Rock superstars aren't touring this summer
PUSSSYKATT
NY Daily News Feature Writer
Water isn't our only resource in short supply this season. We're also suffering
a drought of superstar acts in the summer concert schedule.
The warm weather tends to bring out topline musicians who seldom tour — in
the last few years, Madonna, U2 or Bruce Springsteen in his reunion tour with
the E Street Band. Each summer usually also sees a handful of acts with enough
drawing power to pack 50,000-seat stadiums.
This summer, there isn't a single superstar launching a national road show who
hasn't already slogged through town in the last few years. Even a big draw for
the season, such as Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzfest, comes through annually, while a
major name like Britney Spears is performing the second leg of a tour that was
fresh last winter.
Meanwhile, no individual artist is even trying to fill Giants Stadium.
The only show announced for New York's biggest venue is an all-star pile-on
sponsored by Z-100 on June 2. To try filling the house, it will feature acts
like Bon Jovi, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, Pink, Alanis Morissette, P. Diddy,
Celine Dion and others.
"There are no must-see national tours this year," says concert-business analyst
Bob Grossweiner. "You don't have someone coming back after years away."
Originally, the Rolling Stones were meant to be this summer's headline-making
extravaganza, in celebration of their 40th anniversary. But the event got
pushed back to the fall. (Details of that tour will be announced Tuesday.)
The lack of a big superstar name is a comedown from 2001, when we had the first
Madonna tour in eight years. Much of this is merely a matter of timing. U2
happened to launch their big tour last year. And a potential blockbuster draw
like Pink Floyd has no new album to push.
But there's also a more determined downscaling going on. Last summer had no
fewer than six stadium shows (a 50% increase over 2000), including three each
for Dave Matthews and 'N Sync and two for Bon Jovi. This year, Matthews and 'N
Sync have been playing 20,000-seat arenas.
Another act capable of drawing the largest crowds, Phish, is on hiatus, but its
leader, Trey Anastasio, has opted for a solo theater tour, arriving locally at
the 6,000-seat Radio City Music Hall in June.
If all this suggests that promoters and bands are acting more conservatively
when booking venues, they're hardly self-conscious about ticket prices. Over
the last two years, prices have steadily risen, despite the wobbly economy.
According to Pollstar, which tracks concert revenues, average ticket prices for
the top 50 tours rose 9% from 2000 to 2001. This season, says Pollstar editor
Gary Bongiovanni, "We're seeing some easing back on prices of general-admission
lawn seating. But reserved seats continue to go upward. Eventually, we're going
to hit a ceiling."
At the moment, that ceiling has shot as high as $250 for big summer draws like
the Who. In 1994, the Eagles started the trend of triple-digit entrance fees
for their reunion tour, charging more than $100 for seats. Between 1995 and
2001, average ticket prices for the nation's top shows went from $26.05 to
$43.86, according to Pollstar.
But rather than hurting the business, these high prices are actually helping it
— at the expense of music fans. While attendance was down last year from the
year before, and while there were fewer shows, overall industry revenue went
up, due to high ticket prices. Of course, it's not just fans who suffer from
this trend. Smaller acts do, too, since they have to fight for whatever
disposable income is left in the wake of top performers.
"More money ends up going into fewer pockets," says Dave Kirby of the powerful
music-management firm the Agency Group.
Individual bands may also be hurt by the growing fancy for all-star
radio-sponsored shows, like the one coming to Giants Stadium. If fans can pay
one price to see a whole range of top acts playing their biggest hits, why show
up for those artists' individual shows?
Also, Kirby says, "The radio shows usually charge a lower ticket price, which
makes it harder for bands when they come back with their own show at a higher
price."
Radio shows have great power over artists. Most stars feel they have to show to
keep up good relations with the stations. When an outlet like Z-100 calls, you
have to listen. That station is owned by Clear Channel, which controls a huge
portion of pop and rock radio. Clear Channel also rules most of the nation's
concert promotion. Currently, nine of the 10 highest-grossing shows were
produced by that company.
In many cases, radio-sponsored shows have replaced the festival shows of the
'90s, like Lollapalooza. Some of the old breed survive, like the venerable
punk-oriented Vans Warped tour, Ozzfest and Area 2 (the Moby-led
alternative-artist road show).
Even if the concert industry can't count on a stop-the-presses tour this
summer, it can still do quite well financially with its bread-and-butter acts.
Some performers coming this summer, such as John Mellencamp, the Beach Boys and
Jimmy Buffett, always fill seats. And observers expect strong business for
Incubus' first arena tour and the "O Brother" soundtrack gang.
Will all this be enough to outgross last year's high? Grossweiner isn't
optimistic. "With fewer hot acts coming, it's logical that the take won't be as
hot."
For that, look to the Stones come fall.
SEND EMAIL TO PUSSS...@aol.com
AGC FAQ and FUN STUFF
http://www.dreamwater.net/agc/mainpages/agcfaq.html
BLIND ITEM REHASH:
http://www.dreamwater.net/agc/blinditems/mainpage.html