How much money does a band make on the road? Billboard hopes to answer that question, somewhat, by providing gross sale reports in their weekly Boxscore report. We like to check in every once in a while to see how metal bands are doing. Keep in mind, these are gross sales, meaning this is before the venue, promoter, etc. get the cut. This doesn't mean the band gets the entire piece of the pie and their profits vary based on the deals they make. Check out our previous Earnings & Attendance Reports.
Artist: Mayhem, Watain & Revenge
Venue: Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theater
Date: Jan. 31st, 2015
Gross Sales: $33,000
Attendance/Capacity: 1,200 / 1,200
Ticket Prices: $27.50
The lesson here? Black metal, when promoted correctly, pulls in a decent draw.
Artist: Primus
Venue: Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
Date: Dec. 31st, 2014
Gross Sales: $172,313
Attendance/Capacity: 2,800 / 2,800
Ticket Prices: $65, $49.50
This is certainly more than Primus usually makes in a show, no doubt because of the higher prices due to it being a New Year's show.
Artist: Devin Townsend Project, Animals As Leaders & Monuments
Venue: San Francisco, CA – Regency Center Grand Ballroom
Date: Dec. 17th, 2014
Gross Sales: $26,550
Attendance/Capacity: 1,319 / 1,424
Ticket Prices: $20, $19.75
You'll notice that even though this show drew more people, it made less money than the Watain show. Even a few dollars difference in ticket prices make the difference!
Artist: The Dillinger Escape Plan & The Hirscheffekt
Venue: Stuttgart, GER – Universum
Date: Jun. 29th, 2014
Gross Sales: $5,440
Attendance/Capacity: 229 / 400
Ticket Prices: $27.29, $23.20Artist: The Dillinger Escape Plan & The Hirscheffekt
Venue: Trier, GER – Exhaus
Date: Jul. 03rd, 2014
Gross Sales: $4,373
Attendance/Capacity: 191 / 450
Ticket Prices: $27.33, $21.86
It's midly shocking that a band the level of The Dillinger Escape Plan draw so few people overseas. Maybe my perception of the band is off being in their home market. Then again…
Artist: Kvelertak
Venue: Lindau, GER – Club Vaudeville
Date: Jul. 06th, 2014
Gross Sales: $3,894
Attendance/Capacity: 140 / 650
Ticket Prices: $31.27, $25.83
Maybe Germany just hates metal in the summer.
Artist: Dark Tranquillity & Insomnium
Venue: Anaheim, CA – City National Grove Of Anaheim
Date: Jan. 26th, 2015
Gross Sales: $17,288
Attendance/Capacity: 689 / 1,700
Ticket Prices: $70, $27.50
Wow, those VIP prices are no joke.
Artist: Machine Head
Venue: Montreal, QC – Virgin Mobile Corona Theatre
Date: Feb. 03rd, 2015
Gross Sales: $11,020
Attendance/Capacity: 533 / 650
Ticket Prices: $22.86, $20.50
Machine Head are on an insane 6 week tour right now, and this was one of the smaller venues on the bill. Still a decent chunk of changes for 500 people, not even counting merch sales.
Artist: Black Veil Brides, Memphis May Fire & Ghost Town
Venue: Montreal, QC – Metropolis
Date: Feb. 13th, 2015
Gross Sales: $36,811
Attendance/Capacity: 1,555 / 1,900
Ticket Prices: $26.25, $23.46Artist: Black Veil Brides, Memphis May Fire & Ghost Town
Venue: Quebec City, QC – Imperial Bell
Date: Feb. 12th, 2015
Gross Sales: $14,038
Attendance/Capacity: 526 / 625
Ticket Prices: $27.76, $26.57
And yet, Black Veil Brides outdraw Machine Head in Montreal, but the numbers even out once they get to Quebec.
Artist: August Burns Red, Miss May I, Northlane, Fit For A King & ERRA
Venue: Quebec City, QC – Imperial Bell
Date: Jan. 27th, 2015
Gross Sales: $19,833
Attendance/Capacity: 815 / 815
Ticket Prices: $25.71, $24.10
August Burns Red do really well for themselves!
