The sun sets on Australia?

noelindublin · Loudmouth

The sun sets on Australia?

BTR · Tonight

May 23rd - Sydney Enmore Theatre, Sydney, Australia (tickets go on sale on Thursday)

May 25th - Challenge Stadium, Perth, Australia

Scottie · Loudmouth

Just checked the Sydney venue website. The gig is not listed yet.

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

Tickets go on sale Thursday.

raticus · She's So Modern

Am so jacked off...got my adelaide tickets day 1 and to say i have been excited is an understatement. Been a massive fan since 77 and they cancelled oz tour in 85 as well. Cant myself getting to sydney cos of work commitments. Grrrrrrrrrr

Knew this was on the cards, the venue was wrong, it needed to be somewhere like the Thebarton theatre. When the Sex Pistols did their reunion gigs here they didnt even do the big venues. I saw the specials last year at thebby and that would have been perfect for the rats.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

raticus wrote:
Am so jacked off...got my adelaide tickets day 1 and to say i have been excited is an understatement. Been a massive fan since 77 and they cancelled oz tour in 85 as well. Cant myself getting to sydney cos of work commitments. Grrrrrrrrrr

Knew this was on the cards, the venue was wrong, it needed to be somewhere like the Thebarton theatre. When the Sex Pistols did their reunion gigs here they didnt even do the big venues. I saw the specials last year at thebby and that would have been perfect for the rats.

Commiserations Raticus. As I say most cities have a few small vunues with a good reputation for alternative/punk rock, or just good plain rock acts. Out of interest if the Rats were to play in a small intimate venue in Adelade what size crowd do you think the could attract? I would think that selling between 400 and 800 tickets would be pretty good, and I think they could do that in Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelade with a well chosen vunue with a good, long standing reputation.

Better a small success than a big failure.

-- Edited by noelindublin on Wednesday 17th of April 2013 01:20:04 PM

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

I'll probably be blamed for this by "the management" ...

Same old story, attempting to sell high priced tickets at large venues, cancelling at short notice. Maybe the promoters were naïve and just didn't realise the Rats aren't a massive draw.

Still looking at capacities of 1,500 and 4,500 for Sydney and Perth respectively. The Perth venue looks pretty large...

Fingers crossed Cork goes ahead, but still haven't got my ticket for that...

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
I'll probably be blamed for this by "the management" ...

Same old story, attempting to sell high priced tickets at large venues, cancelling at short notice. Maybe the promoters were naïve and just didn't realise the Rats aren't a massive draw.

Still looking at capacities of 1,500 and 4,500 for Sydney and Perth respectively. The Perth venue looks pretty large...

Fingers crossed Cork goes ahead, but still haven't got my ticket for that...

Sydney might work out but I'm not so sure about Perth. Don't see why the Rats would be a bigger attrraction there then in Brisbane, Adelade or Melbourne. If it's due to ticket sales they the obvious mistake was choosing vunues way to big for a band that had only one real hit in Australia.

Much better to downsize to small clubs with a tradition for punk/alternative acts rather then having to cancel a tour. If a few hunded people turn up at each venus and the gigs are good it's still an Australian Tour- difference is that you have gigs that go ahead and happy punters rather than cancellations.

The smaller vunues are more suited to the Rats sound as I think most of the songs will be from the first three albums. If the Rats are trying to recapture the spirit and feel of the late seventies then well chosed small vunues seems the way to go.I know it's difficult to make it work out financially at small vunues but good reviews and blowing the roof off an intimate vunue is preferable to trying to sell a huge arena and having to cancel. Just my tuppence worth.

Derek The Dane · V Deep

My heart goes out to the people who were going to Australia to see the rats only for it to be called of.The Rats should play festivals or small(ish) clubs.They are sadly not going to sell tickets in large amounts.Had a gut feeling this was going to happen. ArrGee had better watch out as Willow will blame him and threaten to punch my lights out for these cancelations.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Derek The Dane wrote:
My heart goes out to the people who were going to Australia to see the rats only for it to be called of.The Rats should play festivals or small(ish) clubs.They are sadly not going to sell tickets in large amounts.Had a gut feeling this was going to happen. ArrGee had better watch out as Willow will blame him and threaten to punch my lights out for these cancelations.

