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Adele‘s 10-night August residency in Munich, which opened Friday night (Aug. 2), could be the biggest concert engagement ever, both in terms of attendance and ticket sales. It almost certainly represents the biggest bet anyone has placed in the live music business this year.
The shows, promoted by Live Nation Germany and the Austrian Leutgeb Entertainment Group, are held in a custom-built venue that holds 74,000, and the production is reported to have cost more than $100 million, including construction cost. Just the 220-meter-wide screen, said to be the biggest in the world, is said to have cost dozens of millions of dollars. And that’s before the string section, fireworks, and the logistics involved in Adele World, which includes a Ferris wheel, a biergarten, and merchandise operation the size of a large boutique.
The engagement, which runs two days a week throughout August, could break the Billboard Boxscore attendance record for a concert engagement, currently held by Coldplay, which drew 627,000 fans to 10 shows in Buenos Aires in 2022. It could also break the box office record of almost $110 million, held by U2 for its first 17 shows at the Sphere, in 2023. (Adele has not generally reported concert grosses to Billboard Boxscore, so the records may stand anyway.)
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Adele, who has been performing the Weekends with Adele residency at the Colosseum Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, has not played in continental Europe since 2016 and has no concerts booked there, so the shows in Munich are a destination event. She had no plans to play anywhere this summer, until Klaus Leutgeb presented her manager, Jonathan Dickins, with the idea for the residency.
Adele performs onstage at Messe München on Aug. 2, 2024 in Munich, Germany.
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Concert residencies are becoming more popular, but they are mostly an Anglo-American phenomenon. In this case, Munich is a relatively small city by international standards, with a population of about 1.5 million in a metro area a bit less than four times that. (By comparison, Los Angeles has 3.9 million in a metro area of 13.2 million.) That implies that most concertgoers are coming from outside the city or the country. (Anecdotally, Billboard met fans from all over Germany at the show, plus a few each from the Netherlands, the UK and Ireland.)
All that tourism will bring an enormous amount of money to Munich. The city’s top economic official, Clemens Baumgärtner, has said Adele’s residency will bring in 560 million Euros ($614 million). The city is an ideal place to hold a residency, given its relative proximity to Austria, Italy and Switzerland; it’s easy to get anywhere in Germany by train and anywhere in Europe by plane.
The promoters told the German music trade publication Musik Woche that 95 percent of the tickets had been sold. (Live Nation Germany did not respond to questions about sales, and the shows are not sold out, although the first show looked close to capacity.) Even if just 85 percent of tickets are sold, this engagement would break Coldplay’s attendance record. Tickets were available at an array of prices, from 79 Euros ($87) to more than a thousand Euros for high-end VIP packages, with some tickets available for 35 Euros ($38) the day of the show; at 85 percent capacity, an average price of 160 Euros ($176) would make it the highest-grossing engagement as well. (Some tickets seem to be available for less than face value on the secondary market, and a half dozen concertgoers were trying to sell extras before the first show, but the promoters apparently sold those initially.)
Indian bassist Mohini Dey, who just performed at Billboard Live Tokyo and Osaka, spoke with Billboard Japan for its Women in Music interview series featuring female players in the entertainment industry. The WIM initiative in Japan began in 2022 in the same spirit as Billboard’s Women in Music that launched in 2007, honoring artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to the music industry and empowered women through their work.
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Dey, known for her technical brilliance, has worked with veteran artists such as Quincy Jones, Steve Vai, Mike Stern and Simon Phillips, as well as toured with Willow and Japanese rock legends B’z. Described as the “Most Successful Musician Under 30” by Forbes India, the bass virtuoso shared (via an email interview) her experience working in the male-dominated industry in her home county and her hopes to bring positive change.
Growing up, who were some women you looked up to? Who were some of your female role models?
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My mother was my first role model as she is a singer and worked professionally in my early years. There are several women I looked up to such as Carole King, Carole Kaye, Joni Mitchell and Sheila E., as they all made a huge difference in the music industry.
