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Live Nation officially announces The Classic

Live Nation has officially taken the wraps off The Classic, the heritage act-headlined festivals widely seen as its answer to AEG/Goldenvoice’s wildly successful ‘Oldchella’ (aka Desert Trip).

As previously reported, the twin festivals – comprising The Classic East in New York and The Classic West in Los Angeles – will be headlined by Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, with support from Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers, Journey and Earth, Wind & Fire.

All six acts are represented by CAA, which is believed to be producing the events alongside Live Nation and Irving Azoff’s Oak View Group and Azoff MSG Entertainment.

A website is now live at theclassic.com, with tickets on sale via Live Nation’s Ticketmaster from next Friday (7 April), starting from US$150 – far less than Desert Trip’s $399.

Here’s the launch video, courtesy of Live Nation:

 


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Doobies, Dan for Classic East and Classic West

New line-up details have emerged for Classic East and Classic West, the heritage-heavy answer to AEG’s Desert Trip reportedly planned by Live Nation, Oak View Group, Azoff MSG Entertainment and Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

According to Billboard, Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers, Journey and Earth, Wind & Fire will also play two nights in New York and Los Ageneles this July, joining previously announced headliners Fleetwood Mac and Eagles.

Classic West will take place at Dodger Stadium (56,000-cap.) in LA on 15 and 16 July, with Classic East at Citi Field (41,922-cap.) following two weeks later, on 29 and 30 July.

The inaugural Desert Trip, held on the Coachella site in Indio, California (and dubbed ‘Oldchella’), was a huge success for AEG’s Goldenvoice, with its line-up featuring a sextet of boomer greats – The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Roger Waters and The Who – delivering record-breaking revenue of US$150m+ for the promoter and contributing to an estimated $250m economic impact on the surrounding area.

 


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Live Nation, others planning own Desert Trip

Proving once and for all that imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery, a coalition of non-AEG promoters are reportedly planning their own answer to AEG Live’s US$150 million-grossing Desert Trip festival.

Billboard reports the bi-coastal festival – comprising Classic East at Citi Field (41,922-cap.) in New York and Classic West at Dodger Stadium (56,000-cap.) in Los Angeles – will headlined by Eagles and Fleetwood Mac and organised by Live Nation, Irving Azoff’s companies Oak View Group and Azoff MSG Entertainment and Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

It will the first show by Eagles since the death of founder member Glenn Frey in January 2016. Both Eagles and Fleetwood Mac are represented by CAA Music.

The four companies hope to develop an annual festival franchise around Classics East and West

According to Billboard, the four companies hope to develop an annual festival franchise around Classics East and West.

The inaugural Desert Trip, held on the Coachella site in Indio, California, was a huge success for AEG’s Goldenvoice, with its line-up featuring a sextet of boomer greats – The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Roger Waters and The Who – delivering record-breaking revenue for the promoter and contributing to an estimated $250m economic impact on the surrounding area.

Goldenvoice has yet to confirm whether Desert Trip will return in 2017, although Rolling Stone speculates Bruce Springsteen, The Police, U2, The Kinks, Elton John and Led Zeppelin could be in the running to perform if it does. (Take those predictions with a healthy spoonful of salt, though: Fleetwood Mac are also on the magazine’s list.)

 


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