How big is willo? I know he is small minded smile

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
I would think that selling between 400 and 800 tickets would be pretty good, and I think they could do that in Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelade with a well chosen venue with a good, long standing reputation.

400 @ say £30/head makes £12,000, which might just about pay for Geldof's air fares ...

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

He always flies business class. What about the rest of the band? Lol are they squeezed in economy with the normal people?

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
noelindublin wrote:
I would think that selling between 400 and 800 tickets would be pretty good, and I think they could do that in Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelade with a well chosen venue with a good, long standing reputation.
400 @ say £30/head makes £12,000, which might just about pay for Geldof's air fares ...

The Irish Independent newspaper(19 April) confirms that the gigs were cancelled due to poor ticket sales. I have not full access to the article but it is picked up on by Ulster TV website and This Is Kent Website as well. If anyone has seen the full article then it would be good to expand on the reasons. It will be interesting to hear how Geldof reacts after going out to Oz to publicise the gigs a few weeks ago. Did anyone tell Bob about baby steps....?

http://www.u.tv/Entertainment/Boomtown-Rats-Australian-tour-stumbles/dfa91860-b939-486e-b3c3-b8350a91ebed

http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/Geldof-gigs-called-reunion-tour-falls-flat/story-18747345-detail/story.html#axzz2RC4P6aUs

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
It will be interesting to hear how Geldof reacts after going out to Oz to publicise the gigs a few weeks ago. Did anyone tell Bob about baby steps....?

Someone must have convinced them to take on the tour. Had they announced a similar European tour with five dates at large venues in say London, Dublin, Berlin, Madrid and Milan I would have been doubtful they would sell many tickets, but to do so in Australia didn't seem credible. After all, it's not like there have been many if any posters from Australia around here in the last ten years.

Isle of Wight and Chagstock should be OK, but I hope Cork isn't having the same issues.

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

Interestingly, a poster on FB is feeling a little Rat lonely since moving to Oz. Julia used to say they weren't that popular there. Until the internet, she had trouble getting anything Rat related.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
noelindublin wrote:
It will be interesting to hear how Geldof reacts after going out to Oz to publicise the gigs a few weeks ago. Did anyone tell Bob about baby steps....?
Someone must have convinced them to take on the tour. Had they announced a similar European tour with five dates at large venues in say London, Dublin, Berlin, Madrid and Milan I would have been doubtful they would sell many tickets, but to do so in Australia didn't seem credible. After all, it's not like there have been many if any posters from Australia around here in the last ten years.
Isle of Wight and Chagstock should be OK, but I hope Cork isn't having the same issues.

Geldof, to be fair to him, has slogged around some smaller and 'unfashionable' places in the last few years. The Australian dates to me anyway always seemed too glamorous and over ambitioius for a band which only really had one hit single in Ausrtralia. It's another thing if enough people in Oz know the albums and other singles to come out and wish to see the Rats live. Sadly on this evidence not enough people are making that choice. They may downsize and reschedule the gigs till a later date, who knows?

I don't think there is necessarly a correlation to amount of posters on forum and popularity. Geldof at Islington proves that. The vast, vast majority of fans be they of football clubs or bands don't post of message boards or even Facebook. They just turn up at gigs or buy records and then vanish into the ether. I love music -the only forum I post on is this one, 'cos the Rats are my favourite band.

Re the Cork gig. Aiken Promotions ran an ad on RTE Radio 1 which I only heard about twice. Theythen started heavily promoting other gigs at the Marque, Cork for the summer dates, namely Sting and Elton John and other 'heavy hitters' who don't really need the promotion. Maybe, and quite likely the may run the ad again nearer the date of the gig. It's hard to guess how tickets will sell, but I'd say it should be ok, though not a sell out at about 4,000 tickets.Whtever about Australia it would be a big blow to have to cancel in Ireland, where,along with the Uk,the band had all their chart success.

A well chosen support band from Cork like local 'heroes' Sultans of Ping might get some local interest and push the numbers up. I don't think any support act has been announced yet.

-- Edited by noelindublin on Tuesday 23rd of April 2013 02:01:51 PM

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:

I don't think there is necessarly a correlation to amount of posters on forum and popularity. Geldof at Islington proves that. The vast, vast majority of fans be they of football clubs or bands don't post of message boards or even Facebook.

