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themurphyzone · 5 years

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Rosieverse Oneshot: Guardian

Summary: Tino is just a simple guy who happens to play a villain in a TV show. Recently, the entire studio has become enamored by a little orphan named Rosie with a talent in voice-acting. Well, everyone except lead actor Jim Starling.

But everyone has their beef with Starling, so it’s really no big deal.

Or is it?

Jim Starling wasn’t happy. And when wasn’t Jim Starling happy, he was determined to make everyone else’s lives as miserable as possible. He stood on the long conference table, shouting a plan about a meet-and-greet that would surely boost his fading popularity.

“Just picture it!” Starling exclaimed. “Look, the Fearsome Four can open the event. Five minutes signing autographs for them and no more! And then I make a fashionably late entrance dressed as Darkwing Duck! Maybe about...fifteen minutes or so after the meet-and-greet starts, we can work out the details later. But the point is, I’m there, the fans will adore yours truly, and Darkwing Duck’s ratings go through the roof! What do you think?”

Someone coughed, but the room was otherwise full of crickets.

Tino glanced at the lovely bonsai tree on the windowsill, half-expecting an actual cricket to jump in and chirp merrily while ruining the tiny pink leaves. Next to him, Dan sketched a rough schematic of a toaster, humming to himself and not paying attention to the meeting. Jack flipped through a report on Darkwing Duck ratings and merchandise sales, scanning through the business jargon and statistics with practiced ease.

In Tino’s opinion, Michael was lucky he got the babysitting job. Rosie was a sweet kid and a delight to be around. Much better than listening to an egotistical celebrity prattle on about boosting his public image.

Speaking of which...

Tino glanced at the clock.

Almost 4:00 pm, he realized. And it was his day to drive Rosie back to the orphanage too. They needed to get going before the Audubon Bay Bridge got clogged with rush hour traffic.

Silently, Tino put his hand up, unwilling to interrupt the argument between Starling and the director.

“Our budget’s already been slashed, and now you want us to spend more money to fuel your ego?”

“Just pay for the venue! The special events center maybe. I hear the Duckburg Stadium is nice this time of year too,” Starling continued to suggest expensive locations that no sane person at the studio would ever consider. “Tell ‘em to bring their own snacks though. And you could always charge some good money for an autograph, maybe a little more for a photoshoot. That oughta make up your price.”

“This town ain’t cheap, Starling!” the director snarled. “Do you realize how much McDuck charges for the use of his locations? In case you haven’t noticed, money doesn’t grow on trees!”

“You’re as cheap as the network!” Starling scoffed. “Sabotaging a fine art for the sake of money!”

“I’m. Being. Realistic,” the director gritted his teeth.

Starling stomped over to the director’s chair. Their beaks were inches away as they stared each other down, willing their opponent to cave in.

Before it could devolve into an insult-fest, Jack cleared his throat. Immediately, everyone turned their attention to him. Even Starling recognized that it was better to listen when Jack had something to say.

“It’s Tino’s day to drive Rosie back to the orphanage,” Jack said. “He needs to leave now.”

Tino shot Jack a grateful look, and the corners of the dog’s mouth twitched upwards in response.

“Wait, that brat lives in an orphanage?” Starling blinked, his beak dropping open in surprise.

Clearly, Starling had been living under a rock. Rosie’s orphan status was common knowledge with everyone in the studio.

At least, Tino assumed it was.

“Not everything revolves around your universe-sized ego, dim bulb,” one of the editors muttered.

“Don’t insult actual dim bulbs,” Dan scolded. Then his expression softened as he turned to Tino. “And say hi to Rosie for me, okay?”

“Same here,” Jack agreed. “You should get going. I’ll fill you in later, but somehow I doubt there’ll be anything worth mentioning.”

Since nobody accomplished anything in meetings when Starling was involved, Tino knew he wouldn’t be missing anything.

Tino hurried out of the conference room. He felt Starling’s eyes bore into his back, but he brushed it off.

He was the only person leaving early. It was perfectly natural that everyone’s attention would be drawn to him.

It made his skin crawl. He just wasn’t one for the spotlight.

--------------------------------

“You’ll get there! Five bounces is pretty good for a beginner!” Michael exclaimed as he showed off a rather complicated yo-yo trick that involved a lot of twirling and loops.

Rosie smiled, a pink yo-yo dangling from a string on her finger. “Thank you, Mr. Michael,” she said formally. “Would you mind teaching me your walk the dog trick in the future?”

Michael grinned. “No problemo! Just keep practicing with that yo-yo. I’ve got plenty more.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t!” Rosie’s eyes widened as she tried to give the yo-yo back. “It’s your toy, sir.”

Michael shook his head, flipping into a handstand before cartwheeling away from Rosie. “Nope! No takebacks! It’s the highest law in the land!” he giggled. He caught sight of Tino and slumped to the ground, reminding Tino of a child who begged their parents for ten more minutes on the playground. “Looks like playtime’s over, kiddo.”

“Hello, Mr. Tino!” Rosie exclaimed. “How was your meeting?”

She hugged him enthusiastically, tiny hands squeezing his waistline and nearly knocking him off-balance.

“Frankly, a bit boring,” Tino admitted once he adjusted his footing. “At least you and Michael are having fun.”

Michael rolled his eyes. “What demands did the great and almighty Dumbwing make this time?”

“Please don’t call name-call in front of Rosie,” Tino said as he ruffled Rosie’s flaming red curls. “She’s an impressionable child.”

“Fine, I’ll ask Jack later,” Michael said with a huff. His eyes flicked to Rosie, and his entire expression softened. “I get a goodbye hug too, right?”

Rosie immediately latched onto Michael. “Don’t worry!” she chirped. “You get a goodbye hug too!”

Michael laughed and patted her back. “I’ll be sure to pass your goodbye hugs onto Dan and Jack, okay?”

“And Mr. Starling too!” Rosie added.

Michael stiffened, though Rosie didn’t seem to notice. “Uh, sure. Him too.”

Absolutely not, Michael mouthed at Tino.

Starling loathed any form of prolonged physical contact. But Tino held his tongue, knowing he would confuse himself if he tried explaining that to a six-year-old.

--------------------------------

Much to Tino’s chagrin, they didn’t beat the rush hour traffic on the bridge. He turned the radio to a kid-friendly station and hoped the orphanage director would forgive him for being late.

Caution was highly advised when dealing with St. Canard drivers. Really, Duckburg’s sister city was anything but saintly.

Rosie didn’t mind though. She folded her hands in her lap, sitting like a dainty little princess upon a flower-patterned booster seat.

“The view is pretty, Mr. Tino,” Rosie said.

“It is,” Tino said, though he believed Audubon Bay was more dangerous than beautiful. There was a reason why crime shows loved using this body of water as a background.

“It looks like the set of Darkwing Duck,” Rosie remarked.

“The main set was modeled off this area,” Tino said, pointing to a tower just above the toll gate. “That’s Darkwing’s lair over there.”

Rosie craned her neck as she took in the sheer size of the tower. “Is he always up there if he’s not fighting bad guys?” she asked. “That’s awfully lonely.”

“Darkwing Duck is the loner type,” Tino admitted. “I don’t think he minds.”

Starling preferred doing everything himself, whether it involved thwarting crimes on a TV show or making himself the center of attention. In the best case scenario, people tolerated him.

Still, it seemed like a lonely way to live.

Of course, Michael and Dan would insist that Starling brought it on himself. Tino wasn’t a match for either of them when they were riled up, so he kept his beak shut on the matter.

--------------------------------

It was another hour before Tino got home from driving Rosie to the orphanage. The sunset lit up the sky in brilliant warm hues, and Tino was glad he made it home before nighttime. He didn’t like driving in the dark.

He parked the car next to its usual spot near the mailbox, figuring that he had some time to check on his flowers before dinner. He circled the front lawn of the house, humming a bouncy tune as he checked the leaves of a violet.

So far, everything seemed fine. The bushes wouldn’t need trimming for a while, no aphids were destroying his flowers, and the pansies were thriving.

Before Tino could walk up to the front porch, the front door was suddenly wrenched open, bouncing off the wall with a harsh bang.

“-AND GROW A DAMN SPINE!” Michael screeched, storming out of the house. He brushed past Tino, cursing Starling under his breath.

Tino let him go. Michael’s temper cooled much faster when he had a few minutes to collect himself.

Dan and Jack watched Michael stomp down the sidewalk from their safe position in the hallway.

“I’m guessing something important happened after all?” Tino asked, already dreading the answer.

Jack nodded. “Dabble decided to use Starling’s idea for a meet-and-greet.”

Marino Dabble had the most volatile relationship with Starling out of all the directors in Darkwing Duck. He always seemed to provoke Starling during filming, disregarding any of Starling’s demands and cutting scenes whenever Starling shouted a contradicting order to keep the cameras rolling.

“Except he wanted Rosie to be center stage,” Dan added.

“Starling didn’t take it well,” Jack said.

Tino wasn’t surprised, but he prayed Starling wouldn’t take his anger out on Rosie for taking his limelight. She was an innocent kid, and Dabble was putting her in the line of fire. Starling became irrational and even more temperamental when he believed someone was cutting into his screentime.

Not for the first time, Tino wished he could be as outspoken as Michael or as respected as Jack.

“Is that why Michael’s mad?” Tino asked.

“I’ll go after him. He’s probably had enough time by now,” Dan said, gently pushing past Tino and hurrying out the door.

“The meet and greet is two weeks away,” Jack said as Tino sat down at the dinner table. There was already a hot cup of tea and a strawberry salad in front of him. “We should prepare Rosie so she won’t be overwhelmed.”

The deaths of Rosie’s parents had been widely publicized by both the Duckburg and St. Canard media. While details varied between newspapers and tabloids, the one thing that held true was that little rich girl Rosie had been left under the care of several maids while her parents had a date night. On the way back to the car, they were mugged and murdered for their money and valuables. Rosie found out the next morning, and she was shipped off to a St. Canard orphanage within a week.

The killer was never caught.

Several months later, a talent scout discovered Rosie’s acting abilities while searching for a suitable child to provide a voice in an animated film and introduced her to the studio.

When Rosie wasn’t in lessons or voice-acting, she wandered over to the Darkwing Duck set, making polite small-talk with everyone she came across. Starling was the only one who ignored her presence.

He was always too caught up with himself to notice anything an inch away from his beak.

Though Rosie only voiced a side character in the animated film, the life she breathed into the drawings captured the audience’s hearts. Tino had cried for twenty minutes straight when Rosie’s character sang a lullaby to herself after getting separated from her parents.

Now that he gave it some thought, that part wasn’t an emotional act for Rosie. She knew those feelings all too well.

Tino took a small bite of his strawberry, suddenly aware of Jack scrutinizing him like an interesting statistic.

“Jack, can you please stop? It’s awkward when you do that,” Tino mumbled.

Jack shrugged, gaze snapping to the table. “Sorry. You’re thinking about Rosie again, aren’t you?”

“She’s...she’s a good kid,” Tino admitted. “Kinda deserves a permanent home, you know?”

“I know,” Jack agreed, his mouth twitching. “She loves science.”

“Just smile,” Tino suggested. “It looks good on camera.”

“I don’t see any cameras at the moment,” Jack said as he squeezed a lemon into his water. “And besides, someone has to be the aloof, responsible one in this house.”

Aloof. Sure, Tino snorted.

Because aloof people totally shouted at the game show channel on TV.

--------------------------------

Tino tore the purple wig off his head and dropped onto the green room’s couch in exhaustion, shoulder still aching from Starling’s punch during filming. Dan tossed him an ice pack from the small freezer. Jack made sure they never ran out of ice packs. It was a necessity when one worked with Starling.

Tino gratefully placed it on his shoulder.

Michael immediately launched into a tirade on where Starling could stick his overly large fedora, but Tino was only half-listening. They’d been through this song and dance before.

There was a safe way for actors to punch and kick in fight scenes, but Starling never held back, which led to the Fearsome Four not holding back out of self-defense, and everything just snowballed from there.

Starling had been more irritable during filming than usual, but Tino chalked it up to a hissy fit caused by Dabble’s decision to include Rosie in the meet and greet even though she wasn’t part of the Darkwing Duck cast.

“-AND GET ALL THE WRINKLES OUT THIS TIME!” a voice shouted from outside the green room.

Speak of the devil.

“Stupid incompetent wardrobe team,” Starling muttered as he swept into the room. He’d discarded the cape, but wore the rest of his Darkwing Duck costume with overblown pride.

Starling ignored everyone as he headed straight for the fridge and pulled out a brown paper bag that contained his lunch. Tino tried not to gag at the canned tuna and sauerkraut smell.

Dan and Michael shifted over to Tino’s side of the room, occasionally shooting livid glares at Starling. Michael’s face turned the same shade of red as his Quackerjack outfit. He was only holding back for Tino’s sake.

Since when did Starling take his lunch in the green room anyway? He hated eating around people he believed were beneath his association.

