Paul Tollett, LA Times: Q & A

[kreutz2112]

...

Concert promoter Paul Tollett talks about signing rockers like Roger Waters and Rage Against the Machine to play at the indie festival in the desert.

By Chris Lee, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 6, 2008

No one ever faulted veteran concert promoter Paul Tollett for not thinking big.

The Goldenvoice president's early concert bookings helped such alterna-rock stars as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and No Doubt catapult from the underground to the top of the charts. The soft-spoken Ohio native founded indie music's foremost annual event: the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, which this month will draw an estimated 180,000 fans. If he's not helping promote some 400 local shows a year, he's in the field finessing performers and talent managers. But to hear it from one of the music biz's most influential behind-the-scenes machers, job one never changes: keeping fans happy.

Q Where did you get the idea to put on a giant rock festival in the middle of the desert?

A I did Pearl Jam at the same place, the Empire Polo Field, in '93, and the location is the show's greatness. It's different when you surrender to the weekend and focus on it, rather than when you can stay at your house, run some errands and decide you're going to check out some bands. Plus, no one was doing a rock festival in the desert. I figured the best way to rank high in a category is to create your own.

Q But after the first Coachella, you went almost $1 million in the hole. How blind were you to what you were up against?

A I didn't realize I'd lose my house, my car and everything.

Q You've personally lured a number of acts back to the festival stage, including the Stooges, Kraftwerk and Rage Against the Machine. How did you get them back together?

A Every one of them came about because I promoted them when they first got going. Rage--I did 40 shows with them before.

Q So it's all about connections?

A [Laughs.] I started off promoting $3 shows at the pizza place. But I'll tell you: It's just as fun doing that as it is doing shows for 100,000 people if you're doing it with the right set of friends.

Q With so much hot young talent out there, why did you pick one of rock's elder statesmen, former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters, to co-headline?

A I look to find headliners and bands that have never played here to bring the show to the next level. Roger Waters doing "Dark Side of the Moon" or "The Wall"--it is going to blow minds. I got to thinking about "Dark Side" at Coachella, the way the site looks at night with the palm trees. It's going to have that magic feeling you get at Coachella when history is being made.

Q How do you stay on top of what fans want?

A I walk around Coachella talking to the kids. I try to experience the show as much as possible: use the toilets, eat the food, stand in lines, talk to people and see what they complain about.

Q What do you do when the festival is done ?

A Every year after Coachella, I go work at the Glass House in Pomona and I tear tickets. It's kind of the equivalent of if you stay in a nice resort for a week, then you go home and mow your yard. You're a concert promoter first and foremost. *

[M Sparks]

Yeah, I'm sure PT promoted Kraftwerk and The Stooges "when they first got going."

Good article, though. I hope he's right about the "magic".

[algunz]

"I got to thinking about "Dark Side" at Coachella, the way the site looks at night with the palm trees. It's going to have that magic feeling you get at Coachella when history is being made."


AWESOME!!!!

[TeamCoachellaHellYeah]

Roger Waters is going to be effing epic....

[mvanwinkle]

ya im starting to get excited about him.

[Sonicifyouwantit]

"I got to thinking about "Dark Side" at Coachella, the way the site looks at night with the palm trees. It's going to have that magic feeling you get at Coachella when history is being made."


AWESOME!!!!

the feel will be great but as far as history, I mean if roger hadnt been touring for a year than this would be a lot more special. If he decided to do his show at coachella for the first time in years and then from that success go on to do a world tour, that would be history.

Still gonna be damn good though.

[algunz]

"I walk around Coachella talking to the kids. I try to experience the show as much as possible: use the toilets, eat the food, stand in lines, talk to people and see what they complain about."




Has anybody met him?

[rage patton]

It sounds like Paul Tollet has A LOT of faith in Roger Waters. I was very excited to see Waters on the line up. But now as it gets closer, I am becoming even more excited.

[BeHereNOW]

" It's going to have that magic feeling you get at Coachella when history is being made."

holly shit !

