My December Tour

My December Tour
Promotional poster for Clarkson's 2007 world tour
Tour by Kelly Clarkson
Associated album	My December
Start date	September 28, 2007
End date	April 13, 2008
Legs	3
Shows	8 in Australia 27 in North America 18 in Europe 53 Total
Kelly Clarkson tour chronology
The Addicted Tour (2006) My December Tour (2007-2008) 2 Worlds 2 Voices Tour (2008)

The My December Tour was the eighth concert tour by American singer and songwriter Kelly Clarkson, and followed the release Clarkson's third studio album, My December.

Originally a large-scale summer tour timed to coincide with the June 2007 availability of the album, public career battles and poor ticket sales in North America led Clarkson to cancel it before it began. A considerably smaller-scale tour commenced in September 2007 and ran to April 2008, with the international legs in Europe and Australia remaining at arena venues.

First incarnation

Promotional poster for first incarnation of tour

The tour was initially announced by both Billboard.com and Clarkson's official website on April 26, 2007.^[1] It was scheduled for almost 40 dates in North America, running from July 7 to September 28, 2007,^[2] beginning in Portland, Oregon's Rose Garden Arena, including such venues as the TD BankNorth Garden in Boston and Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey, and concluding at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.^[3] For the first time, Clarkson would be playing in arenas instead of the smaller amphitheatres that her previous tours were staged in. Describing the tour, Clarkson stated, “This will be the biggest tour I’ve ever done. It’s all about the music - we’re bringing extra musicians and we’ll be making an arena environment intimate because I want the fans to be part of the show! And you’ll hear all your favorite hits too!!”^[2] The show would feature a 36-row catwalk and b-stage, in order to make the large arenas more intimate for fans.^[4] Mat Kearney would be her support act for the tour.^[5]

The tour was to be sponsored by Vitamin Water.^[6] The company set up an exclusive website, kellyallaccess.com, which offered a pre-sale through Ticketmaster as well as other cross-promotional activities with Clarkson.^[7] Tickets went on sale on May 12 and prospects for the tour got caught up in Clarkson's very public career drama concerning the contents and commercial potential of My December, her relations with record company boss Clive Davis, and her falling out with her own management.^[8][9][10]

On Thursday, June 14, the tour was cancelled per Clarkson's official website, with her statement saying:

“

I can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to getting out there to perform for y'all. In the craziness of the music business, performing is what I look forward to doing the most, so it really is disappointing for me to have to tell you that I won't be coming out to tour this summer. The fact is that touring is just too much too soon. But I promise you that we're going to get back out there as soon as is humanly possible to give you a show that will be even better. Thanks for all of your love and continued support.[11]

”

However, low ticket sales were acknowledged by promoters and her representatives as the reason for the cancellation. LiveNation CEO Michael Rapino said: "Ticket sales have not been what we anticipated and we came to the realization that we had bit off more than we could chew. In the end, we are in the Kelly Clarkson business and for that reason we believe that this decision will only benefit her and her fans in the long run."^[12]

The My December album itself was finally released on June 26, 2007, and within a few weeks it was clear that its sales would be considerably less than those of her previous two albums. The only public performances to survive the tour cancellation were her five-song set at the Live Earth concert at Giants Stadium on July 7, 2007, and various promotional appearances on morning and late-night television programs in conjunction with the album's release.

Second incarnation

Time passed. On September 4, 2007, a new My December Tour for Fall 2007 in North America was announced on via Billboard.com.^[13] It was specified to play 26 dates in 3,000-to-6,000 seat theatres rather than the previous arenas.^[13] Ticket sales, when they happened, were now more fitting to the venue; her three shows at New York City's Beacon Theatre were all sold out,^[14] while her performance at the Tower Theater outside Philadelphia was virtually so.^[15] Shows in Toronto, Minneapolis and Chicago also sold out.

