Trade bodies have given mixed reactions to the EU touring announcement in today’s UK-EU summit in London.

For the first time since the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with António Costa (President of the European Council) and Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission) to establish a new strategic partnership, which briefly addressed the barriers to touring in the EU.

“The European Commission and the United Kingdom recognise the value of travel and cultural and artistic exchanges, including the activities of touring artists,” reads point 15 of the Common Understanding document. “They will continue their efforts to support travel and cultural exchange.”

Trade bodies have dubbed the acknowledgement a “positive first step” but have called for “concrete commitments” to promote and facilitate touring.

“Labour made a clear manifesto pledge to fix this, and we expect to see it upheld”

“There’s a positive tone to the agenda document, and it’s good that the value of UK-EU artistic and cultural exchange is being recognised,” says MMF CEO Annabella Coldrick. “But we need to move beyond that now – and quickly – to agree on concrete changes that promote and facilitate live touring. The worry is that this just kicks the issue down the road without actual commitments being made by either party.”

FAC CEO David Martin called today’s announcement “deeply disappointing” and said it offers “no light for touring artists”.

He continued: “For UK talent, touring Europe isn’t a luxury — it’s vital to building sustainable careers and supporting the two-way cultural exchange that defines our industry and shared history. Labour made a clear manifesto pledge to fix this, and we expect to see it upheld. Urgent action is needed to address this glaring omission and ensure artists can keep connecting with audiences across the continent.”

UK Music CEO Tom Kiehl adds: “Commitments made to support cultural exchange for touring artists are an important first step on the road to what we hope will ultimately become a new deal between the EU and UK. Musicians and crew effectively suffered a “no-deal Brexit” once the UK left the EU and it is high time this is tackled. Labour was elected on a manifesto to help touring artists and while we seek more concrete commitments, we welcome their efforts to ensure it is included in these important discussions.”

“While we seek more concrete commitments, we welcome their efforts”

LIVE CEO Jon Collins echoed Kiehl’s sentiments, commenting: “It is significant that this issue made it into the readout from such a wide-ranging summit. Both sides clearly understand the economic and cultural benefits that would flow from improved touring arrangements. We have regular meetings with officials to work up solutions and a meeting with minister Nick Thomas Symonds, who only last month reaffirmed his commitment to delivering for live music, in the coming weeks”

Last week, musicians and industry leaders from the UK and Europe joined forces to demand urgent action to remove the barriers to touring across the EU.

In an open letter to Starmer, Costa and von der Leyen, they outlined how the barriers of soaring costs and red tape mean “audiences, artists and venues in the EU and UK are missing out on the enormous benefits which closer cultural exchange would bring”.

Among the supporters of the letter, signed by more than 550 individuals and organisations, are Blur drummer, Dave Rowntree, British mezzo-soprano Dame Sarah Connolly, broadcaster and LIVE chair Steve Lamacq, British conductor Sir Mark Elder and British oboist and conductor Nicholas Daniel, OBE.

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UK culture minister Chris Bryant says the live business had made “substantial progress” on a voluntary ticket levy and ruled out the need for government intervention at this stage.

Bryant provided an update to MPs at a meeting of the Culture Media and Sport Committee in parliament this morning (13 May).

The session, which examined the progress made to bolster the grassroots music sector in the UK, heard from a host of industry figures including LIVE CEO Jon Collins, Music Venue Trust (MVT) chief Mark Davyd, AEG Presents UK boss Steve Homer, Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) CEO David Martin, the National Arenas Association’s Nancy Skipper and Marit Berning of the Music Managers Forum (MMF).

UK trade body LIVE announced last month that its LIVE Trust has garnered over £500,000 (€587k) in pledges since its launch in January. The Trust receives funding from a voluntary contribution of £1 per ticket from arena and stadium shows with a capacity of over 5,000, with the funds going to support the grassroots ecosystem.

Artists including Pulp, Diana Ross, Mumford and Sons and Hans Zimmer have pledged ticket contributions from their UK tours.

While Bryant told CMS chair Caroline Dinenage that he’d “prefer us to have achieved a lot more by now”, he added: “We hoped to make substantial progress by the first quarter of 2025 and we have made substantial progress. 

“We’ve said that we want it to be a voluntary levy because it’s quicker to achieve – anything that has to require statute takes forever and a day. I don’t know when the next King’s Speech is going to be, so I don’t know when we would be able to legislate.”

“We’re very clear that we would [implement legislation] if this weren’t to be proceeding – but it is proceeding”

He added: “We’re very clear that we would [implement legislation] if this weren’t to be proceeding – but it is proceeding. We’ve got to where I hope we would get to by now. I’d like us to go a bit faster over the next phase. I’d like more people to sign up. I understand that obviously lots of people who are performing now came to their arrangements 18 months, two years ago, about their tour, but there are lots of people who are thinking about touring now.”

The Labour MP and LIVE jointly wrote to CMS ahead of the evidence session, reporting that the industry had made “tangible progress” since the government backed the levy in its response to the committee’s report last November, albeit, they recognised there was “further to go to deliver widespread levy adoption and distribution of funds through the LIVE Trust”.

