Opinion: Marty Martel on Promoters and Managers

I read an article that was in The Tennessean around the end of December 2010.  I have been preaching about this problem for the past 5 years.  In the article it states that concertgoers are sick of ballooning ticket prices.  It also says that 2010 was tough for the concert business because the high prices of tickets has kept many fans at home.  Gee, that is so sad that the big time promoters have lost money!!!  But the promoters also said in the article that they would try to sell more T-shirts and “other merchandise” to make up for their lost revenue.  In my following editorial I have addressed their comments.  The article also said that heading into last summer (2010), managers and promoters believed fans would keep paying for the high priced tickets despite the economy.  (Promoters!!??)

 

They got fooled, because many of the fans stayed home, and evidently it has cost the “poor” promoters.   Many shows were cancelled because of lack of ticket sales.  Here is the mindset of these big-time promoters:  Now rather than charge lots early and offer discounts later, “some” of these promoters say they’ll offer cheaper tickets from the start, partly because they know fans will spend as much as usual on beer and other goodies when the arrive at the venue.   They must think all fans are stupid, and that they will spend their money with no regard for what is left in the pockets, just to see their favorite artist.  My editorial reflects on this also.

 

Neil Diamond says “As the shows get bigger, the expenses get bigger, so it’s got to be translated somehow to the ticket price,” is what he was quoted as saying to The Associated Press. “If I just used the guitar, it’d be a lot simpler, but then I’d have to put 50 people out of work.”  Neil Diamond made his own problem, now only he can correct it, even if it takes some scaling down of his production, and that my friends is never going to happen.  More artists than ever are going out on the road to make up for falling CD sales. With more tickets on sale and consumers still pinching pennies, the pressure on prices is down. (The artists should be on the road anyways instead of sitting their butts at home waiting for their royalty check to come in.)  No wonder only a very few artists have large fan bases.  There was a time when artists toured 10 months out of the year making their fan base larger and larger.  Now these artists know that they can tour half of the year, if that much, and make more money, because of the pricing of their ticket pricing)  That is what I don’t call a good career decision, I call it being greedy.

The article stated that “concert attendance fell 12 percent in the first half of 2010 compared with the same period a year ago, according to trade magazine Pollstar. The world’s largest concert promoter, Live Nation Entertainment Inc., (they are part of the problem and have been for a long time), said attendance from July to September dropped 16 percent from a year ago, even after it slashed fees and prices for dozens of acts, including Rod Stewart.  Fans have stepped back and are now becoming more educated on what tickets should cost, and if they are really wanting to spend that much money on any artist. 

So now the promoters are crying the blues because they are losing money.  They made their own problem, and the only way they can solve it is to reduce the price of tickets, and “give some of their money they made, back to the fans that they …..”  And it would do well for the artists to sit down with their management and start touring more.  Times are tough, and if artists really want to build a fan base, they better get out there and build their fan support or they will never get it.  Music fans are now balking as admission cost soars, so will there be cheaper tickets this year.

 

“I TOLD YOU SO EDITORIAL”

 

Marty Martel-Writer

Over the past several years I have read and wrote about the state of our country music decline.  I would not write negative comments about the problems in our music, if I did not love it as much as I do.  I care for country music’s welfare, and sometimes it is right to talk about the problems to find a solution that will make things better.  I said a lot of the music was terrible, most of the artists sounded alike, and when a new artist had what the industry considered a successful record, then immediately the management and talent agency jacked the artists concert pricing sky-high.  To say the least it was like trying to steal candy from a child when Mom and Dad were not looking.  I predicted that it would sooner or later come to an end when the economy forced the fans to dig deeper into their pockets to see a one-hit wonder, or maybe one of the so-called mega-stars, (we all know who they think they are), to buy a ticket to one of their shows.  Now the fans are taking a closer look at their finances and are finding that it is not worth the price of a ticket to go and see one of these high-dollar artists who might be here today and gone tomorrow, like so many in the past.

