Like A Pieroni Stone

Andre Pieroni’s Live Group will take over the booking of Milan’s Rolling Stone effective September 2009.

Pieroni approached the historic venue, which can operate with either a 1,650 or 1,000 capacity, and put forward a proposal that was agreed to and ratified within a week.

"I will promote my own shows and rent the venue out, but I won’t co-promote," Pieroni told Pollstar, having paid an undisclosed sum for the three-year contract.

He says he hopes the venue will stage about 100 shows in the September to May touring season, which is about 20 percent up on what it’s doing at the moment.

Live, which already owns the similarly sized Viper in Florence and the Fillmore in Piacenza, has been enjoying an acquisition spree in the last few weeks.

It has absorbed Hub Music Factory, which was recently set up by Alex Fabbro and Titti Seregni, thereby firmly establishing itself among the top six Italian promoting companies. Hub’s client list includes Metallica, My Chemical Romance, Iron Maiden, NOFX, 30 Seconds To Mars, Juliette And The Licks, Gogol Bordello, Serj Tankian, The Hives, Dream Theater, Pennywise, Slipknot and Tool.