August 18, 2010

Billboard 2010 Thirty Under Thirty Announced

Billboard has announced the names of this year’s 30 Under Thirty industry players, which recognizes rising young executives who are driving our business forward with their artists and business vision.  Nominated by readers and selected by the editors for each person’s achievements in the industry over the last 12 months.  TAG’s very own, Dave Shapiro, made the top thirty!

Dave Shapiro, 26, booked Rob Halford of Judas Priest on Ozzfest this summer but also nurtures his younger acts. Chiodos sold out 2,000-capacity rooms, then supported Linkin Park, while its album, "Bone Palace Ballet," debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. Shapiro also reps A Day to Remember, the Devil Wears Prada and Attack Attack! He booked 10 clients on the Vans Warped tours this year and last, and also launched, with Outer Loop Management, Scream It Like You Mean It, a festival tour in 1,000- to 2,000-capacity rooms. "Working creatively with other agents and managers allows me to always be thinking about the next step for each artist," he says. "The Agency Group is a place that really embraces this mind-set."

Fri. July 30/10

The 17th annual Kerrang! Awards 2010 were held in London  July 28th .  

Congratulations to The Agency Group winners:

 Best British Newcomer : Rise to Remain

Best International Newcomer : Trash Talk  

Best Single : Youmeatsix('Liquid Conference') 

Best Album : Paramore  ('Brand New Eyes') 

Best Live Band : Bullet For My Valentine  

Best British Band : Bullet For My Valentine  

The Kerrang Icon Award : Ronnie James Dio

Tues. May. 18/10

The Agency Group Canada has 24 nominations at this year's MuchMusic Video Awards!

The show takes place June 20 in Toronto at MuchMusic headquarters on Queen Street. Congratulations to all our nominees, including:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Billy Talent - Devil On My Shoulder
Nickelback - I'd Come For You
Stereos - Summer Girl

POST -PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR
illScarlett f. Kardinal Offishall - Mikshakes and Razorblades
Lights - Saviour
Three Days Grace - Break

CINEMATOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR
Alexisonfire - The Northern

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Billy Talent - Saint Veronika
K-OS f. Saukrates - I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman

POP VIDEO OF THE YEAR Down With Webster - Your Man
Marianas Trench - Celebrity Status
Stereos - Summer Girl

MUCHLOUD ROCK VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Alexisonfire - Young Cardinals
Billy Talent - Devil On My Shoulder
Nickelback - I'd Come For You
Three Days Grace - Break

MUCHVIBE HIP-HOP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
K-OS f. Saukrates - I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman

MUCHFACT INDIE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Alexisonfire - Young Cardinals
Arkells - Pullin' Punches
Metric - Gold Guns Girls

INTERNATIONAL VIDEO OF THE YEAR
3OH!3 f. Katy Perry - Starstrukk

UR FAVE VIDEO
Marianas Trench - Celebrity Status

UR FAVE NEW ARTIST
Carly Rae Jepsen
Down With Webster
Stereos

www.muchmusic.com

Mon. May. 03/10

The Agency Group artist's earned 5 awards at the 2010 Juno Awards in St. John's, Newfoundland!

The winners are:

Group of the year
METRIC

Rock Album of the year
BILLY TALENT

New Group of the year
ARKELLS

Alternative Album of the year
METRIC

Contemporary Jazz Album of the year
CHARLES SPEARIN, The Happiness Project

http://junoawards.ca/

Mon. Mar. 15/10

ILMC Arthur Awards

The Arthur Awards 2010 took place during the ILMC Gala Dinner in London Saturday, March 13th. 

Congratulations to TAG's Natasha Bent for deservedly winning the ILMC Arthur Award of Tomorrow's New Boss! 

Mon. Mar. 15/10

TAG named Booking Agency of the Year during Canadian Music Week

The Agency Group's Toronto office was honoured with Agency of the Year Award at the 2010 Industry Awards!  The Canadian Radio Music Awards took place Friday afternoon and Saturday evening was the Indie Awards. TAG had multiple wins during both awards including:

2010 Canadian Radio Music Awards

TAG award winners are:

Metric "Help I'm Alive" - Best Rock Group

Stereos "Summer Girl" - Contemporary Hit Radio

Carly Rae Jepsen "Tug of War" - Songwriter of the Year

Nickelback - Chart Topper

Arkells - Factor Emerging Artist Award

2010 Indie Awards

TAG award winners are:

Arkells - Favorite Live Group

Rural Alberta Advantage - Galaxie Rising Stars

Alex*Cuba - Favorite World Artist

Peaches - Favorite Electronic Group

Constantines - Favourite Group

Marianas Trench "Cross My Heart" - Favorite Single

Marianas Trench "Cross My Heart" - Favorite Video

Metric Fantasies - Favourite Album

Mon. Mar. 1/10

Rob Halford - Revolver Golden God

Judas Priest front-man Rob Halford is to receive the Revolver Golden God Award at the second annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards on Thursday, April 8, at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles.  The show will later be televised on VH1 Classic on Saturday, May 22.  The Revolver Golden God Award is given to one special honoree a year who embodies all that is metal.

