Live Nation Continues Path Toward World Domination

Apparently Live Nation must own every music venue and festival now. Sweden Rock Festival is now mostly owned by Live Nation. From the announcement: "The acquisition is a part of Live Nation's long-term investment strategy of building a stronger festival platform and Sweden Rock gets a strong international owner, which enables the festival to advance its position in the market even further."

I always wanted to go to the Sweden Rock Festival. I hope this ownership change doesn't make the unique vibe of Sweden Rock go by the wayside.

Comments

[Him]

Hope is a fickle thing, Allyson. Trend lines would suggest that an acquisition of this sort will lead to exactly the same sort of result that has happened when a major (or minor) festival is brought "into the fold." A key phrase (containing a word mentioned more than once) in the PR is the following: "investment strategy."

Well-oiled corporate machines--regional, national, and international--machine things down to a cost-effective nub. And of course they do. They are in the business of providing a product that makes a buck. Does that mean that the show will suffer? Probably. Does that mean it won't be fun. That depends. Is it possible that the processes that Live Nation excels at could create a better concert experience? Sure. That's possible.

The alternatives? Things like the US Festival and, to a much lesser extent, Rock n' America a few years back (not to mention the countless examples of festivals that promised the moon only to pack up in the middle of the night, stiffing fans and bands alike).

Forced to choose, I tend to gravitate towards regionally-financed festivals led by mid-tier promoters and corps. I still have to slog through a bunch of stuff that is forced fed to fans of the main draws. But that happens regardless. And I still find new bands I like at the same events. More and more, festivals--esp. those beyond the top tier--are simply tours that are rebranded and tweaked over and over again throughout the concert season.

If I had a magic wand, I would go and see Monsters of Rock at Donington, Rocklahoma in its first two years, and Day on the Green in Oaktown. Unfortunately, I am not Rod Taylor and I don't own a time machine that works.

[Metalboy!]

Supply and Demand vs. Surprise and Demand.

The later becomes less in the cards more and more with each acquisition.

As HIM implies, the Live Nation Rock-O-Meter tabulates the numbers, calculating just the right mix of Mediocrity and Rockability and out comes SIXX A.M., Winery Dogs and TeSLUG as the headliners.

If only someone had the vision to combine only the best from the rosters of the Swedish Rock Festival AND M3 and / or Monsters of Rock Cruise and present it in the U.S.

The Swedish Rock Festival is probably pretty safe given the sheer quantity of great acts who play our kind of music in Sweden and in surrounding countries. It's in this country where we have the problem as there are very few really great up and coming Rock & Roll bands getting noticed.

A perfect example of a great U.S. Rock act flying under the radar -- THE TIP out of Nashville, a band I probably would NEVER have heard of had it not been for Allyson posting their KILLER debut video last year (they have a new album out this year, BTW). That's the kind of band that needs to be fed into Live Nation's ROK 9000 computer. We can only pray to The Metal Gods they come out alive.

The fact is, the list of truly entertaining REAL and viable Rock Acts is pretty finite and we'd be lucky if even a handful of promoters and band wranglers know who to get.

Think about it... Does Eddie Chump even know who The Treatment or Hardcore Superstar are?

[Bob]

My friends, le'ts not forget that Live Nation Entertainment Inc is a publically traded company -- meaning that their only real job is to keep their investers happy. their investers are their customers, not concert goers. Keep revenue high and keep expenses low. Believe me, like any good publically traded company, their first mission will be to analyze the expenses surrounding the Sweden rock Festival, and figure out where they can cut cut cut. Or, in today's business double-speak, "Streamline and find efficiencies." It's easy to blame Live Nation, but all large corperations do this -- eliminate their competition through acquisition, then tear that acquisition down to its bare bones to maximize profit. Long live rock!

[Shawn]

@Bob you are dead on "keep investors happy" sad but true - @HIM day on the Green 1988 or was it 87 Motley/Whitesnake/Poison/Jetboy - those were the days..

[Snoot]

I think it's a mistake. The people behind Sweden Rock are already making a ton of money and the only bands in the metal/hard rock genre that can draw a larger crowd in Sweden than the festival has been able to book so far are AC/DC, Metallica, G n R (with Slash and Duff) and Iron Maiden. Maybe Live Nation can help them get those artists, but at what cost? I'm afraid smaller bands will suffer from this deal.

[Gary]

Welcome to corporate America!!!!! Where the bottom line IS the bottom line,come hell or high water.

[Badland]

More power to them! Thats what this country and world is all about. Anyone with commen sense knows you buy low sell high. The world is changing as we speak. Rather it be in rock n roll or Econ 101.

MAGA

[Ace Jendell]

I have traveled from Australia to Sweden Rock Festival on three occasions (09, 11, 13) and I would have to say that it is the best festival I have ever been to.
Ran to perfection and a great mix of bands. I also went to Download Festival on the same trips. The band lineup was so different between the 2 and the bands that did play both was minimal.
I hope this change in ownership doesn't make SRF into a carbon copy of DL and it keeps its individuality.

[Rokkett]

Why the hell would they need Live Nation? SRF has had awesome lineups and great big headliners year after year and theyre only getting better.. been there three times (12, 14 &15) and I would never have seen Night Ranger, Robin Beck, Danger Danger, Ugly Kid Joe, The Quireboys, Slaughter etc if it wouldn't have been for them. LN better keep the 80's rock bands coming. Enuff Z' Nuff would.be great.