My original dream was to become a fashion designer. It was actually my dad who forced me in a way to practice after he released that music was my true talent. Music has always been the only option in my family. What’s amazing about life is that now, I design most of my stage outfits and so I have been able to live my childhood dream as a fashion designer as well as my father’s dream for me as a professional bassist.
According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2024 by the World Economic Forum, India ranked 129th, Japan ranked 118th out of 146 countries. Since Indian culture is much more conservative than Western culture, were there any cultural differences regarding gender you were surprised by as you started to play outside of your home country?
Yes, playing outside of India exposed me to various cultural differences regarding gender. In many Western countries, I noticed a more progressive attitude towards women in music. There was a greater acceptance and support for female musicians, which was refreshing. However, this also highlighted the conservatism in Indian culture, where women are often expected to conform to traditional roles. It was surprising but also motivating to see the potential for change and how different cultures are tackling gender issues in music. That being said I always like to reinforce the truth that there was an army of progressive and forward-thinking men who have helped me achieve the heights that I am at today: most of them being Indian men. There are forward thinking people in every culture, it just is a challenge to find them. I am proud to say men like Ranjit Barot and my father, Sujay Dey, were more progressive in their thinking than the average person in my country
Through talking to female Japanese artists for this interview series, an issue that often arose was how they were hesitant to speak out on social issues including gender, because of backlash or this thinking that art and politics shouldn’t mingle. Is this the case in India too?
This is quite prevalent in India as well. Many artists, including women, are hesitant to speak out on social issues due to fear of backlash. There is a strong belief that art and politics should remain separate, which can stifle important conversations. However, I believe that art is a powerful medium for change, and we should use our platforms to address and challenge societal issues, including gender. My hope is to create and maintain respect with political leaders so that we can affect positive change in our cultures. We should aspire to bring back the best of other cultures into our home.
How has being a woman affected your career?
Being a woman in the music industry comes with its unique challenges and advantages. On one hand, I’ve faced skepticism and bias simply because of my gender. On the other hand, being a woman has also set me apart and brought a unique perspective to my music. It has made me more resilient and determined to break barriers. Ultimately, I believe my gender has enriched my journey, making me a stronger and more empathetic musician.
Have you personally encountered gender bias or sexism in your career? What are some of the biggest challenges Indian female artists or creatives face?
Indian female artists face numerous challenges, including societal expectations, lack of representation, and limited opportunities. There is a significant gender disparity in various genres, with women often being underrepresented in Indian classical, rock, and even mainstream music. Additionally, societal pressures to conform to traditional roles and the lack of support for women pursuing creative careers add to the difficulties. Breaking these barriers requires continuous effort, support from the community, and systemic changes in the industry.
I have largely broken out of that gender bias by making myself as different from everyone else in the Indian music industry as possible. No one else sounds like I do on the bass and that was a very intentional thing. I tell students when I do masterclasses that regardless of male or female, old or young, a person needs to make themselves undeniable. That is to say that someone has practiced their craft so much and accepted exactly who they are and what they are trying to do. Once your confidence and skill are at a high level, opportunities will create themselves.
I would also argue that India didn’t fully embrace me until I started achieving success outside of the country. Growing my audiences in the USA, Japan and Europe inevitably showed my Indian audience the caliber at which I am able to operate. Since then, I have been given far more opportunities in my home country with a much greater degree of respect.
The touring scene, in which you’ve spent quite a lot of time during your career, has been predominantly male dominated. Although there has been some progress, it can still be hard for women to get their voices heard. What still needs to be done to make it even more inclusive and diverse?
I think that it starts in the home. Families need to encourage their daughters to pursue music. This will increase the number of female music students of which a percentage will enter the music industry. This is a numbers problem as more boys in India study music than girls. I think we also need more prominent female musicians to encourage young students to be competitive with the boys and not fear being better than them. Some girls in school want the boys to like them and so they don’t want to show off or upstage the boys. This mentality needs to be eradicated completely. Girls are powerful and should be treated as such.