Also, this years recipient of the Revolver Golden Gods Lifetime Achievement Award is none other than hard rock icon and Motorhead front-man, Lemmy Kilmister.

The Agency Group nominees are:

Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society) - Best Guitarist

Chris Adler (Lamb Of God), Gene Hoglan (Dethlok, Fear Factory) - Best Drummer

Neil Fallon (Clutch) - Best Vocalist

The Devil Wears Prada, Lamb Of God, Motorhead - Best Live Band

Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil) - Hottest Chick In Metal

Fear Factory - Comeback Of The Year

Fri. Feb. 5/10

2010 Bandit Rock Awards

Sweden's annual Bandit Rock Awards took place January 29 this year and TAG Malmo had a number of winners. Congrats to the following clients:

Dead By April: Best Swedish Album

Killswitch Engage: Best International Album

In Flames: Best Swedish Live Act

Mustasch: Bandit Most Played Group 2009

Mon. Feb. 1/10

India.Arie takes home a Grammy

Congratulations to India.Arie! She received the award for "Best Urban/Alternative Performance" for her track "Pearls" at the 2010 Grammy Awards Sunday night.

Thurs. Jan. 7/10

Guy Richard joins The Agency Group, Los Angeles

Neil Warnock, Chairman of The Agency Group, and Steve Martin, President of North America, are pleased to announce that Guy Richard, formerly of the William Morris Agency, is joining the company on Monday, January 11 as a Vice President in the Los Angeles office.

Neil Warnock says, "I'm absolutely delighted that Guy has chosen to join The Agency Group. What he will bring with his depth of knowledge and many years experience will expand the quality of the services that we provide to our clients in the LA office."

"I'm thrilled to have my old friend, and the best booking agent I have ever seen, join us. Guy's reputation as an agent with great integrity and ambition in the business is widely respected. He will be a huge asset for us, worldwide," said Steve Martin.

Guy Richard says, "I am very excited to be joining The Agency Group. I am thrilled to be reunited with my long-time friend Steve Martin, and I look forward to helping Neil Warnock and his terrific staff of agents grow into the future. This is going to be a wonderful, satisfying professional experience for myself and my family. Special thanks to my friend Larry Shields."

Thurs. Jan. 7/10

2010 People's Choice Awards

Paramore was named Favorite Rock Band at last night's award show, beating out Green Day, Daughtry, Muse, and Kings of Leon for the title.

Fri. Dec. 11/09

2010 ILMC Arthur Awards

TAG UK has two nominations in the 2010 ILMC Arthur Awards. Congratulations to Geoff Meall, who's up for the illustrious title of "Second Least Offensive Agent" and Natasha Bent who is up for the much-coveted "Tomorrow's New Boss".

Tues. Dec. 9/09

2010 East Coast Music Awards Nominees

The ECMA awards will be presented on Sunday March 7, 2010 at Centre 200 in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

The Agency Group's nominees are:

Entertainer of the Year

In-Flight Safety

Group Recording of the Year

The Novaks - Things Fall Apart

Two Hours Traffic – Territory

In-Flight Safety – We are an Empire, My Dear

Vibe Creative Group Single of the Year

In-Flight Safety – “Model Homes”

SOCAN Songwriter of the Year

Mullane, Goodsell, Nicholson, Ledwell – “Model Homes” (In-Flight Safety)

Video of the Year

In-Flight Safety – “Model Homes” (Directed by: Drew Lightfoot)

Alternative Recording of the Year

In-Flight Safety – We are an Empire, My Dear

Pop Recording of the Year

Two Hours Traffic – Territory

Sirius Satellite Radio Rock Recording of the Year

The Novaks – Things Fall Apart

Fri. Dec. 4/09

Grammy Awards Nominations

The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at 8 p.m. (EST)

Congratulations to our TAG nominees!

Nickelback – “Burn It To The Ground” Best Hard Rock Performance

Lamb Of God – “Set To Fail” Best Metal Performance

Death Cab For Cutie – The Open Door Best Alternative Music Album

Lalah Hathaway – “That Was Then” Best Female R&B Vocal Performance

India.Arie & Musiq Soulchild – “Chocolate High” Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

India.Arie & Dobet Gnahore – “Pearls” Best Urban/Alternative Performance

India.Arie – Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics Best R&B Album

RED – Innocence & Instinct Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album

Buju Banton – Rasta Got Soul Best Reggae Album

Gregory Isaacs – Brand New Me Best Reggae Album

Dolly Parton – 9 To 5 The Musical Best Musical Show Album

Paramore – “Decode” (From Twilight) Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media

Fri. Dec. 4/09

2010 Pollstar Awards Nominations

The Agency Group is nominated for Agency Of the Year at the 2010 Pollstar Awards. Chairman Neil Warnock is also nominated for UK Agent of the Year.

