Papering the show
Jim Carroll
It’s one of the live music industry’s many little secrets. If a show isn’t selling and it’s too late to use “unforeseen circumstances” to cancel the event and yank the act off the bill, you give out free tickets to take the dirty look off the room. These giveaways are in addition to competitions and guestlists and ensure that the performer will not be playing to an empty venue. The promoter might even make some cash when the punters hit the bars and food concessions.
Most times, promoters are quite subtle about papering the show (for instance, here’s a rare look of the process from the inside). After all, you don’t want to put potential punters who might well shell out for their tickets wise to the fact that there are freebies doing the rounds. You also don’t want those who’ve already paid for their tickets to take the hump with you over the fact that they’ve spent good money on a ticket which the lad or lass next to them got for nothing.
Because of this, most of freebies usually go to tried and trusted entities such as, for example, businesses who supply goods or services to the promoter or radio stations who plug the gigs. Sometimes, it’s even more random than that: for instance, you used to sometimes find free tickets for poor selling gigs on the counter in Tower Records in Dublin on the day of the gig. Nearly everyone wins: the punter gets to see a show for free, the business has a nice warm glow for doing a good turn for their employees, the promoter has a busier room than he would have otherwise and the act gets to play their new songs to more people (the act is probably already on a guaranteed fee for the show so they’re happy anyway)
Like I said, the act of papering a gig is a subtle one, which makes the pre-show happenings for last Sunday’s Joanna Newsom show in Dublin all the more unusual. The Yankee harpie is one of a couple of acts playing the @ the Park gigs in a 5,000 capacity tent in Marlay Park this summer, a series of shows which has already featured a sold-out show for The Coronas and will also feature gigs by Roger Daltery, Seasick Steve, Bell X1, Rodrigo y Gabriela and 2 Many DJs before the tent is taken down and given back to the circus.
It was during the Villagers’ show at the venue on Saturday that tweets and texts began to appear talking about ticket giveaways for the Newsom show. Various punters reported about being approached, offered Newsom tickets for free and encouraged to take as many as they wanted. One source reported being offered half-a-dozen tickets and to come back if she wanted more. Another said that the girl with the tickets seemed to have “loads” of them to dispose of.
By Sunday, there were even more tweets and online snippets doing the rounds about the situation. Such was the number of freebies doing the rounds (or lack of interest in the show) that one poor fan had trouble giving away his spare ticket.
The problem with the show was simply that Newsom was the wrong act for that venue. Even a small amount of research amongst fanatical J-New fans, including those who type enthusiastically about her on OTR threads, would have told you that they had no intention of paying €40-plus to see her in a tent in SoCoDu. They just didn’t buy it – and if the fervent fanbase who saw her at the Olympia and Grand Canal Theatre weren’t going to head to the tent, you knew you were in trouble. After all, Newsom just doesn’t have the mass fanbase or daytime hits to fill a 5k tent, regardless of the support cast or promotion done to sell the show. It was one of those shows where you literally couldn’t even give away the tickets for it.
Many may think it’s depressing that the Coronas sold out on the same weekend that Newsom and Villagers didn’t do similar business, but that’s the way the live music cookie crumbles right now. It’s a damn tough summer out there and getting people to pay good money for live music tickets is getting harder and harder. As we saw with The National at Oxegen, the days of hoping to entice the dedicated fanbase to a show which they wouldn’t normally go to are over – perhaps just for now or perhaps, indeed, for good.
how do so many people & artists go to gigs in Marlay Park and still spell it Marley ?
Jim Caroll May 24th: “it’s interesting to compare and contrast the gigonomics of this show with the Croker one which never happened – tix for the Croker show were €66.50 so the gross was at least €3.675m (55k tickets). This time, the gross will be max €3.1325m (35k @ €89.50) a pop. Tix have to be higher because of a smaller capaicty venue. This one will sell out, easily. Prince doing the Greatest Hits? No sweat.”
Jim Caroll July 26th: “Una – I’m not surprised that Prince is not sold out – ticket price is high, there’s a black mark over him from the 2008 show which never happened and it’s so apparent that people just don’t have the cash.”
Jimbo @ 103 – I refer you to the answer I gave to Ivor above: “turns out the band, promoters and pundits were over-optimistic…..It perfectly highlights how much has changed in the market this year…..as we have seen again (Diamond, N) and again (National, The) and again (New, J), there are no sure bets any more. Well, bar the Coronas, Kings Of Leon and Take that…..you can’t book shows and put on gigs based on hindsight.”
And once again, I’m glad I’m not a promoter. Much easier to work as a journalist or maybe look for a job in the civil service.
