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Book Ian Anderson for a Private Event
Booking a celebrity for a private event, corporate event or ticketed performance can be a complex and time consuming task. If you have never hired an A-list entertainer, be prepared to discuss all of the details of your event including, location of event, expected head count, ticket prices, accommodations, duration of event and more.
With Seattle Entertainment Group, we offer transparent and affordable celebrity booking services. It doesn’t matter if you have a small budget or a six-figure allowance, we will help you locate, select and book the perfect entertainer for your event. We have a vast network of industry professionals that are exclusive and we have personally worked with thousands of entertainers over the last two decades.
Our celebrity booking services will help you save time, money and precious energy throughout the entire talent booking process. This includes negotiating, contracting and offer submission. We hold your hand from start to finish. Already familiar with the process? Great! Let us help you get a lower price using our relationships and routed venues across the world.
Bio
Ian Scott Anderson MBE, born on August 10, 1947, is a well-known British musician celebrated for his roles as the lead singer, flautist, acoustic guitarist, main songwriter, and the only member who has consistently remained with the rock band Jethro Tull. He is quite the multi-instrumentalist, showcasing his talents on instruments such as the harmonica, keyboards, bass guitar, bouzouki, balalaika, saxophone, and various whistles. Anderson's journey as a solo artist kicked off with his album Walk into Light in 1983, and he has since put out five more albums, including TaaB 2: Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock? in 2012, which serves as a follow-up to Jethro Tull's 1972 album Thick as a Brick.
Anderson first formed a band called The Blades with his school friends in 1963. The lineup included Michael Stephens on guitar, John Evan on keyboards, Jeffrey Hammond on bass, and Barriemore Barlow on drums, and they played a mix of soul and blues with Anderson handling vocals, guitar, and harmonica. At that time, he had yet to pick up the flute. Their debut performance took place at the Holy Family Church Hall in North Shore. By late 1967, while still working a day job cleaning the Ritz Cinema in Luton—tasks that included scrubbing toilets—Anderson humorously recalled that this job took him half the day. He even took home an old urinal from the cinema’s storeroom when he left, although this particular urinal was not the one later bolted to John Evan's Hammond organ during Jethro Tull performances in the early 1970s.
During this period, Anderson decided to give up his dream of being an electric guitar player, feeling he could never match the skills of Eric Clapton. As he shared in the introduction to the video Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970, he traded his electric guitar for a flute, and after a few weeks of practice, he found he could play it quite well in a rock and blues style. According to the notes for Jethro Tull's first album, This Was, Anderson had only been playing the flute for a few months when they recorded it. His guitar skills didn’t go to waste, as he continued to play acoustic guitar, incorporating it as both a melodic and rhythmic element. Over time, he added instruments like the soprano saxophone, mandolin, and keyboards to his repertoire.
A quirky aspect of Anderson’s performance style is his tendency to stand on one leg while playing the flute. This peculiar habit started out of necessity when he played the harmonica, as he held the microphone stand for balance. Eventually, he became known for this distinctive one-legged flute stance, even earning the playful nickname of a "deranged flamingo." Many of Jethro Tull's album covers feature this signature pose. There was a mix-up at one point during a long engagement at the Marquee Club when a journalist mistakenly claimed he stood on one leg to play the flute, when in reality, it originated with him playing the harmonica that way. He decided to embrace this quirky reputation, even though it took some adjustment. His early attempts at this can be seen in Jethro Tull's appearance in the 1968 film The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, which humorously referenced him in the liner notes for Thick as a Brick as "the one-legged pop flautist, Ian Anderson."
SEG does not, nor claims to, represent any celebrity as the exclusive booking agent. Seattle Entertainment Group does not manage any celebrities listed on this website. SEG acts only as a buyer’s agent for venues, event professionals, companies and organizations to book celebrities for corporate and private events, paid commercials, casino concerts, engagements as well as other various appearances. The celebrities listed on this site are for informational purposes only and are intended as a resource for our clients to provide ideas.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Will I need security for my event if I hire a celebrity?
