Prince extends UK 02 residency

http://www.musicweek.com/default.asp

Prince is set to extend his record-breaking 15-show run at the soon-to-launch O2 Arena, by adding a further six shows.

Promoters AEG Live and Marshall Arts will announce details this week, but Music Week has learnt that the Vegas-style residency at the North Greenwich venue will now see Prince playing 21 nights at the new venue – further beating Status Quo’s arena record of 14 nights. The new dates are August 24 and 25, and September 6, 16, 20 and 21.

In addition, tickets are going on sale for after-show jam sessions at the 2,300-capacity sister venue The Indigo, where The New Power Generation will perform after every O2 Arena show, with some mooted to include appearances by Prince himself.

The extra dates come as the singer last week finalised a deal to distribute his new album Planet Earth via Columbia Records. The album’s first single Guitar will be available as a free download via Verizon, to anyone who participates in a demo of its online music identification service.

AEG Live senior vice president Rob Hallett says the shows have exceeded everyone’s sales expectations. “We’re talking about 385,000 tickets in total,” says Hallett. “That hasn’t just broken the arena’s record, it’s smashed it.”

Tickets for the Earth Tour dates, which begin on August 1, were imaginatively priced at £31.21 each – a reference to Prince’s last album, 3121. Concert goers will each receive a copy of Planet Earth, mirroring a similar initiative during his US tour in 2005 when audiences were given copies of the Musicology album. That distribution boosted his position in the Billboard charts, but the resulting furor prompted Billboard to change its rules, making such initiatives chart ineligible.

In last month’s press conference to unveil the London dates, the artist referred to the CD giveaway as “direct marketing, so I don’t have to be in the speculation business of the music industry”.

Hallet explains, “People will be physically handed the album when they come to the shows. There has been a lot of gossip about this just being a way in which Prince could boost himself in the charts, but the album won’t be chart eligible, so that is a lot of nonsense.”

Addressing the ticket price for the gigs, he continues, “People have been talking about the low prices and speculating that it is a ploy to encourage higher merchandise sales. But the truth is that Prince has simply taken notice of pricing and made it his priority to make sure that his concerts are affordable.”

Contrary to some reports, the London shows will not see Prince playing his greatest hits “for the last time”. Instead, he says his band has rehearsed about 150 songs, including a version of the Beatles’ The Long And Winding Road and Amy Winehouse’s Love is a Losing Game, which he hopes to perform with her on stage.

I'm hot and I don't care who knows it...I got a job to do.

NOOOOO!

He was to play Spain on August 25th

You owe me $5. I caught the big fish....again

check

www.ticketmaster.co.uk

and please move to concerts forum

How about....In addition, tickets are going on sale for after-show jam sessions at the 2,300-capacity sister venue The Indigo, where The New Power Generation will perform after every O2 Arena show, with some mooted to include appearances by Prince himself.

I'm hot and I don't care who knows it...I got a job to do.

NOW they're releasing Front Row Auction?!?!? Ticketmaster. You gotta love 'em!

leecaldon said:

I'm hot and I don't care who knows it...I got a job to do.

Blimey.

Can we hope aftershow tix are £31.21?

What is Front Row Auction?

We've truly been fucked over in this. Ticketmaster, what a bunch of wankers.

I see it now. All us hardcore fans in shitty seats at the back of the arena - and loads of empty good seats.

Sly said:

I'm hot and I don't care who knows it...I got a job to do.

pandemoniun6 said:

Can we hope aftershow tix are £31.21?

blacksweat said:

m3taverse said:

wow - I deliberately got tickets for the 13th thinking it was his last nite - and then this happens..... and this front row auction thing?? what a disgrace for those who paid for VIP tix
This leaves a seriously nasty taste in my mouth..
[Edited 6/11/07 14:18pm]

'Ive never been 1 2 hide my feelings, Baby, u blow my mind
I painted your face upon my ceiling, I stare at it all the time...'

http://www.myspace.com/welshmess

xenophobia2002 said:

I posted this on another thread, but it's relevant to this one too, so I'm re-posting:

I think this front row auction for the London shows is an absolute disgrace and another insult to those of us who have parted with hard earned cash to pay for VIP packages which were advertised firstly as being seats in the first 10 rows of the floor level.
This suddenly changed to 'gold circle' seating which encompassed the first 10 rows of the lower side tiers.
Now we are informed that there will be no potential for any VIP ticket holder to be in the front row at all. That's some serious bullshit.
I'm totally disillusioned.

Well they did say 21 dates in London.

ZARIA7ETAN said:

ZARIA7ETAN said:

So Prince's much advertised 21 night run in London has been extended to, errr... 21 nights. Wow!!

In other news, christmas day will fall on the 25th December this year.

TheEnglishGent said:

so what will the "face value" show on these ticketmaster auction tickets? I can't believe TM actually go down the route of auctioning now. I think it's a very slim line between what they're doing and what scalpers do on auction sites or selling on the street corners outside the arena...

Aftershow at Indigo???

Does anyone know where this is and when the tickets go onsale?

blacksweat said:

indio is next to the 02 . its there smaller nite club .go to the o2 website

The additional dates I'm not bothered by, it was expected wasn't it given the whole 21 night in London thing? But the front row, VIP, Gold circle seating debacle is just ridiculous. It's so disgustingly unfair to those that have shelled out a heap of money in the hope of being right in fromt, or possibly even on the front row! That can't even happen now despite what they've paid.
Really narked about this!

Kitten said:

I can understand why peeps who have bought gold circle tickets are upset but rather than bang on about it here, has anyone actually rang ticketmaster to explain there actions and find how this front row auction will effect their chances of a getting a front row ticket.

Is there a case of mis selling here? Cos if there is why not ask for a refund on your vip ticket and pile that cash into the auction. If they dont budge and you think there is a case, ask them who their governing body is and report TM to them.

plumbcrazy said: