Friday 20 February 2015

THE REVOLVING DOOR

Global Entertainment - the music publishing and talent management side of London-based media firm Global Radio - has launched a US division based out of LA, and has appointed Randy Phillips, previously head of AEG Live Stateside, to head up the business. Global is the biggest commercial radio station operator in the UK, owning the likes of Capital, Heart, Classic FM, LBC and Xfm.

DJ Semtex has been announced as Sony Music UK's new Director Of Artist Development, a role he will formally take up next month.

Warner Music UK has appointed Mel Fox as its SVP of Communications & Strategy Development who moves over from her corporate communications post in Warner Music International. She will report into Warner UK CEO Max Lousada.  And Elektra Records has appointed Gregg Nadel as General Manager. He'll report into LA-based Elektra President Jeff Castelaz, though will continue to be New York based.

Indian streaming service Saavn, which signed the final of its licensing deals with the three majors last August, has appointed a former Google India executive Mahesh Narayanan as its COO.

CueSongs, the licensing company launched by Ed Averdieck and Peter Gabriel in 2012, has a new CEO, Christina Vaughan. Previous CEO Averdieck will take on the role of Chairman.

Guitarist Tom DeLonge has left Blink 182 - or he may have been thrown out by the band's other two members  Bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker who issued a press statement telling fans that the guitarist was now out of the band "indefinitely"  because week before the band were scheduled to go in to the studio to record a new album they "got an email from [DeLonge's] manager explaining that he didn't want to participate in any Blink-182 projects indefinitely, but would rather work on his other non-musical endeavours". The band are continuing with Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba as guitarist and barker and Hoppus say there were "no hard feelings" and the statement said this had simply been a necessary and mutual decision between bandmates. DeLonge told fans "I never quit the band" adding "The ONLY truth here is that I have commitments that limit my availability this year. I love Blink 182 and I'm not leaving".

Bullet For My Valentine's bassist Jay James has left the band with the band saying "It is with regret that Bullet For My Valentine has to announce that Jay James is no longer a member of the band. Jay has been a part of this band for well over twelve years and part of our lives forever, and we're gonna miss him as much as we know you guys are too".

And The Subways have announced that drummer Josh Morgan is stepping down from the band's current tour, due to stage fright related to his diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome.

Natasha Guiotto has joined the booking agency side of MN2S. she joins from The Industry Group where she spent two years booking acts into the UK club and college circuit.

Following the news that he was leading one of the bids to run the UK's second national digital radio DAB multiplex, the boss of Midlands-based radio firm Orion Media, Phil Riley, has stood down as CEO of the company and will become its Chairman instead. Orion's Commercial Director takes over as CEO.

Gianluca Marcianò, the highly rated young Italian conductor, has left the State Opera in Tbilisi, Georgia. More on why he left here.

The Cooking Vinyl Group has announced an alliance with artist manager John Black to launch a new management agency to be called Black Gold Music Management. The new venture will operate autonomously from the Cooking Vinyl label, though will have access to A&R and marketing expertise within the rest of the group if and when it needs it.

Jan Sikorski, a 39 year veteran at The Agency Group where he was Chief Operating Officer, has left the agency to pursue new opportunities in the live music sector.

US agent Kevin Daly has left Montery International to open Northstar Artists. And also in the US, agent Andrew Colvin has joined the Billionaires Corporation in Nashville.

Heather Kokler, manager of Icelandic folk-rock types Of Monsters And Men and formerly a booking agent at US agency Paradigm, has joined New York-based management firm Mick Management


Live Nation has formed a joint venture with Thailand's BEC-Tero Entertainment to stage concerts in the country.

Former AEG Live UK boss Rob Hallett has announced the first hire at his previously reported new business Robomagic. Bonita McKinney, who joins the new venture from DHP Family, will work in the live division of Hallett's firm with a specific remit to "seek out and sign up the music stars of the future and develop the careers of artists at the start of their musical journey".

Music publicity firm Inside/Out has recruited Frazer Lawton to the role of Senior Publicist. He joins the company from Murray Chalmers PR. And Murray Chalmers PR has announced the hiring of two new members of staff, following the departure of: Michael Cleary joins from Sony Music as Senior Publicist, and Lottie Lander comes in as Publicist.

Vice magazine has a new Editor In Chief in the form of Ellis Jones, who joined the youth media firm as an intern in 2009, rising through the ranks to become Managing Editor in 2012. Meanwhile Alex Miller, previously Vice's UK Editor In Chief, becomes Global Head Of Content.

Jay-Z's Live Nation joint venture Roc Nation, and it's London-headquartered business partner Three Six Zero Group, have announced the launch of a new business called Three Six Zero Entertainment, which will move beyond music to manage actors, directors and writers in the film, television and digital industries. The new business will led by Three Six Zero's Mark Gillespie and new recruit David Unger, previously with the Resolution talent agency.

SoundExchange, the collective licensing body that administers the compulsory licence that covers the use of sound recordings on satellite and internet radio in the US has appointed a new VP Strategic Initiatives, Mark Eisenberg,  and a new VP Communications, Jacqueline Peterson, who joins from the live side of the music industry, most recently working for Live Nation.

Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) have announced that Ann Sweeney has been named Senior Vice President of Global Policy, effective immediately. She reports to Mike O'Neill, President and CEO, BMI, and is based in BMI's New York office.

Darren Vickery has left insurance brokers Towergate to set up Entertainment Vision Spound.

Matt Ephgrave has been appointed CEO at Ticketscript, joining from YPlan. He was previously a Seatwave.

The O2 have appointed Becci Thomson as business development manager in the corporate sales and events team. she joins from Harbour & Jones Events.

Gillian Henderson has joined Ticketmaster as business development director, focussing on Scotland.

Sage Gateshead has appointed Abigail Pogson as its new MD, replacng founding director Anthony Sargent. She joins from Sptafields Music.

Proper Music Distribution has announced the appointment of Ginny Cooper as its new Classical Label Manager.


Classical music publisher and sheet music maker Schott Music announced the appointment of Richard Dinnadge to the new role of International Business Development Director last week.

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