John Giddings
John Giddings (born 1 May 1953 in St Albans, Hertfordshire) is a music agent and promoter who has been responsible for tours by the likes of The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Genesis, Celine Dion, Iggy Pop and David Bowie.[1] In 2002 he revived the Isle of Wight Festival and continues to run the festival today.
Early career
Giddings graduated from Exeter University[2] with a Philosophy & Sociology degree. He had worked booking bands at the university as social secretary[3] and later entertainments chairman for Exeter College.[4] During his time at university he was responsible for booking acts such as Genesis, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and Procol Harum.
After leaving university Giddings, using contacts he had made while working with the bands he booked, got his first job as an agent at the M.A.M. Agency in London and by 1977 he had become the agent for a number of punk acts such as The Adverts and X-Ray Spex[5] before taking on acts such as The Boomtown Rats, The Ramones and Iggy Pop (who he still represents today).[6]
In 1980 he left M.A.M. to form TBA International with fellow M.A.M. agent Ian Wright[7] where he went on to work with Paul Young, Alison Moyet, Big Country, Howard Jones, Tears for Fears and Duran Duran.
Solo Music Agency and Promoters
In 1986 Wright and Giddings closed TBA International to form their own agencies. Wright formed Reverb XL while Giddings formed Solo Music Agency and Promoters.
After forming Solo, Giddings was employed as the agent responsible for David Bowie's concert at Wembley Stadium[8] followed soon afterwards by a stadium tour with Genesis.[9] In 1990 The Rolling Stones took on Giddings as European promoter and the likes of U2, Madonna and Celine Dion[10] were soon added to his roster of clients.
Over the past 30 years Giddings has represented artists such as The Corrs,[11] The Police, Lady Gaga, Westlife,[12] Boyzone, N*E*R*D and Pharrell Williams, Simple Minds and Spandau Ballet.[1]
In 2008, Solo Agency & Promotions managed three of the five top-selling concert tours around the world. The Sticky & Sweet Tour by Madonna ranked highest, grossing $281.6 million. The second-highest tour was by Celine Dion, at $236.6 million, and the fifth-highest tour was by The Police, at $120.6 million.[13]
In 2009 Giddings was recruited as the global agent and promoter of Universal Music's Formula 1 live music event, F1 Rocks.[14]
Also in 2009, Billboard named three of Giddings' clients as the top-grossing tours of the previous decade - The Rolling Stones at number 1 with $869m, U2 at number 2 with $844m and Madonna at number 3 with $801m.[15]
Isle Of Wight Festival
In 2002 the 1971 Isle Of Wight Act[16] (which banned events on the island with more than 5000 attendees) was overturned in time for the Queen's Golden Jubilee[17] and Giddings was recruited to revive the Isle Of Wight Festival[5] - a festival that he first attended as a teenager in 1970.[18]
The first Isle of Wight Festival since 1970 was called Rock Island 2002 and it took place on 3 June 2002 with Giddings and Solo acting as promoter rather than organiser. It was headlined by The Charlatans and featured appearances from the likes of Robert Plant, Starsailor and Ash. It was single day festival attended by around 8-10,000 but the event reportedly lost the Isle Of Wight Council around £380,000.[19]
Giddings took over the running of the festival from the council in 2003 and, despite losing an estimated £500,000 that year,[20] the festival has become a multi-day event that currently has an annual attendance of between 50,000-60,000 and contributes between £10-15m to the local economy.[21] In this time Giddings has been responsible for booking headliners such as Bruce Springsteen,[22] Pearl Jam, Coldplay, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and David Bowie.
On 5 November 2007, the Isle of Wight Festival was named 'Best Major Festival' at the UK Festival Awards. At the same event Giddings won the award for 'Outstanding Contribution to UK festivals'.[23]
The festival also received "Outstanding" rating at three A Greener Festival Awards between 2009 and 2011,[24] after Giddings pledged in 2008 to make the festival more "ecologically sound".[25]
Personal life
Giddings had three daughters by his first wife and is now married to Caroline who has a daughter from her first marriage. He is a fan of Formula 1 and even raced at Formula Ford level at Silverstone until an injury stopped him from racing any more.[8]
Artists with whom John Giddings has worked
- Ace
- Alesha Dixon
- Alison Moyet
- Barbra Streisand
- Bette Midler
- Beyoncé
- Big Country
- Blondie
- Boomtown Rats
- Boyzone
- Cado Belle
- Celine Dion
- Celtic Woman
- Daryl Hall
- David Bowie
- Dexys Midnight Runners
- Duran Duran
- Elkie Brooks
- Game of Thrones Orchestral Tour
- Gene Loves Jezebel
- Generation X
- Genesis
- Hot Chocolate
- Howard Jones
- Iggy Pop
- Il Divo
- James
- James Walsh
- Josh Groban
- Julian Lennon
- Justin Timberlake
- Kid Creole and the Coconuts
- Kursaal Flyers
- Little Mix
- Madonna
- Meat Loaf
- Melanie C
- Mike Oldfield
- Mike and the Mechanics
- N*E*R*D
- Nutz
