|
|
Thursday's Playlist
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Axl Rose Arrested!!!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
From melodicrock.com
AXL ROSE ARRESTED IN SWEDEN!:This just in: Axl Rose was arrested in Stockholm, Sweden at 8 this morning (Tuesday) after a fight with guards at his hotel. He is now in custody for threats to officers and hotel security, violent behavior, damaging hotel property and for biting a police officer in the leg. He is still too drunk to be questioned.
The Guns N Roses concert in Oslo, Norway tomorrow (Wed) may therefore be in jeopardy.
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:34 AM | Email Us
Monday's Playlist
Monday, June 26, 2006
Prize Dumpster Winners 6/23/06
Congrats to last Friday's winners:
Derek Sikora of Neillsville won a dvd of the action-packed thriller movie "BLAST", and a coupon for a Philly Cheese Steak Thickburger from Hardees.
Jennifer Koenig of Marshfield won the book "The Enemy" by Lee Child and a Hardees coupon as well.
Keep those registrations coming in!!!
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:18 AM | Email Us
Friday's Playlist
The New Cars put the brakes on shows!!!
Thursday, June 22, 2006
From melodicrock.com...
NEW CARS TOUR CANCELLED:
Direct from The New Cars website: The New Cars Tour is cancelled, although a few dates may be rescheduled. We do not know at this time which shows will be rescheduled, so in the meantime please contact your local promoter/venue for more information. As soon as we get updates, we will post them here. Your point of purchase for tickets may also have more information on obtaining your refund, if a refund is applicable. Right now all the dates on TheNewCars.com will say "cancelled" next to their status until further notice. Meanwhile, the band wanted to pass along this message to you - "We want to extend our sincere thank you to the fans and visitors to TheNewCars.com for your patience during this time."
posted by Paul Dickinson at 5:22 PM | Email Us
Thursday's Playlist
Wednesday's Playlist
Tuesday's Playlist
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Monday's Playlist
Bon Jovi Battling?
Friday, June 16, 2006
I figure the tension probably has something to do with Ritchie's (Charlie Sheen's ex) new girlfriend...just speculation on my part! From melodicrock.com
THE BON JOVI MYSTERY:Still no clear indication of what is going on in Bon Jovi land, but if recent reports are accurate - especially the absolutely horrid reviews coming in from the band's final European show at Hull in the UK - it seems there is definite tension within the band, most likely between frontman Jon Bon Jovi and guitarist Richie Sambora. All the reviews of the Hull show say frontman JBJ could not hide his foul mood on stage and barely acknowledged Richie all night.
I learnt overnight that negotiations with the band to bring them to Moncton, New Brunswick in Canada were well underway before also being abruptly terminated. The band have a handful of North American dates left, culminating in one final show at Giants Stadium, NJ, July 29.
Stay tuned...
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:08 AM | Email Us
Some "Arresting" Queensryche news...
Thursday, June 15, 2006
This is the first I've heard of this - from melodicrock.com
UPDATING QUEENSRYCHE'S ARREST:A kind member of the Queensryche fan club forwarded me a post to the band's Message Boards by frontman Geoff Tate. In regards to the band's recent airport troubles, it reads:
"What a day! At the airport in Amsterdam we were all lined up at the ticket counter checking in for the flight to Oslo. The 35 pieces of luggage to check were being lined up and I turned to Adam, our Tour manager and whispered Remember there's a gun in our bags referring to the replica Glock 45 handgun that we use on stage. In a second of confusion he says to the ticket agent, Oh yeah, not to worry but we have a gun in this suitcase. Before he could explain that it wasn't a real gun but a replica, airport Police swarmed in on us and the questioning began. Apparently, unknown to us, any gun, whether real or fake, is highly illegal in Holland. Quick thinking Adam realized that this was suddenly getting ugly and that we might get detained and miss the flight, thus putting the show in Oslo in jeopardy. He instantly informed them that the bag in question was his. Before I could blink, they arrested him and took him away. He looked back at me and said, Don't worry get on the plane and I'll call you later. As I watched him being led away the ticket agent handed me my boarding pass and said, Have a nice flight. Right. The rest of the entourage boarded the plane and journeyed to Oslo without further incident. Just before show time a very stressed out Adam burst into our dressing room full of tales from his eventful day. There was no jail time only a fine and oh yeah...they confiscated the gun. I was in Oslo in January for a press tour and it was snowing and minus 10 below, but today it was sunny and 80 degrees. I love Oslo, it's a very beautiful city and the people are friendly and really love music. The show keeps getting better and the fans that were there, although small in number, were loud and very supportive."
