XXL Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a604308/madonna-and-u2-manager-unveils-live-nation-maverick-project.html Madonna and U2 manager Guy Oseary has joined forces with eight other music managers for the Maverick project. Laffitte Management's Ron Laffitte, I Am Other's Caron Veazey, Blueprint Group's Gee Roberson and Cortez Bryant, Reign Deer's Larry Rudolph and Adam Leber, Quest Management's Scott Rodger and Spalding Entertainment's Clarence Spalding will collaborate with Live Nation for the plan, Billboard reports. All nine manager and their artists will rebrand together as Maverick as of today (October 17), named after the record label co-founded by Madonna in 1992. The goal of Maverick is to leverage the combined power and know-how of the artists, managers and partners to better exploit areas including consumer goods and technology. "There are still a lot of people who are scared of innovation," said Oseary. "There's still a group that's so quick to judge anyone trying [new things], and that's one of our handicaps in the music business. We could all do so much more if a bunch of us got in a room more often." The managers' artists have only now been informed of the partnership after the announcement of the project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 get. money. bitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acko Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 I like this, I think GUY gets far 2 much shit from the Freddy Fags who r still time warped in 1990. Side note: That Maverick Logo is still EVERYTHANG! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jairo Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Guy is amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXL Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 get. money. bitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rachelle of London Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 I like this, I think GUY gets far 2 much shit from the Freddy Fags who r still time warped in 1990. Side note: That Maverick Logo is still EVERYTHANG! I agree. I laugh everytime I see someone say "bring back Freddy" he must be about 80. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerGirl Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genevieve Vavance Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 isn't freddy managing Shakira, imagine Madonna doing Activia yoghurt commercials Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerGirl Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 isn't freddy managing Shakira, imagine Madonna doing Activia yoghurt commercials Lol, I don't think she would sink that low tbh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acko Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 I laughed so hard the other when a saw a commercial that actually went: Shakira presents Oral B http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAVsVihSyyY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acko Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 I agree. I laugh everytime I see someone say "bring back Freddy" he must be about 80. I know, plus Guy actually realizes she has fans, I mean Freddy never came up 2 me & said hi.. Nor did he put me in the Golden Triangle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felipe Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 What exactly is this project about? Are they trying to monopolize the industry or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 isn't freddy managing Shakira, imagine Madonna doing Activia yoghurt commercials Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 one of the best in the history of all logos.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXL Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 Guy is amazing Indeed He is a genius. Together with Madonna of course. And he also made many fans happy. I can't with the lecturing he constantly gets from the usual suspects on here over the HC & MDNA promotion. You have to explain to people why an album that wasn't promoted gave Madonna the most watched SB ever, the 12th most bought record of the year, in her 30th year and the biggest tour of the season. Today an artist is measured on touring/merchandising/licensing/product endorsement. But they still go on and on complaining about the gyms, shoes, fragrance whatever, why she doesn't promote on TV (as if a fucking tv show in the current landscape means anything - talk about being stuck in 1995 - 2000). Get with the programme already. And I love how something Madonna created over 20 years ago lives on with a vengeance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMoody Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 I have never understood the Guy O hate either. I think a lot of fans do not fully understand the part a manager plays in a career. The artist still has the last say, every time. Guy does his job and does it well. He knows how to make $$$ (and lots of it). If he didn't, he wouldn't be Madonna's manager. Fans who hold him accountable for everything they perceive as a career mishandling must assume that he has Madonna on puppet strings. Guy can (and does) suggest the best ways for Madonna to maximize her career, but at the end of the day, Madonna is not Guy's employee and is she not obligated to heed every suggestion. Ultimately, Madonna decides what she will and will not do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXL Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 Isn't freddy managing Shakira, imagine Madonna