Classic acts rule over concert sales

[BERIGAN]

Drudge headline was, Music/concert biz saved by old white men in 2007...

Classic acts rule over concert sales

Reunited bands bring in big business

By PHIL GALLO

The Police

The Police reunion tour topped the charts and took in $131.9 million in 2007. • See photo gallery

Musical acts whose debut recordings were made three decades ago dominated the North American concert business in 2007, with half of the top 20 grossing performers having started their careers in the 1970s.

The Police topped the chart by taking in $131.9 million from 54 North American shows, far outdistancing No. 2 seller Kenny Chesney, who made $71.1 million on the same number of shows, according to Pollstar, which tracks the concert business. The Police and Chesney were the only acts to sell more than 1 million tickets in 2007; four acts, one of which was Chesney, did it in 2006.

The Police reunion tour had an average ticket price of $114.32 and sold 1.15 million tickets. While their ticket sales were tops as well, the band’s average ticket price was second to Barry Manilow at $141.72. He played the bulk of his 98 shows at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Chesney barely squeaked past Justin Timberlake, who grossed $70.6 million from 60 concerts.

Two other reunited bands, Van Halen and Genesis, landed in the top 10. The David Lee Roth-led edition of Van Halen pulled in $56.7 million from 39 dates to land in fifth place; Phil Collins and his mates scored $47.6 million from 25 shows.

Rod Stewart ($49 million), Billy Joel ($39.1 million), Roger Waters ($38.3 million) and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band ($38.2 million) were among the other veteran acts on the list.

Besides Chesney, two other country acts made the top 10: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, at No. 6, pulled in $52.3 million from 44 bookings; and Rascal Flatts, at No. 10, generated $41.5 million from 57 outings.

In her final year in Las Vegas, Celine Dion posted the lowest tally of her five-year run, $65.3 million. She performed 113 concerts at Caesars Palace.

Josh Groban, whose “Noel” is likely to be crowned the topselling album of 2007, grossed $43 million from 56 concerts to land at No. 9.

The tour that caused the biggest ruckus in terms of ticket demand, the “Hannah Montana”/Miley Cyrus tour, grossed $36 million from 49 gigs. Average ticket price to her shows was $54.16.

The lone Latin act in the top 20 was the Mexican rock band Mana, which pulled in $33.9 million from 46 perfs.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111797814...yid=16&cs=1

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

It seems quite extraordinary to me that such huge numbers of people are prepared to pay these prices to see old geezers like those doing essentially what they were doing thirty-odd years ago.

MG

[Shawn]

It seems quite extraordinary to me that such huge numbers of people are prepared to pay these prices to see old geezers like those doing essentially what they were doing thirty-odd years ago.

MG

But that's the selling point, fans of bands like The Police & Genesis don't really have alot of contemporary options if that's the type of music they love. Bands from the 70's & 80's will continue to sell for years to come.

[AndrewHill]

It seems quite extraordinary to me that such huge numbers of people are prepared to pay these prices to see old geezers like those doing essentially what they were doing thirty-odd years ago.

MG

Chances are that those people never got to see The Police, Genesis or Van Halen w/DLR in their heyday because they were too young to see them back then. Remember how excited Kiss fans were when they learned that they were going to tour with the original members and makeup?

[AndrewHill]

I should add that of course the older fans who saw them back then would continue to see them now too

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

It seems quite extraordinary to me that such huge numbers of people are prepared to pay these prices to see old geezers like those doing essentially what they were doing thirty-odd years ago.

MG

But that's the selling point, fans of bands like The Police & Genesis don't really have alot of contemporary options if that's the type of music they love. Bands from the 70's & 80's will continue to sell for years to come.

I guess I'm comparing it to the package shows that were going around here a few years ago (8-10 years ago, I'd say), with bands like the Searchers, the Swinging Blue Jeans, Mud and other such sixties/seventies bands/singers, which, if you were nostalgic enough enough, you could get into for a tenner ($20). I can readily understand paying small change to see that kind of thing. Indeed, it's the sort of money I've paid to see Reuben Wilson, Bobby Bland, Pee Wee Ellis & etc, when they've turned up locally.

MG

[Rooster_Ties]

Old white guys save the day again, yeah!!

I did my small part -- saw The Police in St. Louis back in early July. At about $125 per ticket, it was certainly worth it to me and my wife. It was one of the very few big arena shows I've ever been to (and the first one in over 20 years).

Most of the rock shows we go to rarely cost much more than $15 to $25 per ticket, or maybe occasionally as much as $40.

Edited December 27, 2007 by Rooster_Ties

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Most of the rock shows we go to rarely cost much more than $15 to $25 per ticket, or maybe occasionally as much as $40.

That's about the mark. Of course, I have forked out Police-level money when the gig's been in London. But that takes into account the train fare and a cheapo overnight in the Hotel California (I kid you not). And there are very, very, few musicians I'd do that for - Les McCann was the most recent.

MG

[Guest Bill Barton]

Well, here's one "old white guy" who ain't payin' the tab...

This reminds me of Mel Torme's great line about nostalgia: "The mindless plundering of the past for the commonplace."