“By now, if we’d not been able to write to you jointly yesterday to say where we’d got to, I would have been very cross, and I would be saying, ‘Right, well, I’m looking at legislation, can we start drafting it?'” said Bryant. “But we’ve not got there, and I’m very optimistic that this is going to work. I think it’s been a good idea. I think there’s lots of goodwill behind it in the industry, and I think a lot of artists and their management companies will sign up in fairly short order.”

Bryant added that there were “some things that we’ve still got to overcome”, including getting the charity “completely up and running, because it’s not just about the money coming in, it’s about the money going out”.

“But honestly, I have been impressed by how we’re getting there,” he said. “Are there people who could do a bit more? I think Live Nation might want to step up a bit more. They’re a very, very big player in this world… But I just want everybody who’s considering a big tour in the UK in the next year or so to sign up, and then I think we’ll have millions of pounds going to smaller grassroots venues.”

Asked if receiving £1 million in pledges was a realistic goal for the Trust before the end of 2025, Bryant replied: “I’d prefer to see more than a million by the end of the year, partly because I want to see more tours happening in the UK.

“I hope that some money might be going out before the end of the year, but I don’t want to hurry them so fast that the Trust ends up losing trust, if you see what I mean, because I think that that will be counterproductive in the in the long term.”

“It places a burden on artists… They’re either criticised for potentially increasing ticket prices or they’re criticised for not supporting the grassroots”

Earlier in the two and a half hour meeting, MVT chief Davyd lamented that “too many people in the industry” saw the levy as some sort of charitable donation.

“It’s not charitable, it’s simple R&D,” he said. “And the way the music industry is conducted now, we don’t have enough commitment to R&D in the live side… Other countries are getting this right.”

Martin, meanwhile, said the FAC, which penned a joint open letter with the MMF last year calling for a blanket ticket levy, believed “what we have right now is a system of artist-led donations, not a levy”. He noted that “about 8%” of UK shows above 5,000-cap that had gone on sale since November had implemented a donation.

“The problem we have with an artist-led system of donations is two-fold,” he said. “It’s unpredictable, and we don’t have the right amount. We don’t have the maximum amount of money coming in to support the grassroots, but additionally, it places a burden on artists… They’re either criticised for potentially increasing ticket prices or they’re criticised for not supporting the grassroots.”

Speaking after the session, MMF CEO Annabella Coldrick said an “incredible” amount of work had gone on behind the scenes to get the LIVE Trust up and running.

“But now that it’s operational, and with distribution mechanisms like the FAC’s UK Artist Touring fund – backed by the MMF – being developed in parallel, it’s imperative that the entire industry can come together quickly and ramp up the investment into grassroots touring,” she said. “If that momentum can’t be achieved on a voluntary basis, then we urge the government to legislate and make the contribution mandatory.”

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Pet Shop Boys and their manager Angela Becker were honoured alongside a host of industry figures at the 2024 Artist & Manager Awards (AMAs).

The pop icons and Becker jointly picked up the Artist Manager Partnership Award at last night’s ceremony, held at London’s Bloomsbury Big Top, in recognition of their 16-year collaboration.

Describing her experience as a “rarified education”, Becker reflected on the duo’s “intelligence, passion and curiosity”, before offering words of advice to future generations of managers.

“Learning the language of your client’s hopes and fears will open doors to profound impact, ensuring your work echoes in the hearts of audiences long after,” she said. “I am continually elevated and inspired by the pursuit of new ways to communicate Pet Shop Boy’s vision. As Hans Christian Andersen says, ‘Where words fail, music speaks.’”

Organised by the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) and Music Managers Forum (MMF) the AMAs were hosted by BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Remi Burgz.

Other winners included Chase & Status and their manager, Frame Artists co-founder Sophie Kennard, who received the Team of the Year award from their agent, UTA’s Obi Asika, and Sarah Wilson from TuneCore. The award followed a memorable year for the electronic music act, who headlined Creamfields, Boardmasters, TRNSMT and BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, as well as staging their own one-day show at Milton Keynes Bowl.

In addition, the Icon Award was presented to singer Paloma Faith by her long-time manager Innis Ferguson at Lateral Management.

“Sometimes it’s worth remembering that managers need support too”

Riverman Management founders Alex Weston and Dave McLean took the Managers’ Manager honour in tribute to their 35 years working in music. Originally making its name as a promoter, bringing US acts including Nirvana, Green Day, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden to the UK, Riverman switched to artist management and has represented Placebo since 1995.

Reflecting on the company’s successes and on the increased demands being placed on managers, Weston called for greater recognition and support of the role.

She said: “What other job on this planet requires us to have so much wide-ranging knowledge and so many skills and so much responsibility? And the most extraordinary thing of all is that, very often, certainly when we work with new artists, we don’t get paid anything at all to do this for years on end.

“But we do it because we are 100% committed and passionate about each of the artists we take on and truly believe, against all the odds, we can break them and their music! They are the future of our industry and put their faith and trust in us to help them achieve those ambitions. But, a note to our major labels, sometimes it’s worth remembering that managers need support too.”

