S6 Idol Tour Sales Report – Halfway Mark

Repost from Headlines: Historical concert stats (collected from Ken Barnes and Nevada):

AI-1
Total Gross: $8.1 million
Average Ticket Price: $31.38
Average Attendance: 8,589
Total Attendance: 257,680
Average Gross: $269,520
Number of Shows: 30
Number of Sell-outs: 5
Lowest Attendance: Nashville/Rutherford – 50%
% Capacity: 82.2%

AI-2
Total Gross: $15.6 million
Average Ticket Price: $38.26
Average Attendance: 10,446
Total Attendance: 407,404
Average Gross: $399,661
Number of Shows: 41
Number of Sell-outs: 17
Lowest Attendance: Dallas – 55%, Houston – 52%, Oklahoma – 48%, Boise – 42%
% Capacity: 89.33%

AI-3
Total Gross: $11.3 million
Average Ticket Price: $45.34
Average Attendance: 5,337
Total Attendance: 250,862
Average Gross: $242,009
Number of Shows: 49
Number of Sell-outs: 1 (Honolulu)
Second Highest Attendance: Long Island: 82.1%
Lowest Attendance: Indianapolis – 27.4%

AI-4
Total Gross: $16.9 million
Average Ticket Price: $44.47
Average Attendance: 9,026
Total Attendance: 379,071
Average Gross: $401,403
Number of Shows: 42
Number of Sell-outs: 11
Lowest Attendance: San Antonio – 62.5%

AI-5
Total Gross: $35.2 million
Average Ticket Price: $54.50
Average Attendance: 10,945
Total Attendance: 645,782
Average Gross: $596,610
Number of Shows: 59
Number of Sell-outs: 19
Lowest Attendance: Austin – 80%
% Capacity: 96%

Finally! These are absolutely fascinating. You can tell that Jordin’s hometown came out to support her on the tour – and which cities like their cheese.

Thanks, Kirsten!

THANKS KIRSTEN!!!!

Do you have the % capacity numbers for S3 and S4? The S5 tour doubled the profits of S4 which was actually a very successful tour as well. S6 had more shows and higher ticket prices but is closer to S3 in terms of turnout. First week album sales won’t be setting any records either. Thanks for all these numbers. :)

Do you have the % capacity numbers for S3 and S4?

Sorry, I don’t have them. If anybody has them, please post them because I’d love to have more complete details.

Thanks Kirsten.

First week album sales wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be setting any records either.

Who has the highest first week album sales from out of all the idols?

Woo hoo for Chicago (Rosemont)! I bought two tickets for a total of $40 off ebay, so I didn’t do much for their gross. Well, I suppose someone paid full price for them. Of the three concerts I attended this year, it had the best (most enthusiastic) crowd, so I’m not surprised. Plus, we got the proposal!

I don’t know if you can extrapolate first week album sales from tour numbers. However, I’m more interested in week 15 sales than first week sales. It shows which idols can expand beyond their initial fan bases.

ETA: I don’t suppose they report concession/merchandise revenue? Who rakes that in, Idol or the venues or both?

Well, it appears that Season 6 is on its way to earning about $24 million, which isn’t even close to Season 5′s $35 million total. But it’s still better than Seasons 1-4. It makes me wonder if AI isn’t winding down after hitting its peak during Season 5. Or is this just an indication of how special the contestants of Season 5 were to most fans?

Thanks Kirsten. I hope they’re getting a good paycheck for this…How much would they get for 60 shows?? Would it be $1,000 a show?? or is it based on how you finished?

Of course the price of a ticket for Season 1 was about half the price of a Season 6 ticket: $30.38 average vs. $60.72. The first year only had 30 shows vs. 59 this year. It would seem that comparing the gross earnings for different years isn’t really the best way to measure success.

I love these stats. Thanks for posting! Looking at average attendance and % capacity, looks like this season is a drop off from S4 and S5 in terms of interest. But the franchise rebounded after a similar decline for the S3 tour so maybe things can bounce back again next year.

Thanks for those figures. Quite interesting.

Well, it appears that Season 6 is on its way to earning about $24 million, which isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even close to Season 5à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s $35 million total. But ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s still better than Seasons 1-4. It makes me wonder if AI isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t winding down after hitting its peak during Season 5. Or is this just an indication of how special the contestants of Season 5 were to most fans?

Time will tell, but I honestly feel the entire “cast” of Season 5 was the main reason for its ratings success and subsequent success on tour. JMO here.

Great info. Thanks, Kirsten.

The lowest attendance for Season 5 was 80%. Only 5 of 30 shows for Season 6 has been at or above 80%. They only have about 3 weeks left. It will be interesting to see the final numbers.

Looks like season 6 is on par with season 3 as far as the tour is concerned. I knew the number weren’t going to be that high, but didn’t think they would be quite this low. It is a shame that more people did not see the show because it really was very good.

The more I read about the show, the less I wanted to see it. I think that a lot of people who were not big fans of Season 6 were on the fence about going to the show. After I read about how it was set up and the songs being sung, that sealed the deal for me. No way!

Last year I went to both shows that came to Duluth (metro Atlanta) Georgia. This year, I had no desire at all to go to the one show that came to Duluth. (Last year, the first show sold out so fast they added a second show.)

If Elliott and Chris only got to sing one solo the way Melinda and LaKisha did this season, I would have been highly pissed off.

IMHO, fans of all of the Idols deserved to enjoy their Idols on the big stage, alone, singing more than one song.

If Elliott and Chris only got to sing one solo the way Melinda and LaKisha did this season, I would have been highly pissed off.

gabam,

You bring up an interesting point. Melinda was one of my favorites and I was surprised at how little stage time she seemed to get. With that being said I had never been to an AI concert so I just though the top two only got more than one solo, though I thought they could have scaled Jordins down by a couple.