Ok, so there's the story...the band wasn't arrested at all. Yes there was a situation, but it was dealt with in a perfectly normal manner. As far as any ensuing press attention, it seems the band certainly did use the incident to their benefit.
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:25 AM | Email Us
Wednesday's Playlist
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
The New Cars Bus Crash!
This mentioned last week, but here's more details from melodicrock.com:
NEW CARS' ELLIOT EASTON GOES IN FOR REPAIRS:
Los Angeles, CA (June 12, 2006) Elliot Easton, founding member and guitarist for The New Cars had surgery today for a broken left clavicle sustained during a near crash when their tour bus swerved to avoid a vehicle on Monday, June 5, while on the road for The New Cars Road Rage Tour 2006 with Blondie.
Determined to not miss any dates, Elliot continued to play. "I've been waiting 17 years for this tour," Easton told his doctor when was getting his x-rays, although, due to the severity of the break Easton requires surgery.
Elliot is currently in New York under the care of Dr. Steven Yang following the procedure to repair the broken left clavicle with plate and screws as the bones are too far apart to mend properly without surgery. Without the surgery Elliot could have limited use of left shoulder.
Said Debbie Harry of Blondie, "It was amazing that after the accident Elliot played four more shows in a brace and in constant pain. He really tried his best to keep on playing so he should be given a great deal of credit for that. We all wish him a speedy recovery."
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:16 AM | Email Us
Tuesday's Playlist
Rockstar Supernova
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Here is a press release from the new reality Rockstar series...I guess my opinion on this is that the producers of this show are missing the whole appeal of last years show! What was interesting was REPLACING a singer that had a unique style and sound. It was fun to see if the candidates could measure up, and possibly REPLACE the old or other guy. This year with Rockstar Supernova, they are starting a band from scratch. Not the same thing, because ANY singer will work because you have nothing to compare it to. WHAT ARE YOUR COMMENTS?
From melodicrock.com
ROCKSTAR 2 STARTS JULY:
The second season of Rock Star - RockStar: Supernova starts airing July 9. That's only a few weeks away. After sitting through every episode of last season, this should be another interesting watch and even more relevant to the readers of melodicrock. For that reason, picking up where I left off last year, you can expect a full wrap up of the 2 major episodes airing each week, right here. Looking forward to sharing my thoughts with you after some fantastic feedback following the Rock Star: Inxs coverage.
Here is the latest update from the show as posted on the Rock Star website:
"With the return of Rock Star, MSN rocks out to a different tune by delivering the exclusive reality episode of Rock Star: Supernova to its online viewers every week.
MSN and Mark Burnett Productions are joining forces again this summer to provide exclusive interactive TV programming for the second season of Rock Star, the reality show that critics claim jump-started the comeback of rock band Inxs. MSN will be the official online home for Burnett's reality series Rock Star: Supernova, and one episode per week -- the drama-packed reality segment -- will be available only on MSN Video, for customers to view live or on-demand, whenever and wherever they wish. MSN will also create dynamic content and interactive features to enhance the Rock Star experience for both the CBS TV audience and MSN customers.
Three episodes of Rock Star: Supernova will air each week, with the full-length reality episode available only on MSN Video for viewing. This marks the first time ever that one of three weekly episodes traditionally slated for a TV audience will be broadcast on the Web. The second episode -- featuring contestants' performances -- and the third, in which contestants are eliminated, will air on leading broadcast network CBS. MSN Video will also offer additional VIP footage that includes outtakes from the TV show and performances, plus video and music downloads, profiles of contestants, features, MSN Spaces contestant blogs and many extras available on the site and accessible across the MSN network.