There were also wins for Barry Can’t Swim (Breakthrough Artist), Hope James at Atlas Artists (Secret Weapon) and Victoria de Juniac of VictoriaBDJ Management (Breakthrough Manager).

Elsewhere, Sam Kelly and Ray Simpson from Cymande were presented with the Originator award, the 2024 Pioneer was awarded posthumously to producer and artist SOPHIE and the Fan Champion Award went to Yungblud, Tommas Arnby, Adam Wood and the wider team at Special Projects Music.

Finally, the awards for Writer/Producer Manager and Team Achievement recognised the work of Ant Hippsley and Croydon-based Finesse Foreva.

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UK-based charity Music Support is reportedly supporting a record number of live and music industry professionals, after seeing a 51% increase in calls to their helpline over the past year.

In a new survey, the organisation detailed challenges facing industry executives — including drug and alcohol problems, mental health issues, and suicidal thoughts — are up across the board, steadily increasing from last year’s report.

In addition to a steep increase in helpline calls, Music Support revealed that nearly half of respondents divulged mental health problems, rising from 40% last year.

More than one-fourth of respondents stated drug and/or alcohol problems, up from 19% in 2023, and 21% said they had suicidal thoughts in the past year, up from 18% last year.

“Whilst the increase in demand for our services is a concern, we are also encouraged that stigmas around mental health and problematic substance use are breaking down and people are more willing to reach out for help,” says CEO Joe Hastings.

Responses were collected from on- and off-stage individuals across Music Support’s Safe Hubs at summer festivals, a service it has offered since 2016.

“It’s vital that those who work in music know there is somewhere they can turn for their mental health”

Elsewhere, Music Minds Matter (MMM) announced its first batch of partners in the creation of Music Minds Matter Allies. The mental health-focused industry charity will work alongside the six organisations to help connect their networks to support, co-develop new resources, and facilitate connection and collaboration through communal events.

The first set of allies include the BIMM Music Institute, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the Featured Artist Coalition (FAC), the Music Managers Forum (MMF), the Musicians’ Union (MU), and We Are The Unheard (WATU).

“A life in music is full of uniting highs but sadly the hours, pace and passion can have an impact on wellbeing too,” says Sarah Woods, chief executive of Music Minds Matter and Help Musicians. “It’s vital that those who work in music know there is somewhere they can turn for their mental health and we want to ensure that messages spreads to all who need us.”

“With our Music Minds Matter Allies, we can work together to develop more supporting resources and reach so many more who need support, whether a venue booker, artist manager, festival owner, record producer or label accountant.

“Music Minds Matter is here for everyone working in music at any time and we’re so pleased to work with our Ally organisations to ensure that help and guidance reaches those in need now, or those who may need it in the future.”

“Having artists talk about their mental health struggles allows us to normalize the conversation around mental health”

This year alone, Music Minds Matter has supported over 3,300 people working in music, and research has shown that industry professionals are at a higher risk of experiencing depression and other mental health-related illnesses.

Those working in the music industry may be up to three times as likely to experience depression compared to the general public, a MMM survey revealed.

MMF chief executive Annabella Coldrick emphasised the importance of allyship for the industry: “Against a backdrop of cutbacks elsewhere in the music business, managers are under increasing pressure, shouldering a greater range of responsibilities and expected to deliver on multiple fronts. It can be an incredibly stressful and isolated role.

“Taking a more tailored approach that listens to the concerns of managers and provides them with bespoke mental health resources is, we feel, the best way to alleviate these challenges.”

In response to these challenges, Live Nation recently launched a “music meets meditation” app in collaboration with Mindful Nation. Created by Niamh McCarthy, former assistant manager to Madonna and U2, the app is purposed to help artists and professionals find balance in the rigours of touring.

“Having artists talk about their mental health struggles allows us to normalize the conversation around mental health and opens a space for others to also share their experiences and struggles with mental health, anxiety and depression,” McCarthy says.

“Creating boundaries for self-care can feel hard but ultimately helps not only the performer but the crew and those around them to also prioritize their needs creating for a happy and safer tour experience.”

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The UK’s Music Managers Forum (MMF) has appointed Niamh Byrne, co-founder of Eleven Management, and Jill Hollywood, founder and MD of Echo Beach Management, as the new chair and vice chair.

They succeed Paul Craig and Kwame Kwaten who stood down last month having completed two three-year terms.

In 2011, Byrne co-founded Eleven Management with Régine Moylett, achieving commercial and creative successes with Damon Albarn, Gorillaz, blur, The Clash and Graham Coxon. In the years since, they’ve invited new managers and artists to join the team, including The WAEVE, Riz Ahmed, Bashy, Bastille, Naomi Scott and Meyy.

Prior to Eleven Management, Byrne spent 15 years working with major artists including blur, Elastica, Jesus & Mary Chain and Turin Brakes, before moving on to start her own consultancy company The Engine Room.

