Experts Say Live Promoters Need a New Game Plan for Coronavirus

BRADLEY Walsh was left retching during a revolting eating challenge on the latest episode of Breaking Dad. Viewers followed Bradley and his son Barney on the Scandinavian leg of their tour as they headed to Sweden to embark on the latest series of hilarious activities.   But one activity, in particular, left The Chase presenter reaching for the sick bucket.

Foo Fighters performed a selection of rarities and deep cuts during a special VR show over the weekend.The band pre-recorded the gig at the Los Angeles Convention Center. It was then streamed online on Sunday evening (February 13) following the Super Bowl as an “immersive 180-degree VR concert”, which was broadcast on the band’s Facebook and Instagram pages (AKA the ‘Metaverse’) and the Horizon Venues app.While the livestream encountered technical issues on the night, the gig itself saw the Foos play a 10-song gig which included a small number of songs that don’t usually feature in the band’s set lists.This included ‘T-Shirt’, the opening track from 2017’s ‘Concrete and Gold’ which received its live debut on Sunday, and ‘Walking After You’, which was performed by the Foos live for the first time since 2006.A post shared by Foo Fighters (@foofighters)The gig concluded with a rendition of ‘Home’, which was played live by the band for the first time since 2007.

Saturday Night Live and, more recently, the Dan Harmon comedy Community, which he left after reported conflicts with Harmon and other cast members.When asked by CBS Sunday Morning about his negative experiences with his former collaborators who called him a “jerk”, Chase said: “I guess you’d have to ask them. I don’t give a crap.”He added: “I am who I am. And I like where… who I am.

LITTLE Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock has shown off her incredible post-baby body six months after welcoming her twins. The singer took to Instagram in a tight-fitting dress as she headed out on a date night with her fiance Andre Grey on Valentine's Day. Leigh-Anne, 30, sizzled in the stunning dress as she posed for a series of snaps with her footballing beau Andre, 30.

Brexit, is likely to impact this summer’s events season.The warning comes from the Association of Independent Festivals, ahead of the AIF Festival Congress 2022 taking place in Bristol today (February 15).AIF CEO Paul Reed made the comments during his opening remarks to indie festival promoters, arguing that while there is widespread optimism about the full return of the festival season, there will be trouble and challenges ahead for the live music industry as a whole.Reed said that while the UK “may be emerging from the shadow of the pandemic, this year will not be a case of ‘back to business as usual’ without critical support for festival organisers”.“We are facing a perfect storm in many ways,” he said. “I’ve spoken with many [festival organisers] in the last few weeks about supply chains, loss of skilled workforce, 20-30 per cent increase in costs across the board and a government-backed insurance scheme that isn’t simply isn’t fit for purpose despite our best efforts.”The AIF echoed fears that the government’s £750million Live Events Reinsurance scheme “simply isn’t fit for purpose”, with many festival organisers not taking it out due to “limited scope and excessive cost, so isn’t enabling organisers to plan with confidence”.Reed and the AIF are calling on the government for further support, with suggested measures including continued VAT relief on tickets beyond the end of March, a backed loan scheme for suppliers and to remove tax incentives to use certain biofuels to allow for use of greener fuels at festivals.Among the other main issues, Reed noted that suppliers lacked cash reserves to invest into inventory in a year when there will be near “unprecedented demand and event activity”.

ANTIQUES Roadshow viewers were all left saying the same thing after a guest learned the staggering value of a roll of wallpaper. On Sunday's instalment of the BBC show, a guest became flabbergasted after learning that one roll of wallpaper he'd had in his loft for 40 years was worth four figures.

KIM Kardashian's fans have been left "fearing for her life" after Kanye West's shocking threats towards Pete Davidson. In the last few weeks, the rapper has called her boyfriend Pete a "d**khead", threatened to "beat his a**" and declared "war" on him.

CHLOE Ferry has shocked fans with an X-rated Valentine's Day photo of her boyfriend as he stripped down to his underwear. The Geordie Shore star took to Instagram with the sultry snap as she joked that her beau would be "getting it good tonight". Chloe, 26, showed off her Valentine's Day celebrations to her social media fans, as she and boyfriend Johnny Wilbo headed to a hotel.

A charity which provides lifeline shopping and befriending services for older people is expanding in Perth.

Perth City Swim Club’s Carol McPartland has been recognised - and praised - for her sterling dedication to the sport.

