New Bosses 2015

NEW BOSSES 2015 Jeffrey Azoff

Shaun Faulkner

Will Griggs

Diego Schweizer

2015 marks IQ’s eighth year of our New Bosses feature and it’s been a fiercely fought process, with more nominations than ever before. Our winning ten New Bosses represent a good geographical spread with four UK-based professionals, two from the USA, two from Germany and the remaining bosses from South Africa and Switzerland. And if you ever needed proof that entrepreneurs are thriving in the live entertainment sector, then read on - and do yourself a favour by adding their details to your contacts book.

Gordon Masson Editor – IQ Magazine

Joanna Young

Umong Shah

Jeffrey Azoff (US)

Age: 29

Agent, Creative Artists Agency After graduating from the University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business, Jeffrey Azoff (son of Irving) began his career at his father’s company, Frontline Management, before making the switch to the agency side of the business when he joined CAA in 2012. Based in Los Angeles, he represents many of the world’s leading musicians, including The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Kings of Leon, Britney Spears, Meghan Trainor, Leon Bridges, and Kodaline, among others.

Sophie Doherty

Scott O’Neill

What is exciting you in the music business at the moment?

Everything right now. From seeing how quickly new acts I’m lucky to work with, such as Leon Bridges or Meghan Trainor, are breaking, to being a part of the team that put together the first contemporary residency in Las Vegas for Britney Spears, and just being able to help out with bands as legendary as The Eagles or Fleetwood Mac is unbelievable.

What’s the best thing about your job?

Getting to work with friends.

What’s the best piece of advice anyone has given you?

Björn Deparade

Helene Sperling

Follow through is everything...

NEW BOSSES

2015

Will Griggs (US)

Age: 30

Co-founder, Cantora Records

While studying music business at New York University, Will and his roommate Jesse Israel discovered Grammynominated band MGMT and established Cantora to release the band’s first EP, Time to Pretend. Since then, Cantora has also launched music by Bear Hands and Savoir Adore, and as well as a live event production arm, the company has a successful tech investment fund.

Are there any career low points that you’ve learned from?

Yes, one of the biggest lessons I carry with me is that sometimes the thing that you want to have happen NOT happening can be the best outcome in the long term. Learn from it and move on.

How were you introduced to the business?

By booking and promoting concerts in my home-town.

I wanted to play shows, but with no infrastructure, I had to help create a platform for bands that had no business playing at venues aside from house parties, community centres and church basements.

work with I mainly talk to promoters, managers and labels. I also like to search online blogs for new talent: you can find some gems on those.

What’s the hardest decision you’ve had to make in your career?

The most difficult decision of my career so far was after two years of running my own agency, closing it down and letting nine acts go from my roster and taking a handful over to X-ray.

What do you see yourself doing in five years’ time?

Over the next five years, I see myself developing into the role and breaking a significant number of new acts. My sole focus is taking my artists to the next level and beyond.

How do you build relationships with professionals in other countries?

By attending events such as the ILMC and Great Escape.

I recently went to Slottsjfell in Norway to meet a festival promoter and it was very valuable and a great experience.

What was your big break?

I would say my biggest break so far is becoming an agent for X-ray touring, with the help from Paul Bolton, Adam Saunders and Ian Huffam.

What does Cantora’s live production division do?

We’ve always produced live events as a way to extend our brand and reach new fans. But as important to us are the collaborative aspects of throwing events. Whether it is a band we have our eye on, or a building, a case study for one of the tech companies in our portfolio throwing events has been a great way to build a relationship.

What was the thinking behind Cantora’s tech investment fund?

Around 2008-2009 we saw an opportunity to essentially sign start-ups like we had been signing bands. It involves finding extremely talented people early, giving them resources to build out their ideas and their team and help create opportunities for them that they would have a hard time creating on their own. We’ve been lucky to work with such amazing companies and entrepreneurs.

Shaun Faulkner (UK)

Age: 27

Agent, X-ray Touring

Shaun’s career started off when he established his own agency, booking shows in the UK and Europe from his bedroom whilst studying at Northampton University. After his second year, he worked at Universal Music in London during the summer, and decided to remain in the capital to pursue a career as a booking agent. Shaun joined The Agency Group for a six-month internship, before becoming an agent at X-ray Touring.

What has working at different companies taught you?

The main thing I have learned from working at different companies is the many styles and approaches to the job, which I have taken on board for my own skill set and am applying successfully.

How do you identify new acts for your roster?

When identifying and searching for new acts to develop and

IQ Magazine September 2015

Diego Schweizer (CH)

Age: 28

Managing director, eps schweiz

Born in Zurich, Switzerland, Diego studied banking and finance at university before enrolling on an event management course at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

During school and university, he worked as a stage hand and was later asked to join the site team of local production specialists Fortissimo AG. A two-year stint leading the catering and events department at a restaurant operator ended when Fortissimo’s head of production introduced Diego to eps owner Okan Tombulca at a Roger Waters show in Zurich in 2013, and in January 2014, he was appointed managing director of eps schweiz.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The diversity. There is no day like the other. One day I am at the office pondering over next year’s budget, the next day I am on site checking with a customer and our supervisors. Working this way keeps you focused because it’s not just copy/paste.