Byrne also spent over four years at Universal Music UK as creative content strategist, where her achievements included the Music Matters campaign as well as the re-branding of the BRIT Awards in 2010, including a modernisation of the trophy design by artists including Dame Vivienne Westwood, Tracey Emin and Sir Peter Blake.

An MMF board member since 2022, Byrne and her colleagues at Eleven were recognised as Entrepreneurs at the 2017 Artist & Manager Awards, and last year oversaw the release two critically acclaimed number-one albums from Gorillaz (Cracker Island) and blur (The Ballad of Darren), as well as two sold-out blur shows at Wembley Stadium.

“This is a really exciting announcement for the MMF. Niamh and Jill are two of the UK’s most respected music managers’

Jill Hollywood was also recognised at the 2017 Awards, and remains one of the UK’s leading producer/writer managers, and someone who has advocated passionately for their interests – both within the MMF community and the wider industry.

After more than a decade at Big Life Management, where her clients included legendary producers like Youth (Pink Floyd, The Verve, Embrace) and Jacknife Lee (U2, Snow Patrol, R.E.M.), Hollywood founded Echo Beach Management in 2016.

Her current roster includes both clients she has represented for nearly two decades and a growing list of emerging production talent: Ash Howes, Ash Workman, Ben Jackson-Cook, Cameron Blackwood, Charlie Russell, Chris Zane, Dave Bascombe, Davide Rossi, Jacknife Lee, Johan Hugo, Lorna Blackwood, Louis Lion, and Roy Kerr & Tim Bran (aka My Riot).

Echo Beach’s clients collaborate with some of the biggest names in pop including Ariana Grande, Coldplay, Taylor Swift, U2 and The Weeknd, as well as the likes of Self Esteem, Moonchild Sanelly, Christine & The Queens, Modest Mouse and Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes

Byrne says: “It’s an honour to accept the position of chair at the Music Managers Forum. From my seat at the board, it’s been impressive to watch Annabella and her team respond to the changing culture in our business and I am delighted to support them in continuing to build an inclusive organisation that supports managers of all different backgrounds.

“There are many challenges ahead, but I firmly believe the MMF will become ever more important in forging a more equitable industry. As the role of the manager continues to expand, the MMF is perfectly placed to help our membership embrace innovation and develop their entrepreneurial skills. I’m excited to be part of the team.”

“There are many challenges ahead, but I firmly believe the MMF will become ever more important in forging a more equitable industry”

Hollywood adds: “It’s an incredible honour to be asked to stand as vice chair. Over the last four years as board director, I have been proud to be a part of what the MMF stands for. The organisation’s role as advocates for all music makers, both in policy and in practice, the strides to make the body as inclusive as possible, and focus on education and investigation, makes the MMF an extremely valuable force for good in the changing landscape we find ourselves in. I look forward to further championing the rights of producers and songwriters, alongside performing artists.”

It has also been announced that Theory Management’s Hide Whone will be joining the board, as Clare Wright (Blackstar Management) steps down a year early due to her role at WarChild. She remains an active MMF member.

With more than 20 years experience as a manager, booker, music supervisor and video producer, Whone has run his independent management company and record label for six years, and currently represents Biig Piig, KAWALA and Bad Sounds. He is also an active member of ESEA (East and South East Asia) Music, the non-profit community group led by and for UK-based East & Southeast Asian music industry professionals and artists.

Annabella Coldrick, chief executive, MMF comments: “This is a really exciting announcement for the MMF. Niamh and Jill are two of the UK’s most respected music managers. In addition to building enormously successful businesses, both have contributed greatly to the MMF Board over recent years. As our new chair and vice chair, I’m really looking forward to working more closely with them as a source of support, expertise and inspiration building on the legacy of Paul and Kwame.

“Hide is also doing great things at Theory Management representing artists like Biig Piig, KAWALA and Bad Sounds, and he will undoubtedly bring fresh perspectives to the MMF board. His range of industry experience will be especially valuable, as the MMF rises to the challenge of representing a wide and growing membership to ensure we can support their aspirations and endeavours.”

Paul Craig and Kwame Kwaten will join the MMF Custodians Council, along with Adam Tudhope (Everybody’s) and Rob Swerdlow (Starwood Management).

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Live music industry leaders in the UK have played down a report that the European Union (EU) has ruled out easing post-Brexit restrictions on British touring acts.

Labour pledged to improve EU touring for UK artists by “tearing down unnecessary barriers to trade” as part of its manifesto prior to its landslide general election victory in July.

But according to internal documents seen by the Financial Times, Brussels says a deal to cut post-Brexit red tape compelling touring musicians to obtain cultural performance visas and transport permits is not possible, as it would require rewriting the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).

Moreover, the European Commission – the executive arm of the EU – was “not prepared to consider” the necessary amendments to regulations on customs, road haulage and services.

“The briefings repeatedly warn of the need to ‘manage expectations’ in London, given [Prime Minister Keir] Starmer’s refusal to rejoin the EU single market, accept freedom of movement, or form a customs union with the bloc,” adds the report.

