THE 2012 HANGOUT MUSIC FEST SELLS OUT OF ALL GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS

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Limited Number of VIP, Super VIP & Big Kahuna Passes Still Available

 February 21, 2012 (Gulf Shores, AL) – In less than two weeks after going on sale with an all-star line-up that includes headliners Dave Matthews Band, Jack White and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Hangout Music Fest has already sold out of all general admission tickets for 2012.  To be held May 18^th, 19^th and 20^th on the sugar white sand beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama, the Fest is still offering a limited number of VIP, Super VIP and Big Kahuna passes, which feature an incredible array of luxury amenities for fans to enjoy the ultimate Hangout experience, and are available for purchase now at www.hangoutmusicfest.com/tickets.  Daily tickets will not be available, and tickets will not be available at the door.

“We want to thank the fans for supporting the Fest and our Gulf Shores community so strongly,” said Hangout Music Fest founder, Shaul Zislin.  “Another year that we can bring 35,000 music and fun-loving people to our beautiful beach is a great thing.”

“We are gratified that we, once again, have put together a bill that has struck a chord with music fans,” said A.J. Niland, producer of Hangout Music Fest.  “We take delivering a diverse line-up in a beach setting very seriously.  This response has been tremendous.”

Confirmed 2012 Hangout Fest artists also include String Cheese Incident (playing two sets), Wilco, Skrillex, The Flaming Lips perform Dark Side of the Moon, Dispatch, Steve Winwood, Chris Cornell, STS9, Gogol Bordello, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Mac Miller, Flogging Molly, Coheed & Cambria, Paul Oakenfold, G. Love and Special Sauce, Randy Newman, Dr. Dog, Young the Giant, Cage the Elephant, Dawes, Alabama Shakes, M. Ward, Yelawolf, Switchfoot, Julian Marley, Zeds Dead, Mavis Staples, Shpongle, Gary Clark Jr., Rebelution, Allen Stone, Big Freedia, The Devil Makes Three, Paper Diamond, Futurebirds, Hey Rosetta!, Sleeper Agent, The Lumineers, Archnemesis, Tribal Seeds, Rich Aucoin, Jamie Bergeron & the Kickin’ Cajuns and more (line-up available at http://lineup.hangoutmusicfest.com/).   

Gulf Shores offers a wide range of lodging options, from luxury to budget to family-friendly, many within walking or biking distance of the site – packages are available at www.hangoutmusicfest.com/info/lodging/. Travel package information is available at www.hangoutmusicfest.com/tickets/travel-packages/. Due to traffic concerns, festival attendees are strongly urged to use the upgraded and expanded shuttles for local travel to and from Hangout – click here for more information www.cidentertainment.com/hangout/.

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Media may apply for festival credentials at http://marketing.musicallies.com/media/Hangout-Festival-2012

CONTACT:

Erik Stein, Eve Samuels & Greg Camphire, Scoop Marketing for the Hangout Music Fest, estein@solters.com, esamuels@solters.com & gcamphire@solters.com, 818-761-6100

 CLICK HERE TO VIEW WEB VERSION

Journey‘s music video for Resonate from the latest album Eclipse has been released.

Filmed in San Francisco and Los Angeles, the video captures some of our favorite live moments during the Eclipse Tour.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEO

Grammys set stage for Adele

(CNN) — With nothing more than a piano, a little black dress and a micrdele ophone, Adele rouses crowds using her emotions and her voice.

It’s her modus operandi, and it’s likely how viewers will see the British songstress perform at the Grammy Awards on Sunday.

The awards show will be Adele’s first time taking the stage since she underwent laser microsurgery on a benign polyp on her vocal cords in November. That, in addition to the fact that she’s credited with the music industry’s 2011 uptick, means all eyes will certainly be on her.

Nominated for six Grammy Awards, including nods for album of the year and song of the year, Adele surprised fans when she tweeted about her impending performance.

Keith Caulfield, the associate director of charts at Billboard, said he expects the singer to captivate viewers on Sunday night, just as she did at the BRIT Awards in February 2011 and then again at the MTV Video Music Awards in August.

