LN Spain sues council in €2m GNR sponsorship row
Live Nation Spain is taking legal action against Vigo council over the voiding of a near €2 million municipal sponsorship deal for Guns N’ Roses’ recent concert in the city.
The promoter stepped up to guarantee the 12 June date at Estadio Abanca Balaidos “out of respect to the fans” after it was plunged into doubt due to an “administrative error”, when local production company Sweet Nocturna allegedly failed to present the relevant documentation.
Sweet Nocturna argued the requested deed was “subject to confidentiality and data protection to which local companies have no possibility of access or management”.
According to El Periodico de Espana, LN Spain president Pino Sagliocco says the GNR show “would never have been possible” without the council’s €1.9m sponsorship pledge, and vows to pursue the authority “with all the laws”. “We have no choice but to claim our rights,” he adds.
The organisers say they are taking legal action to ensure “these bad, arbitrary practices do not happen again for the good of the sector”
The gig, which was attended by around 28,000 people, was described by Sagliocco – who has previously brought acts such as the Rolling Stones, Madonna and Muse to Vigo – as “one of the best concerts in the history of Galicia”. Sagliocco says he pressed ahead with the event given the “emotional and economic consequences”, claiming that cancelling would have undermined Vigo’s “prestige”.
Nonetheless, the organisers allege the show “was in danger at all times due to the malpractice of the Vigo City Council,” adding they are taking legal action to ensure “these bad, arbitrary practices do not happen again for the good of the sector”.
However, a joint press conference by Sagliocco and Sweet Nocturna planned for last Friday (16 June) was cancelled, leading Vigoe to speculate that a settlement may have been reached with the authorities.
Guns N’ Roses, who are represented by ITB outside North America, also performed in Spain at Madrid’s Civitas Metropolitan Stadium on Friday 9 June as part of the European leg of their We’re F’N’ Back! Tour. The US band also has upcoming festival headline dates at Tons of Rock in Norway (21 June), this weekend’s Glastonbury festival (24 June) and BST Hyde Park in London (30 June).
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LN Spain allays fears over Guns N’ Roses’ Vigo gig
Next week’s Guns N’ Roses’ show in Vigo, Spain is set to go ahead after being thrown into doubt due to an “administrative error”.
More than 25,000 tickets have been sold for the concert at Estadio Abanca Balaidos on Monday 12 June. But reports surfaced last week that a €1.9 million municipal sponsorship deal for the gig had been declared void after local production company Sweet Nocturna allegedly failed to present the relevant documentation.
According to Vigoe, the firm told Vigo City Council that the requested deed “is not a document that exists as such in most cases”, due to nature of artist contracts.
Around 22,000 tickets were sold for the show on its first day of sale
“On these agreements, there is usually no contract as such, nor some deeds,” it said, arguing that the documentation between the artist and agency/promoter was “of a private commercial nature” and was therefore “subject to confidentiality and data protection to which local companies have no possibility of access or management”.
Nevertheless, Faro De Vigo reports that national promoter Live Nation Spain has guaranteed the GNR event, agreeing to assume the expenses resulting from the sponsorship shortfall “out of respect for the fans”. Around 22,000 tickets were sold for the show on its first day of sale.
The US band, who are represented by ITB outside North America, will also perform in Spain at Madrid’s Civitas Metropolitan Stadium on Friday (9 June) as part of the European leg of their We’re F’N’ Back! Tour. The group also has a slate of festival headline dates including at Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium (15 June), Denmark’s Copenhell (17 June), Tons of Rock in Norway (21 June) and the UK’s Glastonbury festival (24 June) and BST Hyde Park (30 June).
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Glastonbury unveils 2023 line-up
Arctic Monkeys and Guns N’ Roses have been confirmed as Pyramid Stage headliners for the 2023 Glastonbury festival, joining the previously announced Elton John.
The 2023 event is scheduled for 21-25 June at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset.
The 13 Artists-booked Arctic Monkeys will top the bill for the third time, having previously headlined in 2007 and 2013, while Guns N’ Roses, represented by ITB, will be making their Glastonbury debut.
