Former AEG Live Exec Unveils New Venture, Live Earth’s Return, and More in This Week's Touring Digest

TOP STORIES Former AEG Live Touring Exec Rob Hallett Unveils 'Disruptive' New Venture  Rob Hallett, former president of international touring at AEG Live, has revealed details of his music business venture, entitled Robomagic. How Dropping Gas Prices Have Helped the Live-Music Industry Save Big  Acts that have been out pounding the road through the fall into the new year have received an unexpected holiday gift, as decreases in prices at the pump are saving the touring industry at large millions of dollars over the past several months. Elton John Tops Hot Tours Recap  Elton John rang in the New Year in New York City for the first time ever in his legendary five-decade career, selling out Brooklyn’s Barclays Center with 16,470 fans joining the party on Dec. 31. Pharrell Williams Is Collaborating With Al Gore... On Live Earth's Return  Live Earth is returning June 18, 2015, with over 100 artists playing across seven continents to raise environmental awareness. Pharrell Williams is serving as creative director, helping co-founders Al Gore and Kevin Wall to choose who those artists will be. Meadowlands' Izod Center Facing Early Closure Amidst Heavy Competition  The Izod Center at the Meadowlands complex in East Rutherford, N.J., could well become a casualty of new arenas in its region even sooner than suspected Veteran UK Promoter Talks Pulling Sonisphere, Crowded Fest Market, Selling Out with Ed Sheeran  Veteran U.K. promoter Stuart Galbraith opens up on the cancellation of the hard rock festival Sonisphere, working with Ed Sheeran and the European festival market at large. New NFL-Related Venue Heating Up Already-Competitive L.A. Concert Market  The announcement of two new live-music facilities in Los Angeles has made the city's fiercely competitive venue market even more intense. 'Weird Al' Yankovic Announces Epic International Tour  "Weird Al's" 2015 "Mandatory World Tour" starts May 12 at Planet Hollywood, and will visit dozens of cities across North America, Europe and, later, Australasia. Nederlander Concerts Taps Eddie Orjuela as Latin Programming Consultant  Concert and event promoter and manager Eddie Orjuela has been tapped to book and consult Latin programming for Nederlander Concerts’ venues, effective immediately.