Kirk Hammet: "we can't stop touring"

[bigcountry]

The music industry is soooooo different today than in Metallica and GNR's hey day.

If you got 2 bucks a record sale and sell 15 million copies thats 30 million dollars anyway you look at it.

But today you might sell 2-3 million copies and get 2 bucks a piece for sales thats only 4-6 million. Still a nice payday day but most albums don't sell that well, unless you are appealing to the teeny poppers.

Concert tickets around 1990 where $20-25 a piece and the record companies got very little of it and most of the money made touring was pocketed by the band.

Fast forward to now and the record companies can't sell records like in the 80's and early to mid 90's.......

So they have to make there money somewhere and that is by getting a cut of the concert ticket sales, why do you think tickets are so damn high!!

So basically bands like Metallica, GNR and many others are opting to tour more for the better pay day, it cost alot to make a new record and then to only sell 1-2 million copies is hardly much of a pay back on your investment because people are going to the shows whether you new songs or not.

[Cruel Intentions]

The difference is Metallica has been recording new music and everyone knows it's just a matter of time before they put out their next album. With GNR, nobody has any idea what to expect going forward.

[eschman]

Just make music that doesn't suck and don't worry about the business of it. Sheeze, you're presumably doing what you love...if the promoters are up your ass about how much you're making, finsh your shitty contract with them and do shit yourself . I swear, if the industry doesn't evolve past needing middlemen then it deserves to die.

[DeadSlash]

So what? I have to work too...

+1

Yeah really. I can't take 2-3 weeks off of work, fuck years.

Of course, my job isn't as hard as his, I don't have to have to deal with strange pu$$y begging for me every night, or 10,000 + people worshiping me.

I can't imagine having to play an instrument for 2 hours 3 nights out of the week, then going backstage to eat sushi off some perfect 10's tits.

Jesus Christ people, help these boys out. Who had good organizational skills? Can we get a Kickstart program for these guys or what?

[DownUnderScott]

Those guys have made TONS of money. Half these celebrities just spend their money faster than they earn it.....

Sadly, it's true.

Don't you mean 'Sad But True'...

[dalsh327]

The music industry is soooooo different today than in Metallica and GNR's hey day.

If you got 2 bucks a record sale and sell 15 million copies thats 30 million dollars anyway you look at it.

But today you might sell 2-3 million copies and get 2 bucks a piece for sales thats only 4-6 million. Still a nice payday day but most albums don't sell that well, unless you are appealing to the teeny poppers.

Concert tickets around 1990 where $20-25 a piece and the record companies got very little of it and most of the money made touring was pocketed by the band.

Fast forward to now and the record companies can't sell records like in the 80's and early to mid 90's.......

So they have to make there money somewhere and that is by getting a cut of the concert ticket sales, why do you think tickets are so damn high!!

So basically bands like Metallica, GNR and many others are opting to tour more for the better pay day, it cost alot to make a new record and then to only sell 1-2 million copies is hardly much of a pay back on your investment because people are going to the shows whether you new songs or not.

They've said ticket prices were artificially inflated in the 90s, Pearl Jam called bullshit on it and fought to keep it around 30-50 dollars. Azoff restructured ticket prices so people in the nosebleeds can see the show for cheaper than what they had been paying, shifted it to the prime seats, and raised those prices. But if the band has multiple endorsements, they should be cutting the ticket prices.

Entertainment in a rough economy should be close to free if they want the audience. It's a want, not a need. Live entertainment's been replaced over the years, but there's still a demand for it. Watching a Ustream or a DVD isn't going to cut being there for most people.

Metallica doing the festival - Lars said he's prob. going to lose money putting it together, but it's like any business, you have to put money into it, learn from it, and hope it breaks even and in the future, start making money off of it. Perry Farrell didn't know what he was doing with Lollapalooza - Janes was dying out at the time - but it was the beginning of something that other countries had been doing for years. Now you have festivals all over the US, but it took a lot of trial and error, some fests did well, some failed, some are on occasion. But it really is the only way for a new band to get any sort of attention, music video sure isn't doing it anymore.

Some bands are just putting recording on hold just because when it comes to a major label, there's so much money spent in promoting it, that you might not see any money from sales. Ever.

Lars was a bonehead when it came to Napster. He should've made a short film about the recording process, promotions, how much that all costs the band, and how long it takes to see album sales. They should have started off saying, "we love the people who record our live shows, this isn't about that... this is just about our studio albums".

And I would've had one of the Grateful Dead there, because he would've said the same thing - "we love our fans, keep on taping, but please stop sharing our studio recordings" and here's why.

I do think established artists are going to be putting more songs out, more digital EPs, and then put the whole album out. It's a cheaper way of finding out who's buying your music with little promotion behind it. I know Axl likes to do things big, but when it comes to new music - no one knows, us or the band, how it's going to sell. You can't base it on Chinese Democracy, either, new music by them is no longer considered "long awaited follow up" or "highly anticipated".