More than 50 artists have been announced for the festival, including Lizzo, Lana Del Rey, Aitch, Lil Nas X, Fred Again.., Royal Blood, Lewis Capaldi, Christine and the Queens, Blondie, Wizkid, Becky Hill, Manic Street Preachers, Maneskin, Mahalia, Candi Staton, Alt-J, Carly Rae Jepsen, Central Cee, Young Fathers, Kelis, Cat Burns, FLO, The War on Drugs, Rina Sawayama, Sparks, Texas and The Chicks.
The Sunday afternoon “legends slot” goes to Yusuf/Cat Stevens, with more acts still to be announced.
“Next year it’s looking like we’ve got two female headliners, so fingers crossed”
While there is an almost 50:50 split between male and female acts on the bill (52% male), all three headliners are male.
“This year, we did have a female headliner, and she unfortunately had to pull out,” co-organiser Emily Eavis tells the BBC. “It changes all the time. But next year it’s looking like we’ve got two female headliners, so fingers crossed.”
Speaking to the Guardian, she adds: “We’re trying our best so the pipeline needs to be developed. This starts way back with the record companies, radio. I can shout as loud as I like but we need to get everyone on board.”
Tickets for the 2023 festival sold out last November in just over an hour, despite a 26% price increase for the 2023 edition.
General sale tickets cost £335 (€385) for 2023, up 26% on the £265 (€304) charged when tickets last went on sale in 2019. Tickets were subsequently rolled over until 2022 when the 2020 and 2021 festivals were cancelled due to the pandemic.
Glastonbury previously posted a loss of £3.1 million for the year ending March 2021, according to Companies House documents.
Ahead of the 2023 event, Glastonbury has also announced a multi-year partnership with Vodafone. As Official Connectivity Partner, Vodafone has exclusive rights to the festival and throughout the partnership will use its network to “deliver innovative experiences using cutting-edge technology”.
Vodafone’s network will be boosted to the highest capacity ever, while customers will be able to gain access to festival tickets via its VeryMe Rewards programme available on the MyVodafone app. VeryMe promotions and experiences will also be available to everyone who is at the Festival.
The partnership will also see the launch of a brand-new Official Glastonbury Festival app, with a host of new features, as well as free phone charging for everyone at the festival.
“We are so pleased to have Vodafone on board as a new partner for the festival,” adds Eavis. “The commitment they have made to supporting our festival in its technical and network requirements as well as other projects throughout the year is great, and we look forward to working with them in the years ahead.”
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Guns N’ Roses announce 2023 world tour
Guns N’ Roses have unveiled details of their 2023 world tour, produced by Live Nation.
The rock legends will start the run on 5 June in Tel Aviv, Israel at Park Hayarkon and will continue across Europe, wrapping up at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece on 22 July.
The band, who have been heavily tipped to headline thew UK’s Glastonbury festival, will then head back to North America, starting on 5 August in Moncton, NB at Medavie Blue Cross Stadium. They will visit venues across such as Fenway Park in Boston (21 August) and Wrigley Field in Chicago (24 August), before concluding in Vancouver, Canada on 16 October. The general onsale will start this Friday, 24 February.
It will mark the first time the group have toured North America since 2021’s We’re F’N Back! Tour, which included their first headlining performance at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.
Guns N’ Roses’ 2016-19 Not in this Lifetime reunion world tour saw them play 158 concerts across six continents en route to becoming the third-highest grossing tour of all time. According to Billboard figures, the Live Nation-promoted tour grossed US$584.2 million from 5,371,891 ticket sales.
