PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT

Anthony Jaye Director

21 years as a full time performer may not seem like a lot, but it is when you learn that Anthony Jaye has only just celebrated his 38th birthday…..you could say that he has been performing half of his life already.

Affectionately known by his peers as A.J, Anthony has enjoyed huge success in his “live” performances Australia and abroad as a solo performer, a recording artist, and of course as the lead singer and founder of his much talked about Melbourne based show band, DEJAVU.

Recently A.J has embarked on his latest challenge, the launching of a new brand of Entertainment Consultancy within the corporate event arena called TALENT SOLUTIONS direct. A.J believes that a more personable & hands on approach with clients is what’s needed in this rapidly changing market place, and “who better to head that campaign in this town than me” he says. I love music and I love people, and ultimately what every client wants when planning an event is a quality solution with minimal fuss and maximum success…on time, within budget and without headaches.

Having performed an average of 100 private events a year as well as managing all aspects of his own performances and bookings over the last 17 years, AJ has obtained a breadth of knowledge and understanding of both entertainers and venues that is undeniable. It is this high level of exposure that has encouraged him to share such knowledge and experience through the creation of his new brand TALENT SOLUTIONS direct.

 

My Story

As a teenage performer in the late 1980’s, getting the attention of band agencies was a huge challenge. They rarely made time for you, they rarely accepted your phone calls and you could almost be certain that your demo tape would sit amongst a pile of others collecting dust. Once inside their office I now laughingly recall agencies going out of their way to make me feel desperate for a gigs so that when they finally gave me a booking -  four hours away with what equated to be a handful of gold coins, I would be ok with it!

After just a few years of entertaining on the pub and club circuit, I had reached a humble verdict  it was  time for me to take responsibility and charter my own journey into the private event market so that I could continue to enjoy music and survive.

It was around this time that I had received a brochure in the mail promoting the Hilton Hotel; this became the motivation for my first ‘band package’. The penny had dropped and I was convinced after seeing this that if I wanted to be taken seriously in a business manner, I needed to present myself in a business manner. I decided that a full colour booklet with a CD Rom video presentation would really make an impression as well as set me apart from other artists in the market place. After several months of preparation, the finished project was a masterpiece and something that sold the value of our entertainment. Little did I know that this one bold move would kick start what has since been an extraordinary period of great relationships with venues, event clients and agents alike - not to mention that this type of presentation birthed a brand new cycle of how artists’ packages are since expected to be showcased. I had no idea at the time that this was the beginning of some of the best learning experiences of my performing career, and to date, thankfully have not looked back.

2009 commemorates 21 years for me as a full time performer, 17 of those within the private event arena. With still a healthy personal average of around 80 - 100 private events a year, entertaining is still my favorite thing in the world to do.

 

My Philosophy

Keep it simple, keep it honest and only engage with the best - it’s really that easy!

All clients have an understanding of their audience, and generally a good idea on what type of entertainment will suit their event.  It is our job at TSD to understand the ‘personality’ of your event and recommend entertainment that is the best fit for that personality and ambience.

Working with an understanding of a client’s needs and budget, TSD provide accurate costs of performance fees first time and every time, and make sure that the act suggested is the most suited act for that particular brief.

Creating a ‘win-win’ scenario for all parties concerned, is what we trust will give you the confidence to building a business relationship with us that is there for the long term. It is to be passionate and love what you do that is the hallmark of true success, in providing the ultimate in entertainment solutions.