Picture source @Visual China
text | Entertainment talk, author | Nicole, editor | Zhu Ting
Looking back on the whole year of 2023, the kings and queens who were scolded for their concerts were not just Mayday who was suspected of "lip-synching".
Some are because the audience is "invisible". At Leung Jingru's concert in Shanghai last May, there were audience members in the 999-1599 price range blocked by pillars. Some are because of jokes. Rainie Yang interacted with fans at her Zhengzhou concert in December last year. Shi said: "Henan people can't be like this. You have always had a reputation for lying." This angered the majority of Henan people and some viewers because they couldn't get tickets. After all, the people who were grabbing tickets with you , maybe a program was specifically written to grab it.
It’s not just concerts. Audiences who consume other offline performances also have a lot of troubles.
Due to a public controversy, the talk show industry, which was originally booming, pressed the pause button. Most of the "open mics" set up by actors to tell new jokes were cancelled. It was only in recent months that the activities began to pick up. Old users who watch musicals all year round were suddenly shocked last year as to why there were so many musicals adapted from domestic dramas on tour: "The Secret Story of the Tang Dynasty", "The Hidden Corner", "The Illustrated Book of Crime Hunting"... and the old musical audience , many people sneered at this type of drama.
In 2022, looking at the tours held around the world, social media is full of calls for "I want to see the show". Why has it been less than a year, that is, in 2023, that everyone’s mood for consuming performances has changed from expectations to complaints?
"Pilgrimage" has become more expensive and has depreciated.
If you want to describe last year's performance market in one sentence, it is not an exaggeration to say that there are big and small performances anytime and anywhere. Many of the things that irritated the audience were old concert problems.
Tickets for first-line artists such as Mayday, Jay Chou, and JJ Lin are not so difficult to grab in the first year. It is not the first time for those who grab the Mayday concert that there are more pad sounds to accompany the carnival action. Jay Chou's concert is "highly watery" "Controversies have been going on for several years.
However, after the crowds of people came to the concert, more and more people couldn't bear it.
First of all, the continuous singing exposed more problems. Jay Chou's "2023 Carnival World Concert" was held in Hohhot and Taiyuan for four consecutive days, and in Haikou for three consecutive days. On Mayday, in November when the "lip-syncing" controversy occurred, he performed 8 shows in 10 days. There are many songs by the two singers that will break the sound when shouted in KTV. It is difficult to ensure the quality of the voice function when singing at such a high frequency.
There are more and more concerts and problems, and the price of concerts is getting higher and higher. In previous years, the highest price range of was capped at more than 1,000, but last year there were many more tickets priced close to 2,000, 2,500 or even close to 3,000. After the liberalization, tourists from all over the country came in exceeding the historical peak, and concerts were also part of everyone's consumption. In the past, more of the audience for concerts were fans, but last year, more passers-by stopped by to spend money.
For fans, no matter how high the price is at the "Pilgrimage" site, it has its meaning, but passers-by have a rule in their hearts. Even if these high tickets will not be purchased by them, since you dare to set this price, We must provide services that match this price range. In other words: If you dare to set a price for your concert that is so much higher than three years ago, then you must have something, right? They are not fans who can turn a blind eye to problems, but passers-by who boldly open the mic. It is precisely because of this that many old issues related to the performance were raised repeatedly last year, and they came up fiercely.
Unfortunately, the increase in ticket prices for most concerts is not due to the improvement of service quality, but simply because the cost of each link is increasing: From the cost of travel and accommodation to the rental of concert venues, The related performance production fees and equipment rental fees are all rising. According to Nandu Entertainment, in the past, a concert could make money by selling for 70%, but after the epidemic, it usually takes 90% to recover the money.
Ticket prices are rising not only for concerts, but also for music festivals.According to Shangguan News statistics, during last year’s May Day holiday, there were nearly 20 music festivals across the country. Among them, the most expensive single-day ticket was 788 yuan, and the two-day (or three-day) pass for nearly 40% of the music festivals exceeded 1,000 yuan. of. At the 2009 Strawberry Music Festival, you could see Lao Lang + Zhang Chu + a tour group in one day for only 80 yuan.