This year, the show will select a lead singer for a new band, Supernova, featuring famous musicians including drummer Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe), Jason Newsted (Metallica) and Gilby Clarke (Guns N' Roses). Butch Walker, Rolling Stone's 2005 "hot" producer, is slated to produce the band's first album. Dave Navarro and Brooke Burke will return as hosts of Rock Star, and each weekly reality episode will feature guest appearances by various celebrities and rock personalities."
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:19 AM | Email Us
Monday's Playlist
Prize Dumpster Winners 6/9/06
Friday, June 09, 2006
Congrats to this weeks winners...Did we mention the prizes are "cheap & highly superficial?"
Cyndi Ley of Chili won the book "Ya Ya's In Bloom" by Rebecca Wells, a Hardees Philly Cheese Steak Burger, and some Hardees coupons.
Fuzz Anderson of Wisconsin Rapids won "The Simpsons Jam-Packed Jamboree" book and a Hardees burger and coupons.
Randy Murphy of Greenwood won the book "In Golden Blood" by Stephen Woodworth, and Hardees coupons.
posted by Paul Dickinson at 4:40 PM | Email Us
Friday's Playlist
Thursday's Playlist
Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony discuss VH
This from Melodicrock.com and mysanantonio.com
Sammy and Mike are not "sugarcoating the facts" lately...interesting read:
By Danny Glessner / Special to the Express-News
Sammy Hagar asked the question on his 1978 live album "All Night Long" (recorded in part at Municipal Auditorium) and tonight he likely will ask it again "San Antone! Are you ready for a little rock 'n' roll weekend?!"
If the answer is yes, then get your bad motor scooter to Verizon Wireless Amphitheater tonight when Hagar transforms the grounds into a Cabo Wabo-style beach party that will serve as a festive backdrop for a night of classic hard rock and a not-so-secret guest appearance by former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony.
"It's very San Antonio-ish," Hagar says, describing his traveling village. "We've got taco stands, carne guisada, shrimp tacos, tequila booths, traveling mariachi bands, bikinis and truckloads of sand for beach volleyball courts. It's all about trying to re-create Cabo and get everybody in the mood before the music starts.
"We're not going with any chain (food); we're going for the mom-and-pop stuff and San Antonio is one market where you can get good Mexican food. When we get to Cleveland, it's gonna be tough," he says with a laugh.
The action on stage will be just as tasty. Hagar plays an initial career-spanning set with his band, the Waboritas, and following a quick break, brings out his longtime buddy Anthony for a full set of Van Halen tunes.
A hopeful boxer as a teen, Hagar turned to music and began his career as the guitarist for Montrose before going solo and on to Van Halen. Since 1996, he has performed and recorded with the Waboritas (drummer David Lauser, guitarist Vic Johnson and bassist Mona). The group is finalizing the latest Hagar album, Livin It Up.
'I built a whole new studio and went in with a lot of experimentation in mind,' Hagar says. 'We got real loose and the record kind of invented itself. It's lacking the British heavy metal past of my roots. It's more like early Mellencamp, Skynyrd and almost country like Toby Keith meets Hank Jr. meets Sammy Hagar.'
"Without blowing any surprises, we're pulling out some material we haven't done in quite a few years," Anthony says, calling from his Los Angeles-area home. "There's the classic Van Halen tunes from the Roth years and I'm singing some stuff. We've been opening the set with my bass solo and I've dusted off gear and effects I haven't used since Roth was in the band."
Roth, of course, is original showboat singer David Lee Roth who was replaced by Hagar in 1986 after scaling Van Halen to a decade of worldwide superstardom as American rock icons. Despite a second decade of even more success with Hagar, the so-called Red Rocker was reportedly dumped after falling out with the band's founding brothers, Alex & Eddie Van Halen. Former Extreme singer Gary Cherone was called in for a forgettable album and tour before Hagar returned for the much-maligned 2004 "reunion tour."
