quote:

---

Make It Funky wrote:

There are always more issues concerned than mere stage aesthetics!!!

---

quote:

---

Gazza wrote:
[quote]LuckyWithTheLadies wrote:
The Who incident was '78 wasn't it?

December 1979

>The Stones sold open seating on the field in '81 didn't they? And the Who themselves sold open field seating on their early 80s tour didn't they? I'm puttin my money on it always has been legal.

The Stones did anyway. I dont know about the Who, although from '79 and their reunion tour in '89 their only major US tour was 1982

[1982 IS early 80s. That was indeed the tour of which i was speaking. I am aware that the Who did not tour after their EARLY 80s Farewell Tour until their reunion, which was oddly very close to the same time as the Stone's very successful and very financially rewarding "reunion". hmmmm]

which was mostly stadiums. I was assuming you meant arenas though.

[No I was talking about stadiums, although the same goes for areanas. Open seating is open seating in either venue.]

Since '89, the Stones have had seats on the pitch at stadium shows in America.

[Not sure what you mean by "on the pitch." I was to one '89 show and three Voodoo shows. They all had seats on the field, but they weren't on a pitch. When you say "pitch" are you talking about the field or the stands or the back of the field with in some stadiums is on a pitch? Pardon my ignorance.]

They never did in Europe, apart from a few shows in 2003, because they were told they wouldnt get the stadium otherwise (this was the case for Twickenham, not sure if it applied at any other shows)

[Interesting info.]

> I think the point made that the Stones can increase their profits by selling the $300 dollar floor tickets is the real answer. Every decision they've made since '78 has been "how do we increase the profits?"

correct. Especially since 1998.

[A sad situation.]

>Why are European stadiums available only in the summer?

because they're needed for football from August/September to May/June (the dates vary slightly from country to country, although in some northern countries such as those in Scandinavia, the football season runs throughout the summer because the winters are too severe even for football)

> And what does the lack of large stadiums in Europe have to with WHEN they tour?

[The former post implied that only America had a network of football stadiums and that that was why European shows are festival. My point was that if there is indeed a lack of stadiums on the continent than there is a lack all year long and this would not effect WHEN tours can be planned.]

because they can ONLY play stadiums in Europe in a small time frame. (see above). Thats not the case in North America. Basically you could play stadiums somewhere in America in any month of the year.

>If there is a lack of large European venues, then there is a lack of large European venues all year long, not?

[see above]

er..no. The stadiums arent going to be available for about 9 months of the average year. Simple. For example, NFL teams play on average 8 home games a season over a period of 4 months. A football stadium could be used anything upwards of 3 times that number in a season for games alone.

[I think in that last sentence you are refering to European football and not American? Sports stars earn their money in the rest of the world. American football stars are an embarrassment. See below.]

>Furthermore, I question the lack of stadiums in Europe. I aint ever been there. But Football (what we call soccer) is bigger in Europe than in a America.

its bigger everywhere than in America!

[And for good reason. American football is an embarrassment. Rugby with padding! har har har har]

> And I'm thinking the venues with the largest seating compasity are probably not in the US but other parts of the world.

correct. Spain alone has two football stadiums that seat over 100,000. Many countries in Asia and Latin America would also have stadiums that would hold more than the biggest US stadiums.

[Why do we Americans always think America is the biggest and greatest? Well, usually it is. har har]

>Yes, it is technically feasible to do stadium concerts in the US during the winter time. There is the warmer south and the domes. My point is the cold wheather puts a damper on the festivities. Summer time creates a different vibe, an atmosphere more condusive to partying. I don't know anything about booking stadiums. But it would seem that there would be more open dates in the summer than fall, with football season starting up.

but on the last tour of the US many of the shows were in baseball stadiums, which has a different 'season' and where the stadiums are likely to be available for longer stretches of time. If they're planning a world tour lasting a year or so, they simply cant or shouldnt base it around when it suits a "vibe" to play summer shows in America.

[I completely and utterly disagree. I think the "vibe" should be what EVERYTHING about the tour is based on. If they are not creating a good vibe and hence a good concert, when the heck are they touring for? Big pay checks? Count me out.]

You wont get a licence to play football stadiums in Europe in winter, autumn and spring. End of story. Unless they spread the tour out to play one summer in the US and the following summer in Europe (eg 1994 - 1995 where the US leg started on 1st August)

[Sounds like a good plan to me.]



[Edited by Gazza]

---

quote:

---

corgi37 wrote:
Cheap beer, a good feed, footy on the tele and Keno games every 5 minutes.

---