Now the promoters or should I call them what they really are, rip-off promoters, because in order for the promoters to make money, they have to pay large amounts of money first and foremost for the artist to consider a date, then they have to provide the rider, and if you could possible imagine what some of those riders entail, you might never buy another ticket to a concert.  It is the artists fault for this problem.  It is their career, their music, their band, and most of all their fans, and they must think that they really have that many fans who will support their habit of one hit record. That would be great, but…

Management for these artists have their hands in the pockets of the artists from the onset, then the artist has to pay his band, his PR company, commission to his talent agency, personal manager, road manager, technical engineer, sound and light company, and the list goes on and on,  and before you know it, the young artist who was only making $1500.00 per night, has a hit record, with his first record out of the gate a #1, so the management and talent agency put their heads together, and they shoot the pricing up to $15,000 for one night.  There is no telling how much the price will increase with the second record.  I just called for a quote on a young artist, who I know personally, and who has just had one #1 record, and I figured it would probably be around $15-20 thousand.  When the agent told me it was 50K, I told him he was crazy and that it was a rip-off.  I was going to call this artist and asked him if he was nuts to let that happen, but I did not call, because the artist wants the money, because he is in hock to the record label and his other expenses and bills, and he is not going to turn it down, even if the buyer, the promoter, or the venue lose their butts.  THIS IS WHAT YOU CALL A RIP OFF.  Do you think the artist is going to turn it down-hell no-because everyone is telling him he is going to be the next superstar, so why not get it now while you can.  Most of these wannabee’s are gone within a year or two and still wondering what happened to their careers.  The booking agency and management teams go to the next artist they find, and do it all over again.  Oh yes, there are the Carrie Underwood’s, the Taylor Swift’s, the George Straits, George Jones, Alan Jackson’s, Reba’s and others, who are the real superstars.

Let’s discuss the artists’ riders.  Some of the riders include high priced liquors and whiskeys, linen and china, catered meals.  Are you nuts?  They don’t even get that at their own home, so why should they “demand it on the road.”  Who pays the tab-the fans pay the tab. You cannot imagine what some of the riders of these successful artist demand, and if they do not get their demands, then they will not play the date, and in order for them to play the date, you have  to wait to see if the artist really wants to play it, maybe the management and booking agency get a better offer, and leave the buyer that they held the date for, high and dry.  Someone explain to me the following:  If an artist is doing a three day tour per week, and his rider says that he is to get 2 bottles of this and 2 bottles of that, several cases of beer, several cases of pop, their buses all stocked with food and drink, who is going to pay for this?”  How much booze and food can an artists’ band and touring entourage consume, and what happens to all of the food and drink when the bus arrives back home?  Incidentally I was on the road for 25 years.  Never had a hit record, but we were just thankful to get a beer and a hot dog or hamburger.  Today that would be an insult to most of these artists.  No doubt I come from the old school, but I was brought up never to take more than what I needed and not to waste what I took.  Ever heard that statement.  Once again I say to you, that not all artists are like that, but you would be surprised if you really knew the demands their management and talent agents give to a buyer.

Neil Diamond (One of my all-time favorites) says he’d like to bring his ticket prices down but can’t because of the size of his production.   By the way, Neil is continuing his “comeback tour” in New Zealand in February.”  That being said, Neil has made this statement and he is really contradicting all that we are talking about.  IT IS UP TO THE ARTISTS.  They are all in it for the money.  Neil Diamond is known and loved worldwide with a fan base as strong as anyone.  He has just grown accustomed to be catered to, HE AIN’T GONNA CHANGE IT FOR YOU, ME, OR ANYONE.  

If you notice, some of our country “superstars” and also other music giants that are trying to keep their careers alive, by touring Europe, because they know, the management and talent agency know that these artists who have never been to Europe will be able to charge what they want for tickets and merchandise, because their fans have never seen them in concert in their homelands, and so they dig deep in their pockets to support the addiction of the artists’ careers.  Do you think for one minute that any of these international promoters would book a legendary country music package which would be so lucrative you could not imagine how strong this type show would be.  The answer is no-I have tried for years, but promoters are looking at making the big bucks NOW, not tomorrow.  So you tell me who is to blame for this problem in country music that we are witnessing at this time.  Most of the major country music artists of the Alan Jackson, Reba, Dolly, Vince Gill, Garth, etc era., have taken care of their money and they do not need to work if they do not wish to, but fan base keeps them out there.

