European Festivals Offer Promotional Possibilities
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SFX DOMINATES SUMMER TOURING SEASON (Continued from page 1) spent more than $1 billion on acqui- independent promoter from buying Indeed, sometimes the numbers do $316,000. national promotion can have the sitions over the past two years - one of these acts? not seem to add up. Much of SFX's Scher is quick to point out that impact of a regional guy who lives basically control a huge percentage "Not at all," says Slater. "We've objective with the shed tours is like- SFX does not have a lock on this con- his market. of the touring box office for a par- sold a lot of dates to independents. ly to ensure programming for its 16 cept. That's why acts have embarked "[National promoters] worry ticular summer. We continue to work with every- amphitheaters, but even when ancil- on nationally purchased tours in the about hot dogs, beer, parking, and Add to this the news at press time body." lary revenues are considered, the past. sponsorships, as opposed to airplay, that SFX has added the biggest Scher is among those who see guarantees shape up like a loss "The reason they are choosing to ticket sales, and the music," says name in '90s global touring to its list things differently. "Our experience leader. go the national-tour route is they can Jack Orbin, president of Stone City of promoter acquisitions -the Next of late is, if we get a call from SFX One tour in particular is pulling in get more money than on a show -by- Attractions in San Antonio. "They Adventure (see story, page 85)-and at all -and more often than not, we a per -show guarantee said to be in show basis," Scher says. have shown indications of not caring the bottom line becomes even more don't -the prices are very high," he the $400,000 range. When that same But even as the trend gains about the community, the market- staggering. says. "I don't know what they pay artist last toured a few years ago, the steam, some in the industry are voic- place, or the consumer, but only the So what does this mean for the internally." average gross per night was about ing concern that there's no way a bottom line." entertainment business? "Control is a bad word," says Mitch Slater, president of SFX - owned Delsener- Slater Enterprises. "That's not how we view it. We view European it as being able to provide sound Festivals Offer Promotional Possibilities financial opportunities and being able BY SALLY STRATTON The music retail sector in general labels express some reservations stresses. to present artists in the best possible LONDON -This summer, like every is sluggish in Europe during the about the circuit. With new acts in The importance of billing cannot environment." year, music fans across Europe will summer period, so the success of a particular, Mercury's Thomas advo- be underestimated, says SINE's Tours under the SFX Entertain- mass in the hundreds of thousands band's festival experience is more cates a cautious approach. Luth. "You can't just throw every- ment banner this year include Black to spend at least one weekend under reliably measured in terms of profile "There's no point in doing a festi- body onto the same festival bill and Sabbath; `N Sync; the Ozzfest; canvas, indulging in the sun -soaked rather than record sales. val as an isolated event, and I rarely expect them to get away with it," he George Strait Country Music Festi- or mud -filled traditions of the sum- The ideal way of exploiting a fes- see the point of going on first at one says. "I've seen bands dying at festi- val; Charlie Daniels' Volunteer Jam; mer rock festival. tival appearance to the maximum of these festivals when the media vals because the wrong band played Rod Stewart; Lenny Kravitz and the While fans and bands alike look comes from cooperation between are not going to be there," she before them." Black Crowes; Nickelodeon's All forward to the experience, record That; Tom Petty; Neil Young; Cher; labels relish the opportunities the Paul Simon and Bob Dylan; Chicago festivals offer for marketing and `It can be the and the Doobie Brothers; Barry promoting their acts. KEY EUROPEAN FESTIVALS Manilow; and a large chunk of the U.S. acts and labels are often massive highlight Dave Matthews Band tour. aghast at the scale and eclectic of a campaign' Festival Country/Location Nearest City Dates Promoter "And more coming," adds Slater. billing of European festivals, which Glastonbury U.K. /Shepton Mallet Bristol June 25 -27 Michael Eavis "We competed very intensely for are equaled only by the likes of V99 U.K./Chelmsford London Aug. 21 Roseclaim most of these tours with other nation- 1994's Woodstock revisit. promoters, agents, management, V99 