Post by Jonel on Jul 26, 2002 21:46:40 GMT -5
Friday, June 28, 2002
Why the fans were led not to Temptations
by Nick Marino
As you probably know by now, the Temptations did not perform their scheduled concert Sunday at Metropolitan Park.
Promoter Levi Jordan would like to explain why.
"The bottom line," he said, "is that we didn't have enough cash in the park to get them on."
In order to put on a Temptations show, Jordan said, a promoter pays about $17,500 as an up-front deposit, then another $17,500 on show night.
Jordan paid the deposit, but didn't bring the entire amount for the show-night payment to the venue. He was counting on 500 people to purchase walk-up tickets to cover the difference.
"We planned for a bad situation," Jordan said, "but not for the worst possible situation."
Walk-up patrons ended up numbering closer to 200, and Jordan was left $1,500 short. Being that it was a Sunday, he couldn't withdraw money from the bank.
Jordan said he negotiated with Temptations star Otis Williams for an hour. He tried to pay Williams less money to play a shorter set. He offered to wire him the rest of his cash Monday morning. Jordan even tried to guarantee it with a piece of jewelry.
"He told me that if he didn't get all his money, he wasn't going on stage," Jordan said.
Eventually, an announcement from the stage told fans the Temptations would not be performing.
"We did our best, but I ended up failing," Jordan said. "We don't do bad business. It just so happens that things happen. And this Temptations thing is the absolute worst thing that has ever happened to me in promoting."
Jordan has been promoting concerts for 15 years. He's been responsible for recent shows by Donnie McClurkin and Ja Rule that have gone off without a hitch.
But he often has trouble getting his promised artists to show up. The Temptations concert was the third recent Jordan show missing at least one key act. The promoter maintains that none of the no-shows were his fault, saying, "I can't control the artists."
Last December, R&B group Silk was supposed to open for comics D.L. Hughley and Ricky Smiley. Silk never came.
"At the last minute Silk took more money to be somewhere else," Jordan said.
In March, rapper Master P was supposed to appear at a concert by his son, rapper Lil Romeo. Master P never got off the plane in Jacksonville.
Although Master P was at Romeo's next two shows in Georgia, Jordan said he missed the Jacksonville date "because of some meeting in New York."
And, in fact, at the Temptations show, soulman Clarence Carter was supposed to appear before the headliners. He never showed up either.
Jordan attributed that to the weather, saying Carter couldn't get out of rain-soaked Mississippi in time for the Jacksonville show.
I called the Temptations' management group multiple times to get a comment on their Jacksonville no-show, but my calls went unanswered.
For another perspective, I called local independent promoter Tib Miller, who said he feels "very badly" for Jordan.
"My point of view is that $1,500 represents a small fraction of the guarantee," Miller said. "And therefore a kinder-hearted artist would simply say, 'Well, you know, you're pretty close. We'll make it up next time.' I've actually had people say, 'We'll make it up next time' and they haven't taken all that they were due."
Still, Miller always brings enough money to pay the artists' expenses. He never counts on walk-up sales.
"If no one shows up, I'm covered," Miller said. "That's the way I personally conduct things."
For the 1,000 or so fans who were expecting the Temptations and Carter to appear Sunday, refunds are available at Ticketmaster, though Jordan hopes fans won't refund their tickets.
"We're hoping that our fans that are good, true fans are realizing that we have a problem and a predicament," Jordan said.
The predicament is that Jordan has already paid the sound and lighting crews, plus opening act The Manhattans.
"If we refund every dime on this show we may [lose] about $90,000," Jordan said. "That's not fair to me."
Jordan wants fans to hold onto their tickets because he's trying to to book a big fall show (possibly with the Four Tops), at which fans can redeem their original tickets to Sunday's concert.
If the Tops show doesn't work, Levi Jordan is considering a make-up show with the Temptations.
Nick Marino can be reached at (904) 359-4367 or at via e-mail at nmarino@jacksonville.com.