Insiders suggest the documents are a sign of pre-positioning from both sides as they prepare for negotiations, which cannot begin until a new commission is formed later this year. A senior EU official tells the FT it is open to compromise, adding: “We have a track record of finding solutions.”

“We welcome the renewed impetus from both sides to solve this issue, and recognise negotiations are needed to find a solution”

Jon Collins, CEO of UK trade body LIVE (Live music Industry Venues and Entertainment), remains hopeful an agreement can be reached.

“Venues, festivals, and artists across both the UK and EU are suffering under the current touring arrangements,” he says. “It is widely recognised that improvements to these touring rules are needed to bring major economic and cultural benefits to both European member states and the UK.

“We welcome the renewed impetus from both sides to solve this issue, and recognise negotiations are needed to find a solution. We agree with the EU Domestic Advisory Group’s view that the solution to touring problems could be delivered without the need to revise the Trade and Co-operation Agreement.”

The Music Managers Forum (MMF) and Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) established the #LetTheMusicMove umbrella campaign in June 2021 to galvanise the music industry’s work on the topic, calling for reductions in post-Brexit costs and red tape for UK artists and musicians when touring in Europe.

In a joint statement to IQ, MMF CEO Annabella Coldrick and FAC chief David Martin say the issue is of fundamental importance to their members.

“While this FT report raises concerns, I don’t think anyone was under any illusions that these challenges would be alleviated in the short term”

“Outside the UK, Europe has typically provided the next step up for artists and musicians looking to build a live touring career,” they said. “In 2019, it represented the largest overseas market for UK artists, four times bigger than the US. But given the increased costs they’re already shouldering to get live shows on the road, the additional burden of red tape and bureaucracy is potentially crippling for the next generation of British talent. It is vital we find a solution that allows cultural movement to flow more freely.

“While this FT report raises concerns, I don’t think anyone was under any illusions that these challenges would be alleviated in the short term. They are part of wider discussions around freedom of movement and other trading negotiations.

“Obviously, we need the UK government to be committed to finding solutions. They made a manifesto commitment to do this. With MPs returning to parliament this week, we are already in the process of reestablishing contact and pushing for urgent progress.”

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IQ 128, the latest issue of the international live music industry’s favourite magazine, is available to read online now.

In the June/July issue, Gordon Masson goes behind the scenes of Take That’s This Life on Tour, and Derek Robertson charts the success of Switzerland’s leading promoter Gadget Entertainment as the company turns 30.

Elsewhere, Kerrang‘s Sam Law provides an in-depth report on the metal genre, and Adam Woods investigates one of the most robust music markets in the world – Germany.

Readers can also gain insight into the 2024 festival season, find out where some of the first New Bosses are today, and preview the forthcoming IFF (International Festival Forum).

For this edition’s comments and columns, Mamas in Music founder Mary Leay provides encouragement for mothers working in the music business, while MMF’s Manasvi Dethekar shares five takeaways from the association’s recent workshop in collaboration with Futures Forum.

As always, the majority of the magazine’s content will appear online in some form in the next four weeks.

However, if you can’t wait for your fix of essential live music industry features, opinion and analysis, click here to subscribe to IQ from just £8 a month or click here to purchase your print copy.

Check out what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below:

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The LGBTIQ+ List 2024 – IQ Magazine’s fourth annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business – has been revealed.

The ever-popular list is the centrepiece of IQ’s fourth Pride edition, sponsored by Ticketmaster, which is now available to read online and in print for subscribers.

To get to know this year’s queer pioneers a little better, we interviewed each of them on the development of the industry, the challenges that are keeping them up at night and more.

Throughout the next month, IQ will publish a new interview each day. Catch up on yesterday’s interview with Rivca Burns (she/her), director of From the Other and acting head of music at Factory International.

The series continues with Ross Patel (they/them), CEO, board director, consultant, talent manager, and DJ for LIVE, Whole Entertainment, RossPatelCo, MMF, UMA Ent, and Polyamoross.

Ross Patel is a CEO, founder, board member & consulting advisor with 15+ years of diverse experience in music, media, entertainment, sustainability & tech. Passionate about strategy and talent management, creating platforms to launch and support creatives, talent, brands, and events with social impact at the heart. 

Tell us about the professional feat you’re most PROUD of in 2024 so far.
I’ve been sitting on the Live Green steering committee for a couple of years now as a representative for the Music Managers Forum 1500+ membership. It’s been great to see the group grow and build momentum as everyone shows up and makes their contributions. Recently I’ve had the pleasure of leading an initiative with the brilliant Carol Scott (Live Green Chair/Tait) and a fantastic and diverse working group of stakeholders from across the industry to draft sustainable clauses for live booking contracts. Carol, myself and Tom Schroder (who has been instrumental in getting the clause to the major agencies) presented the work on a panel at the GEI conference. That felt pretty significant. The climate issue has always been and will always be one of intersectionality so I’d like to think this work means a better future for everyone and a more conscious approach to our business. It feels like it could have some real lasting impact.

