Ricky Martin concert cancelled
Clash with hip-hop band Black Eyed Peas apparently too much for pop singer, ticket sales stopped after scheduled appearance sells just 300 tickets
A performance by US singer Ricky Martin scheduled for June 3 in Raanana has apparently been cancelled. Only 300 tickets for the performance have been sold, and Ynet has learned that ticket agents have have told customers in recent days that ticket sales had been frozen.
Martin's visit has been plagued with difficulties, almost from the get-go. He was originally scheduled to appear at the Amphi-Park in Rishon Lezion, but lagging ticket sales forced the show to be moved to the smaller Raanana Amphitheater. Hip-hop band Black Eyed Peas is scheduled to appear the same night at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv, and industry analysts say the Israeli music market cannot support two large-scale concerts at the same time.
Unfair
Chaggai Stravis, the legal advisor for promoter Marcel Abram in Israel, said it was "unfair" to schedule Black Eyed Peas at the same time as Martin's concert, and noted that Martin's performance was scheduled first. Other people close to Martin were more pointed in their criticism.
"Marcel Abram scheduled Martin's performance for June 3 many months ago. Then, (producer Shuki) Weiss came along and put Black Eyed Peas on the same night… even large markets such as London or Munich can't support two superstars on the same night."
In response, Black Eyed Peas' promoter Shuki Weiss said, "I make plans for international performances many months, but usually years, in advance. Negotiations to bring Black Eyed Peas to Israel began many months before Ricky Martin was scheduled to come to Israel."
Ticket sales slow
Other big-name concerts promoted by Abram and scheduled for this summer have also suffered from low ticket sales. According to the Hadran ticket agency, British superstar Sting's July 6 performance has sold just 5,000 tickets, and a similar number for American rapper 50 Cent. It should be noted, however, that television ads for the concerts have not yet started appearing, and are expected to boost sales.
On the other hand, Weiss' productions this summer include former Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters (35,000 tickets) and Depeche Mode (30,000). And the Black Eyed Peas concert sold 7,000 ticket in the first two days.