- Paul Simon
- Paul Young
- Pharrell Williams
- Phil Collins
- Public Image Limited
- Ramones
- Rhianna
- Robert Palmer
- Rod Stewart
- Rolling Stones
- Ronan Keating
- Ryuichi Sakamoto
- Sadie and the Hotheads
- Sex Pistols
- Shakira
- Shane Filan
- Shayne Ward
- Simple Minds
- Smokie
- Snafu
- Soho Jets
- Spandau Ballet
- Spice Girls
- Starsailor
- Steve Gibbons Band
- Steve Hackett
- Sting
- Sutherland Brothers and Quiver
- Suzanne Vega
- Suzi Quatro
- Tears For Fears
- Telephone
- The Adverts
- The Blue Nile
- The Charlatans
- The Corrs
- The High Kings
- The Lover Speaks
- The Stranglers
- The Who
- Thrashing Doves
- Tim Burgess
- Todd Rundgren
- U2
- Ultravox
- Usher
- Westlife
- Wet Wet Wet
- * X-Ray Spex
Awards
Nominated
Pollstar Awards - International Booking Agent of the Year, John Giddings, 2020
Pollstar Awards - International Music Festival of the Year, Isle of Wight Festival, 2020
ILMC 31 Arthur Awards - Second Least Offensive Agent, John Giddings, 2019
Event Production Awards - Music Event of the Year, 2019
Music Week Awards - Festival Of The Year, Isle of Wight Festival, 2019
Music Week Awards - Festival Of The Year, Isle of Wight Festival, 2018
ILMC 30 Arthur Awards - Liggers' Favourite Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, 2018
UK Festival Awards - Best Festival Production, Isle of Wight Festival, 2018
UK Festival Awards - Best Major Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, 2018
UK Festival Awards - Line-Up of the Year, Isle of Wight Festival, 2018
Pollstar Awards - UK Booking Agent of the Year, John Giddings, 2017
ILMC 29 Arthur Awards - Liggers' Favourite Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, 2017
ILMC 28 Arthur Awards - Liggers' Favourite Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, 2016
Won
Event Production Awards
Music Event of the Year, Isle of Wight Festival, 2018
Family Traveller Awards
Best Family Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, 2016
Festival Baby Awards
Best Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, 2015
International Live Music Conference - Arthur Awards
ILMC 29 - Second Least Offensive Agent, John Giddings, 2017
ILMC 24 – Second Least Offensive Agent, John Giddings, 2012
ILMC 22 – The Bottle Award, John Giddings, 2010
ILMC 21 - Liggers' Favourite Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, 2009
ILMC 18 – Second Least Offensive Agent, John Giddings, 2006
Isle of Wight Visitor Attraction Association Awards
Best Event, 2015 [26]
Live Music Business Awards
Best Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, 2016
Outstanding Contribution, John Giddings, 2016
Red Funnel Isle of Wight Awards
Best Event to Lie Back & Soak Up the Sounds, Isle of Wight Festival, 2018
Best Event to Lie Back & Soak Up the Sounds, Isle of Wight Festival, 2017
Best Event to Lie Back & Soak Up the Sounds, Isle of Wight Festival, 2016
UK Festival Awards
Headline Performance of the Year, Fleetwood Mac at Isle of Wight Festival, 2015
Best Family Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, 2015
Best Major Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, 2007
Outstanding Contribution to UK Festivals, John Giddings, 2007
References
- The Soloist, IQ Magazine, Issue 28, March 2010, P36-58
- Interview: John Giddings Archived 2014-12-14 at the Wayback Machine
- The Brits big-hitters, London Evening Standard, 16 February 2004 Archived 14 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- John Giddings Interview, Isle Of Wight iLife, 2011
- Buy some rock and roll history after the Isle of Wight Festival valued at £12 million, Daily Telegraph, 29 January 2012
- JOHN GIDDINGS: A Solo mission, Music Week, 17/11/2007
- U.K. Industry Vet Wright Dies, Billboard, 18 July 2007
- "The Man Behind The Music", When Performance Is Everything, Issue 2 Summer 2013, pp. 14-15
- "Live Music Back On The Road To Wembley", Music Week, 5 June 2007
- The Breakfast Meeting with John Giddings
- "Baby Dome reborn as huge screen and shows venue", The Guardian, 30 March 1999
- "Famous Everywhere Else", Billboard, 21 October 2006
- "Solos stars soar in 2008", Music Week, 17 January 2009, p. 6
- "F1 Rocks Appoints Global Agent, Promoter", Billboard, 22 July 2009
- "Top Touring Artists of the Decade", Billboard, 11 December 2009
- Isle of Wight County Council Act 1971, Hansard
- The Isle Of Wight Festival, Isle Of Wight Tourist Guide
- "John Giddings: The Music Fan with the Rolodex of a Rock God", GQ Magazine, 14 May 2014] Archived 26 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- Festival safe, but less cash for council, Isle Of Wight County Press, 23 May 2003
- IOW boss John Giddings speaks to eFestivals, eFestivals, 22 November 2010
- Agreement for the use of Seaclose Park as part of the Isle Of Wight Music Festival site, 28 July 2009
- Ticketmaster meets I.O.W Festival booker John Giddings, 3 February 2014
- "UK Festival Award Winners 2007, 5 November 2007". Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
- Isle Of Wight Festival Wins Prestigious Green Award Archived 2014-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
- Allen snub angers festival boss, BBC, 5 March 2008
- "Isle of Wight County Press".