Who The F**K Is Arthur Fogel? I had no f**kin’ idea, but being a longtime music fan, I was happy to accept the invitation for Cinema Retro to cover the LA premiere of the new EPIX documentary about rock’s enigmatic mystery man.
Arthur Fogel (currently Live Nation’s Chairman of Global Music and CEO of Global Touring) is one of the most powerful people in entertainment today. He’s responsible for the mega concert tours that now sweep the globe, Hoovering up hundreds of millions of dollars in ticket and merchandise sales and revolutionizing the way people view live music. If you’ve ever ponied up to see The Rolling Stones, The Police, Madonna, U2, David Bowie or Lady Gaga in the last decade, then you’ve seen Fogel’s work.
Deftly written and directed by Ron Chapman, the film takes the viewer where fans never go, deep inside the concert industry. What could have been a dry exposition – after all, music is a business so it’s all about money – is in fact a highly visual and entertaining experience. Chapman and his crew spent several years roaming the world, interviewing the top of music’s pyramid – U2’s Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton, plus their legendary manager, Paul McGuinness. Fogel was a guiding hand behind the tour everyone said could never happen – The Police’s long awaited 2007 reunion, so Sting, drummer Stewart Copeland and bassist Andy Summers were also on camera. In fact two thirds of the iconic band showed up for the premiere. (More on that later…)
Since Fogel is Canadian, the documentary also interviews Geddy Lee, the seemingly ageless frontman of that country’s most enduring musical export, RUSH. But the real star of the show is, undeniably, Fogel. In a series of interviews, the low key, spotlight-avoiding mogul talks about his background, starting out as a rock drummer then working his way up in a true dog-eat-dog business. Fogel did it the hard way – by paying his dues and learning, one act at a time. Other talent managers like Guy Oseary (Madonna) and Ray Daniels (Rush) along with other insiders weigh in on Fogel’s long string of industry hits and his rare misses like Guns & Roses aborted 2002 tour when the first show was cancelled before the doors even opened, sparking a riot.
Helping the narrative is stunning concert footage, mainly from U2’s ground-breaking 360 Tour (Fogel helped the band achieve their vision of performing in the round), but also of The Stones, Rush, the Police and lesser know groups like Canadian New Wave pioneers Martha And the Muffins. Never been backstage? No worries, interspersed throughout is footage of bands going on stage, heading off stage, rehearsing – even bowing their heads for pre-show prayers! As if to cement Fogel’s insider status, none other than Madonna asks him to lead them in their prayer right before she goes on.
The movie also covers the tricky issue of digital downloading – how what could have been a huge new revenue stream became a juggernaut that crippled the entire industry. Again, this could have been another tired retelling of a story we’ve all heard, but here it’s given a fresh spin by snappy editing and illuminating interviews with executives who were there. The main takeaway from this very interesting documentary is that even though the concert field – and the entire music industry – has changed radically, there are more exciting times ahead. The film closed with a wonderful sequence showing Fogel returning to his drumming roots by walking onto U2’s massive stage and playing Larry Mullen Jr.’s drums in an empty stadium. Now, nobody but him could have pulled THAT off!
After the screening, Epix laid down a slick party at LA’s storied Chateau Marmont. As expected, LA’s music scene turned out in force to toast the man himself, and Fogel held court in the VIP section. Concert phenomenon Lady Gaga attended both the screening and the after party. Used to seeing her in lavish, often bizarre stage costumes (Remember her jaw dropping meat dress?), tonight she wore an elegant gown and looked gorgeous – even if her bodyguards kept most people at arms length. The evening’s only sour note occurred when I dared approach Police drummer Stewart Copeland for a comment on the movie he had just been featured in. I had barely posed a question when he mumbled “Sure, sure…” and made a beeline for the door. Unfortunately it was Don’t Stand So Close To Me, for real.
Life imitating art?
(The documentary premieres January 29 on EPIX).
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