Confessions of a concert promoter

Many people think his job just involves swanning around with the world's biggest music acts and hitting the nightclubs with them.

Well, there can be an element of that, says concert promoter Michael Hosking, 53. But he wants to tell would-be promoters that they must make sure they also have a healthy appetite for risk and loss.

He's not joking.

The head honcho of Midas Promotions - one of the region's leading concert organisers which has worked with the likes of Rod Stewart, Michael Jackson and Oasis - once lost over a million dollars on a single event.

Fans at the SingFest 2010 music festival might have left with great memories of seeing Katy Perry and Kanye West, but Mr Hosking recalls with a wince: "Sales were poorer than anticipated and we got less sponsorship than we had hoped for."

"We can't control the fickle public. Like they say, today's news is tomorrow's fish and chips," he shrugs.

"The public is ultimately fickle," says the veteran when he met The New Paper on Sunday at Midas Promotions' office at River Valley Road.

Born in Singapore in 1959, he went on to study in the UK. Mr Hosking moved to Bahrain in 1977.

"I also wanted a sunny place to live in."

It was there that he began a T-shirt printing business, with a mere $250 as start-up capital.

It was in 1982 that he made the leap into artist promotion, when a DJ called Emperor Rosko came to perform.

Mr Hosking recalls: "I figured there was more money selling tickets to the fans than T-shirts, and jumped at the chance when I was asked to help out."

Since then, he and co-director Nigel Peters have turned Midas Promotions into a multi-million dollar turnover company organising concerts throughout the Middle East and Asia.

The setting up of a concert begins with an e-mail from an artist's agent, telling concert promoters about the opportunity. His company will respond with a proposal that includes the number of viable shows and the costs and profits for the whole venture.

After much negotiation and wrangling over details, Midas clinches the deal.

The grunt work then begins for Midas' regional teams. Visas have to be secured, hotels and venues have to be booked, ticket prices to be set.

Finally, the concerts have to be advertised and hopefully, people buy tickets.

One of the most important parts of signing a contract with a star is "the rider"- the document outlining the artist's requests and demands for the concert.

"A rider forms an integral part of the contract, and failure to read and understand it can result in a breach of contract with dire consequences," Mr Hosking reveals.

Outrageous rider requests are legendary in the music business - for example, rock band Van Halen's demand for a bowl of M&Ms with the brown ones removed. But fortunately for Mr Hosking, he doesn't see many.

The strangest request to date? "A pink Rolls Royce for Shirley Bassey in Bahrain," he says.

There are also problems that come with entourages or fans.

Mr Hosking revealed that in Singapore six years ago, a member of security in the entourage of a "popular American band" was held in police custody for two weeks after outraging the modesty of a woman.

Mr Hosking says that was the closest brush with the law any artist he's promoted has ever had.

Although they don't get caught, some still like to flirt with danger, especially when it comes to laws on smoking.

Rabid fans are also another headache.

Mr Hosking reels off anecdote after anecdote of harrowing experiences: Jon Bon Jovi hiding under an immigration officer's desk in Bangkok in a bid to escape fans and photographers, Boyzone cowering from the crowd in toilet cubicles at Jakarta International Airport, and Ricky Martin fans swarming First Class to get a glimpse of their idol when he touched down in Bangkok.

While these colourful anecdotes are set in foreign locales, Singapore is no stranger to them.

When boyband Westlife toured here in 2001, fans in taxis tailed the band from the airport to their hotel in Sentosa, and even booked rooms in the same hotel.

"Westlife fans are highly resourceful and will find a way of getting to their idols. They're the best, or the worst, depending how you look at it," he says with a smile.

Despite all the stress involved in promoting concerts, Mr Hosking doesn't see himself stopping anytime soon.

"The positive experiences I've had in this business far outweigh the negative ones. Otherwise I wouldn't have been in this business for 30 years."

One such experience is promoting The Script here and in the Philippines in March.

"They were very easy to work with. Both venues (the Singapore Indoor Stadium and the Smart Araneta Coliseum) sold out and the fans were ecstatic. The band thanked me and my team personally for a fantastic experience," he shares.

"It's positive experiences like this one that make the negative ones worth it."

Secrets of the trade

1. Start small. According to Mr Hosking, 70 per cent of concert promoters go out of business with their first show and 20 per cent after three shows. Learn from your mistakes.

2. Pay attention to the small print. Read the artist's contract and rider and understand them fully.

3. Never pat yourself on the back. If a show sells out, don't gloat. If a show stiffs, don't think it's the end of the world. Just keep going.

Get The New Paper for more stories.