“NIVA may have been founded amidst dire circumstances, but the future of the live industry and the people who inhabit it have always been top of mind,” said NIVA executive director and managing partner of Marauder Rev. Moose. “Officially expanding our coalition to include partners new and old, allows us to innately incorporate those who have stood by our side from the very beginning, like Patronoff from See Tickets, and new voices that will help guide the future.” Advisory board members will share their diverse knowledge and professional expertise in streaming, ticketing, management and more to help NIVA and its members navigate the remainder of this pandemic and rebuild the live entertainment ecosystem in a transparent, diverse, and inclusive way. ...
1. The Live Band Opening With “Kill This Love” One of the best parts about BLACKPINK’s In Your Area tour from 2019 was hearing the group reinterpret their smashes with a full, live band accompanying them. Even with COVID-19 restrictions and moving to an online concert, the group was able to bring in their backing band members to not only serve their Hot 100 hit “Kill This Love” with all the style, vocals, raps and choreography fans expect, but as well as a refreshing musical rework thanks to their drummer, bassist, guitarist and keyboardist. 2. Jisoo Taking Tove Lo‘s Track on an Emotional Journey Fans knew to expect some special solo stages from the individual members, and Jisoo full-on delivered by not only offering an emotional cover of Tove...
Nollywood Actor, Yul Edochie, Friday celebrated the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. In a short write-up via his verified Instgram handle, the 39 year old Nigerian actor, said that Kanu was grossly misunderstood. He described Kanu as a hero, noting that Kanu is fighting for the emancipation of Africans. His words: “Today is not his birthday but I choose to celebrate this great man today. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. A Hero who is grossly misunderstood. But all he truly wants is for Africans to wake up and take serious decisions that will bring lasting peace in Africa. Live long great man. May Chukwu Okike Abiama be with you always.” https://www.instagram.com/p/CKnyd4XHg0s/ Meanwhile, the IPOB leader has called upon the South-east governors to ban open grazing in the region...
“One of the components of Save Our Stages Act is that should this continue longer than any of us want it to continue — which it already has — but should there be a need for additional funds, it’s part of the language of this program,” said Rev. Moose on the panel, adding that the act takes into account that more funding could be necessary depending on the duration of the pandemic. Rev. Moose continued that while he is not a “political soothsayer,” he does believe the bipartisan appeal of the SOS Act could mean an easier and more efficient path to additional funding if venues are forced to keep their doors shuttered for longer than expected. “I don’t know what the future is going to bring, but I would hope that if there is a need for additional COVID funding, that the government...
As our Annual Report continues, we’ll be taking several looks at how live music changed in a year where most of the world was in lockdown. Today, we share our conversation with Save Our Stages Fest’s Stephen Sternschein on what’s being done to preserve live music and venues during this pandemic. The American experience of the COVID-19 pandemic is dominated by unimaginable numbers made real: 300,000 dead, 16 million infected, an estimated $3-$5 trillion hit to the country’s GDP over the next two years. Tucked inside that last figure is another statistic, revealed over the summer, that made the year even darker for music fans: According to a nationwide survey of club owners and promoters conducted by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) this past June, 90% of independent music v...
In years past, Steve Chilton had often considered opening his Phoenix venue, The Rebel Lounge, as a coffee shop with friends and Driftwood Coffee owners Luke Bentley and Lance Linderman. The space — which has hosted artists including Jimmy Eat World, Lucky Daye and Soccer Mommy — typically sat dormant during the day, and he had the room, but with promoting shows as Psyko Steve Presents and near-daily sound checks, the idea never came to fruition. {“nid”:”9334875″,”type”:”post”,”title”:”How Independent Venues Are Dealing With Large-Gathering Coronavirus Bans, Inevitable Loss of Small Rooms”,”relative_path”:”\/articles\/business\/touring\/9334875\/independent-venues-coronavirus-gathering-bans\/”,&...
