Three years ago, when Sir Paul McCartney last went on the road, he earned $103.3 million -- topping Pollstar's list of the year's biggest tours. Only Bruce Springsteen, with his $116 million-grossing Rising tour in 2003, has beaten the ex-Beatle since. But times have changed: The concert business fell into a malaise last summer, and even Madonna and Prince couldn't bail it out.

Can McCartney's fall arena tour of the U.S., which begins on September 16th, help reverse the trend? Some wonder if too many expensive superstar tours -- McCartney charges up to $250 per ticket, the Rolling Stones are expected to be comparable and U2 are close -- could spread fans' entertainment budgets too thin. "There's only so much money," says Dennis Arfa, agent for Metallica and others. "Those who get on sale later, they're going to be hurt by the money that's not available."

But Randy Phillips, CEO of AEG Live, which is promoting half the dates on McCartney's Lexus-sponsored tour, says that sixteen of the first seventeen dates sold out quickly. "You couldn't have a hotter ticket," he says.

McCartney plans to release an album to coincide with the tour. He reportedly intended to bring a band into the studio, but instead, his new producer, longtime Radiohead collaborator Nigel Godrich, suggested he make it alone. So McCartney played most of the instruments, including fluegelhorn and drums, which he played sporadically in the Seventies while fronting Wings.

Nonetheless, since McCartney's February Super Bowl appearance, when he performed "Drive My Car," "Get Back," "Hey Jude" and "Live and Let Die," he's planning to continue playing more Beatles classics. "The interesting thing, now that I've decided it's OK to do Beatles songs, is looking at stuff that I've never done live," he says. "I don't just do a kind of very self-satisfied set for myself. I try and do stuff people are going to want to see."

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/7294676/paulmccartney?pageid=rs.NewsArchive&pageregion=mainRegion&rnd=1115671125718&has-player=unknown

My husband just snared us two tickets for Oct. 10th at the ACC - he gladly shelled out $250 a ticket ('course that's Canadian so it's only $18.95 USD)!

I'm really looking forward to it! Never have had a chance to catch his show before and I can't wait!! We would have paid twice that if need be - and I'm sure some will - the show sold out within hours! :yippee: :rock:

Looking forward to the new album. Paul was notorious for releasing stinkers in the '80s, but he's been pretty consistent since 1989's Flowers In The Dirt. In fact, I think the Flaming Pie/Run Devil Run/Driving Rain trilogy consists of some of the best work he's ever done as a solo artist.

Hopefully he can continue the streak with this new disc.

However, I won't be going to see any of his shows, only because of the outrageous ticket prices, and because the closest show he's going to be playing to me is in Seattle. Sorry, I'm not going to pay to travel across the state only to pay a ridiculous amount of money to see one of my favorite artists.

I did fly to Seattle back in 2002 to see Pearl Jam at the same venue in which McCartney is going to be playing, but their ticket prices were a fraction of what McCartney is charging.

You're rich enough, Paul. Couldn't you bring your prices down just a tad?

You're rich enough, Paul. Couldn't you bring your prices down just a tad?

I find it funny that the richest artists are the ones who charge the most for their concert tickets. People like Paul and The Stones already have enough money that their great-great-great-great-grandchildren will be living like kings, they could charge lower ticket prices because it's not like they're doing tours to get out of debt.

My husband just snared us two tickets for Oct. 10th at the ACC - he gladly shelled out $250 a ticket ('course that's Canadian so it's only $18.95 USD)!

I'm really looking forward to it! Never have had a chance to catch his show before and I can't wait!! We would have paid twice that if need be - and I'm sure some will - the show sold out within hours! :yippee: :rock:

I know you'll have a great time, Tripperfan!! I've been lucky enough to see him twice and enjoyed every minute of it. I would love to see him again this time around but there are so many other concerts I want to see this summer and probably almost go broke just doing those!!

I find it funny that the richest artists are the ones who charge the most for their concert tickets. People like Paul and The Stones already have enough money that their great-great-great-great-grandchildren will be living like kings, they could charge lower ticket prices because it's not like they're doing tours to get out of debt.

Yes, I certainly agree with you, John, but I heard it's the concert promoter who sets the prices. You'd think that alot more artists would step in and say that they think that's a little too expensive and they aren't going to perform until the prices come down!! I guess the concert promoter thinks that fans are going to pay anything to see a legend.

BTW, I got a ticket to see Judas Priest & Queensryche for $20. Granted it's in the last section but I know what they all look like and I can hear the music just well in the back than I could if I were closer.

One thing I've noticed about McCartney's live shows is that he follows the same pattern: Beatles classics, solo stuff from 1970-1982, and selections from his newest album. He never strays from that formula, and it gets really boring.

I have four live Paul McCartney albums from the last fifteen years and the only one that that's not gathering dust is Unplugged: The Official Bootleg, and that's because it doesn't follow said formula. It's actually... interesting.

Honestly, how many live versions of "Hey Jude," "Jet" and "Let It Be" do I need?

I know you'll have a great time, Tripperfan!! I've been lucky enough to see him twice and enjoyed every minute of it. I would love to see him again this time around but there are so many other concerts I want to see this summer and probably almost go broke just doing those!!


Oh great!! I'm soooo excited! I grew up listening to the Beatles and as 1 billion other girls, had a huge crush on Paul too! I know the concert formula AKA is talking about, I've noticed it (it was like that on the Back In The U.S. DVD which we bought), but since I've never experienced him live, I don't mind. I agree, we're not big on a lot he's done in the past 15 yrs or so, but it'll still be worth it to me just to hear even a couple of Beatles tunes!
The last concert I saw was years ago when it was Frampton, REO Speedwagon and Foreigner all on the same ticket.
Ringo plays Casino Rama fairly often, and I could easily see him (for free actually), but its a bit of a drive and let's face it....Ringo! ;)