Hot Seat: Making It In The Music Industry… with Rob Zifarelli, The Agency Group

TMNhas revived Hot Seat to offer our young industry subscribers an insight into what it takes to make it in the music business. The latest industry player taking part is Rob Zifarelli, Senior Vice Presidentat award-winning global booking agency, The Agency Group.

Since joining the fold in 2004, Zifarelli has grown the global companyto boast clients including City and Colour, Dinosaur Jr and Broken Social Scene as well as our own Vance Joy, The Jezebels, The Cat Empire, Meg Mac, Boy & Bear, Violent Soho and Airbourne.

Zifarelli chats to TMN about his top tips for rising to the top in the agency sector, where he thinks the agency landscape is headed, and why promoters are to blame for talent-price wars.

What drew you to a career in the agency sector?
I only lasted in the van as a tour manager for a couple tours and knew I wasn’t cut out for it so I had to find another path. Then it was pointed out that I was way better at annoying promoters, so here I am!

Who was your first signing to The Agency Group?
I have been at The Agency Group for 12 years but was in the business at another company before that so I came across with an artist roster that already included FEIST, Broken Social Scene, Stars, and others.

The first band I signed while at TAG I believe would have to be Bloc Party.

What are your perceptions on the new crop of talent taking up booking agent roles?
Same as always, the cream rises to the top. I think that if you aspire to be the coolest/hippest agent around, you are in the wrong sector; you should be a blogger. Agents need to have many skill sets and being a shrewd business person is number one.

You also have to have the conviction and confidence to own the space. The artist needs to feel they have a killer business partner when it comes to their agent, its shouldn’t be to be their best friend, leave that to their best friend!

Do you have any advice for them?
Carry yourself with confidence. Do the right thing, fight for your artist'sbest interest always. But don’t lose sight that you are building a career so sometimes you can’t win all the battles. Live to fight again.

Booking agents have long worn criticism in the area of talent-pricing levels. Why is that?
When there are more and more promoters and more and more festivals, the competition is what drives the prices through the roof. Blame the promoters!

Where would you say the agency landscape is headed?
I believe that there will continue to be the big two full service agencies trying to gobble up smaller companies and territory and the rest of us will plough on developing new talent and servicing our clients as best as possible.

You’re in Australia in September for BigSound, aside from signing many of our artists, does TAG have any other ties to the local industry?
Well, being from Canada, we still also carry the queen on our dollar too? Does that count?

If you could go back, what would you say to ‘2004 Rob Zifarelli’, who has just joined The Agency Group team?
I would say do whatever you have to do to sign The Arcade Fire!