On the industry side, I have been seeing a lot of improvement regarding women having opportunities especially on stage. One massive area where I would like to see improvement is the presence of female producers, film composers and mix/master engineers. These fields are predominantly male occupied.
Another challenge women in music face is restarting their career after prolonged leave of absence, whether it’s maternity leave or for personal reasons. Are there any support systems or safeguards you wish were in place so that female artists can enjoy lengthy careers?
While I can’t personally speak to this point as I don’t have children, I understand why it is important. I first would reach out to women globally and implore them to become a leader of a band, write your own music, own your brand, or own your company. If you spend your time as a side musician only, eventually your gig will go away because your name isn’t on the bill. So there is an accountability aspect that while everyone should play gigs for other artists, every other waking moment should be spent making your profile as big as possible. When the moment comes to transition to a solo career, go all in.
Regarding maternity leave, yes, this is a tough situation. I think it probably needs to be a political decision and that subsidies would need to be provided for the government in a social program.
On Billboard Japan’s 2023 Hot 100 year-end charts, 64 songs were by men, 19 were by women, 16 were by mixed-gender duos or groups and one song was by an artist who hasn’t disclosed their gender. What are your thoughts on these results, and would you say the situation is similar in India?
I would say that the percentage is similar if not more male and less female in India. There are many female artists but most of those artists do not write their own music and most of the songwriters, composers, producers and arrangers are male.
In India, the music industry is dominated by Bollywood cinema. Most of the directors are male and as a result most of the directors have historically hired male music directors who hire male arrangers, engineers and on and on. The only one who is female is possibly the singer and maybe a fraction of the instrumentalists who may work on the project.
To change the industry, we need more female representation in the entire entertainment world from cinema, art, music, graphic design, animation and more.
In the last 20 years in Europe and the U.S., more opportunities have been given to women, LBGBTQ+ persons, as well as other races besides the majority race in film and music. This was because there was an audience that demanded something different, and the companies had to invest in products that would give the audience what they wanted.
If audiences in Japan and India speak up and say that they want more female representation in film and music, the companies will deliver. So, I see this happening at a grassroots, political level.
As a role model yourself, is there any advice you’d like to have given yourself at the start of your career?
If I could give advice to my younger self, it would be to trust your instincts and stay true to your passion. The journey won’t be easy, and there will be challenges, but perseverance and dedication will lead you to your goals. Surround yourself with supportive people who believe in you and your talent. Don’t be afraid to take risks and embrace your uniqueness. Your voice and your music matter, and they can inspire others.
IMPEL has announced a new partnership with AMRA, the Kobalt-owned global digital licensing and administration platform. With this new deal, IMPEL, a global licensing collective made up of 57 independent music publishers in 14 territories, is now offering its services in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and various Southeast Asian countries for the first time. Through […]
LONDON — “We live to fight another day,” says a weary but cautiously optimistic Oliver Jones, looking back on this year’s Deer Shed Festival, which featured headline performances from bands The Coral, Bombay Bicycle Club and rising Irish singer CMAT, and took place under crystal blue skies July 26-29 in Baldersby Park, Yorkshire.
“I don’t know if we’ll make any money. We’ll likely just break-even but there were a lot of positives,” says the festival director, who co-founded the annual family-friendly event in 2010. This year’s Deer Shed sold around 80% of its 10,000 tickets, but good weather drove healthy bar and food sales, helping ensure the festival’s survival for at least one more run, hopefully several more, says Jones.
“The festival market is very volatile and there’s no big pot of money in the bank that will see us through a bad year,” he says. “Thankfully, this year appears to be a success. I feel like we’re back on track from pre-Covid times.”
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Other music festivals in the United Kingdom have not been so lucky. According to the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), 56 music festivals have either canceled, postponed or closed for good in the U.K. so far this year, up from 36 in 2023, with Hertfordshire’s Standon Calling and El Dorado Festival, and Cheshire’s Bluedot among the big-name casualties.
