NUMBER: 9512013965 AUTHOR: Muret, Don TITLE: Pearl Jam's sans Ticketmaster tour proves to be tougher act than thought. SOURCE: Amusement Business. v107 n45, Nov 6, 1995, p. 9. 2 pages PUBLISHER: BPI Communications STANDARD NO.: 0003-2344 TEXT: Section: TALENT & TOURS PEARL JAM'S SANS TICKETMASTER TOUR PROVES TO BE TOUGHER ACT THAN THOUGHT Pearl Jam was scheduled to conclude its controversial 1995 Ticketmaster- less tour with two sold-out concerts Nov. 6-7 at San Diego Sports Arena. Those shows, promoted by Bill Silva Presents, were originally scheduled for last summer at Del Mar Fairgrounds outside San Diego, but security concerns forced cancellation. "Through a long series of discussions and trials and tribulations, we moved it to the sports arena. The numbers happened to be right, so we're expecting 13,000 people at the arena both nights," facility Manager Jeff Quinn told AB in late October. Pearl Jam performed four additional makeup dates and scheduled a show in San Jose to appease fans who felt cheated when lead singer Eddie Vedder became ill and left after six songs during a July concert at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The rock group continued to utilize alternative ticket sales and distribution agent Fillmore Tour & Ticket, formerly ETM Entertainment Network. The band may renegotiate with FT&T for future tours, said Nicole Vandenberg, spokesperson for Curtis Management in Seattle. "Touring without Ticketmaster proved to be even more difficult than Pearl Jam ever imagined. It was never an easy or painless task," she said. The cancelled dates were reportedly due to the hand's frustration with logistical problems encountered through bypassing Ticketmaster. As detailed in previous AB issues, the band filed a complaint in June 1994 with the Dept. of Justice over what it perceived as monopolistic practices, which included excessive service charges. A few months ago, DOJ dismissed the complaint but said it will continue to monitor Ticketmaster's activities. In one market, the band sold tickets through yet another agent. In Salt Lake City, Pearl Jam sub-contracted with Delta Center's DataTix for its Nov. 1-2 dates, according to Brent Allenbach, the venue's assistant manager. The concerts were promoted by Beaver Productions, New Orleans. Pearl Jam rescheduled Salt Lake City after cancelling its original summer date for nearby Wolf Mountain amphitheater. Ticket refunds for the cancelled show went smoothly, said Allenbach. "The band sent a postcard to all people with stubs for the first show and gave them a [week-long] window to purchase tickets. They gave them first shot before tickets went on sale to the general public. It was a nice gesture from the band to try and take care of their fans," he said. Pearl Jam makeups in Phoenix; Las Cruces, NM.; and New Orleans went off without a hitch, according to building officials. FT&T handled refunds and new ticket sales and distribution for those shows, as well as for San Jose. Beaver Productions also pro-rooted the New Orleans concert Sept. 17 at municipally-owned Tad Gormley Stadium. The show was originally set for July 4. Attendance was just under 37,000 with a ticket gross of about $935,000. "It's a good thing they came back. We were counting on that revenue. We got it in just before the end of our budget year (Sept. 30)," said stadium Manager Russell Doussan. The only thing that went wrong with Pearl Jain at Pan American Center at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces was an accident in which a person broke both legs from a bad fall, said Director Barbara Hubbard. "Otherwise, it went great. The kids loved it," she said. Attendance was 13,697 with a $246,546 gross for Pearl Jam at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, said promoter Terry Burke of Evening Star Productions. "It was terrific. They sold out the house. The band was great to work with and we recorded great numbers," said Coliseum Manager Don West. The same scenario wasn't perceived the same way in San Francisco/San Jose. Bay Area news reports said about 20,000 fans who held onto their tickets for the San Francisco show--while waiting for Pearl Jam to make amends--had to pay another $12.45 (including a $2.45 service fee) to see the band again at San Jose State University's Spartan Stadium. However, fans who got refunds from San Francisco were able to use that money to buy tickets for San Jose. "Everyone could have received a full refund. Our assumption was that if they didn't ask for a refund, they were comfortable with the (San Francisco) show, which essentially was Pearl Jam with Neil Young after Eddie left," said Vandenberg. The fact that Pearl Jam fans who didn't get refunds but were still able to purchase reduced-price tickets for San Jose before those tickets went on sale to the general public was not considered a bargain because it was a general admission concert, according to some news reports. But the San Jose show sold out in a half hour, indicating there was some value in being able to buy tickets before the public did, according to Vandenberg. Further complicating things, promoter Bill Graham Presents had received permission to utilize BASS/Ticketmaster to distribute leftover San Jose tickets following the 12-hour period when tickets were sold through FT&T. With the show selling out so quickly, BASS/Ticketmaster never did sell Pearl Jam tickets. Doug Levinson, chief operating officer for BASS/Ticketmaster, provided his opinion on the whole thing. "My whole take on this is that the band had a cause--a great way for them to get publicity," he said. "But by standing up to a computerized ticket company, they did not realize the intricacies involved in running a business like this. One of the lessons learned is what a complicated business this can be." By Don Muret