SHIP TOUR STATUS REPORT SEPT. 2006

We have succeeded in raising roughly 2/3 of the funds for the pre-project.  Our funding sources thus far are a venture capitalist in the U.K. and Innovation Norway.  We are currently seeking the remainder so that we may begin the feasibility studies and project development necessary for the final round of fundraising and the ultimate realization of the project.
Investment at this stage of the project offers substantially more advantageous terms than the final round will offer and is a perfect opportunity for a smaller investor to become a significant part of this project.  For more information contact David Brown at tronaville@yahoo.com.



THE REASON FOR THE TOUR


In recent years, the large-scale concert-going experience has had much of the life drained out of it. The price of tickets, refreshments and merchandise has skyrocketed while the venues have grown less beautiful and the atmosphere less festive. The most obvious example of this was at Woodstock '99 when many of the kids ran amok after enduring 3 days of high prices and terrible conditions. There are many factors that have contributed to this situation but the most glaring is the unprecedented consolidation of the ownership of major venues, radio stations and promoters. Certain large companies enjoy virtual monopolies in these areas. As a result, bands are forced to deal with them or face the prospect of never hearing their music played on commercial radio. What is needed is a grand gesture, an event that will leave all who attend it feeling enriched and inspired, something that will up the ante for all those involved in the business of live music.


A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SHIP

The ship will be a medium-sized cargo vessel with a water-tight hold and a tween deck that will be retrofitted into a balcony.. The hold will be converted into the interior venue. It will be retrofitted with a stage and PA as well as extensive renovations to improve the acoustics and make it beautiful. Larger shows will be accomplished by having the stage on deck and the crowd on land next to the ship. Two additional superstructures will be added to increase the capacity for passengers in order to accommodate the crews (both ship and music) as well as the artists and their families. One of the new structures will be directly in front of the existing superstructure and the other will be towards the bow. The area in between the two will be the main stage for the large, outdoor events. The area below deck in the front of the ship that lies in front of the main hold will be converted into recording/rehearsal space and art studios.


THE SPIRIT OF THE TOUR

The ship will be a venue like no other-a beautiful symbol for the modern age. It will be an enormous cargo vessel with the hold transformed into a floating theatre and the superstructure into an artists' residence. The ship will travel the world as an ambassador of culture and folly...it will be refreshingly slow and weighty in the age of wireless modems and super computers. It will be a symbol of freedom and possibility, the sea and ships being strong symbols of romance and adventure.


OTHER FACTS ABOUT THE TOUR

-The musical acts will vary from one leg of the tour to the next. We will be trying to get a nice balance of big name draws for each region and lesser known but high quality acts.

-There will be a recording studio on board and each band will get to record a song at sea so that at the end of the tour we can release a compilation tour CD.

-There will be a couple of cabins set aside for writers who want to come on the tour for inspiration.

-In addition to the shows on board, we will have the capability to present much larger festivals on land, next to the freighter. All of the stage/sound equipment will be carried on board in containers. In addition there will be other containers that will be retrofitted into ticket booths, merchandise kiosks, food stalls and production offices. They will be transported on the ship and unloaded at each port.

-There will be a small film crew documenting the tour.

-There will be a website for the tour as well as a couple of cameras onboard the ship. The cameras will show the open sea with the ship in the foreground. People logging on to the site will be able to see each new port as the ship pulls into it. They will also be able to watch live simulcasts of each show. In this way, people who come to one of the shows can continue to feel like they are part of the tour long after the ship has left.

-We are planning to run the ship primarily on used vegetable oil. The large engines of ships are ideally suited for burning such waste oils. In this way the tour will also be making a valuable statement about alternatives to petroleum based fuels.