Well, it was bound to happen.A ticketholder to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame benefit concert in Cary has lashed out at event organizers for having such a pathetic lineup after boasting the show as the concert event of the year.
Calling their tactics a "bait and switch" someone wrote the following today on the event's message board:
I bought tix the day they went on sale based on a radio show where the chairman of the Rock Hall was going on about the great headliners they had lined up, but couldn't reveal for fear that all the tickets would be snapped up by resellers.
It's been well over a month now, and so far I'm not seeing it. How can this show seriously compare itself to Woodstock, Isle of Wight and Monterey with this weak list of "headliners"?
I'm starting to think we've all been duped into buying tickets for a mediocre show at best.
Hear hear! We've been saying this all along. When the concert was first announced in April, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame trustee, PR firm president and Cary resident Rick French told The Cary News, "This will be one of the bigger music events in the country without a doubt."
At the risk of burning bridges or eating my words later: Bullshit.
The lineup started rolling out (and I started rolling my eyes) a few weeks later. Buck Dharma, Joe Lynn Turner, Steve Luongo and Mark Hitt came first. Then came The Connells and Arrogance along with "emerging artists" Supagroup, Parmalee and Grand Society.
I have no hate for The Connells and Arrogance and think it's nice that they're including local acts in this little shindig, but as for the rest... French says that he and the Hall are "hand picking artists we think are on the cusp of making it big." I'm not holding my breath to see Parmalee on any Billboard lists.
It's high time for Rick French and the event's organizers to show us their cards and name some headliners. And you know what? I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that they don't actually have any big names confirmed and are just stringing everyone along.
What is this, Waynestock and they're all going to stand around on the big day waiting for Aerosmith to pull up in a big white limousine?
Hey guys — prove me wrong.
16 comments:
To underscore your point, the lineup so far only includes only performers who may have autographs from Hall of Fame members but no actual Hall of Famers. Ay fuckin' caramba.
I have been involved with the event since day one, have some patience people! We have always had headliners but it has to be rolled out a certain way based on artist contractual commitments.
Your posting is absolutely ridiculous. Have you ever spoken to Rick or anyone associated with planning the concert? Do you really know anything about their contractual obligations as to when they can or can't announce certain artists. If I were him I'd never allow you in the front door of the show. But this I do know -- our radio station has been working with him on the line-up and it's damn impressive.
I am familiar with the concept of contractual obligations, thanks, but why wouldn't Rick say that from the beginning instead of his little line about "fearing ticket scalpers"? Besides, it's only proving our point that these contracts are only verbal and not yet signed ink on paper, which makes a world of difference.
If there actually are some great headliners for this show (And not Traffic, as one person said has been rumored. Yeesh.), then that's fantastic. But this whole "wait and see" motto is getting tired and people are getting frustrated. The methods for promoting this show have been busted from the beginning.
Oh, and thanks for the laugh about trying to ban me from attending.
I'd ask again -- have you spoken to anyone associated with the show?
Anonymous, anonymous, anonymous. Why are all these people claiming to be involved with the event so scared to tell everyone who they are?
Why would I want to interview a PR guy whose job is to spin and hype this event and make it sound good without giving any concrete information? Unless you want to go on the record, anonymous 96 Rock employee. Or maybe you don't know anything either. I welcome your e-mail at triangle_music@hotmail.com.
Valerie,
I got back in town today from a Rock Hall board retreat in Milwaukee and was alerted to your postings. First, you are so far off base it isn't even funny. Second, I will announce the full line-up when our contracts allow us to do so and on our schedule, not yours. Finally, no one forced anyone to buy a ticket to what will be a very memorable show. But if people can't be patient, sell their tickets. They will regret it but hey, their choice. But as for your personal attacks, I don't know you from Adam or what your motivation may be. But you aren't someone I care to have any more on-line dilaogue with so this is my final correspondence to you and your readers: The Rock Hall is bringing an incredible music festival to the region. Those that attend the show will be talking about it years from now. As for you, don't ask for media credentials because you obviously aren't a credible journalist who checks her sources to find whether ANY of her information is accurate.
Rick French
Benefit Concert Chairman and National Trustee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Whatever happened to Robin Zander? He's not a particularly impressive get, but I thought he was initially supposed to be there?
Anyone who expected anything big was just settng themselves up for dissapointment. It's in Cary at koka booth. If they had a really great lineup it would be held at a larger venue. Plus 96rock is associated with it.
I love the guy who says if I was Rick I wouldn't let you in the door. Shut the f up you tool! Regardless whose fault it is, it's beyond moronic to keep this mystery crap up with we are releasing names each week. Tell everyone who is playing already or don't do the show. I bet anything that this show sucks big time. Already it is a bunch of has-beens playing in different bands or on their own - PATHETIC!!!!! As bad as the downtown live schedule is, at least it's free. Who the hell wants to play with a lineup that's unknown. It's a bunch of bs about we didn't want ticket brokers to get them - since when did any venue ever care about that. And I wouldn't brag about being involved with the lineup since day one - it sucks so far. Have patience - why don't you tell us who played after the show is over. Also, Rick doesn't answer his phone. If you work for 96Rock I feel sorry for you - They suck just as much as this concert is going to.
Hey Rick,
It's obvious you are not a credible concert promoter, chairman or whatever the hell you call yourself. Remembered for years to come - I'll call you afterwards to laugh at you.
The show was pathetic and the after party was even more pathetic.
I hope Ric French was volunteering his services because you definitely get what you pay for.
1 hour between sets and a terrible flow. I saw several people sleeping.
SLEEPING at a Rock and Roll concert!!
I only hope to forget about this show because today I have a serious case of buyer's remorse.
The show was full of technical glitches (PA related, mostly) and was generally disorganized. The only act that appeared to have rehearsed was DeYoung's band, who seriously rocked the house.
Jack Bruce's opening song was an awful solo acoustic guitar number that literally had people covering their ears. Its not that his performance was bad, the guitar sounded bad and the vocals were SOOO LOUD it had people running for cover. They should have MIC'd his guitar, and softened the overall SPL for that tune.
Memorable? Meh... What I will remember is how GOOD DeYoungs band was in spite of how BAD the rest of the production was. Oh, they tried to screw DeYoung up too, but he rocked in spite of it all.
I don't know, but the impression I got was that the old-timers just showed up to jam. If it sounded bad, who cares, its just a little jam session. No rehearsals, no big deal. 'The audience should just be honored that they are in our presence, that will offset the utter lack of preparation.'
I paid $85/ea for 2 reserved seats to what I was sold as the show of the century. DeYoung delivered; the rest just sucked. The sound sucked, the show sucked, the performers for the most part sucked.
Memorable? The BAD part is this WAS a memorable show. I will never again be able to listen to those great old songs without remembering how they were butchered at this show. THAT is the tragedy.
I could not agree more with that last post. Aside from Dennis DeYoung, the show was an enormous let down. The neysayers were correct- Rick you failed big time here. All of that pre-concert hype was a bunch of hot air. And if the Cary curfew was to blame, why wasn't this addressed PRIOR to the show? Hey maybe the Randy Parton theater has some work for you, Rick.
I am the person whose post on the Rock Hall message board is quoted at the beginning of this article. Just dropped by to say that this year's lineup appears to be a turd comparable to last year's.
As an aside, the logos for two of the show's sponsors on the concert web site are broken. Bet they're glad they dug deep for such great pub as this!
We won't be spending any of our hard earned cash on this disaster-waiting-to-happen. Fool me once...
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