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the cost of performing


fatboy

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was reading in the paper the other day about how artists performing on the X-factor have to pay for this prime slot. Alexandria's performance cost somthing like 40'000, Bon Jovi was about 35'000 and Diana Ross was a cool million for hers. Pretty high fee's if you ask me, what do you think?

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no, this is the fee the artists have to pay the company who does X-factor to perform on the show

I misread it, purely because X Factor paying for big name artists to play on their show is what makes the most sense and seems perfectly logical, reflecting the ethics of real life. Paying to play on a show is absolutely barmy. But I guess these stars have got more money than sense, and the amounts paid probably have the tiniest of effects on their bank balances I imagine.

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It's a big old advert for the artists who play on the show. They're the ones who stand to benefit from being on tv to hawk their new album/DVD/steaming pile of faeces so it stands to reason that they'd have to pay for the privilege. It's bound to be more effective than putting an ad in the commercial break and they'd have to pay for that too.

The show itself could manage fine without any of these folks bring on - I doubt anyone tuned into the show purely based on the fact that Bon jovi were performing their new single.

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The X-factor is itself nothing but a giant advert with the sole purpose of sucking money out of the gormless twats and unlucky parents of said gormless twats that buy this shit.

It should really be called xmas number 1-factor, Simon Cowells money making machine. He must be pissing himself at all these idiots that call him nasty Simon Cowell and say they hate him while at the same time pumping his pockets full of cash.

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His arse, obviously.

Shut it or I'll bum you, you skin slapping tot.

To be fair, and in the tradition of the current government, I have plucked the percentage out of thin air as a rough gauge.

A more accurate post should have read "are the majority of tours not buy ons?"; certainly anectodal evidence from types down here seems to support the "Buy On" as a regular thing for your more well known bands. Presumably its the record company (and then ultimately the band itself that foots the bill).

If you have any constructive thoughts to the contrary, feel free to present them.

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Shut it or I'll bum you, you skin slapping tot.

To be fair, and in the tradition of the current government, I have plucked the percentage out of thin air as a rough gauge.

A more accurate post should have read "are the majority of tours not buy ons?"; certainly anectodal evidence from types down here seems to support the "Buy On" as a regular thing for your more well known bands. Presumably its the record company (and then ultimately the band itself that foots the bill).

If you have any constructive thoughts to the contrary, feel free to present them.

Sure, I know of a lot of friends' bands who have gone on tour with bands, playing venues ranging in size from The Tunnels to The Music Hall and even bigger. None of these were support-slots-for-hire. Obviously, I don't know every single band in the world's workings, but I think it's fairly safe to say that paying-to-support is in the minority, and certainly not anywhere near 90%. It's probably even safer to say that this type of deal is only prevalent in 'pop' tours (I'm talking about X Factor, boy bands, etc...) and package tours.

In the vast majority of cases, support will be decided on one or a number of the following;

- member(s) of headline band like/know support band personally.

- member(s) of headline band's management, booking agency, etc, like/know band personally.

- support band is on same record label / management company / booking agency as headline band.

- headline band can't quite sell out venues on their own, and so choose support band (at least partly) on the knowledge that they will be able to bring in 50 or so people on the strength of their name alone.

Right now, record companies do not have enough money to provide tour support for their bands, let alone pay to even do the tour in the first place!!!

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Guest Tam o' Shantie

I know of a few local bands who have paid to be on big tours. We've been offered buy-ons for tours in the past as well...as if we could afford that shit!

Someone should warn Bon Jovi about the dangers of pay to play...I bet he had to sell 40 tickets to his mates just to break even!

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Agree with what you say to an extent but also have friends (indeed, I've experienced it myself) who have been OK'd for tours on the basis of your first two points but then been dumped (or gazumped) because of buy ons. None of these scenarios have been in the pop world - I am far too well endowed in the belly department to be in a boy band. Package tours I've never been a part of so can't comment.

I suspect that the reality is a horrible grey area somewhere in the middle, as I think the temptation to reduce costs does make the temptation of a financial inducement difficult to ignore. At the end of the day, there must be a rough taste decision - Delays are not going to appear on the same tour as a metal band, for example. But inside sub-genres there'll be a fair of lee-way as long as a band ticks particular aesthetic boxes.

For really small DIY bands putting their own tours on, none of the above would apply.

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Someone should warn Bon Jovi about the dangers of pay to play...I bet he had to sell 40 tickets to his mates just to break even!

perhaps he had a minimum 50 tickets to sell at 5 each and took the gamble by taking out a loan and offering them cut price to ensure bodies through the door. bet he was bricking it with such a high risk strategy... especially by playing a new tune too (well if i'd have watched it i would've known that... :O )

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