doing Activia yoghurt commercials Madonna chooses what products to endorse. Versace, BMW, Max factor, LV, Dolce and Gabbana, H&M, Microsoft, Apple, Smirnoff, Sunsilk etc etc ec, hardly Activia material. Don't worry Daniel she doesn't have to endorse what other artists endorse simply because they share a manager This joint venture, if anything, tells you about Madonna and U2's leverage within the industry when all the other 8 participants subscribed to this project AND accepted that it would be named after Madonna's former industry creature WITHOUT even having to inform their clients about their deal FIRST The Queen has struck again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genevieve Vavance Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Madonna chooses what products to endorse. Versace, BMW, Max factor, LV, Dolce and Gabbana, H&M, Microsoft, Apple etc etc ec. Don't worry Daniel she doesn't have to endorse what other artists endorse simply because they share a manager This joint venture, if anything, tells you about Madonna and U2's leverage within the industry when all the other 8 participants subscribed to this project AND accepted to be named after Madonna's creature name WITHOUT even having to inform their clients FIRST The Queen has struck again Honey I was talking about Freddy not Guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raf Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Love this. Maverick lives on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXL Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 What exactly is this project about? Are they trying to monopolize the industry or something? Yes they are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXL Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 Honey I was talking about Freddy not Guy Is he still alive? I misread your original post sorry It makes sense now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXL Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 Love this. Maverick lives on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest whatatramp Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 He fucking better Side note: That Maverick Logo is still EVERYTHANG! AGREED Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXL Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 I laughed so hard the other when a saw a commercial that actually went: Shakira presents Oral B http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAVsVihSyyY Probebygreys must be so proud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXL Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 U2 and Madonna's manager is trying to reinvent the Music Biz http://www.billboard.com/articles/6289026/u2-and-madonna-manager-guy-oseary-is-trying-to-reinvent-the-music-biz ACHIEVEMENTS Oseary started as an independent A&R rep in 1989, at age 17, managing hip-hop performers Hen-Gee and Evil-E, and soon became one of the first employees of Madonna’s Maverick record label in 1992, where he eventually rose to partner (alongside the singer’s former manager Freddy DeMann). His first major signing was Candlebox in early 1994, at the age of 21, followed by Alanis Morissette -- whose Jagged Little Pill ranks as one of the biggest-selling albums of the 1990s, with U.S. sales of more than 16 million, according to SoundScan. The name Maverick “has been part of so much of my life, and it really says it all,” says Oseary. “It didn’t come from some executive somewhere. It came from a manager and an artist.” More than 20 years later, Oseary is still working with Madonna, whose MDNA Tour was the biggest of 2012 (at $305.1 million, according to Billboard Boxscore) and ranks among the top 10 highest-grossing of all time. And last November, he merged with Paul McGuinness’ Principle Management to add U2, whose Songs of Innocence just racked up 26 million free downloads on Apple’s iTunes. Oseary has already asked his new Maverick colleague Gee Roberson for input on Madonna’s 13th studio album, due in 2015. “What’s clear is that this group has huge reach together, and a shared vision. The idea here is for everyone to be better at what they do and for artists to have more opportunities,” says Oseary. NEW CONNECTIONS “Bono has always had a vision for a collective of artists who support each other, and I’ve always liked that idea and have been proactive about starting it. With Michael Rapino’s support I began engaging with managers at Artist Nation. Ron Laffitte is one of those managers and he asked me if I still had the name Maverick, and that he’d love to work with me under that brand. It all came together organically.” WHAT MAVERICK ISN'T “It’s not a rollup. I consider it a collective under one brand, with the goal of helping the clients reach their potential.” MAJOR CHALLENGE “There are a lot of people who operate with an outdated mentality, where even though they’re fully aware that a certain business is dying and in need of innovation, they’re scared of new possibilities. The industry is full of people with a lot of power who don’t engage well with innovation. And I wish they had a support group who could be at the other end of the phone when they’re confused.” SIGN OF THE TIMES “No. 1 albums are selling less than 100,000 units a week. That’s not just a change; that’s a wake-up call. If you’re a manager out there that isn’t aware and getting involved in new ways to do things, you’ll be left out. You have to pay attention. There are all sorts of new ways to reach an audience.” KEY LESSON “I don’t know what failure is ... it’s the opportunity to get it right the next time. In tech, some of the most successful companies started out by failing. But by pivoting they end up finding their way and are now very successful.” MAKING THE TECH SCENE Since 2010, Oseary has doubled as an influential tech investor with A-Grade Investments, a fund he started with Ashton Kutcher and billionaire Ron Burkle, and which was valued at $100 million in 2013. Today, an industry source says, that valuation has soared to $150 million. “Not dissimilar to music,” says Oseary, “supporting a startup can at times be like supporting an artist. They have to have a voice and a vision so you can back them. It’s your job, like in A&R at a record company, to identify the voice and to say, ‘That voice speaks to people. Let’s get it out there to as many people as possible.’ ” GOING ALL-IN ”One day I walked into Ashton’s office and he said, ‘I was just sent this really cool company called Airbnb.’ I didn’t know if they had 10 people using it or thousands -- I just fell in love with the idea immediately. We flew out with Ron Burkle to meet with the guys in San Francisco and I pretty much offered to invest every dollar I had in the company. That was the only time I was willing to put everything into an idea. They didn’t take everything, but they took enough.” IF I WASN'T A MUSIC MANAGER... “I would be fully focused on tech. It’s everything I’m excited about: disruption, innovation, working with people who want to change the world. The world of startups has the same excitement as when I first started working for Maverick Records.” MYSELF, IN FIVE WORDS (OR LESS) “Curious, focused, father, Maverick.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerGirl Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 I hope they help newcomers as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXL Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6288924/maverick-management-group-interview-guy-oseary-larry-rudolph-cortez-bryant-ron-laffitte-adam%20leber-gee-roberson-scott-rodger-clarence-spalding-caron-veazy Guy Oseary has proven, if nothing else, that he can keep a secret. From everyone -- the music industry, his colleagues, his clients, even his wife -- and for months now. But the secret's so important, so game-changing in its scope, that it has given him the rare occasion to be in Los Angeles long enough to accommodate a four-hour-plus block of meetings, keeping at bay a schedule filled with the global itineraries that come with managing superstar acts like Madonna, U2 and Alicia Keys -- not to mention a tech fund with Ashton Kutcher and billionaire Ron Burkle, A-Grade Investments, that has more than 20 companies in its portfolio. Today, Oseary, 42, has privately invited eight of his fellow music managers to his spacious, Spanish-style Beverly Hills mansion for a barbecue -- and the public reveal, to an awaiting Billboard writer and camera crew, of their first-ever joint meeting as Maverick, Oseary and Live Nation's most aggressive attempt to shake up an industry that has been plugging holes for years. None of the managers' own employees even know why their bosses will be off the grid on this humid October Tuesday. Joining Oseary are Laffitte Management's Ron Laffitte, I Am Other's Caron Veazey, Blueprint Group's Gee Roberson and Cortez Bryant, Reign Deer's Larry Rudolph and Adam Leber, Quest Management's Scott Rodger and Spalding Entertainment's Clarence Spalding. Collectively, they manage more than two dozen of the planet's biggest artists. And as of Oct. 17, all nine will be joining their companies and rebranding them and their respective employees as "Maverick," a name Oseary's client Madonna gave the label she co-founded in 1992. (Oseary led A&R at the label -- at age 22 -- and became chairman/CEO before it folded in 2007.) It's a watershed moment for the management community, which has never been about hand-holding and problem-solving. Maverick is convening experts in pop, rock, R&B/hip-hop and country to make an unprecedented bet on the role of live events and technology in music's future. (The managers' clients are just now learning of the new formation.) Leber believes they'll find opportunities "beyond music, such as tech or consumer goods." For Maverick's principals, the deal couldn't come at a better time. Music's main money source is at its starkest, most irreversible crossroads in history: Record sales hit an all-time low for the Nielsen SoundScan era in August, and year-to-date unit sales have dropped 14 percent in 2014. And with record-label marketing budgets practically nonexistent these days, managers, whose standard fee remains 15 percent of earnings, have taken on chief marketing officer roles for their clients. Witness Apple's $100 million ad push in support of U2's new album, Songs of Innocence, which Oseary secured in place of an advance radio campaign. They're also overseeing tours, as the live sector hits all-time highs -- including this summer's biggest stadium boom in 20 years. The business incentives for Maverick's nine founding partners, who will leverage their collective assets and skills to build business, are undeniable. They won't detail the financial arrangements among the managers, Maverick and Live Nation, but their creative cross-pollination is already on display. In July, Oseary and Laffitte teamed up to co-manage Alicia Keys, Laffitte is connecting Oseary with radio consultants for the next U2 single, and Roberson is consulting on Madonna's next album with Oseary. And there are plans for expansion. SEFG founder Shawn Gee, manager of The Roots and