It seems nowadays if you don’t have a hit song, viral moment or back catalogue of ‘Greatest Hits’, it’s impossible to sell tickets and tour because it is. With every Anniversary Album and Tour taking over the charts and live sector, there really isn’t much room for new artists.
But first, let me start by defining a legacy artist for you, as it can get a bit blurry. The concept of a legacy artist highlights the long-lasting impact of the artist’s work and how they are remembered as their influence continues to resonate.
Many bands have recently seen reunions, from Girls Aloud, Blink-182 to Blur, but none quite as big as Oasis, who have recently announced a reunion tour for the 30th Anniversary of ‘Definitely Maybe’, which has seen the band ‘record their best-ever week on the UK albums chart, with three albums currently in the top five, 12 songs in the top 40, and 23 in the top 100.’ HMV also confirmed the bands vinyl and CD sales has risen by 500% in the week after the announcement as well as their Spotify seeing a 690% increase.
But with all this hype, the band and Ticketmaster have seen backlash, with ‘over 10 million fans from 158 countries queueing up on the 31st August to buy tickets for their tour,’ causing Ticketmaster to crash and implement a queue for the general website. Other issues arose from the tour sale with ‘Dynamic Pricing’ seeing 10% of ‘In Demand’ tickets rising from £150 to £370, something the government are currently investigating. Now, as much as this affects the fans and consumers trying to purchase Oasis tickets, it also massively affects the grassroots industry, even just for one day. As customers had to queue for hours to get any ticket on Ticketmaster, creating no way for small bands with a last-minute surge in ticket interest able to sell tickets, potentially hindering their events and earnings.
Read also: Why Festivals & Supporting Slots Are Key for Upcoming Artists
Reunion tours and shows aren’t the only way artists are generating income, with ABBA Voyage taking a step into the future with a £140 million venue showcasing the band in their prime as holograms, helping them take away around £1.6 million per week.
Artist biopics have also surged onto the big screen with films ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘Rocketman’ opening the door for others such as Amy Winehouse, Bob Marley and future projects for Bob Dylan and The Beatles, helping artists cash in on their lives.
Your favourite artists have also been popping up on the big screen with Live Concert Films generating $100 million for artists such as Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Ed Sheeran. Ed Sheeran has also begun tapping into his nostalgia with a ‘Tour Collection’ of previous albums, set to release 27th September.
Now, all of this market domination from Legacy/ Nostalgia Artists hasn’t left much room for upcoming and grassroots artists. A standout example is Mercury Award winner English Teacher, an Island-signed Leeds band who have taken the industry by storm with their debut album ‘This Could Be Texas’. As great as the record is, English Teacher will have to consistently release new material to create new demand and create their own longevity in the scene, compared to Legacy Acts that ride on material for decades.
The state of the grassroots scene hasn’t been shown in a clearer light than 9 of the 15 venues Oasis played for their ‘Supersonic Tour’ being closed, something Lily (English Teacher) has been pushing to governments as ‘125 venues closed in 2023, equating to 10% of the industry’, making it impossible for new artists to play live paired with post Brexit making it financially void to generate any income from tours with the cost or transport and visas.
I wouldn’t want to call it greed from artists or record companies as they are business’ at the end of the day, but with the market domination and little to no outreach, it’s hard to see, without a hugely viral breakthrough, how more artists can get through the locked door of a break-even career in the industry.
