0:00 So, unless you've been living under a very heavy rock, you may not have heard about the um Ed Sheeran tour >> and how much crap it's going. >> Yeah. So, there's like um obviously it started with uh Mmore doing some uh Free Palestine stuff, which didn't go over well with a lot of the people who own I believe the venues because we all know who they are. >> Yeah. Who are they? >> We all know who they are. Bluey fans, the Steins of the world, the Ste. And so yeah, like um and so what happened obviously if you guys have seen is that um the supporting acts have dropped out there. Malcolm was asked to leave and actually he on his own accord was the one who removed himself. There's a bunch of donation stuff happening now in both directions from many different
0:51 people. And uh but the thing I want to talk about is not so much the uh I guess the anti-semitism of it all. But a friend of mine like brought up a interesting point um because of the way he sees it and and he sees everything I guess concertwise um along the lines of blue dot fever. Have do you guys know that term blue dot fever? >> Blue dot fever. >> Okay. So that's where what where he caught me off guard cuz this dude has been keeping up with this. Blue dot fever is a term they put towards where uh today's artists over book their uh they they kind of like shoot too high >> for their concerts and be >> kind of like flights how they like overbook it that type of like >> not really overbook it but like you you get a huge plane when not that many people want to fly. >> Got it.
1:41 >> Too big of a stadium. >> Yeah. So, it's it's had this thing where like I mean since 2019 ticket prices are up 37%. Um, at some point artists started to think they could really charge a ton and they just can't fill up their seats. A big part of that is that streaming numbers have already been proven to not reflect concert attendees. >> Yeah, that's true. >> It's not the same. >> Yeah. So, if your numbers gigantic on streaming, it almost has no bearing on how well you're going to sell out a tour. >> It's super weird. So, um, the way he looked at that whole thing, I'm I'm sure this is probably not correct, but I thought it was interesting. He was just like, "Oh, wow. Another coat for Blue Dot Fever." Because I guess a lot of the time when artists don't sell enough tickets, they create another reason to cancel the tour that's covered by insurance. >> Oh, >> wow. So, he's like thinking like
2:33 >> like two, three like levels of chess of why this could be it. >> Yes. But I'm I'm sure I I have a I have a problem believing this one's one of those, but like it got me thinking about how many of them actually are. Um because like there's here's some cancellations that have happened like recently. Like Post Malone canled the first leg of his stadium tour. Uh Willie Nelson wasn't selling out the annual Fourth of July picnic he does. Megan Trainer cancelled concerts uh where where the group on tickets were going for $20 and she pulled the plug on that. Um and so tour insurance covers only three things. Illness, injury, or weather. >> So it has to be within those three. >> Yeah, it has to be. That's why I don't know about the um Ed Sheeran thing being part of that. >> It doesn't cover low sales. So the artist will try to find any excuse uh
3:25 that's covered. There's an artist called Bailey Zimmerman who canled 40 minutes before a show claiming that he didn't feel well, but it turns out he was just like on some kind of a gambling bender. Um, and now he's being sued. >> Steve Miller Band canceled due to weather >> and then all the fans who bought tickets posted screenshots of the seating and it showed almost like 75% >> empty. >> Empty. Yeah. Um, Black Keys did something really cool where like they admitted they couldn't sell out arenas, so they moved their entire tour to being theaters and the fans like absolutely loved it. >> That seems like that's the logical way to >> It seems like it. Yeah, because uh there's obviously like a huge distrust with uh with buying tickets now because as a fan, let's say you're like a huge fan of somebody, you're actually losing by buying the ticket pre-sale cuz you're paying one of the highest prices.
