CCFP Staff - Creative Community for Peace

CCFP Behind The Scenes: Live Nation/Bluestone Group head Guy Beser

Rihanna, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Britney Spears, Guns N’ Roses… What do they all have in common? They all performed (or will soon perform) in Israel thanks to the efforts of the Israeli production company Bluestone Group.

Since their first high profile concert — Rihanna in 2013 — they have grown by leaps and bounds, and have been responsible for bringing a number of top name artists to Israel. And since they partnered with concert giant Live Nation earlier this year, it seems clear that they will only go from strength to more strength.

To launch Creative Community For Peace (CCFP)’s Behind the Scenes Series, we sat down with Guy Beser, the owner of Bluestone Group, to discuss his success and the success of the concert industry in Israel.

CCFP: What got you into the industry? What made you want to get involved in bringing concerts to Israel?

Guy Beser (GB): Well, first of all, I think that you need passion to do this. If you don’t have passion, if it’s not coming from your heart and soul, you really can’t do it for a long time. Me and my partner, Shy, I think that we were born with this passion, to do this kind of stuff. I did it from the age of 15, I think. We started international concerts four and a half years ago with Rihanna, which was our opportunity to get into the market. Until then, the market was quite asleep. In Israel, until 5 years ago, you can see no more than 2-3 big shows. And now, it’s something like 27, or even more. So I think us getting into this market changed a lot. After us, a lot of new players got into the market, and this is a very good thing for the fans, for music lovers, for the music industry, for Israel, and for us. And when we saw that the Rihanna show went well, we went to LA and met with our potential partner at the time, Guy Ozeri. We discussed building an international show business in Israel. He agreed, and everything else is history.

CCFP: Why are you passionate about music?

GB: Music unites everyone. Music can heal your heart. Music can make you run faster. It can make you smile. Music can make you happy when you are sad. So I think music is kind of a language that talks to everyone no matter which language you are basically talking. And I think it’s wonderful that we have music in the world that can talk in the same language to everyone. This is the thing that makes us unite around music and makes people love music, and I hope that we’ll continue doing our part in this industry of entertainment.

CCFP: We have to ask about Bluestone partnering with Live Nation, which is obviously a really big deal. How will it impact the concert scene in Israel?

GB: Merging with Live Nation is a really big deal, both for us as a company and for the concert industry in Israel. It’s a game changer when a huge corporation like Live Nation comes to a small country like Israel. It means we’ll be part of the route of every show that Live Nation has through Asia, Europe, or the Middle East. It puts Israel on the map of international shows.

If you see this summer, we already had Aerosmith, we’re having Britney Spears, we’re having Guns N’ Roses, we’re having Lil Dicky, Pet Shop Boys…And we’re going to announce a few more shows. And next summer you’ll see a lot more.

And then there are the festivals. Live Nation owns more than 80 festivals all over the world, so we’re working on bringing some of them to Israel. I think the audience is ready for a festival in Israel, and we’ll do it in 2018. So ultimately, merging with Live Nation is a really good thing for us and for the audience, because they will enjoy all kinds of music.

CCFP: We heard that you work with Live Nation in the United Arab Emirates to bring artists to the region, because it’s lowers the costs if they go to multiple places in the Middle East. How does that cooperation work?

GB:: We work very closely with the Live Nation offices all over the Middle East, and yes we’re trying to work together to bring shows and to build tours that will be only in the Middle East. I say Middle East, but sometimes it also includes places like South Africa. So let’s say they start in Dubai and then they go to Bahrain, Israeli, South Africa, etc. Working closely with these promoters in other countries around us will eventually bring more artists and festivals, and make it much easier to route them through the region.

CCFP: We know there are sometimes difficulties bringing artists to Israel because of the added costs. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

GB: Israel isn’t like Europe, where you use trucks and buses to move the equipment and crew from place to place. Israel is an isolated place, with borders all around us, so logistically it’s difficult to do a show without flying everything here. Everything is with airplanes, all the equipment and crew, so the costs are very high.

We also have high insurances costs, though I think now that will be the same in Europe. We pay terror insurance, cancellation insurance, etc. But the main problem we have in Israel is that we don’t have a real venue to do shows. All the biggest shows are in Park HaYarkon, which is just a park, so we have to build the venue from scratch every time. We have nothing. If we had a venue like Wembley Stadium or something, it would be much easier for us.