“The economics of putting on a festival have become so tough because supply chain costs have gone through the roof. All our members are feeling the pinch,” says AIF chief executive John Rostron. He says that promoters of small and mid-sized independent festivals, which already operate on tight margins, are suffering the most from production cost rises of over 30% compared to pre-pandemic levels.
In response, Jones brought several services in-house, such as marketing and talent booking, for this year’s Deer Shed Festival. He says the event also relies on favorable rates from local suppliers and free use of the festival site.
U.K. festivals of all sizes are also having to contend with the ongoing impact of high inflation, which peaked at over 11% in October 2022 and currently sits at around 4.2%, eating into music fans’ disposable income. The post-pandemic trend of audiences buying tickets later in the on-sale period, often waiting right up until the eve of an event, has added to promoters’ anxieties, says Rostron. AIF says overall ticket sales are around 4% down on last year among its 200-plus members.
“That 4% can be the difference between a promoter breaking even and them making a loss and not returning,” says Rostron, who warns that without government intervention the number of festival cancellations in U.K. could rise to 100 by the end of the summer season.
Festival promoters in central Europe are likewise facing rising production costs and changing audience tastes, although local live executives tell Billboard that the region has not been as heavily impacted as the U.K., where the launch of hundreds of new music festivals over the past decade has created a densely crowded market.
Nevertheless, a high number of European festivals have been called off this summer due to wide variety of factors, including low ticket sales, competing sporting events, lack of resources and personnel, and extreme rainfall. Among them: France’s Lollapalooza Paris 2024; Belgium’s Werchter Boutique and TW Classic; Ireland’s Wild Roots and Body and Soul; and the Netherlands’ Karnaval and Chillville festivals.
Promoters in France are also having to contend with a shortage of security and production staff because of the Paris Olympic Games, which runs until Aug. 11 and has employed a large percentage of the temporary workforce that typically works at summer music events. As a result, a number of French music festivals have been forced to either downsize, postpone until next year, or raise prices to stand a chance of breaking even.
“Many [French festival] promoters are quite afraid this season,” says Marie Sabot, director of We Love Green festival, which took place in Paris, May 31-June 2. Tickets for the 40,000-daily-capacity event — headlined by Burna Boy, Justice and SZA – cost 169 euro for a three-day pass, up 15% on 2023’s prices, with sales totaling 110,000. But bad weather in France and elsewhere in Europe in spring and early summer meant advance sales for We Love Green and many other festivals were slower than previous years, says Sabot, who represents festivals on the board of French live music trade group Ekhoscènes.
Sabot says an increase in the number of standalone shows by major touring artists such as AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift, who played four sold out shows at Paris La Défense Arena in May, has made a tough festival market even tougher. “We have too many headline shows this year,” she says. “The only territories [in France] where we have festivals that are [performing] quite strong are really far from the cities where they are not competing with big venues and arenas.”
Despite the economic challenges facing the sector, demand for live music still remains high across Europe, say executives. Many summer festivals, large and small, are sellouts, including Glastonbury, Green Man, Creamfields and Kendal Calling in the U.K.; Lowlands in the Netherlands and Tomorrowland in Belgium.
France’s Rock En Seine, which takes place Aug. 22-25 in Saint-Cloud and features Lana Del Rey, Fred Again… and LCD Soundsystem, is enjoying its “strongest year” in the event’s 19-year history, says Jim King, CEO of European Festivals at AEG. “We’re not seeing any significant shift in trends at the moment across our French business and Rock en Seine is selling at a much higher rate in advance sales than we have ever experienced,” says King.
John Reid, president of Live Nation Europe, calls the region’s festival market “massively competitive and always evolving.” He says that while there are always local challenges to navigate, the company is “seeing strong sales and continued overall growth” across Europe in 2024 with early summer highlights including Belgium’s Rock Werchter and the “biggest year ever” for Oslo’s Tons of Rock festival, which is now the largest festival in Norway. In the U.K and Ireland, Europe’s biggest live music market, Live Nation will host almost five million people at festivals this summer, says the firm’s U.K. and Ireland chairman Denis Desmond, “demonstrating that festivals remain vital to our cultural life.”
