#146

⚡Once Every 7 Years 🤘

Today's read ... 7 

minutes

7 years later Goldenvoice is attempting to recreate the magic of Desert Trip, this time in heavy rock. Can lightning strike twice? The Cure’s Robert Smith goes after Ticketmaster - and wins - again and Canada is jumping on the no junk fees bandwagon.

Credit: Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesGoldenvoice’s New TripIt only took 7 years, but Goldenvoice officially announced the next iteration of Desert Trip last week: Power Trip, an elevated festival experience taking place at Empire Polo Club - home of Coachella, Stagecoach, and the aforementioned Desert Trip - October 6 - 8 featuring the star-studded lineup of Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, and Tool. According to Goldenvoice, “This is the most rocking line-up to ever perform in an unparalleled location for heavy music audiences looking for an unforgettable weekend escape.” Tickets go on sale Thursday, April 6.

Victory for BMI, Songwriters

BMI won its case to increase the royalties its songwriters can earn at live events as well as an expansion of the revenue it bases the royalties on to include VIP packages, box suites, tickets sold directly to the secondary market, and service fees the promoters get. Live Nation advocated against the raise and has said, “This will cost the performers we work with approximately $15 million a year spread out over thousands of artists.” The new fee structure includes the period from 2018 - 2022; BMI is currently negotiating for the 2023-2027 period. See a breakdown of new rates here.

Pre-Show Roof Collapse Kills 1, Injures 48

The roof of the Apollo Theatre in Belvidere, IL, collapsed after a tornado hit the venue just before a Morbid Angel show on Saturday, leaving one dead and 48 others injured. Luckily only 260 fans were in the building at the time (1,000 cap). Those who were there helped first responders remove debris and free anyone trapped. The band posted on its Facebook page that the show was canceled, and they were sheltering in place.

The Cure 2, Ticketmaster 0The Cure’s ticketing saga continues, and Robert Smith has become the hero again. After getting Ticketmaster to refund and lower excessive fees, he’s now gotten the company to refund and cancel scalped 7,000 tickets and donate the fees to charity. He tweeted, “Any/all tickets obtained in this way will be canceled, and original fees paid on those tickets will not be refunded… Original fees paid on those tickets will be donated to Amnesty International, and the tickets themselves will be resold to fans.”

No More “Junk Fees” in Canada?It appears Canada could also be all-in on ending “junk fees” as it announced plans to limit “unexpected, hidden, and additional fees” across multiple industries, including live event ticketing. This seems similar to a plan proposed by US President Joe Biden. Details around the plan and how ticketing will be affected by it are minimal at this point, as well as how similar it will actually be to the proposed US plan, but it shows that both countries want to take action on behalf of ticket buyers.

Spinoff Math: MSGE - MSGE = SPHR WI (+MSGE)In a convoluted rebrand and spinoff, Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp., as it currently is today, is rebranding as Sphere Entertainment Co. (trading as SPHR WI). This new entity includes The Sphere, MSG Networks, and Tao Group Hospitality. The live entertainment portion of the company is being spun off into a new company named - wait for it - Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp (MSGE). The new company will include its performance venues, entertainment and sports booking, and Christmas Spectacular production.

Ticketmaster Unveils NFT Token-GatingTicketmaster is allowing artists to offer special access to tickets to NFT owners. They are debuting the new feature with sales for Avenged Sevenfold’s upcoming tour; the band worked with Ticketmaster to develop the process and has its own Ethereum NFT collection, Deathbats Club. Owners of these 10,000 NFTs were given early access to buy tickets to upcoming shows in NYC and LA, and about 1,000 tickets were purchased. Fans had to connect their crypto wallet to Ticketmaster to prove NFT ownership first; then, they could purchase tickets. Frontman M. Shadows says, “It’s a normal process after that, except without the 1,000-person queue and without the scalpers and the bots getting in there and taking everything right away.”