What are the main issues you have to bear in mind in your day-to-day work?

In my line of work there are four essential conditions to be fulfilled: the right quantity, in the right quality, at the right time, in the right place. When all these conditions are right, the job will run very smoothly. If one condition is not fulfilled it will start to cost money and nerves. So keeping focused on the four conditions makes the difference for our business success.

What one thing would you change about the music business if you could?

These days, decisions are often made on short notice. This makes accurate planning difficult and bears a huge margin for error. Timely planning would make things more efficient and therefore less expensive.

What are the main challenges in your market?

Cost pressure is an ever-returning issue. Everyone in the industry has it. And being at the lower end of the food chain doesn’t make it easier.

21

NEW BOSSES

2015

Joanna Young (UK)

Age: 30

Head of campaigns and marketing, Live Nation UK

Having graduated with a 1st class honours degree in drama with English, Joanna gave up juggling her low paid acting work with low paid bar work, and decided to get a ‘proper’ job in media. She spent seven years at ZenithOptimedia working her way up the ranks to media planning director.

However, longing to do something involving her passion – live music – she landed the job as head of campaigns at Live Nation where she now leads a team of eight people.

As the head of your own department, is there anyone you can turn to for advice?

One of the best parts of working for a large company like Live Nation is the wealth of incredibly talented people across all departments – I learn something new every day from a promoter, social media manager, PR exec, etc. Additionally, I turn to members of my own team, who are all brilliant and bring different experiences/skill sets to the job.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

Selling out 45,000 tickets in a matter of days for Kasabian’s homecoming gig was a great moment. But really, the proud moments come when you can see the effect your marketing has on tours or festivals that aren’t selling quickly.

What are the main issues you have to bear in mind in your day-to-day work?

It’s impossible to please everyone; in an industry where there are so many stakeholders the most important thing is knowing when to pick your battles, and trying to always do the best thing for the show you are marketing, regardless of others’ opinions.

Are there any low points that you’ve learned from?

Absolutely – I’ve learned the most from the stressful times!

You are expected to prove yourself and your ability in this industry very quickly, and it’s hard to initiate changes to any processes that have been unquestioned for years.

Umong Shah (UK)

Age: 25

Manager, Fortitude Music

Graduating from the University of Hertfordshire’s Music & Entertainment Industry Management course, Umong started interning at Discovery Talent, working through the ranks to become promoter & head of business development. He gained management experience via Chaos & Bedlam Management and recently created his own company, Fortitude Music, which is looking after pop act, Elle Exxe. He also continues to promote emerging music with Discovery Talent.

You are now your own boss – did you have any worries about creating your own company?

My main concern was the constant thought of, ‘Am I ready?’. You just have to take that leap of faith, after all we are in an industry that likes risks (although probably not as much as we used to). So, I did it, and the reception was overwhelming. A single Facebook status went out and it was the most likes status I have ever put out. That gave me the confidence to continue and to stop worrying.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

Working with Elle Exxe and what we’ve done with her in the last year. She’s just got her first front cover and is

22

playing Koko on 16 October. Elle Exxe has only existed for a year and is the first artist I have managed on my own. The team we have around her believe in her as much as I do, and that’s why this last year working with Elle Exxe has been my proudest achievement to date.

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to become an artist manager?

I would recommend reading Music: The Business by Anne Harrison. It’s a brilliant overview of the industry. I would then recommend that they join the MMF and go to their incredibly useful seminars. Make sure you attend the festival conventions like The Great Escape. Events like ILMC are great to get a deeper understanding of what’s happening on the live side.

Sophie Doherty (ZA)

Age: 29

Marketing manager, Big Concerts

After completing a degree in Arts, Music and Entertainment Management at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, Sophie visited family in Cape Town and ended up staying. She landed a job at Big Concerts and in her spare time started managing some local bands. After three years, Sophie was promoted to marketing manager where she has worked on numerous global tours, the most recent being Michael Bublé and One Direction.

How relevant is social media to what you do?

Our social media channels form a massive part of our marketing strategy, especially breaking tour announcements and ticket on-sales. We also use social media on show days to keep fans informed with show related information and to respond to queries. Last year, Big Concerts was listed as one of the top five Twitter brands in South Africa.

Has managing artists helped you at Big Concerts?

Absolutely. I’ve learnt a lot of really valuable skills: the power of negotiation, how to effectively manage creative personalities and how to communicate with the different sectors of the industry – band members, venues, other managers and of course promoters. And mostly, how to get an eight-piece band to sound check on time.

What are the main challenges of working in South Africa’s live music business?

Number one would be the exchange rate and because of that we spend a lot of time on market research to make sure we get our offers spot on to benefit the artist, the agent and promoter. Secondly, geographically South Africa is a minimum 11-hour flight from Europe and America. However, we always find artists absolutely love it here and we often do repeat business because of that.