“On the off chance that she has a bum note, everyone has survived from a not great performance,” Caulfield said. “I don’t expect anything less than really good.”

And still, a simple performance will be enough, he added.

“You don’t see pyrotechnics and fog behind Adele,” Caulfield said. “She doesn’t need that. … There are no bells and whistles. It’s just her, great song writing, a beautiful voice and great charisma.”

Having already spent 18 weeks atop Billboard’s Hot 200, sold more than 6 million albums and spawned three chart-topping singles, Adele’s ballads have also become anthems anthems for scorned lovers everywhere.

“Every year, some album ends up at No. 1,” said David Bakula, Nielsen’s senior vice president of analytics for entertainment. “There’s always going to be something that rises to the top. But when it’s this unique and sales are this unprecedented, it’s special.”

Album sales rose in 2011, marking the music industry’s first uptick since Usher’s “Confessions” sold 8 million units in 2004. And Adele is partially to thank for the boom. Sales from her two albums — her 2008 debut, “19,” and “21,” her sophomore album, released early last year — accounted for 2% of all industry album sales in 2011.

“19″ only sold 57,000 units in 2009, the year Adele won two Grammys for the album. But, more than three years after its release, the singer’s catalog title had its best week in December, selling 71,000 units, Bakula said. And so Adele finished out 2011 with two of the year’s best-selling albums.

“It does take a very special artist, and a very special song and album release, to move the type of quantities we’re talking about here,” Bakula said.

According to Neilsen SoundScan, “21″ is the first album to sell more than 1 million digital copies in a year.

“People say, ‘How can there still be 100,000 people who don’t have this album?’ … It just shows the latent demand for great music out there,” Bakula said.

And there’s a good chance that after Adele performs at the Grammys, the numbers will continue to grow throughout 2012, he added.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

THE HANGOUT MUSIC FEST ANNOUNCES ITS 2012 LINEUP

FEATURING DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, JACK WHITE, STRING CHEESE INCIDENT, SKRILLEX, WILCO, THE FLAMING LIPS AND MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

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TICKETS ON SALE FEBRUARY 10 AT NOON EST

February 7, 2012 (Gulf Shores, AL) – The Hangout Music Fest, which was recently awarded “Best Festival of the Year” honors by leading concert industry outlet Pollstar, is proud to announce its highly anticipated 2012 lineup. Scheduled for May 18^th, 19^th and 20^th on the beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama, the Fest will feature main stage headliners Dave Matthews Band, Jack White, and a soon-to-be-announced third act, along with dance tent headliner Skrillex. General Admission, VIP, Super VIP and Big Kahuna festival tickets are on sale beginning at 12 noon EST/11 am CST/10 am MST/9 am PST on Fri., Feb. 10 at www.hangoutmusicfest.com/tickets. Fans should act quickly, as demand is high for the event — the limited number of “Early Bird” passes sold out within three hours of going on sale in November, and 2011’s festival sold out well in advance. 

The festival’s music performances will take place across four stages—featuring two main stages right on the beach and an air-conditioned dance tent. Confirmed artists also include String Cheese Incident, Wilco, The Flaming Lips Perform Dark Side of the Moon, Dispatch, Steve Winwood, Chris Cornell, STS9, Gogol Bordello, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Mac Miller, Flogging Molly, Coheed & Cambria, Paul Oakenfold, G. Love and Special Sauce, Randy Newman, Dr. Dog, Young the Giant, Cage the Elephant, Dawes, Alabama Shakes, M Ward, Yelawolf, Switchfoot, Julian Marley, Zeds Dead, Mavis Staples, Shpongle, Gary Clark Jr., Rebelution, Allen Stone, Big Freedia, The Devil Makes Three, Paper Diamond, Futurebirds, Hey Rosetta!, Sleeper Agent, The Lumineers, Archnemesis, Tribal Seeds, Rich Aucoin, Jamie Bergeron and more to be announced (line-up available at http://lineup.hangoutmusicfest.com/). 

