Five Reunion

[lolly]

Just looking at Sophie's date here in June and it looks like she's got 150 or so left in a 1800 capacity venue, the vast majority of which in the upper tier. I fully expect her she'll sell the lot except perhaps the odd singles by the time the date comes around.

 

[Sheena]

Also, if you think about the nature of their audiences, they're different. Well, maybe not Five, but they've got the novelty factor, I suppose. Anastacia sold albums to the Tesco "one cd a year at Christmas" brigade in a way SEB never did.

 

[Sheena]

There is also familiarity- I've seen SEB so many times as she never stopped touring really and does loads of festivasls. I don't need to make an effort to see her- I don't think I even went the last time she was in Portsmouth.

 

[VoR]

True. I suspect had Steps not taken another extended break after What The Future Holds, their touring power would have diminished a bit too. (Not that Sophie's has diminished, these are much bigger venues than she would have attempted pre-Saltburn)

 

[Sheena]

True. I suspect had Steps not taken another extended break after What The Future Holds, their touring power would have diminished a bit too. (Not that Sophie's has diminished, these are much bigger venues than she would have attempted pre-Saltburn)

Steps have always been bigger, though, and, yeah, have never rinsed the festival market. Headlining Hoopla and Brighton Pride are the only ones I can pull out from memory and both of those are proper bigguns. Also, with Steps, it's a SHOW in a way SEB could never be. They also have the back catalogue to really mix things up if they needed to.

 

[Shoat]

Yeah but Anastacia... has the voice to be a live draw.

Agree this is maybe the key distinction between her and the other examples. Anastacia and SEB were often playing to the same supermarket mum audiences, but for a live show, do I want polite anecdotes about kitchen mishaps or do I want someone who can let rip and out-honk even their own live band?

Left Outside Alone with live guitars and drums? YES

 

[Sheena]

Anastacia and SEB were often playing to the same supermarket mum audiences

I'm not sure that's true- SEB never really sold the albums Anastacia did. The fanbase was probably considerably younger (and gayer, though Anastacia had her fair share of gay fans). Anastacia crossed over into that Dido territory...

 

[straightorbroken]

I’d see Jane over Ana any day

Jane has really upped her game. She's bigger than ever.

 

[funky]

Live touring is just massive generally isn't it? Everyone moans about the prices but ticketing prices are dictated by demand. And clearly people are willing to keep paying and the threshold hasn't been met yet. They're just going to keep getting more expensive.