NZ's Top Promoter on Why The World's Biggest Tours Skip Us

Brent Eccles has spent more than 50 years in the music business, both on and off stage.

He played drums in the iconic Australian rock band, The Angels. Then at 45 years old he came home to New Zealand and became one of our most successful and respected concert promoters.

Brent has played drums onstage with Guns N’ Roses, lost hundreds of thousands of dollars on concerts, sold 50,000 tickets to SIX60 in minutes and, during Covid, was officially ranked the number one concert promoter in the world. We talk about all this stuff in the podcast- the good the bad and the ugly.

He also has a reputation for being quite intimidating. We address that as well!

But underneath all that is a bloke who absolutely loves music, loves New Zealand and, more than anything, loves and wants to protect his family.

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0:00 - Introduction: Reputation and Personality 1:20 - Welcome and Addressing Public Perception 2:45 - Relationship and Working with his wife, Helen 4:14 - Memories of Split Enz and his son's performance 5:23 - Age, Health, and Staying Active 6:36 - Professional Philosophy: Directness and Experience 7:15 - The Story Behind His Iconic Hat 8:52 - His Morning Routine: Gym, Drums, and Meditation 12:03 - Common Questions: Backstage Riders and Tour Life 15:55 - Evolution of the Music Promotion Business 18:18 - Gut Feeling vs. Data in Concert Promotion 28:32 - Early Days: Space Waltz and Television Fame 31:30 - Citizen Band and Reflections on Mike Chunn 43:30 - Relationship with Other Australian Bands 44:11 - The Double Life: Drumming and Managing The Angels 45:45 - Departing The Angels and Returning to New Zealand 51:00 - Starting Out as a Promoter in New Zealand 55:43 - Career Reflections and Legacy 56:15 - The Success of 'Together in Concert' (Dave Dobbyn, Bic Runga, Tim Finn) 1:00:10 - Dedication to Supporting New Zealand Artists 1:16:40 - The Phenomenon of SIX60 1:23:47 - Mentoring Emerging Artists 1:28:55 - Reliving the 1980s Touring Era 1:31:40 - Global Recognition as a Top Promoter 1:38:26 - Managing Failure and Mental Health 1:43:39 - Best and Worst Habits 1:44:26 - Future Goals and Staying Creative 1:47:35 - Defining His Legacy