Ticket prices shows/concerts

[thousandjulys]

the venue box office is the way to go if you live in town....but lots of us aren't so lucky and have to travel.

for instance i'm going to black rebel motorcycle club in asheville tonight. the tix are $17 dos, $20 if you buy them online. I'll wait to get up there and hope it's not sold out.

fyi - i think thats an insanely good price for BRMC @ such a small venue.

[dynamitekid]

I don't generally see bands at venues where I have to buy tickets through ticketmaster. It has to be something REALLY good.

[mattisr1984]

i dont go to shows much at all anymore. had to make a decision - do i want to go to shows or buy records?

[eddieruckus]

ticket prices suck, but I will still pay whatever it costs to see a band I love, the good times I have seeing bands play is something that cant be replaced, knowing that a band I dig is in town and me not going because of the ticket price is just stupid to me, unless you really dont have the cash, I think its stupid not to go becausei its 10 buckis more than it was 5 years ago... tours are how bands usually make their living these days and if its 40 bucks to see social distortion than ill pay it, because no money value can replace what their music has done for me and the good times ill have with my friends

or something like that

[flood]

i feel anything over $20 for any band is way too much, and is pretty much just gouging the fans... especially from "punk" bands. Same thing with bands trying to charge $25 for tshirts and $35 for hoodies. Fucking ridiculous.

[thousandjulys]

i feel anything over $20 for any band is way too much, and is pretty much just gouging the fans... especially from "punk" bands. Same thing with bands trying to charge $25 for tshirts and $35 for hoodies. Fucking ridiculous.

it's always refreshing to go to a show where merch is reasonably priced. went to see gentleman jesse and strange boys a few weeks ago and everything was 10 bux. shirts and lps! thats the way it should be. you are already paying to see them live. you shouldn't be gouged because you want some "memorabilia"!!

[struckanerve]

The vocalist from Trap Them wrote a pretty awesome post about ticket prices, but I can't find it now.

http://www.metalsucks.net/2010/07/19/trap-thems-ryan-mckenney-responds-to-sacha-dunables-metalsucks-column/

it's a good read, he broke that shit down.

also, i just paid $40 to see LCD soundsystem in charlottesville. it was exremely steep, but i love lcd so it was worth it. i generally don't care about ticket prices. i reasoned it by the fact i went to virgin freefest the week before.

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

I started writing a post in my Tumblr about ticket prices, but I started feeling guilty complaining about it. Is it me or are ticket prices pretty damn expensive these days?

This past week I skipped two shows because I thought the prices were a bit high for what they were.

$26 w/ fees for Yeasayer

$18 at the door for Ra Ra Riot (I think this was $13 in advanced)

I heard Gogol Bordello was going to sellout soon, so I went to get tickets and they're $36 after fees!

Now, not everything is crazy expensive, I just saw Tobacco for $10 and Forgetters this week is only $8. But roughly $20 for one band is pretty absurd! I didn't think any of the opening acts were notable on any of these shows. Although, after the show I did get into Washed Out who opened for Yeasayer (oops).

I know the prices are high because no one buys music these days, but what about those who still do?

I hate to complain, because I make enough money, but $50+ for my g/f and I to go to a show is absurd. Not a lot of great bands roll through Pittsburgh, so I want to go to as many as I can, but even I can't afford them all.

prices aren't high because no one buys music anymore, prices are high because of increased costs of touring/promoting/etc that the artist and promoter incur. also, as groups become more popular, their financial requirements increase, which is why ticket prices go up. if anything, ticket prices go up when an artist/band sells MORE albums and becomes more popular. Artists/bands that make money doing what they do make a majority of their money from garuntees/% points and merchandise sales at shows, not from album sales. most are so in debt to labels that they never see a dime from album sales, but the labels rarely see a dime from money from shows/concerts.

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

The vocalist from Trap Them wrote a pretty awesome post about ticket prices, but I can't find it now.

i'd really be interested in reading that if you find it.

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

The vocalist from Trap Them wrote a pretty awesome post about ticket prices, but I can't find it now.

http://www.metalsucks.net/2010/07/19/trap-thems-ryan-mckenney-responds-to-sacha-dunables-metalsucks-column/

it's a good read, he broke that shit down.

also, i just paid $40 to see LCD soundsystem in charlottesville. it was exremely steep, but i love lcd so it was worth it. i generally don't care about ticket prices. i reasoned it by the fact i went to virgin freefest the week before.

backed that entire blog post 110% and then some.

[scottheisel]

The vocalist from Trap Them wrote a pretty awesome post about ticket prices, but I can't find it now.

http://www.metalsucks.net/2010/07/19/trap-thems-ryan-mckenney-responds-to-sacha-dunables-metalsucks-column/

it's a good read, he broke that shit down.

also, i just paid $40 to see LCD soundsystem in charlottesville. it was exremely steep, but i love lcd so it was worth it. i generally don't care about ticket prices. i reasoned it by the fact i went to virgin freefest the week before.

LCD was absolutely incredible at FreeFest! I was slack-jawed the whole set.

[tylerrr]

Going to see Russian Circles at a bar on the 22nd... Tickets are ten bucks, pretty cheap for a Vegas show. Some of all ages venues out here will charge that and sometimes more just for a shitty local teen age metal band.

Most local shows I attend are held at a taco shop and are always free. Our scene out here is pretty damn pathetic : [

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

this thread made me re-listen to tRap them, and it confirmed my original thoughts that they are one of the best metal/thrash/hardcore bands right now.

