[chris]

Also, touching on KKF's post, I'm sure that it is profitable for the boys to tour the states. They may not rake in tons of cash, but there has to be some sort of profit in it, one would think.

There must be, otherwise they wouldn't spend so much time down there. Sure they're playing smaller venues and such, but they sell out everywhere they go, they travel around in a nice fancy tour bus, and they get paid in American dollars. They also travel with a much smaller road crew in the States, so they don't need to pay as many employees as they do for the big Canadian arena tours. I remember reading an article that mentioned something about the Hip being in the top 10% of bands that tour the U.S. on a regular basis. I'm not sure exactly what that translates to money-wise, but they must be doing ok.

I'll try to find that webpage on the wayback machine. It was a PollStar chart, if I recall correctly.

[edit]Pollstar reported their 2002 US tour grossed $5.8Million US earning them position 79 on the Top 100 Tours of the year list.

[The Horrible Esthete]

What about Crabapple Cove, Maine???

Why would they play another Canadian city on the US Tour?

Oh wait...Maine...that borders Texas, right? Damn US and its culture of ignorance. :rambo:

I hope they add Anchorage to that US list. They've snubbed Kentucky for long enough.

[The Tragically Hip]

A shit storm starts when a heartbeat's poundin'

[eatmecompletely]

Why is the album not out until 07 in the us that kinda blows

[sundin13]

Why is the album not out until 07 in the us that kinda blows

I'm just guessing here, but they probably want to time the release with a U.S. tour.

[screw_ball]

Why is the album not out until 07 in the us that kinda blows

The US label/booking/everything sucks. I think it's proof that they don't care about making it in the US market if they haven't fixed this for almost 25 years.

[spottrax]

Some irresposible speculation here... IMO the band is in a very odd position. I can't think of another band in North America that is so lopsidedly regionally successful. Big lables Sire and MCA have taken a crack at the Hip and invested a great deal in the band. I remember Sire really promoting the band and giving them a big budget for concerts and videos.

I believe most large record companies are afraid to invest in The Hip (outside Canada) at a level that the band requires. Rounder was simply not big enough to get the band airplay or any real heavy duty promo.

So I believe the band is going to let the album speak for itself in Canada before they shop it around to the big companies. This way, if the album is a big comeback (saleswise) and has a huge single (in View) in Canada, they can get a better response as far as a major lable deal.

This album is a real pivital album for the Hip. A last ditch effort for a wider audience.

ON ANOTHER NOTE...

Here in Detroit the Hip are getting more airplay than Led Zeppelin or U2. The river 93.9 is playing them several times a day and several different songs including the new single! What a great time to put all the positives together and have the album come out at the same time as in Canada...and how bout a few shows here in Detroit... maybe the State Theater...couple nights?? It's all about timing and momentum!

[BuffaloHipFan]

Is it even profitable for the Hip to tour the US?

They've sold out every show in Buffalo for the past 10 years.

[tragicallymike]

Is it even profitable for the Hip to tour the US?

They've sold out every show in Buffalo for the past 10 years.

Well thats just not true at all. They have yet to sell out Darien Lake and they never filled the HSBC to capacity. They have come quite close to both though.

[hotmetal401]

Why is the album not out until 07 in the us that kinda blows

The US label/booking/everything sucks. I think it's proof that they don't care about making it in the US market if they haven't fixed this for almost 25 years.

The miracle of the Internet is that I can't tell if you're angry that they don't care or simply stating a fact. Much more famous US acts have been dropped from their labels, especially over the past ten years.

It's still a relitively easy country to tour. Day For Night was released in 1995 on Atlantic after coming out in Canada on MCA in 1994. They were on the road, pretty well non-stop in the US from July until December in the US regardless. Perhaps it was because they were younger then, or whatever.

The fact playing such small venues as they do, they can still gross nearly 6 million is mind boggling. I wonder if Canadian shows were taken into consideration, or just the US gigs.

Cheers,

Pat

[eatmecompletely]

I think the number is just US because if they get an avg of 50 bucks a head they must have played for 120 000 people not sure what they would avg in the US but lets say 2 000 (60 shows) or even if they avg 5 000 (24shows), that is a lot of concerts!


