I think he's gonna announce he and queen are starting up their own record label. I am about 85% serious. I mean what really could be this big???
No, Queen is signed to Universal and not setting up a label.
www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/News/en-us/queen-0512.aspx***
I believe this will be a tour announcement. And a Queen Tour in the US
is major. In many ways.
It will also require a LOT OF PROMOTION. With is great for Adam and for Adam fans.
A bit of perspective....
Queen ticket in 1977 -- great seats -- 3rd row Spectrum (me!
) -- US$12.75 including fees. Queen ticket in 2014 will be around -- US$286.80 - $64.10 + very expensive VIP packages -- using the Paul Simon-Sting MSG ticket prices.
***
Since their last tour here in 1982, Queen has only toured here one time, and that was with Paul Rodgers. Paul is a very respected rock vocalist but is mostly famous from his work in the 1970s. The reviews for the US Q+PR tour were not good. This leg of the tour did not make money.
As far as I know, Queen has never had a "sold out" arena tour in the US.
>> They came to the US in 1974-1975 as a supporting act for Mott the Hopple.
>> The 1976 US leg of the A Night at the Opera Tour was mostly in theaters.
>> The 1977 US leg of the News of the World Tour is their first tour with mostly large venues. I know that the Northeast shows were mostly sold out but the tour
>> I could not find box scores for The Jazz Tour (1978) but I know that it was not sold out since I attended some concerts.
>> The 1982 US leg of the Queen Hot Space Tour was NOT sold out. Most Box scores are here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Space_Tour>> The 1980 US leg of the Queen Works Tour was NOT sold out but sold better. Some Box scores are here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Space_TourBands and promoters could afford to do a 75% sold out US tour in the 70's but not now. Promoters and bands try to hit 90%+ sold tickets. Assuming the info we have is correct, and they are "only" doing 15 dates in the US and Canada, they will need to be close to sold out. [Most North American arena tours have more dates.]
***
The reviews from the Q+AL+.fun iHR performance were great. I included .fun because I was there, and ended up with a bunch of Clear Channel Pop DJs and PDs who only stayed because of .fun. Then they heard ADAM. So IMO the inclusion of .fun was brilliant. And I think Brian and Roger did iHR to test the waters and get back in front of the key US radio execs and media.
***
An arena tour is a big commitment and there will be
a lot of promotion. 15 dates in US arenas is about 300,000 tickets for a band that last sold out concert here in 1982 with a lead vocalist who has not headlined an arena tour -- [not counting Idols Live! were he was the headliner] -- but has proven he can sell 3,000 to 5,000 tickets without promotion. For Brian and Rodger to do this again -- they will want to be sure it is perceived as a "hit" tour. For a promoter to fund this expensive tour, they will have gotten major promotional commitments from Brian, Roger and Adam [and purchased insurance against cancellations with Brian's history and B&R's ages]. Insurance is a normal part of any major tour, but more important for something like this.
Queen touring the US is BIG news. The addition of a very well known, current singer (Adam) makes this new and different, not just another classic combo tour -- YAWN!! The combination should blow everyone away. So it will be a win, but no one will take any chances.
Why are they doing this tour of the US. My only thought is that Brian and Roger what to finally have a wildly successful arena tour in the US. One of the few things that alluded Queen -- oh and a Grammy win and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. (The Grammy LTAA is a big oversight. Bowie has one, Queen does not.)
The barriers of have an f'ed up label situation in the US, issues of acceptance, lack of commercial fit in 1980's that Queen experienced do not apply now. Perhaps this is there final chance to get the recognition and acclaim they deserve here.
***
MODERATOR"S NOTE: I really do not want to derail the thread with a Queen trivia discussion. I added a bit of Queen tour history to explain why I think there will be a lot of promotion for this tour. You can disagree with me and post about the promotion of the new tour. You can post anything you want about the new tour. If you just want to debate the facts of Queen Tours in the US from the 1970's and early 80's, please PM me. If I made a mistake in facts, I will correct my post. But I know I did not make a mistake in the general concept that Queen has not toured the US successfully since 1982 and that was not an overwhelming success. This is the most difficult market and competitive concert market in the world. It is also by far the largest concert and music market in the world.
So while Queen is huge in the UK, they probably sell more units and generate more absolute dollars from the US -- particularly from licensing royalties on their extraordinarily valuable catalog of songs -- their relative popularity in the US is not comparable to the UK or even Canada, Europe and Asia. I cannot gauge their popularity in Latin America.
I think it also deals with High school &College
