#215

Author

Back of House
August 06, 2024

Issue #215

Last week’s issue seemed to hit a few spam folders. To make sure you’re getting each issue of Back of House, move it to your primary inbox and add [email protected] to your safe senders list.

This week, we’ve got Lolla running on battery power, legal issues for The 1975 and Stubhub, and a chance to win free access to Bauer Event Marketing’s new Live Event Marketing Masterclass.

Credit: Jamal Eid

Battery-powered fests ⚡

Lollapalooza became the first US festival to power its main stage with a hybrid battery system over the weekend. The hybrid powered stage deployed 1.5 MWh of battery storage capacity and was used for all audio, lighting, video and stage production during the Chicago fest. The initiative is part of Live Nation’s Green Nation in partnership with T-Mobile and CES power and contributes towards the organization’s goal of cutting emissions in half by 2030.

Brighton, England’s On The Beach concert series was also powered by a battery during its July 19 - 28 run. The 275kVA battery with 500 kWh of storage powered the entire site and was supplemented by three diesel generators during peak times.

Live Nation’s Q2 results point to another record year 📈

Live Nation is still bullish on 2024, believing it will be another “record” year despite a $94 million loss in the Astroworld settlement and the rest of the industry showing signs of slowdown. In its Q2 report, Live Nation posted $6 billion in revenue, up about 7% year-over-year, an 8% growth in concert revenue and “strong demand globally.” Overall operating income was nearly $466 million, up 21% from Q2 2023.

Speaking of global demand, Live Nation Arabia will manage operations for 500-cap, multipurpose entertainment venue Maraya, the largest mirrored building in the world, in AlUla, Saudi Arabia.

The Washington, DC attorney general has sued StubHub alleging that the resale platform has violated DC’s consumer protection laws with its “drip pricing” model that inflates ticket prices through hidden fees. The suit claims StubHub has earned $118 million from such fees in DC alone since 2015, despite initially advertising lower prices. It also criticizes StubHub for using deceptive fee names and creating false urgency with features like countdown clocks, making it difficult for consumers to see the final price until late in the purchasing process. StubHub feels it is being targeted and that its “user experience is consistent with the law, our competitors’ practices, and the broader e-commerce sector.”

Some positive news for the secondary market: a study by Viagogo reports that the UK’s secondary market contributed £733 million ($941 million) to local businesses that support live events. The survey also found that only 16% of concert spending goes to the secondary ticket itself, the largest amounts are spent on travel, meals, and clothing/merchandise. It’s not surprising that fans purchasing tickets on the secondary market are willing to spend more for a show that gives them “bragging rights.”

A year after Matty Healy’s infamous kiss at Good Vibes Festival in Malaysia, festival organizer Future Sound Asia has sued the band and its individual band members for £1.9 million ($2.4 million). The lawsuit claims that the band agreed to follow all rules and prohibitions during their show, but after deciding the day before that they “should not perform at the music festival,” they veered off their originally plotted course and instead chose to play “a completely different setlist” and “act in way that were intended to breach the Guidelines.”

At least five festival attendees of Lightning in a Bottle festival at Buena Vista Lake in late May have been diagnosed with valley fever, three of them requiring hospitalization. Valley fever is caused by breathing in a fungus that grows in the soil containing the fungus. It usually infects the lungs and can cause respiratory symptoms. Festival organizers are aware of the situation and are working to prevent similar infections at future events.

Last week, a federal judge granted Live Nation's top two in-house attorneys limited access to confidential documents in its upcoming antitrust case, but barred them from viewing “highly confidential” information from SeatGeek, AEG and ASM Global. The ruling follows 6 weeks of negotiations and establishes a two-tiered system for handling documents subpoenaed from competitors. Despite objections from competitors, the court aims to protect sensitive information while enabling Live Nation to prepare its defense.

Adele has introduced €35 ($38 USD) “lucky dip” tickets for her Munich residency, significantly cheaper than regular tickets priced between €229.90 and €399.90. The limited availability “lucky dip” tickets will be randomly assigned seats anywhere from the back row to the front standing area. The exact seat locations will be disclosed only on the day of the show, and tickets must be collected in person. Adele's 10-night residency at the 80,000-capacity Munich Messe Arena marks her first mainland Europe performances since 2016.

Coldplay’s four-night series at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland from July 27 to July 31, set records for highest ticket sales by a single artist or band for a single visit in Finland and as the first artist or band to perform four consecutive nights at the stadium. The band drew a record 178,000 - approximately 44,500 attendees per show - to the venue during their “Music of the Spheres World Tour”.

Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White promises MMA’s debut in the Las Vegas Sphere will be unlike any other show he’s ever promoted. Most of the 20,000 available tickets for Noche UFC / UFC 306 are on 3 sides of the cage and range from $1,500 to over $17,000. That’s a potential $25 - $27 million gate; the largest in UFC history. White says he has already spent $17 million on the upcoming September 14 fight and has brought in a partner to help cover costs.

Have you ever taken an online music industry-related course as a professional?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Last Week's Results:
71% of BOH readers are down to tailgate without a ticket.

Headliners, Lineups, and Festival Announcements 

  • Jimmy Carter is turning 100 in October and he’s throwing a party. “Jimmy Carter 100: A Celebration in Song” will feature Chuck Leavell, D-Nice, Drive-By Truckers, Eric Church, GROUPLOVE, Maren Morris, The War And Treaty, and The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chamber Chorus, September 17 at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, GA. 

  • After selling out its first edition, Palm Tree Music Festival will be back at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA, October 5 - 6 with Martin Garrix, OneRepublic, Calvin Harris, and The Chainsmokers.

  • Christmas seems to come earlier and earlier each year and the Queen of Christmas is getting out in front. Mariah Carey has announced a 20-date “Christmas Time” tour starting November 6 in Highland, CA and wrapping at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on December 17.

  • Carrie Underwood has extended her REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency at Resorts World Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas with six more dates in March and April 2025.  

  • Sam Hunt and Lainey Wilson will headline Gulf Coast Jam May 29 - June 1, 2025 in Panama City Beach, Florida.

  • Insomniac has announced the lineup for Escape Halloween, taking place October 25 - 26 in SoCal. Lineup highlights include Afroki (Afrojack B2B Steve Aoki), Alison Wonderland, deadmau5, Fatboy Slim, and Martin Garrix.

Cancelations

  • Aerosmith has announced its decision “to retire from the touring stage” following frontman Steven Tyler’s inability to make a "full recovery from his vocal injury". This follows the band’s postponement of their “Peace Out: The Farewell Tour” last year. All tickets to postponed - now canceled - shows will be refunded.

  • Sum 41 has canceled 6 dates including headlining spots at Jubilee Music Festival and the Area 506 Music Festival due to lead vocalist Deryck Whibley’s "minor" back injury.

Back to school with Bauer Entertainment Marketing 🎒

It’s August, which for many means it's time to go back to school. For those not planning to hit the books but wishing they were, Bauer Entertainment Marketing has you covered with its new Live Event Marketing Masterclass.

Created by President Brian Bauer and his expert team, the course aims to help venue owners, general managers, show marketers, and promoters attract and engage more fans, thereby increasing ticket sales. The 13 module masterclass features over 60 DIY marketing videos and is perfect for marketers of any level covering topics such as audience analysis and campaign strategy. 

Enter to win free access to the course. Winner to be selected on August 15.

Questions or comments?
Like BOH? Share it with friends!