2019.01.11 - Los Angeles Times - Interview with Paul Tollett (co-founder of Coachella)

Must Reads: As Coachella turns 20, its press-shy co-founder gets candid about sexual harassment and why Kanye dropped out

By Steve Appleford

The fifth-floor lobby of Goldenvoice Productions greets visitors in downtown L.A. with a vibrant, wall-size mosaic that depicts a desert landscape close to the heart of concert promoter Paul Tollett. Its sun-baked mountains and palm trees represent the site of his Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, now in its 20th year.

Tollett, the longtime president of Goldenvoice, co-founded the hugely influential festival with his late partner Rick Van Santen to rave reviews and near-ruinous ticket sales in 1999. It survived to become one the world’s essential pop music events, with career-defining performances by the likes of Beyoncé, Prince and Radiohead, an annual two-weekend gathering of music, art and food with lineups that often inspire or inflame music fanatics.

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In a year of concerts across California and beyond promoted by Goldenvoice, which began nearly four decades ago as a leading proselytizer of punk rock, Coachella remains the high point for Tollett. His corner office is filled with reminders of Goldenvoice’s history, with glass cases preserving ancient fliers for chaotic shows with the Ramones, Black Flag and Dead Kennedys from the company’s first decade of action.

In 2001, Goldenvoice was sold to live music giant AEG Presents. Its chairman is unapologetic conservative Philip Anschutz, whose political donations have led to calls for a boycott of the festival. Tollett, who is not a Donald Trump supporter, retains half ownership of Coachella.

Dressed in his usual jeans, gray T-shirt and black Dodgers cap, Tollett is soft-spoken by nature and press-shy from experience. But he agreed to sit for three lengthy interviews with The Times to clear the air on issues that have piled up regarding the festival and other Goldenvoice business. Coachella drew a quarter-million music fans last year (and a worldwide streaming audience of 458,000), who witnessed a wildly ambitious headline performance by Beyoncé and her cast of about 100 dancers, musicians, a reunited Destiny’s Child and husband Jay-Z.

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You somehow managed to get Guns N’ Roses back together with founding members Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan. That was a tall order.

When I talked to them, I said, “I made your flyer when you played at Fenders with Johnny Thunders back in 1986 or ’87.” I sent it to them. That was a tricky one. I had a list of 13 people that I had to get through. You’ve got to go in order. If you go out of order you can piss off the wrong person.

Was Axl the first call?

No, it starts way lower than that. It starts with people around me. Then there’s agents, managers, attorneys. Us humans are a little fragile when you’re cut out of something. So I’m going around: “Hey, just letting you know I’m going after this. I’ll keep you in the loop.“ But you can call the wrong person, and they’ll maybe call Slash and Axl too early and spook the whole thing.

It’s not just about a dollar figure?

Oh, no. If you lead with that, you will always be shut down. An artist doesn’t want to feel that they’re just that. Plus, as much as Coachella can pay, there’s always someone who can offer more. It can never be the money. I actually think the youth side of the show really sells a lot to some of these artists: Let’s get the new generation, the cutting-edge people.

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Full article:
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-paul-tollet-coachella-20190111-story.html