Queen in Caracas - article by Raúl Vallejo from October 1981
Jan 7, 2023 8:53:08 GMT
leo82br, Arnaldo Ogre-, and 4 more like this
Post by fabiogminero on Jan 7, 2023 8:53:08 GMT
Hello everyone.
Today I post an article taken from a Venezuelan newspaper from October 1981; the article, titled 5 Millones costo traer el "Queen" (translated as 5 Millions cost to bring "Queen"), was written by journalist Raúl Vallejo. Queen's trip to Venezuela on the occasion of their second South American tour is mentioned and some interesting details are provided on the organization of the shows, on the cancellation of two evenings and on production costs.
Below the original article and the English translation. Enjoy the reading.
5 million cost to bring "Queen"
The businessmen of the "Queen" group have lost almost one million bolivars due to the impossibility of performing two of the five performances scheduled during their tour in Caracas.
As is known, Freddie Mercury and his team arrived in Venezuela to perform at the Poliedro starting on the 25th of last month: there were five millionaire shows that apparently threw a few dollars in profit at the organizers.
The national mourning completely altered the plans. The businessmen were insisting on the managers of the "Queen" to show up on Saturday (today) and tomorrow, to make up for the losses.
Like good Americans, the foreign businessmen limited themselves to saying that this was not their problem...and they went elsewhere with their music, and not because they were sent, but because they did not want to run the errand! Since the next engagement of Queen was scheduled in Mexico City on the 9th of this month. In other words, they had the Sufi tempo. enough to collaborate with the Venezuelans, but they did not do so despite the fact that they travel in their private plane.
The "Queen" thing was a maelstrom. The Parade Organization is still taking accounts and more accounts - they did not offer an exact balance "for when it is ready" - but from a bird's eye view it can be assured that they are losing almost 11 million bolivars.
A NUMEROUS TROUPE
The Queen show is mathematically planned to run smoothly. First class electronic equipment and numerous technicians around them are the best guarantee. In this case, 25 people came, who consumed and drank in impressive quantities every day...rented vehicles, a first class hotel and thousands of problems that culminated in the suspension of two of the presentations. Exactly the ones that would give the juicy profit.
Obviously, the first two presentations had been successful from a professional and commercial point of view. The businessmen saw the box office run out long before the Queen arrived, and that the tickets had been placed at inflationary prices: 125 bolivars per mane. No cheap tickets up and expensive down because the rabble still arrives and breaks whatever - right up to the nose of those who claim - to get into places where the show is close.
This is how the businessmen thought and how they acted.
125 for the whole world, and a percentage of that amount would go to the Children's Orthopedic... logically, they had already cast enough numbers and they knew that it was much more economical to do a charitable work than to pay full taxes. (For those who have been over the moon: taxes that must be canceled when the show is for charity are often lowered...for everyone except the public!).
MILLIONAIRE ACCOUNTS
Normally, employers do not give contract figures. In some cases, a very different amount is put on paper than what is actually paid...you have to evade it, you know!
The case of the Parede Organization is different. They are a very serious company that resorts to legitimate mechanisms such as presenting charity shows (a percentage for some institution) making sure to cover expenses and have a reasonable profit margin.
The fact is that the businessmen did all their paperwork very legally: the first thing was for the National Treasury 30 percent of the amount stipulated in the contract; then 5% must be paid for the Radio and Television Union and 1% for the Musical Association. As the Queen had to perform in public - not only on television - other formalities had to be filled out: advertising must pay a Tax, and on each ticket sold the Government asks for 10% (except when it is exempted because the show is for the benefit of. ..) plus 5% for the Society of Authors and Composers. This 15% is taken from the gross entrance at El Poliedro, which also asks for an amount at the box office.
10,000 tickets were stamped for each performance, which gives the insignificant sum of 1,250,000 bolivars for entry for each performance. Multiplying it by 5 we arrive at 6 million 250 thousand bolivars of gross receipts. Of course, from there the millionaire expenses would also have to be deducted for the items listed above. Apart from the box office in El Poliedro, sales to television should also be considered, but generally these amounts are not paid in cash but rather in exchange: wedges are passed in exchange for the recording rights; however it is, it is also money and the corresponding taxes must be paid.
