Hannity can`t sell out his show.

[slater71]

It use to be that whereever Hannity went he sold out. Well that changed. He and Boortz,Cavuto, and Clark Howard are to take the stage here in Orlando against James Carville. Yea four to one. Anyway,Cavuto is signing his book at some B&N store in Orlando and get this, the first 350 people to get his book signed will get a free ticket to the show.
Boortz today was bragging that Hannity was going to give him a ride back to Atlanta on Hannity`s new 18 million dollar Gulf stream 2000 jet he just bought. By the way tickets are going for his show, might just say that even the pubes are tired of paying for his toys.

[CottonBear]

1. Why oh why has Cox Communications made Clark Howard participate

in this train wreck? Clark is a good guy. I've seen him in photographs with Democratic political leaders in Atlanta. He is a consumer reporter (and a damned good one) not a political hack.

[thefloyd]

2. I would

pay lots of money to see Carville eat Hannity alive

[madrchsod]

4. i don`t think i could sit next to

some creepy hannity lover.....

[RebelOne]

9. You could possibly be sitting next to a Carville lover.

Not all who will be attending will be Repukes. Clark Howard has many fans, also.

[RebelOne]

8. I would love to see that also, but I'm not about to pay $25 a ticket.

But Hannity will probably say on his radio show that he ate Carville alive.

Another guest is Hollis Gillespie, who is a commentator on NPR and author.

http://wsbradio.com/event_guide/2005_motm.html

[FreedomAngel82]

19. Oh of course

They always do that. Got to appear macho and manly for his little fan base.

[King Coal]

30. $25 is cheap Dude.

I would pay 4 or 5 times that if I were at the venue.

[Atman]

3. This raises some other serious questions...

How can some dumb mother fucker with an hour-long yak fest on a cable news channel afford a Gulf Stream?

Is Fox really paying that much?

Does he do movies and concerts in his off time?

Does he have some other claim to fame which brings in this kind of cash?

Or perhaps, just perhaps...it's just plain old GOP payola for being a good mouthpiece. Where does this man get the money for a Gulf Stream?

[RebelOne]

5. He has a daily radio show that runs 3 hours also.

And when he is a guest speaker anywhere, he charges thousands of dollars.

[Viking12]

6. He also has a daily 3 hour screed on am radio....

Follows Limpballs in our market. Same batshit crazy channel, same batshit crazy crowd, different batshit crazy time.

[Mutley]

7. He gets it from touring, just like bands.

Musicians don't make much money off of their albums, they make their good money from touring. Same works for Hannity. Shitheads pay a couple hundred bucks to see him and most of that money goes in his pocket. He's such a slimeball. He couldn't pay me to see him in person.

[Buddyblazon]

10. I work in concert production....

and to be exact...bands today make their money off of merchandise. Tshirts, stickers. That's why they tour. They sell the most Tshirts at the shows.

I always say that the Merch guys are the Carni Folk of the production world (always have about 500 bills in their hand, 5k under the counter, a cigarette hanging out of their mouths, and they call everybody "kid" or "pal") . But they're the one's making the most cash. And the higher up guys are making a percentage. That can translate to thousands of dollars a show. Looking at them you would never guess it though.



Back on subject. I would like to know what they've sold so far. Someone can call the venue, and most of them will offer up the information freely. "Excuse me. What are the ticket sales like so far? What is the capacity? Are you expecting much of a walk-up? (I can't imagine something like this having a "walk-up"...that is people walking up the day of and purchasing tickets at the box office)".

If you have any knowledge of them "papering" the show, that would be a good indicator that it is not selling. "Papering" is handing out tickets randomly. I suppose the one's being given away at the book signing would fall under that catagory. It's just sort of a way of hiding the fact that they're papering. "See how nice we are. We love our fans and we are giving the committed ones tickets." It's not as blatant as walking around with a stack of tickets in your back pocket and just asking people if they like the act...and just handing them 4 tickets. I've done it many times. Gave 10 Iron Maiden tickets to a 16 year old kid with an Eddy shirt on. He thought I was the second coming. Wanted me to meet all his friends.

But to let you know, Clear Channel REFUSES to paper shows. Their philosophy? "If we hand out tickets, people will stop buying tickets...we will actually train them NOT to buy tickets."