Vast majority don't, but safe to say it is a certain percentage. Certainly the Arsenal forum I visit and the Pulp forum I moderate on are far more active.

And having pretty much zero interest from down under prior to the gigs being announced and precious little after, the size of the venues was questionable.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
... enough people in Oz know the albums and other singles to come out and wish to see the Rats live. Sadly on this evidence not enough people are making that choice.

I have wondered why people who aren't big fans would bother. There are numerous peers of the Rats whom I like, but to be honest I wouldn't be bothered enough to get a ticket. Example include Stranglers, Damned, Specials, Squeeze, Blondie, Buzz****s. I have got tickets for Elvis Costello, and I'd probably see Julian Cope, but those aside, I don't think I'd be interested in much else from that era. I am more selective these days as I don't get many nights out, so I make sure the ones I do have are for acts I really like. As much as I would like it to be the case, I doubt 20,000 Australians are interested.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
noelindublin wrote:
... enough people in Oz know the albums and other singles to come out and wish to see the Rats live. Sadly on this evidence not enough people are making that choice.
I have wondered why people who aren't big fans would bother. There are numerous peers of the Rats whom I like, but to be honest I wouldn't be bothered enough to get a ticket. Example include Stranglers, Damned, Specials, Squeeze, Blondie, Buzz****s. I have got tickets for Elvis Costello, and I'd probably see Julian Cope, but those aside, I don't think I'd be interested in much else from that era. I am more selective these days as I don't get many nights out, so I make sure the ones I do have are for acts I really like. As much as I would like it to be the case, I doubt 20,000 Australians are interested.

Watching Blondie on Youtube from the IoW 2009 Festival I was struck at the amount of young people in the audience.More concerning perhaps was that they were watching, lets face it, Debby Harry well past her late seventies iconic prime.Not that Blondie do not put on a good show nowadays. The sad fact is that age has caught up with all our punk/new wave heroes and are we as fans guilty of wanting to live in the past, when that past is well and truly confined to history long ago?

Even watching the Kings Of Leon DVD from the O2 in London as I did at the weekend was exhausting, never mind going out to a real gig! I've seen good shows by bands in the latter part of their careers, such as Echo and the Bunnymen, Love, The Wonderstuff, Boomtown Rats with Garry and Simon , Bob Geldof and some others over the years that did not disappoint. However I am not too inclined to go to live gigs nowadays no matter who is playing. Watching Later with Jools on DVD is a pretty decent substitute for going out so I suppose I've more or less become an armchair music fan.

My instinct is that the Boomtown Rats can still cut the mustard live and by recording new songs. They just need to get some gigs under their belts and be up for the fight.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
...then started heavily promoting other gigs at the Marque, Cork for the summer dates, namely Sting and Elton John and other 'heavy hitters' who don't really need the promotion.

None of the Marquee gigs are selling out, is it that popular?

Isle of Wight is getting heavy promotion on Canary Wharf screens, that can't be selling well either.

suss · In the Long Grass

This doesn't look too good, on the ticket site...

Venue:
Enmore Theatre, NSW

Date:
Thu 23 May 2013 7:30PM

Ticket pricing at:
Enmore Theatre, NSW on
Thu 23 May 2013 7:30PM

Unable to display additional information at this time.

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

This has a different date, but same theatre. Says cancelled: http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/Boomtown-Rats-tickets/artist/1837777

That's the new venue isn't it?

suss · In the Long Grass

That was original gig at original venue on 21st that got cancelled and, as it says on the link, relocated to Enmore, for 23rd.

But trying to get a ticket on Enmore link is at best suspended, which doesn't bode well cry .

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

I could try being optimistic saying it has sold out. But then I have to be realistic

. Do you have tickets to this one?

suss · In the Long Grass

No - didn't buy any tickets up front.

Would hazard that 'sold out' prompts a slightly different message myself, but I admire the positive thinking smile

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

You're probably right. Maybe it's just a technical fault? Look again later.

Scottie · Loudmouth

Just been on Enmore's site. Still selling tickets at the moment. Bob is doing Business Chicks in Sydney, would not make sense to cancel it if he is there anyway.

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

yes Irene I just went to the Enmore website and started to buy a couple tickets and it happily put 2 in my basket. Assuming when you put your credit card details in air continues to process, it seems all is fine and dandy.

