U2 turned down $13.2m to perform at private party

U2 turned down US$10 million (S$13.2 million) for one show in the Caribbean.

The hitmakers are among a host of largely older established acts — including AC/DC, The Cure, Depeche Mode and Bruce Springsteen — who are not interested in playing private concert for wealthy clients, and even a hefty pay cheque couldn’t get the band to agree to a one-off performance.

Jay Siegan, whose company specialises in organising private gigs by big names, told The Times newspaper: “We recently made an offer to U2 of US$10 million to perform on an island in the Caribbean for a private client. They quickly declined.

“As a kid who grew up on their music, it’s a goal for me to get Depeche Mode or the Cure to do one for a client. So far that doesn’t look terribly possible — but goddammit, I’m going to keep trying.”

While Celine Dion — who is battling Stiff Person Syndrome — returned to public performance last month at the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony, shortly before then she had sang five tracks to a group of around 100 sales people in Las Vegas, who had arrived at a function at the Delano Hotel and were stunned by the choice of entertainment for their company mixer.

Jay said: “People were truly shocked. It’s such a rare thing to experience, the impact of having a massive global superstar in a tiny room.

“[The show was] intentionally brief to leave the audience wowed. To put it plainly, it was f***ing amazing.”

Young artists have been embracing performing at private parties as a way of making “serious money” at a time when the industry is struggling.

Jay said: “They are a very real way to bring in serious money for young artists who may struggle to monetise their careers in other ways.

“Artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX and Teddy Swims have all taken offers for exclusive private parties.”

And one favourite at corporate shows is rapper Flo Rida.

Booking Entertainment agency owner Steve Einzig said: “He’s really the best. We work with him a whole lot because you can fit him into lots of different types of demographics.”