Seeing a music star announce a residency at Las Vegas was usually a sign that their careers had taken a downturn. The legendary stomping ground of the Rat Pack was seen as somewhat old-fashioned, mostly due to the majority of casino audiences being of an older age.
However, in recent years there’s been a shift amongst artists’ perceptions, who are starting to see the vast financial benefits brought by bringing their shows to the casinos.
Britney Spears
The pop princess’ Piece Of Me residency at Planet Hollywood kicked off late last year with a great deal of glitter, glamour and hype. With spectacular sets, dynamic choreography and all of the lip-synced hits you’d expect, it seems that Britney Spears is a perfect fit for the Vegas format.
And it makes financial sense. With the show running for two years, the logistical costs of operating such a huge show would be dramatically slashed. And the guaranteed income generated from the $500 VIP ticket fee should keep Britney happy for a good few years yet!
Lady Gaga
With Las Vegas’ reputation for cabaret and glamour, it’s no surprise that New Year’s Eve saw Lady Gaga hit the stage at The Cosmopolitan with legendary crooner Tony Bennett to perform two hours of jazz standards whilst fans lapped up a five course gourmet meal.
It’s this kind of special occasion that Las Vegas provides that attracts performers such as Lady Gaga. Especially as for once the focus isn’t on cramming as many people into an enormo-dome as possible, but making the concert a very select, if lucrative event!
Guns’n’Roses
It’s something of a surprise to find that Guns’n’Roses recently notched up their second Hard Rock residency at Las Vegas. The notoriously bad-tempered singer W Axl Rose doesn’t seem like the right kind of fit for the dazzling glamour of the traditional casino shows.
However, once you read a few headlines about their past Vegas performances and realise the level of debauchery involved and the opportunity undertaken to festoon the stage with strippers, then it all begins to make a little more sense!
KISS
And finally, who other than those money-hungry rock monsters Kiss would truly embrace the Las Vegas residency format?
With the band’s recent announcement of their entry into Vegas style online gaming, it’s no surprise that the larger than life rock stars played nine shows at The Joint at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas last autumn.
And with most of the audience wearing full Kiss make up before the spandex and glitter clad band gyrating in front of a massive mechanised spider, it seems that Vegas might have always been a little bit rock’n’roll after all!