Over the course of the last three months (July 1-Sept. 30), engagement with IRL events has remained steady (up 4%, comparing engagement from the month of September to that of July) and interactions with free livestreams has declined (down 26%). In the same tracking period, ticket clicks on paid livestreams has risen by 577%. In July, ticket clicks on paid livestreams accounted for 3.3% of all activity on Bandsintown, at just 70,136 clicks, compared to 1.54 million on IRL events and 485,000 on free livestreams. That percentage leapt to 12.6% in August and then to 19.5% in September, stretching July’s 70,000 count to 475,057 ticket clicks. Zooming in on free livestreams vs. paid livestreams (removing IRL events from the equation), ticket clicks on paid events were just 14% of the engagement ...
In one example, the ACCC said the total price for two Cat Stevens (aka Yusuf Islam) tickets was found to increase from A$450.00 ($357) to A$579.95 ($460), a rise of 29%, when the A$125 ($100) booking and A$4.95 ($4) handling fees were added. Justice Burley described one category of representations as having been made on “an industrial scale”. The company’s business practices were “unacceptable,” says ACCC Chair Rod Sims. “Viagogo misled thousands of consumers into buying tickets at inflated prices when they created a false sense of urgency by suggesting tickets were scarce and when they advertised tickets at a lower price by not including unavoidable fees.” The federal court’s stiff penalty is meant as a warning to other companies that breached consumer protections. The court also or...
Leading independent live entertainment producer and promoter Danny Wimmer Presents has announced the addition of executive Joe Litvag as its president of live events. Litvag, an industry veteran, brings over 25 years of knowledge and experience in all aspects of the live events industry. In this newly created position, Litvag will oversee the operation of DWP festivals and concerts and will lead DWP’s growth into venue management, booking, national touring, event services and more. “Getting Joe on our team is a move we have wanted to make for a long, long time. Joe’s experience and leadership will be essential to our success as DWPcontinues to invest in new opportunities,” commented Danny Hayes, DWP’s chief executive officer. {“nid”:”9400321″,”type”...
Stop! Jane’s Addiction’s has reunited … for a brief set, anyway. Frontman Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, bassist Chris Chaney and drummer Stephen Perkins gathered together for a quick performance on a soundstage for Lollapalooza’s Lolla2020 livestream on Saturday (Aug. 1). The band was socially distanced for a two-song set on a brightly lit stage, kicking off with mellow “I Would for You” before launching into 1990’s high-energy hit “Stop!” off of their sophomore record, Ritual de lo Habitual. {“nid”:”9352532″,”type”:”post”,”title”:”Watch Perry Farrell, Max Weinberg & More Celebrate Passover in City Winery's 'Downtown Seder'”,”relati...
The 5,000-capacity Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas will be used for concerts, residencies, conventions and sporting events. While all the world’s stages have been dark now for more than four months as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Las Vegas is plotting a course for the future. Come summer 2021, the city will welcome The Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas, the first new-from-the-ground-up casino-resort in more than a decade. The Theatre is a joint development between Resorts World Las Vegas and AEG Presents — exclusively programmed and operated by Concerts West, a division of AEG Presents. Scott Sibella, president of Resorts World Las Vegas, and John Meglen, president and co-CEO of Concerts West, tell Billboard in an exclusive interview that The Theatre and its programming ...
“It strengthens the argument that we really need to support our local venues, and for us to represent their needs at the table,” says Anne del Castillo. This week, New York City enters phase three of reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic, meaning the return of hair and nail salons, basketball courts and more spaces in addition to outdoor dining. But for local music venues from (Le) Poisson Rouge to Brooklyn’s Elsewhere — many of which faced rising rents, gentrification and other challenges even before the pandemic began — the road to reopening remains ongoing and uncertain. Anne del Castillo knows this struggle well. The New York City native took over as commissioner of Mayor Bill de Blasio‘s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) in April 2019, with a foc...