4:15 >> Yeah. >> And uh who knows, the show could be cancelled. they could pull it just because there's not enough people. And it's not again, it's not like a question of no one likes this artist. It's a question of like are tour promoters >> overzealously. >> Yeah. It's the creating these tour. It's not so much your relationship with the artist. It's the economics of bookings and concerts cuz you know when the pre-sale goes up, >> it's almost like a IPO. So everyone floods it. You buy everything so expensive. >> Then you literally >> Well, you don't think it's expensive. You think if you're getting a pre-sale, you're getting the better deal if everybody wants it. >> If they want it, right? >> But then you get like one or two weeks out and the whole thing levels out and you see a drastic correction a lot of the times. >> Exactly. >> Yeah. Unless you have like one of those uh super big artists where at the end people are willing to pay a premium and then you know people they're scalpers
5:06 and stuff, >> right? There's obviously going to be the small percentage of artists that are so big that no matter what happens, their tickets are going to be hard to get. But then there are a lot of people expressing situations where uh they paid like 350 and they're sitting next to a guy who paid 30, you know, just cuz he just was like, "H, let's see what this show's about like last minute cuz they're just trying to fill." I do kind of wish like going back to what you're talking originally with Mammore and um Ed Sharon. >> I do kind of wish things went back to like face value what it is cuz I get the whole point. I get Ed Sharon's like I want to be apolitical. Like my music's just my music. I'm not even political in my music. >> And then and I also get Mammore's point of view where it's like well if that guy is connected to this guy then ████ that guy and this guy whatever, right? So I I get it. If he says ████ me, ████ them back. I understand that. But I think like from the fans point of view, people
5:59 probably just want to see Mammore in concert or they just want to see Ed Sheeran in concert. And I don't think it's as deep as it is because if it is that deep, then that scrutiny kind of needs to be applied to all other parts of your life. So for example, like if you're anti like weaguer oppression or whatever and then stuff like like why do you still have an iPhone or why do you still have Jordan's main? You know what I mean? It's just like >> it's so I don't want to call it convenient, but it feels convenient when if you're going to be that in this area, then you better be like that everywhere else. Or or let's just all be on the opposite side of the matrix and just eat the steak. >> Yeah, >> we're here to eat the steak. Let's just all eat the steak versus everyone like they're like conveniently plugged in whenever they want to.
6:49 >> Yeah, I understand that. >> Technically, that's what we all want, you know? I'll eat the steak. No. To all conveniently plug in only where we care about something and to not be associate. You know what I mean? Like it's actually in our nature, I think, to be not so connected with everybody. Yeah. I think for me, I'm just more stink. My favorite artist told me like he touched some children. I'm like, I didn't hear that. Let's go party. >> He literally said it. >> That doesn't change how you enjoy the lyrics. >> I'll say this. I will say in instances where this became some version of a talking issue or a point on like news channels and blah blah blah, right? It's just it's a hot topic. It got its rounds. This one at least things are kind of happening in cool ways. The conversation still like relevant and that was like Mmore's desire. Plus on top of that he's able to
7:39 donate money, you know what I mean, to six different charities or or whatever that's working. >> Yeah, there's action behind it. then and then challenging like Craft to also do the same. So like now he's doubling down even though he's doing it in his weird funny really funny and politically snarky hilarious way. If everybody's playing checkers online for the world to see, it's very clearly checkers and not even chess. Him just being like, "Oh yeah, you know, we would have done this million-dollar thing, but Ed Sheeran convinced us to do $2 million a week before you said that." So, it's really funny, but it's like, well, if some if the conversation is still in and money's being donated to certain causes, there's been worse. That's all I'm saying. There's been worse situations that feel like just public media, feel like just kind of performative stuff. Or even if it's well-intentioned, nothing comes out of it. We just talk about it over here and nothing changes over there, you know? So, at least this one looks like
8:30 with all the a bunch of money's moving. It feels like multiple things can be true as well because like I feel like um it it I don't know Mammore always hits me as like someone that's kind of I guess like pandery. You know what I mean? Like >> what do you mean by that? >> That it's sort of like that like I guess like if you're kind of in a way like you're not doing as well or you're kind of on your down >> downward party career, it's it's really like easy to just attach to a cause. kind of the same way a lot of people don't really remember the satire of like uh Bruno, you know, the movie Bruno where they go to like a agency that that assigns charities to artists so that they can they'll be like, "Oh, you know what's hot right now is Darth Fur that's very hot. You should align with that." It's like it we we never really stopped doing that. And I feel like even though
9:20 people are always so like talk about Palestine, talk about Palestine and and at one side you you can see it as like yeah I we maybe we shouldn't just make it about the music. The reason that I'm kind of nowadays like on the side of talk about Palestine is because I don't think Israel ever turns theirs off. >> I think the Palestine side is forced to. >> That's the whole point. >> That's my thing. I'm like, yeah, you know, if you just don't want to talk about Palestine, it really doesn't exist. The people on the Israel side cannot talk about it, but they're still going to do ████ >> And I think what the big I think the big thing is also is people are starting to realize what happens when you talk about it. And when you look at it face value, you're like, these are just war crimes. Just straight up, right? Like everybody knows they're murking. >> They're war crimes, whether you believe it's a genocide or not. We can talk about that later, but right now they're
