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WWW.VIP-BOOKING.coM VIP- News›› ›› PREmiUM VOL. 105 AUGUST 2008 McGowan’s Musings: Well, how is your summer going, and did I was very taken by the report following you miss us last month? OK, you don’t an eight-year study of Clem Burke, the have to answer the second bit…. let’s just veteran Blondie drummer, which may presume that you were too busy running force us to consider the stick (Get it!) or attending a festival, or chilling out on a we have given drummers with all those beach, taking a break from the hurly burly drummer jokes over the years. Appar- of the live industry. Or of course, particu- ently sports scientists have concluded larly if you are in the UK, you may have that drummers are comparable in their spent the time worrying about the decline physical prowess to world-class sports- in property values and plotting ways to men. If that’s the case perhaps our Ol- avoid the ‘credit crunch’. Allan McGowan ympic hopefuls should research the diets and intake of various substances of finely We are of course still in the midst of fes- tuned athletes such as Keith Moon and tival season, and I am available for any Englishman yelling at his mates, “We’re at John Bonham – guesses on the number that can guarantee good weather with the best f**king festival in Europe – smile!” of medals won anyone?! no rain/mud, a comfortable well catered This issue contains reports from various back stage area, an alternative to tents, festivals Also Ben Challis’s excellent Music Law preferably a hotel, and of course great acts Updates reveals that a French study has (when you get to my age you don’t ask for Mid summer is quite a good time to re- shown that turning up the volume on the much!). I did in fact get all that I asked for view the state of things and we include music can speed up the drinking at the at the two very different festivals that I at- a brief résumé of the present situation in bar. Researchers found loud music corre- tended during July, The Montreux Jazz in this issue of the News. There are of course lated with increased alcohol consumption Switzerland and The Exit in Serbia. At Mon- future treats in store – the business must and shortened the amount of time it took treux, overlooking Lake Geneva, a mainly have decided on ‘F’ in the 2008 alphabet for bar patrons to empty their glasses – so indoor event with a remarkable history, I of reformation as the rumours (Get it!) of a that’s why I find it so hard to turn down had the privilege of watching the 74-year- Fleetwood Mac get together are now con- a drink! old Leonard Cohen play a three-hour set firmed and Rod and Ron have apparently before dancing off the stage, there’s hope agreed to get their Faces lifted for a tour – I So, continuing that thought I look forward for us all! Exit is staged in the grounds of wonder who will replace the sadly depart- to socialising with as many of you as pos- a mediaeval fortress above the Danube, ed Ronnie Laine – it’s usually Pino in these sible at the various upcoming events such Paul Weller and Manu Chao entertained situations but we’ll have to see. I think we as Popkomm, ADE, Musexpo Europe etc – me and another 20,000 or so at night, should start betting on which Festivals the in the meantime enjoy the rest of the sum- avoiding the heat of the day in Novi Sad. reformed F’s land up doing next summer – mer and -, Ladies and Gentlemen – here is Exit was summed up for me by a passing probably someone already knows! the News. The VIP-Booking European Live Entertainment Book Advertising in the VIP Book will make you visible to 10.000 business professionals all over Europe. You will find no better place to expose your company to the whole European Live Entertainment Industry. ›› RESERVE yoUR AD NOW ON WWW.VIP-BOOKING.coM 1 VIP-BOOKING.COM VIP- News - August 2008 A Brief Half Year Review Allan McGowan [email protected] Generally the live industry seems to be re- have a detrimental affect on concert ticket maining relatively buoyant, but the warning sales but the promoting giant company flags are up and the cold winds of economic confounded this by posting increases in downturn are causing them to flutter. both ticket sales and live events. The day after the concert promoter posted second- quarter results that beat expectations (Man- The Top End of Touring fred Tari goes into more detail in this issue’s Business News) shares of Live Nation Inc I was tempted to call this piece The State of jumped 27 percent. The