The 21st Pollstar Concert Industry Awards will be held live, February 17 at the Nokia Theater in L.A.

Mon. Nov. 23/09

20th annual SOCAN Awards

The 20th annual SOCAN Awards winners include the following TAG Toronto clients:

54.40 took home two Classic Awards for "I Go Blind" (originally recorded by Hootie & The Blowfish) and "Ocean Pearl".

Glass Tiger also received a Classic Award for "My Town".

Feist's "1234" was recognized in the Pop/Rock Music Awards.

Doc Walker's "Beautiful Life" and Deric Ruttan's "First Time In A Long Time" were recognized in the Country Music Awards.

Alex*Cuba received the Hagood Hardy Music Award.

Oct. 23/09

2009 Casby Awards

This year's CASBY Awards, presented by Toronto's Rock Radio station The Edge, consisted of exclusively TAG winners! Congratulations to The Arkells, City And Colour, and Metric on their extremely well-received music this year.

Favourite New Artist: The Arkells

Favourite New Single: City And Colour "Sleeping Sickness"

Favourite New Album: Metric "Fantasies"

NXNE Favourite New Indie Release: Metric "Fantasies

Thurs. August 6/09

3OH!3 up for MTV Award

3OH!3 has been nominated for the Best New Artist Award at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards for the video "Don't Trust Me". Their competition includes Lady Gaga, Asher Roth, Drake, and Kid Cudi. The award is based on the votes of the public, so take a minute to vote for them here!

Wed. July 22 /09

Doc Walker nominated for 2009 CCMA Fans' Choice Award

The Canadian Country Music Association announced that Doc Walker has been nominated for the 2009 CCMA Fans’ Choice Award.

Beginning Friday, July 24 until Sunday, September 6 at 11:59pm EST, the public can vote online at www.CMT.ca for their favorite Canadian Country Star. The winner will be announced during the CCMA Awards at GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia on Sunday, September 13, 2009. The show will be broadcast nationally on CBC Television at 8pm with encore broadcasts on CMT in Canada.

Mon. June 22 /09

MuchMusic Video Awards 2009: Winners!

The 2009 MuchMusic Video Awards took place Sunday night - one of the biggest events in music and television in Canada of the year - and The Agency Group took over! Out of the 11 awards being presented, our bands walked away with 7 awards this year, including:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR : Nickelback "Gotta Be Somebody

POST PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR: Nickelback "Gotta Be Somebody"

CINEMATOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR: Bedouin Soundclash "Until We Burn (The Kids Just Want A Love Song)"

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR: Marianas Trench "Cross My Heart"

MUCHLOUD ROCK VIDEO OF THE YEAR: Nickelback "Gotta Be Somebody"

VIDEOFACT INDIE VIDEO OF THE YEAR: The Midway State "Never Again"

INTERNATIONAL VIDEO OF THE YEAR BY A CANADIAN (ARTIST/GROUP): Billy Talent "Rusted From The Rain"

Wed. May 27/09

MuchMusic Video Awards 2009

The Agency Group Canada has 27 nominations at this year's MuchMusic Video Awards! The show takes place June 21 in Toronto at MuchMusic headquarters on Queen Street. Congratulations to all our nominees, including:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR : K-OS "4,3,2,1", Marianas Trench "Cross My Heart", Nickelback "Gotta Be Somebody", The Stills "Being Here"

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR: Bedouin Soundclash "Until We Burn In The Sun (The Kids Just Want A Love Song)", Marianas Trench "Cross My Heart"

POP VIDEO OF THE YEAR: Lights "Drive My Soul"

MUCHLOUD ROCK VIDEO OF THE YEAR: Inward Eye "Shame", Marianas Trench "Cross My Heart", Nickelback "Gotta Be Somebody"

MUCHVIBE HIP HOP VIDEO OF THE YEAR: K-OS "4,3,2,1"

VIDEOFACT INDIE VIDEO OF THE YEAR: Bedouin Soundclash "Until We Burn In The Sun (The Kids Just Want A Love Song)", Metric "Gimme Sympathy", Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains "Who Do We Care For?", The Midway State "Never Again"

POST PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR: Mobile "The Killer", Nickelback "Gotta Be Somebody", The Stills "Being Here"

CINEMATOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR: K-OS "4,3,2,1", The Midway State "Change For You"

INTERNATIONAL VIDEO OF THE YEAR BY A CANADIAN (ARTIST/GROUP): Billy Talent "Rusted From The Rain", Nickelback "If Today Was Your Last Day"

UR FAVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR: Marianas Trench "Cross My Heart", Nickelback "Gotta Be Somebody"

UR FAVE NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Lights "Drive My Soul", The Midway State "Never Again"

Fri. May 15/09

Classical Brit Awards

Hans Zimmer won the award for Soundtrack of the Year for his work on the "Dark Knight" and Jose Carreras was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 Classical Brit Awards.

