Features
Metallica Holds Steady Atop LIVE75, Tool Debuts As Chart’s Hot Shot
Xavier Torrent / Redferns / Getty Images – Metallica
Metallica is lost in the music during a show at Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, Spain, Feb. 7.
Metallica continues its run at No. 1 on Pollstar’s LIVE75 chart for a third consecutive week based on a sold ticket average of 56,398 from concerts in Madrid, Barcelona and Milan, the same shows that earned the veteran metal band the top honor on the past two charts. The group has a firm hold on the top position since their WorldWired tour is the only one included in the tally that’s solely devoted to stadium-sized concerts.
Only one other headliner has a stadium show this week – the perennially ranked Eric Church who has landed in the Top 10 on every chart since the LIVE75 debuted in April. He scores the No. 2 slot with a sold average of 19,869 from the final three spring arena dates on his Double Down tour as well as the only stadium gig on his itinerary, a May 25 concert at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium. The country superstar set a new attendance record at the Music City venue with a sellout crowd of 56,521, smashing previous records set by Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney and One Direction, who have all surpassed 50,000 sold seats on a single night at the stadium.
The chart’s HOT SHOT artist is Tool with a ticket sales average of 12,976 to grab the ninth ranking based on Boxoffice performance at three Midwestern arenas. The Enterprise Center in St. Louis; Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.; and Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa; each hosted sellout crowds during the group’s recent May trek through American cities for a total sold ticket tally of 38,928.
The combined gross figure from all three buildings topped $3.2 million for an average of $1.08 million per show. Both Missouri dates – the St. Louis concert on May 13 and the Kansas City show the following night – were promoted by Chicago-based Jam Productions. The Des Moines event, promoted by Mammoth, occurred May 17. Tool will be on the road in Europe during the month of June and will wrap the summer run July 2 in Lisbon, Portugal.
John Darwin Kurc / DaxWax.com – Maynard James Keenan of Tool
Bojangles
Also new to the chart in this issue is Dave Matthews Band, debuting with the No. 13 ranking based on an average of 10,380 sold tickets at three concerts in U.S. markets. Coming on the heels of a month-long trek through Europe during March, the band played its first North American arena show April 30 at Pensacola (Fla.) Bay Center – the first concert included in these counts. Also counted this week was an arena performance at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena (May 11) and a shed date at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in the Houston market May 17.
Rapper DMX makes his third stand as the BREAKTHROUGH artist with sellout crowds in attendance at seven concerts during May, averaging 1,108 tickets per show. On the road during the past three months to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot album, his best-attended date came on April 3 at the House of Blues in Boston with 2,425 fans in the house.
The NOISE MAKER who jumps 15 positions from her ranking last week is Chonda Pierce, coming in at No. 54 based on an average of
967 tickets at four shows. The Christian comedian, who has been touring since late February, has appeared in 31 shows in U.S. cities according to reports from tour promoter Awakening Events. She is booked through June 8.