To bad ticket prices are so high on this tour!!

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Aceofhearts

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It's too bad for a lot of people that the tickets are so high! For a lot of us with no responsibility outside of our own needs it's less of a problem, but for those with families, very often the old school fans, the prices are TOTALLY NON-AFFORDABLE!!!!

A friend of mine who has been a U2 fan for an incredibly long time, expressed his frustrations to me the other day as he is a family man who wanted so much for his kids to expereince U2 live. However the ticket prices made this basically impossible. It's just too bad that the prices of this particular tour are keeping a lot of fans from coming as opposed to the more reasonble priced previous tours.

Here is a letter he wrote. I'm not sure to who but it was to someone who had some kind of say in the situtation:........



Why oh why have the tickets been priced so high.

For months I’ve have been promising my family, and especially my daughter, a special night out with U2 but at those prices I can't afford to go.
It would cost me £240 minimum to see them in Manchester. This is outside the realm of any conceivable price rise compared to the last tour. I admit I was expecting £40 a ticket max and have saved as best as possible.

It's very saddening to think that the biggest band in the world needs to charge that much.
Bono said during concerts on the last tour that he was thankful to the fans for "giving them a great life". I guess he'll be really thankful now! Unless he's planning on 'cancelling the debt' by way of the revenue of this tour then I can't see any reason for such exorbitant ticket costs.

It is a very disappointing day!

With deep frustration & regret

(name hidden)

Ps. I will continue to enjoy their music but it would be nice to enjoy it live.
 
I also want to add that it is unfair that Ferraris are priced so high too. It isnt fair that everyone cant own one.
 
Aceofhearts said:
It's too bad for a lot of people that the tickets are so high! For a lot of us with no responsibility outside of our own needs it's less of a problem, but for those with families, very often the old school fans, the prices are TOTALLY NON-AFFORDABLE!!!!
Click to expand...

Um, try being a "new school" fan who's a full time student! I'm already over $50,000 in debt and I don't even HAVE a credit card. :mad: bla bla bla...
 
They are expensive, however, since 2001 the prices haven't been raised dramatically. Upper level and GA tix are within a few dollars of the same price.

At least in Chicago, some seats that were upper level and $85 for Elevation, are only 49.50.

2nd level seats are nearly the same price. The lower level has risen from $135 to $165. $30 in 4 years isn't as crazy as some sports teams that have raised prices consistently by 20-30% over the last 4 years ala the Chicago Cubs and more.

I hope somehow you guys can get in to a show.........but I think the price hasn't yet exceeded its value.
 
I think many of us would be singing a different song about prices if we were paying what they're paying in England.
 
ramblin rose said:
I think many of us would be singing a different song about prices if we were paying what they're paying in England.
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Agreed.

Unfortunately that is the free market society we live in.

I just try to allocate my entertainment dollars based on as much advance info as availabal. & that's where the board helps out alot.

I will say that since U2 is the oinly live music act I see every 3-4 years... the dollars got socked away over that time period for 4 tixs.
 
Probably not....

U2 charges significantly less than then their counterparts. The Stones, Madonna, McCartney etc all charge upwards of $300 for the prime seats which is twice as much as U2.

I dont think U2 tickets are all that expensive in comparison. They could charge more and still sell every ticket instantly but they dont. They charge a very fair market value. Unfortunately, we all live in capitalist economies. Everyone cant afford everything they want in life.


Its the same reason Dom Perignon costs more than Korbel. If you want a cheap concert I think you can catch Good Charlotte for $30.
 
the floor tix shouldn't be that cheap.. maybe $100.. and lower reserve should be around $100 too...
 
ramblin rose said:
I think many of us would be singing a different song about prices if we were paying what they're paying in England.
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Well put. To give you some context if you aren't aware, GA tickets in England are about $110 each with booking fees. Remember these are Stadium tickets so the GA tickets don't carry anything like as much value as in the US - instead of a GA section of 2,000 you will probably have 30,000 so you are unlikely to be close to the stage. Top priced seats are about $180 each with fees - but that could land you with a seat the length of a football field away from the stage (at least it can in Manchester - the whole 2nd tier and below is top price I think). Put's a new slant on what is viewed as a nosebleed seat.

The prices in the UK (and Europe in general) are far too high for stadium shows - but that they sold out over 300,000 tickets in 2 hours means they will never get cheaper.
 
And on the 8th day God gave us credit cards. Just playing, its just U2 charging high prices, in fact U2 is pretty low compared to other acts. The Stones and Madonna were charging $300 for ONE ticket. That is over $600 to take a friend. I wish U2 just charge $90 and $50 for all seats. The $160 is a bit steep for fans. Especially for the diehards who want to see them more than once. I think U2 is worth $100.
 
I'd like to commend U2 for keeping their ticket prices low. They could have easily charged more - check out the prices other major acts have charged. I don't believe U2 are charging as high as the market is willing to pay.
 
neutral said:



The god I believe in isn't short of debt mister. :wink:
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Funny!

During Elevation, I was in Grad School and I find the Vertigo tickets to be fine considering I still have student loans to pay off.

