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Take That And Oasis Lead Music Ticket Boom















Big name bands like Take That and Oasis are leading a boom in gig ticket sales, with UK stadium shows selling in record time despite the credit crunch.

Take That are expected to sell 700,000 tickets on Friday for their 2009 tour, a week after 500,000 tickets to see Oasis were snapped up in six hours.

AC/DC, Metallica and The Killers have also sold out UK shows in recent weeks.

But while massive stars thrive, there are fears that a recession could hit tours by small and middle-ranking acts.

Take That's promoters SJM said the pop band's tour was the fastest-selling in UK history.

"It's totally unprecedented," SJM managing director Simon Moran told BBC News.

"In times of economic downturn, to sell £35m of tickets in one day for a tour is good for the economy, I would have thought," he said.

Tickets for their 14 stadium shows - including four nights at Wembley Stadium - cost between £45 and £65 each. By 1530 GMT, only five of the dates had tickets left.

According to SJM, the record of fastest-selling tour was only broken a week ago by Oasis, another of their bands.

"Both artists are just very popular and careful with the ticket price," Mr Moran said.

"Not all live music is doing good. But if it's the right artist and the right ticket price and the right event, people want to be entertained.

"But there's plenty of what we're doing that's not doing that good, I can tell you."

Meanwhile, virtually all dates on UK arena tours by Metallica and The Killers are now sold out.

AC/DC sold 60,000 tickets in 40 minutes two weeks ago, while Depeche Mode sold out the O2 Arena in London in half an hour.

Stuart Galbraith, who runs promotion company Kilimanjaro Live, said: "If you're AC/DC, Take That, Oasis or Metallica then it's very, very good."

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

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