What’s the best lesson you’ve learned so far?

Don’t take no for an answer – it’s how I got my foot in the door. Also don’t be an asshole. You can still be respected if you don’t give everyone a hard time.

And what’s the best thing about your job?

I love developing different marketing plans for the diverse range of tours we promote and the strategy that goes with that.. I can see very quickly if a campaign is working or not against ticket sales and I have a constant eye on that to make sure we achieve a sell out tour.

IQ Magazine September 2015

NEW BOSSES New Bosses

2015

Scott O’Neill (UK)

Age: 29

Promoter, DHP Family

Aged 15, Scott started organising gigs by accident as a way to try and get his “terrible” ska punk band support slots in Liverpool. Dismayed that none of his favourite bands were visiting Manchester, where he was studying chemistry at university, Scott used his student loan and overdraft to persuade acts to perform in the city, where he promoted shows by the likes of Animal Collective, Band of Horses, and Sun Kil Moon, and started developing good relationships with American indie acts.

How did you turn your hobby into a career?

I ran my own promotions company for five years, based in Manchester, until 2011, when I moved to DHP. What are the most memorable moments you have of running your own company?

Promoting Wu Tang Clan at Brixton. The day before the show I had to fly to Germany to round them up and put them on a plane, because their tour manager quit and they hinted they might not turn up to my show. I also promoted Gil Scott Heron at Manchester Opera House, and managed to negotiate a contract with Manchester Cathedral to hold their diary, run the bar and handle all music events.

How did you find making the step up from local to national promoting?

I was actually promoting 150 shows a year across the country, including many acts nationally. But since I started at DHP, nearly five years ago, I’ve been an integral part of the company’s recent growth from a Midlands regional promoter, to a leading national promoter.

Who is on your roster?

Acts I now personally work with include The War on Drugs, Milky Chance, Bonnie Prince Billy, Cat Power, Slowdive, The Lumineers, Of Monsters and Men, Catfish and The Bottlemen, Lianne La Havas, Half Moon Run, The Staves, Wild Beasts, The Tallest Man On Earth, Future Islands, Warpaint, and Rodriguez.

How do you find the acts that you work with?

I started in the music industry as an A&R consultant at a record company so finding new talent was always an important part of my work. It could be anything, from blogs and SoundCloud to personal recommendations or showcase festivals.

How relevant is technology/social media to what you do?

Very important! We are working with a bunch of experts and companies in different digital fields and, for example, just invested in a new app to give artists more transparency about their digital music revenue.

What’s your biggest moment as a manager so far?

The breakthrough of Milky Chance in the USA. People told us it wouldn’t be possible to break a band from a small town in Germany in the States. Two years later they are about to go double-platinum and sold out their second North American tour this year, playing legendary venues such as Red Rocks and Central Park.

Helene Sperling (DE)

Age: 29

CEO – booking, Passerotto Concerts

Born in Munich, Helene went to university to study flight engineering, but also had a number of internships in tour management and artist liaison positions. She started work as a trainee at KBK Konzert in 2008 before founding Passerotto Concerts in 2010. Two years later, Passerotto agreed a joint venture with KBK and have since built an impressive roster of touring artists.

How did you get into the music business?

It was by accident. I started to study flight engineering, but noticed that my technical comprehension wasn’t good enough.

How do you identify new acts for your roster?

I continuously visit agents in England and the USA. Because of the many long-term business relationships we have at Passarotto, we are in a comfortable position where we sometimes get approached by agents and artist management.

What are you currently working on?

Björn Deparade (DE)

Age: 24

Founder, Wasted Talent Entertainment

Born and raised in Frankfurt, Björn started a music publishing joint venture with Budde Music during high school and joined Polydor/Island in Berlin as an A&R exec after graduation.

In 2014, he founded management company Wasted Talent and initially represented German band Milky Chance, who have achieved platinum sales status in America, Australia and Canada. More recently, Björn has been working with New York-born newcomer Sara Hartman who has now signed to Universal Music and is represented by agency UTA for North America and Coda for the rest of the world.

Who do you turn to for advice?

I’m fortunate to work with a variety of great and experienced people who I can always consult if I need a second opinion or advice. It could be my partners at Wasted Talent (Andre & Marek Lieberberg), my lawyer or simply good friends who I don’t work with directly, but who also manage young artists and might face the same problems.

IQ Magazine September 2015

Status Quo, Yes, Europe, Richard Thompson, Crosby Stills & Nash, Magnum, Meat Loaf, Rickie Lee Jones and Nits.

What do you see yourself doing in five years’ time?

Marrying a millionaire. Just kidding, I’m already cohabiting with a poor fellow.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The immediate reward of seeing happy people at our shows.

As a New Boss, what would you change to make the business healthier?

I’d like to get back to the core business, instead of dealing with ticketing systems and their creative urges to invent new side costs, almost every day.

What are the main issues you have to bear in mind in your day-to-day work?

Not to forget the creativity, just because we’re occupied with our daily business.

What was your proudest achievement in the business so far?

Starting my own company and becoming established within three years.

23