(Shakira's concert at OAKA the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece)
I was contacted by a major football (soccer for our American friends) club last week regarding the possibility of presenting a major concert in their stadium. Of course, I will be delighted to work with them - some of our most exciting experiences have been when we produced concerts for sports organisations - marvellous memories - huge audiences having a great time - what can be better?
Beyoncé in Moscow and Egypt
What do these artists have in common?
BEYONCE, SHAKIRA, MARIAH CAREY, GEORGE MICHAEL, ROD STEWART, NEIL DIAMOND, THE WHO, BON JOVI, SIR ELTON JOHN, RED MARIAH CAREY, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, BRYAN ADAMS, REM, SCISSOR SISTERS, JAMES BLUNT, CARLOS SANTANA, GIRLS ALOUD, BILLY JOEL, LUCIANO PAVAROTTI, JOSE CARRERAS, BILL BAILEY, RONAN KEATING, MEATLOAF, PINK, WHITNEY HOUSTON, MEATLOAF and many others - they all performed for our clients in a sports stadiums, arenas or similar venues. I was honoured to contract all of these artists and produce these concerts.
(The adorable and hugely talented Shakira)
It’s a strange thing but you would be surprised how little non football/soccer activities take place in the football club stadia, not only in the UK but throughout Europe, the Middle East and indeed globally.
(Elton John rocking the night away)
Of course when you study the games schedules during each season it becomes clearer as to why these emporiums of sport can only present a very limited program of events during their ‘closed’ period. For one thing the football or rugby pitch has to be protected and even when the ground is closed during the summer break, the grass has to be re-grown or replaced and if you attempt to even suggest a concert the war begins with the groundsman ! Many USA stadia have forms of artificial grass, which certainly makes life a bit easier when putting on a show.
(Red Hot Chili Peppers were sensational)
New words enter your vocabulary like Teraplas, which is a unique covering of the precious grass on the pitch allowing it to breathe and preventing its destruction whilst hordes of head bangers and metal heads surge and trample over the ground.
(Jon Bon Jovi - sold out concerts)
Have you ever seen an audience of passionate and dedicated fans stampeding through the gates upon opening time as they (literally) hurtle, punch, shove, push and prod their way to the front of the stage to get the best possible positions?
(The Who stormed the stadiums)
Protecting the pitch is just one of the obstacles to overcome when deciding to present a major rock or pop concert in a sports stadium - Getting into the ground can be a daunting experience – you would be amazed to know that many grounds only have very small entrances onto the pitch – therefore when an artist like BON JOVI arrives with dozens of enormous Euro-Trucks with staging that is more than 5 stories high you can see that a tiny entrance is hardly helpful! We have even had to use large cranes to lift the staging high over the stands and into the ground.
(Bon Jovi at Bristol City Football Club)
We first began working with the football, rugby and cricket clubs more than a decade ago – Murrayfield/Edinburgh and Aberdeen in Scotland, Bristol City, Hull City, Norwich City, Swansea City, Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forrest, Derby County, Hampshire and Sussex County Cricket Clubs in the UK plus those in Ireland, Poland, throughout the Middle East, Russia and the Ukraine are just some of the locations and clubs we have worked with.
(George Michael's great concerts in Moscow at the Olympisky Stadium and in Kiev)
Having
agreed in principle which artist the venues want to secure it is our job to
approach the management and agencies that exclusively represent the artists – we go
into battle and get the best deal we can. It definitely helps if we can offer a
run of dates rather than just a one-off deal.
(Michael Stipe and REM were amazing)
Having
negotiated the date and the fees, we then have to manage the technical riders,
which can be a interesting to say the least: Everything has to be budgeted for
and priced including: Staging, video screens, sound systems, lighting rigs
weighing mega tons, crowd control barriers (called Mojo Barriers), front of
house control desks, on-stage monitors, spot light towers, seating on the pitch,
sight line calculations for those seated in the stands, dressing rooms,
catering areas, production offices, backstage security, stewards, ticketing
operations and all of this to be agreed before an announcement is made or
advertisement placed.
(Audiences just loved Neil Diamond)
Advertising and marketing these concerts is a skill in itself – sometimes you can make an announcement in the press and suddenly you sell out – but it doesn’t always work like that – indeed more often than not we have to work hard to sell out these venues. The initial burst of publicity involving local newspapers, TV and radio backed up by a poster campaign will create a surge of ticket buying – more than half the stadium ticket sales are often sold at this moment – but when you have seating capacities of between 20,000 and 30,000 people (up to 60,000 audiences for the biggest names). it is unlikely to sell out immediately. Then comes the hard part – to come up with all kinds of publicity stunts, competitions, sponsorship deals and every trick in the book to entice the public to come to your show.
("Do ya think i'm sexy" Rod Stewart performed some great concerts)
Press
interviews with the artists, meets and greets before the show (if the artist
will agree), getting the artist from the airport if they’ve flown in to the
venue, police support - Traffic control and parking for the public arriving in
droves. Have you ever tried parking 60 massive Euro-Trucks?
It's great fun if you don’t weaken :)
(Rod gets all the girls!)
It has been a great honour to negotiate and contract these artists and a thrill to watch excited audiences having a great time. This is the real joy – the joy of giving happiness as well as producing a successful, hopefully profitable and memorable event.
The great Carlos Santana at the Silverstone Race Track and in Dubai
Mariah Carey thrilled audiences in Beirut
Who can forget seeing and hearing Beyoncé on stage in action - unforgettable - Neil Diamond in full flow singing "Sweet Caroline", "Love on the Rocks", and hit after hit – seeing Michael Stipe of REM strutting his stuff singing "Losing my Religion", whilst wearing an Ipswich Town Football Team shirt! – The Rocket Man himself Elton John playing piano in a solo concert to 25,000 people gently swooning to “Your Song” and then dancing to “Crocodile Rock” – the Red Hot Chili Peppers thrilling the audiences with stompin’ rocking performances (Flea is such a great bass guitarist) – Billy Joel pounding out "Uptown Girl", "Piano Man" and a "New York State of Mind" – Rod Stewart performing the American Song Book classics with a big orchestra and then rockin’ the night away with “Do ya think I’m sexy”, "Maggie May" and "Downtown Train" – Carlos Santana wailing away - Meatloaf pounding out "Bat out of Hell" – Bon Jovi driving his largely female audience crazy adoringly with “This is Love” – The Who rocking “My Generation” and "Tommy" – George Michael performing for the first time in years knocking the audiences out with his great hits and the whole stadium singing like a monstrous mantra “Freedom” – amazing moments
(Mr PIano Man Billy Joel)
Memorable concerts – great shows – and stadia in many lands filled with happy crowds of
adoring fans having a wonderful time – not bad – not bad at all!
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