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[AngelV]

From MTV.com:

Lollapalooza Canceled; Organizers Cite Poor Ticket Sales
06.22.2004 12:51 AM EDT

Three weeks prior to kickoff, Lollapalooza has been canceled.

Organizers cited poor ticket sales as the reason the 31-date, 16-city trek was called off. This year's lineup was set to include Morrissey, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, the Flaming Lips and the String Cheese Incident (see "Lollapalooza Adds Danger Mouse, Von Bondies; Dates Unveiled").

"My heart aches along with the bands and all of our employees, whose hard work developed one of the most exciting and important tours that this nation was to see," read a statement from Lollapalooza co-founder Perry Farrell. "My heart is broken."

The decision to scrap Lollapalooza was made Monday evening (June 21), when organizers and promoters realized they stood to lose several million dollars. In all markets except New York, advance ticket sales were below estimates.

"On the average, the losses, had ticket sales not dramatically picked up — which they showed no indication of doing — the people involved faced losses in the mid-to-high six figures on a per-show basis," said the William Morris Agency's Marc Geiger, another Lollapalooza co-founder.

Fans who purchased tickets will be given refunds.

Geiger said Lollapalooza's plight is indicative of a summer touring season on the slide.

"Lollapalooza is not alone in this," he said. "Everyone from the Dead to Dave Matthews to Norah Jones is suffering. There's not one explanation for this. It might be that ticket prices are too high, which doesn't account for Lollapalooza, because our tickets were priced between $15 and $25. Maybe it's the sundry add-ons [like service charges] that up the cost? Maybe gas prices are too high? Just like the record industry is suffering, the concert business is not exempt.

"After people get through this summer season," he added, "there's going to be a lot of fixing that needs to be done in the concert industry."

Early on in its 13-year history, Lollapalooza built a reputation for eclectic lineups, but as the years wore on it became more well known for having trouble getting off the ground (see "Perry Hits Lollapasnooza Button: Tour Sleeps Another Year"). After 1997's outing with Korn, Tool and Snoop Dogg, the tour lied dormant until last year, when it returned with a lineup that featured Jane's Addiction, Queens of the Stone Age and Audioslave (see "Jane's Addiction Headline But Audioslave Steal Show At Lollapalooza Launch").


—Joe D'Angelo

[Doug]

Or maybe it has something to do with it being a mandatory two day show that primarily happens on weekdays?  This would have been the first Lollapalooza I would have missed...looks like I won't be missing it after all.  Sucks for the people that could go though.

[Juliana]

It was a fantastic lineup
We would have gone if it would have happened near here.

[kcneon]

Or maybe it has something to do with it being a mandatory two day show that primarily happens on weekdays?

Didn't help, I'm sure!

[bmxer43]

It wasn't "mandatory" two days though.  You could get 1 day tickets if you chose.  I think the problem is that tickets were too expensive.  $15-$25?  There's no way that's what they cost.  I think a 2 day pass was $100, actually (I may be wrong about that).  Add on Ticketbastard fees, and that's $120.  

If Clearchannel weren't so greedy and cut the amount of money that they got from ticket sales, ticket prices were lower, and I guarentee you that this tour would not have been cancelled.

***bmxer starts praying that Cure tickets are selling okay***