The full list of tour dates is as follows:
Mon Jun 05 – Tel Aviv, Israel – Park Hayarkon
Fri Jun 09 – Madrid, Spain – Civitas Metropolitan Stadium
Mon Jun 12 – Vigo, Spain – Estadio Abanca Balaídos
Thu Jun 15 – Dessel, Belgium – Grasspop Metal Meeting
Sat Jun 17 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Copenhell
Wed Jun 21 – Oslo, Norway – Tons of Rock
Tue Jun 27 – Glasgow, UK – Bellahouston Park
Fri Jun 30 – London, UK – BST Hyde Park
Mon Jul 03 – Frankfurt, Germany – Deutsch Bank Park
Wed Jul 05 – Bern, Switzerland – BERNEXPO
Sat Jul 08 – Rome, Italy – Circo Massimo
Tue Jul 11 – Landgraaf, Netherlands – Megaland
Thu Jul 13 – Paris, France – La Defense
Sun Jul 16 – Bucharest, Romania – National Arena
Wed Jul 19 – Budapest, Hungary – Puskás Arena
Sat Jul 22 – Athens, Greece – Olympic Stadium
Sat Aug 05 – Moncton, NB – Medavie Blue Cross Stadium
Tue Aug 08 – Montreal, QC – Parc Jean Drapeau
Fri Aug 11 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium
Tue Aug 15 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium
Mon Aug 21 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park
Thu Aug 24 – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field
Sat Aug 26 – Nashville, TN – GEODIS Park
Tue Aug 29 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
Fri Sep 01 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Sun Sep 03 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre
Wed Sep 06 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena
Sat Sep 09 – St. Louis, MO – Busch Stadium
Tue Sep 12 – Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena
Fri Sep 15 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live
Wed Sep 20 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
Sat Sep 23 – Kansas City, MO – Kauffman Stadium
Tue Sep 26 – San Antonio, TX – Alamodome
Thu Sep 28 – Houston, TX – Minute Maid Park
Sun Oct 01 – San Diego, CA – Snapdragon Stadium
Sun Oct 08 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock Festival
Wed Oct 11 – Phoenix, AZ – Chase Field
Mon Oct 16 – Vancouver, BC – BC Place
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IQ 106 out now: Navigating the new industry landscape
IQ 106, the latest issue of the international live music industry’s favourite monthly magazine, is available to read online now.
The December 2021 edition is spearheaded by an exclusive preview of next year’s highly anticipated International Live Music Conference (ILMC).
Elsewhere, IQ news editor James Hanley speaks to Paradigm Agency’s Alex Hardee and Adele Slater about Liam Gallagher’s sold-out Knebworth shows.
This issue also sees IQ editor Gordon Masson quiz venue management from around the world about their plans for arenas to reopen and stay open.
For this edition’s columns and comments, Suzanne Hunt details how Squeeze became one of the first UK acts to resume touring in the United States, lawyer Gregor Pryor notes the challenges that the metaverse could pose for the music industry, and Debbie Taylor shares her experience of Guns N’ Roses’ Covid-compliant US tour.
And, in this month’s Your Shout, live industry executives pick their three ideal guests for a dinner party.
As always, the majority of the magazine’s content will appear online in some form in the next four weeks.
However, if you can’t wait for your fix of essential live music industry features, opinion and analysis, click here to subscribe to IQ for just £5.99 a month – or check out what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below:
IQ subscribers can log in and read the full magazine now.
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$1bn artists line up global tours as confidence builds
Some of the world’s biggest artists, collectively worth more than US$1 billion in ticket revenue between 2018 and 2020, will hit the road again in 2021 and ’22, as confidence builds for a return to international touring over the next 12 months.
Sir Elton John, Celine Dion, Metallica, Michael Bublé, Guns N’ Roses, Bruce Springsteen and Eagles – all of whom ranked among the highest-grossing tours of 2018, 2019 and 2020, grossing more than $1bn between them – have in recent weeks revealed plans for new or rescheduled global tours, many of them starting as soon as this summer.
Sir Elton has extended his disrupted final tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road, with a bumper 30-date, six-month stadium run across across mainland Europe, the UK and the United States.
Here they are – my final tour dates ever in North America and Europe! This has been an incredible tour so far and I'll be going out in the biggest possible way. I can't wait to see you all on the road one last time 🚀🚀🚀
🎫 → https://t.co/fEQsOiiRjO#EltonFarewellTour pic.twitter.com/rlXs6cHsA7
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) June 23, 2021
“Hello, all you wonderful fans out there. I’m coming to you today with an announcement I’ve been working towards for, well, all my life: the shows that I announce today will be my final tour dates ever in North America and Europe,” he says in a statement.
“I’m going to go out in the biggest possible way, performing at my very best, with the most spectacular production I’ve ever had, playing in places that have meant so much to me throughout my career.
