This month it’s time to meet Tom Willdridge, our master of Ticketmaster Platinum and reigning Bosphurus swim champion.
So Tom, you’ve been part of Artist Services at Ticketmaster for a few years now, what’s the story of how you have got to where you are today?
Lying, cheating and back-stabbing mostly… but in all seriousness, we have a great working environment in Artist Services which really encourages you to get involved with a variety of different projects, which I love doing.
If you had to describe Platinum Ticketing to someone who had never heard of it before in a sentence, what would you say?
It’s a fantastic way for artists and event organisers to price great seats at what they are actually worth.
With the recent launch of Ibiza Nation, a project you have had a big hand in, what have you most enjoyed about working on it?
It’s always exciting to start something from scratch and get it off the ground. The season will be coming to an end soon, but we’re already planning big things for next year. Ibiza is a remarkable place and we’re only just starting to scratch the surface at of its potential.
You were listed as one of Music Week’s 30 under 30 in 2014 which is a tremendous accolade, aside from this what project or campaign have you been most proud of?
I’ve always been very proud of Platinum’s continued success. We’ve played a part in changing the way the music industry thinks about ticket pricing.
What has been your favourite ever live show?
It’s between Leonard Cohen at The O2 and Prince at The Roundhouse.
Which eight desert island discs would you choose?
- Jens Lekman – Pyschogirl
- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth
- Leonard Cohen – The Partisan
- Tom Paxton – Talking Pop Art
- Ewan MacColl – Dirty Old Town
- Bruce Springsteen – Thunder Road
- Simon & Garfunkel – The Only Living Boy in New York
That’s seven… They always have some classical music on Desert Island Discs, luckily my wife manages opera singers, so I’ll go with Franco Corelli singing Ombra Mai Fu.
Who are you tipping for success in the next 12 months?
Car Seat Headrest
A little bird told me you recently received a gold medal with Olympic rings on…
That’s right, sadly not from Rio 2016 though. In August I swam in the 6.5km Bosphorus Cross-Continental race that starts in Asia and finishes in Europe and managed to win my age bracket. It was organised by the Turkish Olympic Committee, hence the rings.