The 2012 Hangout Fest will offer even more room for amenities and the comfort of fans, with capacity capped at last year’s limit of 35,000 attendees per day, but with a considerable amount of new space added to the festival grounds. Hangout takes great effort in making sure that every concertgoer receives star treatment, and that VIPs are treated like royalty.  All fans will enjoy a plethora of amenities including: Hammock Beach, a shaded area with art installations; the Sky-bar tower, offering 360-degree views of the festival; amusement rides; water stations with free refills for all guests; plus live comedy performances and a family-friendly kids’ stage at The Hangout club.

VIP pass-holders will reap such rewards as easy access to the site through special VIP entrances; prime viewing areas, including an in-ground pool with views of the main stage; a shaded VIP Grove with complimentary drinks and food as well as private restrooms; and more. Super VIPs will also receive 24/7 concierge services; access to a private, air-conditioned dining room and lounge featuring exclusive meals prepared by renowned chefs; admittance to the Pre-Fest party; golf cart chauffeur service; priority on-site lodging reservation privileges; and more.  Additionally, “Big Kahuna” pass-holders will enjoy all of the above, as well on-stage access for most performances at the main stage; access to the artist compound at the Hangout; “headliner” status post-show transportation; and much more. Visit www.hangoutmusicfest.com for specific amenities included in each level.

Gulf Shores offers a wide range of lodging options, from luxury to budget to family-friendly, many within walking or biking distance of the site – packages are available at www.hangoutmusicfest.com/info/lodging/. Travel package information is available at www.hangoutmusicfest.com/tickets/travel-packages/.  

The Fest has teamed up with ReverbNation for the “2012 Hang Loose Band Competition” to find one more band for the event. The winner will perform at the festival, and receive three-day passes to enjoy the whole experience. Competition submissions and rules can be found at www.hangoutmusicfest.com/reverbcontest/.

ABOUT THE HANGOUT MUSIC FEST:

The inaugural Hangout Music Fest was launched on May 14-16, 2010, and featured performances from Trey Anastasio, The Zac Brown Band, John Legend, The Roots, Ben Harper and Relentless7, The Black Crowes, Alison Kraus and Union Station, and more.  Singer Grace Potter described 2010’s Fest as “Coachella on the beach.” The second Fest, which hosted a crowd of 35,000 concertgoers per day, took place on May 20–22, 2011, with performances from Foo Fighters, Paul Simon, The Flaming Lips, Widespread Panic, My Morning Jacket, Cee-Lo Green and The Black Keys, among many others. The 2011 event was estimated to have generated approximately $30 million for the Gulf Shores area economy, while Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl remarked that “This is the funnest festival I have ever been to in my entire life.”

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Members of the press interested in attending the festival may apply for credentials at http://marketing.musicallies.com/media/Hangout-Festival-2012

Media files are available for download at http://www.hangoutmusicfest.com/media-downloads/

CONTACT:

Erik Stein & Eve Samuels, Scoop Marketing, estein@solters.com, 818-761-6100

A new ballgame for Curt Schilling: ‘Kingdoms of Amalur’

Already a lord of the rings with three World Series bands, former Major League Baseball pitcher Curt Schilling now has a kingdom to his credit.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, the first game from 38 Studios, the development company he founded six years ago, arrives in stores Tuesday ($60, for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PCs, ages 17-up).

Schilling’s pitch for Reckoning: It has more action than the standard fantasy role-playing game.

MORE: A Q&A with Curt Schilling

In typical RPGs — you take the role of a warrior, magician or other class — the combat between your hero and adversaries has a detached feel, Schilling says. He charged the designers of Reckoning with making its fighting scenes as personal and smooth as those in adventure games such as God of War and even fighting games such as Mortal Kombat.

“I really believe we’ve created a first of its kind,” says Schilling, a longtime game player whose past pursuits include EverQuest and World of Warcraft. “We made (the combat) a lot closer to God of War than anything the genre has done before.”