“Whether it’s next summer in Frankfurt or at the legendary Dodger Stadium for the grand finale in the United States, I can’t wait to see you all on the road one last time. This has been an incredible tour so far, full of the most amazing highs, and I look forward to making more wonderful memories with you at these final shows.”
The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, Sir Elton’s farewell tour, was brought to a halt by the coronavirus pandemic last March, with the last show on 7 March 2020 at Bankwest Stadium in Parramatta, Australia. The tour resumes on 1 September at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin and will conclude in Australasia in 2023.
The tour, produced and promoted by AEG Presents, grossed $212 million in 2019 and $71.2m in 2020.
“I’m going to go out in the biggest possible way, performing at my very best”
Springsteen, who grossed an incredible $88.3m from his Springsteen on Broadway shows, which had an average ticket price of $509, in 2018, also has live plans for 2022.
As well as reviving Springsteen on Broadway, Springsteen confirmed to E Street Radio on SiriusXM he is planning a full tour with his E Street Band in 2022. “I knew we were going to tour with the band next year,” he said, “[but] I had a friend who got so enthusiastic about it [Springsteen on Broadway] that he talked me into it sitting on my couch one night. The next day I said, ‘OK, we’ll do some shows.’ It really came around kind of casually.”
Eagles, meanwhile recently added another six dates to their long-delayed Hotel California tour, which kicks off at Madison Square Garden in New York in August.
While the band has only announced the rescheduled US dates so far (the first leg ends at Chase Center in San Francisco on 23 October 2021), pre-pandemic the Live Nation-promoted tour included included dates in London (Wembley Stadium) and Los Cabos, Mexico (Cabo en Vivo), so it is expected that additional European and Latin American shows are still to be announced.
Eagles grossed $166m from their 2018 North American tour.
Metal titans Metallica earlier this month announced six European festival shows for 2022, adding to the open-air shows pencilled in for the US in September, October and November 2021.
“We have waited far too long to say these words: we’re getting back out there”
Under the banner The Return of the European Summer Vacation, the band will play headline shows at Denmark’s Copenhell, the Netherlands’ Pinkpop, Italy’s Firenze Rocks, the Czech Republic’s Prague Rocks, Belgium’s Rock Werchter, Spain’s Mad Cool and Portugal’s NOS Alive. .
“We have waited far too long to say these words: we’re getting back out there and are finally announcing our return to Europe in 2022,” say Metallica in a statement. “Needless to say, we cannot wait to see all of you once again as our European ’tallica Family will finally have a chance to reunite in June and July of next year.”
The festivals next year will be Metallica’s first European shows since their Worldwired global tour, which grossed a total of $179m in 2019.
Elsewhere, Bublé (who grossed $115.8m in 2019 and $24.8m in 2020) is resuming his An Evening With Michael Bublé tour in North America in August, while Dion’s (2020 gross: $71.2m) postponed Courage world tour will finally kick off the same month in Winnipeg.
Also resuming a postponed tour this summer are Guns’ N Roses, whose world stadium tour – newly rechristened We’re F’n’ Back! – will begin at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on 31 July 2021. The tour will include Australasian dates later this year and a string of European stadium shows next summer.
Opening the tour will be the late Eddie Van Halen’s bassist, son Wolfgang, with his band Mammoth WVH.
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Live Nation SVP International steps down
Jason Miller, senior vice president of international and emerging markets at Live Nation, has announced that he is leaving the live entertainment giant after over seven years.
Miller held his most recent role at Live Nation since 2016, after previously serving as senior vice president of the company’s operations in Asia.
Prior to joining Live Nation, he operated a concert consultancy and spent more than a decade as an agent at CAA.
“I am humbled by the record-breaking tours this team executed”
In a social media post, replicated by Celebrity Access, the live industry veteran wrote that he had “officially moved on” from his role at Live Nation.
“I am incredibly proud of the team I built at Live Nation. I am humbled by the record-breaking tours this team executed (U2, Coldplay, Madonna, Bruno Mars, Guns & Roses, etc, etc),” reads the post.
“I am grateful for all the career changing experiences I’ve had at Live Nation over the last 7+ years.”
Miller adds that he is unsure “where my next adventure will lead, but I am excited for what the future holds.”