So I’m wondering if more of Melinda and LaKisha fans would have paid to see the show if they knew that they each had more than one solo. Because right now based on the show I was at, and from what I have been reading Blake really seems to be carring this tour so to speak. Not that the other idols don’t have their fans there supporting them; do they, but not quite like Blake does, IMHO.

I guess they won’t be going to Idaho again….anyway, it seems not too much difference between all the Idol shows except Season 5….S6 seems to be right on the mark.
Average gross $404K, that compares with and does better than previous seasons…however, the merchandise is NOT counted with the ticket sales….If I recall reading, the Idols get to share in the merchandise that’s sold and from what I’ve been reading a ton of merchandise has been sold.

The more I read about the show, the less I wanted to see it. I think that a lot of people who were not big fans of Season 6 were on the fence about going to the show. After I read about how it was set up and the songs being sung, that sealed the deal for me. No way!

Last year I went to both shows that came to Duluth (metro Atlanta) Georgia. This year, I had no desire at all to go to the one show that came to Duluth. (Last year, the first show sold out so fast they added a second show.)

If Elliott and Chris only got to sing one solo the way Melinda and LaKisha did this season, I would have been highly pissed off.

IMHO, fans of all of the Idols deserved to enjoy their Idols on the big stage, alone, singing more than one song.

My God! the show is 3 hours long…if they did it your way they would be singing for 4-5 hours, long enough for an opera. From all the reviews this is a fun show and done much more professionally (w/ Wade Robson the choreographer) than the other shows…look — they have to compete with HSM tours and they’re doing a damn good job.

“Of course the price of a ticket for Season 1 was about half the price of a Season 6 ticket: $30.38 average vs. $60.72. The first year only had 30 shows vs. 59 this year. It would seem that comparing the gross earnings for different years isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t really the best way to measure success.”
Sam is right. You can’t compare oranges with apples. This tour is much longer and much more professionally done. A1-3 was in its infant stage. As with all stage shows, the producers went back to the drawing board and rewrote the acts.

Nobody goes to see an AI show because it’s professionally done. The production values on the tour last year were laughable and it still pulled in big audiences. I went to see Chris and Elliott and the rest were icing on the cake. The show was shorter than the three hour opera this year as far as I remember. I liked Melinda and would have been pissed off to pay $60 a ticket and see her do one solo and see Chris R. have more stage time if I’d gone this year. (although I’ve heard he’s good on tour)

Yes, it’s hard to compare the different years except to say that Season five was clearly the most successful. I think the Season Six tour is holding its own with past seasons and I hardly think it can be deemed a failure.

I preferred the format this year. I enjoy the group numbers and there were definately solo performances I would have cut last year in favor of more group performances or duos (Paris attempting Beyonce, anyone?) One of the highlights last year was “Patience” and I believe it’s popuarity might have had something to do with the tour’s change in format. It was a “filler” for Kat, but they kept it after she returned because it was a crowd fave.

And yes, they are selling more shows and the tickets cost more. That works both ways. Some fans may be willing to pay $30 but not $60. Doesn’t mean they won’t buy their favorite’s album.

ETA: I do have a question about capacity. At several of these venues, there are seats that are not sold because of the stage set up. Is that accounted for in the percentages?

Is anybody counting the merchandise sold? Ticket sales only tell half the story, merchandise makes up the other half. But either way you look at it, AI is making money with these shows.

And since Chicago seems to love AI better than the other cities, I suggest they do 3 shows in Chicago next year :)

“Nobody goes to see an AI show because ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s professionally done. The production values on the tour last year were laughable and it still pulled in big audiences. ”
Jp, you’re such a naysayer. I wrote this seems to be a more professionally staged show than the previous ones based on what others stated — I’ve never seen one myself, just go by the reviews. And that shows growth on the part of the producers; they brought in a noted choreographer. and let’s remember these kids can’t dance anyway…they are not Beyonce and Britney…so give them credit. They have to be on stage for 3 hours, changing wardrobe, acting, joking, singing, even your most seasoned performers have problems with that pace. I only hope that AI does a DVD or a TV special based on the tour. They did it for Season 2 with Clay & al.

ETA: I do have a question about capacity. At several of these venues, there are seats that are not sold because of the stage set up. Is that accounted for in the percentages?

Yes. If you look at all the boxscores, you’ll see that the same venue willl have different capacities depending on the stage set up for each concert.

A classic example is the Tacoma concert. The setup was different this year than last year (both with the stage setup and a portion of the venue was curtained off) resulting in a capacity size smaller than last year (IIRC Tacoma sold more tickets last year than were available this year). Another example is an arena (Nokia?) in Dallas where the upper decks are not offered for sell for smaller acts.

Also, the total tickets sold includes the number of tickets that were actually given away. Idols get tickets for their friends (IIRC 4 per concert, 10 for hometown concert) and this year reviewers get free tickets (they complained a lot last year about having to pay).

And since Chicago seems to love AI better than the other cities, I suggest they do 3 shows in Chicago next year :)

LOL. Let’s not get too ambitious. It didn’t sell out in Chicago this year. I’m just mad I didn’t find Blake at the IO (Improv Olympics).

Who are these AI-loving Chicago peeps? My friends make fun of it. That’s why I went to it alone. LOL.

Kirsten, thanks for the info on the box scores. Makes sense. I imagine they don’t sell tickets in areas so they don’t have to have concessions etc if it’s not going to sell out.

ETA: Chicago was on a Tuesday, though. Bad night to hold a concert. Bet it would have sold more if it had been on a Friday or Saturday. I left before Jordin and still didn’t get home until after 11pm.