U.K./South Staffordshire Birmingham Aug. 22 al buyers, so from that perspective From May to September, open - and the label, as well as co- promotion Roskilde Denmark/Roskilde Copenhagen July 1 -4 Roskilde we feel pretty good about it." air festivals such as Glastonbury with radio stations and local TV net- Werchter (TW) Belgiunswerchter Brussels July 2 -4 Herman Schueremans (U.K.), Pinkpop (Netherlands), works, executives say. Pinkpop Holland/Landgraaf Maastricht May 22 -24 Mojo Concerts Festival I nd ependiente Spain/Madrid July 15 -16 Festimad Tourhout Werchter (Belgium), and Says Virgin's Lee, "When you're de Madrid (Festimad) `Guarantees are Rock am Ring (Germany) form a on the road, you like to have your Francofolies France/La Rochelle July 13-18 Jean -Louis Foulquier vital part of the promotional arse- bands available for a minimum of an de la Rochelle escalating out nal of any label. And with the right hour to 90 minutes on show day, Monza Rock Festival Italy/Monza Milan July 10 -11 Barley Arts timing, acts can reach a potential always." "They have to be available Norwegian Wood Norway/ Oslo June 5 -6 Norwegian Wood Co. of control' Vigelandsparken audience of millions by doing the for promotion, because you have to Huttsfredfestivalen Sweden/Huttsfred Hultsfred June 17 -19 Rockparty "fezzy circuit." take the competitive advantage," Rock am Ring/ Germany/Nürburgring Bonn May 21 -23 Marek Lieberberg Others aren't quite as happy about Torsten Luth, international mar- says Thomas. Rock im Park the situation. There is concern that keting director at Sony Independent Despite all this enthusiasm, the SFX has helped propel an artist - Network Europe (SINE), says of the guarantee situation that will ulti- circuit, "It's a good way of seeing mately affect ticket prices. bands, and when people see bands, "Guarantees are escalating out of hopefully afterward they go and buy control, and ultimately the public is their records." Festival Scene Growing Crowded In Europe paying for it," says Metropolitan However, Sian Thomas, director Entertainment president/CEO John of international marketing at Mer- Competition Among Events Expected To Be Fierce This Year Scher. "[Ticket prices] are eliminat- cury U.K., notes that a festival ing a significant segment of the pop- appearance does not guarantee LONDON -This could be the year record companies so far haven't that's too much in a small market." ulation." sales. "If you're the headliner and that the U.K. and continental Euro- particularly supported the idea of "There used to be a healthy High guarantees aren't new this you're currently on a roll, then I pean festival businesses discover the festival." amount of festivals, and then sud- year, Slater points out. "I think guar- think it can [sell records]," she their limits. This will be the 23rd Werchter denly in the last couple of years the antees have gone up the last couple notes. "If you have a new artist who Europe's festival business has Festival, and its varied bill includes whole thing exploded," says of years, not just this particular is tremendous live, perhaps you can grown steadily over the past three the Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Torsten Luth, international mar- year," he says. And they don't neces- use it to showcase them or introduce decades, with audience numbers, Slim, Blur, Bryan Adams, and keting director at Sony Indepen- sarily impact the average ticket them to the media, as long as your acts on the bill, and the sophistica- R.E.M. "We attract a very wide dent Network Europe. Like many price, just the top end, he adds. billing's OK." tion of the organizers evolving. audience, most 15 -25, but many of his colleagues in the business, he "We've had a reality check in While the number of festivals has But the cancellation of the keep coming year after year," says sees casualties as inevitable. terms of how to scale our facilities, expanded through the '90s, SINE's planned Woodstock '99 in Austria is Yo Van Saet, spokeswoman for pro- This year, Woodstock '99, which and it needs to be on a tiered basis," Luth notes that picking the right a symptom of a saturated environ- moter Herman Schueremans. With was to have been held in Austria in says Slater. "Previously it hasn't been event is still a "horses for courses" ment, observers say. a capacity of 65,000, it is the biggest July, was canceled, though orga- scaled properly, from the `golden cir- affair. "For an established band, it Promoters are noting that com- festival in Belgium and draws fans nizers hope to mount it in 2000 or cle' all the way to the low ticket price. can be the massive highlight of a petition among events this year will from northern France and the 2001.