Bad Omen for the Tour...

[arizzzona]

Purple seven, U2 almost lost money on the Zoo TV/Zooropa tour - only the T shirt sales bailed them out. Not much to show for two year's hard work. I guess the point is, doing these tours is extraordinarily expensive. They're doing well - but not the way some think.

As to a bad omen, I've had similar thoughts. But then again I think what good U2 brings into the world, and how the world is not all good (at all). I often see especially good things, events, happenings get thwarted before they come to be. This tour will come to be, and I think it will be good.

I say this because of the music. It's strong. This new stuff is super strong. Awesomely strong. U2 fans connect with it - the result is passion as strong as - probably stronger than - any I've seen. A real feat in this jaded, negative age. I doubt strong music and listener passion will result in anything but convective concerts that we will remember forever and put up there with the best of them. And because of that, I doubt this will be U2s final tour.

They may take a good hiatus after this - and/or put out an album without tour support in the years to come. But I do think we will see them again on a full fledged tour. It just may be 4 or 5 or more years. Lets enjoy this while we have it.

David

 

[PurpleSeven]

...U2 almost lost money on the Zoo TV/Zooropa tour - only the T shirt sales bailed them out...dooing these tours is extraordinarily expensive. They're doing well - but not the way some think.

That's exactly the point - the band was only able to show a profit from the merchandise from those tours, most notably Zoo TV. Surely the band did not figure out after the tour was over that they were not going to come out that well.

They would have known after the first leg of the Zoo TV tour that they were marginally breaking even. Even with this knowledge, the band did not say 'we've got to get this thing turned around' and decide to double the ticket charge for the remaining legs.

As well, when going into the Pop tour, they had not forgotten about the financial lessons of Zoo TV - but did they decide to quadruple the prices? As I recall, my 20th row, main floor seat at the HHH Metrodome show in Minneapolis was only approx. $45.00. Unlike the Elevation and Vertigo pricing, these were the best and highest priced seats.

This band has an brilliantly shrewd organization working around it - and they've realized that they can mount a tour with a relative minimalistic set (Elevation compared to Pop), charge double, sell out multiple shows at an arena, and the fans still come back! According to Pollstar figures, the Elevation tour brought in $109.7 Million in tour receipts. $109.7 MILLION! That's not including merchandise, album sales, etc.

Let's say that from those receipts, half would go to cost of putting the show on and all the expenses that it entails, that would leave $54.85 Million amongst the five equal partners (can't forget about the manager). That leaves $10.97 Million per partner. Let's go even further and assume that half goes for taxes, that still wold leave almost $5.5 Million free and clear to be deposited into a bank account. That is just tour receipts - then you would have to add merchandising, album sales (ATYCLB did alright if I recall) - and the result is that I'm not all that concerned for the financial stability of the band or their organization.

They are increasing their ticket pricing because everyone else is - plain and simple.

 

[NHChris]

U2 routinely announce an initial schedule and then fill in extra dates. For example, Boston was given May 24 and 26. But as sure as the sun will come up tomorrow U2 will add either the 23rd or the 27th (not the 25th because they never play three nights in a row).

My pre-sale experience was 'OK.' I did it from work, so I had the advantage of a fast connection. The first couple of tries for the FleetCenter I was requesting the $95 seats. But each time the screen came back with a 'warning' that these were 'behind-the-stage' seats. I may be in the minority here, but I'd rather spend $49 and be out front than $95 and watch Bono's bald spot.

That said, I backed out a few times trying for $95 seats and then went for best available $49 seats. I didn't even bother for GA because I have no inclination to stand in a line all day waiting to enter the arena. My seats ended up being in Section 308 of the FleetCenter...not far, I'm sure, from where I was for the Elevation tour.

So, the 'glass-is-half-full' side of me is glad I'm at the show for the 26th without having to deal with the avalanche in demand that is sure to come when 'mere mortals' are allowed to buy tickets.

I will say, though, that my experience getting tickets through Propaganda was MUCH worse (in terms of the quality of seats I got) for this tour and the Elevation tour than it was for earlier tours such as PopMart, Joshua Tree, and Achtung Baby. I felt I was much more of a 'preferred customer' then than I am now.

Chris in New Hampshire