I’m not putting down a show I haven’t seen but which has gotten good reviews (better than last year.) I mean AI shows are presold for the most part based on the fans developed during the TV show. It’s not like a Bway show where a review really matters. Some of the reviews for S5 were brutal but I still went to hear my favs. Maybe giving free tickets to the shows this year helped the reviews. :)

Not having sell out crowds doesn’t doom the talent this year. It just means the big fan bases aren’t there. Is that such a surprise?

Well, not selling out is good for fans. Means you can get last minute tix under face. Pretty good seats, too. ;-)

JPfan, I agree that overall, the fanbases seemed stronger last year, especially for the guys.

Melinda was one of my favorites and I was surprised at how little stage time she seemed to get.

That’s an interesting statement. Melinda actually takes part in 7 songs (more than anyone else, except Jordin). The problem is, 3 of her songs are at the very beginning of the show, and yes, she does get only one solo.

Here’s the list of Melinda’s songs:
“Natural Woman” (solo), Supremes medley (with Lakisha), “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” (with Lakisha and Chris Rich), “Proud Mary” (with Sanjaya), “This Will Be (Everlasting Love)” (with Jordin), “America the Beautiful” (with Phil, Gina, Lakisha, and Haley), and “Ain’t No Other Man” (with Lakisha, Gina, and Haley). She also had a duet with Blake in the first show that got cut (“Killing Me Softly”).

Just for the hell of it, here’s the rest, in the order of who has the most.

Jordin – “What Hurts the Most” (with Chris Rich), “This Will Be (Everlasting Love)” (with Melinda), and 6 solos: “I Who Have Nothing”, “Heartbreaker”, “You Were Meant for Me”, “A Broken Wing”, “Living on a Prayer”, and “This is My Now”. Total of 8.

Melinda with 7 songs, as listed above.

Chris Rich – “This Love” (solo), “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” (with Melinda and Lakisha), “What Hurts the Most” (with Jordin), “Ain’t No Sunshine/Virtual Insanity/Geek in the Pink” (with Blake), “Crazy/Hey Jude” (with Blake, Chris Sligh, Phil, and Sanjaya), and “Life is a Highway” (with Chris Sligh, Sanjaya, and Haley). Total of 6.

Gina – “Who Knew” (solo), “Thnks fr th Mmrs” (with Sligh), “It’s Your Love” (with Phil), “Lady Marmalade” (with Lakisha and Haley), “America the Beautiful” (with Phil, Lakisha, Melinda, and Haley), and “Ain’t No Other Man” (with Melinda, Lakisha, and Haley). Total of 6.

Lakisha – “I Will Always Love You” (solo), Supremes Medley (with Melinda), “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” (with Melinda and Chris Rich), “Lady Marmalade” (with Gina and Haley), “America the Beautiful” (with Phil, Gina, Melinda, and Haley), and “Ain’t No Other Man” (with Melinda, Gina, and Haley). Total of 6.

Blake – 3 solos: “Time of the Season”, “She Will Be Loved”, and “You Give Love a Bad Name”, “Ain’t No Sunshine/Virtual Insanity/Geek in the Pink” (with Chris Rich), and “Crazy/Hey Jude” (with Chris Rich, Chris Sligh, Phil, and Sanjaya). Total of 5.

Haley – “When God Fearin’ Women Get the Blues” (solo), “Life is a Highway” (with Sligh, Chris Rich, and Sanjaya), “America the Beautiful” (with Phil, Lakisha, Melinda, and Gina), “Lady Marmalade” (with Gina and Lakisha), and “Ain’t No Other Man” (with Melinda, Lakisha, and Gina). Total of 5.

Sligh – “Typical” (solo), “Thnks fr th Mmrs” (with Gina), “Crazy/Hey Jude” (with Blake, Chris Rich, Phil, and Sanjaya), “Life is a Highway” (with Chris Rich, Haley, and Sanjaya – and Chris only plays guitar here). Total of 4.

Phil – “Blaze of Glory” (solo), “It’s Your Love” (with Gina), “America the Beautiful” (with Melinda, Lakisha, Gina, and Haley”, and “Crazy/Hey Jude” (with Blake, Chris Rich, Chris Sligh, and Sanjaya). Total of 4.

Sanjaya – “The Way You Make Me Feel” (solo), “Proud Mary” (with Melinda), “Crazy/Hey Jude” (with Blake, Chris Rich, Chris Sligh, and Phil), “Life is a Highway” (with Chris Rich, Chris Sligh, and Haley). Total of 4.

Actually, there is another way to look at the group numbers–you may only get one solo of your fav, but they are onstage more than they would be if the structure of the show was all solo.

Melinda was on stage quite a bit–2 numbers with the other girls, a duet with Sanjaya, a duet with Lakisha and then a trio with Lakisha and Chris Rich. For that reason, I like the group format better than the solo format.

I expect the upcoming shows in the Northeast to do fairly well.

Heh. Sarah provides the stats!

Actually, there is another way to look at the group numbersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’you may only get one solo of your fav, but they are onstage more than they would be if the structure of the show was all solo.

Melinda was on stage quite a bità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’2 numbers with the other girls, a duet with Sanjaya, a duet with Lakisha and then a trio with Lakisha and Chris Rich. For that reason, I like the group format better than the solo format.

I totally agree. I’d rather see someone in both halves of the show than for 15 minutes or so all in one punch in one half or the other. IMO, the way this tour is set up, it makes it more cohesive, energetic, and fun. I personally liked this year’s tour better than last year’s simply because of that fact – I like the set-up much more. Particularly because of the personalities and the interaction between all of the contestants. It makes it a lot of fun.

Thanks for the breakdown Sarah. I am wondering why they cut out the Melinda/Blake duet of the Fugee’s version of “Killing Me Softly”. They could easily drop a Jordin solo and she would still have more solos than anyone. Also, what about the opener, “Let’s Get It Started”? I don’t see it in your list.