Clarkson then added Australian and European legs to the tour, to take place starting March 2008, after the first leg of her 2 Worlds 2 Voices Tour with Reba McEntire. The singles from My December had gotten a somewhat better reception in Australia than in the U.S., and Clarkson was following the strategy of scheduling dates there that the Dixie Chicks had following for their similarly sales-challenged Accidents & Accusations Tour of 2006. Tickets for the Australian tour went on sale October 8, 2007.^[16][17] On October 23, 2007, the full European lineup was announced and tickets went on sale immediately. German, Swedish and Dutch tickets went on sale for fans through a number of different ticketing websites and stores across the continent. Although Sony BMG UK set up an official pre-sale for fans through Live Nation, Ents24.com and Seetickets, Orange UK set up a "reserve ticket" system through WAP on their website, for registered Orange users within the UK. There was a high demand for Glasgow and Manchester fans and a further date was added for each within a week. Clarkson scheduled an appearance on the UK TV show This Morning on December 12 to promote the UK leg of the tour.^[18]

The show

Clarkson performing “Miss Independent”.

As in the past, Clarkson's concerts held more in common with traditional rock concerts than with pop- or R&B-oriented "diva" productions. The show began with a stage tableau of the cover of the My December album, complete with staircase laced with gnarly tree branches and Clarkson sitting in the big red dress^[19] while the band was frozen like mannequins.^[20] Clarkson immediately shed the bulky red dress, however, and performed in an understated black pants and back top outfit.^[19] Halfway through the show the main curtain closed, and Clarkson and selected band members performed a quieter mini-set of “Because of You”, “Up to the Mountain”, and “Be Still” in front of the curtain.^[20][21] A mash-up of “Miss Independent” and Led Zeppelin's “Whole Lotta Love” AC/DC's "Back In Black" then played for a while over the sound system;^[21] when the curtain opened the set had been stripped to a techo-modern look, while Clarkson had undergone the minimal costume change of adding a black sleeveless vest. The single encores segment began with a respectfully delivered “Sober” followed by the informal “Chivas” and then her biggest hit, “Since U Been Gone”,^[20] the last of which typically featured sing-alongs or dancing fans pulled up on stage.^[22] In all she typically performed for 75 to 80 minutes.^[19][21][22]

The show's set list was dominated by My December and Breakaway material, with only “Miss Independent” and "Beautiful Disaster" appearing from her first album Thankful and the only indicator of her American Idol heritage her introduction to the Idol Gives Back showstopper “Up to the Mountain”.^[22][23] Clarkson's concert audience in the U.S. was sometimes composed of high school and younger college age people, predominantly female, and preteen girls accompanied by one or both parents, but also sometimes connected with her radio audience, which includes widespread play on adult contemporary stations.^[24] The music presented in the show was more conventionally rock-oriented than her concert audience profile might indicate. Clarkson's between-songs stage patter typically made only a few allusions to her career adventures with the My December album.^[24] At the start of the tour, she introduced My December material carefully. Near the close of shows, she thanked the audience for giving this chance to her to perform her songs, saying that all the other facets of the music industry paled in importance. She gave more extensive introductions for “Hole” and “Up to the Mountain”,^[24] which she said did not fit her normal sound.

Rock critic Greg Kot analyzed the show as portraying three possible career paths for Clarkson: Goth vixen, pop princess, and ballad singer.^[22] He suggested that the last of these was where her best chance at artistic growth lay, saying that her mid-concert quiet set had been "a revelation".^[22]

Opening acts

• Jon McLaughlin (North America)^[25]
• Sean Kingston (Australia) (select venues)
• Mandy Moore (Australia) (select venues)
• Jamie Scott and the Town (Europe) (select venues)

Set list

Clarkson and band perform during the early part of the set on October 18, 2007 at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.

1. “Irvine" / "Never Again" [Remix] [Instrumental Introduction]
2. “One Minute”
3. “Behind These Hazel Eyes”
4. “Don't Waste Your Time”
5. “Never Again”
6. “Maybe”
7. “Gone”
8. “Hole” ¹
9. “Addicted”
10. “Because of You”
11. “Up to the Mountain”
12. "Beautiful Disaster" ²
13. “Be Still”
14. “Miss Independent”
15. “How I Feel”
16. "Can I Have A Kiss" ³
17. “Breakaway”
18. “Walk Away”
19. “Sober”
20. “Chivas”
21. "Home" ³
22. "No Bad News" ⁴
23. “Since U Been Gone"

¹Performed during the North American and selected European dates of the tour. Was also part of Melbourne show in Australia.
²Performed during the European and Australian leg of the tour.
³Performed on November 18, 2007 in Los Angeles, CA & Toronto, ON only.
⁴Performed on December 3, 2007 in Nashville, TN only.

