm drowned, I promised her I wouldn’t buy a boat when she was alive.” Another weekly hobby is football. “Loaded’s editor James Brown has written a book about our team, called Above Head Height. It came out of the death of one of our team mates, James who worked at Creation, and basically stemmed from the idea that a bunch of lads who would get together every week for years on end actually knew nothing about each others’ lives, families, etc. I haven’t read it yet, but I’ve supposedly got the last line in the book.” As for the future, Alex admits to being very optimistic about Coda’s merger with ITG, while he’s also aiming for further growth to fill the company’s new premises. “I’d like to get a grime agent into Coda and some more female agents, simply because they are just very good at being agents,” he says. “But the ITG merger is the highlight of my career and I don’t think it’ll be too long before we can announce some new acquisitions that we’ll make through the investment fund.”
Testimonials It’s probably more than 20 years ago now that we first met and started working together. I can’t remember what the first artist was we booked, probably an act from the Wall of Sound label or a drum n bass DJ. Alex’s first sort of breakthrough was with Roni Size and his Full Cycle crew. We did a lot of shows with them in Holland, including legendary gigs at Lowlands and also the Solaris Beach Club parties – they absolutely destroyed the place! It’s always good fun to work with him – there’s never a bad deal, there’s really straightforward communication and a very open approach. He doesn’t take the business too seriously, and he’s always sharp and on the case, really quick in making a deal and with an excellent ear and eye for what’s happening.
Ron Euser, MOJO CONCERTS In the late 90s, Alex and I went to the CMJ in New York. Alex was staying in a hotel in Manhattan while myself and a friend where staying with family in Queens. One night, we went to see the Jungle Brothers and Black Eyed Peas in a venue called Wetlands and instead of going to back to Queens we ended up crashing in Alex’s hotel room. We were all pretty drunk and when we woke up there was a lady also sleeping on the floor. It turns out she was homeless and had ended up in Alex’s room as we had forgotten to lock the door. Now, most people would have thrown the homeless lady out of the room, but Alex let her use his bathroom and also went outside and brought her back breakfast. He is a great guy and a good friend. As an agent he has always shown huge loyalty, not a trait you find with a lot of agents these days.
Gary McGuigan, MCGUIGAN PROMOTIONS Alex Hardee is not only a true, self-styled “special agent”, but also a real Mensch and partner. We work on a great number of projects together, which almost always reach their targets and beyond. In the age of ever-growing complexity he keeps things simple where they need to be and still manages to be precise and reliable at all times. He stands up for what he feels is right and voices his opinion without any hidden agendas or political correctness. He has backed us in critical times, which is something we will never forget. Definitely looking forward to the next 25 years alongside the mad hatter!
André Lieberberg, LIVE NATION It’s impossible for me to put into words how I feel about Alex he is a one off unique brilliant and totally dedicated to his artistes. I cannot believe it’s 25 years and the bulk of that 25 years he has been a colleague of mine and remains so today.
Phil Banfield, CODA Alex and Eloise on their wedding day in 2015
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IQ Magazine March 2017