Oh yeah, sorry beesims. I forgot about that one. Blake and Jordin start off “Let’s Get it Started”, but they leave the stage after about 30-45 seconds of it, and the rest is basically Chris Rich, Chris Sligh, Sanjaya, Haley, Gina, and Phil.

Lakisha and Melinda’s Supremes medley comes next in the set list and they’re in those dresses, so they’re not in the opening number.

Also, at the end of “You Give Love a Bad Name” all the rest of the guys come out on stage with Blake for the last minute-ish (I know that’s not a word, but I don’t know exactly how long it is LOL).

ETA: They also cut another number after the first show (“Another One Bites the Dust”), but I don’t remember who else was in it besides Chris Sligh (he wore a purple pimp suit, apparently).

Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s an interesting statement. Melinda actually takes part in 7 songs (more than anyone else, except Jordin). The problem is, 3 of her songs are at the very beginning of the show, and yes, she does get only one solo.

Sarah,

I was responding back to gabam about her comment:

If Elliott and Chris only got to sing one solo the way Melinda and LaKisha did this season, I would have been highly pissed off

I guess I should have said I was surpised Melinda only had one solo. It just doesn’t seem she is on has much as what you listed; I mean I know she is, maybe it all just goes by so fast.

but they are onstage more than they would be if the structure of the show was all solo

I agree with this also mj. I really loved the format of the show. Like I said above this was the first AI concert I had been to. With that being said, I really enjoyed the concert and I wouldn’t change anything. Well except maybe taking a few of Jordin’s song away during her set, to add…I don’t know, KMS back to the line up. But that is just me.

It just doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t seem she is on has much as what you listed; I mean I know she is, maybe it all just goes by so fast.

I think it’s because 3 of her songs are at the beginning. Then she has one more song towards the end of the first half. Then she’s at the beginning of the 2nd half, and her solo and “Ain’t No Other Man” are pretty close to each other towards the end of the second half. She’s in a lot of stuff, it’s just all grouped together, pretty much.

I realized that you were responding to that, but what I was responding to was your comment that she didn’t get much stage time. I apologize for the confusion.

I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s because 3 of her songs are at the beginning. Then she has one more song towards the end of the first half. Then sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s at the beginning of the 2nd half, and her solo and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Ainà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t No Other Manà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  are pretty close to each other towards the end of the second half. Sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s in a lot of stuff, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just all grouped together, pretty much.

I think you are right. Funny thing is I was thinking Phil was in more than Melinda; but after looking at your breakdown turns out he was in less. Like I said, I really think it all goes by so fast, but that is what happens when you are having a good time!

It really depends on what each paying customer wants from the show. I did not go to the show last year because I wanted a fancy stage, costume changes, multiple group numbers, etc. I went because I wanted to see/hear my favorites performing on the big stage. I wanted to see/hear them commanding the big stage and living their dreams. I’m happy that they got more solo time on the big stage.

Last year, it was great to see/hear the duets which basically introduced the next person who would perform solo. The most important part of the shows for me was seeing and listening to my favorites sing in their own styles. The clowning around dancing was fun to see during the group numbers that ended the show last year, but I would not want to have Wade Robson anywhere near Elliott, Chris, Bucky, Ace and Taylor. Hell to the no! I respect Wade’s talent and liked what he did for Britney Spears and NSYNC but…

I enjoyed the different styles that each contestant brought to the stage last year and I enjoyed the solos. Some more than others, of course. No matter how cute the duet with Melinda and Sanjaya was, Melinda singing another solo or two would have been better for her paying fans than having her sing with Sanjaya. She came in third and deserved better than the solo stage time she was given. LaKisha got stuck in a number with Haley, right? She came in fourth. Imagine if Chris only got to sing one solo last year. His fans would not have been happy. Since they finished 3rd and 4th, why do they only get one solo? They both deserved better, IMHO.

Last year’s show was not longer, it was just different. As I said, it depends of what each person enjoys and is willing to pay to see. I wanted to hear/see my favorites singing. Period.

Imagine the surprise and irritation of the fans who went to the show expecting to hear solos from their favorites and got only 1 solo.

During the tour last year, some contestants gained new fans because of their solos. I became a fan of several that had not won me over during their stint American Idol.

Gabam, you have a point. This year my favorite was Blake and he had three solos, so maybe that’s why I’m not upset. Last year my favorite was Ace and the had two solos, a duet with Mandisa, Patience and the group numbers at the end. I have to say I would have been a bit disappointed if Ace didn’t have at least two songs last year. And yes, I think Ace won over a lot of people last year on tour.

At the same time, I enjoy some of them in group numbers better. Chris R is a prime example. I love him in duets and group numbers, yet I wasn’t so thrilled with his version of “This Love.” Maybe it’s because Blake did it on the show. Group numbers are fun b/c it allows the kids to feed off each other.

I went because I wanted to see/hear my favorites performing on the big stage. I wanted to see/hear them commanding the big stage and living their dreams.

Which happens this year too, just in a different format.

No matter how cute the duet with Melinda and Sanjaya was, Melinda singing another solo or two would have been better for her paying fans than having her sing with Sanjaya.

How do you KNOW that all of her fans think that? I’m a fan. I don’t. I enjoyed her in concert, immensely.

Imagine if Chris only got to sing one solo last year. His fans would not have been happy.

I would have been perfectly pleased with one solo, as long as he had more stage time than that. I’m not one of those who has to hear my favorite sing alone on the AI tour. There will be plenty of time for that on his or her solo tour. This is a tour of the top 10, not the Melinda Doolittle or Lakisha Jones show.

I wanted to hear/see my favorites singing. Period.

Which you would this year, too. Just in a different format.

During the tour last year, some contestants gained new fans because of their solos.

Right. Solos were about it last year. And one duet each. However, the same thing is happening this year with the contestants’ time on stage. You don’t have to hear them sing solo for 15 minutes straight to become a fan.