Facts have proved that everyone’s enthusiasm for checking in after the release was only enough to burn for the first half of the year. In the second half of 2023, many music festivals have been canceled or postponed due to weather, venue construction, "force majeure" and other factors. According to incomplete statistics, more than 50 festivals have been canceled. These reasons have also been used by singers such as Leo Ku, Rene Liu, Su Yunying, and Jackson Wang to cancel or postpone their concerts. Well-known artists with audience bases such as Hua Chenyu, Angela Chang, Dai Penni, and Jane Zhang are also difficult to reproduce the hot sales of tickets at the beginning of the year. scene.
Let alone passers-by, even the fans who always rush to the front line don't seem to have much enthusiasm for "pilgrimage". It is worth mentioning that the performance market of last year was called the "darkest moment" for many traffic.
On November 20, the topic "Huang Zitao's original price of 2368 in-field tickets dropped to 262 yuan" became the top trending topic. Some netizens posted screenshots showing that in-field tickets for their Guangzhou concert were originally priced at 2,368 yuan, but were reduced to 262 yuan on a secondary ticketing platform, which was cheaper than the lowest price of 368 yuan for grandstand tickets. Outside the venue, there is also a popular scene of giving away tickets for 0 yuan. Huang Zitao, who was originally scheduled to play two games in a row, eventually canceled one of them due to "health reasons."
’s true feelings about the draft have cooled down a bit last year. Liu Yuxin, who debuted in the C position in "Youth With You 2", launched the "Xanadu National Tour Concert", and ticket prices ranging from 480 yuan to 1,980 yuan were sold at nearly 10% off. Two days before the concert started in Chengdu, the 480 yuan and 680 yuan prices were still on sale. Wang Linkai, Cai Xukun, and the 9, who have participated in the draft like Liu Yuxin, did not have satisfactory ticket sales. Why does
"traffic" come to this? It can be simply divided into two types for analysis. One type is the loss after the "house collapse". Huang Zitao's pull on his girlfriend has disappointed many old fans. Cai Xukun's "one-night stand caused a girl to become pregnant" material has shattered his "innocent boy" character. When fans can no longer project the imagination of an intimate relationship on you, many "fans-only" music and stages begin to reveal their true colors, and fans may no longer have the motivation to come back to "pilgrimage".
does not have the "traffic" of "collapse". There is indeed a group of loyal fans who consume unconditionally, but there are also fans who climb the wall or lose their enthusiasm. The core point is that if an artist has been unable to break out of the music and stage scene for a long time, unable to attract new fans and satisfy some of his career fans, it will naturally be difficult for his performances to sell well. also reveals a phenomenon to some extent: idols who have been "captive" by fans for a long time have no way to gain a competitive advantage in the wild environment.
In KK’s view, Mayday, which was mired in public opinion disputes in November, only once again burst the bubble of prosperity in the performance market. After the indiscriminate bombardment in the first half of the year, the fans’ mood for “pilgrimage” began to cool down, and the number of passers-by who came to “check in” was also decreasing. There is no doubt that the performance market has reached a fork in the road: How can fans continue to consume while attracting new passers-by?
Chaos after “checking in”
Various regions have vigorously developed cultural tourism in recent years, eager for more people to come and “check in”, which has accelerated the formation of performance bubbles to a certain extent.
It is true that for second- and third-tier cities that want to develop cultural tourism, music festivals are a thread that can connect all walks of life. People who come to the music festival to spend money are driven by a series of local services related to catering and beverages, leisure and entertainment, travel accommodation, and camping lights. Nowadays, many scenic spots and cities with weak cultural attributes hope to organize a music festival to let young people get to know the place well and at the same time stimulate local consumption.
