Agent John Huie, CAA; Manager Fletcher Foster; Artist Kelsea Ballerini; and Editor Ray Waddell, Billboard, talk career building during IEBA. (VT Photo)
REPORTING FROM NASHVILLE — In a perfect world, the artist, manager and agent are a team, planning the growth of a career.
First, the artist must have a vision. Second, there must be relationships in place.
During a series of Power Panels during the International Entertainment Buyers Association meetings here, representatives of all three aspects of career development presented best practices and hot tips. Agents and managers encouraged venues and events to build relationships, call with new information on market changes and enhancements, and walk hand in hand with the talent side of the equation.
ARTIST MANAGER PANEL
A good offer is relative to where the act is in its career, managers explained in a panel that included Donna Jean Kisshauer of Borman Entertainment; Scott McGhee, McGhee Entertainment; and Clarence Spalding, Maverick.
Touring is a major portion of income today for all genres of talent. “There was a day when we sold albums and CDs,” Spalding said. “Now it’s touring in every category.” While in the early 90s, the income source for acts was probably 60-percent albums, 40-percent touring, that has flipped. In fact, it is now 80- 85-percent touring, he said.
“We tour every year to all the same places,” Spalding declared. “It has screwed up the model for all of us.” The days “we used to go out and hide, as we called it, playing secondary markets” are gone. And touring when there’s a reason, like an album launch, is no longer the norm.
“As a manager, you have a plan for five years,” McGhee explained. A booking has to fit the plan. “In Nashville, it all starts with the song.”
“We’re competing for real estate,” Spalding said. A 10-truck tour is looking at 300-350 miles per night. He routed Jason Aldean for four or five months this year and noted that every year, he goes out earlier. “We used to lock up fairs in December.”
Kenny Chesney is also out for four or five months now, McGhee said. By the time fairs get a budget approved, there is not a lot of real estate left to book.
As early as October 2015, McGhee had Chesney booked through the end of 2016 and is talking about 2017 and 2018. “We’re booking a lot of stuff that far in advance,” he said, and Spalding agreed, saying he has Aldean booked for 2016 and passed on some festivals they will now take a look at for 2017 and 2018.
Kisshauer talked about building new markets, which festivals are helping facilitate. For instance, there is a new country music festival in London.
Spalding finds touring in Europe a tough grind, but Australia is better now because the audience is familiar with his acts.
Managers agreed it would be nice if they could return to touring for 18 months, taking 18 off, like the old days, so they would not be running into each other, but that’s not likely to return anytime soon.
“We all have a certain amount of business we have to do,” McGhee said. He understands that people in secondary and tertiary markets don’t have the discretionary income to support attending 20 concerts. His goal is to be the first one in.
Packaging is not what it used to be in country. Spalding said with Brooks & Dunn Neon Circus tour where he was coming up with four opening acts every year, he literally ran out of acts.
But the strategy of taking the second or third slot does help up-and-comers in country music, though it has the added effect of killing off the club scene for country. In rock, acts have always primarily launched from the club circuit.
Festivals have been a new and growing breeding ground, however, Spalding noted. “We look at festivals early because the money is so stupid.” He finds it an attractive alternative to playing small venues in major markets early on.
Asked if rodeos still have clout, McGhee responded that rodeos are important. “People are so distracted now, you have to be everywhere, you have to do everything. Look at Taylor Swift. You can’t help but run into her.”
Digital is also an important element in growing careers, the managers agreed. “There are eight people in my office and three of them are totally digital,” McGhee said. “When a date is confirmed, they get on the phone with the marketing person from the promoter’s office right away.”
Tom Lord, Red Light Management, moderated a panel that included Jeff Krones, CAA; Kevin Neal, WME, Jonathan Adelman, Paradigm; Nick Nuciforo, UTA, and Andrew Colvin, The Billions Corp. (VT Photo)
BOOKING AGENTS SPEAK UP
Jeff Krones, CAA; Kevin Neal, WME (Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line); Jonathan Adelman, Paradigm (The Fray, Jason Mraz); Nick Nuciforo, UTA (Larry the Cable Guy); and Andrew Colvin, The Billions Corp., comprised the booking agent power panel.
Booking agents are more aggressive than ever about finding new talent, he said. “You can find an artist online and, all of a sudden, they can sell a lot of tickets,” said Krones of today’s marketplace. “It’s a whole new world. We grab what we can. We react quickly.”
