Australasia News: Frontier Touring, LPA Make Exec Moves; Live Demand Rises; NZ: More Shows At Eden Park

AUSTRALIA

Senior Moves At Frontier, Live Performance Australia

Frontier Touring and Live Performance Australia unveiled key changes in their executive teams.

Mary Bainbridge, a Frontier veteran of near-50 years, is stepping down full time end of the year, and will consult through to June 2025.

Born in the UK, she joined Mushroom agency Premier Artists in 1977 before moving to become right-hand person of late founder Michael Gudinski, exerting great power although she generally stayed out of the limelight.

She was a key figure in Ed Sheeran, Madonna, Foo Fighters, Bryan Adams, Paul McCartney, the Police, Guns N Roses, Eagles, Taylor Swift, Billy Joel, Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen and Kylie Minogue tours.

Frontier CEO Dion Brant hailed her as a mentor to the group and “as legendary as the most iconic of artists that Frontier tours. With close to 50 years of experience she has arguably seen and done it all.”

Eric Lassen takes over January as chief executive of Live Performance Australia, peak body for the live arts and entertainment industry.

Taking over from Evelyn Richardson after 18 years, he was CEO of PayPal Australia and SVP and deputy general counsel for Live Nation Entertainment, and served on not-for-profit boards, including Music Forward Foundation.

Live Demand Rises But Warning To Sector

Australians continue to support live music events, but have strong ideas about what is needed to improve their experience.

In a sample of 1,001 people, up to 64% will attend one in the next six months, according to stadium and resort developer Winarch Group’s second Australian Live Music Census.

Attendance could lift if grievances were addressed such as cheaper ticket prices (according to 74%), more venues closer to where they live (50%) and better designed for live music, and cheaper booking fees (41%).

Inadequate transport was of high concern, rising to 48% in the 18-24 age group. The biggest frustration at shows concerned toilet queues at 59%, rising to 67% for women.

Australians support a wide variety of events and genres. Sixty percent attend indoor ticketed concerts, 56% free events or concerts, 39% ticketed outdoor concerts, 33% one-day music festivals, 26% theatrical productions, 21% live cover acts, and 14% multi-day music festivals.

Pop was the most popular genre (57%) followed by rock (54%), musical theatre (34%), country (31%), hip hop (25%), jazz/blues (23%), classical (23%), folk and traditional (21%), EDM/dance (17%), and punk/metal (13%).

NEW ZEALAND

Eden Park Gets 12 Concerts A Year

Auckland’s 50,000-seat Eden Park received permission from Auckland Council to double the number allowed for concerts a year to 12. Chief executive Nick Sautner called it “a landmark moment for Auckland and New Zealand’s entertainment scene” and encourage more international acts to include the country on their global tours.

Most recently, Coldplay played three sellouts to 160,000 fans, with an estimated NZ$20 million ($11.8 million) boost for Auckland.

The council’s community consultation for the increased concerts drew 2,000 submissions with 94% agreeing. The shows come with strong noise conditions and a curfew of 11:30 p.m.