They're fricking idiots. Their prices are WAY too high. And their shows sit 75% empty many times. They can't figure out why they're losing money. Everybody tells them that promoters make the majority of THEIR money on concessions. Free tickets means more people there to consume drinks and food. But they're newcomers to the game and they've got lawyers making the business decisions for them. And they'd rather go broke than give away a free ticket.

They don't understand that if they're not willing to lower the ticket prices, they are going to HAVE to give away tickets to make some of their money back in concessions. They've tried everything. They've even changed their operating names in all their markets back to the original promoters they bought up. For instance, here in Denver, they changed their name to Clear Channel when they bought up Bill Graham/Chuck Morris Presents. But people HATED them so much, the recently changed the name BACK to "Bill Graham/Chuck Morris Presents". Don't be fooled. Same company. Different name to try to get people buying their tickets again. Actually everybody should make note of that. Don't attend shows that are promoted by them...for obvious reasons.

And on a final note, and to make all happy, they're losing their asses on their concert production division. I personally hope that we become the boat anchor that drags them down (wishful thinking).




Sorry for the long ramble. But if someone can get the number to whoever is responsible for selling tickets, we could get an exact idea, instead of speculating (though the free tickets at the book signing would certainly make it look like sales sucked).

[VolcanoJen]

11. Interesting post, buddy!

Thanks for that insight into the world of concerts.

You nailed the merch guys! :-)

[Buddyblazon]

12. Not a problem.

If you REALLY want to support a band you love, not only buy their music (the small bands get advances most of the time to record that music and those sales go first to pay off the label for that advance)....but buy their Merch as well. Their Tshirts, stickers, hoodies. That money goes pretty much directly to them.

So...does anybody have a number to the Venue?

[VolcanoJen]

14. I always buy the stickers.

After the price of the ticket, and the price of the beer, I can't afford a $30 t-shirt. :-)

But I always buy the stickers... back in the day, I had a nice collection of concert pins, too.

[Buddyblazon]

22. Well....remember....

that beer you're buying AT the venue, is going into the pocket of the promoter.

If it's a small local promoter...or a promoter you don't have a moral issue with (House of Blues are good to their people out here) then buy all the concessions you can. It will insure that they make money on shows and can continue to bring acts to your city.

Also realize...that promoters...are promoters. Most of them would shoot their own Mothers if it meant they made a buck.

I would suggest that if you're drinking to get a buzz (no morality speeches please...most people like to get their buzz on when they go to a show...that's just reality)...do your drinking at a bar close to the venue. It's more affordable and you're supporting a local business. But I stress that you try to do it at a bar CLOSE to the venue...within walking distance...and for obvious reasons.

And I won't even get into a discussion about the other...ahem..."avenues" to get your buzz on. I have no problem with some of them, it's an individuals choice, and at a show, something brought in a pack of cigarettes can generally serve the same purpose...for generally exponentially less money.

Smoke up Johnny ;)

[orwell]

13. Thanks Buddy...

...I always enjoy it when I learn something new.

Thanks again

[Bozita]

17. Sounds like bulk buying in the book world (Ann Coulter's claim to fame)

[FreedomAngel82]

20. Good question's

I'd like to know the answers myself.

[Atman]

24. All the concert promo answers make sense

But Hannity is no concert. No way is he filling stadiums and selling $30 t-shirts. His audience either a) rich republicans who don't attend such events, or b) ignorant trailer trash who sneek in their own snacks. If they even can...doesn't he do small auditorium venues? Has anyone ever heard of a big Hannity rave in town?

[Buddyblazon]

25. I agree...

but doesn't a Hannity Rave sound like it would be excruciating? Like nails on a chalkboard. Like the junior high dances where the boys would stand on this side while the girls stand on the other.

Of course, here you actually get "some" at the end of the night. But it generally means dressing up in a gimp suit and beating each other senseless for hours first.

That is how the "holier than thou" neo-cons do "it". Isn't it?

[RebelOne]

28. Excuse me!!! But I live in a mobile home and I do not

appreciate being referred to as trailer trash.

[Buddyblazon]

29. *Buddy, startled, quickly pivots head, narrows eyes and slowly

and cautiously backs away from RebelOne.

;)

[Atman]

33. I referred to trailer trash as trailer trash.

If you're not, you're not. No sweat!

[RebelOne]

37. No, it irks me because people think that those who live

in mobile homes are low-life, ignorant, beer-swilling, Republican rednecks.