Even so, we’re constantly trying to reduce ticket prices. It’s part of our vision that everyone will be able to come and see an international show in Israel.

CCFP: You mentioned terror insurance, Security against terrorism raises the cost of concerts in Israel?

GB: First of all, I have to tell you Israel is one of the safest places in the world for concerts today, because everybody here understands security and how to secure a big venue. I think that all over the world, they’re starting to learn these issues, and we’re already experts. But yes, the costs are high, on police, on security, on insurance, on fence around the venues, cameras…we have a lot of costs regarding security.

CCFP: You’re obviously aware of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) and the pressure they put on artists to refrain from performing in Israel. How are they impacting your work, if at all?

GB: Ultimately, I think that artists are not stupid. They understand what’s happening in Israel. And when they come here, they really understand our country.

They feel the warmth of the audience, the love that they share with the artist. And eventually, they leave the country as friends of Israel. So when they talk to other artists, and when their managers talk to other managers, word gets out that Israel is quite a nice place to perform. And on these terms, I think that BDS is losing.

CCFP: What do you do when an artist is getting pressure from BDS?

GB: Well, the first thing we do is work with you at Creative Community For Peace.

CCFP: If you could say just one thing to a BDS supporter, what would it be?

GB: Be part of the music, forget about boycotts.

CCFP: And what would you say to an artist who’s considering performing in Israel but isn’t sure yet?

GB: Just ask other artists who have been to Israel already, and they’ll tell you the truth. They’ll tell you how lovely the country is, how warm the people are, how great it is to perform for an audience that knows how to show love to the artist. What great food we have, what great views we have… Come on, Israel is a great country, come and play here.

CCFP: Lastly, we want to know three of your favorite artists. Your favorite Israeli artist, your favorite international artist, and your favorite artist that you have brought or will bring to Israel.

GB: My favorite Israeli artist would be “The Friends of Natasha.” I love their album “Radio Blah Blah.” If you listen to it closely, there’s a lot hidden in there.

My favorite international artist would be — a very old one — Elvis Presley. I grew up on his music at home.

And my favorite artist that we’ve brought to Israel or are going to bring… it’s someone that we’re going to bring but I can’t tell you about yet.

CCFP Staff In Cultural Boycott

I’m an Arab. Here’s why I’ll be performing with Radiohead in Israel.

Much has been said and written ahead of Radiohead’s concert in Tel Aviv this week. The successful British rock band has been under pressure to cancel its visit to Israel, in another attempt to boycott the only democracy in the Middle East.

Among the critics was director Ken Loach, who called on the band not to perform in Israel and “whitewash the country’s human rights violations.”

But such an approach is counter-productive and only hurting those who wish to promote peace and tolerance in a troubled region.

This approach is hurting me. I am a Muslim Arab woman. I am a singer. And this Wednesday, I will share the stage with Radiohead in their concert.

I was born in Haifa and grew up in Lod—two cities with a mix of Arab and Jewish communities, living side by side. It wasn’t always easy, but my personal experience has taught me that open dialogue is the only way to overcome our differences. Ever since I won a singing competition on Israeli TV, my music and my story have inspired many in Israel to open their minds and hearts to Arabic music and my people’s culture.

I have dedicated my life to music, and dedicated my music to breaking down borders and bringing people closer together. That is why this past year I did what no other Arab-Israeli has done before, and sang in Israel’s official Independence and Memorial Day ceremonies.

“Playing in a country isn’t the same as endorsing its government,” Yorke wrote in response to Loach claims. However, I believe that it has everything to do with endorsing its people, and using music to engage with them. After all, if we don’t engage one another, and work together, we will never find peace between us.

This Wednesday, I will also perform alongside one of Israel’s most talented artists, Dudu Tassa—a Jewish singer—to bring a message of co-existence to every corner of the country. The two of us were fortunate enough to be invited by Thom Yorke to tour with Radiohead across the U.S. earlier this year.

I must admit, I had never heard of Radiohead before receiving Yorke’s invitation, but that tour changed my life and was one of the peaks of my career. A peak I am looking forward to ascending again this week when I share the stage with Radiohead in front of a sold out crowd in Tel Aviv.