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The decade in live: 2017
The start of a new year and, perhaps more significantly, a new decade is fast approaching – and while many may be thinking ahead to New Year’s Eve plans and well-meaning 2020 resolutions, IQ is casting its mind back to the most pivotal industry moments of the last ten years.
The memories of a turbulent 2016 were left far behind in 2017, as the concert business enjoyed a record-breaking twelve months, as the year’s gross revenue and number of tickets sold saw 2013 finally knocked off the top spot.
The success of the live business in 2017, however, was somewhat overshadowed by a number of devastating terror attacks, with the Manchester Arena bombing, the shootings at Route 91 Harvest and BPM Festival, the Reina nightclub shooting and other incidents targeting music fans.
In response to the tragedies, the live industry united and made a positive impact, in the form of the One Love Manchester and We are Manchester charity concerts and candlelit vigils and fundraising for victims of the Route 91 Harvest attack.
Elsewhere, the booking agency world continued to consolidate through 2017, with a number of acquisitions, mergers and partnerships while Live Nation welcomed several more promoters, festivals, ticketing agencies and venues to its fast-growing family.
2017 in numbers
The live music business reached new heights in 2017, with the top 100 tours worldwide generating a record US$5.65 billion, up almost 16% from the previous year.
The number of tickets sold throughout the year also saw a notable increase from the year before, climbing 10.4% to 66.8 million, at an average price of almost $4 more per ticket than in 2016, at $84.60.
Eleven tours surpassed the $100m mark in 2017, with U2 topping the year-end charts having generated $316m on their Joshua Tree tour. Guns N’ Roses narrowly missed out on $300m, grossing $292.5m on the Not in this Lifetime tour.
Coldplay came in next, as the band’s A Head Full of Dreams tour made $238m. Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic tour was also successful, grossing just over $200m, whereas Metallica’s WorldWired tour generated $152.8m.
Depeche Mode, Paul McCartney, Ed Sheeran, the Rolling Stones, Garth Brooks and Celine Dion were the other acts whose 2017 tour earnings exceeded $100m.
2017 in brief
January
A lone gunman attacks New Year’s revellers at the Reina nightclub in Istanbul, resulting in the death of 39 people and injuries to a further 70. Two weeks later, four are killed and 12 injured during a shooting at the BPM Festival in the coastal resort of Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
AM Only and The Windish Agency rebrand as Paradigm Talent Agency, signalling the next phase of their joint ventures, launched in 2012 and 2015, respectively.
Global asset management firm Providence Equity Partners acquires a 70% stake in Sziget Festival and reveals plans to launch eight to ten branded festivals, with James Barton, former president of electronic music for Live Nation, leading the international expansion.
AEG Live finalises negotiations to acquire New York-based promoter/venue operator The Bowery Presents.
February
Ticketbis, the multinational resale operation acquired by eBay in May 2016, is rebranded as StubHub, bringing to an end the Ticketbis name across Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Live Nation enters the Middle East’s biggest touring market with the acquisition of a majority stake in Bluestone Entertainment, one of Israel’s leading promoters.
March
Iron Maiden’s decision to use paperless tickets on the UK leg of The Book of Souls arena tour helps reduce the number of tickets appearing on secondary sites by more than 95%, according to promoter Live Nation.
Live Nation acquires a controlling stake in the UK’s Isle of Wight Festival.
The Australian leg of Adele’s Live 2017 tour makes concert history after playing to more than 600,000 people over eight stadium dates.
Sziget Festival 2017 © László Mudra/Rockstar Photographers
April
In the biggest primary deal so far for the world’s largest secondary ticketing site, StubHub is named the official ticket seller for Rock in Rio 2017.
Creative Artists Agency increases its investment in the Chinese market via a new alliance with private equity firm CMC Capital Partners.
May
Luxury Ja Rule-backed boutique event, Fyre Festival, descends into chaos on its first day, with visitors to the Bahamas site comparing conditions to a refugee camp.
22 people, including children, lose their lives after a suicide bombing at Manchester Arena, for which Islamic State terror claims responsibility. The attack targets people leaving the 21,000-cap. venue at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.
June
Pandora Media announces the sale of Ticketfly to Eventbrite. Despite purchasing the company for $450m less than two years ago, it sells for a package worth $200m.