“I’ve never been to a beach, Mr. Jack. Is it nice?”

“Sure is. Natural saltwater is the best. Just don’t get it in your mouth though. It doesn’t taste good.”

Jack neatly hung his coat on a row of hooks next to the door. Rosie tried to follow his lead, though she was too short to hang it herself.

“May I take your jacket, young lady?” Jack asked with an elegant bow.

Tino grabbed a pillow to muffle a sudden case of the giggles. So much for being the aloof one.

Rosie smiled and folded her puffy pink jacket over his outstretched arm. Like a true gentleman, Jack placed it on the hook and patted out the creases.

Starling rolled his eyes at the display and turned his back on them. But Tino knew he was watching Rosie bounce on her tip-toes as she explained everything she learned in her singing lessons.

--------------------------------

“I am the terror who flaps in the night! I am the faulty cord in the outlet of evil! I am Darkwing Duck!” Starling dramatically held his cape out behind him as he appeared in a puff of blue smoke. He shifted not-so-subtly to the left in an attempt to show off his best side.

Since only Dan and Jack were needed for this episode, Tino and Michael watched the filming from the sidelines. It was for the best. Rosie’s reading tutor had unexpectedly called in sick, so she was able to spend the afternoon with them.

Tino didn’t want Rosie exposed to a Michael and Starling showdown just yet. Things tended to get ugly.

“Give up! St. Canard’s hydroelectric dam belongs to us!” Dan shouted, a sinister cackle escaping from his throat.

“You’ll pay for stealing electricity and throwing St. Canard into the Dark Ages!” Starling retorted. “Let’s get dangerous!”

The prop team immediately dumped a bucket of water on Starling from the catwalk above the set, throwing the bucket at him for good measure. They didn’t bother disguising their gleeful smiles.

Starling spat out several plastic goldfish, coughing as he declared how pathetic the attack was. Then Jack crept up behind Starling and threw a quick punch to the back of his head. Starling crumpled dramatically.

Rosie frowned as Jack tied Starling to a pole with a water hose. “I hope he isn’t hurt,” she said. Her fingers nervously drummed against her pink dress.

“Unfortunately,” Michael muttered.

Tino elbowed him lightly. “Starling’s a resilient guy. He’ll be alright. Besides, Darkwing Duck always wins.”

Starling slipped out of his restraints, which were already loose to begin with, and shot a column of smoke from his gas gun at Dan and Jack. Their surprise only lasted for a minute, but it was enough for Starling to subdue them.

“And the vigilante is once again victorious against the vile villainous scum!” Starling crowed as he tossed Dan and Jack into the set’s jail cell. He struck a final heroic pose to wrap up the episode.

While the film crew reviewed the footage they captured so far, Starling strutted off the main set and grabbed a soda from a nearby drink cooler. He didn’t free Dan and Jack from the cell even though the key hung on a peg several feet away.

Pushing down a burst of anger at Starling’s carelessness, Tino left Rosie with Michael and freed his friends himself.

“I need an aspirin,” Dan groaned, nursing a bruise on his cheek.

Jack folded his arms across his chest, not looking too worse for wear, but Tino could tell he favored his right leg.

“I should invent an instant healing ray gun,” Dan sighed. “No more bruises, cuts, or pimples and it won’t leave a scar either.”

“A huge hit on the market,” Tino said.

“Supply and demand,” Jack added.

Dan rolled his eyes. “Not all of us majored in economics.”

As they rejoined Rosie and Michael, Starling sauntered over. His fedora was pulled low and tilted sideways in his usual careless, jerkwad fashion. The edges of his beak curled into a sneer.

“It’s awfully nice to have coworkers who allow a little brat to steal my thunder,” Starling growled.

“Don’t call Rosie a brat!” Michael shouted, clenching his fists. Dan stepped in front of him, whispering soothing words to prevent him from punching Starling in the face. “You don’t know her. You don’t know her at all!”

Tino shielded Rosie behind his back. She clung to his waist, innocent green eyes flickering between each adult. He couldn’t meet Starling with equal aggression, remain calm and cordial, or invoke a balance between the two extremes.

This would have to do for now.

“None of us played a role in Dabble’s decision,” Jack said. His tone was even and controlled, but Tino heard the slightest edge of steel creeping in. “I suggest releasing your frustration towards him in the studio’s gym instead.”

Starling’s cape flared out as he stomped up to Jack. His beak was several inches away from Jack’s nose. “And where exactly were your so-called diplomatic skills when I needed them? Either the fans come and see me because I’m there, or they don’t show up cause I’m not. Who’s the main character of this series? Who’s the person everyone watches the show for? Who’s the inspiration, the fighter, the creme de la creme of all superheroes? Cause last I checked, it sure as hell isn’t Liquidator!”

Starling always referred to them by their character names. He couldn’t be bothered to remember their actual names, or more importantly, that they weren’t megalomaniacal villains.

“Go away,” Dan said as held onto a seething Michael. “Some of us have lives outside a fictional world.”

“Darkwing isn’t fictional, you half-wit!” Starling snarled. “He’s—I’m right in front of you!”

Starling pointed an accusing finger at Dan, but a grimace flickered across his face and his arm fell to his side.

“You’re hurt!” a little girl’s voice cried.

The tiny pressure around Tino’s waist vanished.

Before anyone could say anything, Rosie latched onto Starling’s fingers, holding his palm with one hand while the other carefully pushed his sleeves away from his wrist.

Michael’s eyes widened, Dan gasped, and Jack’s brow furrowed in worry.

Tino bit the inside of his beak.

Rosie had broken Starling’s no-touching-me-offset rule. Everyone agreed with this rule, no matter how much they disliked Starling.

No hugs, no pats on the back, no friendly jostling, no handshakes.

Starling hated physical contact unless it involved beating someone up during filming. Nobody asked why, and Starling never offered an explanation.

A red mark circled Starling’s wrist. Starling’s breath hitched, looking as though he desperately wanted to pull away but couldn’t make his body move.

“You should put some aloe on it,” Rosie suggested. “It’ll sting, but it takes the pain away.”

Starling didn’t seem to hear her.

“Rosie, let him go,” Jack ordered.

Rosie cast an unsure glance at Starling’s wrist.

“Now.”

Startled by Jack’s no-nonsense tone, Rosie let go of Starling’s hand.

Recovering from his frozen state, Starling scoffed and rubbed his wrist against his blazer to shake off any lingering traces of her touch. “Whatever,” he muttered as he stalked off.

“Mr. Starling?” Rosie called.

Starling paused in the doorway, inclining his head towards Rosie. His eyes were covered by the brim of his fedora.

“I’m sorry,” Rosie whispered.

“Don’t do it again, kid.”

Though his tone was blunt, it wasn’t haughty or condescending.

Maybe there was some cordiality in that universe-sized ego after all.

--------------------------------

Starling was talking to Rosie.

Okay, so most of the conversation was about himself and how badass he looked on camera, but he wasn’t entirely ignoring her.

Rosie clasped her hands together and maintained a respectful distance. She learned from the first incident, taking Jack’s lecture to heart on how some people disliked touch and a few tips on what she could do to respect their boundaries.

If Starling noticed, he didn’t give anything away.

Tino found his aloe bottle in the wrong cabinet with traces of green ointment on its side. Wordlessly, he wiped away the extra moisture and returned the bottle to its proper place.

He had a hunch on who misplaced his aloe, but he didn’t think it was worth mentioning.

Over the next few days, Rosie settled into a routine. She learned, she played, she voice-acted, and she ate lunch with Starling.

Michael balked at the last development. “Girl’s gonna ruin her nose,” he muttered, shaking his head incredulously when Rosie barely reacted to the smell of Starling’s canned tuna and sauerkraut sandwich.

--------------------------------

Tino’s day to drive Rosie back to the orphanage rolled around again. It was the day before the meet-and-greet, and they’d spent the entire week preparing Rosie for her first public appearance.

Rosie could answer questions and smile like a champ now. She’d do well tomorrow. Tino didn’t mind fading into the background and talking to the occasional fan who wandered his way.

That’s how the Darkwing Duck cast did things.

Starling soaked up everyone’s attention and signed autographs while everyone else formed a nice backdrop.

Starling’s animosity to Rosie had lessened over the past few days. While he still wasn’t pleased by Dabble’s decision, he managed to grasp that it wasn’t Rosie’s fault.

“Got everything?” Tino asked as Rosie slid a math workbook into her princess-themed backpack.

“Ready, Mr. Tino!” Rosie exclaimed, slipping her backpack over her shoulders. “I don’t think I’d be able to sleep tonight. I’m just happy I can see all of you tomorrow!”

Tino couldn’t help but grin at her unbridled honesty.

“Bushroot! Just the guy I wanted to see!”

Tino suppressed a sigh. Only one person called him Bushroot outside of filming, and it wasn’t a person he tried to interact with on a casual basis.

“Yes?” Tino asked politely, channeling what he believed Jack would say in this type of situation. “I need to drive Rosie to St. Canald...I mean, St. Canard. Sorry that we’re in a hurry here. You know how bad the Audubon Bay Bridge is during rush hour.”

The corners of Starling’s beak turned up. One could call it a smile, but only with a very loose definition of the word.

“Is your face alright, Mr. Starling?” Rosie asked.

“What’s wrong with my-” Starling’s snappy mood returned for a brief moment, but he coughed and busied himself with smoothing down his clothes.

Which consisted of Darkwing’s turtleneck and unbuttoned purple blazer.

Tino was starting to believe that Starling had no life outside of Darkwing Duck.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” Starling said. At least he dropped the not-smile. “I wanted to see you off. We talk at lunch, but that’s only an hour. Not even an hour if Dabble decides to rush us.”

Rosie bounced on her heels, eyes glazed over in thought. She had a tendency to bounce while thinking.

“Can Mr. Starling come along too?” Rosie asked, tugging on Tino’s sleeve. “He never finished his story about the malfunctioning jack-in-the-box in the ‘Knick-knack Paddywhack’ episode!”

“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea...” Tino trailed off. Rosie’s curls had gone limp. Tino wondered if she had secret hair powers.

Starling looked a bit crestfallen too.

If Jack, Dan, or Michael had been in his place, they would’ve ignored Starling and left already. But Starling was actually interacting with Rosie.

Interaction that didn’t involve punching someone or bossing them around.

Tino lost the battle. That’s what he got from looking at Rosie when she was nearing disappointment.

“Alright, he can come if he wants,” Tino sighed.

Rosie cheered and Starling puffed out his chest as if he never doubted that Tino would refuse.

--------------------------------

“-Darkwing Duck on the brink of defeat, nothing but open air behind him and a monochromatic malefactor cackling madly in front of him! Then he remembers how much the citizens of St. Canard depend on him to keep the criminals at bay, and in a sudden burst of strength, he clubs Paddywhack with his trusty gas gun and seals him in the cursed jack-in-the-box!”

Tino concentrated on switching to the middle lane, choosing not to comment on Starling’s deliberate omission of how he got stuck in the springs of the jack-in-the-box during the Paddywhack fight scene.

Rosie listened attentively, eyes sparkling as she envisioned the scene before her.

They hit the usual traffic on the Audubon Bay Bridge just as Starling’s tale ended. Rosie didn’t bat an eye. She loved seeing the cargo ships sail through the bay.

But Starling groaned and tilted his seat back at a thirty-degree angle.

“Hey bush-for-brains, can’t this seat go back more?” Starling growled, yanking at the lever in a futile effort to make the seat tilt further.

“It’s an old car,” Tino admitted. “You’ve already got it at the max.”

Starling rolled his eyes, but at least he stopped trying to mutilate the lever.

Rosie swung her legs, looking towards the horizon, oblivious to Starling’s numerous complaints with Tino’s car.

“Rosie, I was thinking of becoming your legal guardian,” Starling said as he slipped a pair of sunglasses over his eyes.

Tino caught his eye in the mirror, but Starling either didn’t notice or care. Tino returned his attention to the road, trying not to complain out loud when another driver cut him off.

Rosie’s head whipped around so quickly that Tino was sure she’d have whiplash in the morning.

“You don’t wanna live at the orphanage forever, right? Living with THE Darkwing Duck is better than those guys,” Starling declared.

After a brief moment of silence, Rosie smiled at him. “Thank you, Mr. Starling, sir! I’d love for you to be my legal guardian!”

She reached out for a hug, but Starling just raised an eyebrow at her. “First rule, kid. Don’t touch me,” he reminded her.

Rosie teared up, but she seemed more happy and relieved. “Mr. Tino, I have a legal guardian now!” she exclaimed.

Tino knew she was equating ‘legal guardian’ with ‘parent’, but Rosie didn’t realize she’d just accepted a self-centered, vain, gloryhounding jerk who didn’t deserve either title.

Tino wasn’t looking forward to breaking the news to Michael. He’d dropped hints recently about taking Rosie in.

“I’m glad,” Tino said.

