James Hanley

London

Music Business Journalist at Freelance

International music journalist. News editor @IQ_Mag. Bullseye obsessive. Cherry Coke lover. All views stolen from people wittier than me.

Articles

Historic venue to open for first time since Covid

1 week ago | iq-mag.net | James Hanley

A UK venue that once hosted legends such as The Beatles, David Bowie and Led Zeppelin is set to reopen for the first time since the pandemic. Wiltshire Council has agreed a 25-year lease with the management team behind Swindon’s 2,000-cap Music Entertainment Culture and Arts (MECA) to run the City Hall in Salisbury following a “long process” to find a new operator. The company is taking over full operation of the 1,255-cap City Hall, which will reopen later this year.
Viagogo accused of 'unlawful practices' by FFA

1 week ago | iq-mag.net | James Hanley

FanFair Alliance has ramped up calls for a price cap on resale tickets after accusing secondary ticketing site Viagogo of “misleading and potentially unlawful practices”. The UK-based campaign group against industrial-scale ticket touting says it has collated a number of potential offences by Viagogo since the government launched its consultation into the resale market back in January.
Jet Set club tragedy: Search for survivors ends

1 week ago | iq-mag.net | James Hanley

Investigators say it is still too early to determine the cause of the deadly roof collapse at Jet Set nightclub in the Dominican Republic after the death toll from the tragedy reached 226. Hundreds of people were in attendance at the 1,000-cap nightclub in the capital Santo Domingo for a concert by merengue singer Rubby Pérez at the time of the collapse in the early hours of 8 April. Dust reportedly began falling from the ceiling and into people’s drinks moments before the entire roof collapsed.
Trump tariffs & touring: What we know so far

1 week ago | iq-mag.net | James Hanley

Donald Trump’s tariffs have dominated the global discourse for weeks, wreaking havoc on the stock market and creating a “climate of uncertainty” for the international touring business. The American president last week paused higher tariffs for 90 days (a baseline 10% tax will still apply), but the trade war with China has ramped up with Trump raising tariffs on the country to 145% and China responding with a 125% rate on US imports.
Skiddle announces Spotify integration

1 week ago | iq-mag.net | James Hanley

Independent UK ticketing platform Skiddle has announced a new integration with music streaming giant Spotify. Through the integration, Spotify users will be able to discover gig, club night, and festival listings featuring their favourite artists directly from their profiles. By navigating to the ‘Events’ tab, fans can explore upcoming shows, select a date, and buy tickets through Skiddle.
The top 10 highest-grossing Las Vegas residencies

1 week ago | iq-mag.net | James Hanley

Country music superstar Garth Brooks has cracked the top 10 of the highest-grossing Las Vegas residencies of all time with his Plus ONE show at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Brooks has sold 99% of available tickets for the 72-show run, which has generated more than US$130 million at the box office since opened in May 2023.
Dan Steinberg previews Promoter 101 podcast reboot

1 week ago | iq-mag.net | James Hanley

Emporium Presents co-founder Dan “Steiny” Steinberg has previewed the return of Promoter 101, telling IQ nothing is off-limits for the popular live music industry podcast. ILMC regular Steinberg will be joined by his co-host, artist manager Luke Pierce of Works Entertainment, to kick off the new series with a special live edition at Pollstar Live at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on 17 April, featuring Paladin Artists’ Steve Martin, Andy Somers and Chyna Chuan.
Pop idol: Gary Howard's 35 years in music – Part 2 | IQ Magazine

1 week ago | iq-mag.net | James Hanley

In the concluding part of our interview with pop monarch Gary Howard, the UTA agent reflects on the second half of his career and shares his hopes for the future. Catch up on part one here. Going LiveIn the late 90s, Gary Howard realised that if he wanted to remain in music for the long haul, he needed to shake things up. “As a young lad, I genuinely thought anyone over 30 didn’t have a clue about music because they were too old.
Groningen set for new 3,200-cap concert venue

2 weeks ago | iq-mag.net | James Hanley

Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) host city Groningen has detailed plans to build a new 3,200-cap venue as it seeks to meet the “growing demand” for touring artists. The Grote Popzaal (large pop hall) will be constructed in the Spoorkwartier area of the Dutch city as part of a scheme that will also involve the redevelopment of De Oosterpoort – the longtime home of ESNS.
Live shares rebound after Trump's tariff pause

2 weeks ago | iq-mag.net | James Hanley

Shares in live music companies rebounded on a historic day for Wall Street after American president Donald Trump paused higher tariffs for 90 days. While a baseline 10% tax will still apply to all countries except China, along with a 25% rate for all aluminium, and steel imports, but higher rates of up to 50% for dozens of other countries – dubbed the “worst offenders” by Trump – have been put on hold.