Multi-Artist Concerts a good thing... or a bad thing?

Macarina

Silver Member
This summer a Multi-Artist Concert Tour is coming through town. A stadium tour (ugh).

Def Leppard
Motley Crue
Poison
Joan Jett


While I would really enjoy seeing every artists for this engagement, I've read reviews on larger concerts like this on how disappointed they are, because artists will cut down on their set list.
I would be super pissed if any one these groups played a minimal amount of songs... for whatever reason. Time restraint, band doesn't want to work that hard, etc.

Is this a thing... is this what these super tours are doing?

Maybe I'm jumping the gun... should wait to see what their set lists consist of.



Side note: In 2016, saw Joe Walsh/Bad Company tour. I believe they traded off, who opened. Joe Walsh closed the show that night and I was incredibly disappointed that he played about 10 songs and walked off. Done.
I just don't want a repeat of that experience.
 
My first concerts as a kid in the early sixties were "package" shows with multi artists. One I remember was the BeachBoys, Jan and Dean, The Shirelles, The Crystals, and 3 or 4 others. Each group played maybe 20 minutes, and you heard all the hits they had which were played on Top 40 radio. A lot of excitement and the best part? All this fun cost $2.50 !!! I went to maybe a half dozen of these shows growing up in Houston Texas. Then moved to California in 1965 and things changed. First big concert was another "package" show with The Cyrcle, Ronnie and the Ronnettes with headliners.....The Beatles. Ticket price was an outrageous $6.50!! I bought one for me and another for my girlfriend. I also splurged on a program for her. $2.00. Man I wish I had bought one for me but I was out of money. In answer to your question: Yeah package shows can be cool if you're into the bands they lump together.
 

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It depends how long the overall show is. It could become a mini-festival if it starts during the day and runs until midnight, with meal breaks, etc. But a 20-30 minute set would be frustrating, especially if that was your favourite band.
 
I saw Napalm Death, Testament, Anthrax, Lamb of God, and Slayer in August of 2018. It was about 5 hours of music. Show started at 5:00, ended around 11:00. Changeovers were only about 10-15 minutes. Totally worth it in my opinion.
 
Jeff Healey, Jeff Beck and SVR in 89.

Faith No More, Metallica and GNR in 92.

Rush, AC/DC, and The Stones in 03.

All of them were great concerts.

I tend to have a good time at most multi-artist shows. Even bar bands. I've caught a few great acts that way.

I saw Napalm Death, Testament, Anthrax, Lamb of God, and Slayer in August of 2018. It was about 5 hours of music. Show started at 5:00, ended around 11:00. Changeovers were only about 10-15 minutes. Totally worth it in my opinion.

Those are quick changes for bands of their caliber. Nice to see the guys in the bands were doing their part to facilitate the changes.
 
I don't think there is a problem with multi artist concerts. They can be pretty cool and have their place. Large arena shows often work out that way. I'm old but a lot of the bands that toured had an opening act. And sometimes that opening act is a big name as well. When I was a kid and had the stomach to tolerate arena shows some that I recall were Jethro Tull as the headliner with the band UK (with Terry Bozzio on drums) opening up for them. And I have to be honest that I bought those tickets to see UK, not Tull. Tull was good but I was more of a UK fan. When I was in high school I went to see the Grateful Dead at Giant stadium and The New Riders of the Purple Sage were on the billing as well as Willie Nelson. I honestly don't remember Willie. In fact I thought that the Charlie Daniels Band played, but I am terribly mistaken. But hey, it was a Dead show and well, my brain just wasn't right. I've seen Missing Persons in a large venue in Buffalo, NY. I saw Red Hot Chili Peppers at either the Meadowlands arena where the Nets used to play or at Barclay's in downtown Newark. I just can't remember which venue, but it doesn't really matter. Saw the Rolling Stones at Giant Stadium. I'm not sure what my point is here but I've never been a big fan of large venue shows like arenas. I have enjoyed much more all of the shows I've seen in smaller intimate environments like jazz clubs in Manhattan and Buffalo. More often than not you can have the opportunity to meet the people playing. But that is a subject for another thread entirely.
 
I think they package these shows to make sure they sell out the venue. Can't blame the promoters for that. It costs alot of money to rent the venue and hire the crews to put it together for a show, so if I didn't already know a single act would sell it out, I'd be worried and book a few acts too.

