cmb737 said:Sting2...my whole point was nobody really plays stadiums in North America. That is the caviat to my whole list of bands. There is no point really in debating each bands status since the essence of what I was saying is that North American fans don't generally respond well (i.e. purchase great amounts of tix for) stadium shows. There are markets where every one of those bands would fill a stadium, perhaps not 120,000...and I was just pointing out that it is less a reflection of the quality of the bands available today but more the economics of playing stadiums that is causing a decline in stadium tours.
I would wager that when most of the bands do go out, they are actually playing in front of more people now than bands that played stadiums years ago. More dates, large arenas. Look at Dave Matthews Band for example...he plays 20-45 sold out arena/amphitheater shows every year. His inability to play in Europe is more lack of a record label that distributes/promotes him worldwide. That is changing for him.
Again...artists are as good today, venues are better today, risk for tour in smaller venues is lower today so the desire to play stadiums is not there.
A stadium tour is always possible in the USA provided that the artist in question is popular enough as a concert selling act. Few artist have the popularity though to play a full stadium tour in the USA.
Its true there are a number of artist that have the ability to do it in Europe, but thats a reflection of that artist popularity there, not the publics prefence for or against shows in a stadium.
As of right now in 2005, I know of no market where these artist could attract 40,000+ people to a stadium show:
Cher
David Hasselhoff
Britney Spears
Depeche Mode
The Cure
Stereophonics
Attendance across the industry is down. The best year ever was 1994 and since then things have steadily declined across the industry. Most attendances for various tours, especially for stadium shows were higher in the 1980s.
Dave Matthews Band has had every opportunity to success outside the United States, including opening for the Rolling Stones all across Europe in the late 1990s, but it has not worked. The only place they have succeeded is in the USA. Their tours are smaller now and they do not go into the stadiums, although the fact that they tour EVERY year certainly has an impact on the demand to see them.
This is not about the true quality of the artist. Having the demand to play stadiums is a difficult thing, and its not surprising to see so few artist with the ability to do a global stadium tour.