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Independent Concert Productions started life in Toronto in 1991. But the story started long before that in Cardiff, 1971 when we opened Draig recording studios and managed a home grown band called Sassafras, due to language problems Draig became West coast entertainment, where we looked after national and international bands such as, The Scorpions and Krazy Kat and loads of smaller home grown and international touring bands that toured around the UK and Europe. During the period of Draig/West coast entertainment we became the booking agent for a growing list of venues around south Wales and the Greyhound pub in London, booking bands like, Suzie Quarto, Boomtown Rat, Mott the Hoople, Love Affair, Leo Sayer, Shaking Stevens and several others.
It was during this time and offer came through to further my career which I couldn’t turn down to go and work for NEMS, an opportunity not to be missed.
Working at NEMS, the company that Brian Epstein founded, the business at that time was already a giant in the industry that represented many celebrities, stars from TV, Film and Theatre, the list of acts that came through the contemporary department. was like a who’s who, which included UK acts like Black Sabbath, Dire Straits, Squeeze, The Police, Roy Woods Wizzard, Fairport Convention, Ten Years After and so many more, then all the acts from the USA, Flamin’ Groovies, Styx, Journey, The Band, Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, Elvin Bishop, and Maria Muldaur.
Whiles there I became the European rep for Commander Cody, we toured Europe several times climaxing by being an opening act at the farewell and final performance of Lead Zeppelin at Knebworth. (400,000 tickets sold)
A moved then made to the Country Music field, with a company that produced the, “Marlboro Country Music Festival” which was on Easter weekends at the Wembley arena and venues throughout Europe. There I was working with the following acts, George Hamilton the IV, Stella Parton, Charlie Pride, Charlie Daniels, Roy Acuff, Don Everly, Emmylou Harris and to many more to mention, the Commander was also part of this episode.
We progressed from country music to a theatrical agency, where we still had the Commander but also had George Hamilton IV and also became the European rep for BO Didderly (which became a long time association with the artist) I met and worked with many artists from a variety of different fields, like Classical, Folk, Jazz, Pop and the Blues.
Here we also worked with George Melly and his feet Warmers, Stephan Grappelli, Kenny Ball and his Jazz Men, Queen Ida and her Zydeco band, Wilko Johnson, and Janis Joplin’s producer Nick Gravenites, and Alex Harvey from the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Following the above came Joe Cocker’s very first appearance at the Hammersmith Odeon and a national tour of the UK with BB King. There was also a period where there was not a reggae band that we didn’t represent including Culture, Dennis Brown, Frankie Paul, Yellowman, Akkabu, Misty & Roots, Mighty Diamonds, Albert Griffiths and the Gladiators, also many more and a totally unknown act called Shaggy.
Following my acceptance of employment from a booking agency, I then moving to Toronto from London in 1990, the job lasted 6 weeks, of which I was only paid for 4 due to the company folding, I was then on my own. Due to that fact and as mentioned above 1991 was the birth of ICP and independence, I was depending on my knowledge gathered during my previous 21 years in the UK and Europe as the only tools I had to introduce myself into the north American Entertainment business. I became recognised in the Ontario theatre industry as the company that toured with acts from the “The 60’s British Invasion” with acts from the UK, The Troggs, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer, The Searchers, Swinging Blue Jeans, Chris de Burgh, and from North America Lighthouse, Bobby Curtola, Dr. Hook and Neil Sedaka.
Following many tours and exhibitions in all directions, to Europe from Europe, the USA and back again, with Supertramp, Rod Stewart and Daniel O’Donnell and many more tours with Chris de Burgh. As theatrical shows became more popular and following the success of Riverdance and Lord of the Dance an Irish Dance troupe from Australia called Gaelforce Dance, became an instant hit, and followed with many Canadian, European and USA tours, which I produced.
This theatrical success was closely followed by a Sesame Street production called Bear in the Big blue House that toured the USA constantly and Europe twice which I Introduced; it was then bought out by Disney as it was competition for their production of Winnie the Pooh.
Other theatrical tours have followed with UK TV personalities to this day ICP is still presenting our portfolio to the world.
