Did ClearChannel Kill Lollapalooza '04?

[reprehensor]

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 Farrel:

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 Farrel was booked on this very show to talk about last year's Lollapalooza. In addition to musicians like Morrisey, and the Pixies, the travelling 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 Farrel...

Perry Farrel: 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?

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

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So there you have it. ClearChannel really does suck.

[d_b]

1. What the hell was Perry doing in bed

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.

[Cleita]

2. Yes, I heard the interview.

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 lile Lollapalooza did.

[one_true_leroy]

3. the problem is that CC owns/controls the machinations..

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.

[Cooley Hurd]

4. CC is spinning off its concert promotions arm...

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/sfl-zclear30apr30,0,7847272.story?coll=sfla-business-headlines

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:

[CoffeeCat]

5. Someone doesn't want another "Woodstock" to develop...

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 Lalapalooza. 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.

Lalapalooza needs to extricate themselves from any Clear Channel ties. WTF did they expect?

[nashville_brook]

6. here's my thing --

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 Farrel? 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 machinaton -- 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 Lalapalooza) but i really mourn the loss of ROCK AND ROLL as a cultural force and it's pussies like farrel who have dug its grave.

CORPORATE ROCK STILL SUCKS