Ultimately, Queen produced losses that could have been higher, but luckily for the businessmen - only two of the performances were suspended.
At the moment the exact amounts are not known, but there are approximately four million bolivars in income... which means that Queen's general expenses were in the order of five million.
The businessmen of the "Queen" group have lost almost one million bolivars due to the impossibility of performing two of the five performances scheduled during their tour in Caracas.
As is known, Freddie Mercury and his team arrived in Venezuela to perform at the Poliedro starting on the 25th of last month: there were five millionaire shows that apparently threw a few dollars in profit at the organizers.
The national mourning completely altered the plans. The businessmen were insisting on the managers of the "Queen" to show up on Saturday (today) and tomorrow, to make up for the losses.
Like good Americans, the foreign businessmen limited themselves to saying that this was not their problem...and they went elsewhere with their music, and not because they were sent, but because they did not want to run the errand! Since the next engagement of Queen was scheduled in Mexico City on the 9th of this month. In other words, they had the Sufi tempo. enough to collaborate with the Venezuelans, but they did not do so despite the fact that they travel in their private plane.
The "Queen" thing was a maelstrom. The Parade Organization is still taking accounts and more accounts - they did not offer an exact balance "for when it is ready" - but from a bird's eye view it can be assured that they are losing almost 11 million bolivars.
A NUMEROUS TROUPE
The Queen show is mathematically planned to run smoothly. First class electronic equipment and numerous technicians around them are the best guarantee. In this case, 25 people came, who consumed and drank in impressive quantities every day...rented vehicles, a first class hotel and thousands of problems that culminated in the suspension of two of the presentations. Exactly the ones that would give the juicy profit.
Obviously, the first two presentations had been successful from a professional and commercial point of view. The businessmen saw the box office run out long before the Queen arrived, and that the tickets had been placed at inflationary prices: 125 bolivars per mane. No cheap tickets up and expensive down because the rabble still arrives and breaks whatever - right up to the nose of those who claim - to get into places where the show is close.
This is how the businessmen thought and how they acted.
125 for the whole world, and a percentage of that amount would go to the Children's Orthopedic... logically, they had already cast enough numbers and they knew that it was much more economical to do a charitable work than to pay full taxes. (For those who have been over the moon: taxes that must be canceled when the show is for charity are often lowered...for everyone except the public!).
MILLIONAIRE ACCOUNTS
Normally, employers do not give contract figures. In some cases, a very different amount is put on paper than what is actually paid...you have to evade it, you know!
The case of the Parede Organization is different. They are a very serious company that resorts to legitimate mechanisms such as presenting charity shows (a percentage for some institution) making sure to cover expenses and have a reasonable profit margin.
The fact is that the businessmen did all their paperwork very legally: the first thing was for the National Treasury 30 percent of the amount stipulated in the contract; then 5% must be paid for the Radio and Television Union and 1% for the Musical Association. As the Queen had to perform in public - not only on television - other formalities had to be filled out: advertising must pay a Tax, and on each ticket sold the Government asks for 10% (except when it is exempted because the show is for the benefit of. ..) plus 5% for the Society of Authors and Composers. This 15% is taken from the gross entrance at El Poliedro, which also asks for an amount at the box office.
10,000 tickets were stamped for each performance, which gives the insignificant sum of 1,250,000 bolivars for entry for each performance. Multiplying it by 5 we arrive at 6 million 250 thousand bolivars of gross receipts. Of course, from there the millionaire expenses would also have to be deducted for the items listed above. Apart from the box office in El Poliedro, sales to television should also be considered, but generally these amounts are not paid in cash but rather in exchange: wedges are passed in exchange for the recording rights; however it is, it is also money and the corresponding taxes must be paid.
Ultimately, Queen produced losses that could have been higher, but luckily for the businessmen - only two of the performances were suspended.
At the moment the exact amounts are not known, but there are approximately four million bolivars in income... which means that Queen's general expenses were in the order of five million.