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U2, Boss, Clapton, Simon, Wonder: MSG Shows for R&R Hall of Fame

July 22nd, 2009 | No Comments

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary with Two Huge Concerts

U2, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Simon & Garfunkel, Metallica, Paul Simon
Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Crosby, Stills Nash & Friends and Eric Clapton
Along with Special Guests Set to Perform in Concert at Madison Square Garden

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

Music’s biggest stars – Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, U2, Paul Simon, Metallica, Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Friends, Simon & Garfunkel – will come together on October 29 and 30 at Madison Square Garden for two unique concerts celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The shows will be packed with guest stars and unique collaborations designed to tell the story of rock and roll.

Each night will feature entirely different lineups, with artists performing their own songs and the music that inspired them – tracing the history of genres ranging from soul to hard rock. All proceeds raised will go towards creating a permanent endowment for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation and Museum. “Twenty-five years ago a group led by legendary Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun created this foundation to recognize and celebrate the music and careers of artists whose music helped shape and define our generation,” said Jann Wenner, Founder and Chairman of Rolling Stone and Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “These once-in-a-lifetime concerts are designed to celebrate the artists and their music.”

A creative team of Tom Hanks and his producing partner Gary Goetzman, Wenner, singer-songwriter Robbie Robertson, Academy Award®-winning screenwriter, director Cameron Crowe and several others will work with the artists to curate the show through the live performances and filmed segments. Joel Gallen, the producer/director behind the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies and the MTV Movie Awards (1995-2006), will direct the show and oversee the 25th Anniversary Celebration along with the creative consultants.

Tickets will be available for purchase with an American Express Card through ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000, from 9 a.m. Monday, July 27, through Sunday, August 2 at 9 p.m. Tickets will be on sale to the general public beginning Monday, August 3 at 9 a.m.

Performing on October 29 will be:

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

Simon & Garfunkel

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Friends

Paul Simon

Stevie Wonder

Performing on October 30 will be:

Eric Clapton

Aretha Franklin

Metallica

U2


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U2 go on the road to beat falling sales

July 1st, 2009 | No Comments

120 lorries needed to move circular stage but $100m seen as money well spent

U2 are not a band to do things by halves. But when their new 360° tour opened in Barcelona yesterday, with a dramatic mid-show live link-up to the International Space Station, it put previous tours in the shade.

The band kicked off their first tour in three years to a deafening crowd of 90,000 inside Nou Camp, Barcelona, the first of 3 million fans in 31 cities expected to see the concerts. With more dates expected to be announced in 2010, it is likely to be the band’s most profitable tour. Its scale underlines the increasing importance of live music in an industry battered by declining sales and online piracy.

At an estimated cost of more than $100m, 360° is the band’s most expensive tour. But it is money well spent, according to industry experts, and has the potential to eclipse takings from the 2005-06 Vertigo tour, which earned U2 a cool $389m.

With its circular stage that takes 120 lorries to transport, a 50-metre, four-legged structure to carry the sound system and a set Bono describes as “a space station designed by Gaudi”, U2 hardly looked like a band struggling to cope with the recession. But they acknowledged that fans may have sacrificed more than usual to see the spectacle.

“All around Spain, all around the world, things are difficult. Thank you for coming back to us again and again,” Bono told the rapturous crowd.

With lower than average ticket prices ranging from around £30 to £160, each show has around 10,000 at the lowest price, thanks to the 360° stage, which increases a stadium’s capacity by 20%, according to U2′s manager, Paul McGuinness.

Despite having high hopes for the tour, it remained a huge risk, he said. “This is the biggest tour we’ve ever done, and certainly the most expensive production we’ve ever put on. It’s a gigantic throw of the dice.”

With 94% of tickets for the 44 gigs currently sold, the tour has already grossed $300m at the box office. Factor in the significant sums likely to be made from sponsorship deals and merchandising, and the signs are promising.

In the current climate, live music and international tours are more important than ever, according to Jazz Summers, manager of bands such as the Verve and La Roux. “Making money from records is a relatively recent phenomenon,” he said. “If you look back at bands like Led Zepplin in the 70s, they made a fortune from touring, and we appear to be moving back in that direction.

“Unless you are Coldplay or Eminem, you are not making a huge amount from royalties. The main area you are going to make money is from live ticket sales and the sponsorship that goes along with it.”

Will Page, chief economist at PRS for Music, said: “It appears that, for the major music festivals and tours this year, live is getting an increasing share of a decreasing pie. We’re in the middle of a credit crunch where all sorts of discretionary spending is being cut back, yet people are still willing to fork out the necessary money – often more money that was required this time last year – to get to see their favourite festival or touring act.”

Recent figures from the organisation revealed that UK music tour revenues increased by 30% last year, mainly driven by more established acts such as Neil Young, Neil Diamond and Bon Jovi, as well as recently reformed groups such as the Spice Girls and Take That. “Whilst the boom in live music is to be celebrated, there would appear to be a growing gap in the share of the spoils between the hits which would be dominated largely by heritage acts and the rest of the pack, in particular the mid-priced touring acts,” said Page.

Indeed, finding the resources to tour is increasingly difficult in a more cash-strapped industry, said Jon Webster, CEO of the Music Manager’s Forum. “It is really only the top end, bands like U2, who are making shed loads, you really have to get up the ladder before you start making anything. After production costs smaller acts playing to 800 people can struggle to break even.”