Band members

• Lead vocals: Kelly Clarkson
• Keyboards: Jason Halbert
• Lead Guitar: Aben Eubanks
• Rhythm Guitar/Backup Vocals: Cory Churko
• Bass: Einar Pedersen
• Drums: Chris Deaner
• Backup Vocals and Acoustic Guitar: Jill Pickering and Kate Rapier

Tour dates

Clarkson and band perform during the later part of the set on October 18, 2007 at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.

Date	City	Country	Venue
Australia
September 28, 2007	Melbourne	Australia	Palais Theatre
September 30, 2007	Sydney		The Forum
North America[26][27]
October 10, 2007	Verona, NY	United States	Turning Stone Resort & Casino
October 12, 2007	Atlantic City, NJ		Borgata Event Center
October 14, 2007	New York City, NY		Beacon Theatre
October 15, 2007
October 16, 2007
October 18, 2007	Philadelphia, PA		Tower Theater
October 21, 2007	Uncasville, CT		Mohegan Sun Arena
October 23, 2007	Boston, MA		Orpheum Theatre
October 24, 2007	Washington, D.C		DAR Constitution Hall
October 26, 2007	Niagara Falls, NY		Seneca Events Center
October 28, 2007	Detroit, MI		The Fillmore
October 30, 2007	Toronto, ON	Canada	Massey Hall
November 1, 2007	Chicago, IL	United States	Chicago Theatre
November 2, 2007	Minneapolis, MN		State Theatre
November 5, 2007	Denver, CO		Paramount Theatre
November 10, 2007	San Jose, CA		San Jose State Events Center
November 12, 2007	Seattle, WA		Paramount Theatre
November 14, 2007	Sacramento, CA		Memorial Auditorium
November 16, 2007	San Diego, CA		San Diego Civic Theatre
November 18, 2007	Los Angeles, CA		Gibson Amphitheatre
November 20, 2007	Phoenix, AZ		Gammage Auditorium
November 23, 2007	Dallas, TX		Nokia Theatre
November 25, 2007	Houston, TX		Verizon Wireless Theater
November 27, 2007	Atlanta, GA		Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
November 29, 2007	Boca Raton, FL		Mizner Park Amphitheatre
December 1, 2007	Clearwater, FL		Ruth Eckerd Hall
December 3, 2007	Nashville, TN		Ryman Auditorium
Australia[28]
March 1, 2008	Perth	Australia	Challenge Stadium
March 3, 2008	Adelaide		Adelaide Entertainment Centre
March 4, 2008	Melbourne		Rod Laver Arena
March 6, 2008	Sydney		Sydney Entertainment Centre
March 8, 2008	Newcastle		Newcastle Entertainment Centre
March 9, 2008	Brisbane		Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Europe
March 14, 2008	Manchester	England	Manchester Apollo
March 17, 2008	Glasgow	Scotland	Carling Academy Glasgow
March 18, 2008
March 20, 2008	Wolverhampton	England	Wolverhampton Civic Hall
March 22, 2008	Plymouth		Plymouth Pavilions
March 23, 2008	Bournemouth		Bournemouth International Centre
March 26, 2008	London		Hammersmith Apollo
March 27, 2008
March 29, 2008	Cardiff	Wales	Cardiff International Arena
March 31, 2008	Brighton	England	Brighton Centre
April 2, 2008	Manheim	Germany	Rosengarten Mozartsaal
April 3, 2008	Cologne		The Palladium
April 5, 2008	Antwerp	Belgium	Lotto Arena
April 6, 2008	Amsterdam	Netherlands	Heineken Music Hall
April 8, 2008	Manchester	England	Manchester Apollo
April 9, 2008	Copenhagen	Denmark	Store Vega, Vega
April 11, 2008	Stockholm	Sweden	Annexet
April 13, 2008	Helsinki	Finland	Helsinki Ice Hall

