Astral People and Handsome Tours join forces

Local artist management and touring company Astral People and the Inertia Group’s touring company Handsome Tours have merged their touring operations.

The two companies already work closely together on Sydney’s boutique festival OutsideIn handling its sideshows and will now collaborate on electronic, hip-hop and DJ tours.

Astral People Director Lee Danilewitz told TMN he grew up attending shows put on by Handsome Tour’s Ashley Sellers, Colin Daniels and Mat Everett.

“As someone who grew up going to Handsome gigs on a pretty much weekly basis, it's a real honour to be working with a company who have done such an amazing job touring some of the world's biggest acts.”

In the 15 years since its inception, Handsome Tours has been responsible for launching many international acts in Australia including: Bon Iver, The xx, The War On Drugs, The National, SBTRKT, Future Islands, Asgeir and The Lumineers. The company’s latest opus is Berry NSW event Fairgrounds Festival, which will feature Father John Misty, Ratatat and Royal Headache on the lineup this December.

Just four years in, Astral People have toured artists including Freddie Gibbs, BadBadNotGood, Nosaj Thing, xxyyxx, Snakehips, Pantha Du Prince and Giraffage.

Mark Dodds, Handsome Tours Promoter told TMN: "The team at Astral People have become renowned for their peerless A&R, creative events and dedication to growing artists from the ground up. With Handsome's tour management behind them, they will only continue to blossom as one of Australia's leaders in hip-hop and electronic music." 

The partnership between Astral People directors Tom Huggett, Lee Danilewitz and Vic Edirisinghe, and Handsome directors Ashley Sellers, Colin Daniels and Mat Everett will operate under the Astral People brand. The division will be the resident home for all electronic and hip hop music under the Handsome Tours umbrella.

Handsome Tours exists as part of the Inertia Group, which also includes the record label Inertia, publishing company GaGa Music and i.e:inertia management. 

“Working with Inertia opens up so many new opportunities for us and allows us access to resources we didn't have before,” Danilewitz told TMN.