Is Big Business Killing the Concert Experience?

[westcott]

Well, I have never posted in this thread before but after what happened the other day, I had to say something.

My wife and I wanted to go see Rush. I have not seen them live since 1983 or so. They were coming to Houston at an open air venue called Cynthia Woods Pavillion in August. Now, if you have ever been in Houston in August, the last thing you want to do is sit in the sun or be without air conditioning. So, my wife and I were really looking forward to acquiring tickets under the canopy, close the stage. Retail prices were reasonable and started around US$90 for pit, $75 for center, left right, and $45 or so for lawn seats. Not bad prices for good seats to a concert like Rush. Well, we started digging around and several days before the "official" sale of tickets, you could find them being offered for sale by Ticket Master and eBay for much higher prices. Some hitting over $1,000.00!!!!! My wife and I were not deterered and set up an account with all our credit card information and waited for 10am central time for tickets to go "officially" on sale. We were logged on with a 10Mps cable modem and proceeded to request tickets. 4 minutes into the process and ALL the assigned seating was sold!!!!

I did a little homework and have found that large corporate businesses have already bought the majority of tickets ahead of time. American Express, Visa, and several Radio Stations! Of course, there are probably others I am not aware of.

How is the average Joe supposed to see a concert? Pay $300 to $1000 from a ticket company or have some Titanium\Platinum Amercian Express?

I see no difference between price gouging and scalping, then the allowed practice of selling tickets before the "official" sales date to big business.

I really wanted to go and I can afford the exhorbatent prices, but it is the principle of the matter.

I have half a mind to send this to the attorney generals office because it is ruining the concert experience I grew up enjoying and loving. I think everyone should have the opportunity to see a concert up close without getting ripped off!!!

 

[obscbyclouds]

I completely agree. Ticketmaster has ruined many a concert wish for me in the past (luckily I'm into not-so-popular stuff now) because of the same phenomenon you mentioned.

However, I don't think it'll matter how many letters you send or what you do. These are big business' you are talking about, they all have Lobbyists and millions of dollars going to politicians every year vs. your letter: which do you think will win? Good luck if you decide to do it though.

 

[stratman]

Write an e-mail to the performer (band), some artists (not all) are sensitive to their fans requests/gripes, it might not get you anything or it just might. If you have a Visa or Amex contact them too, let them know you're looking for tickets for the show and you have information indicating they bought blocks of tickets, you'd be surprised what that can get you (my friend got super discounted tickets to Mama Mia (Broadway play) that were sold out for months)you never know unless you try.

 

[Rob Babcock]

Even the bands are at the mercy of The System. Remember way back when Pearl Jam sued TicketBastard...er, Ticketmaster? They ended up getting nowhere, and when they gave a free concert for their fans the venue insisted on TicketBastard issuing the tickets- complete with their service charge!

What a bunch of bungwipes.

 

[jonnythan]

For the words of the profits
Are written on the studio wall,
Concert hall
Echoes with the sounds
Of salesmen.

 

[mazersteven]

If you keep going back to Ticketmaster. The closer you get to the concert date more, and more tickets become available. And not just the seats left in the upper deck. Great seats like down in front of the stage. I have waited more then a few times and have done this and ended up with better seats then I would have gotten at 10am the day of sale.

 

[MDS]

Even if large corporations didn't buy up all the tickets, concert prices for the big bands of the 70s and 80s are getting way out of hand.

I made a trip to FL to visit my sister and brother-in-law and go to see Def Leppard at the Seminole Hard Rock. It is a tiny venue - about 5K seats. Now I enjoyed it and actually liked the smaller venue with quick access to the beer stand and bathrooms but I think the tickets were $85. I also can deal with the high prices without any financial pain but it does seem to be 'gouging' to me. [Of course I also paid ~$500 for airfare and the usual several hundred dollars I waste when I'm there, so this was a really expensive concert for me. ]

Rolling Stones tickets were $250 apiece. It's very similar to sports. The average family just cannot afford to buy tickets for 4 or more people.

The concerts still sell out so I guess they really are just charging 'what the market will bear'.

 

[Sheep]

Big Business killed the Concert store.

SheepStar

 

[Jack Hammer]

it's kind of a shame that even if you manage to get tickets, a lot of the shows are cookie cutter copies of the tour. Same playlist, same setlist, same show at each venue. Corporate intervention at it's worst.