A major storm is currently forming out in the Atlantic and rapidly strengthening as it does so - and it poses a 'danger to life'.

A woman who watched a vile rapist kick her pregnant mum three times in the stomach says the abuse she witnessed as a child will stay with her forever.

Approximately 20 percent of Live Nation Entertainment employees have been furloughed as part of the company's cost-cutting measures amid the spread of the novel coronavirus, company sources toldThe Hollywood Reporter on Friday. Those furloughs began in late April and affected hundreds of Ticketmaster employees.

By Jill Goldsmith

With a pandemic hanging over the touring industry, Live Nation's first quarter earnings released Thursday revealed the damage caused since concerts were widely suspended in mid-March: Compared to Q1 2019, concert revenue dropped 24.6% and ticketing revenue fell 15.8%.This year, Live Nation will host virtual concerts, is testing drive-in concerts -- these started popping up in parking lots as early as mid-June -- and will later give superstar artists multiple theater dates rather than a single arena concert. And nothing in the Q1 earnings call suggested the leadership team feels anxious about guiding the company through a financially dangerous tumult.

Concert promoter Live Nation has said they are planning to resume concerts at "full scale" in 2021, after the spread of coronavirus stopped live shows across the world.

"Our goal is really to be on sale in the third and fourth quarters for 2021 at full scale.”

Due to the global freeze on live music

You may soon have to roll up to rock out.

The gig promoters are trying to find a way for live music to return amid the coronavirus pandemic

By Jill Goldsmith

By Jem Aswad

Live Nation blockbuster $480 million purchase of a controlling interest in Mexican promoter OCESA Entretenimiento has been put on hold because of the COVID-19 crisis, Live Nation chief executive Michael Rapino announced Thursday (May 7) on its first quarter earnings call.

By Jem Aswad

Live Nation chief executive Michael Rapino emailed his staff Tuesday detailing plans for issuing refunds to ticket buyers, including news the company was expanding its refund offer to fans who bought tickets for events that have not yet been rescheduled. If new dates aren't set within 60 days of the original event date, fans will automatically be emailed a refund offer, or they can elect to keep their tickets, he explained.The staff memo comes after the Live Nation-owned Ticketmaster fell under intense pressure to offer customers refunds for postponed shows, including complaints from several members of Congress and an angry chorus of fans and members of the media.

The promotion giant previously said that refunds wouldn't be available until a new date was announced for postponed gigs

A month after suspending all tours amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, Live Nation's CEO will be forgoing his annual base salary and other executives will be taking pay cuts, the events promoter disclosed. Additionally, the company has amended its credit agreement to get access to up to an additional $120 million to $150 million as the concert industry has shuttered across the globe.

With the live events industry facing an uncertain future, Live Nation president/CEO Michael Rapino will forego his salary, part of a variety of cost-cutting measures the events promoter is implementing to save $500 million by the end of 2020. Live Nation will cut salaries for senior executives by up to 50%. Rapino's pay will go from $3 million to zero, president

By Jem Aswad

As anyone who’s ever attended a concert can deduce, musicians aren’t the only ones suffering from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the live-entertainment industry: An entire economy of roadies, technicians, security and many more have been deeply impacted by the postponement of virtually every concert tour in the world.

Live Nation chief executive Michael Rapino has purchased $1 million worth of stock in the company he has built since 2005, according to a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday (March 12).The stock purchase comes on a brutal day for the stock market, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping nearly 10% or about 2,352 points -- the biggest one-day drop in 33 years. Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, where Live Nation is listed, were each down more than 9%.Live Nation's stock was battered by the selloff, dropping 16.6% as the Nasdaq approached bull market conditions, ending the day at $36.20 per share, a 52% drop from a high of $76.08 on Feb.

Live Nation chief executive Michael Rapino has purchased $1 million worth of stock in the company he has built since 2005, according to a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The stock purchase comes on a brutal day for the stock market, w

As concern over the spread of coronavirus spread rapidly this week, the world’s two largest live-entertainment companies, AEG and Live Nation, and several major agencies have announced that they are suspending tours for the rest of March.

Live Nation is postponing all of its current touring arena shows, domestically and internationally, until further notice amid ongoing concern over the worldwide spread of COVID-19, commonly known as coronavirus. 

Veteran artist manager Kevin “Chief” Zaruk and business investor Simon Tikhman have announced the formation of The Core Entertainment with Live Nation invested in the firm as its strategic partner.