[finck6]

I believe money is the main reason as well. I mean, when you think about it there is not a whole lot to gain by recording a new album and I think Axl is knows this. There is cost involved with recording and promotion. Then there is the legal fees and lawsuits etc. A chance the album will not get the response it deserves. I would love nothing more than hearing new material but I am a realist. It's not 1990 anymore. Those days of selling 10million cds at 25 bucks a pop are gone. I actually feel bad for today's young artists, they probably have no idea what it was like. Instead of selling 10million cds they are getting 50million hits on YouTube and touring their asses off to pay the small army they employ. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they do alright but i don't think it's the gravy train it once was. Axl is taking the safe steady income streams of touring and I can't say I would do any different if I was blessed with his talent. I do feel the current members of gnr have a lot of recording left in them but Axl is the CEO and he is playing it safe. I think it's the same with interviews, I mean what is there to gain. Will an interview sell that many more seats to a show? But then again, this is pure speculation on my part as I am not in the music business nor do I have any idea how gnr operates.

they say "money" is the root of all evil

[Chris 55]

I believe money is the main reason as well. I mean, when you think about it there is not a whole lot to gain by recording a new album and I think Axl is knows this. There is cost involved with recording and promotion. Then there is the legal fees and lawsuits etc. A chance the album will not get the response it deserves. I would love nothing more than hearing new material but I am a realist. It's not 1990 anymore. Those days of selling 10million cds at 25 bucks a pop are gone. I actually feel bad for today's young artists, they probably have no idea what it was like. Instead of selling 10million cds they are getting 50million hits on YouTube and touring their asses off to pay the small army they employ. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they do alright but i don't think it's the gravy train it once was. Axl is taking the safe steady income streams of touring and I can't say I would do any different if I was blessed with his talent. I do feel the current members of gnr have a lot of recording left in them but Axl is the CEO and he is playing it safe. I think it's the same with interviews, I mean what is there to gain. Will an interview sell that many more seats to a show? But then again, this is pure speculation on my part as I am not in the music business nor do I have any idea how gnr operates.

they say "money" is the root of all evil

Those who don't have any say that.

[volcano62]

Because all I need is a mediocre life to be happy.

Same here...i love my life, house and family. All that would change is I would buy a Mustang

I would still wear jeans and a t-shirt no matter how rich I was. i thinks it's retarded to spend thousands even hundreds of $$$$ on clothes.

Edited June 4, 2012 by volcano62

[finck6]

I believe money is the main reason as well. I mean, when you think about it there is not a whole lot to gain by recording a new album and I think Axl is knows this. There is cost involved with recording and promotion. Then there is the legal fees and lawsuits etc. A chance the album will not get the response it deserves. I would love nothing more than hearing new material but I am a realist. It's not 1990 anymore. Those days of selling 10million cds at 25 bucks a pop are gone. I actually feel bad for today's young artists, they probably have no idea what it was like. Instead of selling 10million cds they are getting 50million hits on YouTube and touring their asses off to pay the small army they employ. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they do alright but i don't think it's the gravy train it once was. Axl is taking the safe steady income streams of touring and I can't say I would do any different if I was blessed with his talent. I do feel the current members of gnr have a lot of recording left in them but Axl is the CEO and he is playing it safe. I think it's the same with interviews, I mean what is there to gain. Will an interview sell that many more seats to a show? But then again, this is pure speculation on my part as I am not in the music business nor do I have any idea how gnr operates.

they say "money" is the root of all evil

Those who don't have any say that.

middleclass americans don't have money. they're looking 4 handouts from the 1% millionaires and billionaires with their hands held out

[kanadaeh]

I believe money is the main reason as well. I mean, when you think about it there is not a whole lot to gain by recording a new album and I think Axl is knows this. There is cost involved with recording and promotion. Then there is the legal fees and lawsuits etc. A chance the album will not get the response it deserves. I would love nothing more than hearing new material but I am a realist. It's not 1990 anymore. Those days of selling 10million cds at 25 bucks a pop are gone. I actually feel bad for today's young artists, they probably have no idea what it was like. Instead of selling 10million cds they are getting 50million hits on YouTube and touring their asses off to pay the small army they employ. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they do alright but i don't think it's the gravy train it once was. Axl is taking the safe steady income streams of touring and I can't say I would do any different if I was blessed with his talent. I do feel the current members of gnr have a lot of recording left in them but Axl is the CEO and he is playing it safe. I think it's the same with interviews, I mean what is there to gain. Will an interview sell that many more seats to a show? But then again, this is pure speculation on my part as I am not in the music business nor do I have any idea how gnr operates.

they say "money" is the root of all evil

I believe "lack of money" is the root of all evil

[MJG]

Of course they need money. Everyone thinks that rock stars have shit tons of money just leaking out all over the place, but the reality is that even "rich" people have bills too - it's all relative.

I agree - when I read the OP I don't see it being about Lars or Hetfields own personal fortunes or whatever. Fuckin look at Metallica - its an organisation - there's likely at least a few hundred people that rely on that company to pay their wage - roadies etc and other folks.

Dunno if the same applies to GNR though. They could need it for legal fees haha. And Hammet saying you can't stop for 2/3 years - Axl stopped for about 7 haha - does that mean he was much richer????????