Just days after fires blazed Los Angeles, Shelli and Irving Azoff knew that the music industry needed a reprieve. Twelve days later, the Irving family in collaboration with Live Nation and the LA Clippers assembled 27 artists, two venues and 25 streaming partners.
The FireAid benefit concert has already raised $60 million before the livestream and digital fundraising efforts have even begun. Connie and Steve Ballmer, owner of the LA Clippers and former Microsoft CEO, have also committed to match every donation made during the live broadcast.
TheWrap spoke to legendary music manager and entrepreneur Azoff, who is spearheading the FireAid concert which will stream live on Thursday night from Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome CK and Kia Forum.
How have you been doing the past two weeks?
I haven’t slept in two weeks.
I believe that. Joel Gallen, the executive producer for the benefit concert, told us that the show will be around five hours. Is that true?
We hope it’s only five. I think the over-under is around five and a half. He’s assuming that Stevie Wonder shows up on time.
What was your decision to make this benefit concert a digital, streaming experience?
In perfect transparency, there’s a couple reasons: broadcast networks are not gong to clear five and a half hours. How do you say: you’re on the show, and you’re not?
Music is closer to streaming than broadcast television. We’ve got X, we’ve got TikTok. I wanted to go where the music listeners go, and hope that spawns – they get to see a great show. They understand how bad this has been and have compassion for the people and start the healing process.
Eddie Cue said he thought YouTube would have the best record at raising money. We went to YouTube, and they graciously picked up.
And then you reached out to streamers?
YouTube came back and generously said we can do that. Most of [the streamers] reached out to us, but we ended up with 25 streaming partners.
Why YouTube?
When you watch Coachella, it’s streamed on YouTube right? This isn’t a broadcast television award show. This is more like a Coachella. It’s more like streaming a live concert. We thought it was better streamed, and it was too long for broadcast TV.
Steve and Connie Balmer are matching every dollar. The Clippers picked up every nickel of cost, between them and Live Nation. Every dollar raised is going to community.
How have members of your production team banded together to put this concert together in two weeks, while still mourning the loss of their city?
We have to start the healing process. I was at both buildings last night for sound check. Artists milling around. The volunteers that have come out. People came out of retirement. There were people who used to work at MTV. They have been out of business for years. With Grammys this week. Super Bowl coming up, we had to scramble for people and equipment. We did this in 12 days.
Were there any artists you called up who said no?
We didn’t really do much of the asks. Rod Stewart was first in. Shelli [Azoff] was on the phone with his daughter. Then Stevie Nicks called me and asked, “What are we doing?” She lost her house. The next thing I knew John Mayer texted Dave Matthews, and they were in. It just snowballed from there. Almost every person has some connection with L.A.
We didn’t have to go out and beg people to do it. Unfortunately the bill filled so fast – There were people, who wanted to be on the show, but we just ran out of room. We graduated from one building to two. A lot of people who called late, we figured out a way for them to collaborate with people already on the show. There will be surprises in both buildings.
Like who?
It’s a surprise. I can’t tell you!
How many songs will each artist perform?
It’s mostly two to four songs, especially if it’s a surprise artist out there with you, too.
This event is bringing out best of everyone in the music business – the artists, managers, the agents. Live Nation has been incredible, the Clippers, all of these people, who have been partners.
Can you discuss making this an engaging live concert experience in two L.A. venues as well as a streaming experience for fans at home?
To me, it’s a live show that’s being streamed. To Joel [Gallen], it’s equally a TV show and a live show. It’s going to be great. Amazing lineup. There will be thousands of first responders and affected people in the audience.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
The post Music Mogul Irving Azoff on Organizing FireAid Benefit Concert: ‘I Haven’t Slept in 2 Weeks’ appeared first on TheWrap.