As I said, it all depends on what the paying customer wants and enjoys.

Different strokes.

I wanted to hear my favorites 15 minutes straight on stage. That’s why I went. IMHO, the tours prepare the Idols for their future solo careers of performing on stage. Having that time alone on the stage, IMO, was good for the Idol and great for their fans. I want my Idols singing, not trying to remember the steps to the routines.

I did not get the same feeling about Lisa when she sang the duet with Paris as I did when she sat at the piano and played while she sang. When Bucky sang “Drift Away” I decided right then that I would buy his CD when it came out. I did not get that feeling when he sang the duet with Kellie. The way Ace connected was different when he sang alone than when he did the duet with Mandisa. It was great when Elliott joined Chris to sing “Savin’ Me” (I had never heard the song before the tour started.) but when he got to sing his set, I loved that he got to sing in his styles.

It’s great the some are enjoying the Season 6 tour and it’s set up, I would just want more “alone” time with my favorites.

Once again, different strokes.

If Daughtry or Elliott only had one solo last year, I think their fans wouldn’t have been thrilled. This year the group thing seems to work fine. Honestly, how many solos from some of the lower placed finishers could anyone take?

Also, I think that there may be a big difference in the expectations of a fan who voted for an Idol for 2 hours straight and a fan who likes the Idol but had a different ultimate favorite.

Having my least favorites in several group numbers and duets with my favorites would have been a LOT worse for me than having them sing solo and disappear until the end group numbers. After all, I may have needed a bathroom break or break to buy merchandise while the tables were less crowded. Perfect timing.

These tour numbers are intersting but not all that surprising to me. I always thought that season 5 had that little something extra. I’m not sure what it was about that season. Some probably has to do with the fact that there was a guy from my hometown but obviously I wasn’t the only one who really loved ai5.

The ones who saw the show this year seemed to genuinely love it and that’s great. I just knew there was no way I could pay money to suffer through Sanjaya and Haley. I’m still looking forward to the music from Blake, Phil, Melinda and maybe Chris R. It will be interesting to see if they make any changes to the show this year.

My only complaint this year was that Jordin’s set seemed to go on forever. I really think they could’ve shaved off one or two of her songs. And they could’ve given Blake another one, but that’s just me. :)

jpfan
Sep 4th, 2007 at 11:21 am
The S5 tour doubled the profits of S4 which was actually a very successful tour as well.

Tour revenues do not equal tour profits.

Is anybody counting the merchandise sold?

I’m sure that 19Merchandising is (yes, that is a real member of the 19Alphabet group)

With the number of people attending the concerts down, that likely has an impact on merchandising, concession sales and ad revenues. Venues and Ticketmaster make less money as well. Not that I’m crying for 19Alphabet, Arenas-R-Us or, heaven forbid, Ticketmaster. It may just mean that next year they may schedule themselves into smaller venues. That’s better for the audience as well. It’s more fun to be in a full venue than one with a sprinkling of occupied seats.

I have to say I liked how they mixed things up. It was nice to have your favourites take the stage more than once. But, I think that they should have ditched the group numbers and gone with more solos. The duets were fine. Throw in one group number for the cheese, but “Ain’t No Other Man”, “Let’s Get it Started” and “Lady Marmalade” are the worst performances of the show (IMO of course). Have somebody sing a solo, followed by a duet from two others and then another solo from someone else. Repeat. It would keep the concert moving, but allow fans to feel that they really get to hear their favourite sing. If Melinda missed the curtain call for “America the Beautiful” nobody would even notice. I’d far rather listen to her sing another solo than sit through Sanjaya’s “Make a lot of Noise” skit. IMO, of course.

Naturally, they can’t make everybody happy.

Tour revenues do not equal tour profits.

True. Without knowing the fixed and variable operating cost for the tours, we don’t know anything about profits (and accountants can be very creative at hiding profits). It is quite possible that S5 more than doubled S4 profits. On the other hand, depending on the fixed cost for tin-foil last year, it is possible that S5 made no profit at all.

Let’s take a REALLY simple case. Say that the fixed cost per concert is $100K (money paid for rentals, performers, pop-tarts). Then, perhaps the variable costs are $5 per customer (increased security, janitorial, printing the ticket, etc).

Concert A: sells 2,000 $40 tickets (10K variable costs)
100K 10K = $105K costs. Revenue $80K …Concert loses $25K

Concert B: sells 3,000 $40 tickets (15K variable costs)
100K 15K = $115K costs. Revenue is $120K….Concert earns $5K

Concert C: sells 3,250 $40 tickets (16.25K variable costs)
100K 16.25K = $116.25K costs. Revenue is $130K…Concert earns $13.75K….only 250 tickets more and more than double the profit.

Tour accounting is rarely that simple, but as a general rule of thumb, once you exceed your fixed costs, you start multiplying your profits (unless you stupidly allow your variable costs to exceed your ticket price…then every ticket sold is a bigger loss).

S5 made over double the revenue of S4, but it also had higher fixed costs (more concert dates). They had more people on average per concert though, so odds are that they made more than S4. How much more is speculative.

Thanks for the numbers! I’ve been waiting for them like forever.. :laugh_tb:

Ouch! Those numbers suck in so many ways… :huh_tb: Better production? Better costume? Better choreography? How about some better talents! Nobody cares about costume and choreograhy. Guys from last year often only wore T-shirts in concerts and brought the house down anyway.. :thumbup_tb:

From these numbers, I really can’t see any platinum seller or huge touring draw among this bunch in the future. Go Team Indifference! :smile1_tb:

Kirsten
Sep 4th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
Tour accounting is rarely that simple…

That may be an understatement, but it would make a lovely sampler.

My head hurts.

Just tell me who won.

Thanks for the numbers! Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve been waiting for them like forever..

Why? To gloat that Season 5 is better than Season 6? Good job. I’m impressed.