Tues. May 5/09

TAG and the Tony Awards

Congratulations to Constantine Maroulis on his nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for Rock of Ages. The play has also been nominated for Best Musical.

An additional congrats to Dolly Parton for her Original Score nomination for 9 to 5: The Musical.

Tues. May 5/09

Neil Warnock speaks with Celebrity Access/Larry LeBlanc

Industry Profile: Neil Warnock
— By Larry LeBlanc

This week In The Hot Seat with Larry LeBlanc: Neil Warnock

Following several consecutive tough years, the global touring industry is now taking a hard look at its basic business model.

However, London-based Neil Warnock, chairman of The Agency Group, began a major shift at his company in 2005.

In the face of the touring business contracting and consolidating, as well as seeing a lessened influence of the major record labels, and seeking to offer his clients additional services, the wily London booker recognized that a change was needed.

Not only was a new North American management structure put in place but Warnock expanded the agency significantly last year with the buy-out of the Kork Agency (Atmosphere, Peaches, the Gossip), and the launch of a Speakers Department following the acquisition of Roth Talent Associates.

The restructuring was also a reaction to The Agency Group's accelerated expansion in recent years as well as a reaction to facing mounting competition for new acts, and to keep existing ones within a fiercely-contested new global booking world.

During the past decade, with the rise in popularity of such groups as Arcade Fire and Death Cab for Cutie, booking competitors like Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and the William Morris Agency became increasingly interested in pursuing independent bands.

While a handful of smaller booking firms still maintain their independence, many boutique agencies have lately merged with larger agencies.

In 2008. Paradigm Talent Agency brought Little Big Man and Monterey Peninsula Artists into its fold. Last month, it continued its expansion into music by purchasing the Nashville-based Christian music booking firm Third Coast Artists Agency. Last week, The William Morris Agency and Endeavor Talent announced a merger creating William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.

Warnock launched The Agency Group in 1981 after his purchase of the Bron Agency, where he had been managing director for 8 years. Previously, Warnock had been a director at NEMS Enterprises. In his teens, he had operated South Bank Artists, which handled college and univeristy bookings for Pink Floyd, Donovan, and Tyrannosaurus Rex in and around London.

The Agency Group is now one of the world’s leading booking agencies, with a roster of over 1,000 artists and offices in London, New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Malmo, Sweden.

Where are the future headliners coming from?

We have Muse coming through in the UK and France now. They are a stadium attraction and are growing quickly. There will be artists of their generation that will come through. The interesting phenomenon that we are now seeing is that kids will now download a single track, not an album. The difficulty that we’ve got (as a touring industry) is how do we build a career? How do we get recorded music into a fan base so that it stays a fan base. If people are a fan of three minutes of music, how do you make them a fan of the overall body of the artist’s work?

We are seeing artists in the UK having one big album, and then becoming an obscure artist. They didn’t build a fan base.

We have to get artists out there working. We’ve got to establish a fan base. We’ve got to insure that their website is very active. We’ve got to get them to react well with the customers that they’ve got, and then spread that (enthusiasm).

Where are our next live music customers coming from?

We have to approach our customers from a variety of ways, whether they are a young customer brought into a show by their parents or whatever. Okay, that’s the first level. Exposing them to live music. You want them to be excited by going to a live show, wherever they come in. The next thing is how do we get an experience that is affordable? We’ve got to look (at pricing) because now days there are so many other ways that people can be entertained. And music is competing with all of that.

If we continue (as we have been) or if we in any way rob our customers and they feel ripped off, or if they feel abused, then they will take their share option and money and go somewhere else. We have got to be aware of that. The customers has the ability to say, “No.” if we keep loading them up with extra charges, they will say “No,” particularly in the (economic) circumstances we are in now.

Forty years ago, when we were punters ourselves and just going out, it was all about music. That is what we wanted to hear and see. And we would generally be able to get into a show unless you wanted to see the Beatles or someone like that. Generally, you could get access. Now, it is more difficult. But, I think, this is where we have to be smart. We’ve got to be ticket smart. We have to look at all-ages shows. We have to look at how we identify our customers and don’t abuse (the relationship). Otherwise, we will go the way of the labels.

Should managers and agents, as well as promoters, be more realistic about what can be pulled out of a market?

Every one of us has to look at every single circumstance. We have to look at artists, their capabilities and at the venues we are going into. We have to look at how we are constructing deals for the artist and for our customers. In the end, if we can’t put those two things together as industry professionals, we are failing our artists and our customer.

How do you see the proposed Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger affecting the industry, if it goes through.?

