#233

Author

Back of House
December 10, 2024

Issue #233

Thank you to those of you who donated to Back of House last week. We appreciate you and your support.

This week, we are starting to see numbers (big ones!) from the end of The Eras Tour and Spotify Wrapped, as well as some “best of 2024” lists.

Speaking of the end of 2024, next week, we’ll share our annual BOH EOY recap and then we’ll be off enjoying the holidays until Tuesday, January 7th.

Credit: Jake West

The end of The Eras ✨

Taylor Swift wrapped up The Eras tour in Vancouver over the weekend. While official numbers for the full tour haven’t come in yet, it was already the highest-grossing tour of all time after its first leg ended last year and in total, it's expected to bring in over $2 billion. We’re confident that we’ll be talking about this epic, 149-show tour that crossed 5 continents over 21 months while selling over $400 million in merch will be talked about (and studied) for a long time to come.

And its accompanying Error-filled Tour book

Swifties flocked to Target for its exclusive Official Tour Book of The Eras Tour, buying 814,000 copies over Thanksgiving weekend, making it the biggest book launch of the year. (Shocking, we know.) What was shocking, though, was the number of mistakes, blurry photos, and missing pages within the book. Fans dubbed it “The Errors Tour book.”

Pryor, Oklahoma’s Rocklahoma and Born & Raised festivals have been returned to original owners Pryor Creek Music Festivals (PCMF) after 8 months as part of Danny Wimmer Presents. According to a press release, “This decision comes from a desire to maintain these events in their true form as annual destinations for friends to reunite and enjoy quality musical talent.”

Happy Spotify Wrapped to all those who celebrate. Even if you’re not a Spotify aficionado, your feeds were likely full of Spotify Wrapped last week when the platform released its annual recap of its users stats. While what it revealed to you shouldn’t be a surprise (it’s data, right?), the global data likely wasn’t either. Taylor Swift was the top global artist and top US artist, and her Tortured Poets Department was the top album globally and in the US. “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter was the top song globally and in the US. See the full stats from Spotify here. More wrapped:

British band Sports Team was robbed at gunpoint while grabbing breakfast on the first stop of their two-week US tour. The band was inside a Starbucks in Vallejo, CA when they noticed their van was being looted. The perpetrators took the band’s passports, laptops, cameras, and suitcases full of clothes. Most concerning to the Brits was the way that those working in Starbucks “just continued on with their shift” while the criminal activity took place and the police told them to fill out “an online form” instead of showing up at the scene. The band vowed to keep playing, but warned that they’d be wearing the same outfits every day.

Oak View Group launched the Ascend DE&I Career Readiness Program to promote diversity in the live entertainment industry. It includes initiatives like Ascend HBCU, Ascend Women, and Ascend Hospitality, offering mentorship, internships, and experiential learning opportunities. Applications for paid internships open January 6, aiming to support students from underrepresented groups in launching their careers.

Live Nation has acquired a majority stake in influencer management firm Timeline, the company’s first venture into influencer talent management. Timeline specializes in “young Hollywood and influencer talent,” and with the acquisition, Live Nation will offer it “expert guidance in the seamless integration of talent and touring”.

Ticketing platform Dice has registered a financial charge with Ocean LI PLO LLC, trading as Structural Capital, related to a prior investment agreement. This charge serves as security for a loan involving Dice's assets and could potentially be used to secure additional funding or meet existing obligations, especially as speculations around an acquisition by private equity swirl. Dice raised $65 million in 2023 to address funding needs.

The New South Wales government has introduced a 10-year music strategy aimed at transforming the Australian state into a “global music powerhouse”. The plan focuses on revitalizing the music industry, expanding audiences, and using music to strengthen communities. Key measures include reducing regulatory and financial barriers, fair pay for musicians, and prioritizing First Nations artists.

  • Goldenvoice: Lea Swanson has been named Vice President of Talent, and SVP Susan Rosenbluth has announced her retirement.

  • Sphere: Bill Walshe joins as Executive Vice President, Global Head Of Venue Operations & Development.

Did you attend or work at any of The Eras Tour shows?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Last Week's Results:
72% of BOH readers say it’s not too early to “circle back in 2025”. Well noted! We’ll take your queues and circle back with you all in 2025 for our next usual issue. But first, our annual BOH EOY recap next week!

Lineups, Festival & Tour Announcements 

  • Dead & Company will return to the Las Vegas Sphere with 18 shows celebrating the band’s 10th anniversary, starting March 20.

  • Alison Krauss & Union Station announced their 73-date “Arcadia 2025 Tour”. The group’s first tour in 10 years starts April 17 in Louisville, KY and wraps September 28 in Hollywood, FL.

  • Kendrick Lamar and SZA are heading out on the “Grand National Tour,” a co-headlining stadium tour hitting 19 stadiums starting April 19 at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN. 

  • Pearl Jam adds US dates to their tour in support of “Dark Matter” starting April 24 in Hollywood, FL. The band promises to cancel any tickets sold above face value on the secondary market. Tickets will be mobile only and non-transferable.

  • New Order, Weezer, Justice, Beach House top the Kilby Block Party lineup, May 15 - 18 at The Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City, UT.

  • Do Lab’s Lightning in a Bottle announced John Summit, Khruangbin, Underworld for the May 21 - 25 festival at Buena Vista Lake, CA.

  • Keith Urban announced his “High And Alive World Tour”, his first in 3 years. The tour will start at the Wharf Amphitheater in Orange Beach, AL on May 22 and ends September 27 in Omaha, NE.

  • Reading & Leads Festival revealed Travis Scott, Chappell Roan, Hozier, and Bring Me the Horizon as the first artists on the twin UK festivals’ bill. The festivals will take place at Richfield Avenue in Reading, and Bramham Park in Leeds, August 21 - 24. Is this the “worst lineup in years”?

  • Kraftwerk, Billy Idol, The Damned, Jesus & Mary Chain will headline the inaugural Forever Now Festival - sister festival to LA’s Cruel World - June 22 at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes, UK.

  • Toronto’s VELD Music Festival announced Deadmau5, Dom Dolla, John Summit, and Tiësto, August 1 - 3 at Downsview Park.

Cancellations, Changes

  • A reindeer parade at the Beverley Festival of Christmas in Yorkshire, UK was forced to cancel due to an outbreak of bluetongue disease affecting the headliners; the entire festival was later cancelled due to Storm Darragh.

  • Sum 41 pulled out of Good Things Festival and cancelled all Australian tour dates due to Deryck Whibley’s battle with pneumonia.

Last week, we asked for your support to help keep Back of House free and accessible for the entire live event community. Thanks to those of you who have already stepped up - we’re so grateful for your generosity! If you haven’t donated yet, there’s still time to help us keep The Latest in Live free and accessible for the live event community.

Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a big impact. Can’t donate? Hit the forward button and share this email with a friend or colleague to help spread the word!

Thank you for being part of BOH - we couldn’t do this without you!

  • February 25 - 28 (Royal Lancaster Hotel, London): International Live Music Conference (ILMC), the leading annual gathering of professionals involved in the global touring, festival and live entertainment industries.

  • January 29 (Online): Insomniac is hosting a Virtual Job Fair for seasonal and full time opportunities and internships with Insomniac and their partners. Register here.

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