RE: The Who - Touring SFX

["Nigel Morton" <nigel@adastey.demon.co.uk>]

Hi,  I've seen posting regards SFX.  All I've got to say about SFX and the
whole concept of a company like them is that IT SUCKS.  At the moment SFX
are steadily "buying up" loads of elements of the music industry - the
venues that put on the acts; the promoters that would use those venues; the
agents that would sell the promoters the acts (also sometimes would've sold
direct to the venue if no promoter insterested in that area).  This means
for example in the UK, two of the most powerful agencies have been bought by
SFX who have folded them in reality into one huge company (of course each
"agency" is claiming it is business as usual) and in turn they've bought up
the single largest promoter as well.  The same has happened in Holland,
Sweden, Denmark, Belgium.

What this means is that "choice" is at the discretion of very few people, in
other words choice equals taste and if someone doesn't like it then it will
be a still birth.  The same has / is happening to major labels, there are
now effectively only 3 - 5 labels left in THE WORLD.  So, we're (the punter)
left with being force fed stuff that has many, many angles and not just
music.  Inter-corporate tie in's are becoming even bigger business than
anyone can have expected.  CHOICE is being removed in the same way that HOPE
for up coming acts (be they good, bad or indifferent) is being further
eroded.

So, if The Who are going "alone" they need OUR support.  Trinifold and Co
have been around a long, long time and believe me they do KNOW what they're
doing.  I am sure that there'll be listees who'll have a moan, gripe or even
claim that I'm wrong.  So what, I don't care, SHUT UP!  I am bored to my
back teeth with the petty opinions of many that have NO fucking idea of how
this ENORMOUS machine known as the music industry works it isn't just make a
record, sell the record and tour the fucking thing there's a lot, lot more
in there and the ones that suffer are the punters who buy the records,
concert tickets and T - shirts as well as the guys and girls who want to
make THEIR own music but have no where to take it.  People like Arni
DiFranco needs applauding, not for her music unless you like it (I don't)
BUT because she's proven that you CAN come from nowhere ville and can MAKE
it on your terms.

Before I get abusive listings a couple of facts that speak for themselves:

1)  I first saw The Who in 1968 and since then have seen them 117 times,
last night in Watford being the most recent.  (I'm sure that there's many
out there who make my viewing figures look piddly but IMHO I think it at
least gives some validity to what I've said here.)
2)  I have worked within the music industry either as a journalist, agent or
manager since Sept 30th 1978.  I may not be rich in a monetary sense BUT I
certainly have enjoyed my time doing what I do, and I'm still doing it.
3)  If you want more info then purchase "All You Need To Know About The
Music Business" by Donald S. Passman on Penguin books - this throws much
light onto areas that have been misrepresented / misunderstood by some less
informed, but highly opinionated, listees.

Rant over, I'll go back to the semi-lurking mode.

NM