Box office score data

Venue	City	Tickets sold / available	Gross revenue
Borgata Events Center	Atlantic City	2,232 / 2,978 (75%)	$115,895[15]
Beacon Theatre	New York City	8,553 / 8,553 (100%)	$364,539[15]
Tower Theatre	Philadelphia	2,882 / 3,064 (94%)	$114,550[15]
The Fillmore	Detroit	2,599 / 2,900 (90%)	$94,800[29]
Massey Hall	Toronto	2,567 / 2,567 (100%)	$62,837[30]
Chicago Theatre	Chicago	3,413 / 3,413 (100%)	$134,814[31]
State Theatre	Minneapolis	2,049 / 2,049 (100%)	$80,936[31]
San Jose State Events Center	San Jose	4,613 / 4,666 (99%)	$168,525[29]
	TOTAL	28,908 / 30,190 (96%)	$1,136,896

References

1. ^ "My December Tour!!!". Clarkson's Official Website. 2007-04-26. Archived from the original on 2007-09-26. http://web.archive.org/web/20070926234836/http://www.kellyclarkson.com/main.php?em982=127446_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2007_0_0&content=news. Retrieved 2007-10-28. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Kelly Clarkson sets summer tour dates". Associated Press. China Daily. 2007-04-26. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/entertainment/2007-04/27/content_861462.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-28. 
3. ^ "Details emerge for Kelly Clarkson tour". LiveDaily. 2007-05-09. http://www.livedaily.com/news/12072.html. Retrieved 2009-01-05. 
4. ^ "Kelly Clarkson on Tour - 'My December' Tour 2007-2008". Generation Kelly Clarkson. http://www.kclarkson.co.uk/kelly/mydecembertour.html. Retrieved 2009-01-05. ^{[dead link]}
5. ^ "Bloomingdale’s, Mat Kearney and John Varvatos Partner for VH1 Save The Music" (Press release). Save the Music Foundation. 2007-07-24. http://www.vh1savethemusic.com/node/212. Retrieved 2009-01-05. 
6. ^ See first incarnation tour poster.
7. ^ "Kelly Clarkson Promo With vitaminwater & Wal*Mart". Popdirt.com. 2007-04-10. http://popdirt.com/kelly-clarkson-promo-with-vitaminwater-walmart/59299/. Retrieved 2009-05-24. 
8. ^ Karger, Dave (2007-05-14). "Kelly in Control". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20038840_20038841_20038857_4,00.html. Retrieved 2007-10-28. 
9. ^ Glock, Allison (2007-06-02). "Rebel Yell". Elle. http://www.elle.com/Entertainment/Cover-Shoots/Kelly-Clarkson. Retrieved 2007-10-28. 
10. ^ "Kelly Clarkson Fires Manager". Us. June 12, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-07-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20070716115758/http://usmagazine.com/kelly_clarkson_fires_manager. Retrieved 2007-10-28. 
11. ^ Emily Fromm, "Kelly Clarkson Tour Shelved – For Now", People.com, June 14, 2007.
12. ^ Mike Bruno, "Clarkson Postpones Summer Tour", EW.com, June 14, 2007.
13. ^ ^{a b} Jonathan Cohen (2007-09-04). "Kelly Clarkson Unveils Fall Tour Plans". Billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003634356. Retrieved 2007-10-28. 
14. ^ "Kelly Clarkson". Pop and Rock Listings (The New York Times). 2007-10-12. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9901E6DF173BF931A25753C1A9619C8B63. Retrieved 2007-10-28. 
15. ^ ^{a b c d} "Billboard Boxscore". Billboard Magazine (New York City: Nielsen Business Media, Inc.). 2007-11-10. http://login.vnuemedia.com/bbbiz/login/login_subscribe.jsp?id=GRDpIQKLSkwdwjzEOzAruaPil51%2BAr0xAScA85dsLRya0UBgTCP9LAWNTIZQhZaVG3%2F44BJROJ9R%0ASLFbSJtaEiI3Tn41b7d2dnOVsmTSmAd7kdBEsAIh3cq7%2BRnhrC5OfUuBfUzjYgsRBuMAz8hc3lk8%0AvM%2Fw616u. Retrieved 2008-12-27 