According to statistics from the Tencent Music Research Institute, in the first half of 2023, music festivals in second-tier cities and below accounted for 57.9% of the total number. It is with this determination that Nanyang, Henan Province has reached a 10-year cooperation with the Midi Music Festival.According to news reports, the Nanyang government attaches great importance to this project. The municipal party committee secretary and mayor even wore volunteer red vests to welcome music fans from all over the Nanyang Railway Station.
Unfortunately, although you have the enthusiasm to undertake projects, you may not have the experience and strength to undertake projects. After withdrew from the camping area of the Nanyang Music Festival, some music fans who returned to the camp because their tents were flooded and stayed in the city found that many of their belongings had disappeared. Videos of local villagers picking up music fans' belongings were circulated on social platforms.
It is a good thing to try to develop cultural tourism and stimulate the economy through offline performances, but for most counties that lack experience in holding large-scale performances, a hasty start will also have a hasty end.
Even popular cities are prone to overturning. Haikou, the capital of Hainan Province, has become a must-stop stop for many first-line singers in recent years since the Wuyuanhe Cultural and Sports Center was built. Even so, last year six singers including Xu Meijing, Vivian Chow, Sammi Cheng, Tanya Tanya, Leung Jingru, and Stefanie Sun were invited to hold the "Night of the Queens". The sound effect was so bad that the whole audience shouted "cannot hear clearly" and "refund the ticket", which was very embarrassing. .
But when music festivals and concerts are selected by cultural tourism and are in full swing in the county, the livehouse seems to only stand in a corner, deserted. "The schedule for April next year is not fully booked. This is very similar to 2022. What should we do?" On December 19, 2022, Xiudong CEO Li Lin said at the China Livehouse Industry Summit.
Many music fans and musicians are giving up on livehouse. At the summit, Papaya, the manager of Shenzhen Livehousehou Live, said that domestic leading bands and musicians chose to perform at more profitable music festivals and concerts last year, and most overseas artists would only choose to perform in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen to ensure box office. Income has led to a sharp decline in the number of livehouse performances in some small cities.
Music fans also have a limited budget to allocate. They allocate it to concerts and music festivals, but not much to livehouses. In the first half of last year, Sound Toys, Whale Circus, Wild Cooperative Band, and musician "Shi Lei 4rock" all announced the cancellation of livehouse performances. Unsatisfactory ticket sales may be the main reason for the cancellation. This has made the livehouse, which has been unsustainable due to venue rent and reduced foot traffic in the past three years, even worse.
failed to share the excitement of concerts and music festivals. Last year, many performance types shared the chaos.
Opening the ticket sales platform, many familiar faces appeared in the 2023 domestic touring musicals: "The Hidden Corner", "The Illustrated Book of Crime Hunting", "The Silent Truth", "A Good Show", "The Strange Stories of the Tang Dynasty" and other adaptations His works in film and television dramas have been on stage one after another. In recent years, the IP development route of musicals + domestic dramas has gradually been smoothed out. Both hope to guide each other to maximize the influence of the works. The above-mentioned musical did indeed receive several hot searches during the tour.
However, for the audience sitting in the audience, these musicals are not all enjoyable. When a film or television drama is turned into a musical script, many choices must be made. The first of these is that it is difficult to win the approval of fans of the original work. Inviting well-known musical actors, but temporarily "changing cards" also makes it difficult for fans to balance their minds. The organizer company also suddenly announced the cancellation of the event, suddenly announced that it would add autograph signings, and other unexpected actions, which even attracted a lot of criticism.
With the downgrading of national consumption, the psychological needs of the public need to be met urgently. Everyone chose offline performances among the crowds of consumers, and spent higher ticket prices than in previous years, but did not get the feedback they deserved. It is unrealistic and annoying.
After the inventory is gone, can the quality be improved?
For the performers, 2023 is more like destocking. The performances that have been repeatedly postponed in the past three years can finally be seen with everyone as scheduled. But for most viewers, this was a year in which they unknowingly lived like a leek. I wanted to go on a pilgrimage, but found that it was more expensive. I wanted to check in, but found that the quality was just that. The rising price of has not brought better services.
