The Absurd Logistics of Concert Tours

[The Computer Audiophile]

Call me strange, but I've often wondered about all this stuff. Here's a pretty good video about how it works. 

 

 

 

[Rt66indierock]

Snuday morning we passed two semi trucks  of concert equipment on I-10 in Phoenix.

[botrytis]

There was Iron Maiden who used a 757 for their tours with the lead singer being the pilot. They also had all the stage equipment designed to be loaded on and off the 757.

[Racerxnet]

7 minutes ago, botrytis said:

There was Iron Maiden who used a 757 for their tours with the lead singer being the pilot. They also had all the stage equipment designed to be loaded on and off the 757.

Working at the Amazon air facilities, "cans" are made to fit either side and center of the fuselage. Somewhere around 75,000 lbs of freight can be hauled into the air. Amazing to watch while loaded and taking off. 

[botrytis]

10 minutes ago, Racerxnet said:

Working at the Amazon air facilities, "cans" are made to fit either side and center of the fuselage. Somewhere around 75,000 lbs of freight can be hauled into the air. Amazing to watch while loaded and taking off. 

 

TY for that. so neat.

[Jud]

One of our neighbors has a job doing this (the organizing rather than loading end). She was over at our house one day when she got a call that one of Elvis Costello's guitars was on the opposite side of the Atlantic from where it was needed. This is pretty typical for her work "days" (which are of course not restricted to regular working hours).

[firedog]

I seem to recall in the late 60's or early 70's it was considered a bid deal if a band had 4 semis that held all their touring equipment. I guess times have changed. 

[botrytis]

32 minutes ago, firedog said:

I seem to recall in the late 60's or early 70's it was considered a bid deal if a band had 4 semis that held all their touring equipment. I guess times have changed. 

 

Well, there is the ELP tour video from 1974 that is out there. That was 3 Semi's of equipment. 

[sphinxsix]

5 hours ago, Jud said:

she got a call that one of Elvis Costello's guitars was on the opposite side of the Atlantic from where it was needed.

 

Might have been one of @AudioDoctor's attempts to finish the guy off.. 

 

On topic. U2's 360° tour has had a 200-ton arachnid forming the stage, a million-piece video wall, 300 crew and a budget of $750,000 a day. The tour employed 120 trucks to move the stage, the screen, the lights, the 250 speakers and more from venue to venue. 

 

 

OTOH Beyonce’s Formation tour of Europe, needed 7 Boeing 747 cargo planes, to transport all the stage from one country to another.

 

[astrotoy]

Our niece's husband is an architect and partner of Stufish Entertainment Architects.  https://stufish.com/

They have been the major architect for a large number of pop/rock groups, since they started back with the flying pigs in the Pink Floyd "Animals" show.  They continued to work with Pink Floyd as the shows became larger and more complex.  Lots of top artists including Beyonce, Elton John, U2, Rolling Stones, Madonna, Black Sabbath, and many more.  In addition they have designed some of the most spectacular entertainment complexes around the world, including several in China.  They also did the Beijing Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies.  Take a look at their projects under A-Z.   

 

Larry

 

[christopher3393]

16 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

 

Might have been one of @AudioDoctor's attempts to finish the guy off.. 

 

On topic. U2's 360° tour has had a 200-ton arachnid forming the stage, a million-piece video wall, 300 crew and a budget of $750,000 a day. The tour employed 120 trucks to move the stage, the screen, the lights, the 250 speakers and more from venue to venue. 

 

 

OTOH Beyonce’s Formation tour of Europe, needed 7 Boeing 747 cargo planes, to transport all the stage from one country to another.

 

 

Holy Cow! 🐮

 

 

Some light reading:

 

An Illustrated Guide to Guy Debord’s ‘The Society of the Spectacle’

[The Computer Audiophile]

17 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

 

Might have been one of @AudioDoctor's attempts to finish the guy off.. 

 

On topic. U2's 360° tour has had a 200-ton arachnid forming the stage, a million-piece video wall, 300 crew and a budget of $750,000 a day. The tour employed 120 trucks to move the stage, the screen, the lights, the 250 speakers and more from venue to venue. 

 

 

OTOH Beyonce’s Formation tour of Europe, needed 7 Boeing 747 cargo planes, to transport all the stage from one country to another.

 

 

I still think concert tickets are way underpriced. I'll happily accept what I consider low prices, but these productions and all the people involved, cost serious money. Evidence that tickets are underpriced can be seen on the used market. 

[R1200CL]

14 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Evidence that tickets are underpriced can be seen on the used market. 

In Norway it's forbidden to sell tickets on what we would rather call the black marked.
 

Just bought Roger Water Tickets. You can pay $400 for the best seats. I wouldn't call that underpriced.  

Also the solution is of cause to just do a second show, and it's a win win situation. Not raising the prices. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 minute ago, R1200CL said:

Also the solution is of cause to just do a second show, and it's a win win situation. Not raising the prices. 

I disagree. Harry Styles just did 15 shows at Madison Square Garden. Would a 16th have lowered prices? No. The solution isn't to add more shows until the performer falls over or people no longer want to go. 

 

$400 for the best seats at a concert isn't overpriced. I like the dynamic pricing model in use recently. I'd rather see the money go to artists and those involved with creating something, rather than people who's only contribution is to purchase and resell tickets. 