16. ^ Ticketek Australia
17. ^ SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT :: Australia :: News
18. ^ Official Ticketmaster site. Kelly Clarkson tickets, concerts and tour dates
19. ^ ^{a b c} "Concert Review: Kelly Clarkson Massey Hall, Toronto". 2007-11-05. http://www.hitzonly.com/2007/11/05/concert-review-kelly-clarkson-massey-hall-toronto/. 
20. ^ ^{a b c} "Kelly Clarkson’s ‘My December’ Comes To Life at Massey Hall". 2007-10-30. http://www.soulshine.ca/reviews/liveReview.php?lrid=267. 
21. ^ ^{a b c} Danton, Eric R. (2007-10-22). "Review: Kelly Clarkson at Mohegan Sun". The Hartford Courant. http://blogs.courant.com/eric_danton_sound_check/2007/10/review-kelly-clarkson-at-moheg.html. Retrieved 2009-05-25. 
22. ^ ^{a b c d e} Greg Kot (2007-11-02). "Kelly Clarkson juggles pop, Goth and ballads as she tries to outgrow 'Idol'". Chicago Tribune. http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2007/11/kelly-clarkson-.html. Retrieved 2009-05-25. 
23. ^ Allison Glock (June 6, 2007). "Rebel Yell". Elle. http://www.elle.com/coverstory/11273/kelly-clarkson-page7.html. Retrieved June 29, 2007. 
24. ^ ^{a b c} "Concert Review: Kelly Clarkson's My December Tour". 2007-11-02. http://www.xassociatedcontentx.com/article/435602/concert_review_kelly_clarksons_my_december.html?singlepage=true&cat=9. 
25. ^ Jon McLaughlin gears up for solo tour and guest spot with Kelly Clarkson - Music
26. ^ Boehm, Kristen (2007-09-04). "Kelly Clarkson Announces U.S. Fall Tour Dates". People. Time Inc.. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20054493,00.html. Retrieved 2008-12-27. 
27. ^ Kilgore, Kym (2007-09-04). "Kelly Clarkson announces scaled-down tour". Live Daily. http://www.livedaily.com/news/12739.html. Retrieved 2008-12-27. 
28. ^ "My December Australian Tour 2008". LiveGuide. http://www.liveguide.com.au/Tours/531595/Kelly_Clarkson/My_December_Australian_Tour_2008?event_id=531599#details. Retrieved 2008-12-27. 
29. ^ ^{a b} "Billboard Boxscore". Billboard Magazine (New York City: Nielsen Business Media, Inc.). 2007-11-24. http://login.vnuemedia.com/bbbiz/login/login_subscribe.jsp?id=GRDpIQKLSkwdwjzEOzAruaPil51%2BAr0xAScA85dsLRya0UBgTCP9LAWNTIZQhZaVG3%2F44BJROJ9R%0ASLFbSJtaEiI3Tn41b7d2dnOVsmTSmAd7kdBEsAIh3cq7%2BRnhrC5OfUuBfUzjYgsRBuMAz8hc3lk8%0AvM%2Fw616u. Retrieved 2008-12-27 
30. ^ "Billboard Boxscore". Billboard Magazine (New York City: Nielsen Business Media, Inc.). 2007-12-01. http://login.vnuemedia.com/bbbiz/login/login_subscribe.jsp?id=GRDpIQKLSkwdwjzEOzAruaPil51%2BAr0xAScA85dsLRya0UBgTCP9LAWNTIZQhZaVG3%2F44BJROJ9R%0ASLFbSJtaEiI3Tn41b7d2dnOVsmTSmAd7kdBEsAIh3cq7%2BRnhrC5OfUuBfUzjYgsRBuMAz8hc3lk8%0AvM%2Fw616u. Retrieved 2008-12-27 
31. ^ ^{a b} "Billboard Boxscore". Billboard Magazine (New York City: Nielsen Business Media, Inc.). 2007-11-17. http://login.vnuemedia.com/bbbiz/login/login_subscribe.jsp?id=GRDpIQKLSkwdwjzEOzAruaPil51%2BAr0xAScA85dsLRya0UBgTCP9LAWNTIZQhZaVG3%2F44BJROJ9R%0ASLFbSJtaEiI3Tn41b7d2dnOVsmTSmAd7kdBEsAIh3cq7%2BRnhrC5OfUuBfUzjYgsRBuMAz8hc3lk8%0AvM%2Fw616u. Retrieved 2008-12-27 

External links

• Clarkson's Official Website