Tour Divorce

Image credit: U2: Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com

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Aimee Mann

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Further complicating existing U.S. tour dates for many acts is the daunting task of selling out venues. ''People here are a little leery of large crowds and traveling,'' explains Ray Waddell, tour reporter for Billboard magazine. ''The attacks have really put a damper on the business, and even though major acts like U2 are already sold out and are well-insulated from the downturn, a lot of tours in formative stages right now aren't going to happen.''

Worse, missed tour dates and skittish fans are just the latest blow to the touring industry, which was already feeling the impact of a softening economy. Ticket sales for the 50 most popular tours were down by 12.3 percent for the first six months of 2001 compared to 2000. ''Concerts are a discretionary expense, so when people are cutting back, that's going to be one of the first things to go,'' says Waddell. ''If someone's on the fence about an artist, they aren't going to experiment on a $50 or $75 ticket right now.''

What's more, touring is becoming a more expensive proposition at the same time that audiences are dwindling. ''Because so many insurance companies took a hit from the recent tragedies, they're looking to recoup their losses, and insurance rates are increasing 15-20 percent,'' says Waddell.

Still, this doesn't mean your favorite bass player will soon be selling autographs for beer money. Even with higher overhead and cancelled overseas dates, most tours are moneymakers, and artists get a far larger percentage of their tour profits than they do from their album sales. But with industry insiders saying that some performers are dropping ticket prices to fill seats, these acts may have to cut back on at least a few luxuries to stay in the black. ''The price point for a concert is a constantly moving target, and it varies from artist to artist and city to city, all depending on demand,'' says Bongiovanni. ''Certainly you can make money if you budget it so you're not staying in the Ritz Carlton and lugging a ton of equipment.'' Then what's the point of being a rock star?