Interview: Unsung Heroes Of 2010, No.2 - Foggy Notions / Harmonic

For many, many moons now, Leagues O’Toole has been fighting the good fight on behalf of independent music in Ireland. From his time as part of the much-missed No Disco crew, through the mid-noughties success of his bespoke Foggy Notions magazine, right up to his present-day exploits as a well-connected promoter bringing the cream of international and domestic acts to these shores, it’s fair to say he's someone who's been around the musical block a few times.

Interestingly, 2010 has brought about something of a sea change for O’Toole, whose new Harmonic venture – in conjunction with Aiken Promotions – has gone from strength to strength, offering Irish gig-goers a diverse range of great acts for serious value. With a shedload of eye-catching dates already pencilled in for the new year, we thought now would be a good time to catch up with Leagues and hear his take on things. More reluctant mogul than unsung hero, the Dubliner gave us some frank and thought-provoking insights on the current state of the live music industry - as well as sharing some of his secret tactics for buttering-up headstrong musicians! Check back later in the week for more in our Unsung Heroes of 2010 series.

Season’s greetings, Leagues! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. 2010 has marked your first year of gigs in conjunction with Aiken Promotions under the Harmonic umbrella. What was your main reason for choosing to hook up with them? Was it primarily to add a bit more financial clout and manpower to what Foggy Notions has been doing for the last few years?

I hooked up with them firstly because I wanted to work with a team of professional people that were good at their jobs. I wanted to be in a position where I could learn from the people I work with. If you find yourself in a position where you’re not learning from the people around you, you’ve got to start asking yourself “What’s the point?” Plus, they appreciate what I do.

How has the partnership been going so far? Does two former competitors teaming up mean it's slightly easier to get the acts you (both) want? And more of them?

It’s just the start, but it has been going well so far. I never really viewed Aiken as competitors though, to be honest; they’ve always been more like friends. I’d been in contact with them for years before joining forces. I know Bren Berry from way back when he was a full-time musician, and I’ve always found Peter (Aiken) to be a very courteous guy. I don’t think too much about competition, I think about musicians I’d like to work with. I’m still excited by music and events; the stress of business hasn’t strangled that excitement.

Are you thinking of retiring the Foggy Notions promoting name then? As far as I can tell, all of next year's shows announced so far are under the Harmonic banner.

Probably, yeah. Now that there are no intentions to publish the magazine in the foreseeable future, it seems like the right thing to do. From a personal point of view, it was an era in itself, so to speak.

It certainly seems to have been another stellar year for Foggy/Harmonic. Any particular highlights you’d care to reflect on?

It was nice to work on the Harmonic event in Cork. Cork means a lot to me personally, and I’d like to be able to contribute further in some way to the live music scene down there. My own favourite shows were probably Future Islands, Titus Andronicus, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Beach House, Philip Glass, The Unthanks… off the top of my head anyway! It’s been a really diverse year for us really, which is what I’ve always wanted to achieve.

Has it been noticeably tougher than in previous years to get punters through the doors? What do you think the outlook is like for concert promotion in Ireland, given the four years of budget cuts that lie ahead?

Yeah, it has been tougher alright. I certainly noticed the change half way through 2009. In some ways I feel as though the recession’s slow impact on this industry probably prepared us for the difficulties of the last six months. The outlook seems okay for big shows based on current sales, but breaking new artists in small venues is likely to become more and more difficult. It’s like anything, though: if you believe in something, you just go for it. You have to work really hard, harder than ever. You have to find some sort of balance between realism and optimism.

Do you find putting on shows an easier way to make a living than selling magazines? 

I wouldn’t say either was easy, but, in Ireland certainly, it’s incredibly difficult to publish a magazine. I have an idea now in my head of how one might do it, but I’d be starting from scratch, and I really wouldn’t want to do that nowadays. Dramatic changes in an economy require many businesses to adapt quickly in order to survive, and with something as formatted as magazine publishing that’s a very difficult thing to do.

Ragged Words dipped its toes into the promotional game briefly this year, and it’s safe to say that we're firmly in the red as a result!! Any tips for us? (besides not trying to put on a Ruby Suns show the same weekend that half of Dublin has decamped to Primavera!)

Haha… Always check the calendar! If it’s a relatively new act, be prepared to invest. Don’t base your financial expectations on your own taste. Music is still a very personal thing. Collaborate with friends and like-minded people. Enjoy the experience.

Have you essentially learnt from experience as you’ve gone along? Or did you have someone to mentor you/help you out with advice when Foggy first started putting on shows?

No mentor as such, no; but I learned from everyone I worked with. It’s still a very guarded industry; everyone pretty much gossips about everyone else, but occasionally you do meet someone of a generous spirit who’s full of advice and encouragement. The late Derek Nally was one of those people. Bren here at Aiken is someone who’s always been at the end of the phone to dispense advice. I try to take my cue from people like them. The first shows I was ever involved with were non-profit shows put on by Hope Promotions. I learned a lot about decency and honesty from those people and the network of co-ops from that era of live music in Ireland.

Tell us, how do you keep acts like Beach House or Grizzly Bear out of the grips of bigger promoters? Do you need to be just as competitive – financially or otherwise – as the big boys, or does the fact that in many instances you went out on a limb to bring these acts over here in the first place mean they tend to want to stick with you?

I bring them out for nice meals! People who have to travel a lot should be well fed…

Would you say it’s getting easier or more difficult to tempt acts who’ve never played Ireland before to extend their European tours beyond the UK? 

I guess easier. It probably got easier during the Celtic Tiger economy, when we as a nation were flush with disposable income. I remember feeling that a lot of agents tended to view Ireland as a bit of cash-cow around that time. I hope those same agents will now be able to alter their view of Ireland, and see us as a country that still loves music, but isn’t rich anymore.

Hear, hear. Before we let you go: you've announced a bunch of shows already for next year – Explosions In The Sky, The Low Anthem, Anna Calvi, Deerhunter and Darkstar to name but a few – can we expect any more announcements this side of Christmas? If so, any hints? Or a cryptic clue even?!!

Yeah, I think we will alright. All my cryptic clues usually appear on www.twitter.com/foggynotions!