"My band has pinned this Van Halen stuff even more than Van Halen did on the last tour," Hagar laughs. "On the last Van Halen tour, sometimes I didn't even recognize the friggin' songs. It was funny because a lot of the reviews were accusing us of trying to rewrite the songs. Believe me, it wasn't intentional."
Many tour reports suggested guitar legend Eddie Van Halen was out of sorts due to a storm of recent troubles including cancer, divorce and reports of heavy drinking. Whatever the problems, the tour was not resting well with Anthony, whose loyalty to Hagar strained his relations with the Van Halen brothers.
"I've always tried to skate around these questions," Anthony says. "But the fact of the matter is when we did the tour in 2004, Ed didn't want me there because of my relationship with Sammy. I sucked it up and took less pay, because I thought if it was the last time Van Halen went out and toured, and I wasn't part of it, I would really be upset.
"To sign on to do the tour, they made me relinquish any rights and claims I had to the (Van Halen) name, the logo, whatever. At this point, there is basically nothing going on as far as Van Halen goes. It's tough to say that, but I'm not going to sugarcoat anything any more."
Hagar says he is in the same boat as Anthony when it comes to forecasting the future.
"I wish Alex was my brother and I've said that to him many times," Hagar says, regarding the Van Halen drummer. "Ed and Al are tight as hell and you ain't going to get between them. When you're with them, you're an outsider so Mike and I were always buddying up when Ed and Al would start speaking (their native) Dutch and smoking cigarettes and getting in fistfights (laughs).
"I don't have a lot of faith in another Van Halen reunion. I'd be totally willing if everything was cool, but I'll tell you straight up, everything's not cool."
Which brings us back to the so-called Other Half, namely Hagar and Anthony. What makes them such good friends?
"Both of us dig a certain lifestyle," Hagar says. "We like to grab our families, head off to the beach in a motor home and just get our feet in the sand. The less clothes, the better (laughs). We like hot Mexican food, tequila, beer. It's like we're cut from the same mold."
Outside of music, Hagar and Anthony share a love of fast cars, water sports and entrepreneurial success in the food and beverage industry. Hagar, of course, has his growing Cabo Wabo chain of cantinas and restaurants along with the clubs' highly successful namesake tequila. Anthony has his award-winning namesake hot sauces.
"What's cool about it is, it's part of what I do," Hagar says of his tequila empire. "It's not like I'm selling milk and then going and drinking tequila on stage. It's all part of the lifestyle. It's the same with Mike. He used to do shots of Tabasco before he made his own sauces (laughs). The guy can eat five habaneros!"
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:13 AM | Email Us
Some Rock News today...
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Some stuff about The New Cars and a possible Genesis reunion...
From Melodicrock.com
Elliot Easton, guitarist in The New Cars, fractured his left collar bone whilst en route to Washington DC, after the band's show in Cuyahoga Falls on June 4. He will not miss any shows it seems.
Never seen the website before today, but PR-Inside have quoted Phil Collins talking up that Genesis re-union. Says Collins: "This is something we may do in a couple of years. It is very, very loose." And the group's drummer-turned-singer insists that even if Gabriel and Hackett's busy schedules prompt them to pull out of the plans, he might still hit the road with Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford.
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:09 AM | Email Us
Wednesday's Playlist
Tuesday's Playlist
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Van Halen Reunion? More...
This from melodicrock.com...
GOOD OL' DAVE TALKING UP THAT REUNION AGAIN:
I had better run this for the record - but I know most Van Halen fans have seen it already after being posted overnight. Lots of e-mails today if I have any inside info. No, absolutely not. No info whatsoever aside from my own basic belief this is just Dave being Dave. I wish him well on his quest, but don't believe there will be any Van Halen activity in the near future. I as much as ayone look forward to the band's return when they are ready, but don't count on it being during 2006...
From Billboard.com --- Roth Predicts Van Halen Comeback
May 25, 2006, 3:00 PM ET, Gary Graff, Detroit.