Whew, that’s a difficult question. It is an interesting time seeing if this merger goes through. Everybody has an opinion about it. Whether that is an opinion forged by sheer knowledge or speculation. It is taking place in a difficult time. Whatever happens, we as an industry have to look at that, in the end, if we don’t bring value for money to our customers, we won’t survive.

Can a boutique booking agency still work in North America? Or does it need to be bigger?

Some managers and artists will want to be with a small company where they feel they will be better looked after. They feel that if they’ve got the talent, and they are getting personal service, then they will be heard and they will get through (to the market).

So there’s an argument for the boutique (agency) set-up. But it doesn’t have to get crushed in the current climate.

Ever since I’ve been in it, the (booking) industry has ebbed and flowed with companies developing, growing, disintegrating, and amalgamating. It is a human being business we’re in; that represents other human beings who represent their products. And it is always going to have an ebb and flow. Every time, there’s an amalgamation that throws talented people, those people don’t necessarily go away. They regroup and come back in a different way.

Still, it must be intimidating for a young band or manager to look at The Agency Group. You must have to operate like a boutique agency for some clients..

Well, we do. We operate like a boutique because we don’t territorially book. That makes us very different from most of the other (agencies). When we take an artist on, it is taken on by an agent dedicated to that artist’s music, and who has a real desire to book the artist .

We hope we are being seen to give a very dedicated personal service to artists and that they are not being lost in the system. At the same time, artists have the backup of a bigger organization that gives them the clout to be seen where they should be seen, and gives them the services that they would want from a big company.

Certainly, agency business is more cut-throat today with the recent mergers and with mainstream agencies like the William Morris Agency and CAA working more with alternative music acts.

The business has grown. Last year, we had over 17,000 contracts on issue. In 2000, we had 2,000 issued. The volume, and where the agencies and the business have grown, has created the situations we’ve got now.

When we were smaller, when all of us were smaller, we were fighting in a much smaller pub. Now we are fighting in a big ocean. And we still all want to have the ability to take on that young new artist. What the bigger guys are doing now, along with us, is developing unsigned independent talent. We are supplanting the labels in being A&R sources.

In 2005, you took a hard look at the company’s basic business model and introduced sweeping changes. Why?

The way we look at the agency is that we have to provide services to people. I honestly believe that the music labels, prior to that, had been running from behind. They were not in the contemporary world to market their product. We were gathering more and more information for our artists in every part of the world to help managers make decisions about how they were going to tour; where they were going to put their emphasis on releases; and gauging the promotional time that they would give.

We were becoming more than just a booking agency by being a supplementary information service. At the same time, promoters around the world had started to beef up the information services that they had within themselves, in the end, record companies are now distribution sources and the rest of us are A&Ring, and developing the talent. Not necessarily totally A&Ring, but certainly developing the live platform of the artist as well as (providing services) for soundtracks and publishing or any other element that our artists want to get involved in.

Many managers have beefed up their own companies as well to include ancillary services.

You are 100% right. Different managers now have different areas that they are engaged in. Some are surrounding themselves with marketing tools and marketing people or seeking out different information pieces for the information highway.

Fifteen years ago, it was the labels dictating to us, particularly to us in the agency world, when they wanted artists to appear on the road. And they would arbitrarily move release dates without telling us. They didn’t consider that it was important enough to inform us about that, “We’ve decided to move the album release date by two weeks.” “What about the tour?” “We don’t really care that much about the tour.”

We are now telling the label where the artist will tour now. We know what the artist’s strengths are. We have situations now where record company doesn’t want to release (an album) in some territories and yet we will still take the artist there. We will almost say to the label, without being totally rude, “By the way the artist is going to appear in Paris. If you care to put the album out in France, we would be very obliged. But in your own good time.”

Twenty years ago, bands from North America didn’t tour extensively outside North America, except touring England, Germany or Japan.

I suppose you are probably right. But the talent I represented went a little further afield. A lot of Americans still suffer from a cultural shock of there not being a McDonald’s or a Starbucks on every other corner.

You encouraged Rush's management to book dates outside of North America in 1977. Also, their first South American shows in 2002 proved to them that they had fans there, and encouraged them to play other new venues. How did the South American dates happen?

It was a conclusion of a long, long campaign to get the band to go there. It wasn’t as much they didn’t want to go there. It was that they didn’t believe they could do the business there. They didn’t believe how big they were. I was saying to them that, “There’s Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones and then there’s Rush in South America.” They went,” Don’t be silly.”

But the record sales for Rush didn’t reflect that popularity.

No but the groundswell of fan fever and the information I was getting from a variety of promoters always told me that. And, by the way, (low record sales) will be the same for Pink Floyd or the Rolling Stones in South America with how much piracy there is there.

It must drive you crazy that Rush doesn’t often tour?