An Arabic proverb says “music is the nutrition of the spirit.” Music feeds people’s spirits and opens them up. Music builds bridges and this is exactly what I am hoping to achieve through this concert.

Those who call for boycott are only trying to divide us. They are trying to shut down the music. I will not be a part of that. Sadly, there are too many countries in the Middle East in which such a concert could have never taken place.

I was lucky to be born in Israel, and I am grateful for the opportunity to build bridges of understanding.

Alongside Thom Yorke and Radiohead I plan on rocking Israel this Wednesday.

Nasreen Qadri is an Arab-Israeli singer who rose to national prominence in 2012 after winning the singing contest “Eyal Golan is Calling You.” Radiohead perform in Tel Aviv on Wednesday July 19.

Read the original article.

CCFP Staff In Ignore, Press Release

Top Entertainment Industry Executives sign open letter supporting Lincoln Center and denouncing Boycott Israel Movement.

Los Angeles, CA (July 10, 2017) – More than 45 high-level entertainment industry executives have signed a letter denouncing the “hypocritical, discriminatory, and dangerous” Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, after activists associated with the movement demanded that Lincoln Center cancel an Israeli play.

The executives, all members of Creative Community For Peace (CCFP), include: Adam Berkowitz, co-head of the television department at Creative Artists Agency (CAA); Jody Gerson, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group; Rick Krim, west coast president of Sony/ATV Music Publishing; David Renzer, chairman of Spirit Music Group; Rick Rosen, head of the television department at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME); Ben Silverman, chairman and co-chief executive officer of Propagate Content; and Steve Schnur, worldwide executive and music president of Electronic Arts, among others.

“Selectively silencing art is dangerous,” they wrote in the letter. “Art unites us, and helps us get past what makes us different while connecting us at the core of what makes us similar. We — and especially Israelis and Palestinians, who require being brought together more than anything — need more of it, not less.”

See the full letter and list of signatories below.

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Dear Ms. Farley and Ms. Spar,

We at Creative Community For Peace (CCFP) applaud you for your principled stand in support of the arts. In the face of attacks by anti-Israel groups calling on Lincoln Center — one of the world’s foremost performing arts centers — to cancel the performance of the Israeli play “To the End of the Land,” you stood strong.

As an organization comprised of prominent members of the entertainment industry who believe in the power of the arts as a means to help build bridges towards peace, support artistic freedom, and counter the cultural boycott of Israel, we find the selective and politically motivated boycott directed at Israeli funding of the arts to be hypocritical, discriminatory, and dangerous to the arts and artists worldwide.

As we know, government support is crucial for the arts. Just this month, in fact, there are at least three other events at Lincoln Center that include support from governments around the world:

The film “Birdshot” — funded by the Doha Film Institute, a Qatari organization headed by the ruling Al Thani family — was screened there on July 6.

From July 3-8, the American Ballet Theatre — funded by the US federal government together with the governments of New York City and New York State — is performing its “Tchaikovsky Spectacular.”

And from July 26-30, the Bolshoi Ballet — which lists as its partners two Russian government news agencies — will perform “The Taming of the Shrew.”

While some of us at CCFP (and perhaps even at Lincoln Center) may disagree with various actions of these governments, we can all agree that punishing artists from these countries by shunning them for receiving crucial funding from their governments is not the answer. Depriving audiences of their work, their perspectives, and their contributions to culture around the world is imprudent.

Punishing artists from only one of these countries — as the signatories of open letter are attempting with Israel — is both imprudent and discriminatory.

In their letter asking you to punish Israeli artists, the signatories painted a very black and white picture of Israel — the only true democracy in the Middle East, where all people regardless of race, religion, or gender have full political and civil rights — ignoring the many shades of gray in its supremely complex and tragically ongoing conflict with the Palestinians.

They wrongfully accuse Israel of being a colonial, apartheid state, by using the type of emotionally charged and dishonest language which only serves to trigger further hostility and dampen hope for rational discourse, pushing peace further away.

They degraded Israeli artists, portraying them as no more than a tool used by the Israeli government to cover up its alleged crimes.

