US tour starts in October!!!

[Bodhi]

I'd hate to see you stop posting all this gloomy stuff...

That'd be surprising!




/jarmo

Well, unfortunately, the US economy is "gloomy" at the moment.

I was on a staff call at work today where facility closures, layoffs, and hiring freezes were discussed.

I follow the market pretty closely, so I know that this isn't an isolated incident.

If people are out of work, I can't see Axl being a "must have" for most American families.

That's all I was saying.

economy schmeconomy, if there is a kick ass band playing people will go.  The GNR/Metallica tour in 1992 took place during a recession and did just fine.  The Big 4 are playing Yankee stadium this year with most tickets between 150-260 bucks and its pretty much all sold out with the exception of a few tix in the nosebleeds.  I just saw Blink-182 on friday, the first stop on their comeback/new album tour and there were  almost 20,000 people there, and that was just one of the 3 New York market shows they played this weekend.  Van Halen is planning a fall tour/new album I guarantee you will have to murder someone to get tickets to any of those shows.

If Guns N Roses tour they will do just fine.  Even if some venues are not sold out, so what?  I'm past the point of caring how Guns N Roses are perceived in the media or by critics.  I don't care how much "CD" sold or didn't sell, I love the record and I'm happy that all those years of following every move the band made regarding that album paid off.  Axl saw his vision through, and we all got a great record.  Who cares if Rolling Stone or Spin likes it, they are on the verge of  becoming just another internet blog, another asshole with an opinion just like me, and the rest of the internet.

The media is going to shit on GNR no matter what.  Whether the arena is full, or empty, or if they put out an album every year or every 10 years, GNR are not media darlings, they are not Radiohead, and I am perfectly fine with that.

Let GNR and management worry about the financial nonsense, and just go to the shows and enjoy the best hard rock band on the planet.

[axlrosegnr]

Gn'R isn't going to have a tough time touring. Just because every show isn't sold out, doesn't mean a tour is unsuccessful. I don't know about the rest of the country, but here in Vegas there's just as many shows, just as many people at them as always. When Gn'R do tour, the fans will go and be happy, the complainers will still go and still complain, etc, ect. I for one just hope it's sooner than later.

[Albert S Miller]

^True that!!  I am waiting patiently, but will be a good day when I see Seattle and Las Vegas on the touring schedule, shall we party again lol....

[pilferk]

First and foremost, I'm not here to bring anybody down. If what I'm saying has been "done before" as you said, that's not surprising. I didn't think that I'm the only realistic fan out there.

Like you said, when people don't have much money, they probably only spend that money on what is essential. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that Axl would be considered essential to most. I get that this is a fan site, but I don't think that makes anything that I said less fan-like.

I attended multiple shows during the last US tour. Some sold well, some not so much. If Axl attempts his first US tour in the middle of, what some are calling, the worst economic downturn of our time, I don't see that selling overly well, especially if he's touring behind an album that he has already done so multiple times. I know that he hasn't toured the states since the album release, but a nice portion of those songs have been played live both in the states and elsewhere. I think a few "new" CD songs would do little to sway most to these shows.

On a more positive note, hopefully there is no reason to concern ourselves with any of this. Hopefully, the economy will turn around and hopefully Axl will decide to debut some of this crazy cool previously unheard stuff that we've been hearing about for years now.

Here's the thing:

Pop concerts (Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Selina Gomez, Beiber [shudder]) have been selling pretty well....but MOST have adopted a lower ticket price (lower than the past year or so).

BIG ticket (Bon Jovi, for example) concerts have been selling, but more slowly than in the past.  The thing is: They are still selling.

Venues are lowering their fees, offering a bigger % of concessions, etc to entice acts into the arena...because an empty arena is worse than a full arena making you LESS money.

You can do a tour, in this climate, and make money.  Both the venues and the artists have to make some concessions, and offer a lower ticket price.  That's happening, by and large.  I don't think you can assume a GnR tour can't be successful.  Yes, if they try to charge $90 a ticket, and play every tiny arena from coast to coast (and through out Canada)....they might run into problems (and I emphasize MIGHT). The thing is: If you and I can see that....I'm sure the people putting together the tour can see the same thing.

But if they come up with a reasonable ticket price and "region-alize" their shows...something a LOT of artists are doing (more shows in big markets, fewer shows in smaller markets)...they'd have a pretty good shot at being successful.

It's not all doom and gloom. 

[LongGoneDay]

The shows that I have been to this summer have been more expensive than what I have paid to see the same artists in years past.
Megadeth was north of $70, but part of a festival. I bit the bullet because they are the most consistently great live band I've seen.

STP was somewhere around $80 and Soundgarden was pushing $90 I think.
I've seen all those bands for closer to $40-50 in the past(granted Soundgarden was 15 years ago!) but the draw this time around for STP and Soundgarden was they played much smaller venues as opposed to the stadiums I'm used to, and to me it was well worth the added cost.

I would like to see GN'R go this route.

[GnR-NOW]

GNR ticket prices have always been reasonable. Hammerstein was around $65, and the Garden show was $90.

[LongGoneDay]

GNR ticket prices have always been reasonable. Hammerstein was around $65, and the Garden show was $90.

$65 for the Hammerstein is a steal.
$90 for any stadium is robbery if you find yourself in the back.

[pilferk]

The shows that I have been to this summer have been more expensive than what I have paid to see the same artists in years past.
Megadeth was north of $70, but part of a festival. I bit the bullet because they are the most consistently great live band I've seen.