Every other year that they don’t tour has driven me nuts. They don’t have a big desire, even in North America, to do a huge amount of work. So I’m always grateful when a few crumbs fall of the table, and they decide to do Europe or South America. Hopefully, some time they will go back to Japan. [The only time Rush played shows in Japan was in 1984.]

Will markets in Asia open more for Western music acts?

We have to look at China as the market that will establish itself in the future. But music will be only one of the many things that the Chinese market will look at, including sports.

It is a bit of a myth to (talk about) the integration of Western music into the Chinese culture. It will happen. But it’s going to be a lot slower than anyone imagines. And it will take a lot of work.

On the live side, I think China is a market that will grow. The information highway is driven through the mobile phone there. As marketing is done more through that medium, we will see the newer (Western) artists benefit from that form of marketing, far more than any of the historic artists.

Korean music is very big in China. Indigenous Chinese music--rock and pop music--is also big there. Just imposing Western music doesn’t impress them. There is no God-given right that we have that our artists will be big in their marketplace.

It is fair to say that the artists that I’ve had to tour there, including the Rolling Stones and with Deep Purple, the majority of people those acts play to are Western, not Chinese.

There’s also a lack of venues in China.

That’s absolutely right. In their culture there’s been no culture of a club or a pub circuit. There have been no growing grounds for artists in the same way there has been in the Western world. So the multi-purpose facilities are the ones being used. It is hard to find the right venues that suit the right artists.

The tragic events in November in Mumbai, India in which gunmen killed 171 people during a three-day siege has had a huge impact on Western artists not touring there as much.

I think that India went through a “night-of-the-long-knives’ as it were when all of that happened which has made them re-appraise how they secure their country, primarily for their own people.

Live music in India has always been based on sponsorship. If you haven’t got a sponsor, you don’t have a tour. What is happening now is that because of the resurgence of cricket and with it being the major attraction, a lot of sponsorship money is being deflected away from music and into cricket. It is becoming increasing difficult to tour there, not withstanding the security aspects, because you can’t always find the sponsorship. I think that’s why there have been a decrease--along with everything else--for the number of (Western) artists playing there.

You have been touring acts in the Russian market since the ‘70s.

I had Pink Floyd there while the Iron Curtain was still in place. They did a week in Moscow (in 1989). Status Quo, Deep Purple and a-ha have played there early on I’ve had a lot of our artists there since. Obviously, Deep Purple and a-ha still tour very comprehensively across Russia

Russia is in upheaval right now. Predictions are that it will take 3-5 years for stabilization there. How does that affect touring?

Economically, Russia, along with a lot of the other emerging markets, is certainly in upheaval. I don’t know if upheaval is too strong a word. I think that while we are going through what we are going through, touring markets that had become stable have now become unstable again. They are more difficult to tour in now.

How did you come to land at NEMS Enterprises in 1967 and become senior director of its contemporary music department? You were only 21 when you were hired.

I left school when I was 15, and I was an apprentice printer. I had a couple of semi-professional bands that I was booking into colleges. I got to know the social secretaries, the buyers. Nobody was then catering to these customers. So gradually, they turned to me, and asked if I could this or that act for them. So I opened South Bank Artists which came to control the bookings of all of the major colleges and universities in and around London.

I gradually built up this huge client list of colleges so that all of the major (booking) agencies then would go through me to get their acts into the colleges. I was booking Donovan, the Doors, and Pink Floyd. I booked Tyrannosaurus Rex in a package with (BBC Radio 1) DJ John Peel for 75 pounds.

So your small company was a pretty powerful business card. What happened next?

I got a call from someone at NEMS I had been booking talent with, asking if I’d be interested in a job there. I thought, “Working for the Beatles’ company? ‘Scuse me. How much do I have to think about that?” So I went for a succession of interviews and ended up going there as a very junior agent.

NEMS was very cash rich because of the Beatles and everything else going on in the company. In 1969, the company bought the Bryan Morrison Agency which (booked) Pink Floyd, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Ansley Dunbar, the Soft Machine, the Incredible String Band, and Fairport Convention…the whole lot of the contemporary music scene and it was brought into NEMS.

These were the same artists you had been booking with South Bank.

Yeah, so I came to the (contemporary music department) much to the annoyance of the agents from the Bryan Morrison Agency who didn’t want to be in NEMS anyway. They taught me my job. They taught me that I had moved over from being a venue buyer to being an agency artist agent, to where I had to be looking at an artist’s career. That is what these guys from the Bryan Morrison Agency were doing. They were developing Pink Floyd for Pink Floyd and Tyrannosaurus Rex for Tyrannosaurus Rex. They were not doing this as part of the old regime where the promoter is king, and here is a bit of talent that is going to fill up the ballroom.

[The Bryan Morrison Agency had booked such then underground acts as Tyrannosaurus Rex, Tomorrow and Pink Floyd. Morrison's accountant Steve O'Rourke began to manage Pink Floyd in 1968, and did so until his death in 2003],

When you joined NEMS, band leader Vic Lewis was then the managing director. He wasn’t up on rock music.