I predict there’s going to be a lot of people crying “false advertising” in the wake of Prince’s weekend gig. Contrary to the latest batch of promotional posters, clearly generated to drum up business, it isn’t a Greatest Hits show. None of his recent setlists could be described as such. Unless they’ve managed to persuade him to play a singles-heavy setlist in Malahide, which I doubt…
Sure, you’ll always get a few of the big hits, but no more than fifty percent of the show (and that’s on a good day). If you’re a fairweather fan whose entire Prince collection extends to The Hits, and you go along expecting a set comprising twenty of his most well-known songs, you’re going to be left bewildered by most of the set. Okay, his funk odyssey might float your boat anyway, but once he does a couple of “obscure album tracks” that you don’t recognise, you might start to get restless.
weather’s gonna be nice on saturday-dublin aren’t playing in croker-prince will sell out
the one band / artist well reviewed universally this summer-Prince at Hop Farm
Will Sinead appear?
Will he play ‘Love Is A Losing Game’?
hop farm setlist
1.We Live (2 Get Funky) Play Video
(with Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic interpolation)
2.Let’s Go Crazy Play Video
3.Delirious Play Video
(with Let’s Go Crazy reprisal)
4.1999 Play Video
5.Little Red Corvette Play Video
6.Nothing Compares 2 U Play Video
(with Shelby J)
7.Take Me With U Play Video
8.Raspberry Beret Play Video
9.Cream Play Video
10.Cool Play Video
(The Time cover)
11.Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough Play Video
(Michael Jackson cover)
12.Let’s Work Play Video
13.U Got The Look Play Video
14.Make You Feel My Love Play Video
(Bob Dylan cover)
15.Purple Rain Play Video
Encore:
16.Kiss Play Video
17.Controversy Play Video
18.Play That Funky Music Play Video
(Wild Cherry cover)
Encore 2:
19.Everyday People Play Video
(Sly & The Family Stone cover) (with Larry Graham)
20.Come Together Play Video
(The Beatles cover) (with Larry Graham)
21.I Want to Take You Higher Play Video
(Sly & The Family Stone cover) (with Larry Graham)
Encore 3:
22.If I Was Your Girlfriend Play Video
23.Dance (Disco Heat) Play Video
(Sylvester cover)
24.Baby I’m A Star Play Video
his last gig was in the melkweg in amsterdam-small venue-i saw grandaddy play there-so obviously the setlist wasnt the big hits
are some people trying to convince themselves they’re not going to miss the gig of the summer???
i mean – apart from bowie or the stones there’s nobody else i’d get excited about-i mean who is glasto and e.p.’s dream booking-PRINCE
Oh my Lord, just having a look at recent Prince setlists from around Europe.
http://www.setlist.fm/setlists/prince-13d6b9ed.html
Joe Duffy is going to be a busy man on Monday if he is on at the moment. In my opinion, this is nothing like the advertised Greatest Hits Tour.
Pod Promotions might be in for a wee bit of trouble.
Just on the last couple of comments – i’m not the biggest Prince authority in the world but I recognise every song on those set-lists. Looks like a Greatest Hits gig to me.
Right so, how quick are these RHCP tickets going to go?
I have convinced myself to miss it only because I can’t afford 90 odd euro. Saw him in Pairc Ui Chaoimh, the RDS outdoor and the Point and loved every minute of the gigs. I have entered every competition going so far but no joy.
I am intrigued by this “papering” thing. What should one do on Saturday night? Juat arrive at the venue as Prince is due on-stage and chance my arm?
@107 – thems the breaks when u go to a 0+-> show
u don’t know what form the catz gonna be in so you can get any kinda rattlebag of a set
he’s rehersed over 300 songs for the tour
i’ll be there… regardless of what he plays it’s a chance to worship at the alter of funk
Karl@109 – I think the RHCP gig will sell out pretty sharpish.
Their fans who preordered the album were given first dibs yesterday morning and managed to crash the RHCP and Crowd Surge websites for about 90 minutes. The O2 priority tickets (as of 9:16am) is already reduced to offering block M. The only thing that might hold it back is that the ticket buyer must present ID AND enter venue (i.e. anti-touts measure).
Saying that I think it’s a pretty fair bet they’ll add the Saturday 5th date in immediately on friday morning.
“Papering” — Vot is defonition plise? Am try lerning yore langwage..sory
Anzhelika@113 – “Papering” — Vot is defonition plise? Am try lerning yore langwage..sory”
tr.v. pa·pered, pa·per·ing, pa·pers
1. To cover, wrap, or line with paper.
2. To cover with wallpaper.
3. To supply with paper.
4. (Slang) To issue free passes or tickets for a live musical performance that has failed to meet sales expectations, often caused by lack of forethought on behalf of concert promotion company (Joanna Newsom at Marlay Park, for example).
