Concerts out there are hurting. Sure no artist is ever going to tell you this, but it is the truth. I get the calls everyday from promoters and agents looking for help selling shows big, medium and small. It’s a real issue out there right now. You may even go to a show and think it’s full, but in reality it’s not. That’s called “papering the house”, meaning giving tickets away in mass amounts just to have people in the room to make it look good, sell a T shirt or a beer. Now many have said sales are rough because “rock is dead”. However I do not believe that to be the case. In my view two words sums up the live music industry right now; OVER SATURATION. Simply put, bands are over touring to make up for the fact that almost nobody is making money on album sales. Used to be you toured to sell the album, which is where the money was made. Now it’s reverse. The album is almost the giveaway to promote a tour. But WAY too many bands are out there WAY too long, some hitting major markets three times in a year. I get they need to make money and don’t fault them, but it makes it less special when you can see a favorite band twice a year VS once every two. People simply can’t afford to pay to see all these shows and see a band so many times. As a result everyone is being more selective, and you are seeing more and more bands downsize venues, but still staying on the road. I also think peoples attention is in way too many places to make all these shows a priority. You can see in a second set lists online, audio, video, the mystique is gone. Of course the mega bands will always do okay, but don’t be fooled, the business is not what you think it is or what they project even for them. The days of a 50 city non stop US tour are rare. Bands find special events or festivals or co-headline because they can’t draw enough as a headline in arenas on their own, and those that can are charging way too much. Not sure where the solution lies but it’s something I see and hear about often. I truly do not think rock is dead, but I do think the touring world and peoples attention are so overwhelmed right now with too many options its hard to know what’s going on? Hope it works itself out because the live stage is where this music is best served, but it is an issue I hear about all the time behind the scenes. Look forward to reading your thoughts.
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Price of tickets is the main issue with me too. I used to go to any show I wanted, but now I am much more selective. I still make about the same amount of money, but just can’t afford every show I want to see anymore. Recently passed up Robert Plant, Bad Company and Lynyrd Skynyrd and even Black Sabbath to name a few. I did get to see Rush.
Bigger markets are probably over-saturated, I will agree. Smaller markets, though, aren’t so bad. This is why big, headliner acts, such as Styx, will play the Jefferson County Fair in Jefferson, Wisconsin (last year). You see this with country acts all the time – they sell out arenas, and will still go out to the sticks, where the attendance is even better. They don’t make as much per show, obviously, but they do more of them, and it’s a more stable source of income. Rock bands could learn a thing from their country counterparts.
I am going to see Alice Cooper at Count Basie because I love Alice and it’s affordable. Would also like to see the Queen extravaganza show but that is actually a little more expensive than Alice and it’s still a tribute show. Granted the singer is amazing but like most other people I have to pick and choose. Thankfully I have seen the Stones at least 10 times since 1978.
Fans need to stop seeing bands – no matter who they are, if they charge ridiculously high ticket prices. You buy a $200 seat and all you are doing is encouraging them. I don’t completely buy into the bit about concert ticket prices being high solely because album sales are nil. For the cost of an Aerosmith ticket these days, you could have bought every album they ever did twice.
A couple thoughts:
– I think the concept of “oversaturation” not only includes the scenario of “why see Faster Pussycat this Saturday when I just saw them 4 months ago and can see them again in 4 months?” but also “why see Bullet Boys this Saturday when I just saw Faster Pussycat 2 weeks ago?”.
– I don’t think taping and selling every concert gets you anywhere in this day of cameraphones and YouTube.
But, anyone can diagnose the problem, so what are the solutions? Inevitably, bands are going to have to continue touring extensively and hitting major US markets multiple times per year to keep things financially status quo. However, here are some suggestions that I’ve seen work (for the non-Aerosmiths, Motley Crues, Ozzys):
1. Mix up the set list from city to city. Play deeper cuts, play an acoustic mini-set. Play an entire album start to finish.
2. Having ALL members of the band at the merchandise table taking pics and shaking hands.
3. Don’t appear lazy and/or condescending on stage. Don’t complain about the size of the bar you are playing in. Assume it’s going on Blabbermouth 12 hours from now if you do, and people will stay away when the tour reaches their area. Trust me, we’d rather you be playing Madison Square Garden versus a dive bar 50 miles out of the way, but…
4. Don’t go on at midnight or later. The “classic” audience now have kids, nagging spouses, and jobs and don’t want to get home at 3 in the morning.
5. Put out new material at least once every 2-3 years. I know there is a cost vs. benefit debate. But, mixing in 2-3 new songs every year keeps things fresh and keeps the same audience members coming back multiple times per year.