The New World of Concert Ticketing (from @u2)

[Liesje]

A lot of people will defend U2's ticket prices to the nth degree while berating the secondary ticket industry. I am neither pro or anti brokers, I'm not affiliated with them in any way and I rarely use them. However they have as much right to LEGALLY make a profit as U2 does with their inflated ticket prices, inflated remastered CD prices, etc. I hear the argument that it's "market pricing for a band of their stature". Well, ya know what, it's the EXACT SAME MARKET which drives the existence, nay, the flourishing of the secondary ticket market.

Exactly. I really don't care either way about brokers. I've used them in the past (legally). If they weren't there and I could get the tickets I want on TicketBasterd, great! If they are legal and TicketBastard makes it so easy for them to get all the tickets, oh well. People will pay what people will pay. Scalpers and brokers don't arbitrarily set prices.

 

[last unicorn]

About atu2.com. They are probably the best run, most informative U2 website out there. Just because they are "pro U2", it means they don't allow flaming, trolling, bootleg chat, etc...They are trying to be the above board U2 site, and Matt & company are doing a great job.

Errr, yes, by taking some totally unconfirmed song "titles" from an album discussion on Interference where members were just trying to put together some pieces based on barely audible audio clips and such, making it sound as if these were actual, confirmed titles and calling the source an "industry source".

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

About atu2.com. They are probably the best run, most informative U2 website out there. Just because they are "pro U2", it means they don't allow flaming, trolling, bootleg chat, etc...They are trying to be the above board U2 site, and Matt & company are doing a great job. By being above board, you get better access to news/band/interviews. Can't blame them for that angle.

It's just if you like a moderated site / somewhat moderated site / free for all...there is sites that fit each of those descriptions...

I couldn't agree more...

 

[toscano]

Errr, yes, by taking some totally unconfirmed song "titles" from an album discussion on Interference where members were just trying to put together some pieces based on barely audible audio clips and such, making it sound as if these were actual, confirmed titles and calling the source an "industry source".

They have now "confirmed" the tour WON'T start in Las Vegas. Of course they didn't say where it would start or what their source is. Now THAT was going out on a limb, here, let me try:

My informed sources tell me it won't start in Los Angeles or New York.

How was that ?

 

[Cin]

I'm in Australia. As far as I know our only options for tix are to line up or buy on line from Ticketek or whoever on the day they're released , know someone who works at the stadium, have a credit card early release or ebay. It's terrifying knowing that if you're not in the right spot in the queue or the server is slow you'll miss out.

Personally, I'd save and save if i knew that I'd get a good spot.

 

[cdparky]

I just hope that with Live Nation things don't do down the same road that has happened with Madonna's upcoming tour. You cannot buy a ticket in the front 15-20 rows of the (seated) floor or side-blocks near the stage in the US without either bidding on auctions on Ticketmaster or buying ridiculously priced VIP tickets. They have hived off stacks of tickets to stubhub / Viagogo and are even encouraging people to tout (sorry, "re-sell") tickets via that route so they can rake even more off the top.

Live Nation are in it to exploit the consumer (formerly "fans") for as much as they think they can get away with and they know full well that lots of people will pay alot of money for tickets to U2 shows. I hope that U2 exert some control over what they do.

 

[onebloodonelife]

A lot of people will defend U2's ticket prices to the nth degree while berating the secondary ticket industry. I am neither pro or anti brokers, I'm not affiliated with them in any way and I rarely use them. However they have as much right to LEGALLY make a profit as U2 does with their inflated ticket prices, inflated remastered CD prices, etc. I hear the argument that it's "market pricing for a band of their stature". Well, ya know what, it's the EXACT SAME MARKET which drives the existence, nay, the flourishing of the secondary ticket market.

Do I like brokers or scalpers? No, but I also realize that they are filling a need in the ticket market. People are willing to pay those prices, and they will continue to do so. It's a fact of life/supply and demand. I bought the GA tickets to the one show I went to from brokers (at $150 each) because I had no other choice, and I wanted to be in GA. I can say that I would do it again in a split second, even though I would much rather get the tickets at face this time around.

Oh, and I'll put down my bet right now that Live Nation can't handle U2's ticket sales...

