Lee Laborde: Celebs Rumors

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor It’s been a tough couple of years for live music in the U.K., but now AEG Presents UK CEO Steve Homer sees light at the end of the tunnel. “Last year, we had some big successes and some big losses,” he tells Variety. “Now, we’re over that hump, sales patterns are almost back to pre-COVID levels in terms of predicting how things will sell. The business is in reasonably good shape, bearing in mind all the difficulties with people’s available money to spend.” Homer has been in sole charge for 18 months now, following the surprise exit of co-CEO Toby Leighton-Pope, now MD at TEG Europe. And having made several key hires in recent months – including former Royal Albert Hall exec Lucy Noble as artistic director; former Live Nation exec Lee Laborde as SVP of the promoting division; and former SJM promoters Chris Wareing (SVP of global touring) and Paris Harding (promoter) – Homer is now leading the company’s expansion into several new areas.

DEALSTikTok has signed a new licensing deal with the Rotana Music Group, the record label owned by Saudi Arabia’s Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, into which Warner Music invested in 2021. The music firm’s CEO Salem Al Hendi is “very THRILLED with this licensing agreement”, which, he says, “will facilitate Arab music reach into the Middle East and North Africa music industry and young communities”.————————————————–APPOINTMENTSAEG Presents UK has hired Lee Laborde – who was previously with Live Nation – to be Senior Vice President of its Promoting Division, reporting into CEO Steve Homer, who says: “Lee is someone I have known for many years and simply put he is one of the best in the business – the roster of artists he works with are testament to that”.Bauer Media Audio UK has appointed Lucie Cave to the new role of Chief Creative Officer – Podcasts And Commercial Content.