DO MICK AND KEITH NEED MORE MONEY?

Amid the current crisis, some labels are said to be considering delaying releases—especially those with ticket bundles. But for how long? At what point does it make sense to move forward or not if there is no tour to make the big bucks from? The big money has been on the live side for most artists who have significant record sales; no tour, no big money. But acts with strong streaming numbers are going to be aggressive as they continue to own the new ecosystem and develop massive brands that they can monetize in myriad ways.

How long is too long to wait, as venue availability will be changing? What will happen to those big guarantees and those 90/10 splits? The live side is going through a dramatic change, and the dog is about to get more control of that wagging tail if the live-side model has as big an upheaval as some believe is possible.

Herein lies the dilemma: Big artists have huge overhead, personally and professionally, and have been touring regularly to support their extravagant lifestyles. Do Mick and Keith need more money, or is this more about supporting the huge infrastructure of businesspeople and personal staff they’re accustomed to retaining, all of whom depend on them for a livelihood?

This story and how it plays out will be one of the most interesting unintended economic consequences of the virus. Stay tuned.