I prefer seeing artists play a smaller venue where they're the only ones playing. I saw Billy Cobham like that at Catalina's bar & grill, and it was awesome to be sitting at my own dinner table seven feet in front of his massive kit - he played for two hours. It was like a private concert! I remember back in the 90s, after I saw King Crimson play at the big Wiltern Theater (sold it out), I heard they played at the local House of Blues the next night! I would've killed to be at that show!
 
The groups listed are not the youngest for sure. I could see a short set from each but who knows. Try to find an event at the beginning of the tour to get feedback.
 
Those are quick changes for bands of their caliber. Nice to see the guys in the bands were doing their part to facilitate the changes.

It was impressive. Everything was pre assembled and on wheels. When one band left the stage, everything was rolled off and the next act rolled on. Even before the show you could see all the string players getting together off to the side tuning up their gear. There was hardly any wasted time at all.
 
Nothing wrong with this at all.

Let's face it...very few of the people showing up want to hear cuts from the "new album." It's a retro show where artists play the hits, collect their checks, and move on. Fans get to show up and hear several good bands play their most famous songs. Also, I bet the artists are pretty high energy too since they aren't playing a full show every night.
 
It depends how long the overall show is. It could become a mini-festival if it starts during the day and runs until midnight, with meal breaks, etc. But a 20-30 minute set would be frustrating, especially if that was your favourite band.

I saw Napalm Death, Testament, Anthrax, Lamb of God, and Slayer in August of 2018. It was about 5 hours of music. Show started at 5:00, ended around 11:00. Changeovers were only about 10-15 minutes. Totally worth it in my opinion.

oh gawd, this concert is on a Thursday (WTF) it says starting at 4:30.... gates open? Concert starts?
And I highly doubt the changeover would be THAT quick.
Looks like homie won't be playing that game. I dunno... guess I'm getting old.
 
Really. How much of each of these can anyone stand? I’d give them five songs each. That would include their hit and a few B-sides ?

Ya know Bo... you make a good point.

I absolutely love AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Metallica, George Thorogood and edgier artists... in doses. When their songs come on... TURN IT UP!!!
Then after a 2-3 songs... I'm good.
 
Ya know Bo... you make a good point.

I absolutely love AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Metallica, George Thorogood and edgier artists... in doses. When their songs come on... TURN IT UP!!!
Then after a 2-3 songs... I'm good.
I did sorta mean it as a joke. But the more I think about it, there are very few artists I can enjoy for more than 30 minutes. I have a feeling I'm on Disney time though - mostly all of our shows are no longer than 30 minutes. It's enough to give people a taste and then move on to the next thing. Probably why I like regular old FM radio so much. I hear a favorite, then it moves on to somebody else. But those "Two for Tuesdays" events (where the radio station will play two from a particular artist every now and then, I like those. Then it's two hits, and they move on.

This must sound sacrilegious? A music guy who can only handle so much music at one time?
 
This must sound sacrilegious? A music guy who can only handle so much music at one time?

I don't know about that. I mean, I like to drink, but I can only handle so much at one time.
 
It can be a good thing because it can give bands you might not see otherwise a chance to tour and come to your town. (i.e bands that may not have enough draw to justify the expense of renting a bus and going on tour).

But they can suck because inevitably, setlist times do get cut down.

I would certainly rather see my favorites headline in a smaller venue when possible, but it's not always worth it to the band to do so.

I have seen some great bands I might not otherwise have gone out of my way to see because they were with another band I did want to see.
On the other hand, I've also paid money to get into a show, just to walk out after the bands I wanted to see were done because I didn't much care for the rest of the bands on the bill.
 
On the other hand, I've also paid money to get into a show, just to walk out after the bands I wanted to see were done because I didn't much care for the rest of the bands on the bill.

I wish I had done that when I saw a bigger headliner with this opening trio called the Aristocrats. The Aristocrats were awesome, the bigger headliner, not so much :(
 
I wish I had done that when I saw a bigger headliner with this opening trio called the Aristocrats. The Aristocrats were awesome, the bigger headliner, not so much :(
I used to hang around and check out the other bands. I used to feel I should be nice, or I spent the money, or whatever.

But too many times I found myself waiting around the next band to go on just to not be interested once they finally took the stage.

Stone Sour was the only time I stuck around for the headliner and found myself entertained. But it's not like I became a fan or went and bought their albums.

Opening bands are another matter. I try to see the band that is before the one I want to see. Most of them suck, but a few times I end up buying their albums and becoming a fan myself.
 
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