life style
IMAGES: John in the Style of Wight offices Pictures by Ben Wood
“Moments like that reaffirm why I do this.
I can’t imagine myself doing anything apart from working in this business.” John is one of the most important players in the international live music circuit, having helmed some of the biggest money-spinning gigs of all time. He masterminded Te Rolling Stones epic 100 million dollar ‘Bridges to Babylon’ tour which saw them play to 4.5million fans dur- ing a 108-date year-long trek. But despite looking after a weighty stable of stadium- filling icons he is not afraid to take a punt on the unknown - his latest act being girl group Parade. A love of all things tuneful has coursed through his veins for as long as he can recall. He says: “My older sister was into Motown so I went to school listening to the likes of Te Four Tops and Martha and Te Vandel- las. “Te guys at school were into the Blues - people like John Mayall and Peter Green. So I developed quite mixed tastes. “I remember going on the bus to Welwyn
Garden City to see Te New Yardbirds, in little letters Led Zeppelin. “Te stage was like two foot tall in the back room of a pub. “I never saw Te Beatles, but we would go and catch Pink Floyd, Te Who or Queen at Hyde Park. “It’s amazing when you think
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how regimented it is nowadays and those concerts were free and you just turned up.” When John left uni he trawled nearly every
record label in search of work, only to be turned away by moguls. But promoter Barry Clayman spotted an unknown with a spark and gave him his first job at his renowned MAM agency. John signed acts such as Te Adverts and X-Ray Spex before graduating onto Te Boomtown Rats, Ramones and Iggy Pop, the latter re- maining with him ever since. In the early 80s he decided it was time to
break away and set up TBA International on London’s Kings Road. Deals with Alison Moyet, Hall & Oates and Kid Creole And Te Coconuts were fol- lowed by signings including Paul Young, Big Country, Howard Jones, Tears For Fears and Duran Duran. Ten in 1987 John literally went solo, opening an agency using that very name. Four years later he found himself drawn back to the Isle of Wight when the council began planning an event for the Queen’s Jubilee. Officials settled on a one-day concert and began contacting various music promoters and managers asking for assistance with the event.
CNTD OVER May / June 2011 67 “I was a bass
player in a band called White
Summer and my mate taught me
‘Sunshine of Your Life’, ‘Foxy Lady’ and the likes. “I had a great time, we even played gigs and got paid.”
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