Beyond those in-your-face fight scenes, the game has the depth of a traditional RPG. Reckoning is based on a 10,000-year Tolkienesque history written by best-selling author R.A. Salvatore (the Forgotten Realms series). Also part of the Reckoning fellowship: Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, who provided art direction, and game creator Ken Rolston, who oversaw the design of acclaimed games such as The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind and Oblivion.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies Makes Its U.S. Debut Only In Movie Theaters in Exclusive February Event

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Following the Success of “The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall” 25^th Anniversary Event, NCM Fathom and Omniverse Vision Bring Highly Anticipated Musical to Select Movie Theaters Nationwide for Limited Showings

Centennial, Colo. – Feb. 2, 2012 – Making its first appearance in the United States, NCM Fathom and Omniverse Vision present Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies, the long awaited continuation to The Phantom of the Opera, in a fully-staged production pre-recorded at The Regent Theatre in Melbourne, Australia. This exclusive showing of Love Never Dies will be broadcast to select U.S. movie theaters for two nights only beginning with the premiere event on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. local time; followed by an encore presentation on Wednesday, March 7. This exclusive event will include an in-depth interview with Andrew Lloyd Webber as well as behind-the-scenes footage following Lloyd Webber on set as he provides creative direction to the cast and crew of Love Never Dies.

Tickets for Love Never Dies are available now at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom website (theaters and participants are subject to change). The event will be broadcast to more than 500 select movie theaters across the country through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network.

“I’m incredibly proud and honoured to be able to bring this production to U.S. cinemas nationwide,” said Lloyd Webber. “I hope very much that audiences take Love Never Dies to their hearts in the same way they have The Phantom of the Opera.”

Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies is a mesmerizing follow-up to the award winning Phantom of the Opera, featuring a 21-piece orchestra and an impressive cast of 36 including actors Ben Lewis as the Phantom and Anna O’Byrne as Christine Daaé. The cinematic production, directed by Brett Sullivan, will enchant audiences bringing them into a world of passion, obsession and romance. The captivating love story of the Phantom and Christine continues in New York’s playground, Coney Island. After his disappearance from the Paris Opera house, the Phantom begins a new life in New York amongst the freaks and side shows. The only thing missing from his new life is musical protégée Christine.  In an effort to win back his love, the Phantom lures Christine and her family to this new sparkling unknown world.

“The very best of Broadway is coming to local movie theaters again in this once-in-lifetime opportunity to see the next chapter in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom saga, Love Never Dies,” said Dan Diamond, senior vice president of Fathom. “This Fathom event gives fans their first chance to see this highly anticipated musical long before it opens in the U.S.”

Recently, Fathom and Omniverse Vision presented The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall in select theaters last October and Les Misérables in Concert – The 25^th Anniversary Event in November 2010. The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall will be available on DVD in February.

About National CineMedia (NCM)

NCM operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology.  The NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom present cinema advertising and events across the nation’s largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM’s theater advertising network covers 175 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes over 18,100 screens (16,800 digital). During 2010, over 690 million patrons attended movies shown in theaters in which NCM currently has exclusive, cinema advertising agreements in place.  The NCM Fathom Events broadcast network is comprised of nearly 700 locations in 165 Designated Market Areas® (all of the top 50). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing 42 entertainment-related websites, online widgets and mobile applications.  National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 48.7% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.nationalcinemedia.com or www.ncm.com or www.FathomEvents.com.

About Omniverse Vision

Omniverse Vision is headquartered in London and produces and distributes unique, entertainment-related content for all media platforms with a particular focus on alternative cinema. Omniverse Vision is dedicated to bringing special events to screens around the world that are equipped with state of the art technology including digital platforms and 3D. Omniverse Vision enables the turnkey broadcast of shows as diverse as music concerts, sports and other special events. For more information, visit www.omniversevision.com, www.cinestage.net or www.cinerock.net.

Backbeat: Van Halen Packs VIP-Loaded L.A. Club Show

February 02, 2012

By Ryan J. Downey with additional reporting by Phi Gallo, Los Angeles

HOLLYWOOD, California — Henson Studios is located just across the street from Crazy Girls. It’s hard to imagine a better place than the crossroads between Kermit the Frog and a Hollywood strip club for David Lee Roth to lead Van Halen through a hit-packed club show. With three giant video screens and a wall of EVH amplifiers loud enough for an arena, the newly recharged band were agile and full of smiles as they performed Wednesday in front of a few hundred VIPs deep inside Charlie Chaplin’s old stomping grounds.