STP was somewhere around $80 and Soundgarden was pushing $90 I think.
I've seen all those bands for closer to $40-50 in the past(granted Soundgarden was 15 years ago!) but the draw this time around for STP and Soundgarden was they played much smaller venues as opposed to the stadiums I'm used to, and to me it was well worth the added cost.

I would like to see GN'R go this route.

A festival ticket for $70 is cheap.  They routinely went for $120 in years past.  Mayhem was, IMHO, a GREAT value at those prices (10-ish hours of music).

STP tickets were $45 in our neck of the woods ($52.15 after TM fees).  They varied by venue...but usually they ranged from somewhere between $50 and $70 (with a few exceptions...you may have been one of them).

Soundgarden were, from what I saw, between $70 and $90 with TM fees.  I know there was some pretty loud complaints about the ticket prices....even though they were in smaller, more intimate venues.  But, they still sold out most (all?) shows.

And that's what I mean.  You have to get a bit more creative...but you can make a tour work.

[jarmo]

If certain so called fans focused on what they have instead of what they don't have, things would be a lot better for all of us.

You haven't had a proper US tour by GN'R in almost five years.

But for some, that's not a big deal. It seems like they'd rather wait until they get the show they want, than to go see their "favorite band".

Weird logic.


I mean, if one of my favorite bands is on tour and I have a chance of going to a show, I'll go. Doesn't matter what album the tour is supporting, or not supporting. Doesn't matter what songs they play.

For me, a concert isn't some kind of fucking jukebox on stage where I demand to hear certain songs, no matter if the majority never heard said song.

It's a chance to see my favorite band perform the songs I love right in front of me.

What's so horrible about that? Must be horrible to some since some fans whine about the shows when there's none and when there are shows, they still whine.




If the thought of GN'R touring your country/state/city doesn't interest you, stay home and shut the fuck up.

It's mind boggling how some "fans" actually spend time trying to bring others down as soon as there's any talk of a tour.





/jarmo

[Street of the Blues]

If you live in the States, you can always get a $10 ticket in the lot.

[LongGoneDay]

The shows that I have been to this summer have been more expensive than what I have paid to see the same artists in years past.
Megadeth was north of $70, but part of a festival. I bit the bullet because they are the most consistently great live band I've seen.

STP was somewhere around $80 and Soundgarden was pushing $90 I think.
I've seen all those bands for closer to $40-50 in the past(granted Soundgarden was 15 years ago!) but the draw this time around for STP and Soundgarden was they played much smaller venues as opposed to the stadiums I'm used to, and to me it was well worth the added cost.

I would like to see GN'R go this route.

A festival ticket for $70 is cheap.  They routinely went for $120 in years past.  Mayhem was, IMHO, a GREAT value at those prices (10-ish hours of music).

STP tickets were $45 in our neck of the woods ($52.15 after TM fees).  They varied by venue...but usually they ranged from somewhere between $50 and $70 (with a few exceptions...you may have been one of them).

Soundgarden were, from what I saw, between $70 and $90 with TM fees.  I know there was some pretty loud complaints about the ticket prices....even though they were in smaller, more intimate venues.  But, they still sold out most (all?) shows.

And that's what I mean.  You have to get a bit more creative...but you can make a tour work.

Oh yeah, $70 is a great deal for a festival. Just not in my situation because I was there solely for Megadeth, and they only played a 45 minute set compared to their typical 2+.
We had a feeling going in though. Can't all be zingers.
STP was more expensive I think because they played Hampton Beach Casino which is a real intimate place compared to where they have been playing around here in years past.
Soundgarden was worth every penny. Best show I've seen this year. Killer 25 song setlist, good seats because of the fan presale, and decent venues.

Again, I have no problem paying a little extra if it means a smaller venue. Makes all the difference.

[sofine11]

Is a U.S. tour actually being planned by the band for the late fall, or is it just a rumor?  Last I checked, nobody in the GNR camp has ever said anything either way about an upcoming states tour.

I hope it's true...

[GunnerOne 84]

It may only be a rumor at this point. but I feel like it was definitively NOT happening, we would know that.

[HBK]

Listen Song

PATIENCE

 

[axlpwns]

Is a U.S. tour actually being planned by the band for the late fall, or is it just a rumor?  Last I checked, nobody in the GNR camp has ever said anything either way about an upcoming states tour.

I hope it's true...

Band members have talked about touring the US like DJ, Tommy and i think Bumblefoot but right now everything is really just rumors N' speculation

[Stoned_In_L.A.]

Band members have talked about touring the US like DJ, Tommy and i think Bumblefoot but right now everything is really just rumors N' speculation

Did they say that plans were in the works for a US tour, or just that they'd like to tour the states?

Either way, it's not looking too promising for 2011. Maybe next year.

Does the band have a manager at the present? I thought that I read that Doc was fired.

[russtcb]

We'll see if it's too late.

2006 was a while ago now, but if I remember right, the US tour wasn't announced until September of that year. I could be wrong, but I think that's right. If memory serves, the tour wasn't announced until September and then I saw them in November.

[Ali]

You're not wrong.  Though some dates were leaked early, the official tour press release didn't come out until the end of September.

http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/news/shownews.php?newsid=1707

Ali

[jarmo]

2006 was a while ago now, but if I remember right, the US tour wasn't announced until September of that year. I could be wrong, but I think that's right. If memory serves, the tour wasn't announced until September and then I saw them in November.

Yes, a bunch of the shows were announced in September for October, November and December 2006.




/jarmo

[GunnerOne 84]

Here's hoping for a repeat!