Venue Q&A: Didier Agueh, Entertainment Director and Host Executive UK for Park Plaza
As Londoners, we’re surrounded by so much great live music that we might not always appreciate the work that goes into it. That’s especially true in hotels, where great music is part of the overall experience for guests in their bars and restaurants. So who exactly is in charge of organising the live music in some of London’s biggest hotels?
We had the chance to speak with Park Plaza’s Entertainment Director and Host Executive, Didier Agueh, who deals with entertainment for Park Plaza’s UK hotels. With eight properties in London, each with their own bars restaurants and events spaces, the Park Plaza group have plenty of guests in need of entertainment and schedule an impressive amount of live music throughout the year. Didier was kind enough to give us an insight into some of the work that goes into organising the group’s entertainment operation, as well as some of his own tips for discovering live music in the capital.
What’s your background in the events/entertainment industry?
I’ve been working in the events entertainment industry for the past 20 years. I started working in the nightlife industry while I was in high school in Paris, doing some PR for various clubs. The main turning point for me was the discovery of Ibiza one summer. It was clubbing at a whole brand new level, astonishing parties and the best world DJs gathering for the summer season on this small hectic island. It had a great influence on me and fuelled my desire to travel and discover similar places.
I went on to work in Barcelona (at Otto Stutz), Tel Aviv (DJ Tiesto, Gay Pride, Pacha Tel Aviv, G Shock TV Launch, etc.), Miami (at the Music Winter Conference) before returning to Ibiza where I worked again as a PR during the summer season. In the winter, I started working in a DJ booking agency where I was selling Ibiza’s best club concepts such as Space, Pacha, DC 10, Amnesia.
I returned to Paris afterwards and worked for another DJ booking agency selling similar club concepts. I then worked for an event agency which was organizing experiential events for big brands, organizations and companies. It was a really good experience, which helped me to gain an understanding of the strict processes and requirements when you work for big corporate companies.
With a strong background in nightlife and events, I decided to open my own booking and event agency in Paris along with friends who shared a similar background. We organized some great events in France and abroad and worked with many talented artists and DJs (Sacha, Renaissance, Dave Seaman, Joachim Garraud, Pacha Ibiza, Sarah Main, Barbara Tucker, etc.) At some point, my partners and I split, and I joined a friend’s booking agency where I managed the booking for the new upcoming DJs (Dan Ghenacia, Shonky, Dyed Soundorom) from the French music label Freak N’ Chic.
Tell us about your role and the venues you manage.
I’m now Entertainment Director and Host Executive UK for Park Plaza. My role is to oversee and create the musical program for the venues of the group in the UK. The main challenge is to curate a program that appeals to an international and UK public from a very wide age range. I was fortunate enough to be given a lot of artistic freedom to book artists from different backgrounds such as Roberto Pla, the godfather of salsa in the UK; Omar, one of UK’s finest soul singers; Nathalie Williams an amazing Jazz singer; and even dragqueen La Voix, a BGT contestant. The main venues are Primo Bar at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, where we have live music every night; Chino Latino, where we have recently launched our new Piano Sessions concept; and Florentine at Park Plaza Waterloo.
Do you go out to scout new acts for your venues, and if so, where do you go to see them?
After all these years working with talented artists, I’m fortunate enough to have a wide network of performers to work with. Many of them recommend other artists that they have been working with who they know they would fit with the requirements of our different venues. They usually send me a YouTube video or a Soundcloud link I can have a look at and listen to. However, the best way to find new talents is always to go to live music venues where you can see them on stage and get a real feel of their natural talent and stage presence which is very difficult to assess when you only see or listen to them online. I like to go to jam places like Upstairs at Ronny Scott, Ciro’s with Patrick Alan on a Monday is a fun place to go to, Jazz Café, Pizza Express, Blues Kitchen Camden, Camden Assembly, The Drop at Shoreditch House, Studio 88, to name a few.
What do you look for in an act?
Stage presence is very important for me and the way they manage to convey their emotions to the audience. I need to feel that the artist is enjoying the performance and gives his/her very best to captivate the public and leave an enjoyable impression that people will remember after they leave our venues. It is also very important that they have the right attitude and remain very professional at all times. It’s key to know that you can rely on someone and that they will show on time to the gig and dress appropriately. It sounds common sense, but you’d be surprised sometimes…
What new music or new artists excite you most at the moment?
Music is probably a good reflection of my own background, which is mixed and diverse. I have always been interested in many different types of musical genres from soul, to pop, to jazz, to electronic music, to classical, to hip hop or Latin music.
There is a French artist, FKJ, who does a lot of crossover with these musical genres by playing various instruments and making some loops with them and adding some voices and effects. The result is astonishing, and I’m always looking forward to listening to his latest production online. I missed his London concert last year, and I hope I’ll have the opportunity to see him live either in London or maybe Paris.
Are there any musical trends you expect to take off in London in the coming years?
I see a growing number of live artists adding effects onto their vocals or their instruments to create a hybrid sound.
I also believe that lately there is a demand for acts interacting more with the crowd, hence the success of the roaming bands and their demands in corporate functions, high-end venues, weddings, etc.
What advice would you give to artists looking for regular work in London?
There are so many talented artists in London that you really need to stand out from the crowd. Original artists performing their own songs must try to gig as much as they can in all the venues — established or not — which specialise in featuring singer-songwriters. You might create a small following, get the attention from A&Rs and who knows, maybe a record deal.
For regular work in hotels, restaurants, bars or function gigs, the market is also very crowded with super talented artists performing various type of covers. I would recommend to work on your image, create a professional website with great content (professional videos, pictures) that you can put on your social channels. This advice is also valid for original artists who now can also grow their following organically and be spotted online.
Is there anything you have in the pipeline that you’d like to share with our readers?
Yes indeed, we have refurbished two of our London hotels, Park Plaza Victoria with his beautiful “Vic’s Bar” with live music every Thursday. We’ve also refurbished our new hotel, Holmes and opened a new Bar Restaurant, “Kitchen At Holmes”, where we will also have DJs and live music — and the food is fantastic!
Looking ahead, we will also be opening two new Art’otels in London. One in the prestigious new Battersea Project where we will have an amazing property with roof terrace and a swimming pool. Really looking forward to this one! The other hotel will open in the trendy area of Hoxton near Shoreditch, and it will undoubtedly be one of the coolest spots to go out to listen to great DJs and live music in London. It will definitely be a party place!
