By Radio.com
Soon after Bruno Mars and special guests the Red Hot Chili Peppers rocked last weekend’s Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show with a impressive medley of songs, images began circulating the internet highlighting the fact that RHCP bassist Flea and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer were performing with their guitars not plugged in to a darn thing.
Photos and GIFs highlighting the Peppers guitarists’ lack of plugs generated a firestorm of criticism directed at the Red Hot Chili Peppers
. Many fans felt betrayed by the band for not performing live at the high-profile event, which generated America’s largest TV audience of all-time with 11.5 million tuning in for the game between the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos.
Given the enormity of the event, and the logistical nightmare of doing live sound in the center of an open-air stadium for a 15-minute performance, utilizing some backing tracks is a common occurrence, although many artists would make an attempt to appear live with dummy cords for their instruments. There is also the issue of the detrimental effects the cold weather can have on guitar and bass strings, particularly in regards to tuning.
It’s been suggested that Flea so openly flaunting an empty plug was his way of revealing the prerecorded aspect of the halftime performance, a sentiment supported by Flea himself, according to a recent tweet:
No trickery. No choice, but no trickery
— Flea (@flea333) February 4, 2014
After a season of buildup and two weeks of feverish hype, Super Bowl XLVIII was never really a game. From the first snap, the Broncos seemed disoriented and over-matched. By halftime the game was over, and the only thing to look forward to was the halftime show. Along with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bruno Mars delivered a half-time show for the ages that is dominating Monday water-cooler conversations across the country. In addition to bringing a bit of excitement to the otherwise lame Super Bowl, the performance may go down as one of the savviest marketing campaigns in the history of music.
Not at all coincidentally, Bruno Mars tickets to his upcoming tour went on sale this morning with Super Bowl buzz still ringing in over 100 million ears across the country. As a result, the market for Bruno Mars tickets is on fire. Since this morning, the average price for his Moonshine Jungle Tour is up $150 to an average price of $500. While there are some tickets left on the primary market for select shows, many are already sold out. Ticketmaster also seem to be struggling to keep with demand, and had to switch from their interactive seating maps for most events, including Bruno Mars Madison Square Garden tickets.
2014 saw some impressive uses of big events for self-promotion. Miley Cyrus in particular stood out for her provocative performance at MTVs Video Music Awards. With an audience of 10 million tuning in, it served her purpose to perfection and was a shotgun graduation ceremony from Hanna Montana to Miley Cyrus. In part becuase of the VMAs, Miley Cyrus tickets for her upcoming tour are a hot item. Despite the hype engine that Miley has built, however, she’s still not sold out for many of the dates on her Bangerz tour. CONTINUE READING
After diva extravaganzas — Madonna and Beyoncé, the pop-soul superstar Bruno Mars brought a decidedly more organic musical vibe to the Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show.
The baby-faced 28-year-old’s performance, watched by millions, should be termed as ‘concert of the year’. The Super Bowl XVIII halftime show featuring Bruno Mars was quite a doubt-raiser from the start.
Back in September, when NFL announced that the singer-songwriter Bruno would provide the tunes during the intermission of Super Bowl XLVIII, the news was met with utter disbelief. And there was much relief among fans, when it was announced that Red Hot Chili Peppers will be performing along Bruno, who was born two years after RHCP came into existence.
Now that the big game is over, it would not be wrong to say that it was really Bruno, who technically won the 2014 Super Bowl. The relatively young artist, without much fame or recognition, had the Super Bowl viewers, who have seen bigger stars such as Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Prince, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and the Who, tapping to his tunes. CONTINUE READING
He helped discover and cultivate the megastar for almost seven years. Then Gaga dumped him. Here’s the untold story of how he rolled with it.
From behind, Troy Carter looks like a middle schooler. He has the wispy frame of a pretzel stick, wrapped in skinny jeans that bottom out at black Yves Saint Laurent high-tops. It is late November, exactly two weeks after he was fired by Lady Gaga, but by appearances he and his calendar show no signs of vulnerability.
He is a man without breaks: He spent the morning fueled on the fumes of a banana, meeting with execs at his new soda company and then with tech founders he’s investing with; after that it was off to a lunch meeting with CAA, and now he’s at the Capitol Records tower in Hollywood. It’s the schedule of anyone of his caliber, though it’s also–and he won’t admit this–the habit of a recently dumped man who’s probably afraid to have time alone with himself. Read more…
From Businessweek
In the late 1990s, as the Backstreet Boys climbed to the top of the charts with hits such as I Want It That Way, they gained attention for more than just their music: The singers sued a former manager who they say cheated them out of millions of dollars. When it came time to release their most recent album, the band sought greater control and a bigger cut of the profits. For their eighth studio release, In a World Like This, the Backstreet Boys—now middle-aged men—abandoned the classic record company contract, turning to what the industry calls a label services company, which works almost like a consultant. Under these deals, bands call the shots on marketing and distribution, and they can receive more than triple the typical artist’s share of earnings. “With this type of situation, you’re responsible for getting the right staff and people behind it,” says Peter Katsis, the Backstreet Boys’ manager. “It falls on the artists.” CONTINUE READING
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