The list of the top tours for the first half of 2006 is predictably weighted toward veteran rockers, but the lineup also yields a few surprises from developing acts and new arena productions.
At the top of the list, compiled from figures reported to Billboard Boxscore from November 1, 2005, through mid-May, as they have been virtually every time they are on the road for the past three decades, are the Rolling Stones.
One of the few relatively new acts among the top midyear tours is Coldplay. The band followed up last summer's successful tour with a run through arenas that rang up grosses of nearly $30 million and attendance of more than 450,000. "The year is going very well," Coldplay manager Dave Holmes modestly says. "The U.S. arena leg that ran from January 25 to March 6 was a tremendous success, with all but a couple of the dates doing sellout business."
Coldplay wraps a sold-out arena tour of Australia this summer, and then heads to Asia. "This has been their best year ever," Holmes says.The Stones' Bigger Bang tour reported $147.3 million in grosses from 45 shows in U.S. arenas and international stadiums.
Though not without its drama -- including brain surgery for guitarist Keith Richards following a bizarre accident in Fiji, and another rehab stint for Ron Wood -- the Stones lurched back into gear July 11 for a European stadium run that could make Bigger Bang the top-grossing tour ever.
The Stones just announced that they will return to North American in the fall. "It's kind of astounding when it keeps improving 43 years later," says Michael Cohl, the band's promoter.
While it's doubtful it would have passed its elder brethren, U2 would have improved its already hefty take of $73 million for the period had it not postponed dates in New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Hawaii because of a family illness.
Still, U2's mega-trek is unarguably one of the most successful tours ever. "The Vertigo tour was an absolute success worldwide," says Vertigo producer Arthur Fogel, music chairman of Live Nation and head of TNA, the firm's international touring division.
Most of the U2 dollars in the midyear report come from Latin American Vertigo stops.
"The shows in Mexico and South America continued the incredible feat of not one unsold ticket," says Fogel.
Bon Jovi's world tour in support of its "Have a Nice Day" album has delivered big time.
Bon Jovi is the third-highest-grossing act for the period, reporting more than $65 million and 866,873 in attendance, selling out 54 of 57 shows.
"We broke the Bon Jovi legs up into fall '05 and the first and second quarters of '06," AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips notes. "Had we played all the dates in one year, including the summer stadium dates, we would have vied for top tour."
Phillips points out that Bon Jovi was the only act other than U2 to play four sold-out Air Canada Center shows in Toronto. "Also, we played six arenas in the New York metro area, and are now almost clean on three Giant Stadiums in the same market," Phillips adds.
Bon Jovi will be on the road in the United States and Europe through most of the summer.
Billy Joel's return to the road last winter was nothing short of spectacular, selling out 33 of 34 dates and ringing up multiples in many markets, including a record-setting 12 sellouts at New York's Madison Square Garden that grossed $19.2 million.
"The true 'hall of famers' are the artists that can fill arenas night after night," says Dennis Arfa, Joel's longtime agent at Artists Group International.
A rare newcomer to the touring elite is Cirque du Soleil's "Delirium," a new arena product that has quickly become a force to be reckoned with. Since January, "Delirium" has grossed almost $40 million from 64 shows and moved nearly 450,000 tickets.
"The great thing about this tour is it's kind of a fusion of music and art," says Brad Wavra, point person on "Delirium" for Live Nation, which is producing the tour. "For the first time in a long time we've created a different type of arena entertainment."
Most importantly, this is not a one-shot deal. "It's not dependent on a hit song or a pop star," Wavra says. "People seem to be coming back again."
Road veteran Aerosmith again asserted its authority this winter, grossing more than $35 million from 32 dates on a tour that was cut short because of throat problems for singer Steven Tyler. The good news is that Aerosmith will strike even harder later this year with a co-headlining run with Motley Crue called the Route of All Evil.
Luis Miguel's 30-show engagement January 18-February 27 at Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City grossed $19.3 million and drew 267,528 fans, the linchpin for more than $25 million in grosses for the period. The Auditorio Nacional number is believed to be the biggest gross in the history of Mexico and one of the top global indoor grosses of all time.
"He probably could have done more" shows, says Peter Grosslight, worldwide head of music for the William Morris Agency, which books Miguel.
The Auditorio Nacional stand wrapped a 101-date tour that started last September in the United States and then played Argentina, Chile and Uruguay before beginning the Mexican run in January. Grosslight says the tour's total gross was north of $60 million, which he believes could make it the top-grossing tour ever by a Latin artist.
The fact that the period covered includes most of the holiday season gives the Trans-Siberian Orchestra a chance to flex its box-office muscle in the chart. TSO -- a rock holiday extravaganza that incorporates elaborate staging, metal mixed with Christmas carols and dazzling visuals -- has become a winter staple.
For the period, TSO reports grosses of close to $24 million and attendance of 629,145 from 81 performances. "TSO continues to defy conventional formulas," says Marc Geiger, responsible agent for TSO at William Morris. "Their growth year over year is a true success story."
Rounding out the top 10 is Paul McCartney, with the eight shows that wrapped his huge 2005 U.S. tour. They grossed $17.6 million and drew nearly 120,000 people.
For the rest of the top 25, notable successes include Depeche Mode ($17.6 million), Nickelback ($17.4 million), Take That ($16.3 million), Gwen Stefani ($11.6 million) and Brad Paisley ($14.2 million).
Just getting under way and sure to scale higher chart positions by year's end are Kenny Chesney ($15.3 million), Pearl Jam ($15.6 million), Tim McGraw/Faith Hill ($14.3 million), Rascal Flatts ($12.2 million), Dave Matthews Band ($10 million) and Fall Out Boy ($9.8 million).
The emergence of Fall Out Boy is good news for an industry needing new headliners. "We're very excited how the FOB tour went," Fall Out Boy manager Bob McLynn says. "They've built it from the ground up. Kind of surreal to see the same little band selling out all these arenas."
Absent from the chart but sure to make a major dent in the year-end totals are Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Barbra Streisand and Eric Clapton.
Reuters/Billboard
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