He was the worst liar in the world, but Rosie beamed at him anyway.

--------------------------------

When they got to the orphanage, Rosie immediately broke away from Tino and Starling so she could gather her belongings and say goodbye to her friends.

“Jim Starling, the one and only Darkwing Duck. There supposed to be a few papers I can sign so I can take legal guardianship of little Ruby here?” Starling asked the orphanage director.

“Actually, it’s Rosie,” Tino corrected, shuffling his feet when Starling glared at him.

Seriously, who took in a kid without bothering to learn their name first?

But the orphanage director simply dropped a huge packet of stapled papers into Starling’s arms. “Just sign in the highlighted areas,” she said, returning to listlessly stirring her coffee.

St. Canard orphanages must’ve been in worse shape than Tino realized if they were willing to hand a kid over to Starling without asking any questions.

Starling took out a pen topped with a Darkwing Duck figurine and scribbled an enormous loopy signature in the highlighted portions. He flipped through the papers so quickly that Tino only had time to read the bold print on top of the page.

“Wouldn’t it be better to read the page before you signed it?” Tino asked. The look on Jack’s face would’ve been priceless if he’d been here.

Jack’s biggest pet peeve was how people never read the fine print before they signed a document.

Starling huffed. “You wanna be here all night?”

“Well, no-”

“Then shut up and let me sign this in peace.”

Thankfully, the next page asked for name, date of birth, address, and the usual things that were asked on important forms, forcing Starling to slow down.

Tino’s leg bounced as watched the clock. The hands crept towards five-thirty. Rosie would need to eat soon.

And Starling’s usual dietary habits shouldn’t be passed onto any six-year-old.

“Do you even know how to take care of a kid?” Tino asked.

Starling’s hand clenched around the pen. A glob of blue ink stained the paper. Starling tried to rub it away, but only succeeded in smearing it across his hand.

“Can’t be that hard,” Starling shrugged. “She gets food, a place to sleep, a stuffed animal or two, and a famous actor for her legal guardian. She could use someone to help her navigate the adoring public anyway.”

“And caring about her?” Tino asked. “Love, attention, guidance, school?”

Starling rolled his eyes. “Look, I give her a roof over her head and she doesn’t need to share her stuff with a bunch of other snot-nosed brats. She can run and play and hang with you and everyone else. She can go wherever she wants or do whatever she wants.”

Starling signed the last document with a flourish and set the clipboard aside.

Tino gritted his teeth, but there was nothing he could do to counteract Starling.

-----------------------------------

Starling’s apartment was several blocks away from the studio, and judging by the amount of dust that had accumulated over the furniture, it hadn’t been lived in for a while.

Tino delayed going home in favor of helping Rosie unpack and settle in, cleaning the lonely, secluded guest room until it was suitable to sleep in. Tino dressed a spare mattress in a Darkwing Duck bedspread, pushing down a pang of anger at Starling for his lack of preparation when it came to bringing a kid home.

Speaking of which, wasn’t it the guardian’s job to make a kid feel at home?

Rosie hadn’t complained once, but that didn’t make it right.

Tino probably would’ve stayed all night, but he was booted out after he disagreed with Starling’s decision to feed Rosie an unhealthy Hamburger Hippo kids’ meal.

-----------------------------------

Tino didn’t get home until eight in the evening, and the rice and bean plate Jack had left for him in the fridge tasted like cardboard.

“You missed Pelican Island,” Dan said as he fiddled with a blender-like invention. “They almost got off the island, but then Dahlia found out that Georgio kissed Valerie and they broke the sail in their fight and all of Mason’s progress got set back by three weeks. Then they look in the almanac and find there’s a monsoon heading their way so now they have to delay leaving the island and find shelter as soon as possible cause the rains are gonna hit in less than a week-”

Tino listened to Dan ramble about the show, focusing on his commentary and allowing Starling’s legal guardian status to slip his mind for the time being. Tino wanted to break the news gently and hopefully minimize any casualties that might ensue, but he’d need time to work on framing his words so that nobody thought it was the end of the world.

Jack leaned against the doorframe, coolly staring at Tino. Finishing his dinner quickly, Tino scraped the remaining crumbs into the trash and took much longer than necessary to wash the dishes, feeling Jack’s eyes bore into his back the entire time.

Jack never pushed the issue, but he always had the uncanny ability to sniff out a lie.

Dan and Michael were locked in a heated debate over who Georgio was better off with, suspecting nothing out of the ordinary.

-----------------------------------

The meet and greet started at noon, but they arrived at the venue an hour early to help the film crew set everything up.

Dabble had reserved a section of Barks Park for their public appearance. It was a good park with plenty of grassy hills, a playground, and a bike trail.

It was popular for family outings, Tino recalled, hoping to spot Rosie’s red curls among a group of children who were playing soccer nearby.

But there was no sign of Starling or Rosie.

Starling always arrived later than everyone else so all the attention would be drawn to him. Tino just hoped that Rosie didn’t adopt Starling’s compulsive need to be fashionably late.

“Places, everybody!” Dabble barked. “That means you, Michael!”

“I’m in the middle of something!” Michael called as he twisted a green balloon into a sword for an excited boy.

“Put that helium pump away and get your jester butt over here!”

Michael rolled his eyes, but he did a handspring-cartwheel combination that propelled him to his seat and wowed his young audience.

The Fearsome Four’s table was on the right end of the gazebo, while the writers and artists’ table was to the left. The table in the middle had two empty chairs.

“Wait, we can’t start yet! Where’s Rosie?” Dabble shouted once noon hit. He tapped his watch in frustration.

“It was my day to pick her up,” another director admitted. “But I called the orphanage and they said Rosie doesn’t live there anymore.”

“What?” Dabble cried, tearing several white feathers from his head. “Then where does she live now?”

The director shrugged. “I asked, but some kid knocked over her coffee cup and she hung up to deal with them.”

Tino’s hands clenched in his lap. Sooner or later, someone would remember that he dropped Rosie off last night and put two and two together-

Jack’s hand came to rest on Tino’s shoulder.

And Tino knew he couldn’t keep quiet any longer.

“Rosie’s new legal guardian is-”

“I AM THE TERROR WHO FLAPS IN THE NIGHT!”

A column of blue smoke flared out. Several children tried to touch it, but their parents pulled them back.

“I AM THE CAUSE OF GRAY HAIR ON CRIMINALS’ SCALPS! I AM DARKWING-”

“Rosie, get up here! You were supposed to open the meet and greet ten minutes ago!” Dabble called.

Rosie nudged her way through the crowd, politely excusing herself as she made her way to the front of the gazebo. Michael waved, and Rosie returned the gesture, much to Starling’s disapproval.

Starling crossed his arms as Dabble hurriedly gave a microphone to Rosie and whispered a few instructions to her.

“Are you kidding me?” Starling scoffed. “She’s not even part of the show! And you interrupted my introduction! I spend two hours ironing my cape and this is the sort of reception I get?”

“You shouldn’t be wearing that outside of the studio!” Dabble hissed, gesturing to the Darkwing outfit.

“There’s plenty to go around,” Starling scowled.

“It costs money to make those-”

“Shouldn’t we let Rosie speak now?” Dan mumbled.

Rosie held the microphone loosely in one hand, the other nervously fiddling with a ribbon on her dress. For all the preparation they did, Rosie wasn’t experienced enough to handle an argument between Starling and Dabble.

Starling snatched a spare microphone from the writers’ table. “Well, as much as I love verbally sparring with Babble here, I just want to take a few minutes to address something of the utmost importance.”

“They’re kids,” Michael hissed. “They’re not interested in whatever you have to say.”

True to Michael’s prediction, several kids left the audience to pursue more fun activities.

“As a man of action, Darkwing Duck always seeks opportunities to eliminate criminal scum and rescue innocents,” Starling declared. Tino could just imagine his pompous beak growing Pinocchio-style. “And of course, I’m Darkwing Duck, so I believe it’s time for me to put my lessons into practice. And what better way to do that, I wonder, then to become a legal guardian to a talented St. Canard orphan?”

Michael gripped the tablecloth, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “He didn’t...”

“I’m Rosie King-Fisher’s legal guardian,” Starling grinned. He bowed, expecting applause and praise.

But Starling’s words seemed to go over the children’s heads. But the parents understood, shooting venomous glares at Starling as they steered their children elsewhere.

“Hey! Where’s everyone going?” Starling called. He looked genuinely baffled that nobody was interested in the meet and greet anymore. “Seriously, isn’t this usually considered a good deed or something?”

An empty water bottle smacked Starling in the face, and Tino silently thanked whoever threw it at him.

Michael’s face turned a brilliant shade of red, and Dan was forced to hold him back as he screeched profanities to Starling’s face. Starling yelled back, and most of the backstage crew was too dumbfounded to interfere.

Between calming Michael down, berating Starling for his impulsive decision, and Dabble trying to do damage control, Rosie’s presence was quickly forgotten. Jack gently pried the microphone out of Rosie’s hand. He took her by the hand, made eye contact with Tino, and inclined his head towards the gazebo’s other opening.

The chaos allowed all three of them to slip away unnoticed.

“Will Mr. Starling be okay?” Rosie asked as they reached a picnic area that contained several other families eating lunch and enjoying themselves. “And Mr. Michael?”

She worried about Starling.

Tino had never seen anyone worry about Starling before.

“They’ll argue, but they’ll be fine,” Jack assured her. He knelt down to Rosie’s level, but he was still much taller than her, and she had to lean back slightly to make eye contact. “Is Mr. Starling treating you alright?”

Tino made a small noise in the back of his throat. Starling never treated anyone alright.

“He took me in,” Rosie said. “He’s kind of grumpy, but he did microwave me frozen waffles. We never got waffles at the orphanage. It was just oatmeal.”

She spoke as if everything were really that simple. And to her, maybe it was.

“Are you happy?” Jack inquired.

Rosie smiled. “Yes, sir. I’m happy to have all of you care for me.”

There was a tiny twitch in Jack’s shoulders.

Jack probably debated taking Rosie in too, but his logical mind drove him to question the expenses and sacrifices it would take. It wasn’t just Michael and Dan who toyed with the idea.

And Tino had entertained it too, Multiple times.

“Rosie, why don’t you go play?” Tino suggested. “It’s a nice park. Run around and have fun.”

“Are you sure?” Rosie asked.

“Jack and I have to talk,” Tino said gently. “We’ll stay here if you need us though.”

At Jack’s encouraging nod, Rosie hugged them both and ran off to play.

----------------------------------- Moments later, Rosie joined a game of tag and was having the time of her life. Confident that she’d be fine, Tino and Jack settled at a picnic table under the shade of a sturdy oak.

“You knew the entire time,” Jack said. It was a statement, not a question. “Starling became Rosie’s legal guardian yesterday.”

“Yes. Starling mentioned it in the car and Rosie agreed immediately,” Tino admitted.

Jack didn’t reply.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him,” Tino whispered. “Rosie seemed so happy though. I think she just wanted someone to get her out of the orphanage. It didn’t matter who.”

“You work with Starling. You know how he disrespects everyone,” Jack snapped. “Waffles and giving someone a place to stay doesn’t make him a good guardian overnight. And you just...didn’t say anything?”

“Please, every time Michael brought up adopting Rosie, you said something about not having an adequate guest room for her,” Tino shot back.

“Starling knew you wouldn’t say anything because you’re such a pushover! He deliberately targeted you!” Jack shouted, drawing everyone’s attention to them.

Tino ducked his head, waiting until everyone lost interest and returned to their lunch. While he was more embarrassed from the sudden scrutiny, Jack seemed to interpret the motion as more of a guilty expression.

Jack moved to Tino’s side of the table, wrapping his arms around Tino’s shoulders in a sideways hug. “Sorry, Tino. I didn’t mean that. I swear I didn’t,” he said frantically.

Jack rarely stumbled over his words, so Tino knew that the entire situation had gotten to Jack’s head.

“I’m alright,” Tino said quietly. “Guess we’ve gotta stop beating around the Bushroot now, huh?”

“You’re never gonna let me live that pun down, are you?” Jack sighed, but his lips were twitching upward.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

They watched Rosie for a while. Her pink dress was caked in grass stains and there was a leaf in her hair, but she was radiating happiness with every spring in her step.

“Rosie deserves to be happy,” Jack said. “I wish we could’ve said something sooner.”

“She is happy,” Tino assured him. “Didn’t you hear her? She’s happy we care about her.”

“But does Starling care about her? As more than a publicity stunt?” Jack asked.

“I don’t know,” Tino shrugged. “Starling’s a hard guy to figure out. If he does care about her, maybe he could be a better person. If he doesn’t, then we’ll keep our home open to her so she won’t be alone.”

“We’ll have to figure out that guest room.”

“You’re planning to drag us all to the store to look at paint swatches for an entire afternoon, aren’t you?”

“Guilty as charged.”

Rosie shouted in joy as she tagged another girl and darted away before she could be caught again. She looked just like any other six-year-old instead of the little orphan girl.

