Axl and Azoff Start to Rock
Publication Type:
Magazine ArticleSource:
pollstar, Volume 4, p.8/9 (2010)Call Number:
AugustURL:
pollstar.comFull Text:
The turbulent litigation between Axel Rose and Irving Azoff has lead to the possibility of a referee. The judge said this might be necessary if both sides cannot act reasonable. Recent deposition was suspended after Azoff reportedly threw a copy of the Wall Street Journal at Rose’s attorney. The court has placed the blame on both individuals and has stated the expensive repercussions for such extreme positions. Azoff’s management company sued the singer $1.8 million for unpaid commissions. Roses quickly filed a counter suit blaming Azoff for not promoting Chinese Democracy sufficiently and lying about the potential for a tour with Van Halen.
Love Parade Fallout
Publication Type:
Magazine ArticleSource:
Pollstar, Volume 2, p.8/9 (2010)Call Number:
AugustURL:
pollstar.comFull Text:
Insufficient planning of Germany’s annual Love Parade Festival resulted in twenty-one deaths and over five hundred injuries. Fans rushed the free event after an announcement stating the grounds were at maximum capacity and no further admittance was permitted. Panic followed as attendees struggled to safety through one exit. Those organizing the Love Parade were encouraged to provide additional access routes prior but ignored the warnings due to the expense. They were also warned the site on which the festival was held, could only hold 500,000 people. The festival has a history of drawing a crowd of over one million and failed to take this into account.
Summer Tours Get Icy Reception From Frugal Music Fans
Publication Type:
Magazine ArticleSource:
Advertising Age, Volume 4, p.7/12 (2010)Call Number:
JulyURL:
adage.comFull Text:
The summer concert season finds itself in hard times despite the recovering economy. Lack of ticket sales have promoted cancellations from well known artists such as U2, John Mayer, Limp Bizkit, Rihanna, and Lilith Fair. High ticket prices and consumers still feeling the recession are both likely reasons for the slump. Additionally promoter’s tendencies to offer last minute incentives to increase ticket sales could be conditioning consumers to wait to purchase. Despite the short fallings of many tours festivals have done surprisingly well.
One in a Million
Publication Type:
Magazine ArticleSource:
Billboard, Volume 7, p.7/31 (2010)Call Number:
JulyURL:
billboard.bizFull Text:
Taylor Swift’s upcoming release has generated mixed feelings of expectations and eagerness among label and retail executives. Many believe the artist is capable of selling more the 1 million units during the first week of her release. The last album to achieve this milestone was Lil’ Wayne’s “Tha Carter III” in 2008. An informal survey among industry executives reveals some less positive than others. One skeptic sited lack of radio formats, a likely $18.98 list price, and weak digital sales during the first week of the artist’s previous album as reason for concern.
Turbulent Nation
Publication Type:
Magazine ArticleSource:
Pollstar, Volume 1, p.8/2 (2010)Call Number:
AugustURL:
pollstar.comFull Text:
Michael Rapino and Irving Azoff lead the recent Live Nation Entertainment investor meeting in New York. The intention of the presentation was to instill confidence in LNE investors and communicate the major policy changes the company will undergo. The meeting completely backfired and many shareholds frantically dumped their stock during the presentation. LYV stock dropped 16% during the course of the presentation, a loss of $322 million in market value.
Big Pink
Publication Type:
Magazine ArticleSource:
Billboard, Volume 12, p.7/24 (2010)Call Number:
JulyURL:
billboard.bizFull Text:
The increasingly popular pink sparkling vodka, Nuvo has been actively promoting itself through product placement in Latin music videos and concerts. The company additionally supplies drinks for the private parties of high profile artists. Record companies benefit from the brand picking up the tab for some video production and other artist expenses. Nuvo’s expansion into the Latin marketed builds upon its strong establishment in hip-hop.
The Tipping Point
Publication Type:
Magazine ArticleSource:
Billboard, Volume 7, p.7/24 (2010)Call Number:
JulyURL:
billboard.bizFull Text:
Record labels are unwilling to allow Trans World Entertainment to expand its $9.99 CD pricing plan to all of its 533 stores. Enabling the company to do so would put labels at risk of violating anti-trust laws and force them to offer the same lowered wholesale price to all of its retail outlets. The experiment of lowered CD prices has been implemented over the last year and will likely develop into a hybrid of the previous model. Record companies are considering a new pricing offer, which would assign high prices to new releases by superstar acts. After a few weeks the price would be lowered to $9.99 along with the rest of the companies catalog.
'McFest' Lawsuit Settled
Publication Type:
Magazine ArticleSource:
Pollstar, Volume 9, p.7/26 (2010)Call Number:
JulyURL:
pollstar.comFull Text:
A settlement has been reached between Lauren McClusky and McDonald's. The fast food chain filed a lawsuit for trademark infringement against the college student, after her attempt to name her Special Olympics benefit series “McFest”. McClusky agreed to rename her event in return for a $40,000 donation from McDonald’s. The company will also sponsor the concert series over the next two years. McDonald’s found themselves in the middle of a Public Relations mess once numerous publications picked up the story of their lawsuit.
Gigs & Bytes
Publication Type:
Magazine ArticleSource:
Pollstar, Volume 4, p.7/26 (2010)Call Number:
JulyURL:
pollstar.comFull Text:
A Federal judge has reduced the damages against Joel Tenenbaum for downloading and sharing 30 songs. The Boston University student was found guilty of infringement in July 2009 and previously faced $675,000 worth of damages. Judge Nancy Gertner believes the reduction of damages to $67,500 is more appropriate and still severe enough to deter future infringement. The RIAA plans to appeal the decision.
Top Grossing Shows
Publication Type:
Magazine ArticleSource:
Pollstar, Volume 10, p.7/19 (2010)Call Number:
JulyURL:
pollstar.comFull Text:
Coachella reigns as the top grossing show to date earning $421.7 million. The sold out festival attracted 225,000 concertgoers and in the process solidified itself as leading outdoor festival. Additionally AEG and its affiliates were collectively responsible for 46 of the Top 100 grossing shows. This is the first time the company has been able to surpass its much larger rival Live Nation, who produced 27 of the Top 100 grossing shows.