Scottie · Loudmouth

Better doing it from the Theatre's own site I think. Steve Turnrer got his on Monday and got row K (the best available) Fingers crossed.

suss · In the Long Grass

Must have been a temporary blip then. I was on Enmore linked (ticketek) site too. Seems fine now. Phew!

As for Business Chicks, that's fine for Bob, but shipping whole band and entourage over for a gig has to be viable, so sales need to make it worthwhile.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
I'd imagine Ollie Murs, Sting, Elton John, Bell X1, Christy Moore, and Emelda May would all be sell out gigs. Some of the acts are harder to figure, like The National or ZZ Top or Elvis Costello. Live at The Marquee seems to be spread out over a two week period, with some acts I just do not know about like Little Mix and Kesha.
...
One advantage the Rats have is that the gig is on a Friday night, rather than a weekday.Could all be down to choosing between Sting, Costello, and The Rats for a lot of people. Maybe a trible bill of aforesaid acts might have sold out very quickly, but all playing seperately it's hard to know.

Christy Moore and Elvis Costello may sell out as they have seating and therefore less capacity.

Always amazed at how popular Bell X1 are in Ireland as they have made no impact whatsoever in the UK. Much like Aslan in their day.

Speaking of Aslan, a cautionary tale from last year when poor ticket sales led to a cancellation. http://www.rte.ie/ten/2012/0607/aslan2.html And Christy Dignam was recently disgnosed with cancer. http://www.rte.ie/ten/2013/0313/aslan.html

I would have thought that of the three, the Rats would be the most interesting given they haven't played since 1986. In fact, aside from the recent Wilko Johnson gigs, I can't think of anyone else worth seeing more this year. Ok, maybe I'm biased, but pretty much everyone else doing the festivals this year has played somewhere in the last twelve months or so.

-- Edited by ArrGee on Monday 29th of April 2013 07:27:11 PM

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
noelindublin wrote:
...then started heavily promoting other gigs at the Marque, Cork for the summer dates, namely Sting and Elton John and other 'heavy hitters' who don't really need the promotion.ï¿½
ï¿½None of the Marquee gigs are selling out, is it that popular?
Isle of Wight is getting heavy promotion on Canary Wharf screens, that can't be selling well either.

Â I'd imagine Ollie Murs, Sting, Elton John, Bell X1, Christy Moore, and Emelda May would all be sell out gigs. Some of the acts are harder to figure, like The National or ZZ Top or Elvis Costello. Live at The Marquee seems to be spread out over a two week period, with some acts I just doÂ not know about like Little Mix and Kesha.

For the Cork gigs there is only so much money to go around, in these hard pressed times. Fans have to choose carefully. That said adverts for various concerts seem to beÂ in Â the top radio ad Â slots always, in Ireland at least.

One advantage the Rats have is that the gig is on a Friday night, rather than a weekday.Could all be down to choosing between Sting, Costello, and The Rats for a lot of people. Maybe a trible bill of aforesaid acts might have sold out very quickly, but all playing seperately it's hard to know.

Re: IoW Festival being advertised at Canary Wharf, o the irony. IoW Festival was almost fought over by hippies who wished it to be a free festival (free music, free food and free love!) back in the late sixties, early seventies.

There's an excellent two hour documentary about the 1970 IoW Festival on YouTube. A remarkable view of how times change, and a whole different era.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
noelindublin wrote:
I'd imagine Ollie Murs, Sting, Elton John, Bell X1, Christy Moore, and Emelda May would all be sell out gigs. Some of the acts are harder to figure, like The National or ZZ Top or Elvis Costello. Live at The Marquee seems to be spread out over a two week period, with some acts I just do not know about like Little Mix and Kesha.
...
One advantage the Rats have is that the gig is on a Friday night, rather than a weekday.Could all be down to choosing between Sting, Costello, and The Rats for a lot of people. Maybe a trible bill of aforesaid acts might have sold out very quickly, but all playing seperately it's hard to know.
Christy Moore and Elvis Costello may sell out as they have seating and therefore less capacity.
Always amazed at how popular Bell X1 are in Ireland as they have made no impact whatsoever in the UK. Much like Aslan in their day.
Speaking of Aslan, a cautionary tale from last year when poor ticket sales led to a cancellation. http://www.rte.ie/ten/2012/0607/aslan2.html And Christy Dignam was recently disgnosed with cancer. http://www.rte.ie/ten/2013/0313/aslan.html
I would have thought that of the three, the Rats would be the most interesting given they haven't played since 1986. In fact, aside from the recent Wilko Johnson gigs, I can't think of anyone else worth seeing more this year. Ok, maybe I'm biased, but pretty much everyone else doing the festivals this year has played somewhere in the last twelve months or so.

