[MXD Networking @ SPOT] Meet Primary Talent International

Once again this year, we are inviting several key international industry professionals to attend SPOT Festival. All of them will be joining us at the MXD Superball @ RADAR as part of the SPOT+ programme, but until the festival kicks off on May 4th, we will be bringing you brief introductions to them, including where they come from, what companies they work for, what bands they want to check out at Spot, and much more. We look forward to seeing Matt P. Copley of Primary Talent International.

Name: Matt P. Copley

Company: Primary Talent International

Title: Booking Agent

Based in: London

Can you tell us a bit about the company’s history and its roster?
Formed in 1990 as the result of a merger between two existing agencies – Station Agency and World Service. The result was one of the foremost contemporary music booking agencies in Europe.
Primary was established on the basis that being a big agency, far from being a problem, could be a real benefit to everyone as long as the ratio of individual agents remained unchanged and the personal style of working – for which UK agencies are famous – was not only maintained, but increased.
Since the very beginning, Primary has prided itself on the wide and ever increasing spectrum of musical styles and nationalities that its roster encompasses. It has a deserved reputation around the world, not only for the quality of its artists, but also for setting high standards of technical output and innovation.

– and a bit about the acts you personally work with at this moment?
I enjoy working with lots of different kinds of acts, as each has a different set of requirements and way of thinking. I work on everything from Lana Del Rey to Pissed Jeans.

What was the moment you decided you wanted to work with music?
Well, music has always been an obsession of mine, but I never expected it to become my job. I started booking my friend’s band’s tours when I was about 16/17, and I’ve sort of been doing it since then.

What are your favorite Danish acts?
I love Iceage, Lower and a lot of other bands from the Escho label.

Best show you’ve ever seen hands down?
In the last year… Death Grips at Village Underground in Oct 2016. Nothing has come close to that recently.