Though she could probably do with clothes meant for playing in, Tino noted.

A rustle of the leaves from the leaves above him caught his eye. Curious, Tino peered up into the branches of the oak. There was a dark shape leaning against the crook of a thick branch and trunk. It was hidden from everyone else’s view, concealed by the verdant leaves.

Though his eyes were concealed by the brim of his hat, Tino could see a ghost of a smile forming on his beak.

Maybe there was hope for Starling after all.

#rosieverse #jim starling #nega-gosalyn/rosie king-fisher #friendly four #fanfiction

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theloniousbach · 5 years

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50 Years of Going to Shows, Pt. 3: Portrait of the Rock Fan as an Old Man

Rediscovering the Grateful Dead in the late 1980s led to going to rock concerts again, both THEM at the end and then their aftermath. If that was part 2, this part 3 is about other latter day rock’n’roll.

While the Allman Brothers had been disappointing at Royals Stadium in 1973, they were balm in September 1995 with Garcia’s death looming. They went into a St. Stephen’s jam in the middle of an always climactic “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” that was soothing and hard charging. Dicky Betts was around, so I guess that was the last time I saw him, but so was Warren Haynes. So that was the first time I saw him as he was already a workhorse and a consummate professional. I can’t say I thought they were great, but it sure was good to see them. A later show in 2005, Haynes with Derek Trucks, was equally solid. They were showing their age, as the GD had, but were invigorating the set lists and their self conception. It helped to have Haynes and especially Trucks. Poor Haynes, he is so very very good, but the first time I saw him, he was an after thought to Betts. This time Trucks showed for the first time what a rare talent he is. Jimmy Herring was often the lyrical soaring voice in Lesh’s Q. Haynes just shows up and plays his ass off, always part of the first string.

So Gov’t Mule has been a must see when they come through. I have found myself noticing different things each time. One time it was the phrase by phrase construction of his solos with subtle adjustments of pick ups, one it was his singing, another time his set list construction and his exquisite taste in covers, the way he leads the band. This guy is a pro and he leads a musician’s band. Somebody once said that before smoking heroin, Garcia’s first addiction was music. Haynes may not be addicted but he is an adventurous and wonderfully restless musician. I was out of town for interesting experiments like the Warren Haynes Band which was very r&bish and a tour with acoustic musicians that was about songs. But I would have gone.

The Derek Trucks Band was prodigy-ous, very good but not quite gelled. Trucks deferred to his older drummer as the emcee and Kofi Burbridge and Mike Mattison (both of whom came into his band, their band with Susan Tedeschi) were important supports. The material was clever and adventurous, but it wasn’t quite there.

Now, the Tedeschi Trucks Band is a beast, the best show on the road doing the music that matters to me. She has one of the great voices and is no slouch on guitar. They have everything, two drummers, horns, back up vocals, and a remarkable range and scope. I have just realized how much they owe in conception and even cover tunes to the Joe Cocker/Leon Russell Mad Dogs and Englishmen project. I have seen them three times but have not opted for their summer Wheels of Soul tours as one set from them on a week night after two supporting bands has not appealed. I have couch toured with them for a couple of shows in February 2019.

I have tried to make up for lost ground too. I have tried, honest I have, to get the Uncle Tupelo heritage, alt country being something I know I missed by being a jazz snob by the late 1970s and then gladly going with trad folk/Celtic/Balkan as the family’s music. But I don’t hear songs well and don’t hang on lyrics anyway. So a couple of Son Volt shows and one Jay Farrar were solid, interesting, and didn’t grab me. Neither did a Wilco one. Tweedy too has some songs and Nels Cline, whose path I’ve crossed in some jazz circles, is an interesting guitar colorist. But, that’s enough.

I had more success with Elvis Costello who has put on some good expansive tours. One used a spinning roulette type wheel to determine the set lists, but it was happily rigged to make sure that everything got played. Another used a set to visit different eras. That one included Larkin Poe as openers. They were pretty nifty, but they have resurfaced and stand out as the future.

He also opened for Bob Dylan (2007ish) and frankly was more impressive. That was the last time I saw Dylan and I’m glad I saw another tour circa 2004, but I don’t have the new tunes fixed in my mind and don’t plan to. The old ones are sometimes hard to place. I’m glad he’s still on the road and that he’s hardly a nostalgia act. But he’s not doing much I need to hear.

My concert partners have encouraged me to try some things that have been worthwhile but not lasting. Grace Potter was fine, but my song deafness was a factor. Robert Randolph captures a nifty roots genre, sacred steel, and then brings it forward into a mix of rock and soul. And I have twice bought tickets for the Yonder Mountain String Band and missed both due to illness. I have resigned myself to being jinxed and don’t even try, preferring to stay healthy. I saw String Cheese Incident as a headliner for which Ratdog opened, but they didn’t do much for us and we walked out.

I have passed on Phish but did see the Trey Anastasio Band twice. Of course, he’s an amazing guitar player and this band is rootsier (the horns help) with some good covers. But his songs are slight. As a second generation jam band, he/they listened to first gen bands, Zappa, and prog rock whereas the first gen, especially the Dead, listened to jug bands, old time, bluegrass, and country. So it’s less grounded.

I did see some free concerts here in St. Louis of people I would have wanted to see. There was a late 1980s tour of The Band and they got away with using the name with Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Garth Hudson holding up the legacy. Around the same time or probably the summer before or after, Dr. John came through and that was welcome.

A local blues festival brought in Taj Mahal and I’m glad I got to see him as he was a hero of my youth. Quite an influence too as country blues became part of the folk legacy I have gravitated too.

But this stuff should be dynamic and not nostalgic. So I may have a couple of youngish bands that I am watching.

I mentioned Larkin Poe via Elvis Costello. I found them doing hotel room videos of important covers which means, like Jackie Greene, that they are influenced by the right mix of rock, soul, and above all blues. They have strong rootsy albums of their own. Rebecca Lovell has one of those powerful Southern voices and is the articulate voice of their shared intelligence about the music. Big sister Megan is “the slide queen” having rigged a lap steel like a dobro she can play standing up. She is an amazing player. I saw them In an outdoor club that I anticipate they will outgrow. They are doing some festivals this summer that should garner/has garnered the attention of biggies in the blues scene—Eric Gales, Joe Bonamassa, and maybe even Warren Haynes—that should pay dividends. Remember, I saw them back in the day.

It was covers too that called Lake Street Dive to my attention. But, besides the incredible voice of Rachael Price, they also have a nifty band sound anchored by Bridget Kearney on bass. They too have listened to soul and other roots, but also have a mix of pithy guitar or trumpet and a subtle approach to percussion. They are already a big deal and may have settled into an audience. But it’s one that I join as an older member. Larkin Poe has a levy of my generation locked into the blues and Jackie Greene has Deadheads along for the ride. But LSD has its own hipster identity.

So, the music keeps growing and maybe I do too.

#2019 #Larkin Poe #Lake Street Dive #Taj Mahal #Allman Brothers Band #Tedeschi Trucks Band #Derek Trucks #Elvis Costello

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movingkeepmoving · 5 years

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Sofía, Bulgaria - June 2019 🇧🇬

The second last day of my journey was ready to start. It started once more early but not as early as intended to at first. My original plan included a coach trip from Thessaloniki to Sofía, but as lucky as I was on this trip, I got adopted by two fellow fans who invited me on their ride on a more comfortable car. While I did know tiny bits of Greek, I didn't know a single thing about Bulgaria. Well, not 100% true - I knew they're part of the European Union, they don't have the Euro and they use the Cyrillic alphabet. That's it. I didn't know they were not part of Schengen and I also didn't know a single thing about their fascinating long history.

Once being dropped of in Sofía, I fell in love with the city. Its different, it's full of history - you can tell by just walking around for five minutes - and it's super green and full of parks. I head to my hostel, ring the bell and after a couple of minutes an old lady appears, telling me in broken English there's something wrong with my room and hands me a phone. The man on the other end explains me that they have anogher building down the road, the woman will bring me there, and they will upgrade my single hostel room to a studio for the same price. Alright?!? I follow her and we have a nice and brief talk in English. I tell her I'm from Germany and it's my first time in Bulgaria, I'm here for a concert, but not to play myself - to watch a band. She's charming and welcoming as she's trying her best in communicating with me.

She drops me off with her colleague at the studio house. This new woman doesn't speak any English, so she hands me her telephone and I talk to the guy I talked before. We discuss the final details and then I have a super huge studio with a kitchen and sofa and a large bed all for myself. I charge my batteries, check the nearby restaurants and download the local Taxi App. It works like Beat in Greece, you can pay via credit card and so you don't have to withdraw too much money from the next ATM. I'm craving something fresh and healthy so I get late lunch at a close by fusion restaurant that serves an amazing poke bowl. As I have a full day left for sightseeing, I decide to head down early for the venue. I'm totally on my own this time and you never know how crazy the Bulgarian folks are about gigs. On my way getting there I have the best and cutest old taxi driver you can imagine. She talks English, shows me some sights of the city while passing them, tells me to definitely use the app after the show to not get scammed by another cab driver as the venue is in a students area and he hands me a tourist info in English about the most famous sights. He also changes the radio station to the rock channel once I told him about my plans for the evening and in just that moment, the gig gets announced on the station and Dropkick Murphys are played on the radio...

Boy, was I wrong about the audience. Nobody shows up until 30 minutes before door. The first person I get in contact with is G. from the UK. He tells me he came down as DKM and FT are his favourite artists. Well once more - I'm not alone at a Frank Turner gig and I guess I never will. Doors open, and about 6 people head into the venue, an ice hockey stadium. Once the six of us are in, nothing happens for an hour. I walk around, get me a coke and water and some caramel popcorn as apperently this is what you can buy at a gig in Sofia. Franks set is moved back by 20 minutes and once he enters the stage there are some hundred people inside the venue while the rest is still out front smoking. (For the first time of this tour, the promoter made actually sure that nobody is smoking indoors! It's a blessing!)

Once more some Frank Turner fans gather around close to the front. I can hear them singing both on my left and my right side, which makes me smile like a nutter and sing even louder. It's once more utterly insane to whitnes Franks first gig in Bulgaria. I guess it's pretty hard regarding the size of the venue and the small amount of people who do know him. But it doesn't stop him. No, he tries even harder, chats his bits through the Bulgarian language and he even managed to sing "Eulogy" in it. It's like his magic trick, everytime he does that, the crowds starts to respect him a tiny bit more. He tells the crowd how crazy it is for him to finally play a show in Bulgaria and says its pretty special to him as he wrote his university dissertation about British-Bulgarian relationships. This evening I sing extra loud during "I still believe" - as it somehow became the song of my trip to the East. I would never had thought that I would travel all the way down to Greece to see my favourite artist opening up for an American band. Well in the end I travelled to those places and the shows were the red cherry on top of doing the trip.

Sofia was finally the gig where I was able to witness a FULL Dropkick Murphys gig. I got me a seat on the side and enjoyed the non smoking environment. From the very first start about 2700 people went nuts. While looking around I saw so many happy faces and I once more realised how lucky I am living in Berlin with 5-10 gigs every day. These people had to wait more than 20 years to see Dropkick Murphys play in their city - in their country. And the guys from Massachusetts showed them what Punkrock was about. At one point singer Ken stopped the band as he saw someone in the crowd doing Nazi salutes. Ken was all about to jump into the crowd and fight that guy. Everything happened at the other side of the room, I didn't see anything besides a raging singer. But in this moment Ken earned a lot of respect from my end.

Luckily the show was ready to continue and I wandered a bit around until a friend of the band invited me to come up sidestage to become part of the final stage invasion of my tour. I've been side stage for many shows in my life, but to see this wild and happy crowd from up there made my heart jump with joy. It was beautiful and being part of the stage invasion some minutes later felt absolutely unreal. Do you know this feeling when you just think you're dreaming? That was me, dancing and singing around on a stage in Sofía, Bulgaria. Even when I look back to it now, I can not really believe this did actually happen to me.

Sometimes life is full of big surprises and I'm still so happy I decided to do this trip when all my fellow gig buddies said they wouldn't join. Traveling and going to my gigs on my very own made me learn a lot about myself but also a lot about those foreign countries and their people who react differently to you if you actually interact with them. When you're travelling in a group you tend to keep to yourself and turn around to keep chatting in your group conversation. This wasn't possible for me, I had to get in contact with people and I loved it! One more day in Sofia ahead...

#traveling #always on tour #solotravel #frank turner #fthc #Sofia #Bulgaria #Bulgarien #Dropkick Murphys #Dkm

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blossomingx · 6 years

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Aside from watching the reputation stadium tour last night, this entire weekend has been HORRIBLE. So I’m just going to rant a little to blow off some steam.

