Business News Deals Live Business

Metropolis Music becomes part of the “Live Nation family”

By | Published on Monday 23 January 2017

Metropolis Music

Aware that there are nearly nine other people putting on gigs in the UK, and there was that one week last June when it was ten, live music giant Live Nation has further expanded its UK business by forming a joint venture with previously independent concert promoter Metropolis.

Confirmation of the deal follows speculation that Live Nation was in talks to buy Metropolis. However a spokesperson told IQ on Friday that this wasn’t actually an acquisition and that everyone should shut up saying that it is. Well, they said the first bit. Rather the new alliance constitutes a “reconfiguration” of the Metropolis promotions business, which will now be “integrating into the Live Nation team” and become “part of the Live Nation family”. Which I think means they all have to spend Christmas Day together.

Metropolis was already in business with Live Nation, both being shareholders in the Academy Music Group network of venues, and both having a stake in that V Festival thing that somehow still exists. However, the new deal will see Live Nation also involved in the Metropolis tours business, though the Metropolis artist management agency is not part of the arrangement, despite Live Nation also being active in that domain too.

Although now part of the Live Nation family and obliged to attend all Live Nation christenings and funerals from this point onwards, and the occasional birthday party for the live firm’s favourite aging aunt, the existing Metropolis team will pretty much stay in place, with founder Bob Angus as Chairman and Raye Cosbert as MD.

Says Angus: “The team and I are excited for this new venture into Metropolis Music. We’ve been promoting events in the UK since 1985, and we look forward to providing the best for artists and fans across the UK, together as part of the Live Nation family”.

Meanwhile Live Nation UK Chair Denis Desmond said the deal marks “another step in our commitment to promotions and world-class events in the UK. We’re bringing Metropolis on board and bolstering their existing promotions expertise with Live Nation’s established frameworks, relationships and a team of experts to grow the business together”.

For readers who prefer their Live Nation expansion deals to be American in flavour, the US division of the company has bought Idaho-based CT Touring. That company’s founder, Creston Thornton, joins Live Nation as President of a new division covering the so called Northwest Mountain States, aka Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, with a bit of Washington state thrown in for good measure.



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