01November2007AMG Announce Plans for Two New Carling Academy Venues

Carling Academy Oxford

1 November 2007

AMG ANNOUNCE PLANS FOR TWO NEW CARLING ACADEMY VENUES

UPFRONT, news, night online COMMENTS

John Northcote, Founding Director of the AMG Group – operator of the Carling Academy brand - has announced the acquisition of two new sites, both earmarked for conversion to Carling Academy venues.

“The two new venues are the old Town and Country club in Leeds, which we have bought from Luminar Leisure, and the other is what used to be the Roxy in Sheffield,” says John. ”Both are iconic venues and fondly remembered in their respective cities for their musical heritage – making them perfect candidates for Carling Academy venues. We’ve also increased the capacity at the Oxford site, and are just about to start work on the Brighton Hippodrome, which is going to be one of the most beautiful and dramatic Carling Academy venues yet. ”

The new acquisitions follow a major shakeup in AMG’s investment structure, thanks to the sale by RJD Partners of a 56% share in the company during a successful MBO in March. The stake was bought by a joint investment vehicle consisting of Live Nation and Irish music firm Gaiety Investments, a partnership that is now familiar to the live music industry, not least for their purchase from Vince Power in 2005 of the Mean Fiddler Holdings group of venues, which in turn have now been sold off to Barfly operators MAMA Group.

Live Nation and Gaiety join an already healthy corporate infrastructure at AMG, with other major stake holders including Bob Angus’s Metropolis Music and Simon Moran’s SJM Concerts – both respected players in music promotion, and whose talent for outdoor gigs (both have achieved outstanding success with one-off outdoor events, and both are partnered with the V Festival) has been a vital component in AMG’s successes since they came on board in 2000.

“Live Nation and Gaiety’s involvement this year has been a continuation of this support from some very well respected groups,” continues John. “Obviously it benefits everyone greatly. I personally welcomed Live Nation’s interest. They’re a significant company on the world wide entertainment stage and they bring a lot to the table. They are one of the big three promoters, they have an infrastructure that I can tap into, with a massive property department, in-house legal advisors, and a massive IT infrastructure. Their wealth of experience is good for us, and they’re not changing or diluting the Academy brand in any way.

From: NIGHT Online

Subscribe to NIGHT magazine

Photography: Jim Ellam