Friday - the day before the concert - I plan to do all the last minute things I need so I wouldn’t have to worry about anything. I double check my room reservations, flights, rental, tickets... all the necessary things. I got my eyebrows threaded and it’s a new lady at the place I go to, and even tho I was hesitant on weather or not I should do them with her, I still did. Big. Mistake. She CUT MY EYELID. I was full on bleeding. And to top it off, she thinned the hell out of them after I told her NOT TO. Everyone with a face knows that bad eye brows equal a bad time. So there’s Bad Thing #1.

Next day, we get up early and make our flight in time. Everything is going smoothly. My sisters came with me and we always fight. But I guess the excitement of seeing Taylor kept us in a good mood. So, we land in Dallas and o call to confirm my rental (just to be EXTRA sure) and the dude says there’s no reservation for me for that day even though I paid for it over the phone when I booked. He said he’d return my money. Uh! I need a car! So, now we have to bust out money for an Uber. There’s Bad Thing #2.

Finally we figure out how to work Uber (we never used it before because is not available in our town) and we get to our hotel. We got a good rate for a night, so when the receptionist tells me to hand my card over and she will be charging me TRIPLE what I booked the room at, I flipped out. Bad Thing #3. (Side note: after yelling like a psychotic mother we got our room at the price I initially booked it at, but still. It took some arguing and embarrassment.)

We finally get ready and head over to the AT&T Stadium. Got there just in time with a few minutes before doors open, and didn’t even have to wait in the heat for long before we got in. FINALLY WE’RE HERE and it’s such a relief! We get in line to buy merch and the whole time the family behind us are talking about how ridiculous it is that a whole group of 4 girls are in front of them. (We were that group.) Why, I don’t know. The lines were long everywhere, and to say that lines existed at all is a lie. It was a crowd of people pushing and shoving trying to get to the front. And for some reason, it was OUR fault for the huge crowds and unidentifiable lines. Standing in line with a obnoxious parent behind us brings us to Bad Thing #4.

We get to our seats and are enjoying the environment, you know, getting hyped for Charlie XCX to come out. We were on the side where people are going back and forth from back stage to the front, so we try to get their attention in hopes of getting upgraded to the pit. A group in front of us got upgraded by chance and we were a bit upset because they were just sitting there on their phones and we were actually enjoying ourselves. The same man that upgraded them came up to us and told us he’d be back to get us in to the pit. We were EXCITED. We were actually going to get to be in the pit! He said he’d return so we waited.. and waited... and waited... he never returned. We were heart broken! Just our luck I guess. Bad Thing #5.

Charli XCX comes out and she was great! We didn’t know all her songs but her set was great and I loved her energy. Crowd was so loud already; I couldn’t wait for Taylor any longer. Suddenly three girls drink out of their minds pile into one seat next to me and are bumping and grinding on themselves - and on me - while Charli is performing and it kills my mood big time. I don’t know why or how they got away with that, but they did. As soon as her set was done, they disappeared. But they managed to leave behind their beer all over my shoes. Great. Bad Thing #6.

Camila is next and my sisters and I agree to ignore what happened and not let it ruin the night. Camila comes out and two of the three girls come back. One of the girls seems a bit out of it, but we don’t let her keep our attention. Camila was soooo great I loved her set so much! You can see her emotion during her performance and just how passionate she is about her music. I loved her! During her last song, I felt a huge hit in my thigh and look to see it’s the girl that was completely out of it. Her head. Was on. My. Freaking. Thigh. What in the world?! I pushed her off only to realize she is passed out wasted. Bad Thing #7.

During the intermission between Camila & Taylor, this girl is making a scene for herself. Her friend is telling her to eat or drink something, but she won’t budge. I’m livid. Is this really going to be the person that ruins what I’ve been looking forward to for the past year!? Her friend is yelling now. “Get up!! What the fuck are you doing?! I hate you! GET UP!” You guessed it people, this girl was on the floor. Our entire section is freaking out. Security is now surrounding this girl. She isn’t awake anymore, but she isn’t asleep either. Security told us that as soon as she stands up we need to tell them so the can escort her out immediately. Once security leaves, the functioning girl full on BEGS us not to call them because she loves Taylor and blah blah blah. I wasn’t having it. So this mess of a scene is Bad Thing #8.

The group behind me taps my shoulder and says to me - jokingly, “you’re on baby sitting duty tonight!” Uh, what? Hell no I’m not. I quickly responded “she’s moot my friend and I didn’t pay $200 to watch some one that can’t handle alcohol” and they gasp. What did they want me to say, yesill watch her? HELL NO. Anyway, Taylor comes out -FINALLY. We see her right as she walks into the stage then the lights go down and we’re screaming for Taylor. The moment is finally here! I’m looking forward to the intro because it is ICONIC. I press record on my phone and 20 seconds in I hear and feel it all over my legs and feet. Yup, she just vomited. All over me. I’m PISSED at this point I could punch her in the face. I missed the whole intro. Her friend is yelling I HATE YOU STUPID BITCH and yelling at me PLS DONT CALL SECURITY. What was I supposed to do!? Bad Thing #9.

Taylor was amazing. Breathtaking show. It was literally sooooo perfect. & I love to record everything so I couldn’t wait to replay the show when I got to the hotel room. After an hour of repetitive Uber cancellations (Bad Thing #10), we finally get to our room. I’m looking for my favorite performances of Taylor so I can post, and in every single video you can hear this girl yelling at her drunk friend about how much she hates her. Every! Single! Video! I have no good content except for my memory. Bad Thing #12.

Next morning (today) we miss our flight because someone in our flight security line was making a scene. Greaaaat. They couldn’t let us go and handle the man on the side? Nope. They make countless people miss their flights. Bad Thing #13.

So now I’m writing thing long post because we’re on stand by for the remainder of the day praying we get to go home today. I just want this weekend to end. I miss my kids!!! If you got this far down my post, I’m going to assume you’re bored, or you are evil and find humor in the awful weekend I’m still experiencing. I’ll feel better when I’m home!!!

#taylor swift #this trip was crazy #i wanna go home #i still have vomit on my shoes #someone pray for me #rep tour dallas #rep tour arlington #night 2 #taylurking

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davewakeman · 5 years

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2 Thoughts On Sports Business, Tickets, and Live Entertainment Right Now

Like a lot of folks, I’m curious about how long this shutdown in life is going to be and what the implications of this battle with the coronavirus is going to mean for our country going forward.

As a big Peter Drucker fan, I’m also not inclined to sit around and just wait for things to come my way, I’m keen to take action based on where I am today and the “future that has already happened.”

So I want to share a two things with you today about what I think the future of the world of tickets and entertainment heads.

What does the new normal look like?

A lot of the conversations I have had over the last 10-14 days have had a general direction of, “back to normal” or “live events will come roaring back.”

My thinking is: “what if that isn’t true?”

Out of any big change, a new reality is born.

One executive I spoke with highlighted the reality that since the 2008 financial crisis, the market for tickets and live events hasn’t ever recovered. Or, the recovery has been in fits and starts.

And, as we deal with a health crisis and a financial one, we are not doing our jobs if we don’t ask ourselves what the new normal will really look like.

There was a book that I read around 2010, I believe, called This Time Is Different.

The book talked about, if I am remembering correctly, the folly of how each financial crisis looks incredibly similar and how prognosticators are always telling you that it is entirely unique.

Which, I guess, is a valid point even if I am missing the key takeaway from the book.

The point being that we are all likely trying to wrap our head around things in a way that is comforting, even if we were unhappy with the way things were going, with getting back to normal.

Why?

Because normal we can deal with, am I right?

The uncertainty is unsettling, absolutely.

But how can we be realistic in looking at this time of crisis and think through what the implications are going to be?

To create a complete thought around this likely requires an entire book, but I think it begins by questioning the assumptions that have held us up for the last decade or so and to question what we are dealing with, how it will change us, and what that means.

For the world of entertainment and tickets, I’ll point to three things I’m thinking about:

How is this virus and the economic impact of it changing us?

First, it is obviously making us cautious about crowds in a lot of ways.

Second, being physically distant from others is strange.

Third, the financial repercussions are likely to be harmful to a lot of folks and we were already in an environment where people were being priced out of events and entertainment in a lot of ways.

1. Does this crisis change our business models?

One thing I know for sure is that most of the growth in the live entertainment business the last few years has been heavily weighted on the fact that certain events or sections were able to command much larger prices.

Why is that?

Consolidation, secondary market, corporate buyers, and more. But the financial impact of the crisis is likely to change that dynamic…how does that change our business models?

2. What are our non-customers doing?

Let’s face it, using any metric you’d like, most folks aren’t our customer. In fact, I think it is safe to say that if you look at most events and entertainment options, the market share is incredibly small.

Why?

An incomplete list includes:

Value

Price

Marketing

Access

The reality is that before this crisis, 90%+ of folks in America likely weren’t paying attention to Major League Baseball at all. For that matter, the NBA, the NHL, MLS, or, minus the Super Bowl, the NFL.

Why?

This question and answer becomes much more important going forward because no matter what a crisis, economic or health, changes us. It changes how we engage with the world and it changes what we value, at least in the short term.

Does this mean folks will rush back to ballparks, arenas, and stadiums? Or, does rushing back into the community and finding ways to come together and be around people mean that folks are going to rush into parks, community gatherings, or other places?

Community has always counted:

I’ve been preaching about the need to make our events and our buildings community gatherings for years.

I always felt like this was important because it brought out the best in folks and it elevated our shows, theatre, and sports to a point where they were visceral and positive expressions of the human condition.

Over the years, for a lot of reasons, this sense of community has been eroding.

It still exists in certain places like a Pearl Jam concert, a baseball stadium when your team is on a playoff run, or, even in the way that folks will stand online in Central Park to get tickets to see the annual summer Shakespeare in the Park shows.

When the entertainment world comes back, and it will, I think we have to rethink the value proposition of what we are doing and selling.

Last year, several Major League Baseball teams ran promotions for ultra-discount tickets that sold out the stadiums and brought a sense of connection and joy to the in-stadium experience that was needed.

Going forward, as the shadow of this crisis fades, this joyful expression of community is going to be more important than ever before.

So going back to the drawing board of managing by spreadsheet and pricing in a way that is meant to squeeze every nickel out of a customer because you’ve got them trapped might not be a great idea.

In fact, the old story of Billy Graham, the concert producer, when he said something along the lines of “he could charge more for this ticket tonight, but what if the person didn’t have any money to come next Tuesday” is likely something we should all be thinking about more often.

Because our connections and our communities are likely to become a lot more important.

I want to share these two ideas with you now because they have helped me start to open up my thinking around pricing, selling, marketing, and other aspects of the live entertainment experience.

If you are looking for someplace to connect with folks in the industry, I’ve put together a Slack Channel with all kinds of different discussion areas and people you can bounce ideas off of. You can also get my weekly ticket newsletter, ‘Talking Tickets’ where I share 5 top stories and quick analysis and some action items.

Please follow and like us:

2 Thoughts On Sports Business, Tickets, and Live Entertainment Right Now was originally published on Wakeman Consulting Group

#coronavirus #marketing #pandemic #pricing #sales #sports business #sportsbiz #tickets

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putschki1969 · 7 years

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♪ 10th Anniversary Live Q&A ♪

Kalafina will hold a special live to commemorate their 10th Anniversary. Here’s a comprehensive list of the most frequently asked questions. I’ll try my best to provide all the answers you might need. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions! Without further ado, here is the Q&A!

What’s the exact date of Kalafina’s 10th Anniversary Live? January 23, 2018 (Tuesday) Doors open: 17:30 Start: 18:30

Why is the concert on a weekday? Kalafina officially debuted with the release of their first single 「oblivious」 on January 23 2008. Their Anniversary Live will take place on their actual anniversary. This year, Jan 23 happens to be a Tuesday.

What’s the venue for Kalafina’s 10th Anniversary? Nippon Budōkan

How do I access Nippon Budōkan? The Nippon Budokan is located in Kitanomaru Park in the center of Tokyo, two minutes' walking distance from Kudanshita Subway Station (Hanzomon line, Tozai line or Toei Shinjuku line), and near the Imperial Palace and Yasukuni Shrine.

How many people can fit into Nippon Budōkan? The structure holds 14,471 people (arena seats: 2,946, 1st floor seats: 3,199, 2nd floor seats: 7,846, standee: 480).