Now let’s talk about staying power.  We here in Nashville have known for some time, that Garth Brooks is the real deal, and he proved it with his appearances at the Bridgestone Arena for the TN Flood Relief Victims, selling out all of his shows for a super ticket price, until the scalpers got their hands on masses of tickets and then put the screws to the people who couldn’t purchase a ticket at Garth’s price, and in order to see him perform, they had to pay high dollar, which is another RIP-OFF.  Garth has spoken his mind about scalpers, and he is not happy with this kind of business.  Garth is one of the good guys, and there are others like Garth.   Not the promoters who take advantage of the fans, but NOW THEY ARE GETTING REPAID FOR THEIR RIPPING OFF OF THE FANS, BY LOSING THEIR BEHINDS BECAUSE OF GOUGING THE FANS, WHO now are beginning to step back, and say “Is this really worth it.”  Also, the promoter says he will make up the difference by selling more T-Shirts and merchandise.  Since when does a T-Shirt they sell for $20-25 and it only costs the promoter probably $2-4 to get it, and a CD costs maybe a $1.50 per, and the artists or promoters are selling them for $20-25.  Profit is the name of their ‘GAME.”  Many promoters have been so dishonest for so long, that it is now coming back to bite them big time.  It is these big time promoters who are putting the smaller promoters and venue’s out of business because of the high price of their tickets for concerts.   Please understand that there are great honest promoters in today’s music, who work hard to be successful and give the fans who they want to see, but they are victims of the artists management and talent agency teams, and most of all, the times we live in with our economy in such terrible shape.

I predicted we were going to see an end to this escalating pricing, and it seems as though we are headed in that direction.  My advice to Neil Diamond and those country artists who are living high on the hog, is to tell your management team and booking agency that you want your ticket pricing dropped to match what you are lowering your fee to.  I don’t think this is going to happen, but the artists is going to have to make a cut-off point somewhere, or his concert attendance will drop, and when that happens, then there will be a considerable loss in revenue from the artists’ fans not having enough money to purchase a T-Shirt, CD, DVD, picture, and all of the other merchandise that is there for the fans to buy.  They might not even have enough money to buy the ticket.  And when is the last time you went to a concert and bought yourself a candy bar ($2.50-3.50 and in WalMart it is 68 cents), soda the same, popcorn the same?  Are you kidding me?  Going to a concert is like going to the movie theatre.  While they are looking you right in the eye, they have both of their hands in your pockets, and you can see in their eyes what they are thinking-“If you are stupid enough to buy this junk, then you don’t need to complain, because you know you are getting ripped off.”

 

Should Garth ever go out on tour again, will his fee and ticket pricing be compatible with what fans can pay?  He knows how to promote and market his name and music.  Take a look at his staging and how it affects the fans.  He will pack any venue he plays in, and everyone will make money, and you will be able to purchase a ticket and merchandise, and go home with a buck or two in your pocket, instead of a hole in pocket from digging too deep.

The article is what I have been preaching about for the past 3-4 years.  The writing was on the wall back then and now we are seeing the rippling effects of being ripped off.  There are some promoters, who deserve to lose their shirt as quickly as possible so that they cannot book anymore artists or dates.  Isn’t it funny that most of us know who they are, and they know we know, but still no one wants to stop them. Bottom line-the artist should control his own destiny in his music career, unless he does not have a good business mind, then HE DOES NEED TO SURROUND HIMSELF with an honest management team and talent agency.  There are many here in Nashville that service the needs of their artists to be successful and to stay successful.  The more successful an artist is, the better it is for all involved in their career, and for the fans.  The longer an artist stays successful, the longer he keeps his management team and his talent agency together.  The relationship can last for many years, BUT the artist must control his career and learn who is working for him and not for themselves.

Let’s see how the ticket pricing goes for our country “superstars.”  You will notice I have made sure some of the paragraphs in The Tennessean article are in bold text, maybe even with a comment or two.  I am anxious to see how pricing will change in 2011, and when and if the fans finally step back and say, no I am not going to pay that kind of money for any show.  Personally, I would pay to see Garth Brooks, Reba, Alan Jackson, Vince Gill, Martina, George Jones, Ray Price, Jean Shepard, Stonewall Jackson, Jack Greene, George Strait, Jamey Johnson, and a few others, but for the most part, I would rather stay home and watch the money mongrels drown in their own losses.  Will they ever learn their lesson-I think not, but we must hope that someone will see that the light at the end of the tunnel is getting dimmer and dimmer.  I believe there are enough good people in our industry to keep things moving forward so that soon we can see the end of the tunnel with all of the light, like it once was in the past.

Let’s see which country artists’ come forward and make some changes in their fees and their ticket pricing, and let the fans be the recipients of their good deeds.  Artists can make a lot of money if they don’t try to make it all on their first appearance.

Marty Martel ©