10:10 committing war crimes and we need to call it out. And when people call it out, weird things happen to those people that get called out. For sure. So then you have a guy like Mackammore who to be fair, the tone of the message sometimes when you hear it, you're like, "Brother, come on, dude." His his wasn't that bad though, right? >> No, no, no. I just mean like what he's saying is great. And this is where me as a person is a I'm a bad person. When I hear the words that he's saying, he's saying everything correctly, but it's the cadence and the tone of how he's talking that just bothers me. That's just my own personal gripe. That's just my gripe. That's that's me on an island. >> Cuz I still think it's half I still think it's half pander. Yeah. >> And and and if we talk about it, that's on the table. But it doesn't matter because what's what matters is he's saying the bigger thing and things are moving because of it. And by him saying that, he's seeing Ed Sheeran kind of
11:00 react away and he goes >> and the whole world is watching that too. So going, "Oh ████ that's kind of ████ up actually, >> right? Ed Sheeran, you should, you know, you're you're an artist. if anyone has power to kind of say something is you here. >> Yeah. >> You know, so I think there's a lot of those questions, but it is interesting to see how he's speaking up and all this chaos is creating just because he's saying this, right? And as an artist, you should be able to say, "Hey, stop wars. What are we doing?" Right? Like that's not that crazy of a take. >> I do wish it was more contained. So I think for him it's like if he's his statement like him and Ed Sharon were buds for like 13 years or whatever, right? If he's truly your buddy and he goes, I am not a fan of hot potato. Then if you're Mackammore, just hold on to the hot potato. I'm pulling out for my
11:50 reasons, blah blah blah blah, but he'll do that and he'll still toss the hot potato ed. And so now everyone's like, "What do you got to say?" But it's like if you guys are truly buds and you stand by your thing and I that's why I kind of agree with you with the whole pandering thing. He still does like this is me blah blah blah but look at over here. But we're friends. We're friends. We're friends. We're friends. So it's like dude just make it about you and then you just pull out. >> He really destroyed this tour for sure and hurt Jun's career. >> The other thing though too is I'm also curious when certain people start talking about it like what is the switch for these famous really big people with platforms where they finally start hearing about all this ████ cuz you know this is not a old like this is old conflict like this has been going on for a really long time all of our existences. Yeah. And then you're you're hearing like when they start to talk like that is sometimes to me a little eyebrow raising.
12:40 >> Exactly. It's the timing >> and and like you said both things can be true at once >> which is what I I think they're all >> hitting out of the park on every way you know. >> Right. The sad part is is that if you as an artist made a choice to abstain from choosing one side or the other so that everyone can be included. It sucks for someone to just shove a mic in your face and go, "Do you denounce Palestine or Israel?" Like it sucks that he's being forced to say, >> "Here's my stance. What about you?" >> Yeah, exactly. >> Whoa. I just told you off camera that's that I don't want to do that >> because no matter what you say like there a lot of your favorite actors, artists, whatever have chosen to abstain from sharing an opinion on that. >> I'm sorry. Is that what Ed Sheeran's like point was like from the beginning? >> Well, he didn't want it to be a political thing at all. Yeah, >> that's his point. >> Yeah. >> Interesting. >> He's such a sweet guy with sweet music. >> Yeah. >> That's not me saying he's in the middle. I think it's very clear that he's on one side. >> Oh, I see. I see. I see. I see. I think
13:31 most people who are on that side just say I won't say what side. >> But we're also seeing and also like whether we're seeing it in friend groups or culture online, you're seeing people take stands on, oh, you're on that side. Well, I can't ████ with you if you're on that side. I'm going to be clearly here because what this side stands for is morally wrong. Well, I I think it makes sense, at least to me, logically, that if you're going to do a music concert, unless you know it's actually socially um like aware in the songs, I think it's okay to avoid dividing people. I I think it's fine. Like, let's not divide people cuz like there's a lot of issues you could have that people won't agree with. Like, keep it to yourself if you don't want to divide them, but if you want to bring them together, I don't think that's going to bring them together. Talking about that ████ >> True. Cuz now everyone's fighting about this too, I'm sure. >> Yeah, for sure. Now it's got everybody like, you know, again, here we are with
14:21 that loop. But then what do you expect that the people at the highest part of the table aren't sitting with Israel? >> Like good luck with that, man. >> Yeah. It's going to be really crazy to see how this plays out. >> Yeah, >> cuz is the tour done now? They're not doing it anymore. >> Everyone's dropped out. Even his own band dropped out. >> I heard the band. >> ████ >> Which is, you know, >> all the supporting acts. Yeah, >> you could do an acoustic show. He's pretty good. >> That would be my favorite Ed Sheeran show is actually pretty good acoustically. I actually just caught him on tour, but that was previs tour. >> Whoa, dude. What the hell? >> And Pink Pink is taken down, too. >> Pink? Yeah, but she's pro Israel, isn't she? Is she very >> She's a Jew. Yeah. >> Oh, she is? >> No way. >> Yeah. >> Not in a bad way. I just didn't know. I thought she was just a regular. >> Let us know what you think in the comments below. Um, if we're wrong, if we're a little bit right, if there's something to this, uh, let us
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