Australasia News: Roger Field Exits Live Nation; Live Revenue Up Despite Venue Closures; Don’t Let Daddy Know Downunder

AUSTRALIA

Live Nation President Roger Field Exits

Roger Field, Melbourne-based president of Live Nation Asia Pacific and Australasia has departed the company.

Staff were informed at close of business October 24. There was no statement from LN.
A source at the company told Pollstar, “Roger left on amicable terms. He decided it was time for a change. He’ll take a break and then see what he wants to do.”

It is understood he is looking at opportunities outside the entertainment business.
Meanwhile, Alex Klos, CFO of LN Asia Pacific, is serving as interim COO.

When Field spoke to Pollstar mid-year for the Australian/New Zealand spotlight, he was upbeat about the return to action of Australasia’s live scene and opportunities for the company.

“Live Nation Australasia is having a record year and we are on track for the biggest year ever,” Field said.

“We’re seeing unprecedented attendances at all levels from club to arenas. More artists are visiting us down under and we’ve also seen several arena acts take the huge step up into stadiums and sell phenomenally well.

“We’re having our biggest stadium years thanks to artists such as P!NK, Harry Styles and our (exclusive) Coldplay shows in Perth.”

Under his watch, Field encouraged touring interaction between Asia, Australia and New Zealand, invested in such Australian promoters as Secret Sounds and festivals as Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festival.

Last year, Live Nation Philippines was set up after acquiring Rhiza Pascua’s 30-year-old old Music Management International.

It also took a majority stake in March 2023 in Hong Kong promoter Clockenflap Presents, which ran the Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival.

He also widened Live Nation’s portfolio of venues including Melbourne Festival Hall and Palais Theatre Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall, Auckland’s Spark Arena, Adelaide’s Hindley Street Music Hall and Anita’s Theatre in regional New South Wales.

Field started in ticketing, first with Stoll Moss Theatres in London in 1995, then with Ticketek when its Victorian operation opened 1996, and a broader role as box office manager at Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust.

In 2003, he moved to concerts, first at Michael Coppel Presents and seven years later at Live Nation when it opened Australian and New Zealand operations.

He rose rapidly, from COO to CEO to president, and then in 2020 headed its Asia Pacific activities.

Live Revenue Up 12% Despite 1,300 Venues Lost

The Australian and New Zealand’s live music sectors are in a mixed state, said rights group APRA AMCOS in its financials for 2023.

On the upside of the Oct. 19 report, revenues reached a record A$690.5 million ($436 million), up 12 percent from 2022.

However, “there remains cause for considerable concern regarding the decimated venue-based live music market,” CEO Dean Ormston warned.

Post-pandemic, Australia lost over one-third (or 1,300) of small- to medium-venues and licensed stages. Nightclub crowds dipped to 1.6 million from more than 2.8 million in 2019.
APRA AMCOS is lobbying for a tax offset for venues and legislation for special entertainment precincts.

In an aside, October was a mixed bag for venues. The New South Wales government tabled new vibrancy reforms that will remove red tape, allow two extra hours of trading, encourage local entertainment precincts and stop a single complaint from shutting down a music venue.

But Adelaide’s 10-year-old 3 a.m. lockouts were extended a further three years because of continued violence in entertainment precincts.

Don’t Let Daddy Know Expands Down Under

Ibiza’s EDM festival Don’t Let Daddy Know makes its Australian debut in January through TEG Live, at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, Melbourne’s Myer Music Bowl and Brisbane’s Eatons Hill Outdoors.

Dutch superstar Afrojack headlines a six-strong bill that includes Timmy Trumpet, Morten, Sub Zero Project and Bobby Neon.

Since 2012, DLDK has expanded to 20 countries, including the UK, Singapore, India, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, and Belgium.