From these numbers, I really canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see any platinum seller or huge touring draw among this bunch in the future. Go Team Indifference!

Still don’t see the correlation b/n tour numbers and sales. Would love an explanation on that one.

ETA: It bugs me that people want to see others fail. It really does. It doesn’t prove anything. MJ, I’m sorry. I bet this gets deleted, as well it should.

I only want Con to fail, and that is very half-hearted. LOL.

I want to add that I have a soft spot for Con for his stint on B&B. He’s still an asshole, but he embraces the cheese.

Still donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see the correlation b/n tour numbers and sales. Would love an explanation on that one.

There is no correlation or theory of coorelation between tour numbers and sales. The Police and Dave Mathews Band can no longer sell platinum, but they still sell out stadiums. Nelly Furtado can sell 5 million CDs world wide but can’t sell out a 2000-seat theatre. Of course, JT can do both. So who knows? :cool1_tb:

The point is, these kids are not JT or The Police. They probably can’t do either based on those numbers. The market is tougher than never out there, unless you are HSM2 or Hannah Montana. :smile1_tb: So Jordin may have a shot… :cool1_tb:

lol even Season 3 had a sellout.

I think it’s becoming even more clearer that this was the worst season of Idol to date.

Next up: underwhelming album sales.

The point is, these kids are not JT or The Police. They probably canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t do either based on those numbers. The market is tougher than never out there, unless you are HSM2 or Hannah Montana. :smile1_tb: So Jordin may have a shotà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

I now have a headache. Who claimed these kids were JT or the Police? Or would sell or sell out like them?

Just guessing here, but I bet that an Elliott/Taylor/Chris tour (before their albums) would pull better numbers than the entire season 6 tour.

Just random speculation. :)

I went to check the source of all these numbers at Pulse board and found some additional interesting numbers, for those who are interested:

Taylor Hicks Dothan Civic Center
Dothan, Ala.
Aug. 23, 2007
$51,113
1,294 /
2,373
1 /
0
$39.50
Outback Concerts

Taylor Hicks, Chris Mule House of Blues
New Orleans, La.
Aug. 4, 2007
$30,245
789 /
1,000
1 /
0
$38.50
House of Blues

Marc Broussard, Shannon McNally The Fillmore
San Francisco, Calif.
Aug. 16, 2007
$10,170
818 /
1,241
1 /
0
$22.50
Live Nation

Billy Bob Thornton, The Boxmasters House of Blues
Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Aug. 15, 2007
$2,533
100 /
2,100
1 /
0
$19.50, $17.50
House of Blues :jittery_tb:

Just guessing here, but I bet that an Elliott/Taylor/Chris tour (before their albums) would pull better numbers than the entire season 6 tour.

Just random speculation. :)

Thanks for the absolutely unverifiable opinion.

ETA: I’m still scratching my head about what tours other than the AI ones are relevant.

lol even Season 3 had a sellout.

Thank you, Jasmine Trias! :laugh_tb:

Just guessing here, but I bet that an Elliott/Taylor/Chris tour (before their albums) would pull better numbers than the entire season 6 tour.

I second that! :smoke_tb:

Tony
Sep 5th, 2007 at 12:56 am
lol even Season 3 had a sellout.

I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s becoming even more clearer that this was the worst season of Idol to date.

Next up: underwhelming album sales.

Except AI3 is also the only season which had a concert cancelled for low ticket sales. The cumulative CD sales for all AI3 finalists is also the lowest total by far. And so far none of AI3 finalists have been able to headline even a modest solo tour.

And for the record, there were two concerts in Hawaii, at the Neil S. Blaisdell Center, on September 28 & 29, 2004. Both sold out, but were counted as one.

Except AI3 is also the only season which had a concert cancelled for low ticket sales. The cumulative CD sales for all AI3 finalists is also the lowest total by far. And none of AI3 finalists have been able to headline even a modest solo tour.

That’s what divas do for you. That’s why they changed the show’s format to equal-gender finalists. So I say it’s a toss-up between S3 and S6 for the worst season… :smoke_tb:

Okay, I’m giving up on all logic and will say this: appalachian state wd!! Eff PP and HM or whatev.

ASWD works for me. After the Tide of course. :laugh_tb:

If the Police would make a “new” album, it would go plat. I’d bet money on that.

Does anyone have the Billboard Boxscore data city-by-city for season 5? I’m interested to see how Winner/Runner-up/3rd place/4th place did in their respective cities vs. the data compiled for season 6.

Does anyone have the Billboard Boxscore data city-by-city for season 5? Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m interested to see how Winner/Runner-up/3rd place/4th place did in their respective cities vs. the data compiled for season 6.

Well, if that means shit, then Gina did quite well. :) I heart Gina and the enagagement moment was cool.

And for the record, there were two concerts in Hawaii, at the Neil S. Blaisdell Center, on September 28 & 29, 2004. Both sold out, but were counted as one.

Double thank you, Jasmine Trias! :smile1_tb: What a shame the tour never returned.

In a sense, S3 was a season that changed AI forever ….

So I say ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a toss-up between S3 and S6 for the worst seasonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

For me, Season 6 wins, hands down. Season 3 was my least favorite until Season 6 came along. I’ve watched AI from the beginning and I had never felt less of a desire to vote.

Does anyone have the Billboard Boxscore data city-by-city for season 5?

I would love to see that as well. Anybody? Anybody? Bueller?

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m interested to see how Winner/Runner-up/3rd place/4th place did in their respective cities

We have a bit of information from Ken Barnes.

Chris’s (4th) hometown concert was Greensboro, NC and it had the highest attendance record of the show with 15,337

Elliott’s (3) hometown concert was in Richmond on August 1st. Ken’s mid-tour report included all concerts up to August 2nd and he said of the 23 concerts up to that point, 17 had had sell-outs, 5 sold more than 95% and only Charlotte had 88.5%. Therefore, Richmond either sold-out or sold at least 95%.

