Amy Sinclair
December 26, 2010
Never too young . . . AC/DC guitarist Angus Young. Photo: Paul Rovere
LAST year it was girly pop with Beyonce, Britney Spears and Pink, but '80s rock blasted back as the stadium filler of choice for 2010.
Using estimates provided by promoters and venues, The Sun-Herald compiled a list of the highest-selling concerts of the year.
The legendary Australian rockers AC/DC were the biggest touring act, selling 660,000 tickets across Australia, almost of third of them in NSW.
Promoter Michael Chugg said it had been ''a healthy year, and 2011 is looking bigger and better, with ticket sales already high. The industry is in great shape.''
While the Sydney U2 shows were not quite the sell-outs promoters had wanted, about 450,000 tickets still sold across Australia, making it the second-biggest touring act in the country.
Bon Jovi had the largest ticket sales worldwide but were only third on the list in Australia, selling about 300,000 tickets.
Rounding out the top five acts and continuing the male rock trend were Powderfinger, who played more than 30 shows on their farewell tour, and Metallica, with crowds of 300,000 and 170,000 respectively.
Just when the big concert tours seemed to be mirroring a Triple M playlist from the 1980s, along came Lady Gaga, the flamboyant queen of pop music.
The eccentric American singer, fond of puzzling the world with her weird outfits, was the first pop star to break into the top 10 at No. 6. Her polar opposite, America's sweetheart Taylor Swift, was at No. 9 in what was a tough year for US pop stars - Rihanna, the Jonas Brothers and Christina Aguilera all cancelling shows in their home country owing to poor ticket sales.
Tours by Leonard Cohen and Carole King and James Taylor rounded off the list of artists coming here, most touring well beyond their heyday but still selling out stadiums.
Among those coming to Australia next year are Justin Bieber, Usher and Katy Perry, all for the second time in six months. The nostalgia trend is set to continue with Lionel Richie, Joe Cocker, the Doobie Brothers and Bob Dylan confirmed for Australian gigs.
The influx of overseas artists may be having an effect on music festivals. Big Day Out organisers have announced all ticket holders for the January 27 show can bring a friend without paying, upsetting many ticket holders for the 26th, who paid up to $155 for their tickets.
Top of the pops
1 AC/DC 660,000
2 U2 450,000
3 Bon Jovi 300,000
4 Powderfinger 300,000
5 Metallica 170,000
6 Eagles 150,000
7 Lady Gaga 150,000
8 Leonard Cohen 90,000
9 Taylor Swift 85,000
10 Gorillaz 61,000
Figures are Australian tour audiences.
No comments:
Post a Comment