The Closing Bell - Pollstar News

Time to close this thing up for the holiday weekend. Tonight’s big finish features new dates for Britney Spears, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ronnie Milsap and Gallagher, and links to items about that New Yorker interview with Prince, Mariah Carey’s Broadway ambitions, what to wear (or not to wear) at a Leonard Cohen concert and the concert industry’s own Black Friday deals.

Working For The Weekeend …

The next four days will be our first HotStar weekend with artist and band interviews ripped from the pages of our quaint little concert industry trade publication. We were going to tell you which HotStars will be featured this Holiday Weekend, but we decided to surprise you instead. Which is as good a reason as any to bail on the relatives and get back to surfing the Web.

Link-O-Rama …

When Black Friday comes – Los Angeles Times / Pop & Hiss (registration may be required)

You now that controversy over Prince’s interview in the New Yorker? Turns out the Purple One forbade the reporter from using a recorder or note pad – Minneapolis Star Tribune

If Mariah Carey’s life is made into a Broadway musical, we can’t wait to see who they cast for the role of Mimi’s first husband, Tommy Mottola – Now Magazine U.K.

Photo: AP Photo

Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Concert dress codes. Or what to wear at a Leonard Cohen concert – Birmingham Post U.K.

Dates, Dates & More Dates …

A couple of Britney dates landed on our loading dock this morning. Look for the former Mrs. K-Fed to appear at London’s O2 Arena on June 3 & 4.

Lynyrd Skynyrd loads up on new dates for the United Kingdom and Europe. Details include May 21 in Helsinki at Ice Hall; May 27 in Glasgow at Clyde Auditorium; May 31 in London at Carling Academy Brixton and June 3 in Milan at Palasharp.

Photo: Rick Diamond / WireImage.com

Philips Arena, Atlanta.

Grab your raincoat and check out these new dates for Gallagher – February 7 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, at Stadium Theatre; May 29 in Melbourne, Florida, at King Center and June 5 in Biloxi, Mississippi, at Hard Rock Café.

And we have a few new ones for Country Music great Ronnie Milsap – February 20 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, at Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort; May 16 in Jackpot, Nevada, at Cactus Petes and May 23 in Nashville, Indiana, at Little Nashville Opry.

And that wraps up our sojourn into the depths of the concert industry. You have a great Thanksgiving Weekend and we hope you can join us on Monday for when we grab the entire concert industry by its horns and shake a few more dates out of it. G’night!