But as U2 linked up by video to the International Space Station half-way through the Barcelona show, such worries must have seemed light years away. “Commander, can you see Barcelona?” asked Bono. For the band’s elevated and enviable position in the music world, the view must be as positive as for the astronaut who replied: “Right now the most beautiful sight in our cosmos is the blue planet earth.”

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds


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U2 bombastic in Barcelona

July 1st, 2009 | No Comments

Astronauts, Desmond Tutu and a Michael Jackson tribute – all of it dominated by a 164-ft claw. It can only mean that Bono and the boys back on the road …

Planet earth is getting too small for Bono and U2 it seems. The stadium rockers included a live link to the international space station in the opening concert of their world tour in front of 90,000 Spanish fans at Barcelona’s Camp Nou football stadium on Tuesday night.

Spanish reviewers were overwhelmed by the “rock power” display and struggled desperately to interpret the message in a show that featured astronauts, a video of Desmond Tutu, football, and, significantly, a Michael Jackson tribute, with Bono dedicating Angel of Harlem to the King of Pop, before playing Man In the Mirror and Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough.

“This is rock designed to move both mountains and consciousnesses,” concluded El Periódico newspaper.

The conversation between Bono and the space station commander was perhaps the most bizarre element of the evening. “Commander, can you see Barcelona?” Bono asked the man floating near the microphone. “Right now, the most beautiful sight in our cosmos is the blue planet earth,” came the answer.

“We must look very insignificant from up there,” noted the critic for El País newspaper.

This was clearly more than just a combination of ramped-up decibels, decades-old anthems and fancy light shows. The huge circular set that the group will perform on for three million fans during their four-month tour is dominated by “the claw”, a four-legged, 164-ft tall multimedia monster.

“The set amplifies the group’s messianic character, allowing it to spread its message north, south, west and east,” said La Vanguardia. El Pais’s critic was slightly less impressed, saying it reminded him of “the juice-maker that Philippe Starck designed for Alessi”.

Fans who commented on El País and La Vanguardia’s websites were mostly delighted by a concert dominated by the band’s 80s and early-90s repertoire. Some complained, however, about songs from their latest album and paying €96 (£82) to stare at four distant figures playing music.

Most disappointing for El Pais readers was Bono fluffing two classics, One and With or Without You.

“The truth is that it was disappointing, especially compared to previous tours, full of mistakes and bad songs (from the last album),” said Alex, a reader-reviewer for El País. “To say that Bono wrecked two major songs like One and With or Without You tells you more than enough.”

The critics, however, disagreed – not least because of the boldness of U2′s grand ambitions. “When it comes to thinking big, U2 are huge,” said El País.

El Periódico seemed to sum up the group’s message best, adapting Barcelona football club’s “More than a club” slogan to the band. “U2, more than a rock group?” it asked.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds


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U2 bombastic in Barcelona

July 1st, 2009 | No Comments

Astronauts, Desmond Tutu and a Michael Jackson tribute – all of it dominated by a 164-ft claw. It can only mean that Bono and the boys back on the road …

Planet earth is getting too small for Bono and U2 it seems. The stadium rockers included a live link to the international space station in the opening concert of their world tour in front of 90,000 Spanish fans at Barcelona’s Camp Nou football stadium on Tuesday night.

Spanish reviewers were overwhelmed by the “rock power” display and struggled desperately to interpret the message in a show that featured astronauts, a video of Desmond Tutu, football, and, significantly, a Michael Jackson tribute, with Bono dedicating Angel of Harlem to the King of Pop, before playing Man In the Mirror and Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough.

“This is rock designed to move both mountains and consciousnesses,” concluded El Periódico newspaper.

The conversation between Bono and the space station commander was perhaps the most bizarre element of the evening. “Commander, can you see Barcelona?” Bono asked the man floating near the microphone. “Right now, the most beautiful sight in our cosmos is the blue planet earth,” came the answer.

“We must look very insignificant from up there,” noted the critic for El País newspaper.

This was clearly more than just a combination of ramped-up decibels, decades-old anthems and fancy light shows. The huge circular set that the group will perform on for three million fans during their four-month tour is dominated by “the claw”, a four-legged, 164-ft tall multimedia monster.

“The set amplifies the group’s messianic character, allowing it to spread its message north, south, west and east,” said La Vanguardia. El Pais’s critic was slightly less impressed, saying it reminded him of “the juice-maker that Philippe Starck designed for Alessi”.

Fans who commented on El País and La Vanguardia’s websites were mostly delighted by a concert dominated by the band’s 80s and early-90s repertoire. Some complained, however, about songs from their latest album and paying €96 (£82) to stare at four distant figures playing music.

Most disappointing for El Pais readers was Bono fluffing two classics, One and With or Without You.

“The truth is that it was disappointing, especially compared to previous tours, full of mistakes and bad songs (from the last album),” said Alex, a reader-reviewer for El País. “To say that Bono wrecked two major songs like One and With or Without You tells you more than enough.”

The critics, however, disagreed – not least because of the boldness of U2′s grand ambitions. “When it comes to thinking big, U2 are huge,” said El País.

El Periódico seemed to sum up the group’s message best, adapting Barcelona football club’s “More than a club” slogan to the band. “U2, more than a rock group?” it asked.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds


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