One of the highlights of my vacation-induced coma was watching 'Life and Times' on CBC, featuring a profile of uber-promoter Michael Cohl, famous for working with Pink Floyd, U2, Barbra Streisand, and of course, wrestling the Rolling Stones away from Bill Graham in the late 80s.
Nice Canadian lad, and a real success story of a man who who has revolutionized the mega-concert experience as we know it. They'll probably be re-running it over the summer, so if you didn't catch it first time round, you'll probably get another chance.
Fascinating stuff, and if you've ever bitched about high ticket prices, expensive t-shirts and seven dollar beers at concerts, chances are Cohl has had something to do with it. I'm not sure he's responsible for this little nugget concerning one of the Stones' opening acts in the UK, but have a look...
[uk.news.launch.yahoo.com] Kasabian get Stoned off (Friday August 04, 2006 09:21 AM) Kasabian are apparently furious that the Rolling Stones are going to charge them £150 each to watch them in concert - even though the Leicester-born rockers will be playing as their support act. Reported in today's Daily Mirror, the band's singer, Tom Meighan, said he was outraged at the decision. He said: "It's quite incredible. We're f***ing supporting them! So if we get kicked off the stage we've got to buy a ticket, which is about 200 quid." However, Meighan stated that he didn't blame the Stones personally for the decision, and was honoured to be playing with the 60s legends. He added: "It's probably Americans who are running it, not Jagger. And Richards isn't going to know what's f***ing going on, is he? "It is a f***ing absolute honour you know, they're gods, ain't they? "I mean Mick Jagger, Richards, it's just yeah... S**t like that blows your mind again, you know." "It just happens so fast sometimes that I just don't know how to take it, but it's a wonderful thing, man." Kasabian will be warming up for the Stones in Zurich tomorrow (Aug 5) as well as a date in Nice next week. The band's new single "Empire" is currently at number 9 in the UK singles charts.
To paraphrase...If you're an opening act for the Stones, and you want to stick around after your set wraps up...you gotta PAY for a ticket, Skippy!
In case you haven't seen the Stones rider for the current tour...check it out here, on The Smoking Gun
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0117061stones1.html
Pretty interesting, and the lads aren't taking any chances when it comes to the loo, either. I'd imagine if you've played in as many dodgy places as the Stones have over the years, you'd be pretty particular, too.
The Smoking Gun actually has a few of these riders, like this one for Christina Aguilera...
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/backstagetour/aguilera/aguilera1.html
Make sure you read the 'backstage food' section...Soy cheese, Oreos and Flintstones Chewables...Yum!
