Murphy Bolts For AEG

Brian Murphy, the veteran promoter whose Avalon Attractions became part of the eventual Live Nation empire when it was rolled up by SFX in 2008, has left that company to take on a new role at rival AEG Live, Pollstar has confirmed.

A source with knowledge of the situation said Murphy could not reach an agreement to continue with Live Nation after his last contract expired, and AEG wasted no time in snapping up a very well-connected free agent.

Murphy’s departure is the latest of many from the Live Nation fold. Multiple sources told Pollstar that layoffs and other staff reductions have claimed anywhere from 300 to 500 positions in recent weeks. Lee Smith, former president of the San Francisco office, also left his position at the end of 2010.

Murphy, who served as a “senior consultant” for Live Nation in Los Angeles since 2008, will no doubt bring some solid relationships with artists, managers and agents with him to AEG. Major artists that have played Gibson Amphitheatre, for example, might now take another look at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live.

The Los Angeles landscape gets that much more competitive with Murphy at AEG and Madison Square Garden Entertainment closing its purchase of The Forum in nearby Inglewood from a local church.

Live Nation’s Rick Mueller remains as chief of Live Nation’s California operations, a job that will no doubt take on much more weight with the departures of Murphy and Smith.