They demonized Israel, trying to make a sinister conspiracy out of Israel funding its artists, despite the fact that nearly every country on earth — from the freest democracy to the most oppressive dictatorship — does the same.

Again, we applaud you for standing firm in your support of the arts. If we had allowed their brazen efforts to single out Israeli artists for a politically motivated boycott to succeed today, who might have been the target tomorrow?

Selectively silencing art is dangerous. Art unites us, and helps us get past what makes us different while connecting us at the core of what makes us similar. We — and especially Israelis and Palestinians, who require being brought together more than anything — need more of it, not less.

We hope our colleagues who signed the boycott letter will follow your example and reconsider their support for this divisive movement . Instead we hope they will join us in ensuring that our industry is not used as a political tool of hatred and persecution based on misinformation and one sided biases.

Jason Adelman, former vp of strategic partnerships at Relativity Media;

Orly Adelson, president of Orly Adelson Productions;

Craig Balsam, co-founder of Razor & Tie Entertainment;

Richard Baskind, partner and head of music at Simons Muirhead & Burton;

Aton Ben-Horin, global vice president of A&R at Warner Music Group;

Steven Bensusan, president of Blue Note Entertainment Group;

Adam Berkowitz, co-head of the television department at Creative Artists Agency (CAA);

Joshua P. Binder, partner at Davis Shapiro & Lewit et al.;

David Byrnes, partner of Ziffren, Brittenham, LLP;

Civia Caroline, president of Clic Entertainment;

Josh Deutsch, chairman/CEO of Downtown Records;

David Draiman, musician and frontman of Disturbed;

Craig Emanuel, partner of Loeb & Loeb LLP;

Ron Fair, record producer and former chief creative officer and executive vp of Virgin America;

Erica Forster, vp of Music Partnerships, DanceOn;

Gary Foster, principal of Krasnoff Foster Productions;

Daryl Friedman, chief advocacy and industry relations officer of The Recording Academy/GRAMMYs on the Hill;

Daniel Glass, president and founder of Glassnote Entertainment Group;

Andrew Genger, Red Light Management;

Jody Gerson, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group;

Gary Ginsberg, executive vice president of corporate marketing and communications of Time Warner Inc.;

David Glick, founder and CEO of Edge Group;

Trudy Green, Trudy Green Management/HK Management;

Neil Jacobson, president of Geffen Records;

Zach Katz, president repertoire & marketing, U.S., BMG;

Amanda Kogan, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME);

Rick Krim, west coast president of Sony/ATV Music Publishing;

Colin Lester, CEO of JEM Artists;

David Levy, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME);

David Lonner, CEO of Oasis Media Group;

Ben Maddahi, president of Unrestricted;

Scott Packman, Esq.;

Donald S. Passman, partner of Gang, Tyre, Ramer, and Brown, Inc.;

Dean Raise, C3 Presents;

David Renzer, chairman of Spirit Music Group and former chairman/CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group;

Hanna Rochelle, founder and president of Lyric Culture;

Rick Rosen, co-founder and head of television at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME);

Steve Schnur, worldwide executive and music president of Electronic Arts;

Sam Schwartz, co-principal of Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency;

Ben Silverman, chairman and co-chief executive officer of Propagate Content;

Ralph Simon, chairman & chief executive officer of Mobilium Global Limited,

Jeff Sosnow, svp of a&r at Warner Music Group;

Gary Stiffelman, partner of Greenberg Traurig LLP;

Aaron Symonds, film composer;

Traci Szymanski, president of Co-Star Entertainment/Isrealife Media Group;

Adam Taylor, president of APM Music;

Sharon Tal Yguado, head of event series at Amazon.

Please note that all organizations are listed for affiliation only.

CCFP Staff In Press Release

CREATIVE COMMUNITY FOR PEACE HOSTS TOP MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES

Los Angeles, CA (June 27, 2017) Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) held an event at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles which brought the who’s who of the entertainment industry together in celebration of the power of music to build bridges for peace. The Frontman of Grammy nominated Warner Bros band Disturbed and CCFP member, David Draiman, performed his Grammy nominated cover of “The Sound of Silence.” Warner Bros. Records sponsored the event with co-hosts Evan Lamberg, President of N. America Universal Publishing and CCFP Advisory Board members Neil Jacobson, President of Geffen Records; Zach Katz, President Repertoire & Marketing, BMG; Rick Krim, Co-President of Sony/ATV Publishing; David Lonner, CEO of Oasis Media Group; and David Renzer, chairman of Spirit Music Group.

