KNIGHTS OF THE ROUNDTABLE: AGENTS

Managing the live careers of artists through a global pandemic that put a halt to touring has been no easy feat, as all agents will attest, nor is dealing with ongoing uncertainties and the potential for new restrictions following the return of shows. Despite the huge challenges they’ve faced, many agents have soldiered on and used the time to come up with alternative opportunities. The pandemic has also brought about some unforeseen positives, which include more cohesive relationships with artists and their teams and greater understanding of the challenges inherent within their jobs.

Here, talking us through all that and more, are Craig D’Souza, who recently joined WME as partner and agent, bringing with him British talents including Dave, Aitch, J Hus and Young T & Bugsey; CAA’s Paul Franklin, who reps Yungblud, James Bay, Laura Mvula and Corinne Bailey Rae, among others; Paradigm’s Sol Parker, who numbers Grace Carter, Take That, 220 Kid and L Devine among his clients; and UTA’s Paul Ryan, who oversees such bands as Architects, Bring Me the Horizon, Killswitch Engage and Trivium.

How confident are you that touring will continue to be possible throughout the rest of this year and beyond?
Craig D’Souza: From a U.K. perspective, I’m cautiously optimistic. Our vaccination rates are high, but we’ll continue to see spikes in COVID-19 cases, and sadly we’ll also continue to see more deaths. However, I feel the U.K. Government’s handling of the pandemic has been poor. I see a genuine desire among the public to get our lives back and a real willingness to do so, using our own common sense and displaying discretionary caution as we do. That said, who knows what Boris Johnson and his party will do.

Paul Franklin: We’re seeing a return to concerts in some markets, including the U.K. and U.S., but it’s still a very changeable situation. The health and safety of the fans, employees and artists is uppermost in our minds, as we have a duty to make sure everyone is safe while we navigate through this. The U.K. shows, for example, have been running well, with most requiring a double vaccination or lateral flow test, but we’re seeing no-shows to varying degrees at most events, as confidence needs to be rebuilt in attending shows again in the current climate. I have confidence live music will return everywhere in 2022, although some markets will take longer than others, and I expect demand to return to the consistency we’ve seen in recent years. The good news is most fans are continuing to hold onto their tickets through the various rescheduling of tours, which shows there’s still the appetite to attend events when they are able.

Sol Parker: I’m an optimist and believe we’re moving towards a return to normalcy, but our company has been unbelievably accurate in terms of predicting all stages of this pandemic, and our predictions now are that we still have a lot of challenges ahead of us. The good news is shows are happening. The challenges across this winter and into 2022 are travel and borders as well as COVID. The post-Brexit touring challenges have taken some positive steps to resolution, but if I had a tour starting tomorrow that was routed the same as one in 2019, there is a very high probability that it wouldn’t be able to be completed intact. In terms of COVID and what’s ahead, my own view is that we need to get vaccinated and back to life as we knew it, although, as we know, it’s already thrown us several curveballs. So we need adjust as it plays out.

Paul Ryan: It depends on the territory, but at the moment we’re focused on weighing the benefits of booking artists’ in-person tours with the potential challenges. With COVID, so much is out of our hands. Hopefully, the industry can develop a practical insurance system for indoor shows that will allow artists to be able to tour without too much risk.

How has the role of an agent evolved for you over the last year?
Franklin: We’ve had to be a fount of knowledge on all things COVID and Brexit and deliver updates in a concise and informed way, as everyone is looking to us to provide all the answers. We have also had to second-guess situations as to when to reschedule tours time and time again, which hasn’t been a lot of fun, but that’s what we do. It’s also been a year of trying to keep positive for our team in order to keep spirits up, as many people have struggled through this time. However challenging this has been, it’s important more than ever to look for the opportunities for your clients to keep fans engaged and ensure growth during the downtime from touring. We’ve done that through new formats like drive-in shows, socially distanced outdoor events, livestreaming, VIP packages, encouraging artists to be proactive in keeping their audiences engaged and private shows on Zoom.

