#121 - The Booking Agents Book of Secrets for Touring Musicians

Things are changing dramatically in the live entertainment industry. Many venues in the United Kingdom now need to retain 110% of the box office revenue to stay afloat which is an impossibility at this point in time. Booking agents are doing everything in their power to hold on to the gigs they've booked, moving the majority of them to 2021 in order to have some semblance of a future for this business. So how does the artist, especially the independent artist stay alive in these times? Sometimes having an agent mentor you as you begin your journey booking gigs can be as beneficial, if not more so than having a booking agent. putting on Facebook live performances, but treating them like an actual gig on stage. Everyone is doing FB Live, so create something that separates you from the rest. Make it an event worth watching (and keep their attention). Meet Phil Simpson BA(Hons) F.E.A.A, our guest on today's podcast. Phil started his journey in the music industry firstly as a performer, playing in bands to fund college and university studies and having as much fun organizing the gigs as actually playing them. After graduating with a degree in Creative Music Technology from the University of Hull, the UK in 2008, Phil continued promoting shows with increasingly bigger artists and realized he wanted to be the person 'on the other end of the phone', and closer to the 'real' music industry; working directly with the artists and building their careers. While working as Events Assistant at The Basement music venue in York, UK, and teaching guitar lessons part-time, he took on a work experience placement at the Adastra agency. Phil was subsequently offered a full-time job with the company in 2009 and went on to represent a roster of sixteen artists, some of which he still works with to this day. In 2012, Phil set up his own company, Regent Music; a boutique, full-service booking agency that quickly went on to represent some of the biggest names in the Acoustic/Folk/World genres. In 2014, he merged Regent Music with another agency, GPS Music, operated by independent booking agent Graham Smout. Together, they further built the agency up, and it became well known for its great reputation and an enviable roster of over twenty-five artists. In 2016, Phil merged Regent Music with his old employer, the Adastra agency, to create Strada Music LLP. The agency now represents over eighty artists in the Acoustic, Roots, Folk, World, and Pop genres and is one of the largest independent agencies of its kind in Europe. Phil was awarded a fellowship by the Entertainment Agents' Association in 2019. Alongside booking, Phil also runs a successful artist mentorship scheme, and in his spare time, enjoys writing non-fiction, writing, playing, and performing music himself, spending time with his wife and son, and walking his collie-lurcher cross Howie. Connect with Phil on Instagram @agent_phil_simpson. The Business Side of Music ™ © 2020 Beyond the Music Co-Produced & Hosted (by the guy who has a face for podcasting): Bob Bender  Co-Producer, Creator & Technical Advisor (the man behind the curtain): Tom Sabella Audio Engineer (one really cool guy): Jim Tennaboe Director of Video & Continuity (the brains of the entire operation): Deborah Halle Lighting Director (the inventor of video): Mark Pleasant Marketing & Social Media: Kaitlin Fritts All Around Problem Solver: Connie Ribas Recorded at: The Coffee House and Underground Bunker in Franklin, TN (except during the COVID 19 pandemic, then it's pretty much done VIA Skype or over the phone, with the exception for those fearless enough to come to Bob Bender's living room… and there are a few). Mixed & Mastered at Music Dog Studios in Nashville, TN Website: businesssideofmusic.com  Stream or Download (free) businesssideofmusic.com  To submit to be interviewed: [email protected] Sponsorship information businesssideofmusic.com/sponsor-affiliate/ Join our mailing list for show announcements, career advice, industry discounts, free gifts, and more.  Like Free Special Thanks to Tom Sabella and Traci Snow for producing and hosting over 100 episodes of the original "Business Side of Music" podcast, and trusting us to carry on their legacy. For our disclaimer and all its details, please click on the applicable link on our website. The music provided for this episode is from: Artist: Dani Felt Single: Queen Album: Queen Composer: Dani Felt Contact: [email protected] Website: www.danifelt.com