[Buddyblazon]

38. So you admit you're a Republican.

*Rimshot.
"Thank you. I'll be here all week. Tip your waitstaff."

[King Coal]

31. Gulf Streams aren't that expensive.

I've seen them go for under $10,000 on used plane lots.

[YouthInAsia]

15. where are the highjackers when you need them?

[insane_cratic_gal]

16. It's Vanity Not Hannity

Like Limbaugh's love of french cigars and wine.. they use sheep to fund their toys and extravagances laughing all the way to the bank.

[CatWoman]

18. Clark Howard?????

WTF??????

I thought Clark was one of the good guys!!!!

[pointblank]

21. All that I know

is that Hannity is coming to St. Louis, but this time he is at the "Family Arena" in St Charles, MO, which is just outside of St. Louis. It is kind of a half assed dinky arena that nothing big ever goes to short of the minor league hockey team that plays there.

That is is in HUGE contrast to when he came here back in like 2003 when he was at the Edward Jones Dome which is in downtown St. Louis and is where the St. Louis Rams play, as well as a lot of big name performers.

When you go from the Edward Jones Dome to the Family Arena, it aint good.


I guess he is losing his base. Can't fill the big arenas anymore...Poor widdle Hannity.
:sarcasm:

[Buddyblazon]

23. Yes...

I would agree. That's another bad sign.

However...when System of A Down came back to Denver recently...they went into a much smaller venue...something much more intimate...and didn't announce that they would be playing until the day before.

It was an amazing show. Considering they had a line around the block for tickets and 90% of the line didn't get in...I was lucky to be there (even if it was to make a paycheck).

But obviously, this is a different...for lack of a better word...."genre".

The fact that he even speaks in venues that large just creeps me out. But it could be just for show. "We book large venues because we HAVE to (forget the fact that we couldn't fill it if we hired people to attend)".

[thefloyd]

26. I may be wrong

But I think since Saint Louis switched turf Edward Jones Dome only hosts
football games.

[Buddyblazon]

27. HOLY CRAP!

The Family Arena holds as little as 6,339 and as much as 11,522. That's a good size arena. That would be a pretty big venue here in Colorado.

Red Rocks holds 9,700. And that's a big venue. Not like a large arena or a stadium. But thats good size.

Listen, I can tell you right now...even with a seating arrangement that provides only 6,400 seats...I would be SHOCKED if that place was even 25% full during the event. But I dislike Hannity.

I don't think I've ever seen a speaking engagement with a crowd that large.

Let me put it this way. I attended a college with 32k students and a good size minority body. Jesse Jackson came and spoke on the Quad...FOR FREE! In the middle of the day! And there were MAYBE 2000 people there.

I can't imagine a PAID speaker with as much alienating he's done over the past few years getting a large turnout.


The people that book these events and put them into venues that they can't possibly fill...must have their heads up their butts. They should book things like that into book stores or meeting rooms at the convention center....or SOMETHING smaller.

Empty audiences are depressing and make the act look bad.



However...it looks like Ollie North is the opening act. TEAM AMERICA...WORLD POLICE! FUCK YA!

I can't help but laugh. Hannity and North. North and Hannity. Together again. I was wondering when they'd finally put their differences aside and realize...they had to suck it up and do it for the fans.

Consummate entertainers...those guys.

[MsTryska]

32. *lol* Buddy

you're killin' me.


very interesting posts.

[Buddyblazon]

34. Hey...

I couldn't write this stuff.

Do you ever stop and look at our Nation today...and just laugh? What the hell happened? It's so bad...it's almost funny.

Sean Hannity....AND Oliver North.....touring together? I mean...what...the...fuck?

[MsTryska]

35. Word....

it is kinda crazy, yeah?

But i think about what this concert is filled with, and all i'm coming up with is middle-aged armchair patriots with big bellies.


wonder what they're groupies are like?


prolly female young republicans. even freakier is what the backstage parties must be like.

what do you suppose is on their riders?


let me guess - a bowl full of red white and blue lifestyles, Dasani water (none of that french stuff), and inexplicably, brie.

[Buddyblazon]

36. Oxycontin and any and all minority hookers the promoter can find.

[MsTryska]

39. oooh! you called it...

i forgot about the hillbilly heroin.


and yeah, definitely minority hookers - trannies a +!