“Culturally, we need to increase awareness around the various privileges we all hold in order to allow us to act in a way that uses them to help others”

As a manager, what’s your most pressing challenge in the industry right now?
I feel like I’d need a while to fully cover this off! In an attempt to keep it brief… I’d say rising costs across the board in the industry plus the more general cost of living crisis plus mega stars taking all the money and giving very little back comparatively and having a UK government that doesn’t care for the arts has put the majority of people in the industry in a very hard position… *and breathe*. I’d like to see the work that’s going on with ticket levies (stadiums and arenas to contribute a small portion of sales to local grassroots music organisations) get over the line. This would help massively with creating economic buoyancy and a more sustainable business model in the live sector, while also helping to address a necessary shift in the culture and perspective of giving.

Name one thing the industry could do to be a more equitable place.
Putting the effort in to view things through an intersectional lens as often as possible feels like a great place to start. There is still a lot of education that needs to happen around this. Culturally, we need to increase awareness around the various privileges we all hold in order to allow us to act in a way that uses them to help others. We’re lucky enough to have brilliant organisations tackling certain ‘isms’ such as Attitude Is Everything which is committed to improving access for those with access needs in the industry, She Said So which is helping to increase femme representation, the Trans Creative Collection which works with creative trans (+ allies), the Black Music Coalition etc. The list goes on! It’s amazing to see these groups making a difference in their organisations and delivering ‘bottom-up’ change. Now we need tangible ‘top down’ systemic change to protect those most vulnerable in society and to create a culture where everyone feels safe and can thrive.

“Everyone deserves a chance of living happily”

Name one queer act you’re itching to see live this year.
I can’t just name one… so much amazing talent out there… Jess Hands and I are playing B2B at QYSP Festival in London – can’t wait for that. Chloe Cailet, Jake Sheers, Kim Petras, Grace Sands, Absolute.

Do you have a favourite queer space?
I have a few! This year I took on the talent-buying role at Club Love in Bristol. It’s an incredible event with a wonderful team led by Tam who puts their heart and soul into every detail of decor, production and play spaces without compromising on the music and DJs. The same can be said for Pinky Promise, Joyride and Body Movements that I’ve had the privilege and pure joy of DJing at in the past… and hopefully will get invited back again in the future. I also love the vibe at Howl and am looking forward to going to Quench soon. I’ve heard nothing but good things! Would also recommend Trash, Riposte and Riot.

“This sense of Pride is something I’m learning to cultivate and nurture within myself on a daily basis”

Shout out any LGBTIQ+ cause(s) you support.
I was involved in a fundraiser for Jess Hands which raised money to pay for vocal cord surgery. It was incredible to see the difference the surgery made in this wonderful person’s life and was a reminder of how powerful and essential gender-affirming healthcare is. Everyone deserves a chance of living happily. I think we have a duty as conscious beings to strive to make that possible for as many beings as possible. Any LGBTIQ+ organisations that are working towards that goal get my vote. But also more than specific causes, I would encourage anyone to support marginalised groups and/or people directly. This can be through gofundme campaigns or by ensuring that intersectional diversity and inclusion are always being considered. Platform and pay fairly people in marginalised groups. Hopefully one day we won’t need the organisations that currently work in these spaces!

How do you like to celebrate Pride?
Quietly… and sometimes loudly! This sense of Pride is something I’m learning to cultivate and nurture within myself on a daily basis. The more I’m able to, the more I feel like I’m becoming a better, more compassionate, more whole person. It’s something that I like to think I bring with me everyday, quietly, when I show up, however I choose to or feel comfortable with on any given day. I also like to go all out when the opportunities arise. Last year I really did lean into the pride celebrations. My pride started at Outloud Festival in West Hollywood, LA. An incredibly well-programmed event by a good friend, Sam Hiller and the JLA team. I also went to Brighton, London and my first Manchester Pride with Absolute and Demi Riquisimo. This year’s pride months will be starting with the Mighty Hoopla in London followed by Brighton Pride. Who knows where else from there… perhaps some readers will hit me up with recommendations!

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As the United Kingdom gears up for next month’s general election, a range of music organisations have told IQ how the new government can best help the live business.

The main political parties have now put out their manifestos ahead of the 4 July vote, with varying degrees of support for the arts. Labour, the party currently leading all opinion polls to form the UK’s next government, has reiterated its pledge to cap ticket resale if it wins the election.

“Access to music, drama and sport has become difficult and expensive because of ticket touting,” it states. “Labour will put fans back at the heart of events by introducing new consumer protections on ticket resales.”

While stressing that Britain will remain outside the European Union, the party vows to improve EU touring for UK artists.

“Labour will work to improve the UK’s trade and investment relationship with the EU, by tearing down unnecessary barriers to trade,” it says. “We will seek to negotiate a veterinary agreement to prevent unnecessary border checks and help tackle the cost of food; will help our touring artists; and secure a mutual recognition agreement for professional qualifications to help open up markets for UK service exporters.”

