Live music industry news

Drake asks to be removed from Astroworld lawsuits

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Drake • 2 min read

Drake asks to be removed from Astroworld lawsuits

Drake was named as a defendant on some of the hundreds of lawsuits filed following the 2021 Astroworld tragedy, because he had a guest spot during festival founder Travis Scott’s headline set. In a new legal filing, he has asked the court to dismiss all the claims made against him personally…

Chris Cooke • 12 Mar 2024

Live industry veteran Vince Power dies, aged 76

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Vince Power • 2 min read

Live industry veteran Vince Power dies, aged 76

Veteran music promoter Vince Power has died, aged 76, it was confirmed over the weekend. Opening his first venue, Mean Fiddler, in London in 1982, he built an empire than included numerous venues and festivals…

Andy Malt • 11 Mar 2024

US appeals court lets Lizzo keep $5 million from festival that never happened

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Lizzo • 2 min read

US appeals court lets Lizzo keep $5 million from festival that never happened

Lizzo was paid $5 million after committing to play the LA Virgin Fest in 2020. COVID then caused the festival to be cancelled, but Lizzo’s agent said that amendments made to her contract meant she didn’t have to return the fee. A US appeals court has concluded that the agents are right…

Chris Cooke • 11 Mar 2024

Manchester City Council has spent nearly £90,000 fighting Night & Day legal battle

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Night & Day • 3 min read

Manchester City Council has spent nearly £90,000 fighting Night & Day legal battle

A freedom of information request has revealed that Manchester City Council has now spent nearly £90,000 on its legal battle with the Night & Day venue over a noise abatement order. It blames the venue for taking the matter to court, a claim the Music Venue Trust rejects…

Chris Cooke • 05 Mar 2024

Live Nation says rising ticket prices definitely not its fault

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Live Nation • 4 min read

Live Nation says rising ticket prices definitely not its fault

As US politicians continue to discuss and consider the ticketing sector, Live Nation has published a blog post insisting that promoters and ticketing companies - including its Ticketmaster division - are not responsible for increasing ticket prices…

Chris Cooke • 05 Mar 2024

Consumers keen to socialise but night-time economy still struggling, NTIA annual report finds

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NTIA • 2 min read

Consumers keen to socialise but night-time economy still struggling, NTIA annual report finds

UK consumers are keen to socialise more as we move further away from the pandemic and its lockdowns, and as a result they are spending more in the night-time economy. However, the industry is not seeing any financial boost from this, thanks to inflation and the ongoing impact of COVID losses…

Andy Malt • 01 Mar 2024

Ja Rule says he told promoter criminal record could cause problems for now cancelled UK tour

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Ja Rule • 2 min read

Ja Rule says he told promoter criminal record could cause problems for now cancelled UK tour

Ja Rule’s upcoming UK tour was cancelled earlier this week after the rapper was refused permission to enter the country because of his criminal record. He insists he previously raised concerns about the impact of his criminal record with the tour’s promoter, but was told there wouldn’t be an issue…

Chris Cooke • 29 Feb 2024

UK Music again calls for VAT cut on tickets ahead of budget statement

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UK Music • 2 min read

UK Music again calls for VAT cut on tickets ahead of budget statement

UK Music has again called for a cut to the VAT rate on tickets to help support a struggling live sector, noting that the VAT charged on tickets in the UK is nearly double the average across Europe. This comes ahead of UK Chancellor Of The Exchequer Jeremy Hunt’s latest budget statement next month…

Chris Cooke • 28 Feb 2024

Live Nation figures show a live music boom, yet crisis at the grassroots results in another UK festival cancellation

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Live Nation • 3 min read

Live Nation figures show a live music boom, yet crisis at the grassroots results in another UK festival cancellation

Live Nation published its year-end figures yesterday, with CEO Michael Rapino stating that “the live music industry reached new heights in 2023”. Yet the UK grassroots live sector is still in crisis, with another independent festival cancelling its 2024 edition…

Chris Cooke • 23 Feb 2024

Ticketmaster incentivised TQ Tickets' touting operation, says former employee in fraud trial

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Ticketmaster • 3 min read

Ticketmaster incentivised TQ Tickets' touting operation, says former employee in fraud trial

The fraud trial of former employees at ticket touting company TQ Tickets continues, with one defendant insisting that Ticketmaster knew about the firm’s operations, because they were using resale platforms then owned by the Live Nation ticketing company…

Chris Cooke • 23 Feb 2024

Viagogo to pay out £90,000 compensation in Swiss consumer rights settlement

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Viagogo • 2 min read

Viagogo to pay out £90,000 compensation in Swiss consumer rights settlement

After six years of legal work by Swiss consumer rights organisation FRC, Viagogo has committed to make changes to its website in the country and to pay compensation to 807 ticket buyers who formally complained about the secondary ticketing company…

Chris Cooke • 21 Feb 2024

Ticket tout defendant insists he wasn't actively involved in his wife's fraudulent scheme

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TQ Tickets • 2 min read

Ticket tout defendant insists he wasn't actively involved in his wife's fraudulent scheme

A director of ticket touting company TQ Tickets accused of fraudulent trading has told a court that he wasn’t actually involved in the business. He claims that he simply allowed his wife to list him as a director because she couldn’t perform that role due to an earlier bankruptcy…

Chris Cooke • 20 Feb 2024

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