#130

Today's read ... 7 

minutes

Taylor tops headlines (again), multiple 2023 festivals announce their headliners, and one venue is met with three feet of standing water. Plus, read all about the debate over whether festivals should be supporting harm-reduction services and hear tips and tricks from a concert lighting production designer first-hand.

Credit: David Brendan HallFans Sue TicketmasterIn this week’s edition of Taylor Swift tour pre-sale drama, fans in Los Angeles County are suing Ticketmaster. They claim alleged “fraud, price fixing, and antitrust violations” and seek a $2,500 civil fine per violation. Apparently, pre-sale codes never went out to Taylor’s loyal fans, and fans urge that Ticketmaster wasn’t prepared for the demand. If this is news to you, check out our Openers section from Issue #128 to get caught up.

LN x Ticketmaster UpdateAlso, on Ticketmaster, it’s highly unlikely that any sort of split is in the near future despite a number of parties, including lawmakers and fans, who disagree with their business practices. Citi’s Jason Bazinet comments on the future of the company here.

ASCAP’s Silent AuctionASCAP, the charitable organization that aims to support up-and-coming musicians through funding and education, has launched its second annual silent auction. Until December 16th, you can support their efforts by purchasing a number of one-of-a-kind experiences, like meet and greets, show tickets, and autographed memorabilia.

Palm Tree Comes To AspenKygo and Jack White, head to Aspen, CO, for the first iteration of Palm Tree Music Festival after successful events in The Hamptons, Cabo, and Pag Island. The two-day February 2023 event will be produced by C3 Presents, Belly Up Aspen, and Palm Tree Crew. Many of us here know how difficult it is to produce festivals in the snow, but this crew is excited and ready to make it happen!

The EDC Resort ExperienceIn 2023, EDC will take over the Hilton on the Las Vegas Strip to create a hub for its Headliners. The experience will feature “exclusive parties, wellness activities, happy hours, art installations, gift bags with limited edition merch items, and specialty food & cocktails throughout the resort.” The hotel expansion is lining up to make guests’ experience closer to that of an all-inclusive event, with extras and elevated activations that make it all the more memorable.

Venue ComebackAfter three years of closure, the 1,000-capacity Kägelbanan is scheduled to reopen. The Stockholm Live venue will be taking a break from previously-curated nightclub-esque shows, but will be ready with open arms to take on unique concerts and events.

The Show Must Go OnImagine getting a phone call at 5:45 am to hear your venue is flooded with three feet of water. Well, that’s exactly what happened to Sean Henry last week when a water line broke just down the street from Bridgestone Arena. Fans, staff, volunteers, event partners, and more showed up in big ways and worked together to help restore the venue in just a few days.

Testing Your Drugs HereDespite the political nature of testing drugs for guests attending concerts and festivals, CanTEST’s services at Spilt Milk in Canberra were largely successful. So much so that they ran short of equipment and had to turn away 27 people. Read all about the two-sided program to learn more about why harm-reduction services are beneficial for festivals yet why insurance companies are bowing out.

Women In Music SummitThe third annual WIM summit returns on January 25-27 and will feature workshops, panels, and awards. Many of WIM’s global chapters will be participating to discuss both areas for improvement and opportunities in the music business.

Spotify WrappedThe annual Spotify Wrapped, which started in 2015, was released last week, and without surprise, it took social media by storm. The Spotify-developed year-end recap of your music listening habits is not only something fans look forward to each year, but is a major marketing tool for Spotify. You can read more about the science behind it here.

 BearCom is looking for Live Event Managers to support special events nationwide. Looking to add team members to support video surveillance installation/monitoring. Roles are full-time with a complete benefits package including PTO.

Insomniac is hiring for multiple roles in various departments. CAD Designers, Site Production Crew, Talent Buyers, Finance Managers, and more! You can find out more about current opportunities here. Plus, on January 25th, they’ll be holding their first-ever Virtual Job Fair.

Vibee is seeking a highly motivated and proactive Partnerships Coordinator to join the Property Partnerships team. As a member of the Property Partnerships team, this role will play an important part in the management of hotel and destination property relationships for their Curated Experiences and Integration Events.

Should governments back harm-reduction services at concerts and festivals?

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Astroworld Venue’s New Safety Plan

Since Astroworld, a taskforce was put together and has worked tirelessly to create guidelines for the venue moving forward. “The revised protocols, which will clearly state responsibilities for the various parties involved in events at the venue, will improve communication, development of safety plans, and permitting procedures for large gatherings.” From new protocols to higher levels of transparency and better checks and balances, this is an important next step for the future of events at Houston’s NRG Park.

Lineups Announcements

• Super Bowl Music Fest will be headlined by Paramore, Imagine Dragons, Kane Brown, and Dave Matthews Band.

• Hangout Fest returns May 19-21, 2023, and will be headlined by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

• The highly sought-after tickets for Glastonbury 2023 will be headlined by Elton John.

• Meanwhile, the 10th anniversary of BST Hyde Park will be headlined by rock icons Guns ‘N Roses.

• Live Nation and Royal Albert Hall are planning to throw a new country and Americana festival in May of 2023 featuring Kip Moore, Morgan Wade, and more.

• Electric Forest is back with a massive lineup headlined by ODESZA, Illenium, Zeds Dead, and Above & Beyond.

• Atlanta’s Shaky Knees will feature The Killers, The Lumineers, Muse, and more this coming May.

This week's spotlight is on ... Sooner Rae Routhier 🔦

Interested in concert lighting and production design? Award-winning lighting and production designer Sooner Rae Routhier, who has worked with Coldplay, The Weeknd, KISS, Jay-Z, and many other extraordinary artists, will chat with Live Design’s Ellen Lampert-Gréaux to talk about some of her career highlights, why she is involved in fostering diversity in live entertainment, and how the landscape is changing in the industry.

 Check out this op-ed from Stef Van Vugt on the AI revolution and the music industry. Here are 10 awesome music documentaries you can stream over the holidays with family and friends. This smoky apple cider margarita recipe is perfect for a holiday get-together.

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