Now out of one job, on the radio, David Lee Roth is seeking gainful employment in another capacity -- as lead singer of Van Halen. Again.
"I see it absolutely as an inevitability," says Roth, who was deposed by CBS Radio in late April as one of Howard Stern's replacements. "There's contact between the two camps, and they have legitimate management; Irv Azoff is part of their loop now.
"To me, it's not rocket surgery. It's very simple to put together. And as far as hurt feelings and water under the dam, like what's-her-name says to what's-her-name at the end of the movie 'Chicago' -- 'So what? It's showbiz!' So I definitely see it happening."
Despite that claim, Roth -- who was Van Halen's singer from 1974-1985 -- acknowledges that he hasn't seen Edward Van Halen "in a couple of years." The last time Roth recorded with Van Halen was for the group's Best Of Van Halen Volume 1 album in 1996, though there have been periodic rumors ever since [note: confirmed in March by bassist Michael Anthony].
Roth isn't sitting around while he waits for the call, however. He joins the John Jorgensen bluegrass band for two songs -- Jump and Jamie's Cryin' -- on "Strummin' With the Devil: The Southern Side of Van Halen," a bluegrass-styled tribute to Van Halen. Roth calls it "a detour" as well as "an interesting return...Before there was rock 'n' roll, there was me and a single guitar, flat pickin' Doc Watson (songs)." Roth plans to make a number of TV appearances on behalf of the album, which comes out June 6.
Roth is also planning to tour later this summer to play Van Halen hits -- "I'm so proud of that music," he says -- favorites from his solo album and covers. He says he'll leave the banjos and fiddles at home, though.
"I like to bring out the brass section now and the keyboard players and the singers and so forth," Roth explains. "It's probably a little closer to the Rolling Stones' revue than to the early three-piece power trio. But the demand is amazing; I guess I'm lucky enough to be one of those guys now who can point at the map and say 'Let's go here' -- or, rather, my favorite expression, which is 'Let's follow the sun.'"
This a from melodicrock.com also
UPDATE: (the video link is inactive, by the way)
DAVID LEE ROTH SUGGESTS ONLY EDDIE STANDS IN THE WAY OF A REUNION:
Diamond David Lee Roth has just appeared on Fox News, and naturally talk shifted to his earlier Van Halen re-union comments. I'm not sure about Dave's techniques used in trying to win over Eddie Van Halen! This time he called Ed - Eddie Van Winkle and stated that he was the only person holding up a reunion.
Interesting...check it out for yourself via the video link: www.foxnews.com/cavuto/index.html .
Dave will be on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno June 6 US time (that's about 18 hours away) and the The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson Thursday, June 8.
Strumming With The Devil, the bluegrass tribute to Van Halen on which Dave appears, is out today.
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:33 AM | Email Us
Monday's Playlist
Monday, June 05, 2006
Concert Ticket Prices...Sheesh!!!
This article from Melodicrock.com and the Wall Street Journal...
What do you think of concert ticket prices these days? Please comment...
POP GOES THE CONCERT PRICE - BUT NOT FOR ALL:
Industry Spotlight / This from the Wall Street Journal - Summer Concerts Pop Goes the Ticket Price With U2 and the Stones on the sidelines this summer, promoters are putting big premiums on smaller names. Why seeing Shakira will cost you $90
By Ethan Smith June 3, 2006.
When Kelly Clarkson toured the U.S. last year on the heels of her smash hit single Since U Been Gone, the top ticket price for most shows was about $40. When the former American Idol hits the road this summer, her top ticket price will leap to $75.
It's going to be another expensive summer for music lovers intent on seeing their favorites in person. Facing heavy criticism about high ticket prices, the live-music industry last year made a concerted effort to hold the line on budget-busting price increases. In the first half of 2005, ticket prices actually declined 6%, according to trade magazine Pollstar. And concert promoters made an effort to court frustrated fans with other amenities like package deals that included food and beverage discounts.
Now ticket prices appear to be creeping -- sometimes skyrocketing -- upward. Madonna is charging up to $385 a head beginning this week. There's also a Shakira tour charging up to $90, and Faith Hill and Tim McGraw are charging as much as $125.