Ultra VIP Humanitarian NFT TicketsStaying with NFT news, EXIT Festival, which introduced NFT ticket options last year and won an Innovation award for it, has expanded its NFT offerings alongside partner NFT-TiX. The festival now offers a range of NFT tickets, including 10 €10,000 “Ultra VIP Humanitarian NFT Tickets.” These tickets include various perks at the festival, lodging, and transportation perks, and a donation to “humanitarian causes, with more information to follow in the coming months.” 🤔

AEG’s Pre-Hangout Fest Beach Clean UpAEG Presents and the Alabama Coastal Foundation cleaned up 3,860 pounds of trash during a beach cleanup in the Fort Morgan area of Gulf Shores, Alabama, before AEG’s upcoming Hangout Festival next month. “Hangout Festival takes place on one of the most beautiful beaches in Alabama, and with that comes the responsibility to protect our coastline,” said Taran Cornejo, Senior Marketing Manager at AEG Presents. Volunteers who participated in the clean-up earned points toward the festival's Earn-A-Ticket Program through Propeller, a public benefit corporation that inspires activism and social change.

HYBE In - and Quickly Out - of SM Entertainment

HYBE is selling its entire stake in K-Pop rival SM Entertainment for approximately $435 million to Kakao. HYBE spent $334 million to acquire 14.8% of SM Entertainment in February but lost out on its subsequent bid to acquire 25.2% more of the company and only ended up with an additional 0.98% (15.78% total stake). There were additional issues around the control of the company between HYBE, SM Entertainment, and Kakao. Jang Cheol-hyuk was tapped to be SM’s new CEO on Friday, part of the company’s vow to turn over a new leaf and implement new strategies.

Love merchandise, especially event merchandise? Then this week’s job section is for you. We’ve got a mix of full-time, part-time, and internship roles, all in the merch world: Fanatics is looking for an Associate Project Manager to schedule and monitor the development of trading card products in Dallas, TX (hybrid role). Be part of C3 Presents’s Merchandise Graphic Design Team as a part-time, paid intern this summer and help create the merch for C3’s festivals.

 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is looking for a Festival T-Shirt Booth Manager (merch manager) during the April 28 - May 7th festival.

Did you attend or work at Desert Trip?

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Last Week's Results:

agree with AEG’s stance that exclusive ticketing contracts should be outlawed.

Headliners, Lineups, and Festival Announcements 

  • Sound Mind Music Festival for Mental Health will feature Iron & Wine, Hiss Golden Messenger, Langhorne Slim, KAMAUU, and Pom Pom Squad in Brooklyn, NY, on May 20.

  • U Nation, a new festival from Live Nation Finland, is coming to Kansalaistori Square in Helsinki from June 30 - July 1 with Charlotte de Witte and Eric Prydz.

  • Essence Festival of Culture headliners includes Lauryn Hill, Megan Thee Stallion, and Doug E. Fresh, June 29 - July 3 in New Orleans, LA.

  • Another Planet Entertainment and The Head and the Heart have launched Down in the Valley in Napa, CA, on September 2 - 3. Waxahatchee, Dawes, and Faye Webster will join The Head and The Heart as performers.

  • Kendrick Lamar, the Killers, and Odesza will headline the Life Is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas, NV, September 22 - 24.

HOGS FOR THE CAUSE, New Orleans, LAWhat started out as “a pig roast with a few friends to raise money for a neighbor whose kid had brain cancer” has become the #1 nationwide funding source for outreach services to families with children fighting brain cancer - oh, and one of the largest BBQ & Music fests in the country. 

This year’s Hogs for the Cause shattered all previous records for attendance, and more importantly, for fundraising, bringing in $3.6 million last weekend in New Orleans, LA. The 2-day festival featured over 90 BBQ teams and 20 bands.

Check out hogsforthecause.org for more on how you can help.

 Missed Sunday night’s CMT Awards? Check out the full list of winners and some highlights You Oughta Know.

 Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski trial finally comes to an end. Spoiler: she “lost half a day of skiing” but won $1.

 

How the potential TikTok ban could affect the Billboard Music Charts.

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