Features
Festivals Hammer Euro Agents
The row over Denmark’s Tinderbox Festival has really flared up as four of the country’s major festivals are refusing to do business with Mads Sørensen and Brian Nielsen because of their involvement with the new event in Odense.
Roskilde, Skanderborg (Smukfest), Jelling and Nibe festivals have put out a joint statement that says Sørensen and Nielsen won’t be booking any more acts on their lineups.
Sørensen’s Beatbox and Nielsen’s Skandinavian agencies both have strong domestic rosters of acts that need the shows at Roskilde, Skanderborg, Jelling and Nibe.
The combined capacity of the four events is about 225,000.
In Beatbox’s case it may be the festivals have missed their target as – before teaming with FKP – Sørensen sold his half of the agency business to former partner Peter Sørensen.
“If any of their artists would like us to consider engaging them, we ask that these apply in person to each one of us, or through another agent,” the festivals’ statement says. “It is not appropriate for us that our main competitors and booking agents possess knowledge of the tenders we deliver and what terms we negotiate for artists to play our events.
“And it is not acceptable that those handling the negotiations should have a decisive influence on the artists we have on the programme.”
In the past, Sørensen and Nielsen have also negotiated to put international acts on the major Danish fests. It wasn’t possible to get comment from Sørensen, Nielsen or Koopmans at press time.