Behind the rising tide is the cyclical nature of the concert business itself. The handful of truly big-name acts who can command top dollar generally don't tour every year, going out either when they have an album to promote, or have simply kept fans waiting long enough to build demand for tickets. Last year's bumper crop of huge names -- Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, U2, Neil Diamond and other top earners were out for the first time in years -- all but ensured a quieter 2006 season. This has promoters battling over the limited supply of marquee names that can keep their venues busy all summer. For the entertainment industry, these are high-stakes bets. Promoters -- who must pay for the cost of the arena, the production and the artists' fee -- typically get just 5% to 15% of ticket revenue, with the rest going to the artists. These razor-thin margins make for a risky, difficult business for promoters, especially during the critical summer months.
Each year concert promoters appear caught off guard by the public's appetite for bands widely viewed as has-beens. Last year Mötley Crüe's reunion tour filled that role. This summer a dual bill by Def Leppard and Journey is generating much stronger-than-expected early sales, even though both bands' commercial peak was at least 20 years ago. But this one-two punch of early '80s pop rock and power balladry doesn't come cheap -- the best seats in some markets run as much as $98.75 each.
The full picture won't be known until the end of the season, which is just getting under way. And despite plenty of examples of pricey individual shows, people in the concert industry disagree about how ticket prices in total will compare with last year's. But most concur that the upward creep got started in the last half of 2005, when The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney moved prices upward with tickets that sometimes exceeded $400 each. The explosive growth of Web sites like StubHub.com that resell concert tickets, often at hugely inflated prices, has encouraged artists and promoters to drive face values higher and higher.
This year, outings by Madonna, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are likely to be big draws. But to get those shows, promoters must pay top dollar to edge out competitors. In that overheated context, it is easy for promoters to find they have paid too much for any given act, particularly because setting prices and predicting consumer demand remains something of a dark art. Less-than-stellar ticket sales can mean big financial losses for concert promoters. Peter Grosslight, world-wide head of music at the William Morris Agency, says pricing is "not a very exact science."
When an artist decides to tour, his or her agent solicits bids from concert promoters, who offer a minimum guaranteed payment for each show. (In the case of the biggest performers, a promoter with a nationwide presence, like Live Nation or AEG Live, may make an offer not just for specific concerts, but for the entire tour.) After the concert, the artist is then paid either the "guarantee," as the fee is known in the industry, or about 85% to 95% of the box office revenue -- whichever is greater.
Some promoters rely on the May-to-September window for up to 70% of their business for the year. The run-up to the summer concert season always entails tough negotiations as concert promoters wrangle with performers' agents over fees.
In a routine that has become almost a ritualized dance, the two sides of the negotiations inevitably blame their counterparts for ever-escalating prices. Promoters say agents hold them up for every penny they can -- including revenue they estimate the promoters make on things like parking, food and beverages. Agents counter that they are simply looking out for their clients.
"You need to do the best job for the artist," says Mitch Rose, head of Creative Artists Agency's music department.
In Ms. Clarkson's case, the singer doesn't have a new album out, so audiences won't be hearing much, if any, fresh material for their $75. The reason for the spike in ticket prices is a behind-the-scenes effort to bid up the price for her services. Last year the pop singer received a guaranteed fee of $250,000 to $350,000 per show, according to a person familiar with the matter. Such guarantees are the primary underlying factor when it comes to setting ticket prices.
For this summer's outing, by contrast, she is to be paid in excess of an estimated $500,000 a night, according to people familiar with the situation. Executives at Live Nation, the world's largest concert promoter which is staging the tour, declined to comment on fees they pay performers. But Chief Executive Michael Rapino predicted Ms. Clarkson's tour will make money for the company, calling it "an absolute home run."
Mr. Rapino says his company can often afford to pay more than competitors for some artists, because his company owns the 153 major venues it books, meaning it makes more money than others do on things like parking fees and food sales. "We're a venue company," he says. "Our job is to increase utilization of our venues."
