#173

A devastating loss 🇮🇱

Issue #173 | October 10, 2023Our hearts go out to Israel, especially to the family and friends of the guests and everyone working at Tribe of Nova Festival. Truly heartbreaking.

Hoping our Canadian friends had an enjoyable Thanksgiving full of feasting and family time.

Credit: EDM TunesIsraeli festival massacre260 bodies have been found at the grounds of the Tribe of Nova music festival near the Gaza-Israel border so far; with the number expected to increase. The festival was hit by Gaza militants on Saturday morning as part of the initial strike of Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel. This is the worst civilian massacre in Israel’s history. At first, the festival was evacuated when rockets were seen overhead, but that quickly changed when gunmen stormed the festival and spent hours raining bullets and grenades on the helpless attendees. Several others were captured and are being held hostage, as seen on videos like this, posted on social media.

Memphis in May's future up in the airMemphis in May International Festival has released its 2023 Annual Report, revealing a financial loss of $3.48 million during its return to Tom Lee Park. Despite difficulties such as obtaining a lease, access problems, and reduced usable space, attendees seemed to be happy about the festival's return to the riverfront. However, attendance at the Beale Street Music Festival and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest was down from previous years. Looking ahead, “We are assessing all options for 2024 and making some tough but necessary decisions.”

Veep's introduces All AccessVeeps, a live streaming platform backed by Live Nation, has unveiled a new subscription service called "All Access," which offers users exclusive access to live concert streams and content. This subscription-based offering allows music fans to enjoy live performances, behind-the-scenes footage, and other exclusive content from their favorite artists. For $11.99 per month or $120 per year, subscribers will have access to at least one live show per day and a library of previously-recorded live streams from major artists.

Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour by the numbersBeyoncé's Renaissance World Tour is officially the highest-grossing tour by a female artist in history at $579 million and the seventh-highest-grossing tour overall. Breaking that down, she made $10.3 million per show across 56 shows, nearly double Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road, which averaged $2.8 million per show during its 5-year, 330 show run (the highest grossing tour of all time at $939.1 million). Beyoncé also took the crown for biggest one-month gross with $127.6 million. Your move, Taylor.   

Sphere London moving forwardWith the US in awe over the Sphere’s debut in Las Vegas, folks across the pond aren’t as excited. London residents continue to express their opposition to the proposed plans for another Sphere to be built in Stratford, UK; MSG’s first property outside of the US. They are concerned about increased congestion, light pollution, and noise pollution in the area, as well as potential impacts on the skyline and the surrounding environment. But Jim Dolan won’t be thwarted. He is “still very much moving forward…to build more Spheres all over the world.” 

Ticketmaster broke records in the UK and IrelandTicketmaster had a record-breaking summer in the UK and Ireland, with 4 million tickets “scanned into” events. “Just when we think it can’t get any bigger, another record-breaking summer rolls in,” said Andrew Parsons, Ticketmaster UK Managing Director. 80% of the tickets scanned were via SafeTix, which uses an encrypted barcode tied to a Ticketmaster account to prevent fraud.

"A symphony of splashes and beats"Tomorrowland may be expanding into theme parks? Momentum Leisure, a visionary Dutch entertainment group, has conceptualized a Tomorrowland Water Park, “ a symphony of splashes and beats … where euphoria meets the waves.” There is already a Tomorrowland-designed roller coaster, “The Ride to Happiness by Tomorrowland”, at Popsaland de Panne, a theme park in Belgium, so why not a water park? Kurt Heerman’s designs look pretty spectacular, if you ask us.  

Security training shortcutsThe Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) is urging the UK's Security Industry Authority (SIA) to reconsider its approach to accrediting security training providers, following an undercover investigation. The investigation by BBC discovered that potential security officers could pay more to complete the mandatory 6-day training course in just a day and a half, missing out on crucial first aid training and amidst other things. Not only that, NTIA argues that the current system lacks transparency and fails to meet the specific needs of clubs, bars, and live music venues.  

  INK Entertainment is hiring a Senior Events Manager to oversee their roster of events in Toronto, ON.      Marriott is hiring a Senior Special Events Manager to lead the Christmas attractions production and operations at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa in Texas.     Freeman is seeking a hybrid Technical Director - Live Events out of Dallas, TX, Chicago, IL, Orlando, FL, Nashville, TN, or Washington DC. ASM Global is hiring an entry-level Event Coordinator at Toyota Arena in Ontario, CA.  

Would you rather work or watch an upcoming show at the Sphere?

Last Week's Results:

47% of BOH readers have experienced show-stopping bad behavior (by fans) at a show.

Lineups, Festival & Tour Announcements

In honor of World Mental Health Day today, we are sharing (and resharing) some great mental health resources for our industry. 

  • Backline: Mental health and wellness resources for the music industry.

  • MusiCares: A safety net of critical health and welfare services to the music community.

  • Music Minds Matter: Help Musicians' dedicated mental health support line and service for the whole UK music community.

  • Music Health Alliance: Music’s free resource for healthcare, including mental health.

  • Behind the Scenes: Tools and resources to support entertainment industry workers and promote mental health and wellness.

Please remember, you are not alone. For immediate help, text 988.

 

November 6 in Houston, TX: Event Safety Alliance’s inaugural Outreach Trainers Seminar for the Entertainment and Live Events Industry. Full program overview is here.

 

 

Go BOH and check out the light plots and gear used during U2’s shows at the Sphere Las Vegas.

 Do You Really Need to Record That? Unpacking the Compulsion to Record Every Live Event. Spotify will now offer its premium US subscribers 15 free hours of audiobook streaming per month.

 Tips for working with event photographers.

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