Full Stream Ahead: TourGigs Continues Momentum With Groban, TSO
Courtesy of Danny Clinch / TourGigs. TourGigs Let’s
Play Two: Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder in front of the hallowed grounds of
Wrigley Field, home to his beloved Cubs. The 2016 documentary was
produced by TourGigs, which has done around 200 livestream events so far
and formed long before the pandemic.
The livestream “pivot” for the entertainment business meant making the most of the 2020 situation, with largely no in-person ticketed shows able to take place. Some were ahead of others, but TourGigs was beyond early.
“I
kept running into Trey Allen who was tour managing My Morning Jacket,
then Leon Bridges and all sorts of great artists – he was starting this
company with some other like-minded people and said, ‘I’ve got
relationships, you’ve got relationships, we’ve got the business side and
need a creative director,’” says Danny Clinch, noted rock photographer
and co-founding creative director of TourGigs, which has put on more
than 200 livestreams since its formation and continues the momentum with
high-profile streams from artists like Josh Groban, Air Supply and
Trans-Siberian Orchestra. “This is like 2013, 2014. We had a plan to
come up with a fair split between all the parties, and we did some
really great shows.”
With Clinch’s seasoned eye for the
visual, Allen’s business and artist relations, and Sean T. Barnicle’s
tech experience, TourGigs set out with early livestream concerts, such
as back-to-back webcasts of My Morning Jacket, Brandi Carlle and Alabama
Shakes at Red Rocks.
“Our point was there are
people who can’t make the show regardless, people in different
countries, states, or people just down the road who can’t get in because
it’s sold out and want to watch the show,” says Clinch, adding the goal
was to convince managers and artist teams that the livestream concept
would be popular. “The answer is yes. It wasn’t really front and center
at the time, although I feel like we were doing pretty well up to the
pandemic lockdown, and then suddenly the lockdown happened.”
Fast-forward
to now and, with the experience and tech already mostly nailed down,
TourGigs was able to adapt quickly to COVID, with projects tailored to
individual artists, with extensive VIP, merchandise, and ticketing
solutions, supporting up to 1 million users on a single stream worldwide
and with strong tech and customer support. They also long ago knew
that the compelling livestreamed concert was more than setting up three
cameras and hitting the record button.
“We’d
proven we were reliable,” Clinch says of TourGigs’ momentum during 2020.
“There were a lot of people I would say jumping on the bandwagon,
going, ‘Wow, what a great opportunity for livestreams, we can just start
our own company.’ But there’s so much to learn – to go with someone who
doesn’t have as much experience, that should be a draw for people, that
we come through on these shows.” Clinch says the first Josh Groban
stream (a second was announced for Valentine’s Day) was streaming in 85
different countries, with TourGigs providing support in five different
languages on its website and platform. “Trans-Siberian Orchestra went to
like 100 countries, it was pretty insane.”
As
the livestream phenomenon has taken hold at least in part because of
COVID-19, TourGigs’ previous and current success lends hope that the
livestreamed gig will not go away with the virus.
“I
think this is our opportunity right now,” Clinch says. “People are
starting to realize the value. We’re going to try to continue to partner
with brands and the like as well to bring more money to the production.
... People want to be able to trust they’re going to be in good hands
from the production and technology side and you need creative to handle
that as well. And it’s been successful, we’ve been able to cut
5-6-7-figure checks for artists.”
Clinch – who
is also the co-founder of Sea.Hear.Now Festival at Asbury Park with
promoter C3 Presents – is hopeful of getting back on the road and
side-stage shooting some of the most dynamic artists of our time.
“I’m
an optimist at heart,” Clinch says, adding that he’d do what he does
for a living for free if he had to. “I’m hoping that it’s the right
thing to do and in the summer there can be outdoor shows.”
Sea.Hear.Now
was rescheduled from 2020, now hopeful for September topped by Pearl
Jam, Smashing Pumpkins and The Avett Brothers with a full lineup of
support.
“Everyone’s tickets are good, ticket
sales are really good,” Clinch says, adding, “I’d suggest if people want
to go, they should buy a ticket soon. Because once it’s 100% certain it
can go ahead, it will sell out.”
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