WINNERS AND LOSERS: U2, Guns N’...

WINNERS AND LOSERS: U2, Guns N’ Roses/Metallica, “Lollapalooza ‘92,” Garth Brooks, the Grateful Dead, Jimmy Buffett, Harry Connick Jr.

They were among the big winners in the summer touring sweepstakes, according to figures published in the concert industry trade magazine Pollstar.

“In rough order of impact on the market, they were all solid successes on the different levels they were working on,” said Pollstar editor Gary Bongiovanni.

Hammer, Paula Abdul, Ringo Starr, Wilson Phillips.

They were among the top names that did disappointing business, according to the same magazine.

The biggest loser of the season was Wilson Phillips, which canceled its tour before it even started. There was apparently so little interest in the trio they called off their shows after ticket sales were slow.

Hammer was victimized in many markets by the fickleness of his young audience and his mass-media overexposure. Abdul’s tour was hurt by the fact that she didn’t have a hot record. Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band regularly played to thousands of empty seats after some promoters apparently overestimated the show’s drawing power.

Business in general, say some industry experts, wasn’t booming. But it was up from disastrous 1991--the worst ever for concert business. The top 20 tours took in $238.7 million in the first six months of 1992, a 15% increase over last year, Pollstar reports.

“You know business is soft because some shows by major artists, like U2, in certain areas will sell a lot of tickets but won’t sell out,” Bongiovanni said, “or sometimes tickets would sell much more slowly than usual.”

The problem, quite simply, has been the recession. “People don’t have discretionary income--they’ve forgotten what it is,” said promoter Brian Murphy, president of Los Angeles-based Avalon Attractions.

Still, business is up in general. Frank Riley, booking agent for Monterey Peninsula Artists, explained why: “Promoters are making adjustments in ticket prices in some areas and with some artists so prices aren’t as high. The other factor is that some major artists have been touring who weren’t touring last year, like U2 and Bruce Springsteen.”

Various factors boosted the leaders’ business. In Garth Brooks’ case, it was scaling down ticket prices--he averaged $17 while the industry average is in the $20 range. “Lollapalooza” and the GNR/Metallica tour offered a bargain to fans--multiple acts for the price of one.

What about the future?

“I don’t see much that’s making me feel good about the concert business in the fall and winter,” Avalon’s Murphy said.