If 50 bucks for nosebleed or GA is too expensive, then Lord help us cos I find that super cheap!
 
I think prices are generally pretty fair, except for the UK folks, I feel for them. They are getting drilled. I also think the end arena lower level tix in the USA that are around 185.00 after charges are also a little high. I could see paying 160.00 for a ticket next to the stage, but the same price to sit 60 meters farther away is a little off putting.
 
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These tickets are dirt cheap compared to what Pavarotti charges. Maybe he's been giving Bono bad ideas?

That said, us canadians only have to pay CDN$49 for inside the heart. It's about 1/2 the price that is is in europe.

U2FP
 
the problem is that all tix are sold out , i'll be glad to buy a ticket for 200 $ , but those scalpers offer only very bad seats
 
Of course U2's ticket prices are too high. Their average price for their North American Arena (15-20,000 seaters) tour this year is $100. And the only reason for that is not supply and demand, it's that they are extremely greedy. You see, U2 has scheduled the North American legs of the Vertigo tour in a very brilliant way. They've added many second shows in markets where there isn't demand for them but for the markets that are relatively nearby, so as to create the opportunity to travel to see them live and hence seem more popular than they really are. One of many examples, include: Ohio, where apart from Cleveland there are no shows. And since the 2 Detroit shows went on sale before Cleveland did (as there is only demand for one Detroit show), you'd have fans from Southern Ohio and Indiana but mainly Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and Indianapolis close by commuting to Detroit, making up the equivalent of a second show there. Hence creating a buzz so the headlines read anything to the effect of: U2 sells out shows in 400 seconds!

I used to love U2 back when they meant something...way back when...in the 80s and 90s. But for the past five years all U2 has been, is a marketing exercise. Nothing more, nothing less. Not only musically but in they way they frauded their fans by promising them "premium tickets" for the first leg of the tour where 90,000 fans threw away $40 each for a U2.com membership in order to obtain these "premium tickets". Well, 90,000 people paid $40 each for this exclusive opportunity and nearly everyone didn't receive the tickets they were promised and had already paid for. And all that U2 did afterwards was a) give a ridiculously funny and obviously contrived apology by Larry Mullen Jr. at the Grammy Awards and b) returned 10% of the money they fraudulently stole from their fans. U2 banked well over 3.2 Million for not one minutes work. You gotta love it!

If U2 really cared about their fans like they used to, they would charge less and obviously play to more people (among many other things). This way they'd be a Stadium act again in North America - something which they never will be again in the majority of markets because of their greedy ass ticket prices.

In Europe this year, it's a completely different story. U2's average price is $90...and they're selling out Stadiums (40-80,000 seaters). Impressive, I have to admit. This is where supply and demand would come into play because after selling out Stadiums at prices this high, there's really no larger sized venues to play in. Well, I guess they could perform in Speedways or Horse Race Tracks that hold 100,000 plus...but the acoustics would be beyond absymal and hence no one would show up.

Also, the reason why The Stones, The Eagles and Madonna charge more than U2, is that they are more popular than U2 is, period. The vast majority of the time, ticket prices are priced in relation to how popular an arist(s) is. There's a few exceptions however. Garth Brooks comes to mind as one. But that's basically how it works.

At the end of the day, U2 is now just another band, who happen to:

~ Lie to their fanbase
~ Steal money from their fanbase
~ Try to conceal their pretentiousness and pomposity (especially Bono)
~ Be extremely worried about not being popular and in their own words being, "The Biggest Band In The World" - which to point out, they never have been...ever
~ Cleverly make their fans believe they are somehow honest and real while telling old school fans like myself to "fuck off" when responding to and admitting to the fact that they've sold out, even though (interestingly enough) fans on this board are claiming that they haven't...LOL
~ Formulize their music, while in the 80s always pushing the envelope and in the 90s always innovative - their stock-in-trade
 
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ace of hearts: i feel what you're saying, but thats the demand of U2 these days...

fact is, if the prices were cheaper, then the non-U2 fans would get in on it as well, and it would be impossible for fans with families to get tickets AT ALL

side: its kinda funny though in a queer way, U2 seems to be the biggest secret in music these days, they barely get any recognition/credit, but everyone who knows what U2 is really about just feels that they are the best thing that ever happened to music
 
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A lot of posts

OUT OF CONTROL...some interesting thoughts I must admit. I was just curious as to why, if you feel this way, do you have so many posts (274) on this board? I would've thought someone with your stance would not even waste time on this website or with even writing such a thoughtful, lengthy post. I'm not trying to attack you...just curious.

I would tend to agree that U2 is not the same band they were "in the day"...but I still enjoy their music and concerts just as much. I do feel that they can be a bit too self conscious at times but who isn't? The music business is a tough one and once I accepted that it is a business and that the concept of "selling out" can be tricky, I've made peace with a lot of the things you talked about. Sure, Pearl Jam (another fav band of mine) seems to be doing a better job with handling their fan club, ticket sales, bootlegs albums etc. but how will they be handling things in 10 years (when they reach the same "age" as U2")? I saw U2 in 1992 (about 12 years after their "launch") and ticket prices were only $25 for the Zoo TV concert (up front). Currently, tickets for the floor ($49.50) is not that high...a $25 hike in 13 years. As for all the city planning/ticket sales deal, I don't think any one person can say "this is why it happened the way it did". That's just silly no matter what the patterns say. Do you think they are devilishly rubbing their hands in some back room planning their popularity/demand? There is no reason for them to do this...I think they're popular enough.