Kat’s (2) hometown concert was in LA at the Staples center. TMZ mocked that concert for having tickets for sale the day before the concert, but several posters here said that it had been a sell-out and those were last minute releases. So it was probably a near sell-out if not a sell-out. There was also a concert nearby in Anaheim that had a near sell-out. Lowest selling concert of S5 was 80%, so we LA sold at least that.

Taylor’s (1) hometown concert was in Birmingham and media reports had it as a sell-out (IIRC), but perhaps it was not. Ken is saying today that the first 30 concerts only featured 17 sell-outs (Birmingham (August 8th) was in the first 30 concerts, but those 17 sell-outs happened in the first set of 23). It was at least 89.3%. Of the first 30 concerts, 27 sold more than 93%.

Put me in the prefer solos camp except for Sanjaya and Haley. I would die to see Chris,Taylor, and Elliott in concert together. That certainly will never happen.

lol even Season 3 had a sellout.
I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s becoming even more clearer that this was the worst season of Idol to date.
Next up: underwhelming album sales.

I think it just shows that the show itself has matured as all TV shows do, even Simon is talking retirement in 2 years. You could tell by his attitude this past season, he was bored to tears….and whenever Paula goes off and does extra stuff like a reality show…well that tells you a lot about the judges….and maybe just maybe the producers need to shake things up a bit and bring in some new judges. I’ve been saying that for the longest.
Anyway, if the S7 auditions are any indication, they don’t have a lot going there either.
IMO the whole entertainment scene has changed. AI is a good outlet & venue for bands & singers to get face time….many of them have been kicking around for years (i.e. Taylor & Bo), so AI is like a shot of adrenalin for their career. I don’t think many auditioners care if they win, they just want the TV face time; look at Jared for ex., he has a TV show!

“I enjoyed the different styles that each contestant brought to the stage last year and I enjoyed the solos. Some more than others, of course. No matter how cute the duet with Melinda and Sanjaya was, Melinda singing another solo or two would have been better for her paying fans than having her sing with Sanjaya. She came in third and deserved better than the solo stage time she was given. LaKisha got stuck in a number with Haley, right? She came in fourth. Imagine if Chris only got to sing one solo last year. His fans would not have been happy. Since they finished 3rd and 4th, why do they only get one solo? They both deserved better, IMHO.”

Honestly now, you’re the expert on how to stage a show? Let the experts decide who gets what and how long. We’re all armchair quarterbacks here…we’re not the experts. I feel sorry for the AI producers, they’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t, they can’t please everybody.
3 hours is a long time a very long time to be on stage. In fact, it’s nearly labor exploitation IMO! Do you know another artist who performs for 3 hours, exc. Broadway? I don’t!

From Ken’s writeup why this tour is lagging:

Another possible culprit, cited by both Waller and Bongiovanni: rising ticket prices. Idol 2006 tour prices averaged $53.27; they rose 13% to an average of $60.45 for the current tour. In 2005, the average price was $44.47.

And have we forgotten the competition: Hana Montana? and HSM touring at about the same time? Mom & dad are saving their pennies for those tours.

3 hours is a long time a very long time to be on stage. In fact, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s nearly labor exploitation IMO! Do you know another artist who performs for 3 hours, exc. Broadway? I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t!

Clay Aiken’s Jukebox Tour was 3 hours long. This summer’s tour was only 2 1/2 hours.

Kat’s fans are saying the Season 6 tour didn’t sell out because Kat wasn’t a part of it. Kat was missing for a large part of the AI5 tour and her cd hasn’t gone paper bag, the Soul Patrol was 50 million strong, some guy named Chris Daughtry has since sold 937,234,001 cd’s and another guy named Elliott Yamin is about to go Gold but even with all of that I think the Kat fans are on to something…

Who’s Kat?

I thinks that’s its a HUGE copout to cite ticket prices as the reason for the terrible attendance for this year’s tour. What critics and fans alike describe as the worst season ever suddenly gets the worst tour numbers ever? Yeah…I wouldn’t blame the ticket prices. I’d blame the unoriginal contestants.

jpfan
Sep 5th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Whoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Kat?
*************************

Rumor has it she was the defamed 6th member of New Kids on the Block but I could be wrong.

What critics and fans alike describe as the worst season ever suddenly gets the worst tour numbers ever? Yeahà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦I wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t blame the ticket prices. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d blame the unoriginal contestants.

Tony, I don’t think it’s quite that simple. Folks who passed up the tour this year missed an entertaining show, in my opinion.

There is an abudance of talent in this year’s class, unfortunately, they were not presented on the TV show in a way that allowed the audience to really get to know them.

To be honest with you, I thought the first half of last year’s concert was really boring, with the exception of Ace–and to a small degree Paris (she was engaging, but the songs she sang sucked). This year, due to the way the performances were mixed up, I found the entire show–except for a few bits here and there–extremely entertaining.

What will happen to these kids will be anyone’s guess. It’s all going to depend on their drive, ambition and if the music they release catches on with the general public.

What happens on the show really has no direct bearing on what happens after the show, or Taylor would have been the 3 million unit seller.

MJ –

I think Tony’s point is that what most of us saw on the show didn’t move us to purchase a ticket or give this years contestants a chance. It could be the way they were portrayed but what else can we base our observations on besides the way there were portrayed on TV? It could be that Jordin, Blake, LaKisha, Melinda, Phil and maybe even Sanjaya will release cd’s that will outsell all of the previous Idol contestants but based on their TV persona’s alone I was not moved to purchase a ticket. Of course I wasn’t moved to purchase one last year either but I think you get my point.

I think Tony’s point is that what most of us saw on the show didn’t move us to purchase a ticket or give this years contestants a chance. It could be the way they were portrayed but what else can we base our observations on besides the way there were portrayed on TV?

