Cost=Free
Sponsor=94.7FM Portland.
Band=Bush
Show Date: September 19th, 2011
Bush sold out the Rose Garden around 1996. Basketball arena with support from No Doubt and Goo Goo Dolls. To give some perspective, I think that would be about the equivalent of Foster The People and The Naked and Famous juicing a basketball arena now. Think that could happen?
I’m sure LiveNation or a like minded promoter will try sooner rather than later. Better be cheap face price.
This show was a complete demonstration of the legacy power of radio and the current status of that platform.
Everyone there knew the closing song “Machine Head” and they sang it. And I am sure the 10-12 people who cheered when asked if they went to the show last night at the 1400-ish capacity Roseland Theater sang it the loudest.
How many were singing along to the new album track?
Zero.
How many were there because 94.7fm blasted their email list with the show announcement the day of?
Over 300.
How many will actually purchase Bush’s new album from that free show experience?
Bonus question: will it recoup the cost of gas for the tour bus to get there?
I’m not hating. I’m asking the relevant financial questions.
As a music fan who follows the industry loosely, it is the mantra. The money is in the live business. There is zero argument there. Recording revenue decline is self-evident.
Know what else is self evident?
Live revenues are poised for a fall, too.
You can smell it if you sniff around.
LiveNation/TicketMaster foisting a paperless ticketing system because they want to take care of “fans”. Yes, those companies dedication to the fan over decades of empirical data and experience is well documented. Poor venue experiences and hyper-inflated ticket prices and fees, fees, fees. They want to be the only industry that controls your purchase long after you have bought it. Last ditch rape attempt.
The biggest laugh is they trumpet an increase in ticket revenue to Wall Street while bragging they rolled fees into the price of the ticket to take care of fan complaints. Raising overall prices while lumping the fees into the whole to be fan friendly. Overall, we’re paying more than the year before right? There’s corporate logic there. Are we supposed to like TicketMaster now?
TicketMaster was VERY excited to announce their partnership with GroupOn.
Tells you where prices are going.
Goldstar (a volume discounter) just sold their 5millionth ticket.
Overpriced/Over-reached capacity shows like AC/DC at Gillette Stadium, Britney Spears, Sade, etc. etc. saw people moved from the cheap seats to better locations at the venue. How do you think that takes care of your high paying “fans”? How many tours before LiveNation, et al educate the public to buy cheap seats and wait to be moved? Or just wait period for the discount? Or just sit on the side?
The trend is the friend of the fan. LiveNation can mouthpiece it all they want about what side they are on. But they are a public company with no history of caring about customer retention and return. They care about their investors.
As far as radio music format? Lost cause. Leverage the mail list and local tie-ins while you can. Just my opinion. But I’m not a smart insider. Just a dumbass with a blog. Which means, of course, I’m all wrong…
But next time a show is in town that 94.7FM is sponsoring? I’d wait for the freebie pre/post….same for KINK. Same for….
Great time to be a music fan. Thanks for the free show.