AEG invests in Immortals, one of the world’s leading esports teams, with professional players in the North American League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Super Smash Bros, Overwatch and Vainglory leagues. The team will now play their Los Angeles tournaments and matches at AEG’s LA Live entertainment district.
The organisers of ILMC announce the launch of the Event Safety and Security Summit (E3S), a one-day meeting focusing on security at live events.
The reality of Fyre Festival © Here_Comes_the_Kingz/Reddit
July
Helsinki-based Fullsteam Agency acquires Rähinä Live, whose roster includes some of Finland’s biggest hip-hop and pop artists.
Oak View Group, which counts Irving Azoff and Tim Leiweke among its founders, completes its acquisition of Pollstar, adding the US-based concert business magazine to its portfolio of trade titles.
August
Madison Square Garden Company makes a significant move into the esports sector by acquiring a controlling stake in Counter Logic Gaming.
Paradigm Talent Agency acquires Chicago- and California-based agency Monterey International, including its 14 agents and 200 acts.
Live Nation launches in Brazil with former Time for Fun (T4F) chief entertainment officer Alexandre Faria Fernandes at the helm.
September
Three quarters of staff at Function(x), the online business founded by former SFX Entertainment CEO Robert Sillerman, are effectively laid off, with the company telling investors it lacks the funds to pay them.
A sovereign wealth fund controlled by the government of Saudi Arabia, says it is forming a new SR10 billion ($2.7bn) investment vehicle in a bid to kick-start the kingdom’s entertainment sector.
Music returns to Manchester Arena as a capacity crowd turn out for We are Manchester, a benefit concert that raises funds for a memorial to the victims of the 22nd of May bombing.
The We are Manchester charity concert drew a full-capacity crowd at the 21,000-cap. arena © Showsec
October
A gunman kills 58 people and injures a further 546 at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival in Las Vegas. Local resident Stephen Paddock targeted the concertgoers from the 32nd floor of the nearby Mandalay Bay hotel.
WME-IMG rebrands as Endeavor, with company assets that include martial- arts promoter, UFC; ad agency, Droga5; Professional Bull Riders; the Miss Universe Organization; Frieze Art Fair; management companies, Dixon Talent and The Wall Group; and joint ventures such as Euroleague Basketball and esports championship ELEAGUE.
November
Ticketmaster confirms its long-rumoured expansion into Italy. The launch of Ticketmaster Italia, headquartered in Milan, follows the end of the exclusive long-term online partnership in Italy between Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation, and CTS Eventim-owned TicketOne.
After 11 years in East London’s Victoria Park – now exclusive to AEG – Eat Your Own Ears’ Field Day Festival will head to Brockwell Park in South London. Live Nation’s Lovebox and Citadel are also rumoured to be moving to Brockwell Park.
Secondary ticketing websites will, from January 2018, be subject to stringent restrictions on their use of Google AdWords, as the search-engine giant cracks down on ticket resellers’ controversial use of its online advertising platform.
December
Leading self-service ticketer Eventbrite announces a series of new partnerships, rolling out integrations with events guide The List, festival package provider Festicket, word-of-mouth ticket sales platform Verve, and brand ambassador software Ticketrunner.
Michael Rapino, CEO of Live Nation Entertainment since 2010, will remain in his role until at least 2022 after signing a new five-year contract worth up to $9m per annum. Also re-upping are leading execs Kathy Willard, Michael Rowles and Joe Berchtold.
Primary Talent’s Dave Chumbley (1960-2017) picks up his Platinum Endurance Arthur Award at ILMC 25 © ILMC
Who we lost
Peter Rieger, founder of German promoter Peter Rieger Konzertagentur (PRK); Joseph Rascoff, business manager to the Stones, David Bowie, U2, Sting and more; ILMC’s long-time producer Alia Dann Swift; ShowSec International Ltd founder Mick Upton; Dave Chumbley, Primary Talent International director; Mary Cleary, former booker and tour manager; American singer-songwriter Tom Petty; pioneering concert promoter Shmuel Zemach, founder of Zemach Promotions; Australian country music promoter, agent and artist, Rob Potts; Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington; Reading festival founder Harold Pendelton; Washington, DC, promoter Jack Boyle; Live Nation Belgium booker Marianne Dekimpe; rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry.