In order to protect the future health of the sector, live executives in the U.K. are calling on the newly elected Labour government to lower the rate of VAT sales tax charged on festival and concert tickets from 20% and bring it closer in line with other European countries, where the equivalent tax is typically set at under 10%.
Such tax benefits offer “a huge advantage” to the European live industry, says AEG’s Jim King, who calls on authorities in the U.K. “and all governments to follow this example.” The Association of Independent Festivals’ John Rostron says that reducing VAT on festival tickets to 5% — a temporary measure the U.K. government took during the pandemic – is the “silver bullet” the sector desperately needs. “Without it, we’re likely to see more promoters throw in the towel,” says Rostron.
Live executives in the Netherlands fear that they too could soon be hit by a rise in taxes on ticket sales for music, sports and cultural events with VAT rates due to increase from 9% to 21% in January 2026.
“The festival market is always in flux,” says Berend Schans, director of the Dutch Association of Music Venues and Festivals (VNPF), who opposes the proposed tax rise.
“Every year, some festivals disappear and new ones emerge,” says Schans. “However, we cannot deny that material costs, procurement costs, including artist fees, and personnel costs are skyrocketing, meaning that margins will be tighter for many festival organizers.”
The star’s German residency features a Ferris wheel, fireworks and some performances with a pianist in front of 75,000 fans.
A true champion for positive change in music will be honored at Billboard Canada Women in Music in Toronto on Sept. 7, 2024.
Jessie Reyez will accept the Trailblazer Award, which is given to a female artist who acts as a music industry pioneer by using her platform to spotlight unheard voices and break ground for future generations of performers.
The Canadian singer straddles the worlds of hip-hop, R&B and pop and has proven to be a big star both on and off stage. She’s hit the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Canadian Hot 100 multiple times, while also appearing on a number of other charts in genres including Latin, R&B and dance. She’s collaborated and toured with artists from Billie Eilish to Eminem to Big Sean to Sam Smith. She’s been a hitmaker behind the scenes, too, penning songs for artists including Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa.
On and offstage, Reyez has used her platform to speak up against systemic inequality — from lack of diversity on the staff of major labels to immigration issues to LGBTSQ+ rights.
Reyez was previously honored with the Impact Award at Billboard Women in Music in 2020, accepting during the virtual ceremony while speaking about the ways she’s had to break through barriers as a woman in music.
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“I’ve always said that being born a woman on this earth is like being born walking uphill,” she said. “There are so many burdens and bags that we carry and manage to do so with grace.”
Previous winners of the Trailblazer Award include Phoebe Bridgers, Kesha and Janelle Monae. Reyez will accept the award at the first edition of Billboard Women in Music in Canada.
The ceremony will also include guest of honor Alanis Morissette, who will win the Icon Award. The star-studded event will additionally celebrate previously announced honourees Allison Russell, LU Kala, The Beaches and more yet-to-be-announced.
For more on Billboard Canada Women in Music and to buy tickets for the September 7 event, head here. – Richard Trapunski
SiR’s Concert is Cancelled in Toronto, Fuelling Speculation about Drake’s Involvement
Another last-minute concert cancellation at History in Toronto is causing online speculation related to Drake‘s feud with Kendrick Lamar.
Los Angeles R&B singer SiR was set to perform at the venue on July 30 but announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the show has been canceled. The singer stated that the venue canceled the event even though, he says, the show was sold out. “Not sure why,” he tweeted.
ScHoolboy Q reacted with laughter to the news; the rapper’s July show at History was canceled earlier this month with no reason given, and at the time he took to the same platform to imply it was because of the feud between Lamar and Drake. History is a collaboration between Drake and Live Nation.
“CANADIAN POLICE DONT WANT NOBODY FROM TDE PERFORMING,” ScHoolboy wrote after his show’s cancellation. A spokesperson from the Toronto Police Service said it had no part in the decision to cancel the concert.