Touring regulations also feature in the Liberal Democrats and Green Party manifestos, with the former saying it would push to “negotiate free and simple short-term travel arrangements for UK artists to perform in the EU, and European artists to perform in the UK”, and the latter promising to “ensure that musicians have access to visa-free travel to the EU through negotiating a reciprocal arrangement at the earliest possible opportunity”.

“This will be a government seeking to kickstart economic growth, and implementing the right policies to support the live music sector”

The Lib Dems also set out their desire to “protect fans from being exploited by ticket touts by implementing the Competition and Markets Authority’s recommendations to crack down on illegal ticket resale”.

The Conservatives, meanwhile, pledge to “extend our Community Ownership Fund to help more communities across the UK take control of vital community assets like pubs, music venues, libraries, green spaces, leisure centres and more”.

Stressing its support for apprenticeships as “a key pipeline of talent into our world-leading creative industries”, the party adds: “We will work with industry to deliver a dedicated flexible coordination service so that everyone who wants to work in the film, TV, gaming and music sectors can work on live productions whilst benefiting from at least 12 months of secure training.”

Jon Collins, CEO of LIVE (Live music Industry Venues and Entertainment), which serves as the collective voice of the UK live music business, says the trade body is looking forward to working with the next government on “a range of issues that require a fresh focus, considered investment and informed action”.

“With Labour likely to form that government, it is very encouraging to see many of our key asks set out in their manifesto and their action plan for the arts, culture and creative industries,” he says. “This will be a government seeking to kickstart economic growth, and implementing the right policies to support the live music sector with a value of £5.2 billion will deliver that growth – both domestically and internationally.

“Labour is committed to facilitating easier touring arrangements with the EU which will critically drive up activity; the current provisions have seen a 74% drop in activity and left orchestras either unable to tour or facing prohibitive costs. We welcome Labour’s support for our grassroots sector and look forward to working with ministers to ensure grassroots music venues are able to thrive, update them on the progress of the LIVE Trust, and ease the trading environment through business rates reform.”

“The rest of the world recognises this country as a beacon of music innovation, and it’s vital that an incoming government maximises that potential”

Collins adds: “Whilst not a manifesto commitment, we will be looking to the next government to act on the recommendations made by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in their recent report (May 2024) on grassroots music venues to reduce VAT on tickets and undertake a comprehensive economic analysis of the impact of a reduced rate applied across the sector.

“We are pleased that Labour has committed to take forward our proposals published in our Live Music Manifesto on secondary ticketing and reforming the apprenticeship levy. LIVE will work with the next government on plans to deliver Martyn’s Law in a way that protects fans without putting unnecessary burdens on venues and festivals.”

Last week, the Music Venue Trust (MVT) published a report entitled, A Manifesto for Grassroots Music, which outlined the steps the charity says are required in order to stem the closures of grassroots music venues and bring stability to the sector.

“In 2023, of the 366 small music venues Ed Sheeran played while learning his trade, at least 150 are now closed,” said MVT CEO Mark Davyd. “Another 72 grassroots music venues significantly reduced or ended their live music offer. 38% of GMVs in the UK made a loss in the last 12 months. The sector operated on a 0.5% profit margin overall while running live music events at a £115 million loss.

“All of this can be changed if the next government delivers the five simple steps we have set out.”

Music Managers Forum (MMF) CEO Annabella Coldrick highlighted touring, the grassroots scene and streaming as key areas of concern.

“When the general election was called, the industry was in deep discussion with policy makers about reforms to music streaming and to grassroots live music,” she says. “In the next parliament, those discussions must be transformed into tangible actions – and fast! Our artists and music makers deserve nothing less.

“Underpinned by those reforms, it’s really important that music, culture and the creative industries are at the heart of the UK’s business and growth strategy. The rest of the world recognises this country as a beacon of music innovation, and it’s vital that an incoming government maximises that potential – for instance, by negotiating new improved touring arrangements for UK artists wanting to perform in Europe, and by addressing our concerns about exorbitant visa fees for the US. Both have been a real focus for the MMF, and for the FAC, with our joint #LetTheMusicMove campaign.”

“To reset the market, we want the UK to follow the example of Ireland and outlaw ticket resale for profit”

David Martin, CEO of the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), says: “The FAC’s priority is to ensure that the momentum to drive forward artist-friendly reforms of streaming and the sustainability of the live music ecosystem continue into the next Parliament. The next government must take forward the work that was started by the Culture Media & Sport Select Committee in these areas. We can’t let progress slip.

“There are plenty of challenges facing our industry, but with a UK music strategy for growth the next government can maximise its untapped potential. Through practical changes to the way we do business – such as implementing fair royalty rates or a live ticket levy that directly supports artists – British music will thrive. The new government should legislate on these issues if industry consensus cannot be found.”

Unsurprisingly, the focus for Adam Webb, campaign manager of of anti-touting pressure group FanFair Alliance, is on cleaning up secondary ticketing.

“To reset the market, we want the UK to follow the example of Ireland and outlaw ticket resale for profit,” he tells IQ. “Thankfully, because of FanFair’s campaigning, this is firmly on the radar of politicians. The Labour Party has already committed to introducing a 10% cap on resale prices, and action against ticket touting is one of the key music-related pledges in their manifesto. The Liberal Democrats also have a manifesto commitment to clamp down on speculative ticketing and other anti-consumer practices.

