Among pop stars, private concerts are becoming increasingly acceptable

Once only did so at the end of their careers, but according to The New Yorker, in the current entertainment economy it has become an option for even the most famous of people.

Social media may create the illusion that famous singers and artists are no longer so inaccessible, but in some cases for millionaires or billionaires they really are not: as a recent article by Ivan Osnos points out new yorkerIn recent times, there has been an increase in the number of people who can afford private concerts, ie special events in which even famous pop stars such as Beyoncé or Drake perform for a small audience of wealthy entrepreneurs and their friends. For those with a lot of money to spend, inviting a pop star for a private concert is a source of pride and prestige: for artists, on the other hand, it is a way to earn hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars. There is another way. In a market where records sell less and less and performing live has become even more fundamental.

Rapper Flo Rida recently sang at the bar-mitzvah of a financial services executive’s son in Chicago for a “six-figure fee” »that is, for several hundred thousand dollars. In January, however, legendary pop star Beyoncé performed during a private concert at a new Dubai hotel, rumored to have raked in $24 million. At financier Stephen Schwarzman’s 70th birthday party in 2017, in addition to trapeze artists, camels and fireworks, Gwen Stefani was also in concert. Snoop Dogg, Katy Perry, The Rolling Stones, Sting, Rod Stewart and The Black Eyed Peas have performed on similar occasions.

Flo Rida also said that she performed at a megayacht in Sardinia and a wedding in Lebanon. His attorney, Reginald Mathis, states that his fee for a private concert in the United States typically ranges from $150,000 to $300,000, depending on the size of the event and the location; If the concert is overseas, however, it can reach even one million. Mathis said Flo Rida currently hosts at least 30 such events a year.

new yorker He states that in the American music industry, private concerts (referred to simply as “privates”) mean any type of concert that is reserved for a special audience, such as those held during company conventions. Is, charity evenings and right on the occasion of parties like weddings and anniversaries. For a long time these events were attended almost exclusively by artists whose careers were in decline, betting on the effect of nostalgia, so to speak, explained Jacqueline Sabek, a San Francisco attorney who Many of them have followed. On the other hand, the most popular ones were refused in most cases because they were leading to ominous events and were not needed.

For the time being, however, things have changed, and industry insiders say that the number and types of artists considering the possibility of performing at these types of events have greatly increased.

Robert Norman, who deals with private events at the CAA entertainment agency, says for example that 25 years ago, “one hundred or two hundred private concerts a year” were held, always by artists who Wasn’t or wasn’t very famous. Famous now. More. Last year, however, his agency organized about 600, and currently dedicates an entire department — which he manages — just to those people. Explained to an agent working in another big agency new yorker that today “practically anyone is willing to consider an offer to perform at a private event”.

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Lawyers and agents interviewed by Osnos point out that a great deal of secrecy typically circulates around similar events, as those who get paid to organize them do not want to disclose how much they spend. and want them to remain exclusive programs, and because artists risk damage to their reputations in doing so. Find out where they perform, for whom or for how much money.

In 2011, Mariah Carey, 50 Cent, Usher and Nelly Furtado publicly stated that they were sorry for attending and singing at some parties hosted by the family of Muammar Gaddafi, the former Libyan president who ruled the country for more than 40 years. Ruled properly. Two years later, Jennifer Lopez was heavily criticized by various human rights organizations for performing at an event marking the birthday of the then President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, which was considered highly authoritarian and very disrespectful of people’s rights. In both cases, it is estimated that millions of dollars were paid to the artists involved.

According to new yorker The rise in demand for private concerts by pop stars highlights at least two phenomena. The first has to do with the health of the music industry. Until the late nineties, singers and musicians earned mainly from record sales: the advent of the Internet, the expansion of streaming platforms and the decline of physical media and digital music sales, however, upset the sector as a whole. Gave. As a result, concerts have now become the main source of income for artists, who may be paid even more in relation to engagements with private ones (performing at a party is different from performing in a stadium). The second aspect is related to the birth of what Osnos defines as the “new elite”. The number of millionaires and billionaires has grown over the years, and so have those who are willing to spend hundreds or even millions of dollars for this type of private event.

One of these is New York financier Anthony Scaramucci, who was briefly White House communications chief during Donald Trump’s mandate, and has invited Maroon 5, The The Killers, Lenny Kravitz and Duran Duran. «We are in love with fame, our whole society is addicted to it», Scaramucci told Osnos: For people who have a lot of money to spend, inviting famous artists for private concerts is a way of feeling unique and special. way, he remarked, adding that Andrea Bocelli would perform during an event organized for his daughter.

Some industry insiders see nothing wrong with some artists’ choice to perform both at large concerts and in private, as for some it may be a way to make the most of fame that is only fleeting. Could On the other hand, others argue that it is a “sell out” thing, and that many artists will not need it to become even richer than they already are. Among the few people who have so far declined to attend private concerts for one reason or another, Osnos notes, are Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift and AC/DC.

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