Ray Waddell Quotations

In the first half of last year, you had a lot of the big tours early - Madonna, Prince, Bette Midler, Simon and Garfunkel. This year it's backloaded . . . that's just the way it worked out.

It's what they do. If you're a welder and all of the sudden you're not the most popular welder on the block, are you going to quit welding? It's the same with any other occupation. Nobody should expect them to quit doing what they do.

For the last three or four years, rock at the club level has made a real comeback.

Promoters have learned a lot of valuable lessons.

Promoters are providing more value. Rather than discounting, they're trying to get the pricing right.

The Stones have written and rewritten the book on touring.

With the smaller shows, it's a more intimate experience, so people don't seem to balk at that. You pay more to get closer to the artist.

Rap is simply more compelling in a club or on disc or video. I don't want to be too harsh on them, but how exciting is it to see a guy with a microphone onstage with video behind him and a few guys walking around? It's not like having a band up there with guitars and drums.

As Clear Channel goes, so goes the business.

The Rolling Stones are far and away the most successful touring entity in the history of mankind. The Stones have written and rewritten the book on touring. The things they have brought have been pioneering, from being the first to use credit cards at merc stands to a one-promoter global tour. They are the kings.