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April 14, 2008

Detroit to Radiohead: Why do you hate us?

Detroit Free Press | Read Full Story >

The Detroit Free Press asks:

Why won’t Radiohead play here anymore?

More than a decade has passed since the celebrated English band played a stage in the Motor City, a place that has been regarded as one of the country’s premier concert markets.

During that time, the group has booked three full tours of the United States, and has had other scattered dates. But not in Detroit. Not since a 1997 visit that spawned all manner of rumors about the group’s ongoing absence from the Motor City.

Answer:

Metro Detroit doesn’t have a venue the band likes.

From that 2001 tour onward, Radiohead has sought a particular sort of concert setting: outdoors, out-of-the-way, pastoral. Browse the band’s itineraries and you’ll find a host of venues fitting that bill—places such as the rustic Gorge Amphitheater in Washington state and the riverside Parc Jean Drapeau in Montreal.

But DTE Energy Music Theatre, this market’s top outdoor venue and the one that would best fit the band’s criteria, is a no-go for a very specific reason: It has too many corporate-sponsor signs for Radiohead’s taste.

“That is absolutely, 100%” the reason Radiohead did not include Detroit on this year’s U.S. outing, says a source who has been involved in tour negotiations, but asked not to be identified. Instead, the band opted for less-branded amphitheaters in Cleveland and Indianapolis—facilities that also have capacities significantly higher than DTE‘s 15,000 seats.

The source is backed up by others familiar with the situation. In standard music-biz fashion, they declined to speak for attribution because of ongoing business relationships.

Label chief Costello is not versed on the DTE specifics. But he says Radiohead’s anti-sponsor position is a core philosophy for band members, especially vocalist Thom Yorke.

“Thom is a real stickler about that,” says Costello. “Two albums ago, he read a book or an article about corporate sponsorship, and it just sent him crawling up the wall. He decided there would be no more of the bullshit on the side” of the stage. “They’ve really drilled in to see who’s doing what” in terms of sponsor presence at venues.

Hmmm. If that’s really the case, why are they playing Lollapalooza?


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Previous comments include

#1 Dave says:

They're playing Lollapalooza and continue to play a large amount of festivals, despite corporate branding issues, because that's the English way of music. Almost any band worth their stuff plays all the big festivals in the UK.

So, I think it's mostly a result of their heritage that they're interested in playing festivals which require a lot of corporate sponsorship to happen, and not so much on the single-act venues that shouldn't. There's a huge difference in a festival needing a sponsor and a normal venue, right?

#2 BoardsOfCanada says:

"wait, you're gonna give me $1m a show and i get to headline historic places like liberty state park, grant park and golden gate park in front of 75,000 people?"

that matters to them, believe it or not.

#3 uselessgoo says:

i really hope to hear radiohead on the next att commercial.

#4 Thank God says:

....and to think...I thought they were skipping Detroit because they didn't like black people!

#5 CN says:

What a load of garbage. They are playing the VERIZON WIRELESS Amphitheater in Indianapolis, Lollapalooza (the biggest mess of a corporate sponsorship in North America), the MOLSON Amphitheater, etc. The bigger problem is probably that DTE doesn't have enough seats to justify the huge $$$ that Radiohead's promoters are requesting for a guarantee.

#6 Zero says:

Thom and the gang are good at finding "Bono" excuses for avoiding venues that don't fit their financial demands. Be it "good public access" or "no corporate sponsorships" (the only good excuse I've seen are playing only in large, +20k spectators venues), they seem one of the least honest groups around - but heaven forbid someone saying that out loud to the pitchfork-eating crowd.

Coldplay are said to be simple Radiohead imitators, but in recent years Thom Yorke started to look more and more like Chris Martin after he went all self-righteous.

#7 Steve says:

Could also be that DTE is one of the worst-sounding venues I've ever been to in my life. I feel bad for bands who play there and actually care about how they sound to the audience.

Not to mention the entire pavilion is practically sold to rich people and season ticket holders.

#8 eh? says:

^^^ there are rich people left in detroit?

#9 haha... says:

yeah sure. detroits got eminem and kid rock. don't those bitches have any money left??

am I the only one sick and tired of radiohead? seriously!

#10 Hollis Greene says:

It's quite simple actually: Detroit is just a dreadful place.

#11 Ant says:

and I'm sure they lent "House of Cards" to the NBA commercial out of the goodness of their hearts.

#12 Zeke says:

Meh. Average band whining about a venue and depriving their fan base. Pretentious and self-righteous crap from another overhyped band.

#13 Dirac says:

And yet they will play the Tweeter Center outside of Boston. This place plays commercials on the big screens in between acts. DTE is too commercial. Don't make me laugh. If you are going to create an excuse, at least make one up that does not contradict itself within the next several months. (Actually, they played Tweeter on the last tour too.)

I would think this is more of a money issue and not an idealistic one. If it is, then tell me, why Tweeter?

#14 clea says:

DTE does blow, but that doesn't explain why they couldn't play, say Meadowbrook. Zappa, Dylan, Lou Reed have all played there. i love Radiohead's music, but this has always seemed to me to be childish, ignorant Bono-esque behavior.

#15 bob says:

Probably the same reason they skip us here in KC. We dont have any good outdoor venues.

#16 Derek says:

The book that Thom read was No Logo.

I was reading yesterday and on the back is a blurb about how Thom read and changed his entire view about sponsorship.

Its a pretty good book too

#17 Awesome. says:

5 gets you 10 that Zeke at #12 is a Creed fan.

#18 pob says:

I saw them in 1997 when they played the State Theater. The were really good. The sound is bad at DTE but everybody ends up playing there. Why could'nt they play the Ann Arbor venue? There is another reason they are not mentioning. And for anyone who says Detroit sucks, they haven't been here lately.

#19 M.E. says:

IT would be nice if Radiohead played the Gorge in Washington but no, they always go to the abysmal White River Amphitheater.

#20 TG says:

I hope Radiohead never falls off their high horse, it'll be a long way to the ground.

#21 oliver in houston says:

Last time I was at a Radiohead concert in the States, what was I doing? Oh, right. I was drinking a Bud Light out of a plastic Coca-Cola (non-recyclable) cup, talking on my AT&T cell phone made by Apple, while I was looking at gigantic flashing advertisements for Sprint, JP Morgan Chase, and the New York Post. This is why popular music celebrities are uniquely unqualified to comment on anything having to to with consumerism. If you play festivals that are bank-rolled by multinational corporations, then you are part of the problem, not part of the solution. Fools.

#22 Radiodead says:

Its got to be a money issue. I'll hate on corporate "america" and obviously it's way beyond that and then sip on a Coke, charging my Verizon phone while surfing with At&t dsl. Its pretty hard to completely avoid corporatism but WHY take it out on the fans. The worst part for me is I can't leave the state due to legal issues.I missed them in Cuyahoga Falls in '03 ?(whatever it is)and now unless I break the law once again I'll miss one of the if not the most talented bands around. I'm left with Counting Crows Woopeeee 1-2-3-4-5 :( C'Mon Back !!!!!

#23 Motorcity madman says:

This is absolute bull. They wouldn't play DTE (pine knob) but did play Verizon whatever in Indy. Both places are almost identical, but DTE is nicer. I trekked all the way out to Indy from Detroit to see them just once and also saw Verizon, Taco Smell and Coors swill ads everywhere in Indy. Not to mention their own merchandising. $40 for a t shirt, $9 for a Jack Daniels drink and $80 for nosebleed pavilion seats from ticketmaster. Don't tell me they're anti corporate. They put on a great show, but until they come to Detroit they will never see another penny of mine which is sad because I am a true fan.


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