Jill Scott, will bring extra R&B expertise to the group. "It's not a closed-door event. We want other like-minded people," says Oseary. His vast Rolodex is drawn from his separate Hollywood talent firm Untitled Entertainment, the must-attend Oscar parties he hosts at home and the Silicon Valley entrepreneurs that populate his A-Grade portfolio. "He's one of the most connected people I've ever met," says Laffitte. Oseary's tech savvy may cement the new unit's legacy. A-Grade is currently valued at $150 million, according to an industry source, and includes investments in Airbnb and Uber. Maverick's members will have a direct pipeline into those resources. Rodger, for example, has key clients (Paul McCartney, Arcade Fire) who own their catalogs and are poised for big moves in areas including copyright administration (A-Grade has investments in Spotify and SoundCloud, while Oseary has a personal investment in digital-rights firm INDmusic.) And Leber has been working with Sherpa Ventures, whose founder Shervin Pishevar helped fund Uber, Warby Parker and Tumblr. Although declining to comment, Live Nation Entertainment president/CEO Michael Rapino surely hopes all this will help the company reassert itself as a powerhouse following the departure of chairman Irving Azoff at the end of 2012. (He took lucrative touring clients the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac with him.) The Maverick managers, including leader Oseary, will report to Rapino and Live Nation's Artist Nation management group, which houses more than 100 managers overseeing 250-plus acts like Maroon 5 and Kings of Leon. Oseary, Laffitte, Quest and Reign Deer already moved into Artist Nation's spacious new headquarters in Beverly Hills earlier this year, while Blueprint will maintain its New York office and Spalding will stay in Nashville. Despite the streamlining potential, the Mavericks don't anticipate reductions in staff. Rodger says they'll boost head count: "Hiring a radio promotions team for one artist's album means they're not busy nine months of the year. We always wanted to have digital marketing in-house, because what happens when an artist is off-cycle and you have to fire everybody?" Maverick's not alone in making moves in the management space: Coran Capshaw's Red Light Management brings together 60 managers and more than 200 artists, with holdings in venues, branding, real estate and festivals that push the company's earnings past $100 million. And Azoff, having inked a $125 million deal with Madison Square Garden Media last fall, has been making aggressive acquisitions in comedy, EDM and branding talent, picking up No Doubt and Gwen Stefani as clients as well. But with the mixed response to U2's free download deal with Apple surely fresh in his mind, Oseary says that "there are still a lot of people who are scared of innovation. There's still a group that's so quick to judge anyone trying [new things], and that's one of our handicaps in the music business. We could all do a bunch more if a bunch of us got in a room more often" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuckeye Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 i really cant see how they'll save music sales. unless they have new technology where the songs cant be ripped or shared. i just think they'll make 'selling out' cool. big corps as sponsors type thing. r they still using the same logo!!! omg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXL Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 http://www.billboard.com/articles/6274177/live-nation-majority-stake-c3-presents Live Nation is in negotiations to purchase 51 percent of the concerts and festival business of Austin-based independent promoter C3 Presents for about $125 million, Billboard has learned. Both C3 and Live Nation declined to comment for this story. C3 Presents -- the Austin-based promoter behind the just-ended Austin City Limits Music Festival; Lollapalooza festivals in Chicago, Chile, Argentina and Brazil (in which Perry Farrell and William Morris Endeavor Entertainment are partners); Orion in Atlantic City, N.J.; Counterpoint in Rome, Ga.; LouFest in St. Louis; Wanderlust; and the Big Day Out festivals in Australia -- is the country's largest indie in the space. The status of C3's management division and ticketing division, Front Gate Ticketing, in this deal is unclear. C3 also owns a stake in the PR firm Fresh & Clean Media and Austin venues including Stubb's and La Zona Rosa. C3 investors include Red Light Management founder Coran Capshaw and Raine. Last year, C3's Austin City Limits festival brought in $32.1 million and 375,000 people over its five days; this year's edition wrapped up just Sunday. Lollapalooza is, according to Farrell, looking to expand beyond its Chilean, Brazilian and Argentinian iterations, with Canada topping the list and Europe also being eyed for a possible expansion. C3 was founded in 2007 by partners Charlie Walker, Charlie Jones and Charles Attal and is the leading independent promoter in North America, capturing the Top Independent Promoter Award (U.S.) at the Billboard Touring Awards five times, including last year. C3 reported grosses totaling $124 million from more than 800 shows in 2013. The firm's robust management division represents Bassnectar, Delta Spirit, Gramatik, John Popper, Nas, Thievery Corporation, the Whigs and several other acts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 It all sounds too corporate for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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