Invitations for the event called it an “album release celebration” to promote next week’s A Different Kind of Truth, the band’s first full length with their original singer since 1984. Eddie Van Halen, drummer/brother Alex, his 20 year old bassist /son Wolfgang and Roth played for over an hour with few stops and zero hiccups in front of press, industry VIPs and fans. People spied by us and others in the crowd or the ultra-VIP section included Live Nation head Irving Azoff (no. 1 on the Billboard Power 100), Universal chief Lucien Grainge (no. 3), Interscope’s Jimmy Iovine (no. 10), Steve Berman and Brenda Romano, and Live Nation’s Michael Rapino (no. 6), Mark Campana and Bob Roux ( who share no. 39) and Liz Morentin, Front Line’s Jeffrey Azoff, publiicist Ken Sunshine, and Scoop Marketing’s Larry Solters and his team, Anna Loynes, Eve Samuels and Erik Stein. Wolfgang’s mom Valerie Bertinelli, Evanescence’s Terry Balsamo and Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 were also in the house, and Victoria’s Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio showed off her baby bump as she danced along to the music.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

BILLBOARD REVEALS 2012 POWER 100

January 27, 2012  By Billboard Staff

Billboard found something else that Irving Azoff, executive chairman of Live Nation, can sit atop: In the January 28 issue of the magazine, Billboard unveils the Power 100, a ranking of the most powerful people in the music business.

Azoff’s position on the Power 100 reflects a general trend in power, away from record labels and over to the management and touring side of the business. Of the 100 slots, 23 were filled by those in management or the touring business, compared to 21 record labels.

“Ultimately the artists are in control,” noted one top entertainment attorney, speaking in consultation to the creation of the list. “So whoever most influences the artist has the power. But the label role has diminished as they no longer can provide the established artists with as much cash as they used to.”

Rankings were determined by a combination of key factors including market share, exclusive Billboard chart data/boxscore information, and revenue.  A team of 15 top Billboard editors then analyzed the value of these metrics to produce the final results. The list is U.S. based. As well, the Power 100 puts a premium on the top decision makers at each company. So, for example, the strong position of Interscope’s Jimmy Iovine’s is an argument against a high position for the number-two at that company, Steve Berman, who still makes the list.

The list boasts six artists, each of whom cracked the business ranking for specific reasons. “We couldn’t weigh the power of an artist’s fanbase against the power an executive has, or this would have simply been an artist list,” says Bill Werde, Billboard’s editorial director. “Our Moneymakers list is our artist list. But certain artists were able to break through to the Power 100 based purely on their business success or innovations.”

Artists on the Power 100 include Jay-Z and Beyonce as a power couple, Taylor Swift, U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga.

The rapidly changing music business is represented by the diversity of the remaining slots on the Power 100. There are 10 executives in television or movies (who either book artists or curate music for their productions); nine radio-industry executives and seven music-publishing executives (eight, including David Israelite of the National Music Publishers Association).

The list also includes executives from six digital service providers, from webcasters like Pandora to digital download stores like iTunes; five companies that use music for branding purposes and provide tour and artist sponsorship opportunities like Coca Cola, Chevrolet and AMEX; and five trade groups, like the RIAA and A2IM. There are also four lawyers, and two venture capitalists who invest in music-related companies.
Azoff’s placement at the top of the list is due to his command of the biggest concert-promotion company, the largest ticketing company and the largest artist-management firm in the world. Since live performances are the main revenue source for artists, the touring industry is well represented on the list.

In the year ended 2010, Live Nation posted sales of $5.06 billion in revenue, up 21% from the prior year’s total of $4.2 billion. That increase is almost entirely due to the merger with Ticketmaster that brought Azoff — a veteran music industry executive with a long resume that includes running major record labels and artist-management firms — into the company. But in 2011, going up against the merger numbers, Live Nation is still up 9.75% to $4.2 billion, up another 9.75% from $3.83 billion.

Azoff’s power reflects the changing dynamic in the music business. As he said in the Q&A that appears in the issue, “It’s all about the artist and those they empower to execute their business plans.”

