Sonisphere cancelled

Michael Allred wrote:

Russian Headlong wrote:
you're the fucking dolt michael with your pro lambert bs. the fans have voted with their feet. had it been paul rodgers the gig would have sold well.

you are completely delusional. Paul Rodgers would have singlehandedly saved an entire three day festival???? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!

I said from day one how surprising it was that they wanted to headline a festival with Lambert. He's a big draw in the US, but not really anywhere else.

Paul Rodgers is much more respected. Free was huge in the UK - at least as big as Cream. I don't think anyone in their right mind can deny that.

As for the comment you quoted - I think some people don't understand that the entire festival was canceled, not just Q/AL's set.

Michael Allred wrote:

brENsKi wrote:
well 2/3 rds of it were doomed from the get-go
doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that queen minus freddie plus adam lambert and kiss minus ace/peter or plus ace/peter for that matter
is not the greatest ticket seller ever..even the touts/scalpers couldn't be arsed
perhaps now, brian, roger, gene and paul will all retire (finally) with whatever modicum of self-respect remains

KISS have been doing VERY well w/o Ace and Peter for some time now.

the statement i made was very clear. i said minus OR plus ace/peter....in other words it makes no difference - they're not a great ticket seller over here
and the cancellation due to poor ticket sales confirms that i was right

ok here's a theory.....someone made a lot of money for doing nothing and providing less than nothing here

think about it - knebworth park capacity - vast
let's say the "poor ticket sales" were only 20,000 that's still lots of credit card payments sitting in the organiser's bank account for a month or more - earning interest....nice "non-work" if you can get it

I'm not crazy about Adam Lambert either, but holy shit. This site really is just a place for people to bitch about Brian.
Having said that, someone like Jeff Scott Soto would suit that particular festival better. And having said that, I can bet that someone would also be on here bitching about JSS, just like they did about Paul Rodgers. And if Bri and Roger decided to never do anything since 1991, people would be bitching about them never doing anything and just living off the money. There really isn't much time for them to do stuff. So let them

The whole lineup in general wasn't strong enough to draw a packed crowd but Queen being on it should have been enough to carry it. Having Lambert with them certainly didn't help any.

Well said dude.
Let's bitch about everything, is fun!!!
Said that, this news are bad, it's not Queen's fault, they have a entire festival behind them, but they are the headliners, so their image is dameged.
Maybe they could use this and made a gig ''alone'' in a big stadium and restore their image.

Lets face it, they were never going to fit at Sonisphere. It's a metal festival. Not the type of place to do a comeback show with an American talent show singer. Maybe they'll end up doing Milton Keynes with a strong support line up. Not interested personally. Saw the last two Q&PR tours, but I draw the line at this.

the dude 1366 wrote:
I'm not crazy about Adam Lambert either, but holy shit. This site really is just a place for people to bitch about Brian.
Having said that, someone like Jeff Scott Soto would suit that particular festival better. And having said that, I can bet that someone would also be on here bitching about JSS, just like they did about Paul Rodgers. And if Bri and Roger decided to never do anything since 1991, people would be bitching about them never doing anything and just living off the money. There really isn't much time for them to do stuff. So let them

i think your viewpoint has little regard for long-time fans' opinions. this has been debated all over. most of the "business decisions" of the last decade have been frowned on by the "older generation" of fans as they grew up with the band and feel that their memories and the queen legacy is being shat upon...
btw - a growing number of "newer/younger" fans are saying similar things
if bri/Roger had any integrity at all they'd have recruited a permanent singer/bassist and toured and recorded with them for the last decade, at least showing they have some kind of musical common ground and also building up a new rapport with the fans
...what they have done is nothing short of creating a 1991-2012 pantomime/cabaret act akin to the self-parody-farcical-human-resources-revolving-door-mentality that is kiss/deep purple these days

purple 91 - 2012
blackmore, gillan, glover, paice, lord, satriani, lyn-turner, airey, morse
kiss 91-2012
simmons, stanley, kulick, carr, singer, frehley, criss, thayer,

Wow.  Some great stuff in this thread. 

the fans have voted with their feet.

REAL queen fans (i.e. from 70's and 80's) don't want adam lambert and have informed Brian and Roger of this, by not buying tickets.

In 2010 KISS performed their most successful, longest U.K./European tour so far.

maybe they could use Adam's vocal range to play rarities of their first albums

i got a sameday loan to get my ticket early

Queen alone should have been enough to sell out the concert but they sunk the Sonisphere ship with Lambert.

someone like Jeff Scott Soto would suit that particular festival better.

it's not Queen's fault, they have a entire festival behind them, but they are the headliners, so their image is dameged.

In a previous thread about the merits of Queen and Adam Lambert, where those with any dignity and sense said it was generally the worst idea since the chocolate teapot, GT wrote: "If you don't like it then don't go to see them live or buy anything with the Queen name on it- it is your choice entirely"

I think the public has spoken now, yes??

Ps - I wonder if his suggestion of not buying anything with the Queen name on still stands when it comes to his book? A novel marketing approach I must say, to spend months here publicising and asking for input for a book he's writing with the Queen name on, and then saying to his core audience 'don't buy anything with the Queen name on' - genius!

The Question which should now being asked is why did Paul Rodgers fall out of favour. Lets have the real reasons.

All the Sonispheres are vanish! (Except the spanish, i think)

I dunno Queen + Adam Lambert has nothing to do with those festivals in those countries.

You know, economical world crisis, maybe the organization has problems with the bank...

Just read that the other festivals in other countries, with Metallica headlining, will go on. I think it's pretty obvious that Lambert is a poor choice to front Queen.
Roger and Brian...just record together and sing and please work on the legacy, it's time.

I'd be interested to know how many 'casuals' knew PR before he toured with Queen as compared to know who AL is.

I must admit that, despite being pro-PR, I hadn't heard of him by name prior to 2004. I could only recognise him when I was told 'he's the bloke that sings "All Right Now".

I've not been to enough gigs to be certain but, from what I remember of Liverpool '08, most of the attendees were in the 40+ bracket who, if they're general rock fans, would probably have had a general knowledge of PR, plus most of his own fans are that age too.

I'm guessing amongst most young people AL may be well known but I must say that I'm in my 20s and, unless he'd performed with Queen, I'd never have heard of him, I couldn't name a single AL song.

Now, while I don't think this makes much difference to Sonisphere, it certainly can't have helped much, and, sticking Queen (of any form) on a heavy metal gig can't have helped either! The only touring partnership I've heard the successful Queen participate in was with Quo in '86. However, I don't believe now that would work as I don't think touring with Quo would put many more bums on seats than Queen + could manage by themselves (as much as I would love a Quo/ Queen gig, sounds like a great night out to me!).

I'd be interested to know how many 'casuals' knew PR before he toured with Queen as compared to know who AL is.

Paul Rodgers had and still has a massive following, his songs, like queens, are still played on the "main stream" radio stations. If they didn’t know him by name I have no doubt people will have heard his work.

I'm not much of a fan but i did know of him, even back in 2004.

How many people over 25 have heard of Adam lambert, no one in the UK that i know of?