-- Edited by ArrGee on Monday 29th of April 2013 07:27:11 PM

I've never liked Christy Moore or Aslan. I've always found Irish rock music pretty dreadful and so many bands like Bell X1, The Frames and Snow Patrol (from NI) are bewilderingly for me, successful at home and abroad. Then there's complete tosh like The Sawdoctors- the list never seems to end. disbelief

Derek The Dane · V Deep

Johhny Logan is still very big here in Denmark,cannot work out if that is a good or bad thing.

Lisa · Mondo Bongo

Derek The Dane wrote:
Johhny Logan is still very big here in Denmark,cannot work out if that is a good or bad thing.

Mr Eurovision! I loved his songs - it was certainly a step up from Brotherhood of Man But OMG have just looked on wikipedia and got a shock - he's not looking quite so youthful as I remember him! biggrin

Just out of interest, has anyone seen the Father Ted episode where they enter their song "My Lovely Horse"? Hilarious!

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Derek The Dane wrote:
Johhny Logan is still very big here in Denmark,cannot work out if that is a good or bad thing.

It's probably good for Logan's bank account more than anything else.

Welsh singer David Grey was hugely popular in Ireland while not doing to well in the UK itself.Bob Geldof is touring Germany and the Netherlands later this year so he must have some fans there. Here is Geldof singning autographys before a Berlin gig......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5h6XIVgUkM

-- Edited by noelindublin on Wednesday 1st of May 2013 12:48:49 PM

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Lisa wrote:
Derek The Dane wrote:
Johhny Logan is still very big here in Denmark,cannot work out if that is a good or bad thing.
ï¿½Mr Eurovision!ï¿½ I loved his songs - it was certainly a step up from Brotherhood of Man ï¿½ But OMG have just looked on wikipedia and got a shock - he's not looking quite so youthful as I remember him!
Just out of interest, has anyone seen the Father Ted episode where they enter their song "My Lovely Horse"?ï¿½ Hilarious!

Â In the episode called Rock a Hula Fr Jack impersonates 'Sir Bob':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCcCWbZi8aI

Lisa · Mondo Bongo

I look forward to watching that later

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

Thanks for sharing that link, I knew about but had never seen it. Love it. Wonder what Bob thinks

Scottie · Loudmouth

Sorry guys, the Enmore Theatre website and Challenge Stadium says the gigs has been cancelled. http://www.enmoretheatre.com.au/search/boomtown+rats

http://www.venueswest.wa.gov.au/challenge-stadium/events/#boomtown-rats/

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

The sun has set on Australia now

.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Hopefully Raticus, you might get to see the Rats at some stage in the future, in Europe or wherever.It was putting the cart before the horse, so to speak , going for Oz gigs without testing the water nearer home.

From what I've read the promoter was a fan and was a bit ' mystified' at the lack of ticket sales, but then again promoting gigs is a bit of an inexact science and sometimes it's hard to gauge how popular or not and act will be.

It doesn't take from the bands greatness, more likely it shows that less deserving bands can sometimes get the big gigs and attention. Music sometimes is unfair.

-- Edited by noelindublin on Monday 27th of May 2013 04:10:23 PM

raticus · She's So Modern

Tonight was the night i got to see the Rats agian after all these years but because of stupid and greedy scheduling it aint happening. I am so disapointed and pissed off, been a huge fan since 77 so this was big deal for me, kinda feels a little empty this eve . Pathetic really.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

raticus wrote:
Tonight was the night i got to see the Rats agian after all these years but because of stupid and greedy scheduling it aint happening. I am so disapointed and pissed off, been a huge fan since 77 so this was big deal for me, kinda feels a little empty this eve . Pathetic really.

Geldof is due to play a date in Singapore on 21 Sept 2013 with his solo band, rather than the Rats.

-- Edited by noelindublin on Thursday 27th of June 2013 02:15:59 PM