[sphinxsix]

34 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I still think concert tickets are way underpriced.

This is what I sometimes think when I buy a ticket for a top classical or jazz performer for 25 euro (they go up to 60-70 in case of classical and down to 20 in case of jazz if you're ready sit on the stairs of Bimhuis which is the best jazz club in Amsterdam). Both music stages have sponsors (both gov'ment  and private ones) and I'm ok with such model as for culture in general.

As for pop/rock stars.. not sure if the ticks are underpriced...:

 

The Top 10 highest grossing tours of all time

 

(the no 1 on the list is mentioned above U2 360° tour - £704 million)

 

[botrytis]

21 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I disagree. Harry Styles just did 15 shows at Madison Square Garden. Would a 16th have lowered prices? No. The solution isn't to add more shows until the performer falls over or people no longer want to go. 

 

$400 for the best seats at a concert isn't overpriced. I like the dynamic pricing model in use recently. I'd rather see the money go to artists and those involved with creating something, rather than people who's only contribution is to purchase and resell tickets. 

 

I would almost agree, but the ticket scalpers find their way around this dynamic pricing model. It really is extremely easy to flout.

[botrytis]

I would go to The Ark, in Ann Arbor, MI in a heartbeat.  A small venue and inexpensive tickets because it is not a FOR PROFIT venue. The venue is part of the University of Michigan.

 

That is where the prices are skewed.

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 minute ago, botrytis said:

 

I would almost agree, but the ticket scalpers find their way around this dynamic pricing model. It really is extremely easy to flout.

Pearl Jam has locked its tickets down very well. All electronic, not salable or transferable, unless a state has codified salability / transferability in its laws. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

5 minutes ago, sphinxsix said:

This is what I sometimes think when I buy a ticket for a top classical or jazz performer for 25 euro (they go up to 60-70 in case of classical and down to 20 in case of jazz if you're ready sit on the stairs of Bimhuis which is the best jazz club in Amsterdam). Both music stages have sponsors (both gov'ment  and private ones) and I'm ok with such model as for culture in general.

As for pop/rock stars.. not sure if the ticks are underpriced...:

 

The Top 10 highest grossing tours of all time

 

(the no 1 on the list is mentioned above U2 360° tour - £704 million)

 

If those highest grossing tours included aftermarket ticket sales, the numbers would be much larger. The demand for tickets is there. 

[botrytis]

7 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Pearl Jam has locked its tickets down very well. All electronic, not salable or transferable, unless a state has codified salability / transferability in its laws. 

 

One of the few. Most don't and that is the issue.

[sphinxsix]

54 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

If those highest grossing tours included aftermarket ticket sales, the numbers would be much larger. The demand for tickets is there. 

Let's not worry about finances of pop/rock stars. Let's worry about classical music, jazz and those whose work is artistically on a high and finances on the low level. A year ago an interesting new pop/rock female vocalist who got a BBC music award (deservedly IMO, got this album) announced that she moves to her parents house cause she can not afford an apartment in London (!). As for me, the person who has always searched for progressive pop/rock music that says something new and often found in way out of mainstream - let's sponsor people like that, classical and jazz and let's not forget about about music education of kids cause they are the future of music.

[PeterG]

2 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

Let's not worry about finances of pop/rock stars. Let's worry about classical music, jazz and those whose work is artistically on a high and finances on the low level. A year ago an interesting new pop/rock female vocalist who got a BBC music award (deservedly IMO, got this album) announced that she moves to her parents house cause she can not afford an apartment in London (!). As for me, the person who has always searched for progressive pop/rock music that says something new and often found in way out of mainstream - let's sponsor people like that, classical and jazz and let's not forget about about music education of kids cause they are the future of music.

Agreed.  The New York or Boston price to see the best jazz musicians in the world, with greater virtuosity than virtually any pop/rock players, is $30 or so, and you can be 10' away with advance planning.  This is simultaneously wonderful and sad

[The Computer Audiophile]

31 minutes ago, PeterG said:

Agreed.  The New York or Boston price to see the best jazz musicians in the world, with greater virtuosity than virtually any pop/rock players, is $30 or so, and you can be 10' away with advance planning.  This is simultaneously wonderful and sad

 

In sports, people pay the most money to see the most talented players. Perhaps because sports are more objective in that the players seek the same end result. 
 

Art is so different. 

[botrytis]

28 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

 

In sports, people pay the most money to see the most talented players. Perhaps because sports are more objective in that the players seek the same end result. 
 

Art is so different. 

 

Well, I saw Cecile McLorant-Salvant at the Chicago Symphony Hall Jazz series. It was 50.00 USD a ticket. My wife and I also saw Bettye LaVette at the City Winery and also saw her at The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI. In Chicagoland we also have Ravinia.

 

There are places to go see Music, fairly reasonably, if one just looks around.

[PeterG]

1 hour ago, botrytis said:

 

Well, I saw Cecile McLorant-Salvant at the Chicago Symphony Hall Jazz series. It was 50.00 USD a ticket. My wife and I also saw Bettye LaVette at the City Winery and also saw her at The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI. In Chicagoland we also have Ravinia.

 

There are places to go see Music, fairly reasonably, if one just looks around.

Great examples!  Two of the best values in live music.  That these two are priced at 1/20 of top pop acts is a clear illustration that the market for live music does not operate efficiently, or at least that popularity is divorced from talent in this space