BILLBOARD’S 2012 POWER 100 INDEX:

1. Irving Azoff

2. Coran Capshaw

3. Lucian Grainge

4. Martin Bandier

5. Doug Morris

6. Michael Rapino

7.  Rob Light

8. Len Blavatnik

9. Tim Leiweke

10. Jimmy Iovine

11. Eddie Cue and Robert Kondrk

12. John Hogan

13. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter & Beyonce Knowles

14. Lyor Cohen

15. Randy Phillips

16. Emmanuel Seuge

17. Frank Cooper

18. Barry Weiss

19. Rob Stringer and Steve Barnett

20.  Arthur Fogel

21. Marc Geiger

22.  Dan Mason

23. Bob Pittman

24.  Roger Faxon

25.  Ronald “Slim” Williams and Bryan “Baby” Williams

26. Rio Caraeff

27. U2 and Paul McGuinness

28. Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman

29. Daniel Ek

30.  Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald

31. Lewis W. Dickey, Jr

32. Peter Grosslight

33. Charles Attal, Charlie Jones and Charlie Walker

34. Robert Greenblatt

35. Van Toffler

36. Monte Lipman

37. Antonio “L.A.” Reid

38. Joel Katz

39. Mark Campana and Bob Roux

40. Tim Westergren

41. Peter Edge and Tom Corson

42. Tom Poleman

43. Chip Hooper

44. Hartwig Masuch

45. Rob Cavallo and Todd Moscowitz

46. Cliff Burnstein and Peter Mensch

47. Nathan Hubbard

48. Jay Brown

49. Evan Lamberg

50. Jon Bon Jovi

51. Lia Vollack

52. Jan Jeffries

53. Steve Bartels

54. Scott Borchetta

55. Blaise D’Sylva

56. Neil Portnow

57. Dennis Arfa

58. Cameron Strang

59. Cortez Bryant/Gee Roberson

60. Sean Parker

61. Steve Moore

62. Paul Rosenberg

63. Tifanie Van Laar

64. Ryan Seacrest

65. Robert Kyncl

66. Lorne Michaels

67. John Butcher

68. Clint Higham

69. Randy Spendlove

70. Rich Lehrfeld

71. Peter Luukko

72. John Branca

73. Melissa Lonner

74. Raul Alarcon, Jr.

75. John Frankenheimer

76. Cary Sherman

77. Larry Marcus

78. Taylor Swift

79. Kevin Mayer

80. PJ Bloom

81. James L. Dolan

82. Jesus Lopez

83. Martin Karl “Max Martin” Sandberg

84. Lady Gaga

85. Mike Dungan

86. Fred Wilson

87. Jon Platt

88. Willard Ahdritz

89. John Ivey and Alex Tear

90. Jody Gerson

91. Chris Tsakalakis

92. Nigel Lythgoe

93. Richard Busch

94. Debra Lee

95. David Israelite

96. Steve Berman

97. Rich Bengloff

98. Gary Overton

99. Daniel Glass

100. Simon Cowell

Irving Azoff: The Billboard Power 100 Q&A

January 27, 2012

By Ray Waddell (@billboardtour), Nashville

Billboard: Do people always take your calls?

Irving Azoff: Only the ones that want to complain about something.

What constitutes power in the music business?

The trust of artists.

The balance of power has shifted?

It’s all about live, live, live. Since the traditional recorded-music business models have drastically changed, there is truly diminished income derived from recorded music by artists-both current and catalog. The touring industry has become much more important as a majority revenue stream and the ancillary fan experiences and promotions that may be derived from it. It’s all about artists and those they empower to execute their business plans.

How is power best wielded? What’s the worst one can do with power?

Follow through on principled decisions. The worst thing one can do is think [the power] is yours-and not the artist’s.

When is it time to yell, and when is it time to chill?

Depends on who you’re dealing with.

Are things playing out the way you thought five years ago they might?

Between the worldwide economy and the lack of respect for intellectual property, you can be sure it will get tougher and tougher as time goes on.

And guys like me? Any power there?

Ray Waddell and Billboard hold all the power cards.

I guess now is when I start playing “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You.”

I’d prefer “Life in the Fast Lane.”

http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/record-labels/irving-azoff-the-billboard-power-100-q-a-1006016752.story