A
concert is a live
performance, usually of
music, before an
audience. The music may be performed by a single
musician, sometimes then called a
recital, or by a
musical ensemble, such as an
orchestra, a
choir, or a
musical band. Informal names for a concert include "show" and "
gig". Concerts are held in a wide variety of settings or venues, including
pubs,
nightclubs,
houses,
barns, dedicated
concert halls,
entertainment centres, large multipurpose buildings, and even sports
stadia. A concert held in a very large venue is sometimes called an
arena concert. Regardless of the venue, musicians usually perform on a stage. Before the dominance of recorded music, concerts would be the only opportunity one would generally have to hear musicians play.
While the principal reason for a concert is the opportunity for the musicians to perform in front of an audience, even the most purely artistic of endeavors will see gains. Concerts provide the musicians exposure to the public. An attendee will probably see the musicians perform again if the concert was worthwhile. Recording artists usually go on tours to promote record sales and introduce their fans to new
musical compositions. Some musicians and musical groups are known for consistently touring and holding concerts, others rarely so.
The duration of concerts vary significantly. For major concerts, it could generally take more than six hours, including
support bands.
Revenue
While admission to many concerts is free, it is common practice to charge money for admission to concerts by selling
admission tickets.
Revenue from ticket sales traditionally goes to the performing artists, producers, and organisers. In the case of
benefit concerts, a portion of profits will often go towards
charity.
Revenue is also often raised through advertising, be it in free local concerts for local sponsorships, or through sponsorships from multinational corporations during major tours (
e.g. 2009's "
Vans' Warped Tour Presented by AT&T".)
Concessions and
merchandise are also often sold at concerts; often by the
venue in the case of the former, and by the performing band or artist in the case of the latter.
The highest grossing concert tour of all time is the
The Rolling Stones'
A Bigger Bang Tour which earned approximately $558 million in between
2005 and
2007. The highest earning tour by a solo artist is the
Sticky & Sweet Tour by pop artist
Madonna, which earned $408 million in
2008 and
2009.
Concert tour
A
concert tour is a series of concerts by a musician, musical group, or some number of either in different cities or locations. Especially in the popular music world, such tours can become large-scale enterprises that last for several months or even years, are seen by hundreds of thousands or millions of people, and bring in millions of dollars (or the equivalent) in ticket revenues. Different segments of long-lived concert tours are known as "legs". Concert tours are often administered on the local level by concert promoters or by
performing arts presenters.
Types
The nature of a concert will vary by
musical genre and individual groups in those genres. Concerts by a small
jazz combo and a small
bluegrass band may have the same order of program, mood, and volume, but vary in music and dress. In a similar way, a particular musician, band, or genre of music might attract concert attendees with similar dress, hairstyle, and behavior. For example, the hippies of the 70s often toted long hair (sometimes in dread lock form), sandals and inexpensive clothing made of natural fibers. The regular attendees to a concert venue might also have a recognizable style, comprising that venue's "scene".
Musical groups with large expected audiences can put on very elaborate and expensive affairs. In order to create a memorable and exciting atmosphere and increase the spectacle, the musicians will frequently include additional entertainment devices within their concerts. These tend to include changeable
stage lighting effects and various
special effect visuals, which include anything from large video screens and a
Live event visual amplification system, inflatables, smoke or
dry ice,
pyrotechnics, artwork, pre-recorded video, and unusual attire, such as
Pink Floyd,
Jean Michel Jarre,
Sarah Brightman and
KISS. Some
singers, especially in genres of popular music, augment the sound of their concerts with pre-recorded
accompaniment and even broadcast vocal tracks of the singer's own voice. Activities which may take place during large-scale concerts include
dancing, sing-alongs, and
moshing.
Larger concerts involving a greater number of musical groups, especially those that last for multiple days, are known as
festivals. Examples include the
Bloodstock Open Air,
Warped Tour,
Wacken Open Air,
Rock Werchter,
Woodstock Music and Art Festival,
Oxegen,
Bath Festival,
Salzburg Festival, the
Newport Jazz Festival,
Reading and Leeds Festivals,
Download Festival,
Parachute Music Festival,
Cambridge Folk Festival,
Glastonbury Festival,
Roskilde Festival,
Isle of Wight Festival,
T in the Park,
Falls Festival,
Big Day Out,
Rockwave Festival,
Creation Festival and
Summer Sonic Festival.
See also
