The Rolling Stones Deny Live Nation Deal
The Rolling Stones have denied a report that the band was on the verge of signing a massive deal with Live Nation. According to the band's spokesman, "We are not in talks with Live Nation in connection with any record deal." The supposed deal would have seen the Stones not only sign a new contract with Live Nation but also bring along their lucrative back catalog, thus costing EMI an estimated $5.9 million a year. Industry experts ultimately expect the band to leave EMI, as they released the soundtrack to their concert film Shine A Light through rival Universal earlier this year. The Stones' exit from EMI would be the third major artist to leave the industry giant (following Radiohead and Paul McCartney) since the label was taken over by equity firm Terra Firma.