Secret Gigs

Secrecy is one of the topics that we’re following right now and we’ve already highlighted secret messages, secret burger bars and secret society. Caroline Sullivan over on the Guardian music blog looks at the secret gig that big stars play these days and how it’s always someone you know who gets to go to them, not you:

When Madonna “secretly” played the same Camden venue 18 months ago to launch the Confessions on a Dancefloor album – nobody told me… these word-of-mouth events are currently part of the snob-arsenal of big acts who want to make the point that they’re so important they can only play small places if nobody actually knows they’ll be there. Sometimes they’re even compelled to use an assumed name: the mysterious “M&Ms” who played San Diego two weeks ago was actually Britney Spears, making an all-miming, all-dancing comeback.

…But who are these gigs actually for? Are they an ego-glossing moment for the bands themselves, or are they played for the benefit of in-the-loop super-fans, to let them gloat about it to the less-well-connected? One Record of the Day poster did exactly that, drawling that the Prince show was “just okay” (so don’t worry if you missed it, peon).

The “secrecy” aspect is becoming meaningless, too, with sites such as nme.com helpfully revealing details before the event. So if information about a “secret” gig is widely available, what is the difference between it and an “official” show, in which a big band plays a small venue but advertises it? The real difference is probably in the value of the ticket stubs on eBay – so hang onto those M&Ms tickets, Britneyheads.

Guardian Unlimited: Arts blog – music: What’s the point of secret gigs?