ScHoolboy Q and Lamar are former labelmates on Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), which Lamar left last year, as well as former members of the group Black Hippy. SiR is also on the label and has collaborated with Lamar.
The SiR cancellation follows another Drake-related incident at History on Monday night (July 29). DJ Scheme, opening for Ski Mask The Slump God, dropped Lamar’s Drake diss track “Not Like Us” at the venue and shared a clip of the crowd singing along at full volume.
ScHoolboy Q, meanwhile, made a not-so-cryptic post on X shortly after, which simply read: “HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH 🔵.” His followers interpreted it as a reaction to the “Not Like Us” needle drop. – Rosie Long Decter
Céline Dion Sees Global Spike in Streams After Soaring Olympics Comeback
It’s all coming back to her now: Listeners are streaming Céline Dion in big numbers following a triumphant comeback performance.
The French Canadian superstar performed from the Eiffel Tower on July 26 as part of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. Dion sang French icon Edith Piaf‘s “L’Hymne à l’amour,” making an emotional and highly-anticipated return to the stage amidst a battle with Stiff Person Syndrome.
Viewers tuned in across the globe to see Dion’s performance, and they clearly want more. Her global Spotify listenership has jumped 36% since the performance, with a 64% jump in France.
Dion isn’t the only artist whose catalogue is benefitting from the performance. The original recording of “L’Hymne à l’amour” by Piaf saw a 317% jump in Spotify streams in the day after the opening ceremony.
The big bump in listeners indicates that the public is ready and waiting for Dion’s return. Though she hasn’t confirmed a follow-up performance, there have been rumours of a potential Las Vegas show on the horizon.
The performance also followed the June release of a documentary chronicling Dion’s experiences with Stiff Person Syndrome, I Am: Céline Dion.
She shared a message on Instagram after the performance for the athletes in Paris: “stay focused, keep going, my heart is with you!” After everything she’s been through, her heart goes on. – RLD
As legendary K-pop label YG Entertainment prepared its female act to follow its chart-topping girl group BLACKPINK, the seven members being considered for a place in the new act BABYMONSTER – Ruka, Pharita, Rami, Ahyeon, Rora, Asa and Chiquita — competed against each other on the digital series Last Evaluation. Mentored and critiqued by YG […]
The 1975 and frontman Matty Healy are facing a lawsuit from the organizers of Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival, according to a report by Variety, filed over accusations that Healy’s on-stage protest of the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws resulted in the festival being shut down.
In a case filed in the UK’s High Court, Future Sound Asia is demanding $2.4 million over the July 2023 incident in Kuala Lumpur, during which Healy gave a profanity-laden speech criticizing Malaysia’s anti-LGBTQ laws and then kissed bandmate Ross MacDonald.
Following the incident, local authorities revoked the festival’s license and canceled the final two nights of shows. As reported by Billboard last year, sources within Future Sound said that the incident left the festival in financial ruin and could limit future concerts in Malaysia for years.
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In its lawsuit, Future Sound claims that Healy and The 1975 breached their contract with the festival, which stipulated that they would abide by local guidelines. Those rules included kissing, swearing, smoking and drinking on stage, taking off clothes, and talking about politics or religion.
The case claims that local authorities initially refused to let The 1975 play at all, citing Healy’s drug problems. But Future Sound claims that the band appealed and promised that Healy would adhere to “all local guidelines and regulations” in order to secure approval.
A rep for the band did not immediately return a request for comment on the accusations.
Healy’s kiss and statements — he said, among other things, that it was “f—ing ridiculous to tell people what they can do with that and that” — were meant as a protest against Malaysia’s strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws, which make homosexuality a crime.
But local activists have since criticized him, calling it a “publicity stunt” by a Western rock star with a “white savior complex.” He also took light criticism from Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, who had been scheduled to play before the festival was canceled, who said that people “should be knowledgable and respectful toward the culture you’re not familiar with.”
Healy addressed those critiques in October, saying he was “pissed off” about the “liberal outrage against our band for remaining consistent with our pro-LGBTQ stage show.”