5. To construct (something) in haste and with little forethought: papered together a new coalition of political convenience.
[Middle English, from Old French papier, from Latin paprus, papyrus plant, papyrus paper, from Greek papros.]
Don’t appreciate your sarcastic comments re the Coronas. They were brilliant and gave a great performance.
Quint – when I start my OTR Gold Badges scheme, you’l be getting one. Maith an fear
Emmett – whose comments do you not appreciate? A lot of comments here already
Jim@116: I don’t appreciate my comments. It’ll only be after my death that people will realise I was light minutes ahead of my time. I don’t expect I’ll appreciate my comments even then. Ungrateful swine that I am….
Meant to ask earlier…all this talk of the purple one, has there been any rustle of an aftershow?
@Conor, the only member of the band who was on that night was the white female sax player, Prince was downright antagonistic and was creating far from the feelings of love, peace and happiness he was trying to preach from the stage…
I’ve gone to many a gig pal and don’t expect an artist to break out the hits for the sake of it, it was a tragic gig and horses wouldn’t drag me back to a Prince show… If you had been unfortunate enough to book last time, not even horses seemed to drag Prince back…
I would not hold my breath and by the way, chill cats… It’s all a game of opinion as Jim wells know!
CONTROVERSY!
James D – purple aftershow is going to be held at Croker. Don’t tell anyone
Prince’s Hop Farm set list is the most “single-oriented” show he has done recently, and is not indicative of the average setlist. I lost interest in the guy years ago, but I’m familiar with all the albums from his purple patch (see what I did there?) and as such, recognise a lot of the songs he’s doing.
However, when you’re talking about people who perhaps never owned a Prince album other than a “Best of” and are going with the expectation of getting a night of Greatest Hits, that’s problematic.
I agree with Conor @107 that the average show (take a look at Helsinki, Perugia, Rotterdam) only comprises about fifty percent “hits”, at best. Besides, the tour isn’t being billed as a Greatest Hits tour – it’s officially called the Welcome 2 America Tour – so concerns have to be raised.
I’ve no doubt that Prince fans will absolutely love it, but unless that Hop Farm setlist is replicated in Malahide Castle, casual observers may justifiably feel that they’ve been conned.
redframe – as long as there are no cushions to be thrown at the stage…. http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord/2009/12/07/fuming-at-the-opera/
Ha! I’d forgotten all about that disastrous Aida show!
No, it won’t come to that…
@105 – That would be deadly if Sinead O’ Connor was to join him onstage and do a duet of “Nothing Compares 2 U”, cant see it happening though. Although i wonder will he throw in his unique version of Radioheads “Creep”, that he performed at Coachella inn 2008, i wonder how little Thom would react???!!!!
@ 114 – Zank yooo…….Quint……….’svidania!
@ Jim, thanks for paying to see us.
Cloud castle lake – I expect a free copy of yer single (whenever you release it)
@ jim, It will be an album and we are starting very soon.
@ cloud castle lake – am glad to hear it – and will be glad to hear it when it’s done
So delighted for everyone that Prince did indeed do a hits laden set. Gutted to have missed it.
1.Gold Play Video
2.Let’s Go Crazy / Delirious / Let’s Go Crazy Play Video
(Outro)
3.1999 Play Video
4.Little Red Corvette Play Video
(including Shhhh intro)
5.Take Me With U Play Video
6.Raspberry Beret Play Video
7.Cream Play Video
8.Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough / C.O.O.L. Play Video
(The Time cover)
9.Make You Feel My Love Play Video
(Bob Dylan cover) (Vocals by Shelby J)
10.Purple Rain Play Video
11.If I Was Your Girlfriend Play Video
12.Kiss Play Video
13.Musicology Play Video
(with Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)
14.The Bird Play Video
(The Time cover)
15.Jungle Love Play Video
(The Time cover)
16.Love Rollercoaster Play Video
(Ohio Players cover) (Intro)
17.Play That Funky Music Play Video
(Wild Cherry cover)
Encore:
18.Sometimes It Snows In April Play Video
19.Nothing Compares 2 U Play Video
Sampler set
20.Sign “O” the Times/ Alphabet Street / When Doves Cry Play Video
21.Hot Thing Play Video
22.A Love Bizarre Play Video
(Sheila E. cover)
Encore 2:
23.Controversy Play Video
Encore 3:
24.Let’s Work Play Video
25.U Got The Look