[CalmerThanYou]

Sonic/Rage - I am very disappointed you werent stoked for this from the beginning.

Why would you not have faith in one of the most influential musicians in history (yeah i said it, PLEASE try to argue against this...actually dont, you will sound dumb)?

This is going to be so fucking rad. After having seen him 3 x's, i have to say, if you want it to be (if you build it, they will come) Pink Floyd up there for you, it is.

It's that amazing, beautiful, awe inspiring, most awesome shit (well, daft aside)...but i'm serious, this could parallel that, Waters wouldnt be allowing this much hype unless he was ready to ruin everything.

One of these days i'm going to cut you into a million pieces:::COMMENCE FACE SHREDDING.........

[rage patton]

Sonic/Rage - I am very disappointed you werent stoked for this from the beginning.

Uh, I did say I was excited from the get go. I was one of the people defending Roger Waters as a major headliner when the anouncement came out. I can't wait to see Dark Side in the Desert. It is going to be epic.

[CalmerThanYou]

^i'm sorry. im so pumped. people are going to trip out hard.

edit: i misconstrued your getting more excited as if you werent that excited from the start.

regardless, fuck yes.

[algunz]

Double fuck yes!!!

[BeHereNOW]

"Q How do you stay on top of what fans want?

A I walk around Coachella talking to the kids. I try to experience the show as much as possible: use the toilets, eat the food, stand in lines, talk to people and see what they complain about."

how 'bout checking out the msgboard =p

[JSam67]

I definitely agree on the epicness predictions. Listened to DSOTM last night for the first time in a while...that is truly going to be amazing in that setting.

[menikmati]

"Q How do you stay on top of what fans want?

A I walk around Coachella talking to the kids. I try to experience the show as much as possible: use the toilets, eat the food, stand in lines, talk to people and see what they complain about."

how 'bout checking out the msgboard =p

He does that too.

[shakermaker113]

hmm. I have issues about trying to predict history. yet I think he might be right.

[Mockingbird73]

"I walk around Coachella talking to the kids. I try to experience the show as much as possible: use the toilets, eat the food, stand in lines, talk to people and see what they complain about."




Has anybody met him?

I have met him...a few times in fact. He is one cool cat, I tell ya! And yeah, he does actually give a shit about what the kids want, but you can't please all of the people all of the time. You can only try to make it one hell of a ride for everyone that buys a ticket.

If ya think about it, what he manages to pull off every year is a fuckin' logistical miracle. And he must be doin' it right because we all keep coming back.

[crazzz2007]

"I got to thinking about "Dark Side" at Coachella, the way the site looks at night with the palm trees. It's going to have that magic feeling you get at Coachella when history is being made."


AWESOME!!!!

" It's going to have that magic feeling you get at Coachella when history is being made."

holly shit !

mmmmmmmm, he IS a promoter ya know....promoters say stuff like that.

[rage patton]

Between this and the Prince rumours, I am seriously starting think Prince is going to be a special guest with Roger Waters. THAT would be history in the making.

[damon8]

nah prince will headline friday and gilmour will show up with the rest of floyd!!

[frozen pilgrim]

Between this and the Prince rumours, I am seriously starting think Prince is going to be a special guest with Roger Waters. THAT would be history in the making.

if the royal albert hall can get bowie with gilmour, we can have prince with waters!

although I'd prefer bowie, to be honest.

[Sonicifyouwantit]

[QUOTE=CalmerThanYou;535912]Sonic/Rage - I am very disappointed you werent stoked for this from the beginning.

QUOTE]

Uh, I did say I was excited from the get go. I was one of the people defending Roger Waters as a major headliner when the anouncement came out. I can't wait to see Dark Side in the Desert. It is going to be epic.

yeah, I never said I wasn't excited either. I just dont know if it will make history, its not the first time he's done this...unless they are planning some stage show that will be huge. Either way like I said, its gonna be damn good.

Went camping this weekend in death valley, great trip but reason I bring it up is that I kept thinking how in just a couple weeks I'll be in the desert again! Also saw some windmills and reminded me of those along the I-10