Most tours have become, for lack of a better term, Mcdonaldized.

Jack

 

[stratman]

Even if large corporations didn't buy up all the tickets, concert prices for the big bands of the 70s and 80s are getting way out of hand.

I made a trip to FL to visit my sister and brother-in-law and go to see Def Leppard at the Seminole Hard Rock. It is a tiny venue - about 5K seats. Now I enjoyed it and actually liked the smaller venue with quick access to the beer stand and bathrooms but I think the tickets were $85. I also can deal with the high prices without any financial pain but it does seem to be 'gouging' to me. [Of course I also paid ~$500 for airfare and the usual several hundred dollars I waste when I'm there, so this was a really expensive concert for me. ]

Rolling Stones tickets were $250 apiece. It's very similar to sports. The average family just cannot afford to buy tickets for 4 or more people.

The concerts still sell out so I guess they really are just charging 'what the market will bear'.

Steely Dan (my all time favorite band) will be playing there on May 8th(85.00), but I was so turned off by thier last performance in Palm Beach(outdoors), that I'm hesitant to go to the Seminole venue, is it completely indoors? Or partial?

 

[mazersteven]

I just paid $227 plus Ticketmaster charges for Genesis tickets. Not uncommon to pay prices like this.

Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Thu, Sep 27, 2007 08:00 PM

Section 9

 

[MDS]

I'm hesitant to go to the Seminole venue, is it completely indoors? Or partial?

It is completely indoors. It's kind of like a gymnasium.

I don't know if there are many Seminole Hard Rocks in the area or just one as I don't live in FL anymore. I'm talking about the one on 441 just north of Stirling Road.

 

[Nick250]

Our business does *a lot* of business with the local Acura dealer. From time to time Acura gives the boss special seating for concerts and it comes with special parking that gets you into the venue really quickly and a private tent with all kinds of goodies. This happens before tickets go on sale to the general public. I am not saying I agree or disagree, but there are usually "sponsors" of the shows and the sponsers use the VIP treatment to cultivate or reward their clients. Business as usual.

Nick

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

Welcome to the real world of supply and demand.......

For example, have you ever tried to buy tickets for a major sporting event of any kind?

 

[Rowdy S13]

I just had this same problem trying to get Eric Clapton tickets. It was frustrating to say the least. The price was 90 a piece and that was just general standing only, but I thought that was alot of money. When I first met my girl friend (who is a HUGE Bears fan) I tried getting tickets, same problem. I would have had to pay 250 a person for crap seats. Ok my rant is over.

Sean

P.S. My sister is named after a Steely Dan Album/Song

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

It's all Al Gores fault, because he invented the internet

If it wasnt for Al Gore, there would only be two places to buy Bears tickets for your girlfriend.

1. Directly from the Bears organization
2. From scalpers outside the stadium on gameday selling to a small demand pool(to those physically present).

Thanks to the internet, you now have to outbid the entire world for those very same limited Bears tickets. Back in the good 'ol days, you were only bidding against those who showed up at the gate without a ticket. It's not quite that simplistic, but I think you get my point.


In todays 'information age', the market is an entirely different beast.


Yea, it's all ticketmasters fault. :rolls eyes:

 

[stratman]

It is completely indoors. It's kind of like a gymnasium.

I don't know if there are many Seminole Hard Rocks in the area or just one as I don't live in FL anymore. I'm talking about the one on 441 just north of Stirling Road.

That's the only one, that's where Ana Nicole Smith kicked the bucket. Indoors huh? Maybe SD will sound good in there, their last venue (outdoors) was horrendous.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

It's all Al Gores fault, because he invented the internet

If it wasnt for Al Gore, there would only be two places to buy Bears tickets for your girlfriend.

Don't you mean Al Gore "created" the internet?

 

[jonnythan]

I get really annoyed when people talk about Al Gore 'creating' or 'inventing' the Internet.

 

[Audioholics]

Yeah everybody - lay off... he only "took the initiative" in creating the Internet.

Actually the first time I disagree with Snopes... He said it - he just didn't MEAN it the way it came out...

http://www.snopes.com/quotes/internet.asp

Now with that said, he DID create TicketMaster.