Tributes from across the live music industry have been paid to Chris York, one of the United Kingdom’s leading promoters and a director of SJM Concerts, following his death at age 55 following a long illness.
In a statement on Thursday (July 25), SJM Concerts said the company was “deeply saddened” to announce the passing of a man who “helped define the U.K.’s live music scene” over the past three decades.
York’s career in the live music industry began in the late 1980s when he started booking gigs at Warwick University, where he was a student.
After finishing his studies, York worked as a booker at London’s The Venue — putting on early shows by Pulp, Suede and PJ Harvey — before deepening his knowledge of the live business with roles at U.K. live promoters Straight Music and MCP Concerts.
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In 1993, York joined SJM Concerts, where he “formed a solid and unshakeable partnership and friendship” with the company’s founder, Simon Moran, that “would last the rest of his career,” the Manchester-based firm said in a statement.
Artists that York promoted during his three decades at SJM included Oasis, Foo Fighters, Green Day, The Chemical Brothers, Lily Allen, Massive Attack, Smashing Pumpkins, Underworld, Robert Plant, Underworld, Lorde, Morrissey, Lorde, Placebo, Kraftwerk, Swedish House Mafia, Suede and Stereophonics, among many others.
Oasis singer Liam Gallagher, The Doves, The Pogues, Stereophonics and Suede are among the many acts who posted tributes on social media.
“Chris York was a true unsung hero of the music world,” wrote The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess on X, adding that the British group “are proud” to have called York a friend.
“You might not recognise the name but if you’re a London gig-goer then you’ll have been at one of the thousands of gigs [York] put on through SJM,” stated Suede’s bassist Mat Osman, who called York “a huge friend and supporter” of the group. “He put on Suede shows from the lowliest to the biggest and was a constant presence in our career,” he added.
Posting on X, U.K. indie rock group Shed Seven said it was “heartbroken” to hear of York’s death. The promoter “played a pivotal role in shaping our career from the very beginning, standing by us every step of the way,” said the band, who topped the U.K. albums charts earlier this year. Shed Seven went on to call York “a kind and inspirational man, a true gent, one of the good guys.”
Those sentiments were echoed by U.K. venue operator Academy Music Group, which called York “a force of nature, exceptional promoter, industry pioneer and above all, a genuine music fan and all-round lovely man.”
During his career, York also worked closely with The Who’s Roger Daltrey, live producer Des Murphy and fellow SJM director Rob Ballantine on establishing the annual Teenage Cancer Trust spring concert series at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Since its launch in 2006, the event has raised more than £30 million ($38 million) for charity with everyone from Ed Sheeran to New Order to Paul McCartney taking part.
In 2021, York was awarded the Jo Walker Meador International Award by the Country Music Association for his work on the Country to Country (C2C) Music festival, which SJM launched in 2013 in partnership with AEG Europe. The event has since become Europe’s biggest country music festival, taking place annually at London’s The O2 arena, Glasgow’s OVO Hydro and Belfast’s The SSE Arena.
“When he got involved at the start of C2C Chris really knew f— all about country. But to his credit he knew what he had to do and immersed himself in every aspect of it and soon became a go-to oracle on country, which he always maintained,” Steve Homer, CEO of AEG Presents U.K., tells Billboard. “He has left a big hole in the live music industry and I’m not sure it will ever be filled.”
“Chris was so loved by the business as you can see from the tributes that are flooding in for him from far and wide,” Emma Banks, co-head of global touring at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and a close friend of York, tells Billboard.
“I am going to miss working with him. I am going to miss his wisdom. I am going to miss chatting with him about pretty much everything and having a laugh with him,” Banks adds. “My thoughts are with Alice, his family, friends and the team at SJM.”
Also paying tribute was Live Nation U.K. and Ireland chairman Denis Desmond, who said York was “a fighter to the end. His legacy will live on.”
LONDON — Record companies that actively embrace sustainability are more efficient, more innovative and more likely to appeal to artists, fans and employees, according to research carried out by European independent labels trade body IMPALA.
