France's live music's audience and revenues grow

For the second year in a row, France's live industry has experienced a growth in both attendance and revenues. Over 25.3 million people attended concerts in 2014, up 8% compared to the previous year, while box office revenues reached €746m, up 3%, according to figures unveiled in Paris at the MaMA conference by live music trade body the CNV.

http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/france-s-live-music-biz-grows-3-in-revenues/063164

Live Nation set to acquire MAMA

Live Nation is set to acquire festivals and venue operator MAMA & Company, according to reports. Earlier this year, MAMA appointed global business advisors Alix Partners as it considered its options following two unsolicited bids for the firm.  Audience now reports that AEG Live was also in the running but was outbid by Live Nation with the deal expected to be completed in August following due diligence.  MAMA's venue portfolio includes The Forum in Kentish Town, Camden's The Jazz Cafe and Barfly, The Garage, The Borderline and Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen, all in London, along with Manchester Ritz, Birmingham's The Institute and Arts Club Liverpool as well as The Great Escape conference and showcase festival in Brighton and the Lovebox and Wilderness festivals.

Confirming the deal, Live Nation’s UK chief Paul Latham said "“We are delighted to be welcoming new venues, and some that we have previously managed, into the group. Likewise MAMA have made great strides with their festivals and the creativity they have demonstrated will be complementary to LN-Gaiety’s existing portfolio”."

Fly swatted

Having just held what appeared to be a very successful Awards show in London, MAMA Group have announced that they are closing the Fly magazine saying: "After nearly fifteen years of pioneering new music journalism, the owners of The Fly are officially closing the magazine as a result of current market conditions surrounding publishing. We offer gratitude to and wish well all the staff and contributors that have allowed us to deliver the UK's longest serving monthly freesheet. To the multitude of artists and musicians that have graced our covers, the advertisers and sponsors who have supported us and our loyal readers, we salute you" adding "Ownership of the digital and online brands will now pass to the magazine's longest-serving member of staff, editor JJ Dunning. We wish him luck in taking the brand forward". 

Angel gathers global branding

The now independent MAMA & Company, headed up by Dean James, is relaunching the company's Angel Music Group subsidiary as the GlobalGathering Group. The GlobalGathering Group will continue to operate the GlobalGathering, Godskitchen, FutureGods and Ec-lectricity brands and will seek new international expansion in the next two years. James will also be CEO of the GlobalGathering Group, while former Angel Music CFO Gary Turner will become MD of GlobalGathering UK and Paul Hugo becomes MD of GlobalGathering International. MAMA's Head Of Talent Richard McGinnis will also be responsible for talent booking across GlobalGathering Group's events.

MAMA MBO

The MAMA Group has new owners after a £7.3 management million deal backed by Lloyds Development Capital, the private equity arm of the 42% state owned Lloyds TSB.  HMV sold the MAMA’s network of smaller venues, a number of festivals, the Mean Fiddler tour promotion business and some other music and media assets to a consortium led by MAMA's existing CEO Dean James. The company runs a number of venues including The Forum, Jazz Cafe, The Garage, HMV Ritz Manchester and the Borderline, and organises the Wilderness Festival, Lovebox, Global Gathering and the Great Escape and now has a stake in All Tomorrows Parties.  The company also publishes the Fly magazine. MAMA's biggest single asset, the Hammersmith Apollo, had previously been sold to AEG/Eventim. HMV, then under the control of the now departed CEO Simon Fox, brought Mama for £64 million in 2009, giving the cash strapped group a substantial loss of approaching £25 million when combining the sales. 

MAMA take stake in ATP

The MAMA Group has announced it has taken a 50% stake in the All Tomorrow's Parties company, promoters of the holiday-camp based ATP festivals and the I'll Be Your Mirror events. ATP founder Barry Hogan was forced to restructure his company earlier this year, putting one business into administration, after a difficult time the UK festivals market. However, the restructuring did not stop any planned events from going ahead. The ATP team will also assist in the booking of talent for other MAMA Festivals, including Lovebox, Wilderness and The Great Escape.

Mama to split on sale?

Its seems HMV’s live division, the MAMA Group, may be split up before sale after all, though it’s possible the flagging retailer might actually keep hold of some of MAMA’s operations.  According to Sky News and City AM, there is a rumour that AEG is indeed only interested in the MAMA venues business, in particular the flagship Hammersmith Apollo, and that HMV is considering keeping hold of the other parts of its live division, in the short term at least.

Mama managers join Red Light

Billboard has confirmed that current MAMA executives James Sandom and Cerne Canning, part of the Supervision management team, will move over to US-based management group Red Light. Red Light have said that Sandom and Canning will set up a new London outpost for the company. Meanwhile, a third former SuperVision manager, Deb Fenstermacher, will join Red Light in New York. The move brings the artists managed by the three managers into the Red Light fold, including: Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, The Vaccines, Crystal Castles, The Cribs, White Lies, Here We Go Magic, Zulu Winter, Deap Vally, Crocodiles and Asobi Seksu. Two other SuperVision managers, Dave Cronen and Nigel Templeman, have reverted to the agency they ran prior to forming an alliance with MAMA in 2008, Trust Management.

More departures from MAMA?

HMV's move to sell the MAMA Group has already resulted in some key executives departing and now it's emerged that some of the staff behind the MAMA management agency SuperVision have already launched a new venture called Trust Management which lists in its profile a roster including some former SuperVision-managed artists, such as Ash, Howler and Out Like A Lion - but a later report in Record Of The Day says that it understands that MAMA managers James Sandom and Cerne Canning are joining rivals Red Light Management.

Sony to bid for MAMA?

Sony Music is among those bidding for the MAMA Group, according to a report in The Independent. The major labels joins live music firm AEG Live and Time Out owner Oakley Capital in reaching stage two of the bidding for HMV's live division.

Will MAMA sale prompt new enquiry?

HMV's plan to sell its live music division, the MAMA Group, has now entered its second stage, after passing the deadline for first round bids. It seems interested bidders include both AEG Live and Live Nation’s Academy Group, both of whom already own UK venues. Live Nation’s acquisition of the Academy Music Group itself in 2007 prompted a Competition Commission enquiry which passed the sale, subject to the sale of two of AMG’s London venues and it will be interesting to see what competition regulators make of a combined Live Nation-MAMA or AEG-MAMA. The jewel in the MAMA crown is the Hammersmith Apollo, which CMU Daily reported “would be a perfect addition to AEG's UK venue portfolio, especially in the burgeoning live comedy market, the West London Apollo venue being the stepping stone a-list stand ups take before reaching the ultimate goal of selling out AEG's The O2 Arena on the east side of the capital”. Whether AEG would be interested in MAMA's other businesses, in the festivals, artist management and marketing partnership domains, isn't clear, and it seems possible that MAMA co-founder Dean James could head a partial management buy-out.

In a statement HMV said "HMV Group plc notes the recent press speculation regarding the strategic review of the HMV Live business. HMV can confirm that this review remains ongoing and that a number of parties have indicated an interest in acquiring the business. At this stage, there can be no certainty that any transaction will be concluded and a further announcement will be made as and when appropriate".

MAMA up for sale?

It seems that beleaguered UK retailer HMV has put its live music division, in reality the MAMA Group, up for sale. It is thought AEG are amongst those interested, and that long term CEO Dean James may also consider fronting a bid.