It’s a new world for Neal, too, since IMG acquired WME. “We’re working well with them now.” IMG had a big part to play in Brad Paisley’s college tour, for instance.
It’s all about artist development for the booking agent. But first, they have to find the artist.
Neal noted WME is getting more aggressive searching internationally. He just returned from Brazil.
Adelman said that at Paradigm, for the most part, agents do not book by territory. “We focus on artist development. We like to develop them into the Cold Plays of the world.”
UTA, which is strong in film TV and literary, acquired The Agency Group, which has a strong foundation in music, Nucifero noted. Combined, it has gone a long way to strengthening the comedy division. That said, UTA does not want to get into sports, he added. “We’re focused on artists,” he said.
The Billions Corp. doesn’t book by territory either, and doesn’t do TV or film (though podcasts are an exception at which they’ve been very successful). Theirs is an independent model, Colvin said.
The booking agent’s job with a new artist is to manage expectations, Neal said. Once upon a time, a new artist’s dream come true was a bus. Now, they see the importance of building a relationship with buyers, Neal said. It’s the agent’s responsibility to maintain a good relationship. “We don’t send buyers crap,” he said.
“Everyone is in such a rush,” Krones said. “We always try to underplay. The money will be there if you can be patient.”
Adelman manages artist expectations by having a clear-cut plan in place. “We’re a booking agency, not an employment agency. There has to be a plan in place.”
Comedy is a different model, Nucifero said. It’s never front-loaded with a record. But the touring side is growing. The successful comedian is also a writer and producer, he noted. “In comedy, it’s about time management. The income potential is great for any of those areas of expertise.”
Package tours were of varying importance to the agents on the panel. “Pushing for first-of-three on a tour is somewhat overrated, especially when the artist isn’t ready,” Neal said of artist development. He’s also not enamored of playing to white chairs at 2 p.m. on a festival date. “You get nothing out of it,” he said. “I’d rather book the beer tent at midnight, not 2 p.m. main stage.” The beer tent is about audience development.
When Florida Georgia Line did first-of-three, they were ready and it paid off, Adelman added. “That was a big needle mover.”
But sometimes first-of-three is not the right look, he added. It depends on how young or old the artist is. Maybe they’re exploding on Vine.
Opening act or support opportunities do work for comedy, which generally starts by playing a circuit of comedy clubs. When they hit the big stage as a support act, they are flexing a different muscle, Nuciforo said. There are very few comedy festivals still.
When booking dates, money trumps all other incentives, but there is a plan in place. Sometimes the artist wants to play a date, it just feels right. Sometimes, the venue or event has a convincing argument about potential local support.
Nuciforo advised venue managers to educate agents about their market, such as shifts in demographics, capital improvements, new construction, extras that can be offered. “We are going to return to those places we know have a great track record.”
Good information can lead to big wins, Krones added, encouraging venue and event managers to take a risk with the agents.
Little things make a big difference in booking return dates, Adelman added. Maybe the crew needs laundry services. When making choices, agents and acts lean toward good memories.
“The artist has to have a good experience,” Neal added. “An artist is not going to drive 500 miles to a fair where he is served a six-hour-old deli tray a second time. It’s a relationship business.”
His key advice: “Trust your agents until you can’t trust them any more.”
THE ARTIST EXPERIENCE
Kelsea Ballerini, a rising star, was the case in point at IEBA.
The fact she was a writer before she got a job as a singer most impressed booking agent John Huie, CAA. “She had 100 songs in her catalog before she had a record deal.”
Huie will never forget one of the first bookings he secured for Ballerini, a New Year’s Eve gig in Las Vegas which required a full band, a 90-minute show and paid $3,500 all in. He called Ballerini’s manager Fletcher Foster with the offer expecting to be turned down, but they took it. Ballerini needed the experience, and it certainly was one.
An hour and 15 minutes in, with a mechanical bull in full action beside the stage, Ballerini is singing her hit, “Love Me Like You Mean It,” and two strippers appear on preset boxes right in front of her. Ballerini marked it down to experience and recounts the tale with a smile.
Huie calls it attitude and says “attitude separates her from the rest.” She now has 187 paid performance dates under her belt. She also has a hit record, which means her agent and manager can better steer the ship.
“Being a fan taught me how to be an artist,” Ballerini said. She opened for Rascal Flatts on a 30-city tour. She has a hit; she’s ready for the big-time.