Who are the supporting musicians for Kalafina’s 10th Anniversary Live? Guitar: Korenaga Koichi; Drums: Sato Kyoichi; Bass: Takahashi “Jr.” Tomoharu; Konno Hitoshi Strings (1st Violin: Konno Hitoshi, 2nd Violin: Todo Masahiko, Viola: Ikuno Masaki, Cello: Nishikata Masaki); Keyboards: Sakurada Hirotaka; Flute: Akagi Rie; Percussion: Nakajima Obawo; Accordion: Kato Kanako; Manipulator: Oohira Yoshio

Where do all the news regarding the live get announced? Either on the Harmony page, via Harmony Mail Magazine or on Kalafina’s LINE blog. Past Anniversary Lives were exclusive to fan club members so news usually didn’t get announced publicly (i.e. on the LINE blog). However, it is VERY likely that the upcoming 10th Anniversary will be open to non-members as well so I guess infos will be announced on all important pages this time around. In any case, I will keep you updated on ANY kind of news so be sure to follow my blog! Seriously! I won’t keep anything secret from you. If I get any news, YOU will be the first one to know! 〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

https://putschki1969.tumblr.com/

Is the live gonna be for fan club members only? [CONFIRMED] NO, as I said in my answer for the previous question, I very much doubt it. In my opinion there are three things that argue in favour of a live open to everyone. #1: The live was announced very early on publicly on the LINE blog and in various news articles. #2: Budōkan is a huge venue, I don’t think there are even enough fan club members to fill the entire stadium. #3: Non-members are allowed to take part in the “What songs do you want to hear?-Poll”. Edit: As expected, the live is NOT gonna be for fan club members only!

Are tickets available already? No. The live is still FIVE months away. It’s very unusual for Kalafina concert tickets to go on sale this early before the actual live date. Please be patient a little while longer.

Will tickets even be “on sale”? How does the ticket system work? The ticket system in Japan is VERY complex. The term “on sale” doesn’t really apply when it comes to getting your hands on a Kalafina concert ticket. Since previous anniversary lives were for fan club members only, there was never an actual sale, just one or two rounds of fan club lotteries (I do realise that the term “lottery” is a little misleading. Yes, it is a lottery and yes, you “win” a ticket but please don’t misinterpret this, you STILL have to pay for it!). Here’s how the ticket system works for a “regular” concert. 〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→ Fan club members always have priority in applying for tickets. Kalafina fan club ballots are usually held on an external ticketing site but you will require a special code to access the ballot, details of the entire process will be sent to FC members via mail. Ballot results are sent at a later date. For previous lives there were two rounds for “Fiction Junction Club” lotteries. With the launch of “Harmony” we now have a “Harmony” lottery (Harmony members do have priority!!), followed by a “FJC” lottery. Entry periods for ballots are usually between 1 to 2 weeks (note: they can be shorter/longer). The basic premise is that a major part of the tickets is reserved for fan club members and the remainder goes to public sales. The public sale almost always starts with a pre-balloting (multiple rounds possible) and eventually (if there’s anything left) tickets really go “on general sale” and it’s all about first come first serve.

How to apply for tickets? This is the hard part. For all the above mentioned steps you will need AT LEAST TWO things: A Japanese address and a Japanese phone number. In addition to that, you’ll obviously need a fan club membership for the preceding fan club lotteries. Ballots and sales for Kalafina concerts usually take place on this site: e-plus. Or you can try your luck at a conbini (convenience store) terminal. Most of the time payment options include credit cards but be careful! Often they don’t accept foreign credit cards. The only other option is to pay for the ticket at a conbini which can be rather troublesome if you don’t happen to live in Japan. Regarding the collection of the ticket: Usually the ticket/s will be sent to the Japanese address you entered around 2-1 weeks (or earlier) before the concert or you can choose to collect the ticket at a conbini (the options differ from concert to concert). But like I said, this kind of application only works if you have a Japanese address, a Japanese phone number (and usually a credit card issued in Japan). HERE is my very detailed tutorial on how to become a member of “Harmony”. In short, you have two main options:

EITHER you have a friend living in Japan who is willing to help you out with all of the above things.

OR you make use of one of the many proxy services that will do all the hard work for you (in exchange for a lot of money of course). E.g. www.sosjapan.jp which will do pretty much everything for you. They will register for you under your name. They will provide an address. They will apply for lotteries/or buy tickets for you. They will buy goods from the online store for you. Estimate for membership registration: Harmony or FJC membership fee: 4000yen. Admission Fee: 1000yen. (Service Fee: 130yen). Agent Fee: 8000yen. + shipping to your home address which varies according to the method you opt for (usually around 2000yen). Their agent fee will be applied to pretty much all further activities such as buying tickets (or goods). Taking part in ballots is free, you are only charged the agent fee if you actually win, so you’ll pay the price of the ticket itself, the agent fee and the shipping fee to your address. This may sound quite expensive but they offer a reliable service and many Kala-fans use it. I’d say it’s definitely worth the extra 100 bucks. On a side note, you don’t have to use this service to become a member of Harmony. You can just use it to take part in the general pre-balloting but of course there’s a higher risk of not winning. (There are cheaper services than sosjapan but you’ll have to look for them and check whether or not they have good reviews; HERE’s a post where I talk about various proxy services)

When are tickets gonna be available? [CONFIRMED] I cannot say for certain. Things were a little different for previous anniversary lives. Take Kalafina’s 9th Anniversary for example, dates for the 2-Day Live weren’t announced until October 26! The first fan club lottery took place from 2016/11/15～11/23. The second round took place from 2017/1/12～2017/1/15 (VERY close to the actual concerts!). I am expecting something different for the 10th Anniversary. Here’s my best guess: the Harmony lottery entry will most likely begin in early to mid October at the latest. Infos for that might only be announced on the Harmony page. A FJC lottery will follow soon after (infos for that will be announced on the Spacecraft FJC page). Then we’ll get the pre-balloting for the general public (maybe with multiple rounds) and finally a general sale. That should give most of us enough time to prepare our trip to Japan. I don’t mind waiting till October to book my flight (I doubt prices will change much till then). I’ll start worrying if they haven’t announced ANYTHING by the end of October. Edit: General sale will start on November 25!!! Edit #2: The preceding ticket lottery for 「Harmony」 members will start on October 16!!! The lottery will last till October 24! Results will be revealed from Oct 27-Oct 29.

Are tickets from the fan club ballots personalised or labelled? Many people are worried abut buying those tickets on the re-sale market because they believe their ID will be checked and they won’t be able to get in without a membership card. Don’t worry, that won’t be the case as long as it is a concert open to the general public. When it comes to fan club members-only lives/events it’s different of course. The only time someone usually checks your membership card is if you wanna buy fan club exlusive merchandise.

How much is the ticket gonna cost? [CONFIRMED] Up to 8,000 yen I’d say. Previous Kalafina lives at Budōkan were around 7,800 to 7,900 yen. Nothing out of the ordinary for a Budōkan concert. A very reasonable price. Edit: Ticket prices have already been announced; All seats specified 7,800 yen!

I wanna sit front and center! Can I get a good seat? Simple answer. NO. Or rather, it’s all up to luck. Seats are ALWAYS assigned at random and you usually don’t find out your seat until MUCH later. Being a fan club member sadly DOES NOT guarantee good seats (in some cases it doesn’t even guarantee a seat at all!). As a fan club member you may still end up being seated all the way in the back. You can increase your chances by entering all fan club ballots (requires membership for both) as well as the general sale pre-balloting but you risk being stuck with and having to pay for more tickets than you actually need (you can always sell them of course). Which brings me to the only option you have if you wanna choose your seat: You have to buy the ticket on the re-sale market on various auction sites (e.g. Yahoo Auctions; Ticketcamp). All in all, this is probably the “easiest” option for all of you who don’t wanna deal with the “hassle” and extra costs of getting a fan club memberships etc. You’ll need a proxy service for the auction sites as well but it can be a much cheaper service like buyee (I can recommend that!) or something similar since bidding is a “simple” transaction that doesn’t really require a super high agent fee or anything. If you decide to bid at one of those auction sites you have the option to choose between various offers. The only downide: You have to pay a FORTUNE for your ticket. People will try to outbid you like nobody’s business. Expect to pay AT LEAST double of the original ticket price. Another downside is that you have to wait till people get their seat infos (because that’s when they start selling) so your trip preparations may be delayed. Also, this business is super shady and it’s best not to support it but I guess there’s not much else a desperate foreign fan can do...

Can I get more than one ticket (for a friend etc)? Yes, that’s very likely. For regular lives it’s usually possible to apply for more than one ticket at the lotteries. That’s how I got my tickets for the “Far on the Water Special Final”. A friend of mine who is a fan club member applied for two tickets and she won. Tickets are assigned at random but in this case you will be seated next to each other. Be aware that applying for more than one ticket MIGHT reduce your chances of winning (I actually have no proof for that but some fans seem to think so). Also, you can obviously bid for more than one ticket on the re-sale market.

Should I even join “Harmony” if there are so few advantages? We don’t have guarenteed good seats, sometimes (for exclusive lives/events) we don’t even have the guarantee of a seat at all. Why should I even bother to join? I am sure many of you ask yourself that question. Well, first of all, the annual fee of 4000 yen isn’t too bad, it’s actually quite cheap. And if you don’t continue your membership, it will automatically be cancelled. Also, taking part in the preceding lottery is a great bonus. It increases your chances of getting a ticket A LOT. Especially when it comes to regular concerts. That’s one big advantage for sure. Plus, we get a lovely newsletter/magazine four times a year. We get the chance to buy exclusive merch. The option to take part in exclusive event. And most importantly, I think it’s just about BEING PART OF THE CLUB. As a big fan it feels special to belong to their fan club and I am proud to call myself a member of “Harmony”. It may not mean much to others but i means a lot to me.

Will there be merchandise? How much is it gonna cost? I am expecting there to be a ton of merchandise! It’s their 10th Anniversary so they will probably come up with a lot of cool stuff. Maybe another Live History book? That would be really cool! Maybe another special feature like Kalafina Record or Kadokawa? Obviously there will be the usual stuff (pamphlet, postcards, towels, keychains, member produced goods, etc...). Expected price range: anything between 500~6000 yen (as per usual). Once again, we’ll probably get some premium goods (like the pocket watch, suitcase, wallet, music box etc) which will be VERY expensive but hey, those are high quality products so the price is definitely justified (most foreign fans will probably have trouble getting their hands on them anyways since you need to pre-order them and many months later they will be sent to you - only Japanese addresses are valid). I am also hoping for a special release (a nice DVD/BD or a lovely live album...) On a side note, I hope they open a Kalafina collab café again. And I also want “Kalafina Museum” exhibtions! I am praying to every deity out there that those things will take place in the week before the concert so I can actually go XD

Is the setlist gonna be released beforehand? No. Kalafina have always been very adamant about their setlist being a surprise. Even during tours, they try to be super secretive about the content of their lives in order to avoid spoilers for upcoming shows (obviously fans are still posting the setlists but at least you won’t be spoiled on any of the official Kalafina pages).

What are the chances of a certain song being sung? Well, it all depends on the results of this poll. Kalafina decided they would let their fans choose the songs of their setlist. So if you wanna influence the results and if you want them to perform a certain song, you’ll have to get a membership and actually VOTE for that song (as well as two others, or you can also choose the same song three times!). Non-members need to acquire an SC ID so they can vote for one song. You have time till Sep 15 to put in your vote so you better hurry! Many fans on twitter posted their votes and from what I could tell, most of them chose songs that are either rarely performed or ones that are all-time favourites like Hikari no Senritsu/Alleluia/Hikari Furu/sprinter etc...Of course there were others who voted for songs that aren’t exactly popular among foreign fans (e.g. misterioso) but they are well-beloved among the Japanese fanbase, so yeah... I haven’t seen everyone’s vote of course so it’s impossible to predict the outcome of this poll. However I do believe that chances of rarely performed songs making it to the setlist are higher than usual. Their Anniversary setlists have always been lovely and I doubt it’s gonna be any different for this one. Judging from earlier poll results for a special FJC live back in 2016 (FJC BEST 20 Part 2), it seems like fans have always voted for either rarely performed songs or their all-time faves. Btw, here’s my vote.

#1. 002. 君が光に変えて行く (Kimi ga Hikari ni Kaete Iku) #2. 054. 屋根の向こうに (Yane no Mukou ni) #3. 023. lirica

One last thing! I am sure the girls will also pick a few songs that they definitely wanna perform (whether they are high up on the list or not, Ongaku and Oblivious come to mind). Plus, we’ll most likely get at least one song with accordion and one with flute or else they wouldn’t have invited Kato Kanako and Akagi Rie as supporting musicians.

Will the results of the poll be published? I guess. But certainly not before the concert is over.

Lastly....should I go to their 10th Anniversary or is it best to wait for other lives to be announced? I am sure Kalafina will hold other concerts in 2018 (and now that I have a job I am planning to attend at least one or two of them as well!!) so you’ll get plenty of opportunities to see them live. Also, maybe our dreams will finally come true and they end up announcing a world tour at their 10th Anniversary (a girl can dream, right? XD) Either way, it’s certainly not “necessary” to attend their 10th Anniversary live since it’s definitely not gonna be their last concert but in my opinion, it’s something VERY special and I wouldn’t wanna miss it for the world. I honestly see it as my duty as their hardcore fan to be there and share this special moment with the girls (but that’s just me XD)

All right, that’s it. I hope I was able to answer all of your questions. Thanks to everyone who sent asks or replied to my post. Also, congrats if you managed to read everything all the way to the bottom. If you are still confused about anything or if you feel like I didn’t provide answers to all possible questions, please be sure to let me know. However, please do me the favour of reading EVERYTHING carefully before asking away. I know it’s a lot to take in but it’s important you read all the answers to get the whole picture.

