Michael Jackson's 50 date residency at the o2 sells out

[edesignuk]

Tickets for Michael Jackson's 50-date residency at the O2 arena in London have completely sold out, organisers have confirmed.

Hundreds of fans queued at the venue as tickets went on sale to the public and over a quarter of a million people queued online.

More than a million tickets to see the veteran pop star have now been sold.

Some 360,000 tickets were sold to registered fans before sales opened on Friday morning.

Organisers say the This Is It tour has become the fastest-selling in history, with 33 seats sold each minute.

Jackson is said to be "thrilled" by the response. BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7941221.stm).

Whatever you think of him these days, pretty impressive.

edit: oh, and the Set List looks fantastic. Exactly what the fans would hope for I think. Non-stop hits.

1) Billie Jean

2) Wanna Be Startin' Something

3) Rock With You

4) The Way You Make Me Feel

5) Don't Stop Till You Get Enough

6) I Just Can't Stop Loving You

7) Human Nature

8) Smooth Criminal

9) Girlfriend

10) Man in the Mirror

11) Beat It

12) One Day in Your Life

13) Heal the World

14) You Are Not Alone

15) Remember The Times

16) Thriller

[Blue Velvet]

50 concerts? That's extraordinary. Prince did 21, according to the article. Is the O2 becoming like Vegas, where acts can take up residencies?

[edesignuk]

50 concerts? That's extraordinary. Prince did 21, according to the article. Is the O2 becoming like Vegas, where acts can take up residencies?Seems to be. Prince's 21 date residency went down very well (wish I could have seen it!). Looks like other living legends are seeing the value in doing these smaller gigs (~20,000 seats vs Wembley's ~100,000+) for a longer period. Keeps them in the news longer (more record sales), and is probably easier to manage.

Now for Pink Floyd to announce a residency :D

[Chundles]

I've got a lobster down on him to complete less than 10 of these concerts.

[JG271]

Should make a nice retirement fund for him!
How many do you think he will actually turn up to?

A quick browse on ebay: Link (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-AWESOME-TICKETS-FOR-MICHAEL-JACKSON-O2-BLK-112_W0QQitemZ140307268058QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Tickets_Tickets_LE?hash=item140307268058&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1308)

[edesignuk]

I've got a lobster down on him to complete less than 10 of these concerts.I can't quite imagine the fall out if he fails to deliver.

He is taking a night off in between each gig to recover.

I sincerely hope for him and his fans that he puts on a great "This is it" goodbye show.

His promoters have estimated he stands to make ~$400m over the next 3.5 years if he sticks with it, taking this farewell tour global.

[steveza]

The organisers have taken out a significant insurance policy (£280m?) in case he doesn't complete all the gigs.

[WinterMute]

I saw Prince a couple of times at the 02, the wife's a bit of a fanatic...!


It's a great place for big gigs, and I'm home in 15 minutes.


I've banned the wife from the Jackson gigs, she's not giving my money to a f*cked-up kiddie fiddler however well he can shake his bootay.

King of pop, my arse.

[bartelby]

Whatever you think of him these days, pretty impressive.

I'm impressed how many people don't give a crap about what kind of person they're funding.

[davidjearly]

I'm impressed how many people don't give a crap about what kind of person they're funding.

I'd hazard a guess to say that you don't actually know all that much about him, just like the rest of us.

[tiguk]

I'd hazard a guess to say that you don't actually know all that much about him, just like the rest of us.

What? He's one of the most investigated, documented and known people on the planet! I think we ALL know enough about him to form some sort of evidential view on him.

[legit02quit]

WOWOW Michael I am a still standing FAN!

[Dmac77]

So I wonder what he's going to do with his kids in the concerts? Maybe try to put one of them into a fire, or maybe he'll have a balcony constructed, and dangle them over it.

Anyone who's going to see him must have some issues. He is NOT the king of pop.

Don

[Blue Velvet]

Anyone who's going to see him must have some issues.


Er, why? He'll put on a great show and play all his hits. He still has millions of fans who are fans of his music, that's all, regardless of all his reported misdoings.

I'm not going, by the way. Even though Off The Wall is a great album, mainly due to Quincy Jones, I don't care to pay to see him.

Perhaps it is you who has the issues.

[Dmac77]

Er, why? He'll put on a great show and play all his hits. He still has millions of fans who are fans of his music, that's all, regardless of all his reported misdoings.

I'm not going, by the way. Even though Off The Wall is a great album, mainly due to Quincy Jones, I don't care to pay to see him.

Perhaps it is you who has the issues.

Yeah, because most people just love to give their money to a pedophile.

Don

[Blue Velvet]

Yeah, because most people just love to give their money to a pedophile.

He's an entertainer. There are many entertainers who have unpleasant backgrounds. He has not been convicted of any crime, being acquitted of all counts.

So what's your problem?

[tiguk]

He's an entertainer. There are many entertainers who have unpleasant backgrounds. He has not been convicted of any crime, being acquitted of all counts.

So what's your problem?

He was an entertainer. He then went broke hiring a defence team to get him acquitted of all charges.

Sounds like someone else we all know.

[wbeasley]

Yeah, because most people just love to give their money to a pedophile.

Don

saw your Rolling Stones picture with your name and had a laugh... exactly how old is Bill Wyman and that new girlfriend of his? I'd hazard a guess there were more years between them than MJ and the kids he was accused of ... ;)

[Dmac77]

saw your Rolling Stones picture with your name and had a laugh... exactly how old is Bill Wyman and that new girlfriend of his? I'd hazard a guess there were more years between them than MJ and the kids he was accused of ... ;)

Ah, but you see, none of the Stones' music I have has financially benefitted Bill Wyman. Let's just say that I got it through other means, and leave it there.

Also, I've never seen the Stones in concert, much less the Stones with Bill Wyman. Being that he left the band two years before I was born.

I never said that Jacko's music wasn't good, I just said that I would never give my money to him, I would get his music through other means, If I wanted it.

Don

[63dot]

When he puts his mind to it, he is a professional performer the way Elvis was who played Vegas over and over again. Sinatra did it. As did Mac Davis, Wayne Newton, Sammy Davis Jr. and many others.

MJ may be a lot of bad things, but lazy and out of shape he isn't. I would be surprised if he stopped at 50 shows.