Simon Moran

IMPACT INTERNATIONAL: UK/EURO HONORS

Simon Moran

Managing Director, SJM Concerts Ltd.

A Rare Moment

SJM Concerts had a busy summer, including The Killers’ “best tour ever in all aspects, from sales to performance to reactions,” according to SJM managing director Simon Moran.

A highlight from Pollstar’s boxoffice includes two sold-out nights at London’s Emirates Stadium with 111,230 tickets sold, and $10,968,493 grossed. SJM also handled Harry Styles’ UK dates in cooperation with Live Nation, including two sold-out nights at Wembley (147,269 tickets, $14,887,699 gross), and two sold-out nights at Manchester Old Trafford Cricket Ground (99,526, $9,577,733); three stadium concerts by My Chemical Romance in Milton Keynes in front of 90,000 people; and Coldplay’s six Wembley Stadium dates in August, which sold out in a day – a “mind-blowing” show, according to Moran.“I think anyone who went to any of the nights would testify to that.”

Moran, like his colleagues, has had to work through a tough couple of years. “Working with great artists like that makes life a bit easier,” he says. His advice to less experienced promoters who may not have built a roster of blockbuster artists yet is to make the most of what they’ve got. “You just have to be aware of the environment you work in, try and make smart decisions on prices, fees, keeping costs under control. It is very difficult to navigate a successful passage through the obstacles that keep coming our way,” he says. Most importantly, “Make sure that whatever you’re doing makes you feel energized and engaged.”

Moran’s first concert was Rush’s Hemisphere tour at the Manchester Apollo in 1979. “As a 13- or 14-year-old, that experience blew me away,” he recalls. It sparked a love for live that never left. The pandemic only proved that “not doing what I do showed me that I really like what I do,” he said. “I was glad to just get in back the midst of everything. Even though it is tiring and lots of hours, it’s better than doing nothing, for sure.”