What's up with these shredder clinic tours without concerts?

Jack-Flash-Jr

We get Alex Hutchings, Guthrie Govan, Mattias Eklundh, Greg Koch coming to do clinics but what about a concert tour... or at least one event? Is there only a market for teaching and not playing? Are they not big enough? Or did I just miss it? (it's quite possible if a concert wasn't marketed)

Warren

Jack Flash Jr wrote: We get Alex Hutchings, Guthrie Govan, Mattias Eklundh, Greg Koch coming to do clinics but what about a concert tour... or at least one event? Is there only a market for teaching and not playing? Are they not big enough? Or did I just miss it? (it's quite possible if a concert wasn't marketed)

Perhaps they're too niche to offer a fully-fledged concert? I mean, effectively the audience who attended the workshop would be the same audience that would attend a concert (I think).

Bob-Dubery

I think they're primarily marketing devices. The concept is not new. I recall many years ago, when I was in my late teens (who said something about "the rinderpest"? It was before crocs, I'll say that much) going to a similar event in Durban. The players were Johnny Fourie and an American session player (name long since forgotten) and whilst they did some playing and showed pretty jaw-dropping chops the real aim of the "show" was to demonstrate some of the newer items in the Gibson catalog - the Lab Series amplifiers, the Mark advanced acoustic guitars (incorporating some features from guitars custom built for John McLaughlin) and some fancy electric that, now I come to think of it, was shaped pretty much like a Firebird X and which had lots of knobs and switches.

They can function as workshops as well. In this case the two players showed you how you might create certain sounds in the studio (using Gibson amps and guitars was, of course, key to all of this) and showed off some licks and tricks. So there was knowledge imparted and value for both sides, but it was NOT anything that you could reasonably call a "concert". Which doesn't mean that it wasn't fun and/or interesting.

Bob-Dubery

X-rated Bob wrote: some fancy electric that, now I come to think of it, was shaped pretty much like a Firebird X and which had lots of knobs and switches.

'Twas the RD series.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_RD

singemonkey

I like RDs. Not a big success though.

Bob-Dubery

X-rated Bob wrote: I think they're primarily marketing devices.

Which means that somebody is paying for them. But who? Do you think Boss or whoever it is sell enough units in SA, to people who know who Alex Hutchings is (IE not me) to cover the cost of him coming here?

OK... sure he's not Sting and so doesn't have to have an entire 7-star hotel all to himself, with the showers pumping ionised and chakra-aligned Perrier blah blah blah but it costs somebody SOMETHING to have him here (and to book Tanz cafe for a night).

Averatu

Cannibal Corpse where supposed to come out. I read an interview with them on Blabbermouth, and they said the SA promoter could not before to bring out their crew. Flying one axegrinder and his gear out is not a big deal.

AlanRatcliffe

It probably works out cheaper to get the single player for clinics than to bring his whole band for a few shows.

What I don't get is why they don't get the players/endorsers in the bands that are already touring here to do a couple of clinics - that's the way it always used to be done and how I got to see/meet guys like Steve Morse and Nico McBrain.

Zulublues

I think that Bob nailed it. Pure marketing excercises. Who remembers the Jennifer Batten visits in the '90s? Also all about product promotion.

Bob-Dubery

Zulublues wrote: I think that Bob nailed it. Pure marketing excercises. Who remembers the Jennifer Batten visits in the '90s? Also all about product promotion.

Just to clarify, I am not saying that these events have no value for the attendees. I believe that they do. They are just not concerts.