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Show , The Daily Utah Chronicle, Friday, Septemberr 30, Page Six It's an uglyjob, but many willing to face the music i l ei &V''I in) 1 Concert Promoters 198 by Ray Carson Chronicle staff ', Many people see it as a glamorous occupation where you meet famous people, enjoy elite parties and make easy money. 'In reality, though, it is quite different. Concert promoting is a risky business. Large amounts of money can double or disappear in one show. Competition is fierce, and secrecy is a business necessity. The hours are long and ' the. work is hard. . Trying to organize a show is chaotic. There are a hundred people with a hundred problems, and the promoter must deal with all of them. Sherman Baker, assistant director of United Concerts said, "You never relax until the band's on the stage and you don't quit worrying that something could go wrong until the ' show is over." , Backstage before a show may seem like pandemonium. A promoter must make sure that everything runs smoothly and that responsibilities are properly delegated. He must worry about the band, sound and lighting equipment, transportation, food, promotion, guest passes and security. As many as 12 hours of work can go into a one and one half hour show. Over the past few years, the business has become even tougher. The music industry has been in a bad slump because of the recession. People have become more selective about how they spend their extra money, and attend fewer shows than in the past. Record companies have had to drastically cut back on signing new acts. The cost of production tours has shot up and caused promoters to be more cautious about booking concerts that may not turn a profit.. The cost of a show can be astronomical. The Styx concert on Aug. 23 cost $25,000 just for lights and sound. When other expenses are added on, a single show can cost over $50,000 to produce. The US Festival, which featured over 20 bands, lost over $20 million because of bad management and inflated costs. Although summer is traditionally the best time for concerts, the excessive number of bands on tour have made it hard for any single act to sell out. Some acts, such as David Bowie and The Police, have done better than other concerts in the last five years. Other acts, such as Linda Ronstadt and Superttamp, have died financially on the road Marvin Gaye, for example, lost $30,000 to $40,000 a show during his sumer tour. In Utah, the exceptionally rainy summer forced several outdoor concerts to cancel. According to Baker, United Concerts loses money everytime they have to reschedule a show. They have fortunately been able to make their money back on sev-r- al successful shows such as the Def Leppard concert. Promoting a. a constant gamble. Promoters operate on several levels. On one level are the v JP jus? j Local concert promoters set up for the summer Styx concert. promoters of local shows such as the Lakefest and the Salt Aire concerts. These promoters have the largest failure rate because most of them have neither the experience nor the financial backing necessary to produce a successful show. Campus promoters, such as Kerry Nicponski of ASUU, . It " fc-- 0 a 3 Si" w mm K . mmw II operate on another level. Most college promoters have the advantage of not having to make a profit since they are funded by student money. ASUU for example, receives $40,000 a year for concerts, lecture series, plays and other forms of entertainment. According to Nicponski, this budget is not enough to do any major shows. To make the money go farther, ASUU about 70 percent of its shows, either with other campus organizations or local promoters. Nicponski hopes to improve am mm mmmm u n (ft ors to"1 campus programming this year by bringing in more d concerts such as The Tubes and Ray Charles. A main problem with campus promoters is continuity; because n they are appointed yearly, it is hard to get the consistent policy necessary to build a successful concert organization. D Scott Arnold, formerly of Creative Concerts, now runs Jungle Music, a cross between local and national promoters. According to Arnold, he brings in less recording acts local consider too small. He can't but major promoters get promoters books the smaller halls that to seat 1,000 3,000. mainly student-oriente- well-kno- continued on page 11 u m -- inOSS ..4 til V. A W 1M3 PooiWOM. ine SH03? SHE 10? TO MICHAEL CAINE RICHARD GERE .HUWWMWMA'.'.'.'.'AWVW. BUV..'.'...'.,.'.. The first lime he saw w her, shfiwasaorostrtufe The second time. 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