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Guns N’ Roses close third highest-grossing tour ever
Guns N’ Roses’ mammoth Not in this Lifetime world tour has finally drawn to a close, after three years that saw the rock legends play 158 concerts across six continents.
According to Billboard figures, the Live Nation-promoted tour grossed US$584.2 million from 5,371,891 ticket sales, making it the third highest-grossing tour in history behind Ed Sheeran’s ÷ tour ($775.6m) and U2’s 360° tour ($735.4m).
Beginning in 2016, the Not in this Lifetime tour marked the reunion of Guns N’ Roses members Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan after 13 years. It was the most successful rock tour of 2016 and the second highest-grossing tour of 2017, beaten by U2’s Joshua Tree 2017 phenomenon.
The tour has seen the rockers, who are represented by ITB’s Rod MacSween and UTA’s Ken Fermaglich, play 31 shows in Europe, 16 in Asia, 15 in South America, 8 in Australia and a sole date in South Africa.
Although home-continent shows amassed the most in terms of region – $285.5m – they fell short proportionally
Over half of the tour (55%) took place in North America, with 87 dates in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Although home-continent shows amassed the most in terms of region – $285.5m – they fell short proportionally, with 55% of the tour accounting for 49% of overall gross and 43% of net ticket sales.
The highest-grossing individual show took place at the 66,000-capacity London Stadium on 16 June 2017. The concert grossed $17.7m – 3% of the tour total – selling 140,877 tickets.
More than 100,000 fans also attended single dates at Foro Sol in Mexico City, the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires and the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. The shows in London, East Rutherford and Buenos Aires all broke the $10m mark, along with dates at the Tallinn, Song Festival Grounds in Estonia and Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil.
The mega tour ended at the beginning of November with two dates at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
As noted by consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), veteran acts have consistently performed well on the touring circuit in recent years, with tours by U2, Roger Waters, Eagles, Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and Phil Collins bringing in “large totals” in 2018 alone.
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Record turnover for Spanish live music business
The tenth edition of the Spanish Association of Music Promoters (APM)’s Live Music Yearbook (Anuario de la música en vivo) has brought good news, reporting a record annual turnover of €334 million for Spain’s live music industry.
The record-breaking revenue follows five consecutive years of growth for the Spanish live music market and represents a 24% increase on 2017. The consistent growth means that the 2018 turnover is the biggest-ever recorded for the Spanish industry, superior even to figures generated before the 2008 financial crisis.
The turnover signals the recovery of the sector following a cut in cultural tax in 2017, from 21% to 10%. The Spanish government had hiked tax on cultural shows in 2012, causing serious problems for the Spanish live industry, which lost €100 million and 27.5% in revenue from ticket sales between 2012 and 2013.
According to APM, the majority of revenue was taken in July and August 2018. Major one-off stadium shows from Guns N’ Roses and Iron Maiden coincided with tours from international Latin artists Luis Miguel (8 dates), Shakira (5 dates) and Alejandro Fernández (8 dates).
The association also indicated a rise in music tourism, the importance of which has now been recognised by institutions, such as the new section dedicated to festivals at the International Tourism Fair (Fitur).
The record-breaking revenue comes following five consecutive years of growth for the Spanish live music market
Bruno Mars attracted the biggest crowds, drawing 110,000 fans across two concerts in Barcelona and Madrid. Latin artists Ricky Martin and Shakira also proved popular, with Martin playing to 79,657 fans over 10 dates and Shakira performing to 71,000 over five shows.
APM announced the results of elections at its AGM in Palma de Mallorca in February. Members re-elected Albert Salmerón as president, with Tito Ramoneda as vice president and Carol Rodríguez, Maricruz Laguna and Julio Martí as board members. Patxi Miranda also joins the board.
The promoters’ association outlined its plans for the coming years, which include the modification of working regulations for musicians and the drawing up of a plan to ensure the recognition of the cultural, social and economic value of the music industry.
APM has now partnered with four main ticketing companies: El Corte Inglés, CTS Eventims’s Spanish operation entradas.com, See Tickets and Ticketmaster. The association maintains Ifema and el Palau Sant Jordi as venue partners.
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