The Brussels-based organization’s inaugural report into the economic benefits of sustainability, published Thursday (July 25), says that labels who have implemented green measures, such as reducing travel and shifting distribution from air to sea freight, make cost savings over time and reduce waste.
Other rewards identified by IMPALA members who took part in the survey include tax breaks for sustainable initiatives and the ability to gain a competitive advantage over less-eco-friendly businesses when it comes to attracting and retaining artists, especially from younger musicians who place sustainability high among their list of priorities.
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Labels and music companies who have taken environmentally friendly action additionally benefit from an improved brand image among music fans and a more creative and forward-thinking business culture, said the trade group.
The report’s findings are based on qualitative interviews IMPALA conducted earlier this year with a number of European indie labels signed up to the organization’s sustainability task force, including Beggars Group, Ninja Tune, PIAS, Warp and Domino.
Independent research projects carried out by U.K. labels trade body BPI, professional services company PWC and Harvard Business Review into sustainability also fed into the report’s findings.
Helen Smith, executive chair of IMPALA, said its research indicated that the adoption of sustainability practices by record companies benefits not just the planet but also delivers “concrete advantages in other areas such as attracting artists, reducing costs, hiring and retaining employees,” as well as “being seen as a [market] leader.”
“The question of futureproofing is also important as companies see sustainability as an opportunity before it becomes a burden, and this pays off almost immediately,” said Smith in a statement accompanying the report.
IMPALA, which represents 6,000 independently owned European labels and music companies in 33 countries, launched its sustainability program in 2021. It aims to halve the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions before 2050.
To help reach those goals the organization devised a carbon footprint calculator for member labels to measure and reduce their emissions. So far, nearly 150 labels have signed up to the initiative, which has now been rolled out to the U.S. in partnership with the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM).
IMPALA’s first carbon footprint calculator data report, which was published last year, found that the biggest source of carbon emissions for the indie sector is manufacturing (predominantly vinyl production), followed by the distribution of physical products.
To help tackle the climate crisis record labels around the world are taking positive steps to become more sustainable by reducing waste, water, electricity and fuel consumption.
Other green practices that have been recently introduced by IMPALA members include replacing plastic jewel CD cases with cardboard ones and switching vinyl production from PVC compound to the more environmentally friendly polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material, which equates to a 70-80% reduction in energy consumption, says the organization. Opting for 140g vinyl instead of 180g also lowers production costs and labels’ environmental impact, it adds.
Members of IMPALA’s sustainability task force noted that green initiatives had a significant impact on the quantity and quality of job applications they received, improving employee retention and workplace culture.
“We’re proud to have sustainability as one of our core company values and have seen this translated with attracting and retaining top talent, said Horst Weidenmueller, chair of IMPALA’s sustainability task force and CEO of K7 Music.
Last month, the Germany-based label became one of the first indies to receive B Corp certification in recognition of its social and environmental practices. “It’s great to see consumers and suppliers moving in the same direction,” said Weidenmueller in a statement.
According to a 2022 survey by U.K. charity Music Declares Emergency and the University of Glasgow, music fans are more likely to care about climate change and place a higher priority on tackling the crisis than non-music fans. A different survey by U.K. entertainment product manufacturer Key Production found that 71% of 18–24-year-old respondents were willing to spend more on physical music products with a reduced environmental impact. Across all age groups, 50% of respondents said they would pay a premium price for eco-friendly merchandise, CDs or records.
In line with consumers’ growing concerns around environmental issues, sustainability has become a key focus and area of investment for the wider music industry.
Last year, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group joined forces to establish the Music Industry Climate Collective (MICC) – a new alliance to address and lessen the sector’s environmental impact, which is being assisted and advised by A2IM.
In 2021, all three major record companies, plus independent labels BMG, Beggars, Partisan, Warp, Ninja Tune and the Secretly Group, signed up to the Music Climate Pact, a wide-ranging commitment to “decarbonize” the global record business.