[garrygumguru]

Most shows around here are $10 in advance or $12-15 at the door. I'll usually just pay at the door, because if I want to pay in advance I have to go to a record store to get the ticket. Then it ends up costing me more because I can't go into a record store and not look around and find something to buy.

[eddieruckus]

this thread made me re-listen to tRap them, and it confirmed my original thoughts that they are one of the best metal/thrash/hardcore bands right now.

agreed

[goraiders]

We have it lucky as mostly punk fans. If you look at the rap guys who play the same venues its usually 2x as much even if they're not more popular. and thats one guy! usually with 1 opening rapper.

[mcm1610]

I'm fine paying $25 or $30 for either a band I love or a few good bands, but that's the ticket itself. If I have to pay $40 or so, or the total comes to $25 and $10 is fees, that's when I either find other ways of getting tickets, or skip the show. I have no problem funding the bands I like, but I certainly will not fund Ticketmaster, Tickets.com, or LiveNation with that much money.

[djones0930]

I'm pretty stoked on seeing Tim Barry and Josh Small this friday for $10!

[kittenmittons]

all i know is i feel so violated buying through livenation and ticketmaster. all the decent sized venues in town sell through them.

the shit backfires in a sense because the merch sales have got to be affected by the outrageous ticket price. half the fun of going to shows is coming home with sick tour merch but by the time you get in the door and buy a drink you're starting to make life decisions and shit.

I'm going to see Four Year Strong in a couple weeks at a local(ish) bar and i'll def drive 30 minutes to get them from the box office first if i can.

[steventangent]

I'm about an hour and some change south of Bryan...mean Ol' Delphos.

Cool, I've driven through your town. I have family in Findlay and Montpelier (just north of Bryan).

I used to be in a band in Bryan (I didn't live there; I had to commute a damn long way to practice every weekend). We played a show in Montpelier once (no, really). That's all I have to contribute to this thread. I can feel your pain, dudes who live in the middle of fucking nowhere!

[rtw88]

I've said it before, but nearly every show I go to is $5. There is almost no band or tour package that I'd pay over $20 for at this point.

[goraiders]

I've said it before, but nearly every show I go to is $5. There is almost no band or tour package that I'd pay over $20 for at this point.

toooo cool for successful bands

[bunnypuncher]

the venue box office is the way to go if you live in town....but lots of us aren't so lucky and have to travel.

I've had this conversation with a lot of my friends. A brief summary/my opinion/whatever:

I moved to a big city (Seattle, now Portland) so I could go to shows whenever I want. There are shows almost every night of the week that I want to attend. And yes, us city dwellers get the benefit of walking to the box office and only paying $1-2 service charge on the "expensive" tickets - I'm talking shows in Seattle that are at the Showbox or Neumo's that cost $15 plus service charges. At the box office, a $15 show will generally be $17. That rules. But you also have to think of this: we pay more for rent to live in the city. And I would not trade it for anything.

On the flip side of the coin, we have the suburb dwellers. You complain when you have to pay the extra service charge for tickets because "you aren't lucky enough" to be able to walk to the box office. And you're right, you're not, but it's your choice. You also probably pay way less in rent than I do, so your CHOICE to pay more for service charges and gas money is exactly that - YOUR CHOICE.

So in the end, we all end up paying. I pay my extra money to my landlord. You pay yours to the gas pumps and the venue and Ticketmaster. We all get screwed. Boo hoo.

And furthermore, costs keep rising. If you want to keep paying $5 for shows, then only go to house show. I usually try to pay MORE at house shows if I can, because those bands are busting their fucking balls for that money. But if you're going to see a show at a venue that has a capacity of more than 200 (not to mention 1000+), there's tons of fucking costs to consider. In Seattle it's so expensive to put on an all-ages show due to the extra security that's required BY LAW, I'm surprised anything is ever under $15. I hate to be the grumpy "when I was your age/kids are soft these days" dude, but really it's fucking true. You might only want to see one band, but when 3 or 4 bands are playing and it's a venue that holds 500 or more people, it's a fucking STEAL to pay $15 for everything that's happening. Quit whining.

[lonesomexloveus]

the venue box office is the way to go if you live in town....but lots of us aren't so lucky and have to travel.

I've had this conversation with a lot of my friends. A brief summary/my opinion/whatever:

I moved to a big city (Seattle, now Portland) so I could go to shows whenever I want. There are shows almost every night of the week that I want to attend. And yes, us city dwellers get the benefit of walking to the box office and only paying $1-2 service charge on the "expensive" tickets - I'm talking shows in Seattle that are at the Showbox or Neumo's that cost $15 plus service charges. At the box office, a $15 show will generally be $17. That rules. But you also have to think of this: we pay more for rent to live in the city. And I would not trade it for anything.

On the flip side of the coin, we have the suburb dwellers. You complain when you have to pay the extra service charge for tickets because "you aren't lucky enough" to be able to walk to the box office. And you're right, you're not, but it's your choice. You also probably pay way less in rent than I do, so your CHOICE to pay more for service charges and gas money is exactly that - YOUR CHOICE.

not necessarily true. i live here because this is where i could find a job in this economy. if i had a choice (and could afford to live on my own with my student loan bills, etc), i'd move to a larger city. but alas, unless i want to starve, it's a no go.

[papermonsters]

I dropped 125 to see KISS and Aerosmith when I was in high school. They were old, but it fucking ruled.

Nowadays, anything over 25 gets a meh from me, except for the Bouncing Souls, NOFX, Cobra Skulls tour.

mewithoutYou tickets we're 12 bucks when they came a couple months ago. That was more than reasonable.