Slow Sales Sink Rap Show

The promoter of a canceled concert in Lafayette, La., who tried to bring in a lineup of rap superstars March 22nd, has come to one conclusion – the ticket prices should have been lower.

Promoter Derrick Hodge of Shockwave Entertainment had a lineup including 50 Cent, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes and Juvenile for the Easter Jam 2008 concert at the Cajundome.

When he tried to sell floor seats for $125 each, Hodge soon found himself suffering from slow sales.

"I could have taken someone off the lineup and lowered the ticket prices," Hodge told the Daily Advertiser. "But the show wouldn’t have been as good."

Hodge told the paper he tried cutting the prices of second and top level seats, keeping floor seats at $125, but sold only 289 tickets total before calling it quits.

"All the program directors, general managers at radio stations, from Lafayette, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, even in New Orleans, they couldn’t believe the people didn’t support the event," he said. "It’s unbelievable for a lineup like that."

Still, advertising for the show got off to a late start, Hodge said, which could have ended up affecting sales.

"I’ll just wait a while before I think about bringing a big lineup like that again," he said. "If I do, I’ll have the prices a lot lower."