Parker: I think the role has stayed exactly the same. We still form an integral part of an artist’s inner circle responsible for their fiscal planning and welfare. We’ve just been through a series of once-in-a-lifetime—we hope—challenges which we have had to understand, digest and then advise accordingly to our managers and ultimately our artists.

D’Souza: It’s had to evolve to a degree, of course; we’ve had to think outside of the box, to consider a whole new layer of unknown entities. But what I’ve really tried to retain is my composure and encourage my managers and artists to do the same. My focus has been on not having any knee-jerk reactions and not making the wrong move, because, for the first time in what seems like an eternity, we can do something. It’s been vital not to lose sight of an artist’s long-term vision and avoid any short-term, ill-made decisions that could have a lasting, damaging effect on their careers.

Have there been any changes in the way you’re working with promoters, labels and managers?
Parker: During lockdown, I built a recording studio and started a tiny label and also have done consultancy for a small management company. I think I’ve learned more about the industry from this viewpoint in the last 18 months than I have in the preceding few years. I’ve apologized to several managers for never truly understanding the amount of work it takes to get an artist from unknown to superstar. I’ve worked with managers my entire career, and I owe them everything. I’m still shocked that I never fully appreciated what they had to go through even to get an act to our door as agents, never mind in front of the public and public consciousness. It’s been a huge learning curve, which hopefully will stand me in better stead over the coming years.

Franklin: It’s been more important than ever to stay in regular contact with managers to keep them updated of the COVID situation from our side and to be able to convey a measured, educated response on the ongoing issues so they can feed this back to the artist. It’s been a very difficult time for managers, so it has been important to be supportive while also being realistic with possible timelines on what is and isn’t possible for their clients in all markets. People also forget how hard this has been for the artists. I’ve made sure I’ve connected with as many as possible to also keep them updated and reassure them that we will back as soon as possible and make myself available if they wanted to speak. Promoters have also had a very challenging time, and once again communication has been the key. There has been a real team effort to work together in finding ways to move the business forward with the obstacles in front of us all and an understanding of the ever-changing situation.

Ryan: We’ve had to get creative in finding ways to give people their fix of live music throughout COVID, and we’ve found success with booking livestreamed shows. As a company, we’ve also utilized other avenues outside of traditional live touring with brand partnerships, publishing, crossover and more.

What’s the most exciting development happening in the live business right now?
D’Souza: Festivals! I loved seeing many of my roster performing at Reading, Leeds, Wireless and Parklife over the summer. Confidence is high among fans—people are out there in the thousands once again enjoying live music. It’s an amazing thing to be a part of again. I’ve missed live music immensely.

Ryan: Live shows actually happening! This is a lifestyle for us as agents. The atmosphere of being at a show and the in-person interaction is what most of us live for, and nothing can be more exciting than being around that.

What are your future plans and ambitions going into 2022 and beyond?
Franklin: Firstly, I’m looking forward to going to shows in their usual format and enjoying the business we’ve all missed so much. I think we’ll all appreciate it so much more. My first indoor show back was Yungblud playing five nights at the Forum, and it was one thing seeing the unbelievable reaction from the crowd, but what really resonated was the joy it brought everyone from the artist to the crew, management, venue staff, etc. Everyone was delighted to be back. The live business will come back stronger than ever due to the pent-up demand, and there are going to be exciting times ahead.

Parker: To try and get back to the unadulterated joy of life that I was so blissfully unaware of in 2019. To get back to advising and realizing the touring careers of the established acts that I’m privileged to be involved in, and also to help break as many new artists as I possibly can. This is a great industry to be involved in. No one could have predicted the length and depth of what we’ve just gone through. There are reasons to be cheerful, but the champagne is still firmly in the chiller.

Ryan: To continue my journey with the artists I am blessed to work with and enjoy walking that path with them. For me, working in music is far deeper than just booking shows. Watching artists’ growth and being part of their story is what will always drive me on.

D’Souza: I’ve just joined WME as a Partner and Agent. I’m looking forward to working with the incredible team of people already here and seeing what amazing things we can achieve together. I cannot wait to get into the office! Proving myself at the absolute highest level has always been my number-one ambition, and doing it without being an asshole is key to me.