Vic did all of the showbiz and jazz (bookings), and he looked after Cilla Black. He took on Donovan, but he didn’t know anything about Donovan. He thought he was some guy in a kilt. He phoned me and said, “A friend of mine has this act, Donovan. Would you help me?” So I did work on Donovan.

Another friend of Vic’s took on David Bowie, and I did some work with David Bowie. But those artists wouldn’t stay with Vic because he didn’t know who they were. And I was the junior at that time. I didn’t have that sort of position before the Bryan Morris office came in. Then we expanded with Humble Pie, Beck, Bogart & Appice, Deep Purple, although Deep Purple had been a NEMS’ client. I’ve been working with Deep Purple since 1967.

[In 1965 Brian Epstein bought the Vic Lewis Agency and appointed Lewis to the board of NEMS. After Epstein's death in 1967 Lewis's power increased and by 1969, he had signed Elton John to the agency. The company changed hands a couple of times, and when Lewis found himself unable to get along with new owners in 1977, he left.]

How did you come to head NEM’s contemporary music department?

At NEMS nobody was looking at the business side and (at first) I didn’t know about business. The accountant started asking me about things like projections. I’d ask what that was and how to do it. Slowly, the contemporary music department came under me. I became a director of the company by the time I was 25.

How did you come to be managing director of the Bron Agency from 1973 to 1980?

Gerry Bron had been on at me for awhile to join the Bron Agency. Then NEMS changed ownership and I didn’t want to stay with the new owners. So I went into Bron and brought all of my talent there. Gerry was then very active with his label (Bronze Records). Uriah Heap was at their height (of popularity) and Motorhead was soon after that and then Girlschool.

One of your first moves on your own was to open a office in New York. It didn’t work out. Why?

We opened Cricket Talent & Booking in New York. We had Simple Minds, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Echo and the Bunneymen, and the Revillos. It was all esoteric English talent. We naively we would have enough volume out of our English side to make the company work. It didn’t. As well, we didn’t visit New York enough to make sure the company was being run properly. Whereas, now I am in New York once a month.

It was another 10 years before The Agency Group opened in New York in 1992. Were you making sure, you wouldn’t have a repeat of Cricket?

When Cricket went down, I was really struggling to make The Agency work.

What did you do in 1992 to launch in North America?

I was frustrated that I couldn’t get things done for my artists. I was having a conversation with Steve Schenck who managed Blue Oyster Cult. I said, “I have this band Nazareth who tell me that they can turn over (sell) in America.” He said, “I can book a Nazareth tour. I can book them into the same places that Blue Oyster Cult goes. We’ll get a license and issue the paper.” I went, “Oh, okay.” Then I was working with the Stranglers in the UK, and they wanted to go to North America. So I asked Steve if he wanted to get involved. And he said sure. So we set up in the Fisk Building (250 W 57th St.) in a, tiny office. That was the start of The Agency Group in North America.

It was very casual at the start?

It was very slow in terms of what we did. But then we took on another agent and (Agency Group president, North America) Steve Martin joined in 1994. Then we started to kick forward in a very different way, and the company began to grow.

You opened an office in Toronto in 1996 where you compete head-to-head with S. L. Feldman & Associates. Still, the office has signed such acts as Nickelback, Three Days Grace, and Billy Talent.

Ralph James and Jack Ross called me out of the blue about opening in Toronto. I told them I had no intention of opening in Canada. That I had enough problems in America. But they knew I had an affinity with Canadian music having represented Max Webster, Lee Aaron, Triumph and all of these Canadian artists in the early days. (Canada) was really a very good (talent) source for me.

Thanks to Celebrity Access and Larry LeBlanc.

Mon. March 30/09

The Agency Group takes home 14 Juno Awards

14 statues were given out to TAG Toronto’s clients last night at the 2009 Juno Awards in Vancouver!

Our winners include:

Mon. March 16/09

TAG named Booking Agency of the Year, sees multiple wins at CRMAs and Indie Awards during Canadian Music Week

After what was probably the busiest Canadian Music Week TAG Toronto has ever experienced, we are glad to kick our feet up, take a couple days off from going to shows, and reflect on what was a great four days.

On Thursday night, The Agency Group was once again named Booking Agency Of The Year at the 2009 Industry Awards! The Canadian Radio Music Awards took place Friday afternoon and Saturday evening was the Indie Awards. TAG had multiple wins during both awards including:

CANADIAN RADIO MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS:

BEST NEW GROUP/SOLO ARTIST (ROCK) OF THE YEAR:

Age Of Daze – Afflicted

BEST NEW GROUP/SOLO ARTIST (HOT AC) OF THE YEAR:

Lights – Drive my Soul

BEST NEW GROUP/SOLO ARTIST (MAINSTREAM AC) OF THE YEAR:

Lights – Drive my Soul

INDIE AWARDS WINNERS:

Congrats to all our winners!