But he didn’t say that. He made a blanket statement–he said they were unoriginal. I went to the Idols show this year, and I’ve listened to quite a few of their mp3s (which are worth listening to, by the way)–I am disagreeing.

Actually, I didn’t think this cast sucked during the run of the TV show either. However, I think the tour highlights their talents better than the show did.

However, I think the tour highlights their talents better than the show did.

I agree with this 100%. On the show I had my favorite and one other that I cared for, the rest were okay talent wise IMO. With that being said I was taken by how close this group did seem to be. So I purchased my ticket and went. Turns out for the most part this is a really talented group of individuals, and yes they really are much better live than they ever were on t.v. Other than one song, okay maybe two, the whole show kept my interest. And yes they seem even closer as group live. Not only did they not disappoint but they as a whole pretty much exceeded my expections.

“What critics and fans alike describe as the worst season ever suddenly gets the worst tour numbers ever? Yeahà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦I wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t blame the ticket prices. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d blame the unoriginal contestants.” Tony

And that blanket statement was made because of what he saw on TV because I don’t know how else he could have come to that conclusion, unless he’s never watched Idol but just likes to come to message boards and make blanket statements as a general rule. :-)

I actually think we’re talking apples and oranges because of perspective. I don’t know if you thought they were original on the show and went to the concert and found them even more original than you had imagined, or if you found them to be kind of generic on the show and went to the concert and found that they were more brilliant than you ever could have imagined. Either way, you are impressed by the Season 6 Idols and Tony and many others apparently, are not. I am not impressed b/c of what I saw on TV and because of that I couldn’t imagine going to spend money at their concert to try to find out if there was something I missed on the TV show. I think Tony is saying many other people came to that same conclusion, thus the less than stellar ticket sales (and overall ratings) and it had little to do with the ticket prices.

The music business today is veryyyy tough, and to think that Jordin and Blake are going to outsell Mariah and 50c….well, that’s really apples & oranges. Expectations are just too high, but put that on the AI producers and the show. If they were just “anybodys” putting out a CD, we wouldn’t put that kind of pressure on them….now what we should really be looking forward to is Sabrina & Sundance – how many think that CD will sell? How many think their CD will outsell Jordin and Blake?

And Constantine proves that AI is not the magic bullet for CD sales.

After that mess of a TV show, I was totally unmotivated to see them in concert, like Tony. I am getting less interested in the tours – Seasons 2 and 4 I bought tickets for the whole family (8 and 5 tickets respectively), some during the presale. Last year I bought 2 tickets the day of the show. This year 0.

I actually think weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re talking apples and oranges because of perspective. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know if you thought they were original on the show and went to the concert and found them even more original than you had imagined, or if you found them to be kind of generic on the show and went to the concert and found that they were more brilliant than you ever could have imagined.

***********
In my last post I said that I liked them on the show, but I liked them even more in concert.

Let me explain this a different way.

i liked the kids on the show, but felt the entire run of the show that we weren’t getting the entire picture.

When I had to read in an article that Melinda wore a bear suit as her team mascot in college–rather than seeing it on the show I knew something was amiss and that more would be revealed during the tour.

I think the show was produced poorly this year, so poorly that it made judging the contestants in a fair way difficult.

While Tony appears to blame the contestants, (correct me if I’m wrong Tony) I blame the producers.

I place the blame totally at the producers feet.

The season ended and I knew very little of the contestants personalities, likes, loves and loathes.

The only reason I know anything about them is through reading articles and blogs.

The average viewer doesn’t look elsewhere for information so they remain in the dark and didn’t feel enough enthusiasm to attend a concert.

The producers did a terrible job. Hollywood week is my favorite part of idol and it was one night after hours of horrible auditions. However, I thought the idols themselves were not all that exciting either. Please don’t take this personally but having so many nice, Christian artists makes for deadly TV. More bitches/conflict please. They need to cast better for S7.

From these numbers, I really canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see any platinum seller or huge touring draw among this bunch in the future.

Since it’s been proven that sold out shows on a 10 person tour guarantees that artists will sell platinum?

Who sells or doesn’t sell platinum or more/less will depend on the ALBUM, not on how well this tour sells.

The Police and Dave Mathews Band can no longer sell platinum, but they still sell out stadiums.

They are also HUGELY successful bands who have been making, selling, and touring mustic FOR-EV-ER. BIG difference.

Ryan Seacrest feels the idol tours should play smaller venues, and he too puts the blame for the ratings slide on the producers not telling a better backstory.

Tony, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s quite that simple. Folks who passed up the tour this year missed an entertaining show, in my opinion.

There is an abudance of talent in this yearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s class, unfortunately, they were not presented on the TV show in a way that allowed the audience to really get to know them.

I agree that the contestants took a backseat to the bevy of celebrity guest appearances, but still, I wasn’t motivated to give a crap about anyone…except Melinda (and Sanjaya, of course. lol) I’m still in it for the singing, and as far as talent goes, there wasn’t a single contestant that stood out in the crowd among the six seasons of semi-finalists/top 12 contestants, IMO.

I could probably pair every last one of this season’s top 12 with a similar past contestant.

If they want better ratings, they’re gonna have to do a HELLUVA lot better casting better singers.

I went to see season 3,4 and 6. This years show has to be the most entertaining of all. I agree with a lot of what everyone is saying about the producers doing a poor job on the back stories and not giving the contestants enough air time. Get rid of all the celebrity performeres. Idol alums should be on more often. Every show has its ups and downs and the interest was fading this year, but hey Blake was enough for me to buy a ticket this year. Idol isn’t a guarantee for success in album sales especially with the overload of artist on radio today. You have to have a hit and the album better be great. With all that said we still can’t predict what will happen with this seasons crew in album sales until it actually happens.