Fred again.. announces first-ever stadium show
Fred again.. has announced his first-ever stadium show, just six days in advance of it taking place.
The Grammy Award-winning British DJ and producer is set to headline the 77,500-capacity Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, US, this Friday (14 June).
The news was revealed on Sunday (9 June) and the general sale opened yesterday with tickets ranging from $59–140 (€55–130).
“We’ve been working on this for monthsssss and its definitely the maddest live show we’ve ever tried to do so far,” Fred again.. (real name Frederik Gibson) wrote in a social media announcement.
The LA Memorial Coliseum gigs, promoted by Goldenvoice, follow his three-day residency at Frost Amphitheatre in Stanford, California, which took place last week.
Earlier this year, Fred again… sold out all six of his Australian arena shows within hours of the tour announcement, including three-night stands at both Sydney’s 22,000-capacity Qudos Bank Arena and Melbourne’s 15,000-capacity Rod Laver Arena, as well as a pop-up show in the Gold Coast.
“We’ve been working on this for monthsssss and its definitely the maddest live show we’ve ever tried to do so far”
Over one million fans virtually queued for tickets to his Oz outing, snapping up more than 100,000 tickets in “a matter of hours,” according to reps for Handsome Tours, which presented the tour with sister companies Laneway Presents, TEG Live and Astral People.
Fred again.. also delivered a surprise performance at Sydney’s Opera House, for which 145,000 people queued for less than 3,000 tickets, setting the record for the biggest on-sale demand for the iconic venue.
In IQ‘s recent Electronic Music Report, Tim McGregor, MD of TEG Live in Australia, discussed how a DJ show can rival a band experience in the venues traditionally the preserve of the rock & pop or hip-hop scenes.
“DJ shows can sell as well as gigs with bands and singers, whether this be in greenfield sites, stadiums, or arenas. All the big eye-popping performances at Coachella this year (and last) seemed to be electronic – Justice, Dom Dolla, and Anyma/Eric Prydz in 2024. Artists like Fisher, Fred again.., Rüfüs du Sol, and Dom Dolla have been doing stunning business in venues that have typically been considered live concert venues. The game is changing, and quickly.”
Fred again..’s upcoming appearances also include Reading & Leeds and Helsinki’s Flow Festival.
He is represented worldwide by Wasserman Music’s Evan Hancock, Ben Shprits and Tom Schroeder.
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Europe’s first stadium show since Covid-19 sells out
Live Nation Denmark has announced the first full-capacity stadium show in Europe since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020.
The sold-out show will see Danish post-punk band, The Minds of 99, perform to 50,000 people at the National Stadium (aka Parken) in Copenhagen.
The concert is slated to take place in the Danish capital on 11 September, a day after the Danish government drops all remaining Covid-19 restrictions.
This means attendees will be able to enjoy the show without social distancing, wearing masks or showing Covid-19 certification.
Ulrik Orum-Petersen, promoter at Live Nation Denmark, told IQ that it’s a “historic day” for the European live music industry.
“[This is] a manifestation of the strong fan confidence towards our industry… it gives our whole industry incredible optimism”
“It’s also a manifestation of the strong fan confidence towards our industry and it gives our whole industry an incredible optimism and strong faith in a bright future ahead,” Orum-Petersen added.
The Minds of 99 say: “This concert has turned into something far greater than The Minds of 99. It’s about what the whole world has been through the last year and a half. It is about the full reopening of live music in Denmark. The live music that so many people live and breathe for. It’s not about us anymore. It is beautiful.”
Denmark is the EU’s third-most vaccinated country, according to Our World in Data, with 71% of the population having received two shots.
The high vaccination rate prompted the government to start the rollback of restrictions at the beginning of this month.
After 10 September, the Danish government will no longer categorise Covid-19 as a “socially critical disease” or legally impose any Covid-19 restrictions.
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Ed Sheeran smashes TikTok livestreaming record
Ed Sheeran has set a new record for the most-watched live music performance on the viral short-form video app TikTok.
The record-breaking live stream took place last Friday (25 June) at Sheeran’s home football ground of Portman Road, Ipswich Town, UK, as part of TikTok’s partnership with UEFA (The Union of European Football Associations) during the Euro 2020 tournament.
More than 5.5 million unique viewers tuned in to the singer’s hour-long TikTok live stream (dubbed the TikTok UEFA EURO 2020 Show) and the two replays the following day.
According to the platform, the show was the biggest-ever live music performance on TikTok, surpassing the 4 million people who tuned in for Justin Bieber’s Valentine’s Day TikTok live stream in February.
“The bar for what is possible within the livestreaming format has been creatively raised”
The spectator-free show, directed by Emil Nava and Hamish Hamilton, incorporated special effects, augmented reality and prominent TikTok stars. It also marked the live premiere of Sheeran’s new single ‘Bad Habits’.
“The TikTok UEFA 2020 Show was an incredible moment for our community around the world and a turning point for live music streaming,” says Paul Hourican, head of music operations UK TikTok. “The bar for what is possible within the livestreaming format has been creatively raised and it has been shown how big and ambitious TikTok can be for artists.”
Ed Howard, co-president of Sheeran’s record label, Atlantic Records, added: “For Ed, Grumpy Old Management and Atlantic, uniting and reaching their global fan base was imperative for the launch of their new campaign, as well as our close partnership with Paul and the entire TikTok team enabled us to achieve this goal in a uniquely creative way.”
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