"Not only musically but in they way they frauded their fans by promising them "premium tickets" for the first leg of the tour where 90,000 fans threw away $40 each for a U2.com membership in order to obtain these "premium tickets". Well, 90,000 people paid $40 each for this exclusive opportunity and nearly everyone didn't receive the tickets they were promised and had already paid for."

Uh, I don't think all 90,000 fans were cheated. You basically heard mostly from those that did not get tickets (and they had a a right to make that known). You have a tendency to make very extreme statements which makes your arguments hard to accept or take seriously.

In terms of the U2.com membership, I got my tickets no problem for the first leg. Yes, a lot of people did not but that seems to have been fixed with the fall leg. Nearly everybody who didn't get tickets for the first round were able to get tickets no problem for the fall (from what I have seen in the yahoo groups U2 e-mail list). Yeah, they messed up the first time around and should've had it right in the first place but they didn't and did their best to fix it for the fall tour. I also had my u2.com password re-enabled for the Fall Leg and was able to secure GA tickets for the fall. I even got a refund for 2 tickets that I bought through my membership the other day (that I did not ask for...I just got an e-mail from U2.com that they had secured lower ticketmaster surcharges and was refunding the difference to me).

"Also, the reason why The Stones, The Eagles and Madonna charge more than U2, is that they are more popular than U2 is, period. The vast majority of the time, ticket prices are priced in relation to how popular an arist(s) is."

You are absolutely correct on this one. I guess that's why U2 tickets are more expensive than they were in 1992. In that case, $50 for floor seats are a good deal in my book.

Basically, I try not to get so obsessed and worried about this or that. I like U2's music, enjoy them in concert, feel like they are worth the money and leave it at that. Call me a sucker, blind follower, whatever. I like a band I buy their album and see them in concert. I like Shonen Knife so I'm seeing them tomorrow in a small club for $12. I like U2 so I'm seeing them next Monday for $50. Life's too short to get wrapped up in theories as to why a band has gone downhill. Just enjoy the music...or not.

All in all, you sound like a big fan that got screwed and are pretty angry. Sorry about the experience. I would probably move on and ignore U2 as they have let you down. That's the best way to get over dissapointment.
 
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If you want an awesome stage and an awesome sound system to see an awesome band get ready to pay. thats the way it works.
 
NoControl - I basically agree with a lot of what you are saying. However, you mention that U2 is less popular than the Stones, The Eagles, Madonna, and McCartney. I really disagree with that.

And this is coming from a huge Madonna fan who went to like 6 of her shows last year - and paid $300/ticket to see some of them.

I place U2 right up there with all those acts. Honestly, the U2 shows have sold out just as fast as the Madonna ones did last year and their GA tix have been selling on e-bay and other sites for as much as Madonna's floor tix sold.

U2 is easily a top ticket group, and I really do think U2 charges "more reasonable" prices than some of their top ticket counterparts in the industry. When the other top ticket groups are charging $300 for top seats and U2 is charging $165 - this is really good. The U2 floor tickets for $49.50 are an absolute steal for nowadays.

But as you suggested in your post, the whole industry is charging way too much. While some like McCartney and Madonna can manage to sell out shows at $300/ticket, other acts can barely fill half at $100/ticket as was proven last summer.
 
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My tickets cost me £85 each. I look at it this way, I havent seen U2 live since 2001, and there's no way i'm missing out this time around - so i'm happy to pay the going rate.
I count myself lucky too, as many others have missed out.
 
U2FanPeter said:
These tickets are dirt cheap compared to what Pavarotti charges. Maybe he's been giving Bono bad ideas?

That said, us canadians only have to pay CDN$49 for inside the heart. It's about 1/2 the price that is is in europe.

U2FP
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Yea, well maybe those tix are reasonable, but if they don't come to play in your city, add hundreds of dollars more for travel, accomodations, etc. and many, many MORE people who cannot afford to see a U2 show!

And please, editorinchief, don't compare U2 concert tix to Ferraris. They're not even in the same realm of possiblity for comparison!
 
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caylan said:


Agreed.

Unfortunately that is the free market society we live in.

I just try to allocate my entertainment dollars based on as much advance info as availabal. & that's where the board helps out alot.

I will say that since U2 is the oinly live music act I see every 3-4 years... the dollars got socked away over that time period for 4 tixs.
Click to expand...

Think about it though... IS it a free market? It seems like there is not a level playing field when it comes to obtaining tickets.

I mean, I consider it quite ironic that this very forum is sponsored by a ticket broker who likely has many of the tickets that should have been originally purchased by members of this forum in the first place.
 
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