© The Florida Times-Union
www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/062802/enm_9766064.html
Why the fans were led not to Temptations
by Nick Marino
As you probably know by now, the Temptations did not perform their scheduled concert Sunday at Metropolitan Park.
Promoter Levi Jordan would like to explain why.
"The bottom line," he said, "is that we didn't have enough cash in the park to get them on."
In order to put on a Temptations show, Jordan said, a promoter pays about $17,500 as an up-front deposit, then another $17,500 on show night.
Jordan paid the deposit, but didn't bring the entire amount for the show-night payment to the venue. He was counting on 500 people to purchase walk-up tickets to cover the difference.
"We planned for a bad situation," Jordan said, "but not for the worst possible situation."
Walk-up patrons ended up numbering closer to 200, and Jordan was left $1,500 short. Being that it was a Sunday, he couldn't withdraw money from the bank.
Jordan said he negotiated with Temptations star Otis Williams for an hour. He tried to pay Williams less money to play a shorter set. He offered to wire him the rest of his cash Monday morning. Jordan even tried to guarantee it with a piece of jewelry.
"He told me that if he didn't get all his money, he wasn't going on stage," Jordan said.
Eventually, an announcement from the stage told fans the Temptations would not be performing.
"We did our best, but I ended up failing," Jordan said. "We don't do bad business. It just so happens that things happen. And this Temptations thing is the absolute worst thing that has ever happened to me in promoting."
Jordan has been promoting concerts for 15 years. He's been responsible for recent shows by Donnie McClurkin and Ja Rule that have gone off without a hitch.
But he often has trouble getting his promised artists to show up. The Temptations concert was the third recent Jordan show missing at least one key act. The promoter maintains that none of the no-shows were his fault, saying, "I can't control the artists."
Last December, R&B group Silk was supposed to open for comics D.L. Hughley and Ricky Smiley. Silk never came.
"At the last minute Silk took more money to be somewhere else," Jordan said.
In March, rapper Master P was supposed to appear at a concert by his son, rapper Lil Romeo. Master P never got off the plane in Jacksonville.
Although Master P was at Romeo's next two shows in Georgia, Jordan said he missed the Jacksonville date "because of some meeting in New York."
And, in fact, at the Temptations show, soulman Clarence Carter was supposed to appear before the headliners. He never showed up either.
Jordan attributed that to the weather, saying Carter couldn't get out of rain-soaked Mississippi in time for the Jacksonville show.
I called the Temptations' management group multiple times to get a comment on their Jacksonville no-show, but my calls went unanswered.
For another perspective, I called local independent promoter Tib Miller, who said he feels "very badly" for Jordan.
"My point of view is that $1,500 represents a small fraction of the guarantee," Miller said. "And therefore a kinder-hearted artist would simply say, 'Well, you know, you're pretty close. We'll make it up next time.' I've actually had people say, 'We'll make it up next time' and they haven't taken all that they were due."
Still, Miller always brings enough money to pay the artists' expenses. He never counts on walk-up sales.
"If no one shows up, I'm covered," Miller said. "That's the way I personally conduct things."
For the 1,000 or so fans who were expecting the Temptations and Carter to appear Sunday, refunds are available at Ticketmaster, though Jordan hopes fans won't refund their tickets.
"We're hoping that our fans that are good, true fans are realizing that we have a problem and a predicament," Jordan said.
The predicament is that Jordan has already paid the sound and lighting crews, plus opening act The Manhattans.
"If we refund every dime on this show we may [lose] about $90,000," Jordan said. "That's not fair to me."
Jordan wants fans to hold onto their tickets because he's trying to to book a big fall show (possibly with the Four Tops), at which fans can redeem their original tickets to Sunday's concert.
If the Tops show doesn't work, Levi Jordan is considering a make-up show with the Temptations.
Nick Marino can be reached at (904) 359-4367 or at via e-mail at nmarino@jacksonville.com.
© The Florida Times-Union
www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/062802/enm_9766064.html