“Alongside that, I’d like to see the Competition & Markets Authority provided with new enforcement powers. The UK’s ticket resale market is not highly regulated. We need that to change, and for capped consumer-friendly ticket resale to be made more visible and viable.”

Meanwhile, the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) plans to resume its Five Percent For Festivals campaign – calling for a reduced VAT from 20% to 5% on ticket sales for the next three years – post-election.

“We are delighted to see so many references to music and meaningful commitments that will change our members’ lives for the better”

“I think there will be intervention. My concern is that by the time something does happen, how many [festivals] will have gone?” AIF CEO John Rostron told IQ earlier this month. “What’s good for us is there is an election about to happen, so we’ll have a new group of politicians with a five-year mandate, and that is stronger to work with than where we were, which was with a group of MPs that didn’t know how long their futures would be.”

Elsewhere, the Musicians’ Union (MU) has welcomed the Labour Party Manifesto, saying it tackles many of the issues the organisation has raised with the party on behalf of members.

“The MU is Labour-affiliated and, along with fellow unions, we have been involved in shaping policy for a Labour government for many years now,” says MU general secretary Naomi Pohl. “Having not had significant access to Conservative ministers, with a few notable exceptions, we have a chance of a government that prioritises the arts and wants to engage with us on issues facing musicians.

“This is the first time that the MU has been so directly involved in the Labour Party manifesto process and had a chance to influence the final document. We are delighted to see so many references to music and meaningful commitments that will change our members’ lives for the better.

“While we know our membership is a broad church politically, we would be missing a once in a generation opportunity if we didn’t encourage musicians to vote Labour. This is an opportunity to shift the dial for the creative workforce of today and tomorrow.”

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ILMC’s Futures Forum (FF) and the Music Managers Forum (MMF) joined forces this week for an event that saw emerging live music executives and artist managers discuss the future of artist development.

The workshop and networking drinks took place on Tuesday night (28 May) at The Garage in London, hosted by FF’s Lisa Henderson and MMF’s Svi Dethekar, with support from AEG Europe, AXS, The O2 and ILMC.

Attendees from companies including Runway Artists, ATC Live, X-Ray Touring, Royal Albert Hall, Live Nation, Red Light Management, Wildlife Mgmt, East City Management, AEG Presents and CAA attended the free admission event.

The 75-minute hosted debate saw the executives discuss barriers to developing and growing a fanbase in live music, strategies and innovative approaches to ensure a successful tour, and solutions to ensure the next-generation headliners rise to the top.

Discussing key considerations for developing an emerging act’s live career, one exec said: “Artists need to put in their 10,000 hours to be at a professional level. Patience is important – from both artists and managers – especially when you’re looking to build.”

Another exec added: “We need to help emerging artists understand that initially, they need to take ownership of their live career. It’s important that they have mentors and guidance on how the live music business works and how you can get paid – whether that’s via ticket sales or PRS. They also need an understanding of how the industry is changing.”

According to attendees, the biggest barriers to artist development include a lack of government funding, high audience expectations, venue availability, converting online fans to ticket buyers and the cost of touring.

“There was an awful lot of knowledge and passion in the room, especially around areas like grassroots and mid-level touring”

The latter was a major talking point for attendees when sharing their strategies and innovative approaches for a successful tour.

“You’ve got to be creative,” one attendee said. “Think about brands subsidising the costs of a tour, or using influencer marketing to reach new audiences.”

Other execs warned that artists should choose wisely when to go on tour and ensure that every show counts.

“Think about collaborations and providing something special for a fanbase,” said one attendee.  “Think about your marketing campaigns, creating interesting assets, and think about data capture to help plan future events.”

Exploring solutions to the aforementioned issues, attendees said they would like to see a UK ticket levy introduced to support grassroots touring. Execs also called for more transparency about where fees go and revenues flow.

“As Futures Forum continues to build out a year-round programme for its community of young live music professionals, the evening truly showed how creative the various sectors of the live business can be when they get together to collaborate,” says Greg Parmley, head of ILMC.

“We would especially like to thank Futures Forum’s annual partners AEG Europe, The O2 and AXS, for making unique moments like this possible.”

Manasvi Dethekar, membership secretary, MMF, added: “Working with Futures Forum was a really exciting collaboration for the MMF. Importantly, it was also an opportunity to capture views from a wide diversity of upcoming managers, booking agents, venues and others who are dedicated to building the live careers of artists. There was an awful lot of knowledge and passion in the room, especially around areas like grassroots and mid-level touring. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who participated, and we’ll be using all the feedback we gained to inform some of the MMF’s upcoming projects.”

Futures Forum is a year-round platform for the next generation of live music industry leaders to forge relationships and exchange ideas.

The organisation hosts a one-day conference discussion and networking event in London each spring, on the final day of its renowned parent event, the International Live Music Conference (ILMC).

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