Even so, Live Nation's profit margins remain tight The company reported net income of just $1.1 million for the first three months of this year; its revenue for the same period was $516 million.
And that was in a calendar quarter considered strong for the concert business overall. It has been a bumpy few years for the business 2004 was brutal, for example, with promoters losing money by overpaying for tours by artists like Christina Aguilera and Marc Anthony, both of whom pulled out of planned tours amid lackluster sales. By comparison, last year was comparatively smooth, thanks to A-list acts and promoters who managed to keep enough of a lid on costs, at least for the first half of the year.
This year the gloves are off. Alex Hodges, executive vice president of House of Blues Entertainment, says the current environment is a minefield for promoters, filled with thinly hidden hazards. "Two years ago, people were pointing at one or two tours they thought were question marks," says Mr. Hodges. This year "nobody's staring out and saying, 'here's the big one that's coming.' But no question about it, there'll be 15 tours this summer that lose at the door."
With numerous performers with only middling drawing power on the road, says Randy Phillips, president and chief executive of No. 2 promoter AEG Live, "too many acts are cannibalizing each other."
The firefight that broke out recently over Mariah Carey is indicative of how keen demand is among promoters to secure top acts. The last time Ms. Carey mounted a North American concert tour, in 2003, the pop singer averaged just $262,000 a night at the box office, according to data from Pollstar. This year, by contrast, promoters have already promised to guarantee her almost twice that much per show -- well above $450,000 for every performance, according to several people involved in the talks. The 29-city tour was only recently announced, and ticket prices haven't been disclosed yet; the tour will be staged by Live Nation.
Faisel Durrani, president of marketing at Live Nation, which is promoting a number of this summer's big-ticket tours, points out that the cheapest seats for Ms. Clarkson's tour cost $25. He cites a range of other initiatives taken by Live Nation to lower prices. For select concerts, for instance, customers can buy four tickets for the price of three. He also points to a strong-selling tour by alternative rockers Nine Inch Nails, which includes "lawn" tickets -- the vast grassy spaces behind the seats at many amphitheaters -- for $20, and another by onetime Van Halen lead singer Sammy Hagar, for which lawn tickets cost only $10.
Others are finding ways to add on even more costs. People who log on to Ticketmaster's Web site to buy tickets to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' tour, for example, are given the option of buying a digital download of the band's new double album, "Stadium Arcadium," for an additional $19.90.
With just a few superstar acts on the road this year, artists are able to call shots beyond financial terms. Details like the routing of tours, too, are theirs to dictate. With her "Confessions" tour, Madonna could become the top earner of the year. She is performing in just 13 North American cities, but playing more than one night in each. That makes fans come to the performer, rather than the other way around, saving her time and money. Despite that -- and tickets that top out at $385 -- sales have been strong, according to the performer's representatives.
At least one act is forgoing a big payday in favor of a more intimate experience with fans. British rockers Radiohead, who have in recent years been more successful on tour than selling albums, this year are playing much smaller venues than on their last tour. In Los Angeles, for instance, the quintet is playing two nights at the 6,000-seat Greek Theatre; in 2003 they did two nights at the 16,000-seat Hollywood Bowl.
Those in the concert industry bemoaning the state of the business this summer don't have to look far back to find a more troubled summer. When promotion executives want to describe their current woes, many call this "the worst year since 2004."
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:21 AM | Email Us
Friday's Playlist
Thursday's Playlist
Friday, June 02, 2006
Prize Dumpster Winners 6/2/06
Congrats to this weeks winners! Don't forget to register each week -
Jerry Szulczewski of Wisconsin Rapids won a Simpsons book, 3 song cards for the 1075 The Rock Music Store, and a Hardees Philly Cheese Steak Burger.
Mary Britten of Granton won "Ya Yas In Bloom" by Rebecca Wells, 3 song cards, and a Hardees coupon.
Ed Schneider of Auburndale won a James Brown DVD, 3 song cards, and a Hardees coupon.
posted by Paul Dickinson at 5:18 PM | Email Us
Previous Posts
Archives
|
|
|
