I said, I know it's only rock 'n roll, but I like it

[Andrew49]

The Rolling Stones, celebrating 50 years in rock music, gave their first concert in five years at a small Paris venue Thursday, wowing an audience who paid just €15 each to see the surprise gig.


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNoerg38gjo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNoerg38gjo[/ame]

[Holly]

€15 is not a lot for so much "satisfaction".

[TotalMayhem]

And the 350 tickets have been sold within a few minutes.

Tickets for their four offical anniversary concerts are rather steep though, up to 500 yoyos regularly, a lot more on the black market.

[Saoirse go Deo]

And the 350 tickets have been sold within a few minutes.

Tickets for their four offical anniversary concerts are rather steep though, up to 500 yoyos regularly, a lot more on the black market.

World Tour next year though, probably play at one of the Slane dates

[Andrew49]

And the 350 tickets have been sold within a few minutes.

Tickets for their four offical anniversary concerts are rather steep though, up to 500 yoyos regularly, a lot more on the black market.

I was quoted £1,800 for a ticket!

Over the 50 years the Stones have played on average 30 concerts a year .... between 1962 up to 1967 they were playing maybe 3 a day. They've played almost 1,600 concerts - add in club gigs and gigs where they weren't billed as the Rolling Stones [practice gigs before major tours and gigs just for the hell of it] the number is close to 2,000.

They're a huge multi-national corporation who tend to do their meetings on stage in front of thousands.

[TotalMayhem]

They're a huge multi-national corporation who tend to do their meetings on stage in front of thousands.

Like U2?

I forgot, they're just tax exiles.

Ooops

During the early 1970s The Rolling Stones became tax exiles. Their experience inspired the title to their famous album Exile on Main St. According to Comcast Music, "The British rockers have managed to pay just 1.6% tax on their earnings of £242million over the past 20 years.

Birds of a feather, I suppose...

[Andrew49]

Like U2?

I forgot, they're just tax exiles.

Ooops

During the early 1970s The Rolling Stones became tax exiles. Their experience inspired the title to their famous album Exile on Main St. According to Comcast Music, "The British rockers have managed to pay just 1.6% tax on their earnings of £242million over the past 20 years.

Birds of a feather, I suppose...

I don't understand U2 becoming tax exiles! It can't be for the same reason as the Stones. The Stones ended the 60s owing a huge amount of tax after shenanigans by ABKCO (definitely and Decca (allegedly)

Up to becoming tax exiles the Stones were taxed 19/6 on every £1 they earned.

In today's money (sterling) they were getting about 2 and a half pence (2.5p) out of every £1 earned. That 2.5p had to be shared amongst Mick, Keith Brian, Charlie, Bill & Stu. All well and good as they were shifting loads of records in Europe, Australia and especially America. And the money was rolling in. Or so they thought. But the ABKCO story is too large for this thread. But I will say that ABKCO is still a nest of vipers .. reference Bittersweet Symphony! To get themselves away from ABKCO they ,, as much as, gave away their rights to their 60s catalogue plus Angie & Wild Horses.

The Stones haven't a clue how many records they shifted in the 60s when they were with Decca. They've (well Mick Jagger actually) recently asked Universal to do an audit of the Stones Decca years to get a figure. Jagger either wants to know how many records they sold or how much Decca STILL owes them!

The Beatles had a similar problem in America. Their manager got 10% of the US earnings but the Beatles saw little of the other 90%!! Anytime any of the Beatles go to court in America on this matter they win. It could be the US judiciary trying to make up for the way the band were exploited and cheated.

The only monies the Stones had 100% control of was the money made from tours/concerts and in the 60s the price of a ticket for their UK concerts was 10/ shillings. Out of that, 5/ shillings went to the management, and the remaining 5/ shilling was shared with the 6 members.

Since forming their own label in the early 70s they've shifted over 200 million records in sales but their main earner has been concerts - between Steel Wheels (1989) and Bigger Bang (2005) they've generated nearly €2bn and pay very little tax on it - last I heard was they paid 1.6% tax on that $2bn

[MauriceColgan]

An early birthday card arrived as I was listening to the wonderful music of Beethoven.

[Andrew49]

Can't beat a bit a of Beethoven these cold mornings

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rLci6tPOtY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rLci6tPOtY[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vopl2t_bwhI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vopl2t_bwhI[/ame]