Kirby Forms TKO

As had been rumored, veteran agent Dave Kirby has left the Los Angeles office of The Agency Group and formed TKO, an agency with offices on both coasts. At least two TAG agents have followed along.

Agent Mike Monterulo has left TAG’s New York office and will open a Gotham location for TKO (an acronym for The Kirby Organization). Andrew Goodfriend has departed from the Beverly Hills, Calif., location and will join Kirby at his new digs on Sunset Boulevard. Kirby’s assistant, Rika O’Connor, is coming along as well and will be elevated to the position of agent.

“I’ve been an agent since 1979 and I just felt it was time to open my own firm,” Kirby told Pollstar. “There’s a need for change. Virtually all of the companies were formed in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s and, as a result, are set up for those eras. I think it’s high time for an agency to be set up for 2005.”

The agent could not elaborate other than to say TKO would be hi-tech and cutting edge in its technology. TKO is backed by a Wall Street investment firm that Kirby could not name at press time.

The TKO roster includes American Head Charge, Drowning Pool, Hatebreed, Ill Nino, Anthrax, Mudvayne, Riders On The Storm, Sepultura, Kittie, Pat Travers, and Vanilla Fudge. At TAG, Kirby represented Evanescence, Coal Chamber, and Bif Naked, among others.

TKO is open. The L.A. office is located at 9200 Sunset Blvd., 6th Floor with a 90069 zip code. Phone is 310-273-9200 and fax is 310-943-1517. The addy for NYC is forthcoming.