Keep in mind they play big shows in buff and border cities arenas and amplitheatres

[VioletlightHeron]

What about Crabapple Cove, Maine???

I hope they add Anchorage to that US list. They've snubbed Kentucky for long enough.

Be still my beating heart :lol:

If they ever came to Anchorage, it would make for some great rantings about cold and winter dark So much craziness and characters up here that Gord could rant about them for hours.

[screw_ball]

Why is the album not out until 07 in the us that kinda blows

The US label/booking/everything sucks. I think it's proof that they don't care about making it in the US market if they haven't fixed this for almost 25 years.

The miracle of the Internet is that I can't tell if you're angry that they don't care or simply stating a fact. Much more famous US acts have been dropped from their labels, especially over the past ten years.

It's still a relitively easy country to tour. Day For Night was released in 1995 on Atlantic after coming out in Canada on MCA in 1994. They were on the road, pretty well non-stop in the US from July until December in the US regardless. Perhaps it was because they were younger then, or whatever.

The fact playing such small venues as they do, they can still gross nearly 6 million is mind boggling. I wonder if Canadian shows were taken into consideration, or just the US gigs.

Cheers,

Pat

I'm fine that they don't care. Their market is in Canada and it will remain there and I'm glad that they're focusing more time on the bulk of their fans then splitting it, say, halfway with their fans from other countries. All I really ask for is that if they're going to play a small venue in the US or Europe or wherever it at least be all-ages. I don't get the whole "well, instead of everyone being able to have fun, they should book a show that makes me have more fun" mentality that I've seen on these boards. I don't care if they play in L.A. or another city more "major" than mine. I'll drive. I just think that they should do proper American tours, ones that hit most of the major cities. I understand that they can't book an arena here like they do in Canada, but it really pisses me off that they might be done by the time I'm old enough to go to a 21+ show. I doubt it, but it's still a possibility. And I know it's not their fault, too. It's the booking company. But then again, they do have the power to find another booking company. Still, to get back to my original point, I can tolerate all this if they're not neglecting their Canadian fans. I'd muuch rather there be awesome shows in Canada than there be OK shows in the Canada in the US.

[heavy liquid]

Some irresposible speculation here... IMO the band is in a very odd position. I can't think of another band in North America that is so lopsidedly regionally successful. Big lables Sire and MCA have taken a crack at the Hip and invested a great deal in the band. I remember Sire really promoting the band and giving them a big budget for concerts and videos.

I believe most large record companies are afraid to invest in The Hip (outside Canada) at a level that the band requires. Rounder was simply not big enough to get the band airplay or any real heavy duty promo.

So I believe the band is going to let the album speak for itself in Canada before they shop it around to the big companies. This way, if the album is a big comeback (saleswise) and has a huge single (in View) in Canada, they can get a better response as far as a major lable deal.

This album is a real pivital album for the Hip. A last ditch effort for a wider audience.

ON ANOTHER NOTE...

Here in Detroit the Hip are getting more airplay than Led Zeppelin or U2. The river 93.9 is playing them several times a day and several different songs including the new single! What a great time to put all the positives together and have the album come out at the same time as in Canada...and how bout a few shows here in Detroit... maybe the State Theater...couple nights?? It's all about timing and momentum!

It's good to see someone who knows what they're talking about. I'm also in Detroit, and am looking forward to seeing them live on their new tour. I'm also happy to hear that they're getting some airplay on The River.

Hopefully they'll at least tour the northern states in the US soon, as lots of Canadians make the trip to see them in the US anyway. I saw them in Grand Rapids, MI for their Power Phantom tour, and I think I was in the minority as a US citizen for that show.

[briansmccabe]

Every Hip album to come out in the past 10 years has been referred to by someone or other as "their last chance" to break big in the States. There's no way to know that, and what's more important, the band simply doesn't care. The different release dates for the new album don't confirm that because they don't need to - just read any interview anyone in the band has given in the past 10 or so years, and if asked, they will say they no longer care. It's as simple as that.

The argument that their stateside representation sucks because the album is being released here later than in Canada is silly, because that would imply that a label that secures the same release date for Canada and the US is a good label. Well, TATH, PP, MAW, IVL IBE, and the box set all hit the shelves the same day in the US as in Canada, and none of those labels were successful at promoting the band to a wider audience.