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Some are attributing the numerous disasters to overexposure, as certain acts attempt to move high-priced tickets in markets they’ve hit frequently in recent years, including radio shows.

AS WE NEAR THE HALFWAY POINT OF 2010, I.B. BAD TAKES THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MUSIC BIZ

While the Concert Business Braces for What’s Shaping Up as a Brutal Summer, the Big Four Wheel Out an Array of Potential Blockbusters…or the Modern-Day Equivalent
It’s the worst of times for the summer touring business. Apart from standing rock fests like Bonnaroo, Sasquatch and Lollapalooza, along with package tours like Warped and Taste of Chaos, all of which offer multiple acts for reasonable prices, the business is in terrible shape. Stadium dates and entire shed tours are being canceled, while promoters and agents pressure managers to take reduced fees, cancel dates and give back deposits. Ironically, the situation this year is uglier than it was last summer, when economic conditions were at their worst, and some are attributing the numerous disasters to overexposure, as certain acts attempt to move high-priced tickets in markets they’ve hit frequently in recent years, including radio shows… Meanwhile, the recorded-music industry’s chances for a blockbuster summer got off to a solid start this week behind Brushfire/Universal Republic’s Jack Johnson, with 250k (compared to 375k on his previous album, which went on to sell 1.65m). Nonetheless, some find it surprising the album didn’t generate a higher number, given the success of lead track “You and Your Heart” at radio. Out this Tuesday (6/8) are RCA/RMG’s Christina Aguilera (whose last album in 2006 sold 1.7m) and Chop Shop/Atlantic’s The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (1.15m). Drake’s eagerly awaited full-length debut has some prognosticators forecasting a 3-400k bow. It streets next Tuesday (6/15), though Cash Money and Sylvia Rhone’s Universal Motown reportedly discussed pushing the date forward in order to minimize the potential damage from the leaking of the album. The upcoming Eminem release, currently scheduled for June 22, has also leaked this week, further ramping up media scrutiny of the phenomenon, and causing many to ask whether leaks are a troubling trend or—in some cases, at least—an intentional marketing ploy. But with the emergence of the digital consumer, the benefits of the intentional leak are now questionable; it’s highly unlikely that anyone would buy a digital album they’ve already downloaded for free. The good news is that those who have heard the leaked Shady/Aftermath/Interscope album are hailing it as Eminem’s strongest effort since 2000’s landmark Marshall Mathers LP. The new Recovery follows 2009’s Relapse (1.96m). June 22 also marks Hollywood’s release of the latest from the no-longer-tweeny Miley Cyrus (1.37m), but after that big Tuesday, there’s nothing potentially explosive scheduled until Aug. 24, when Virgin/EMI comes with the all-important sophomore LP from Katy Perry (1.23m U.S. and another 1.6m worldwide, along with 20m+ track sales)… With all its much-publicized problems, EMI not only has the year’s best-selling album in Lady Antebellum (2.2m) but also a potentially even bigger one in Perry, whose “California Gurls” smash racked up another 300k this week and has just passed 1m, with a second single being launched before the album streets. This impressive performance under trying circumstances can be partly attributed to the leadership and marketing expertise of Greg Thompson, whose 2008 hiring may well have been the smartest executive move made during the Guy Hands era. The veteran was brought in by Jason Flom and then-consultant Roger Ames… As Thompson and N.A. topper Ronn Werre steer the ship in the U.S., industry observers continue to ask what’s next for EMI Music in terms of its dysfunctional architecture and underpowered A&R team… Meanwhile, a reported possible deal with BMG/KKR for half of EMI Music Publishing could provide the parent company with a desperately needed cash infusion... Does the reappearance of the respected Mark Williams, who’s now A&Ring M.I.A.’s album project for Jimmy Iovine, mean he’s ready to make a fulltime reentry into the music business? The ranks of record-making A&R executives have thinned dramatically since Williams left IGA of his own volition two-and-a-half years ago, making his services more valuable than ever… Nearing the halfway point of the year, UMG, with 30.9%, retains its perennial front-running position in new-release marketshare, but its lead over surging Sony Music (28.6%) has narrowed to just over 2 percentage points, while a comparable gap separates WMG (13.4%) and EMI (11.5%). In the label-group competition, Columbia/Epic (9.8%) and RCA/Jive (8.5%) are both outpacing IGA (7.3%). Full details in the next issue, dated June 18... Names in the Rumor Mill: Steve Barnett, Richard Palmese, Steve Jensen, Jason Morey, Peter Grosslight, Marty Diamond, Max Hole and Paul Rosenberg.

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Now 100% unlicensed!
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