After Mayday’s “lip-syncing” incident, many people in the industry took this opportunity to analyze the industry’s situation. People from the concert organizers interviewed by the self-media "Power Plant" said that the current concert market is mainly based on emotional sales, the types are relatively single, and there is a lack of new forces with national awareness.
This is indeed true from the intuitive experience. There are too few types of products on the market today. Whether people come for "pilgrimage" or "check-in", the value that concerts can provide is still only "feelings". A few days after went on sale, only the cheapest and most expensive tickets for Angela Chang Haikou were sold out. This shows that die-hard fans are still paying for it, and passers-by are willing to go to the venue just for the name, but also Lowest fare only.
If this continues, the performance market will only continue to be consumed and cannot form a larger increment. The good news is that some model cases have emerged on the market, and they may have hope of expanding the increment.
For example, the model of "TV series holds after-sales concert". In the past, it was only exclusive to Danmei dramas, but last year it was adopted by more popular dramas. "Sauvignon Blanc" and "Lotus House", two of the most popular summer dramas, both held concerts.
Many artists are also thinking of ways to provide different emotional value to their concerts. Lu Han made the concert a "party" in his two concerts last year. At the Chongqing station in June, Lu Han sent out dress code invitations to fans - contrasting colors. At the Guangzhou station in August, the dress code invitation became "food-related", which also made the concert a creative idea that required both parties to complete it.
Hua Chenyu’s concert turned into a music festival with rich forms. With one ticket, you can watch both the afternoon show and the evening show. You can bring camping equipment such as picnic mats and lie down here to listen to music. Between the two shows, you can go to the art installation area to take photos and check in, and there is also a food area offering a variety of food. Hua Chenyu's concerts will also adjust the program according to the venue of the tour. For example, in Chengdu, a "Sichuan Hemp Zone" was set up at the concert. After signing up, you have the opportunity to be drawn to the stage to play Sichuan Hemp with Hua Chenyu.
Of course, these designs can only be considered icing on the cake at best. Audiences spend money to come to the scene, ultimately to enjoy more exquisite music and stage, and to feel the unique charm of the singer's live performance. This is also what makes many viewers angry in Mayday's many suspected "lip-syncing" controversies: You can play 8 games in 10 days, but can this really keep you in top condition? If you can't be at your best and the audience comes to the venue to listen to your pads, why not just play the music at home?
Miriam Yeung once said during the tour press conference that singers need to prepare long in advance for concerts, including physical reserves. In 2017, 43-year-old Miriam Yeung played 11 shows in a row, singing and dancing for nearly three hours each time. For that concert, Miriam Yeung conducted hell-like physical training for at least three hours a day for 20 weeks. In order to achieve the best results, she often repeats the same set of movements more than fifty times during practice.
was able to sing on the full open mic when he was in his early 20s. Jolin Tsai, who did not gasp for breath after singing, can still complete a series of high-intensity performances in concerts to this day. This makes Jolin Tsai's concert a venue that security guards rush to check in. It is one of the best in terms of singing, stage design and live atmosphere. But now, how many singers have such physical strength and singing skills to support them on high-frequency tours?
Artists need to work harder, and local governments are also looking for ways. Many small counties are trying to use a variety of services to leave a place on young people's "come again next time" list.
When Quzhou hosted Joker Xue Zhiqian's concert last year, the government provided free buses for three days, covering more than a dozen tourist routes. Tourists who hold real-name tickets for Joker Xue Zhiqian's Hengyang Station concert can enjoy half-price discounts on tickets to Nanyue Hengshan Central Scenic Area and Nanyue Temple Scenic Area. The level of attention is evident.
and above.
What is clear is that a series of chaos in the performance market in 2023 has declared the unfeasibility of "volume price" and "volume quantity". In order to gain more consumers' favor in the coming year, improving service quality is one of the directions. The case of "model students" also proves that there are more interesting ways to "pilgrimage" and "check-in" that need to be explored urgently. Finally, I want to say that when problems arise and solutions arise, don’t give up on yourself before the audience gives up.
