Thread by @torrHL

"The lingering pandemic has artist teams navigating a patchwork of safety protocols that vary by city & venue, looking to create “bubbles” around acts on the road, contending with higher logistical costs, and appealing to eager fan bases to get vaccinated

wsj.com/articles/conce…

"Despite the spate of cancellations, concert executives insist the shows going on are doing well—selling out and selling quickly.

Mr. Azoff added that merchandise sales are up 40% to 50% from pre-pandemic levels."

"In all, global revenue from live shows rose to $26.1 billion in 2019 before tumbling 75% to $6.5 billion in 2020, according to Midia Research, an industry data provider."

"Over the past week, concert executives have focused more on vaccination.

The Eagles recently added another tour stop in Seattle that will admit only vaccinated fans, and Mr. Azoff said new dates for any of his acts will require vaccination for entry."

" @LiveNation Inc., the world’s largest concert promoter, will require proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test for entry at all of its owned venues and festivals, and allow artists to make those requirements at any shows it promotes, beginning in October."

@LiveNation "Rival Anschutz Entertainment Group’s @aegpresents will require proof of vaccination for entry into its owned and operated clubs, theaters and festivals, also starting in October, and will accommodate artists’ wishes where it can."

@LiveNation @aegpresents " @NeilYoung, in a post on his website Monday, slammed the fall return of concerts, calling them super-spreader events and wondering why more artists weren’t canceling shows."

@LiveNation @aegpresents @Neilyoung "He said big concert promoters should pump the brakes, and added that he pulled himself from the September lineup of @WillieNelson’s @FarmAid festival “for fear that unprotected children may become infected with Covid by folks who went to the show, caught the virus..."

@LiveNation @aegpresents @Neilyoung @WillieNelson @FarmAid "Marciano said the biggest challenge moving forward is dealing with various state and local mandates.

“Some markets don’t allow us to ask for proof of vaccination. In others, municipalities now require it. Same with mask mandates. And new mandates come out every day,” he said.

@LiveNation @aegpresents @Neilyoung @WillieNelson @FarmAid "The lesson we’ve learned is ramping back up has been just as logistically difficult as pulling things down was, if not more so."

@LiveNation @aegpresents @Neilyoung @WillieNelson @FarmAid "Concerts operate in a fragile economic environment, where an act needs to play a critical mass of dates—typically around 40 for a domestic tour—to a near full house to be profitable."

@LiveNation @aegpresents @Neilyoung @WillieNelson @FarmAid "Executives say they have been able to deal with spot cancellations, as most acts have more available places they can sell tickets than dates they have available to play."

@LiveNation @aegpresents @Neilyoung @WillieNelson @FarmAid "@JasonIsbell recently canceled a Houston date on his tour where the venue couldn’t comply with his requirement that attendees show vaccination or a negative test."

@LiveNation @aegpresents @Neilyoung @WillieNelson @FarmAid @JasonIsbell " @Maroon5 moved from indoor arenas to outdoor amphitheaters.

@deadandcompany is only allowing fully vaccinated fans into their pit."

@LiveNation @aegpresents @Neilyoung @WillieNelson @FarmAid @JasonIsbell @maroon5 @deadandcompany "@phoebe_bridgers is requiring proof of vaccination except where such requirements are banned.

She also has moved any indoor shows to outdoor venues, in some cases postponing dates.

“And please wear a mask,” she tweeted.

@LiveNation @aegpresents @Neilyoung @WillieNelson @FarmAid @JasonIsbell @maroon5 @deadandcompany @phoebe_bridgers "In perhaps the most extreme example, @theKillers are requiring every fan to show both proof of full vaccination and a negative Covid-19 test to get into their shows."

@LiveNation @aegpresents @Neilyoung @WillieNelson @FarmAid @JasonIsbell @maroon5 @deadandcompany @phoebe_bridgers @thekillers "Most major acts are taking a similar tack to Harry Styles’s tour, which kicks off next week in Las Vegas and said ticket holders must provide proof of vaccination or a negative test, in addition to wearing a mask."

@LiveNation @aegpresents @Neilyoung @WillieNelson @FarmAid @JasonIsbell @maroon5 @deadandcompany @phoebe_bridgers @thekillers "Outbreaks behind the scenes have affected touring plans, in some cases postponing dates.

Mr. Azoff said all entertainers and crew members on the tours he manages are vaccinated.

Stagehands—increasingly harder to find, particularly vaccinated ones—are also masked and tested."

@LiveNation @aegpresents @Neilyoung @WillieNelson @FarmAid @JasonIsbell @maroon5 @deadandcompany @phoebe_bridgers @thekillers "Gone are the VIP and guest lists—backstage is off limits to all but those in a tight bubble around the artists."

@LiveNation @aegpresents @Neilyoung @WillieNelson @FarmAid @JasonIsbell @maroon5 @deadandcompany @phoebe_bridgers @thekillers "None of this comes cheaply.

@TheEagles have four molecular PCR machines on the road with them, helping test those closest to the band every day and costing roughly $100 a pop with personnel."

@LiveNation @aegpresents @Neilyoung @WillieNelson @FarmAid @JasonIsbell @maroon5 @deadandcompany @phoebe_bridgers @thekillers @TheEagles "Some tours are traveling with third-party companies that can test on site at a $30 cost to fans, partly subsidized by the band."

@LiveNation @aegpresents @Neilyoung @WillieNelson @FarmAid @JasonIsbell @maroon5 @deadandcompany @phoebe_bridgers @thekillers @TheEagles "And it is difficult to buy insurance.

Mr. Azoff said he recently saw a quote for a $1 million deductible and 20% premium—in other words, a $5 million show would cost $2 million to protect."

@LiveNation @aegpresents @Neilyoung @WillieNelson @FarmAid @JasonIsbell @maroon5 @deadandcompany @phoebe_bridgers @thekillers @TheEagles "It’s been expensive and logistically difficult, but we feel these are the transition dates,” said Mr. Azoff, who anticipates costs coming down as shows evolve to vaccinated-only events."

@LiveNation @aegpresents @Neilyoung @WillieNelson @FarmAid @JasonIsbell @maroon5 @deadandcompany @phoebe_bridgers @thekillers @TheEagles CC: @tminus5