Hallett Flies Live Music Flag

AEG Live Europe managing director Rob Hallett is the most influential person in the London-based live music business, according to the Evening Standard.

He’s the only live music businessperson to get a mention in a list that includes major players from all sectors.

Universal International chairman and chief exec Lucian Grainge, whose company is gobbling up smaller indies faster than they can collectively complain to the European Commission about it, is the most influential person.

Hallett – whom the paper praises for his stewardship of London’s 02 – also made the Top 5, along with Aldeburgh Festival director Thomas Ades, world-famous conductor Simon Rattle and London Philharmonic Orchestra music director Vladimir Jurowski.

The list is part of the paper’s quest to find the thousand most influential people in London, with the music business in general contributing 45 of them.

Two of the cities top music PR gurus – Bernard Doherty from LD Communications and Alan Edwards from The Outside Organisation – are included, along with Madonna’s Chicago-born music publicist Barbara Charone.

The music business execs in the lineup include 19 Entertainment chief Simon Fuller and MAMA Group chief execs Adam Driscoll and Dean James.

Madonna, David Bowie, Sir Mick Jagger, Sir Paul McCartney, George Michael and Damon Albarn are among the artists in the lineup, which also includes Prince Charles – for his wide support of music – and NME editor Conor McNicholas.