Sydney’s S4 Productions discusses merger with UK’s MJR

Local touring company S4 Productions has announced its merger with the UK-based MJR Group. It will now trade under the name MJR Presents.

The merger, which was announced today, aims to build stronger links between the UK and Australian promotion scene as well as tie the two touring companies together.

“We can now open the conversation to Australian bands and managers who are looking for UK touring opportunities, which gives S4/MJR the opportunity to work with bands we love in dual territories,” said Scott Mesiti, Director of MJR Presents.

Speaking to TMN, Mesiti explained that S4 already had longstanding connections with its UK counterpart.

“S4 was already connected with MJR through its director Richard Buck and myself. After 12 months of operating as S4, we took stock of where things were at and it naturally made sense to bring it all under one roof.”

Operating under a new name, MJR Presents will have offices in Sydney, Port Macquarie, London and Bristol.

“The office in the UK is now based out of Bristol, but some staff members are based in London. Our Australian office is beach side in sunny Port Macquarie, trying to set the standard for our UK team when I answer calls from the beach!” he joked.

Since its launch last year, S4 Productions worked with acts including Angus & Julia Stone, From The Jam and Michael Franti, as well as tour promoters Live Nation and Bluesfest Touring. The company also launched the pop-up festival Drop In.

The MJR Group have also had their fair share of achievements, promoting over 1,000 shows a year with acts including Ed Sheeran, Jake Bugg and Public Enemy. They also have four festivals: Ghost Fest, Mutiny, Bristol Folk Festival and Ska and Mod Fest.

Richard Buck, MJR Group Director, said that now was the best time to invest in the Australian music industry: “Australia has been producing a fantastic stock of quality acts for a while now, so this is the perfect time for The MJR Group to invest in the Australian music scene,” he said.

“We are really proud to be the first UK music promoters to have a vested interest in an artist’s success both in Australia and the UK.”

“We're not sure what is around the corner, but right now we are focused on delivering successful tours to the bands we work with,” Mesiti told TMN.

“We have several events in the pipeline we'll be looking to announce this year so definitely watch this space.”