Concert Competition More Low-Priced Tours Expected To Vie For Rock Fans’ Dollars Over The Summer
The year 1994 was the most financially fruitful concert year in history, with the nation’s stadiums, arenas, amphitheaters and smaller venues taking in more than $1.4 billion.
That figure is $300 million more than the gross during 1990, the previous record year, and it would have been even higher if the Eagles hadn’t canceled a couple of months of dates so that Glenn Frey’s stomach could digest all the rationalizations for charging more than $100 for a ticket to a rock concert.
The downside of 1994’s windfall is that 1995 is expected to be something of a dud. Music insiders are well aware of the “year after” syndrome, which saw the bottom fall out of the concert business in 1991.
And predictions run high that the ‘95 summer campaign will similarly suffer.
One sign that 1995 could be to concerts what 1929 was to the stock market is that Van Halen is considered one of the premier touring acts of the year.
Another bad omen is that the lineup for Lollapalooza still hasn’t been nailed down.
Reportedly, Pavement, Sinead O’Connor, Sonic Youth, Hole, Cypress Hill and the Jesus Lizard are confirmed for the main stage, but Lollapalooza officials will not make an official announcement until a headliner is determined.
And though this bill has some charm, it is in desperate need of a headliner.
There are a few legitimate blockbusters, including R.E.M.’s first cross-country tour in almost seven years, Pearl Jam’s 14-city Ticketmaster-less trek and an upcoming concert swing by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
But each of these tours has been met with complications. R.E.M. had to cancel several dates while drummer Bill Berry recovered from surgery to remove an aneurysm; the Peppers are waiting on singer Anthony Kiedis to recover from an undisclosed illness before firming up their schedule; and the opening date of Pearl Jam’s high-profile tour in Boise was canceled because of ticketing problems.
Even while many insiders are predicting gloom and doom on the concert trail, others are saying that it’ll be business as usual.
“You can’t compare to last year,” says Gary Bongiovanni, editor of the concert trade paper Pollstar. “That was an entirely special situation where several high-profile acts toured simultaneously.
“In 1995, you’re not going to see the huge Pink Floyd-, Rolling Stonescaliber acts, so in terms of dollar volume and stadium shows, yeah, it’ll be disastrous. But all those amphitheaters aren’t going to sit around unused. Hundreds of acts are going to be touring. It’ll be a crowded marketplace.”
Bongiovanni predicts that lowpriced package tours, such as the one featuring Ted Nugent, Bad Company and another group for $10, will be plentiful this summer.
“It’s going to be very competitive,” he says, “because it’s not just a choice between ‘Do I see Nine Inch Nails or the Flaming Lips?’ Concerts are also competing with video games and computer software and even CDs.
“The bottom line is this: As long as people keep having a good time going to concerts, they’ll keep coming back.
” And as long as they keep coming back, you’ll have a busy summer concert season.”