Yes, the celebrity may require you to hire unarmed police or private esecurity. It depends on the status of the chosen celebrity and the type of event. The artist needs protection and everyone’s reputation is in jeopardy if they are not reasonably protected. Sometimes the celebrity will bring their own bodyguard.
Will I have to pay for the celebrity’s hotel, travel and food?
Most of the time the celebrity will expect general food and beverage accommodations for the duration of the event. In more complex bookings, they may want to be fed from the day of arrival to the day of departure. Additionally, hotels and transportation should be provided unless a buyout is included in the offer being submitted before you book a celebrity.
Will I get my money back after I have hired a celebrity and my event is canceled?
If your event is canceled sometimes you can receive a refund or a credit toward future or rescheduled performance in the event of a force majeure. Other times the contract has strict cancellation terms that must be adhered to. We help you outline the cancellation terms in the negotiating process.
Can I hire a celebrity for an event myself?
Anyone can hire a celebrity. You will pay more in most cases because an artist can tell if you are not familiar with the process. Always consult with a professional before you book a celebrity yourself. There is a specific process that should be followed.
Will a celebrity prepare a speech or promote my product at the event?
The short answer is yes. The celebrity will help promote your product and deliver a speech if that is included in the deal points when we submit the offer. A celebrity may also post the product on their social media.
What happens if a celebrity is late to my event?
Sometimes flights are delayed, it’s the unfortunate part of traveling abroad. As part of the contract process, we help eliminate delays by adding a late-arrival clause that allows you to cancel the performance if an artist is late beyond a certain point. It’s not ideal and it is rarely a concern, but the good news is that you will get your deposit back and you will not be liable for the performer’s final payment.
Can I pick which songs the celebrity performs at my event?
You can certainly create a list of songs you want performed. The celebrity will sing or perform all of the chosen songs or as many as reasonably possibly within the appearance time paid for.
Will a celebrity sing and perform at my private or public event?
Absolutely, there are some requirements to be aware of if you want a musical performance, however. A celebrity may ask you to fulfill parts of their tour rider, which outlines specific types of equipment needed to execute a live performance.
Are there any celebrities I cannot hire for my event?
It depends, some celebrities will avoid certain political affiliations, communities or parties that may be considered a conflict of interest. We will help you determine the potential obstacles before wasting any time.
Will the celebrity I choose take pictures with my family and friends?
Yes, the celebrity will take pictures with you and a small group of people assuming you make time for it during their appearance. If you want a celebrity to appear for an hour, set aside 30 minutes of that time for a meet and greet, otherwise the celebrity may not stick around for longer than what’s stated in their contract.
How much does it cost to hire a celebrity for an event?
The cost to hire a celebrity can vary from artist to artist. Other determining factors will influence the price as well. The deal points we create on your behalf , the location of your event, and duration of appearance can heavily influence the price of a celebrity booking.
Can you guarantee the celebrity will be hired for my event?
In most cases, if the celebrity is available and the offer is strong, we guarantee the chosen celebrity will strongly consider the offer. Sometimes, it makes sense to have a backup plan, however, schedules change and late bookings can be risky. It’s best to have 2-3 celebrities in mind before you start the process, just in case the first is unavailable.
When will I have to pay the celebrity to appear at my private or public event?
Typically an artist will be paid in two separate installments. The first payment is a deposit of 50% which is usually paid thirty to ninety days from the engagement. Sometimes the artist will require a full payment upfront, it depends on the scope of work and the notoriety of the celebrity being considered. The final payment of 50% is paid on the day of the event, unless there is a ticket reconciliation that needs to occur.
Will the celebrity sign autographs for my team and client?
Yes, of course. We include signed memorabilia in all of our offers (memorabilia to be provided by the venue or client).
How long does it take to hire a celebrity for a private or public ticket event?
It can take as much as three to four months to confirm a celebrity appearance, or two days depending on the deal points, offer and location of your event. Start the process early – that’s our recommendation.
What is the process for hiring a celebrity for a private or ticket event?
The process includes selecting the artist(s), contacting our agency, then creating deal points to include in an offer sheet. Once you have the details outlined, we can discuss the terms with the artist or manager. After the artist agrees to the deal points, a contract is signed, a deposit is made and the performance will happen before the remaining money is paid to the artist.
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