#kalafina #news #reply #10th Anniversary #q&a #long post #be sure to read everything carefully :-)

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junker-town · 5 years

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Which NFL team will be the next to relocate?

In the next 10 years, there are four teams that could hear relocation talks heat up.

Let’s establish one thing right away: No NFL team is loading up the moving trucks any time soon.

The dust has settled on a flurry of relocation chatter in the last five years or so, and now the Rams, Chargers, and Raiders all have (or will soon have) new homes. With those situations resolved, there are now no immediate stadium crises to fix.

The cities of San Diego, Oakland, and St. Louis probably won’t get replacement teams — not in the near future, at least — and there isn’t any huge prospective city lying in wait like Los Angeles was for two decades.

Eventually that’ll change. Stadiums will get old and leases will inch closer to expiration. The NFL is already prepping for that with “stadium credits” — essentially allotted money for constructions and renovations — reportedly a key issue in early collective bargaining agreement negotiations.

And at some point, when stadiums are in need of a replacement, a new city will emerge as a prime candidate to woo an NFL team. Hell, even Hartford, Conn. stepped up as a possibility back when the Los Angeles Rams decided to leave Southern California in the 1990s.

So which NFL team is the likeliest to pack up and leave next? I have a few guesses.

Buffalo Bills

Franchise relocations always happen because of stadium issues, and the Bills are at the top of the list of teams in need of a new place to play. New Era Field, previously known as Rich Stadium and Ralph Wilson Stadium, opened in 1973.

Only five teams — the Rams, Bears, Packers, Raiders, and Chiefs — are currently playing in older venues. The Rams and Raiders are scheduled to leave those stadiums behind after the 2019 season, while the other three have had significant renovation investments.

New Era Field had a $130 million renovation in 2012, but that pales in comparison to the funds that went into the stadiums in Chicago ($632 million in 2001-03), Kansas City ($375 million in 2007–10), and Green Bay ($295 million in 2001-03 and $312 million in 2011-15 ).

For the Bills to stay at their current home, they’d need that kind of cash infusion. The likelier solution is a new stadium altogether.

“I think the answer is probably a scaled-down version of some of these palaces that are being built around the country,” Bills owner Terry Pegula told reporters during the NFL owners’ meeting in March, via The Buffalo News. “The thing [Rams owner] Stan [Kroenke] is building in LA is amazing, Jerry Jones’ facility in Dallas. So we need to do something that’s Buffalo style.”

That’s about as perfect of an answer as Bills fans could possibly hope to hear. Pegula sounds like an owner committed to staying in Buffalo, and he seems realistic about making it happen without lavish demands. It’s part of the reason he was awarded the franchise in the first place after the death of former Bills owner Ralph Wilson.

“Ralph would have been pleased with the sale of the team to the Terry Pegula family, who has been so committed to Buffalo and the Western New York region,” then-controlling owner Mary Wilson said in 2014.

It’s all a genuinely good sign for Buffalo, but the little red siren came later in Pegula’s chat with reporters in March.

Asked if he would be willing to foot the bill for a new stadium, Terry Pegula said, “I don’t know.”

There’s the rub. Despite Erie County already setting aside $500,000 to begin saving for the cost of a new stadium, that’ll be a drop in the well.

The still-under-construction stadium in Los Angeles is approaching a $5 billion price tag. Even though the Bills won’t need nearly that much, the last NFL stadium to cost less than $1 billion to build was the Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium, and that opened back in 2008.

So if the city of Buffalo balks at the idea of pledging a large amount of taxpayer money for a new stadium, it’s very plausible that another city would step in with an offer of its own. Most recently, Las Vegas offered a record $750 million in taxpayer money to the Raiders when the city of Oakland was hesitant to foot the bill for a new stadium. Toronto, give its ties and proximity to Buffalo, could be one possibility.

Until the Bills figure out where they will play and who will pay for it, a long-term future in Buffalo isn’t a sure thing.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars were once the poster child for poor fan support. In 2009, seven of eight home games were blacked out on local TV because they couldn’t sell enough tickets. Things have changed since, however. Tarps that covered upper deck seats have since been removed, and the Jaguars are now in the middle of the pack in attendance numbers.

The drum beat to relocate the team has quieted in the last decade, too.

Best of all for Jacksonville is that Shad Khan has invested in North Florida since becoming the team owner in 2011. He’s put state-of-the-art scoreboards, swimming pools, and an amphitheater, among other renovations, at TIAA Bank Field.

The bad news is that the stadium could use more upgrades. New Era Field in Buffalo is the only other NFL stadium currently in use that hasn’t been built or undergone at least $300 million in major renovations since 1995. It’s not quite a pressing need for the Jaguars, but it’ll continue to bubble up as they get closer to the 2029 expiration date on their lease with the city of Jacksonville.

You also can’t bring up the possibility of a Jaguars relocation without mentioning London. They currently play one game per year in the United Kingdom, which has boosted attendance in Jacksonville and marketed the Jaguars’ brand internationally.

That makes the the Jaguars an obvious favorite when the NFL talks up London as a candidate for an NFL team full-time. Still, a London franchise looks like a logistical nightmare, and the Jaguars insist it’s not their end goal.

“I know it frustrates Shad,” team president Mark Lamping said in 2018, via ESPN. “You don’t do the type of stuff of that’s he’s doing, you don’t invest the type of money that he’s investing, if you’re planning to leave.”

Like Pegula’s comments about Buffalo, Khan’s giving Jaguars fans positive vibes. There’s a similar issue brewing, though.

The Jaguars are nearing the point when they’ll ask for a lot of money from the city of Jacksonville and the expiring lease will give the team leverage. If the NFL and London are serious about a European franchise — or if a U.S. city comes with shiny new stadium plan — the pressure will be on Jacksonville to fight (and pay huge money) to keep the Jaguars.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Just about every reason the Jaguars could eventually relocate also applies to the Buccaneers.

The Jaguars’ TIAA Bank Field opened in 1995 and the Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium opened just a few years later in 1998. Tampa Bay recently poured about $160 million into renovations while Jacksonville paid around $180 million. The Buccaneers’ lease in Tampa Bay expires in 2028; the Jaguars’ lease expires in 2030.

Most of those factors would seem to paint the Buccaneers as the more likely of the two teams to move — especially considering Tampa Bay has been in the bottom five in NFL attendance in each of the last three years.

The Jaguars’ annual game in London and their push to market outside of Jacksonville may edge them a little higher on the list. But the Buccaneers have ties to England too.

The Glazer family owns both the Buccaneers and Manchester United of the English Premier League. Although they don’t have a yearly game overseas, more games outside of Tampa Bay are exactly what the Bucs attempted to secure while negotiating renovations of Raymond James Stadium. Via USA Today:

The Tampa Sports Authority (TSA), the county-funded agency in charge of the stadium, ultimately rejected the team’s demand for a second regular-season game abroad, conceding a number of preseason games instead.

Currently, the Bucs can play one regular season home game each year away from Raymond James Stadium, but starting in 2018, they will be able to play one regular season home game as well as one preseason home game away from Tampa. They can also play both preseason home games in 2016 and 2017 elsewhere if they choose.

It doesn’t necessarily mean the Buccaneers are angling to get out of Central Florida. They’ll just be asking for money from taxpayers as the end of their lease approaches like the other teams on this list. That can always go south.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals just celebrated their 50th birthday and they’ve been in Cincinnati since day one. They spent about three decades in Riverfront Stadium and moved into Paul Brown Stadium when it was built in 2000. It’s still the only NFL stadium to ever win an AIA Honor Award recognizing exemplary architecture and has managed to be a top facility despite minimal renovations.

The problem is the Bengals don’t do well in attendance. They’ve ranked near the bottom of the league in attendance for five straight seasons and only outdrew the Chargers in ticket sales in 2018. But the franchise’s recent good faith negotiation with the city of Cincinnati bodes well for its long-term outlook in the area.

Cincinnati wanted to rework its lease with the Bengals to build a concert venue on one of the stadium parking lots. After initial pushback, the team conceded. In the revised lease, the Bengals agreed to set a $42.3 million cap on contributions from the city for repairs and enhancements to Paul Brown Stadium through 2026. It eased up the costs of one of the most team-friendly leases in the NFL.

Now the city is trying to prep the stadium for the possibility of hosting FIFA World Cup games in 2026.

While the lease for the Bengals is expiring relatively soon, all indications are that they have a strong relationship with the city of Cincinnati. More renovations for Paul Brown Stadium could be on their agenda soon, but the Bengals walking out after the expiration of their lease looks, for now, like a long shot.

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habibharry · 7 years

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So let me get this straight, harry should have a stadium tour in every major city and charge like $10 for tickets and invite the rest of 1d on tour, lol does that cover it? The entitlement everywhere is horrifying. The prices are quite reasonable, they're doing their best to avoid high costs through third party sellers, he's not even a month into his solo career and his album isn't out yet so it is a good business plan and also good for harry to start in smaller venues. Why is this even a debate

SKSJSJSH I'm p sure some people would still be complaining. I mean, people on this website claim that Harry's using Obama for promo, so nothing is too much for their debates I guess lmao

#asks #anonymous

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simplyqf · 7 years

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Just A Taste | Quinn & Sam

TAGGING → Quinn Fabray & Sam Evans LOCATION → Stars Stadium TIME FRAME → April 14, 2017 GENERAL NOTES → Chatzy para

Quinn was wrapping up a phone call as she entered the meeting room. "I look forward to meeting you too," she finished before she hung up. When she looked up, she realized that all eyes were on her. Lonnie narrowed her eyes at her, and Quinn gave her a shrug in response. "I'm last, not late," she reminded her before taking a seat next to her at the table. As Coach Renshaw started the meeting, Quinn stole a glance at Sam. She kind of regretted not letting him stay the night last night.

Sam let out a breath. He was still not cure on why he needed to be at this meeting, or why they needed the meeting to begin with. Sam was well aware of the fact that, yes, he had messed up, but he was paying the price, and he would do the same again, but he wasn't going to tell them why he had just left. Sam glanced over at Quinn, biting down on his lip, raising his eyebrows. He knew that Coach Renshaw was talking, and probably telling everyone that they needed Sam to do some more cleaning up of his image or come up with a good story to why he wasn't going to play the next couple of games. "I still don't get it," he said, as he heard his name, "I know I'm being punished why not just tell the press and fans the truth, they'll figure it anyway."

Quinn started to zone out at some point, although she still managed to glean bits of information from the ongoing conversation. "Sam missed enough games during his absence," she spoke up at last. "He shouldn't miss anymore. We need him on the field." She looked right at Coach Renshaw. "There's plenty of other ways to punish him, ways that could also benefit his image and the team's image," she told him, naming a few, "More volunteer work, giving tours of the stadium, doing meet and greets with fans..." Coach Renshaw seemed to mull over her ideas in his head. He would rather have Sam on the field than off. "Okay, Ms. Fabray," he responded finally. "I'll put you in charge of his punishment then. Moving on to the next item on our agenda..." Quinn zoned out again. Sam might not be happy with her because he wasn't exactly a fan of doing PR stuff, but hey, at least she'd kept him from missing anymore games.

Sam was surprised with how Quinn spoke up. He had counted on missing a few more games. Besides it wouldn't be that big of a deal, he could talk to Stacey and make sure that she was doing okay. His eyes moved to Quinn when she began to talk about other ways he could be punished, and he bit down on his lower lip, raising his eyebrows trying to get Quinn to look at him. A huff left his lips when he heard the different suggestions to what he could be doing instead of missing games, he didn't mind the meet and greets or the tours, as long as it was his choice. Sam leaned closer to Quinn, "So how do you plan on punishing me?" he asked, placing a hand on her thigh. "I can think of a couple of things I could enjoy."

Quinn She almost jolted out of her seat when she felt someone's hand on her thigh, relaxing a little when she realized who that hand belonged to. She did a quick glance around the room. Thankfully, no one else had heard him. "Uh huh," she acknowledged him. "I'm sure you could." She was trying not to let his touch and his words affect her. She was trying to keep her cool. They were in the middle of a meeting after all, and she was a professional. Quinn cleared her throat and jumped into whatever the current conversation at the table was. All she had to do was keep her mind on work, which was a lot harder than one would think with his hand on her thigh.

Sam He turned to Quinn, a smile on his lips, he was almost sure that he had gotten to her. "Yeah?" he asked, "maybe I should tell you about them," he whispered, he didn't really pay attention to what exactly was said, since Sam was sure that it didn't have to do with him. What he had needed to hear was something they had already covered. "So how long do I have to stay?" he asked looking around the room, his hand slowly moving over Quinn's thigh.

