The entertainment production business was volatile in the best of times. It was also highly competitive, where wink and nod back room agreements were not quite the rule, but close. Recently the industry had become decidedly slow, in large part due to government heavy-handedness.
For Olterian, he worked through several very profitable years, but in recent months the first class venues became highly selective in which performers might grace their facility. If any were considered politically outspoken, there was no chance of booking them in any of the best facilities, not in this political climate. This was undoubtedly the clandestine work of the government, which had quietly banned several performers from government venues. Behind the scenes, they were quite likely exerting pressure on these private facilities. A threatened tax or safety audit can be a powerful means of coercion. “Not that this is the government’s actual methodology” Olterian mused.
His thoughts shifted back to business. Olterian was not one to blindly comply with government orders and wishes, but he also was sufficiently astute to recognise the need for discretion in where and when he would defy government authority. If he crossed an unknown line, once on the wrong side of the law, it would be nigh impossible to recoup the lost freedom to operate outside of constant government scrutiny. That would likely end his career as one of the best – to some the best – concert promoter in the industry.
Most often he put together bookings fairly quickly; the actual logistics subsequent to an initial agreement with artist and venue are what required far more time to plan. Usually matching the two parties was his idea and his work.
In this moment, he pondered a serious request (as opposed to the frequent frivolous offers that came his way) from a private group – with no venue, but with an artist in mind. This group – Equal Rights, Equal Genders, or as it was commonly known, EREGS – was interested in a specific performer, and no one else – they were quite clear on who was their first and only choice. Since they were offering a rather tidy sum, he was willing to explore matching EREGS with venue and with performer.
After contacting the chief operators of each private venue in the area (Olterian never discussed use of a facility with booking managers, he had learned through experience that was a waste of time; only subsequent to an agreement with the head of the facility would he work with staff to complete the arrangements) came the initial realisation the government must be involved in their reluctance in some way.
Researching through his usual back channels, Olterian was surprised to learn that this particular artist was high on some government official’s shit list. And being that high on a government official’s shit list was not a good thing. If they had you marked, first came marginalisation, and if you fought back, next came some unfortunate accident which would permanently impair the artist’s ability to perform. His mind immediately flashed to a name he had not thought on in a long, long time: E’sphara.
E’sphara. There was no doubt that the loss of full use of her eloquent and supremely talented hands was intentional, even if it appeared to all the world an accident. He sighed as his mind resurfaced the painful and half-repressed memory. Unlike E’sphara, Olterian had emerged from that incident unscathed, but it had been a rather close call.
At the time of the unfortunate accident that ended the career of E’sphara, her reputation for alleged subversion was not half as hot as this new artist he was now supposed to book. Was it worth risking his livelihood, if not his own neck?
“I should know better than to ask myself such a question,” Olterian snickered aloud. Somewhat of a maverick, he was pragmatic and astute, yet also enjoyed tweaking the government without their even being aware it was happening. And he loved a challenge. For the sum promised – the hiring group had already given him a sizeable retainer – he would surely proceed onward.
Having sat in one position for half the afternoon, Olterian kicked back his chair, lifting each leg rather gingerly onto his desktop. Once this was accomplished, he slowly leaned back in his custom and hand crafted chair and began to think on possible alternatives.
After an hour of running through each alternative, he knew the only logical way to match the interested parties was to hold the performance on private land well away from most of the local population. Such a venue would not attract much attention, nor would it be seen as a threat given so few would be aware of what was taking place. Marginalisation was the government’s current goal, and his plan would dovetail nicely with their desires. They would see his arrangement as an attempt to comply with government wishes.
“Too bad she is persona non grata” Olterian lamented. He had seen clips of this young artist’s work, for his was a profession that required he be well aware of all up and coming artists. In another time and another place, instead of possibly too dangerous to handle, llhaesa ahrella t’yaeli would be the booking of a lifetime.