Nation, which would then have refer- ence to live, as that’s basically what we’re Live Nation Chief Executive Michael Rapino about, but that would of course have led commented, “History has shown that even in me to Live Nation, a name that somebody a recession, consumers go to shows” Hope- seems to have cornered, so as we’re there fully he’s right. already, let’s start with the big boys. Concerns about the massive deals with Ma- US Market donna, Jay-Z and Nickelback seem to have been addressed for the time being but there It seems that Gary Bongiovanni editor of the is still unrest in the camp. Rapino seems loath authoritative Pollstar agrees with Rapino, in to commit to the infrastructure required to the magazine’s midyear report on the con- complete the 360 degrees necessary to serv- cert business he comments, “The concert ice all aspects of these artists’ careers, partic- industry did far better in the first half of 2008 ularly the record company element. It seems than it should have. Despite the worsening that he wants to do deals with the remain- economic climate, whatever it is that trig- ing shaken record companies to continue to gers the off-switch on consumer spending for do what they were set up to do – make and tickets doesn’t appear to have happened yet.” sell records. This quite bizarre turn around Pollstar reports that the combined gross would see LN licensing product back to the from the top 100 tours during the first six likes of Warners, but the fees they would months of this year held steady at $1.05 receive for this are quite close to the royal- billion, identical to the figure for the same COLOPHON ›› ties they would have to pay the artists – so period last year. where’s the profit? In the tours of course and VIP-News is published by: isn’t that where they started? I always said Not everyone is optimistic however, accord- VIP-Booking 26 York Street 360 degrees was a circle. ing to a Billboard report of a July 28 touring London W1U 6pZ panel at the 83rd annual IAAM conference Business analysts had been expecting the and trade show in Anaheim, California de- Managing Director: Ronni Didriksen slow down in the U.S. economy company to [email protected] General Manager: Peter Briggs [email protected] Writer and editorial: Allan McGowan [email protected] Writer: Manfred Tari [email protected] For advertising enquiries pls. contact Peter Briggs [email protected] or +44 870 755 0092 Lay-out: Pekaye Graphics, Phuket – Thailand [email protected] Michael Rapino, CEO Live Nation Gary Bongiovanni, Pollstar 2 VIP-BOOKING.COM VIP- News - August 2008 spite these strong midyear tour grosses, year’s T in the Park festival sold out in under Scott Williams, referring in the main to UK high fuel prices and the struggling U.S. 10 hours, the first artists and line-up will festivals, is quoted as saying, “There have economy were a worry for the upcoming not be announced until early next year. T in been a high number of festivals on this year, Autumn (Fall) touring season. CAA manag- the Park 2009 will again be held at Balado and more cancellations as well. It seems a ing partner Rob Light said, “I think the sec- near Kinross, and will run from Friday 10 to lot of people jumped on the bandwagon ond half of the year is going to be horrible.” Sunday 12 July. but I think the bubble has burst. Some fes- John Meglen co-president of Concerts tivals we list every year, and every year they West (a touring arm of AEG Live), agreed, cancel, but this year a large number of new “We’re all a little bit skittish and paranoid festivals turned up and the people behind about what could happen in the second them didn’t seem to have the expertise or half of the year. It’s pretty expensive to go organisational skills to do it. They end up do the events that we put on, and I think with having not enough food, not enough that’s one of the biggest issues that we need alcohol, big queues.” to deal with in the future.” These comments followed the cancellation of festivals on the grounds of poor ticket Festival Market sales of Zapfest in Oxford, Tapestry (South Benicassim 2008 Wales) and Wild in the Country (Kneb- Following last year’s mud baths a lot of had over 148.000 people attending worth). Angry people set up Facebook people thought that Glastonbury, Roskilde groups demanding refunds from Z008 Fes- etc would see people looking elsewhere to The fourteenth edition of FIB Heineken tival in Port Lympne Wildlife Park, Kent.

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