NO MUDCAT RADIO SHOW TONIGHT

Subject: NO MUDCAT RADIO SHOW TONIGHT
From: Bert
Date: 28 Nov 00 - 05:28 PM

Sorry Guys, Max is on vacation

Subject: RE: NO MUDCAT RADIO SHOW TONIGHT
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 28 Nov 00 - 09:23 PM

Hey Bert, I just sent him three copies of the "Six Strings North of the Border" CD. One's yours. Make sure you get it.

Rick

Subject: RE: NO MUDCAT RADIO SHOW TONIGHT
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Nov 00 - 09:38 PM

that's ok, we have archives

Subject: RE: NO MUDCAT RADIO SHOW TONIGHT
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 04:24 AM

So, did you all tune into "Madge" instead (not My scene, too like Minnie mouse on helium)?
MADONNA took to the stage in London last night to sing a handful of songs in what may turn out to be the most valuable show in music history so far.

Brixton Academy, which had been painted with scenes of piled-up cars, was packed with 3,500 fans come to witness her first London concert in seven years. But the millions more who watched on the internet were the real focus of attention.

The 42-year-old singer declined offers of up to œ10 million from American television networks. She preferred an exclusive broadcast deal with Bill Gates and his Microsoft operation, MSN, which relayed her performance live across the world.

The "webcast" started badly with many users unable to connect because of the rush to log on. However, the link improved as Texas took the stage. Microsoft spent œ30 million promoting the event on television, in newspapers, on billboards and online.

Apart from the income from web site "hits" and advertising, Microsoft forced users to download special player software. Before the concert, Madonna said the act was a trial run for a full tour, her first since "The Girlie Show" in 1993. The frenzy for tickets was such that a pair auctioned for charity fetched œ2,204.

MSN used 21 cameras to relay her act to two web sites. For Madonna, the immense publicity generated will be invaluable in pushing her new single and album.

In addition, Madonna used the internet to advertise a huge merchandising operation. All sorts of commercial spin-offs were available, among them rhinetone-studded tank-tops with her Music logo (œ87), cigarette cases (œ37) and even yellow baby romper suits (œ10) - she recently gave birth to her second child.

The singer is testing whether such small-scale concerts broadcast to millions on the internet are as worthwhile in generating attention, cash and stimulating record sales as rock tours of football stadiums. A survey of 333 shows before a total of 12 million fans by the Rolling Stones in 1990 showed that the band grossed an average of œ1.5 million per night.

Whatever the takings last night, the effort by the Gates entourage was thought to have broken web viewing records. If a fraction of MSN's network of 210 million users or its 75 million Hotmail account holders tuned in, the audience could easily smashed Paul McCartney's record.

He attracted three million fans last year when his return to the Cavern Club in Liverpool - where the Beatles played some of their first gigs - was broadcast by MSN. Rod Stewart, however, holds the world record for an audience. A total of 3.5 million turned up to watch his free concert on Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on New Year's Eve in 1994.

McCartney attracted the largest paying audience for a solo performer in 1990 when he drew 184,000 fans to Rio's Maracana football stadium, the biggest in the world. Robbie Williams recently broadcast a concert on the internet that was watched by 400,000 people.

Besides appreciation of the near-digital quality of the internet broadcast, Madonna's all-star backing band was also highly rated. It included the former Verve guitarist Richard Ashcroft, Prodigy's Liam Howlett and the Scottish band Texas. A British production company, Done and Dusted, also filmed the event.

c Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2000.
RtS