[bomp] Did ClearChannel Kill Lollapalooza '04?

["Perry L. Adler" <PerryAdler@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Democratic Underground Forums - Printer friendly page, topic ID #3585158 -
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=
104x3585158

            Go back to previous topic
            Forum Name General Discussion
            Topic subject Did ClearChannel Kill Lollapalooza '04?
            Topic URL
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=
104x3585158
            3585158, Did ClearChannel Kill Lollapalooza '04?
            Posted by reprehensor on Mon May-02-05 03:22 PM

              On the Air America program 'So What Else is News', Marty Kaplan
posed the following question; "Did the media giant conspire with the Bushies
to shut down a popular music festival?"

              Later in the show, which you can download here (3.8MBs), he
interviews the founder of Lollapalooza, Perry Farrell:



              Marty Kaplan: The summer concert season officially kicked off
this weekend, with the two-day Coachella music festival in California's
desert. If you don't get a chance to make it out, no worries, in July,
Chicago's Grant Park will host this year's Lollapalooza with a lineup that
rivals Coachella.

              Now, one year ago, Jane's Addiction front-man Perry Farrell was
booked on this very show to talk about last year's Lollapalooza. In addition
to musicians like Morrissey, and the Pixies, the traveling festival was to
feature MoveOn's anti-Bush ads projected on giant TV screens. And voter
registration agents ready to net potential Kerry voters.

              But a day before his interview with us, the fest was suddenly
cancelled. Lollapalooza, the best-known brand name in the concert industry,
had trouble selling tickets.

              Or at least, that's what they said.

              Now, for the first time anywhere, we find out the real story
from Lollapalooza founder himself, Perry Farrell...

              Perry Farrell: In the press, you've come to read that
Lollapalooza was cancelled due to... 'poor ticket sales' was the excuse that
they gave it. Now, I find it ironic that the day before I come to do the
interview with you, the entire festival gets cancelled. And two days prior, I
was gonna be on the cover, we had the cover of the LA Times; this was gonna be
the July 4th cover.

              Now, I've always told people that personally, I didn't do that
interview to tell anybody about poor ticket sales, we did not have poor ticket
sales. Our tickets were as competitive as the next festival, in fact in many
cities, we were doing better than the Ozzfests, however, we were aligned with
the Kerry campaign. I was working with MoveOn, and we were very, very excited,
we thought we were gonna do a great job to help get Kerry elected. And,
approximately two weeks before the festival was set to go off, they pulled the
plug on us.

              Kaplan:And who was the 'they' who pulled the plug?

              Farrell: Well, 90% of the tour was owned by ClearChannel, so...
you tell me.


              ----------------------------------------

              So there you have it. ClearChannel really does suck.
            3585253, What the hell was Perry doing in bed
            Posted by d_b on Mon May-02-05 03:42 PM

              with those vampires? This is the kind of shit you'd expect to
have happen to Limp Bizkit or something. But Perry and Lolla? Whatever
happened to those 80's DIY ethos? The shame of it...SHAME.

              But seriously, that's awful.

            3585290, Yes, I heard the interview.
            Posted by Cleita on Mon May-02-05 03:47 PM

              They also said that Clear Channel sponsors most of the concerts
on the road.

              I don't go to concerts myself, but these concerts seem to be a
good place to start boycotting Clear Channel. I know it'll affect the
musicians, but maybe they will get someone else to sponsor them like
Lollapalooza did.
            3585409, the problem is that CC owns/controls the machinations..
            Posted by one_true_leroy on Mon May-02-05 04:05 PM

              necessary to have a large tour (venues, promotions, ticketing,
etc), and very often have final say as to who can use the larger venues in a
given area. Unfortunately, unless bands are willing to play backyard BBQs and
jook joints, they have to go through CC. Remember the Pearl Jam/ Ticketmaster
issue? Same problem here.
            3585532, CC is spinning off its concert promotions arm...
            Posted by Cooley Hurd on Mon May-02-05 04:21 PM

              http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/sfl-zclear30...

              Clear Channel to split up units

              Separation to raise value, company says

              By Michael White
              Bloomberg News
              Posted April 30 2005

              Clear Channel Communications Inc., the world's largest radio
broadcaster, will spin off its live entertainment unit and sell shares in the
billboard business after a radio advertising slump caused the stock to drop 25
percent in the past year.

              The Sound Advice Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach is one of Clear
Channel's concert venues. Clear Channel will sell 10 percent of the outdoor
advertising unit in an initial public offering and spin off the concert
division, which last year contributed 29 percent of sales. Investors will get
a $1.68 billion one-time payment and a higher quarterly dividend, the company
said Friday in a statement.

              Splitting the San Antonio-based company will provide a
"springboard" to boost each business's value, Chief Executive Officer Mark
Mays said on a conference call.

              One South Florida concert promoter thinks the separation of
radio stations from concert venues is a good move. "Whether it was true or
not, the implication was that when they did a concert, airplay would increase
based on the concert coming to town," says Jon Stoll, who operates Fantasma
Productions in West Palm Beach.
              </snip>

              How this affects Lollapalooza, I'm not sure...:shrug:
            3586992, Someone doesn't want another "Woodstock" to develop...
            Posted by TwoSparkles on Mon May-02-05 08:22 PM

              Obviously, the neocons are preventing any circumstances that
would lead to people galvanizing against this war.

              The administration has done SO MUCH to impede organization of
the peace movement and people who are against this war.

              If they can keep us dispersed and unorganized--then we have no
power. Thousands of us together at the same event makes a statement and can
change things.

              It's really amazing to me how much effort Junior's brigade has
put into preventing Vietnam-like protests--which did so much to thwart the war
effort.

              They don't show the reality of the war on tv.

              The facts of the war are covered up.

              They intimidate protesters and threaten the slightest dissent.

              And now, they slash an event like Lollapalooza. It's because so
many are angry and against this war. They damn well know what would happen if
the anti-Iraq war MAJORITY came together. Their war would sink further in the
polls.

              They must keep us isolated from one another--so we remain
powerless.

              Lollapalooza needs to extricate themselves from any Clear
Channel ties. WTF did they expect?
            3590088, here's my thing --
            Posted by nashville_brook on Tue May-03-05 10:44 AM

              i generally don't complain about DEM politics (unless we're
talking about Zell Miller or Joe Lieberman). i think we don't need the
infighting.

              BUT this is rock and roll we are talking about here -- WHY is
this the FIRST we've heard of this from Farrell? He's a freaking rock
musician. he should have been shouting from the rooftops when this happened.
it's our job as artists to bang the drums for christsakes.

              he could have made an issue about this at the time -- everyone i
know KNEW it was a clearchannel machination -- as a rocker, it is his sworn
duty to upend the status quo. he let clearchannel OWN him. i mourn the loss of
a great festival (my best friend's child was "blessed" by Ice T at 6 months at
a Lollapalooza) but i really mourn the loss of ROCK AND ROLL as a cultural
force and it's pussies like Farrell who have dug its grave.

              CORPORATE ROCK STILL SUCKS

===> To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe bomp" to majordomo@xnet2.com <===