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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A lot of this is the chickens coming home to roost. As fans get older they don’t like the delays, the bad sound, unruly audiences and most of all being hammered in the pocketbook. It’s one thing when you were 15 years old and drunk and wasted and spent $10 to $20 for a ticket. The shows now are greatest hits events. Despite what die-hard fans say and think, in most instances classic bands best material is wayyy behind them. I did enjoy some of the latest Aerosmith, but again – I ain’t paying $100 or more to see them.
I remember the thrill of going and standing in line, calling ticketmaster and having an opportunity to get good seats to my favorite shows. Now they are overpriced and you have to pick and choose. The industry has to make it about the fans or it will continue in a downward spiral. Nosebleed seats are even outrageous. I give all the credit in the world to Kid Rock. We need more like him to give back to the fans that have always given to the artists.
I am fortunate to have seen my favorite bands (Kiss, Ozzy, Metallica, Crue, etc) growing up and see them whenever they come around. I live 200 miles from Chicago, but took my wife to see Priest and BLS last year. Unbelievable show. I think another factor is parents from the 80’s need to share their music with their kids. There is so much God-awful music out there for kids to listen too, and the only way they are going to hear the “good stuff” is from their parents. I have a 5 year old daughter that can name the founding members of Kiss, and who replaced them thru the years. Since about 2 1/2 she has asked questions while we were watching a live concert DVD, or videos on Metal Mania, and she has really taken too it. She even knows Ozzy’s guitar players thru the years, and because Randy is my favorite, its her’s too!!
Shows are getting wat too expensive for me. It has to be something special like the recent Flower Kins, Neal Morse TransAtlantic show for me to go. I am looking forward to seeing Kamelot in Philly on Sept. 5th. I try to see bands that don’t tour here much. And Kamelot is 24 Bux!
Its too bad Ed what’s going on these days. Im the same age as you i started out the same way listening to Kiss and aerosmith when I was 11. I saw kiss In 77 when I was 12. Born aug 4 “65” tickets were somewhere around $7. MY first concert was Aerosmith with Styx opening, night before halloween oct 30 ,1977.Providence Civic Center, when Aerosmith came on people were chanting STYX, STYX, STYX. because Aerosmith were so messed up.Those where the days , Ive been to literally thousands of shows since then, so I would say i’m qualified to know how much the music industry and live concerts have went down the tubes. Social media has killed us. My friends say’I’m not paying $200 to see Aerosmith I’ll just watch them tomorrow on you tube. It’s never going to change back, I’m just glad I lived it. we used to get so excited waiting 3 months for Kiss to come to town, now i want my dose of Kiss i just go to You Tube and watch every concert and every interview from 74 to now. The hard rock bands from the 80’s(which I love) that have to tour constantly, are out on the road because that’s all they have.let’s just live with what we have. It’s pretty cool that i get to see some of my favorite acts in a 200 capacity room. It’s not going to be the way it used to be because of the internet. Never Never Never. Just support your favorite bands. Go to shows that you can afford, buy thier CD’s and enjoy what we have. pretty soon you’ll be able to pick whomever you want to see in concert in your living room just pick a band and they will Pop Up in a hologram form and perform right in front of you. and they’ll probably charge you $100. Hard Rock and metal lives still
very well said I too experienced the same excitement growing up( born’64)…it’ll never be the same.LONG LIVE ROCK and ROLL!!!