Wed. March 11/09

Bruce Cockburn signs with The Agency Group

Jack Ross, Senior Vice President of The Agency Group Canada is proud to announce the signing of one of the country’s most beloved and accomplished musicians, Bruce Cockburn.

Bruce Cockburn’s career includes 30 albums, 20 gold and platinum records in Canada, and countless concert performances since he released his first solo work in 1970. He has received many honours, including inductions to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1982 and has since been promoted to ‘Officer’, and he was recognized with the Tenco Award for Lifetime Achievement in Italy. His hit songs like “Lovers in a Dangerous Time” and “Wondering Where the Lions Are” have become staples of the Canadian soundtrack.

“I have been a lifelong Bruce Cockburn fan and it is an honour and a thrill to represent Bruce for live engagements.” – Jack Ross

As a long-time client of music business legend Bernie Finkelstein (True North Records), Bruce Cockburn has not had an exclusive Canadian agent in his 35+ years of touring until now.

"Both Bruce and myself are looking forward to working with Jack and The Agency Group. Jack has proven himself to not only be a great agent but also a brilliant strategist and we're happy to be part of the team.” – Bernie Finkelstein

Wed. March 11/09

Colin Lewis & Rob Zifarelli Promoted to VPs

Neil Warnock, Chairman of The Agency Group, along with Ralph James, President of TAG Canada and Jack Ross, Senior Vice President, are proud to announce that Colin Lewis and Rob Zifarelli have been appointed to the position of Vice President, The Agency Group Canada.

“It's a personal pleasure for me to make these appointments. Colin and Rob both represent what is best about The Agency Group in personal service, diligence and hard work in the development of themselves and their respective rosters.” – Neil Warnock

“Colin Lewis and Rob Zifarelli are two of the finest agents I've worked with - they both have great ears and instincts and we're excited to have them join our management team.” – Ralph James

Colin Lewis has been with TAG Canada since its inception thirteen years ago and has risen through hard work and tenacity to personally represent some of Canada’s finest recording artists including Metric, Jully Black, Hot Hot Heat, Cake, Social Distortion, Sum 41, The Canadian Idols, Martha Wainwright, Matt Dusk and De La Soul.

Rob Zifarelli joined The Agency Group five years ago and with his dynamic leadership he has helped to expand the careers of many TAG-represented artists internationally. Rob’s personal roster of clients include Alexisonfire, Feist, Bloc Party, Broken Social Scene, City and Colour, Hawksley Workman, Dinosaur Jr., K-OS, Stars, Xavier Rudd, The Weakerthans, Luke Doucet and many others.

Mon. February 2/09

Steve Martin and Neil Warnock win at the 2009 Pollstar Concert Industry Awards

The 2009 Pollstar CIC Awards took place on Friday and The Agency Group is proud to house two of the winners in two different categories for agents.

New York's Steve Martin won the Bobby Brooks' Agent of the Year Award while CEO Neil Warnock was named UK Booking Agent of the Year once again.

 Tue. March 11/08

 James Rubin and Jules De Lattre Join The Agency Group

The Agency Group London is pleased to welcome new agents James Rubin and Jules DeLattre to the company.

Jules DeLattre, age 27, is originally from France and graduated with an MA from Edinburgh University. He co-founded multi-purpose music company Best Kept Secret and has been the head of the booking department for the past four years, where he was responsible for 60 international artists. While at The Agency Group, Jules will continue to specialize in urban, world, and reggae artists. His current roster includes The Black Seeds, Breakestra, Candi Staton, Horace Andy, Babyhead, Dwele, Groundation, The New Mastersounds, Shape of Broad Minds, Souljazz Orchestra, and Willie Isz. 

At the age of 28, James Rubin has already had a hand in the promoting and booking sides of live touring. He was the co-founder of Australian touring company Melting Pot Productions, where he spent five years touring artists across New Zealand, Australia, and Asia. After relocating to London, James became one of the head agents for Best Kept Secret where he handled the bookings of the Live and DJ acts throughout the UK, Europe, Asia, and Australia. James’ focus will be on electronic, indie, and urban music. His roster consists of Platinum Pied Pipers, Shapeshifter, Aesop Rock, Thieves Like Us, Malakai, The Coup, Spektrum, Swollen Members and more. 

“I’m delighted to have Jules and James join the U.K. office. They’ll bring a whole new sphere of musical artists to the office as well as compliment the current staff and roster.” – Geoff Meall, Director. 

James and Jules are both currently available and fully operational in the London office.

 Fri. March 7/08

 The Agency Group Canada wins Agency of the Year

The Agency Group won the Agency of the Year award last night during Canadian Music Week's Music Industry Awards!