Hey Glenn... bands 11 & 12 (ProgPower IX)

[General Zod]

Glenn...

Apologies if I missed it. What made you decide to go to 12 bands? At only $5 more a ticket, it hardly seems like it would be worth the headache of having to deal with two more bands. Also, will this format change be permanent?

And as long as I'm bugging you with questions, at one time, ProgPower X was rumored to be a "Best of ProgPower". Is that still on the agenda?

Gracias.

Zod

 

[Heavenly Call]

Somewhere in another thread Glen had said that the increase in number of bands was due to extra sponsor offers. PPX as a best of would be a kickass idea!

 

[adaher]

I don't know my butt from a hole in the ground, but that never stopped me from guessing.

What made you decide to go to 12 bands? At only $5 more a ticket, it hardly seems like it would be worth the headache of having to deal with two more bands. Also, will this format change be permanent?


I would think that with sales slowing a bit, having two extra bands would mean that more people would find someone they want to see at PP.

ProgPower X was rumored to be a "Best of ProgPower". Is that still on the agenda?


As much as I'd like to see something like that, I'd have to think that a) it would be expensive as hell given how big many of these bands have gotten now, and b) interest in seeing 12 repeats and no debuts would make it less viable. Assuming that's what he meant.

 

[Jim LotFP]

I would think that with sales slowing a bit

?

 

[General Zod]

I would think that with sales slowing a bit, having two extra bands would mean that more people would find someone they want to see at PP.

With the exception of last year's show (due to the Nevermore/Jorn debacle), these shows sell out in a week.

Zod

 

[Harvester]

Glenn...

What made you decide to go to 12 bands?

Also, will this format change be permanent?

And as long as I'm bugging you with questions, at one time, ProgPower X was rumored to be a "Best of ProgPower". Is that still on the agenda?

Zod

1. It's all about moving forward and not taking things for granted in the business. Once you establish a superior product, you want to stay on top. I decided to go early on the bookings this year because I want to pick the bands *I want.* I don't want to pick the bands that Barfest, Powerfest, Texasfest, Nathanfest, Joeblowthinkshecandobetterfest, etc, etc. did not pick. I went to 12 also because the demand for slots from bands is higher than ever. If a band is willing to meet me within my budget, then I figure why not? The fans win and I win in the long run from continued loyalty.

2. It will be on a year to year basis provided it goes smooth next year.

3. With the way prices are rising for headline bands, I'm rather certain that the idea will be scrapped.

 

[Mosquito]

Hoogie Boogie Landfest 2008.

 

[Dolamite S. Biffle]

3. With the way prices are rising for headline bands, I'm rather certain that the idea will be scrapped.

Well maybe we can talk them into doing it for a cheaper rate due to the nostalgia factor, perhaps. PP was the first place that many of our favorite bands played for the first time in the US, so just maybe.

 

[adaher]

With the exception of last year's show (due to the Nevermore/Jorn debacle), these shows sell out in a week.


Didn't this year's show take much longer than that?

I mean, a sell out is a sellout, but there's no harm in trying to get the trend arrow pointing back in the up direction. Being proactive and all that.

Well maybe we can talk them into doing it for a cheaper rate due to the nostalgia factor, perhaps. PP was the first place that many of our favorite bands played for the first time in the US, so just maybe.


Good point. Progpower helped a lot of these bands get on the map here in the US. I'd think bands like SymX, Evergrey, Edguy, Angra, Dreamscape, and Circus Maximus especially would be grateful.

 

[Chai]

I would think that with sales slowing a bit, having two extra bands would mean that more people would find someone they want to see at PP.

Didn't PPUSA sell out in record time this year?

 

[nailz]

I think it was progpower 4 that sold out in about 3 days.

 

[Magius]

I think it was progpower 4 that sold out in about 3 days.

PPUSA V

Didn't this year's show take much longer than that?

I mean, a sell out is a sellout, but there's no harm in trying to get the trend arrow pointing back in the up direction. Being proactive and all that.

It took a few weeks. However going fromn a non-sellout to a quick sellout is already an upward trend.

 

[General Zod]

1. It's all about moving forward and not taking things for granted in the business. Once you establish a superior product, you want to stay on top. I decided to go early on the bookings this year because I want to pick the bands *I want.* I don't want to pick the bands that Barfest, Powerfest, Texasfest, Nathanfest, Joeblowthinkshecandobetterfest, etc, etc. did not pick. I went to 12 also because the demand for slots from bands is higher than ever. If a band is willing to meet me within my budget, then I figure why not? The fans win and I win in the long run from continued loyalty.

2. It will be on a year to year basis provided it goes smooth next year.

3. With the way prices are rising for headline bands, I'm rather certain that the idea will be scrapped.

Thanks for the response.

Zod

 

[BlackRoseMetalHeart]

I'm fairly certain that PPV sold out in under a week and for some reason I'm thinking that this year's fest, sold out in under 2 weeks, but I could be mistaken about that.

In any case, the show has consistently either sold out or come so damn close to selling out (i.e. 3 tickets remaining for PPVII or whatever ridiculously low number of unsold tickets it was) that the devoted fans of the festival (and perhaps even Glenn as well) would probably just consider them all just as good as sold-out shows.

 

[adaher]

It took a few weeks. However going fromn a non-sellout to a quick sellout is already an upward trend.

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Don't make me get into a statistics debate.

The last two years were slower than the previous four. This obviously has nothing to do with Glenn, it's just that the headliners are all touring the US on their own and there aren't many bands stepping up to the top tier. When Glenn brought us Edguy, Gamma Ray, Nightwish, Blind Guardian, Angra, and Symphony X, it was new and unique.

Now those bands tour the US and most of us have seen them. No new headliners have risen(and the ones that do, like Dragonforce, went ahead and jumped into the US market on their own). So it's all the more challenging to excite the metal crowd.

 

[Mosquito]

Lost Horizon reunion? =p

 

[Harvester]

It took a few weeks. However going fromn a non-sellout to a quick sellout is already an upward trend.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Don't make me get into a statistics debate.

The last two years were slower than the previous four. This obviously has nothing to do with Glenn, it's just that the headliners are all touring the US on their own and there aren't many bands stepping up to the top tier. When Glenn brought us Edguy, Gamma Ray, Nightwish, Blind Guardian, Angra, and Symphony X, it was new and unique.

Now those bands tour the US and most of us have seen them. No new headliners have risen(and the ones that do, like Dragonforce, went ahead and jumped into the US market on their own). So it's all the more challenging to excite the metal crowd.

Sorry to rain on the parade, but this year sold out faster than PP VI by a week. I agree with everything else you said though.

 

[adaher]

Wha? I seem to remember PPVI selling out in less than a week.

 

[sh0kr0k]

I decided to go early on the bookings this year because I want to pick the bands *I want.* I don't want to pick the bands that Barfest, Powerfest, Texasfest, Nathanfest, Joeblowthinkshecandobetterfest, etc, etc. did not pick.

You don't have to worry about us here at "Texasfest!" But you know that already... We know we can't touch what you do, and don't want to.

 

[adaher]

Glenn, PPVI sold out in 3 days and was a record at the time.

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/progpower-usa/190818-progpower-usa-vi-sold-out.html