Quinn put her hand over his to keep him from going any higher. Any higher and she might not stay as professional as she'd like to be. "It's bad form to be the first to leave," she reminded him in a whisper as Lonnie shot her an inquisitive look from across the table. Quinn gave her an innocent smile, at least that was the smile she hoped she'd given her. Another 10 minutes passed before some of the players started to excuse themselves. Hopefully that meant that the meeting would be over soon.

Sam let out a small breath, shaking his head of course it wasn't going to be easy for him to leave, even if he wanted to, he wasn't going to the first to leave since he already was in trouble. A small breath left his lips, he would finally be able to leave since a few players ad also left. He looked at Quinn with a small smile, and he got, "Nice meeting everyone, I'm gonna hit the gym and be a good player," he said before he left, he was going to wait and see how long it would take before Quinn left the meeting, it couldn't be that long left.

Quinn had expected Sam to excuse himself as soon as he could. She wished she could excuse herself too, but the coach kept involving her in the conversation, which Lonnie was clearly unhappy about. Thankfully, Quinn managed to redirect his attention to Lonnie in the next few minutes, giving her an opening to leave. "I have another meeting I need to get to," she announced. "Have a great day, everyone." She gathered her things and left the room, starting to head toward her office. She wondered where Sam had gone off to, or was he really at the gym?

Sam glanced down on his phone. He had been sure that Quinn would have excused herself soon after he had. He had seen the minutes ticking by and he was getting tired of waiting. Maybe it had been a bad idea to wait for her, but he just needed a couple of minutes alone with her, just to see if she was free later. "Finally," he sighed when he spotted her. "I hate waiting and you need to work faster."

Quinn was about to smile when she spotted Sam, but then he started talking. He was so much more attractive when he kept his mouth shut. "Clearly, a little waiting didn't kill you, and until my boss has an issue with how fast I work, I will continue to do so at whatever pace I choose," she responded, walking past him and continuing toward her office. "Now did you want to talk about your punishment? I was thinking we could do a couple of meet and greets to start."

Sam decided to ignore her comment about her boss, it wasn't something he was interested in knowing, not now at least. A breath left his lips, and he raised his eyebrows looking at Quinn. "And here I thought you'd come up with a good punishment, something that I'd enjoy a lot more," Sam bit down on his lip. "But I guess some meet and greets can happen, so if I'm good at those," he leaned closer, "do I get reward or something, or maybe I can give you a private meet and greet, one that will be more one on one?" he said wiggling his eyebrows, a small smirk playing over his lips, "I've been told that I'm great at those."

Quinn unlocked her office door, heading inside and motioning for him to close the door behind him. She gave him an incredulous look. "When does a reward ever follow the completion of a punishment?" she asked him, her question rhetorical. She pretended to think. "A private meet and greet does sound nice. Does Nathan offer those?" she wondered out loud, her demeanour teasing. She closed the distance between them in one swift move. "Just kidding," she assured him, looping her arms around his neck. "So when can I get that one on one time? I'd like to experience for myself just how good you are at them." She brushed her lips lightly against his, her hand trailing down his chest. Her office was off-limits, which meant that they would both have to wait. Since he enjoyed waiting so much, Quinn thought she'd make it as torturous for him as possible.

Sam had been close to snapping at Quinn. He wasn't sure on why she always seemed to bring up Nathan, the guy was an ass, he never really showed it around most people, but he was. Sam would rather be known as the asshole and actually be nice when you got to know him. "You better be kidding," he replied, "but sure you can see if he offers one, I'm sure he would, but it would never be as good as the ones I offer," Sam said leaning closer, his arms wrapped around her waist. "Whenever you want, Fabray, whenever you want," he whispered, "I'm pretty sure you're the one setting most of my schedule," Sam winked at her. A small breath left when her lips brushed against his. He closed his eyes, just enjoying the feeling over her hand on his chest. "That wasn't enough," Sam said, eyes still closed, "you should move your hand lower, and come closer I got something for you."

Quinn laughed. She had no idea why Sam disliked Nathan so much. "How can you be sure?" she asked him. "Have you had one on one time with him before?" As Sam pulled her closer, all thoughts of Nathan disappeared from her mind. Oh, Sam was good, but thankfully, she still had some self control. "Tempting," she admitted before she reminded him, "However, we're currently in my office, which is off-limits, so..." She paused to give him a proper kiss, continuing after she'd pulled away, "...meet me at my place after work? I'll be done in..." She stole a glance at the clock on the wall. "...another three hours," she announced as her hand moved lower.

Sam almost glared at Quinn. The last thing he wanted was to talk about Nathan. "I don't do one on ones with guys," he replied, hands almost forming into fists. "All you gotta do is listen and you'll know," Sam replied, breathing a bit shallow. "One of the most selfish guys there is." If there was one thing Sam wasn't it was selfish, sure he preferred one night stands over relationships but it was something he was upfront about. "And who made that rule?" Sam asked, leaning closer, "and aren't rules supposed to be broken," Sam licked his lips, "I can teach you all about that," his hands running down Quinn's back. Sam closed his eyes, "three hours?" he asked, "I guess I can do that but you better make sure that you're free all night."

Quinn Yikes. Clearly, Sam disliked Nathan a lot more than she'd thought. "I did," she responded, her voice a little shaky. Thankfully, she was still able to hold her ground. "All night?" she echoed, raising an eyebrow at him. "That almost sounds like a challenge." She pulled him in for a parting kiss, one that would leave him to think about her for the next three hours. "See you tonight," she told him with a smile as she stepped away from him and went to sit behind her desk. "Close the door on the way out, would you? Thanks."

Sam nodded his head. A bit surprised about the fact that Quinn hadn't given in, he ad really oped she would. "Maybe it is," Sam replied licking his lips, "well maybe you won't be able to do all night, I know I can," he said as he leaned closer to her, "so do you wanna see if you can?" a smirk playing on his lips as he raised his eyebrows. A groan left his lips as Quin pulled away after the kiss. "Oh, you better, so your place?" he asked biting down on his lip. Sam closed the door behind him, a smile playing on his lips as he walked away from her office. He couldn't wait for tonight.

#glee rp #quinn fabray #sam evans #fabrevans #paras #jat

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ask-ain-blog · 7 years

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davewakeman · 8 years

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The future of live entertainment is going to look like....

For much of my life, I have been in and around live entertainment, events, and sports. Which makes the future of live events something that I think about pretty regularly.

As I have sat here watching a bunch of different sports and entertainment stories take over our cultural dialogue over the past few weeks, it got me to thinking about what the future of live entertainment really is going to look like and how different or the same that is from what we are already seeing.

In thinking about this topic, I’ve come up with 3 things that will drive live entertainment going forward and, you might be surprised, but these 3 things aren’t too far from what we should be focusing on now.

People: I think it has become really easy for leagues, teams, sponsors, and other stakeholders to look at live entertainment fans and buyers as numbers on a spreadsheet. (Trust me, I’ve seen the spreadsheets and the formulas) And by looking at people in this manner, it becomes easy to treat and act towards your customers in ways that are completely the opposite of how you would want to be treated.

If you need an example, I’m looking at those of you that totally feel it is appropriate to charge fans $14 for a large Bud Light.

The fact is that our job as venues, teams, and entertainment producers is to create customers. This is true no matter what business you are in. The number one job you are dealing with is that you need to create and keep customers.

In sports, we see that TV money has been flooding teams and organizations. This has made it feel like our customers and fans are just a blob of demographics. Which if you are selling cable TV to the masses, can be true. I guess.

The only problem from the team, league, venue side is that while the TV networks and fee payers are our partners, the viewers of the games they broadcast aren’t our customers.

Why?

Because the cable networks, TV networks, and fee payers are the ones that control the customers.

Here’s a rule: The person that controls the customer wins!

This neglect of the customer isn’t just a sports problem, it permeates all the way through every form of live entertainment.

We have taken the POV that our events are measured in large demographic mobs, not in the form of millions and millions of individuals that are all going to feel something different from their experience with you, your venue, and your event.

So the first thing about the future of live entertainment is that the emphasis is going to have to be placed firmly on the people that we are serving.

This might mean following the lead of the Atlanta Falcons as they have talked about “fan first” pricing for their food and beverage options at their new stadium.

If is likely to mean being more considerate of the experience that your fans have throughout the buying and experience process by making sure that the buying of a ticket is much easier; that ingress and egress from the stadium or event is much more pleasant; it will likely mean putting fans first when you design merchandise, marketing campaigns, special events, and every other aspect of your experience.

The flip side of this can be seen in the struggles of the NFL over the last year or two:

Lower TV ratings. Tough times getting fans to games in usually well-attending markets. Fans that are less attached to games and teams than they are to the statistics of their fantasy football teams, which is a drag on the entire sport and unsustainable. Stories: Somewhere along the line, live entertainment stopped having such a mythical attachment to the story.

Sure, about once or twice a year we have a compelling storyline play out in sports.

It feels exciting, absolutely.

Over the weekend, the way people were drawn to the Cubs and Indians World Series came up in several conversations I had.

But in too many cases, the stories and storylines almost feel like happenstance, not design.

The thing is that stories drive everything we do.

If you haven’t had the chance to read Seth Godin’s incredible book All Marketers Tell Stories you should stop what you are doing, as soon as you finish this post, and get a copy of the book and don’t do anything else until you finish reading it.

Stories are so powerful for a bunch of reasons, but most importantly in today’s world because they help us make sense of the information around us and the stories we tell ourselves enable us to generate the emotion necessary to take action.

Big, right?

Live entertainment and stories should go together like peanut butter and chocolate.

Every concert is a one of a kind event, even when the entire thing is scripted.

There is never going to be another game exactly like the one taking place tonight.

Even if you are going to a ballet, opera, or live theatre, there is the sense that you are only going to see this performance once.

Its all true!

Why?

Because even in the most scripted of situations, we are only going to have this one chance to experience this specific event.

How many of you have seen a show more than once? A team? A band?

I’d say that one of the big drivers of the career of a band like Pearl Jam is their ability to make each tour feel fresh and new. To make each concert an event all to its own. They have done a fantastic job of setting up a story that tells their fans, you want to see as many of our shows as possible because you are never going to see the same thing twice and, even more amazingly from a revenue generation standpoint, you are never going to get the same merchandise twice.

And, you know what…people buy it.

I’d estimate that they get 1-2x of the face value of their tickets in merchandise sales at each show. (Likely more.)

Why?

Its in the story.

How can you capture the imagination and power of a story in your venue?

Think in terms of what is special?

How unique is your event? Performance? Venue?

Can you design everything about your shows and events to reflect a story?

I’m going to let you in on a secret here.

You have no choice really.

You have to design your live entertainment in a manner that the audience you are trying to reach can fit it into their worldview and say, “This is the kind of entertainment I want to consume.”

Because if you don’t design your entertainment in this way and present it in a way that your audience can fit it into their worldview, you are never going to win.

Experiences: I think the logical conclusion of where will live entertainment go is that ultimately we are going to need to put a lot more emphasis on the experience. And, when I talk about experience I don’t mean in the cheesy way that so many venues sell their “experiences” with the discussion about the buffets, amenities, and on-site parking.

When I talk about experience, I am talking about designing something that transports and enthralls your customers.

It begins with the first touch point a prospect or fan might have with your event.

What do you want them to feel? Think? Act?

What is the logical step that they need to take?

From the point of first contact, you need to build the entire customer lifecycle like a great composer builds peaks and valleys into their composition.

Once your prospect has signaled interest, how can you manage the experience to push them towards buying?

Is each touchpoint a chance to advance the sales conversation?

Or, if they buy, how do you make the anticipation of the event something special?

Can you send teaser emails that talk about planning the event?

If you are a band, maybe rehearsal clips?

If you are a team, maybe show practice footage?

Whatever, make the person on the buying end of the relationship feel good and make them anticipate their night with you.

What about the night of the event?

How is each event going to be special?

Are you going to offer something one of a kind as the fans and buyers enter?

Can you have a pre-event party sponsored by a partner?

Can you offer a one of a kind event brochure, flyer, shirt, whatever?

What about the performance itself?

Even if you are talking baseball where there are 162 games, how can you make it unique for the fan to attend? Especially if the person isn’t a die hard baseball fan?

Most importantly, what will you do after?

How will you solidify the experience that you had and that the customer had?

How will you deepen the relationship?

Do you have a plan for follow up?

Do you have some post event surprise that you can use?

The fact is that our buyers are demanding these kinds of unique experiences more and more. This isn’t likely to change in the coming years. So if we aren’t doing it with the type of content and performances that we have, someone with lesser content will.

That is what you call a missed opportunity.

To sum it up, the future of tickets looks a lot like the present should:

As live entertainment professionals, we need to go back to the basics and use technology to help us enhance the things we should already be doing. But always focus on people, stories, and experiences.

What say you?

Am I off my rocker?

Please follow and like us:

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The future of live entertainment is going to look like…. was originally published on Wakeman Consulting Group

#experience #people #stories

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