Guests included Chairman and Chief Executive of Warner Bros. Records Cameron Strang, President of Shout Factory, Bob Emmer, leading Entertainment Attorney’s David Byrnes, Jeffrey Light, Craig Emanuel, Aton Ben Horin from Warner Bros/ Atlantic Records, and film producer Howard Rosenman, as well as executives from Variety, Warner Bros, and many others.

After his performance, David Draiman urged his colleagues to continue their efforts to make sure music is never silenced: “I encourage each one of you to support the exchanging of ideas, culturally, spiritually, philosophically and politically with everyone on the face of this planet.” He went on, “Let’s teach ourselves how to build those bridges of peace.”

Consul General of Israel Sam Grundwerg shared a special message of the importance of music and the arts in bringing people together.

At the event’s conclusion, guests were given a private viewing and tour of Paul Simon Words & Music, an exhibit organized by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum.

Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) is an organization comprised of prominent members of the entertainment industry who promote the arts as a means to peace, support artistic freedom, and counter the cultural boycott of Israel. We understand the power that our music, our films, our television shows, and all arts have. We encourage artists to participate, rather than to shun, to express rather than to suppress. If anything, turn up the music, expose our art to wider audiences, and encourage people from all cultures to interact, communicate and inspire peace and understanding. Don’t Boycott. Build Bridges. Instill Hope. Create a Better Future.

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CCFP Staff In Quotes

Thom Yorke

CCFP Staff In Press Release

EXCLUSIVE: Another False BDS Claim

Swiss actress Jasna Fritzi Bauer has been falsely accused of withdrawing from the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival in support of the boycott of Israel when in reality she had a scheduling conflict. Jasna has a deep love for Israel and its people, and she was thrilled to be coming to Tel Aviv for the festival.

She expressed her profound disappointment when notifying the festival organizers of her need to withdraw her participation. We wish her the best of luck on her current and future projects and hope to see her in Israel soon.

CCFP Staff In Quotes

Joanna Lumley

CCFP Staff In Press Release

CCFP Response to Open Letter Calling for Radiohead to Boycott Israel

As Israeli concert promoters prepare for their busiest concert season in history, the Boycott Israel movement continues its efforts to target individual artists to try to convince them to cancel their concerts, with Radiohead as the latest target.

Boycott activists have also recruited several artists to join their efforts, who have once again penned an open letter to try to convince Radiohead to cancel – under the guise of protesting against Israel for “humanitarian“ reasons.

Unfortunately, their letter is filled with inaccurate accusations against Israel, including false claims of “apartheid’ and “genocide.” Trying to appeal to artists natural empathy for the downtrodden, the boycott movement falsely characterizes the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement as a movement seeking peace and justice, and drives the prospect of peace further away.

The cultural boycott is built on the premise that there can be no dialogue or communication between Israel and the rest of the world. That Israel should be ostracized, demonized and bears sole responsibility for the problems of the region. To support this, Israel is branded as an apartheid state when in fact it is the only democracy in the region where all its citizens are subject to the same laws and are in fact free.

While we may have vastly different opinions on the supremely complicated Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we can all agree that the arts — through their ability to create dialogue — can and should be an important part of the solution.

We applaud Radiohead for joining their peers and using their art as a way to bring people together. On their US tour, Radiohead chose two Israeli acts — one Jewish and one Arab — to open for them, sending the powerful message to the world that coexistence is entirely possible, and music can be a catalyst for making it happen. Radiohead are sure to continue to foster this message when they perform in Israel in July.

Unfortunately, artists continue to be subjected to tremendous pressure from some of our peers in the entertainment community. Rather than expend this energy to divide, we hope that one day these groups and individuals will band together to unite. We invite them to sit at the table with us and work side by side to be sure no one is silenced.

The above response was sent to the 20+ media outlets worldwide which covered this story including NME, Pitchfork, Yahoo News, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Vulture and The Washington Times.