EXPERIENCE (Entertainment Industry):
. Tour Manager/Director of Operations (current)
. Theme Park Director
. Artiste’s Tour Manager (most recent; bond for The Mel Bush Organization and Youssou N’Dour and Shola Ama for Marshall Arts Limited);
. Management of numerous World Tours including the Third World.
. Promoter’s Tour Manager and Representative;
. Event Co-ordinator;
. Personal Assistant;
. Production and Stage Manager;
. Live Sound and Recording Engineer;
. Guitar Technician;
. Studio Management.
. Computer literate (since 1984):
Apple Macintosh G4 PowerBook: Excel and Word generated programs specifically designed for accountancy-based pre-tour and project budget management and projection, on-tour management, post-production and venue settlement. Photoshop and PowerPoint. Full production facilities including luxury tour buses, trucks, sound, lighting and video technicians and equipment, full independent professional travel agency facilities, itineraries, laminated ‘Schedule At-a-Glance’ information providers and marketing.
. Philanthropic;
. Charitable Trust Formation, Administration and Co-ordination;
. Public Relations/Marketing including Live Radio/Television appearances,
. Public Speaking/Debates;
. Motivating the Voluntary Sector;
. Establishing partnerships with statutory and non-statutory organisations;
. Fund-raising;
. Corporate Sponsorship;
. Project Management and Budget Control.
. OBJECTIVES:
“Attention to detail; the right team of people and personally supporting the Artistes and Crew creates the successful tour, event or project; a broad experience helps to second-guess the unexpected, keep within projected expenditure and produce professional shows within budget”.
* “Experienced professional tour management of new, as well as established acts, is essential in today’s market where keeping production costs to a minimum while maintaining quality and value to the record-buying public is pre-requisite to success”.
Experience;
Will Palin’s first steps in promotion and marketing were in the early 1970’s when he designed, built and managed the first professional music rehearsal studios in London. Underhill Studios were very successful with clients such as David Bowie, Genesis Upp, Spread Eagle and Lou Reed. In 1972 he became David Bowie’s Equipment Manager, later becoming a Sound Engineer on Bowie’s first World Tours. In 1973 having helped to establish one of Europe’s first equipment rental companies (Ground Control) he worked with numerous Artists in the UK, Europe and the USA including David Bowie, Lou Reed, Queen and Mott the Hoople.
Will then married in 1975 and combined his skill and experience with his wife’s expertise in catering and opened a residential studio in Devon in 1976. Four years later he returned to touring through Europe, the USA and the Middle East (Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and the Gulf States). Artistes included Gloria Gaynor, Sad Cafe and Squeeze and in 1983 Will became PA to the USA-based multi-millionaire John Kistler. Throughout 1984 to 1992 it was back on the road. Touring as Production Manager and Artist’s Tour Manager, for Artists including; Difford & Tilbrook, Chris de Burgh, The Shadows, Natalie Cole, Sam Fox, Aswad etc., and as Promoter’s Tour Manager representing Marshall Arts and The Mel Bush Organization. World tours were extensive throughout Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Tai Wan, Costa Rica, Panama, Brazil, Jamaica and Will was one of the first international Tour Managers to produce major concerts in India, Colombia and Bolivia.
It was during 1987 that Will Palin made his first excursions into major charity events. In liaison with the Royal Family; helping with the “Royal It’s a Knockout” at Alton Towers and later in the year he was appointed the Event Co-ordinator for the Prince’s Trust Royal Gala at the London Palladium which raised “a substantial six figure sum”. Artists included Elton John, Chris de Burgh, Amy Grant, Gloria Estafan, James Taylor, Art Garfunkel, Sir David Frost and Robin Williams. In the following year Will acted as Co-ordinator for a celebrity carol-singing event in London’s West End. It raised £10,000 for ARK. The Silver Clef, Award Winners’ Concert, at Knebworth in 1990 - the biggest Charity event since Live Aid - recruited Will as Artist Co-ordinator. Artists included Paul and Linda McCartney, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Eric Clapton, Status Quo, Robert Plant, Mark Knopfler, Elton John, Cliff Richard and The Shadows. The proceeds from the concert raised more than £6 million for the Nordorff-Robbins Music Therapy Trust.
In 1993 Will became aware of the scale and hopelessness of the drug problem. He then co-founded and established a National Charitable Company, The Youth Trust, leaving the road to dedicate his time to young people and to stemming the tide of illegal drug abuse. The Youth Trust included the Presidency of The Countess of Arran, with Vice Presidents; Air Chief Marshal Sir Roger Palin, Controller of the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, Sir John Evans, Chief Constable, Devon & Cornwall Police and Sir Michael Knight, Chairman, Cobham plc. Supported by numerous celebrities, politicians and sport personalities. So the next five years were given to charity, helping to establish the National UK Anti-Drug Strategy as Deputy Director and founding member of the National Drug Prevention Alliance (direct consultants) to HM Government’s UK’s Anti Drug Co-ordinator, Keith Hellewell.
Towards the end of 1998 when The Youth Trust handed it’s assets over to the Barnstaple Youth House Trust Will returned to commercial activities while maintaining his involvement with the National Drug Prevention Alliance and as a media Drug Awareness Presenter. During 1999 he worked for Quest Music and then for Marshall Arts Limited as Promoter’s Tour Manager on Elvis Costello’s UK Tour. Marshall Arts in the year 2000 again retained Will as Artist’s Tour Manager throughout Europe for ‘Shola Ama’ and for Africa’s most celebrated artiste; Youssou N’Dour. The Mel Bush Organization hired Will to manage a Promotional Tour of Spain and Holland for the ‘in-the-news’ ‘Classical Spice Girls’ BOND. The year 2000 came to a close with a Shola Ama concert over New Year in Tunisia that he negotiated and planned on behalf of Marshall Arts.
In July 2001 Will, having assisted Chris Horrell in the construction of the Into the Light multi-media studio at Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park was appointed the Director of the Park and established Department of Trade and Industry and Bank support to £450,000 for operating capital and the creation of the world’s first ‘life-size’ animatronic T-Rex and other animatronic effects!
CURRENTLY: November 2003- to date Nightsky Travel Limited.
INTERESTS:
Walking; horse and mountain-bike riding; bird watching; historic buildings; family history; information technology: playing guitar and music.
REFEREES: On request
One of Nightsky's Tour Buses at the Isle of Wight Festival:
As close to the stage as you can get!