 

[lazarus]

There are people here who would have defended Hitler saying "Hey, he's filling a need in the political arena. People are willing to support his beliefs, and will continue to do so etc." I've said this a million times--just because someone IS willing to pay astronomical prices doesn't legitimize the decision to sell them for that, or to play ball with the system that continues to help inflate the value.

This blind faith in the merits of a free market system is really disturbing, and U2 fans perhaps deserve the label of privileged yuppies that they seem to get from many people.

 

[Hallucination]

In my opinion the ticket buying process is gonna suck no matter what. I become livid when tickets go on sale at 9:00am and I have my ticket request in by 9:00:10 and I'm left with nosebleeds. That's complete and utter bullshit. So as much as I hate going about it this way I save my money, pick the shows I want to be at, pick my desired seats and buy the tickets outright on ebay for pretty much whatever the asking price is. Nobody can sit there and tell me with a straight face that they can't afford to shell out the money for the 2009 tour. We've all had 4 years or more to save up for it. Foresight comes in handy. Think about it. Even if you dished $600 for a ticket you've had 4 years to save that money. $12.50/ month. If you're diehard you'll get the seats you want.


Oh and before someone says this(cause undoubtedly someone will) "some of us aren't as privilaged as you Hallucination. Some of us live in the real world with general living expenses." Well I've been living off $30 000 a year for the last 9 years. Rent, car payments, innsurance, entertainment, groceries, utilities. I live in the real world like everyone else and on a much smaller budget than most people I know yet I make it work. U2 live is a priority to me. So I make that work.

 

[Carek1230]

^Well said Hallucination! Great post. I am right there with you on the budgeting and allowances for U2 live.

 

[toscano]

There are people here who would have defended Hitler saying "Hey, he's filling a need in the political arena. People are willing to support his beliefs, and will continue to do so etc."

The difference is that in most places Ticket Brokering is legal.

U2 and McGuine$$$$$ have pretty much made a pact with the devil in dealing with livechannelmaster or whatever they're calling themselves these days, they have done so for years. By buying ANY ticket you are legitimizing that partnership.

How badly do y'all want to see U2 ? (Rhetorical)

 

[onebloodonelife]

There are people here who would have defended Hitler saying "Hey, he's filling a need in the political arena. People are willing to support his beliefs, and will continue to do so etc." I've said this a million times--just because someone IS willing to pay astronomical prices doesn't legitimize the decision to sell them for that, or to play ball with the system that continues to help inflate the value.

This blind faith in the merits of a free market system is really disturbing, and U2 fans perhaps deserve the label of privileged yuppies that they seem to get from many people.

That's not even close to a fair comparison.

And, I'm a college student, who will be scraping together pennies to make it to at least the show in my city, possibly more if I can afford it, but I'm not going to blame the scalpers for the fact that I can't afford as many shows as I want to see.

I don't like scalpers any more than anyone else on here, but they are a reality, and they are running a legitimate, legal business in most states.

 

[pepokiss]

thank god for me being in a so-called 3rd world country, where the tickets are still bought in a large percentage in cash at a ticketbooth.

For the last tour, I was Nº2 in all of Chile to buy a ticket to the U2 show here, and in a crazyness like no one has seen, 50.000 tickets were bought on the first day, and almost all of them (including me), by people forming a line and buying.



Now... your sistem hurts me, because I'm still planning on going to the US or Wembley to se u2... I need money first, but my head hurts just by thinking of your ticket problems

 

[4U2Play]

I've never had a problem buying U2 tickets over the years, even on the Vertigo Tour. Got GAs for all 14 shows I saw in 2005-06, either from buying them online when they went on sale, or through trades. I wasn't even a member of U2.com, because I knew they would release crap tickets during their presale, like most bands do.

Tickets for the Oakland and Portland shows were easy to get, I don't think any of them sold out until the final few days. San Jose was tough, but I got lucky and logged in at the right time to get GAs for both shows. I traded a Boston GA for the two Las Vegas show GAs. Hawaii GA was easy. Learned some Spanish and bought GAs for the three Mexico shows on

http://www.ticketmaster.com.mx.

Bought all three Tokyo GAs online after dogging the Japanese ticketing agency with endless emails inquiring about how to go about purchasing tickets from the US. I think only one of the three Tokyo shows was sold out. People were dumping tickets for pennies on the dollar outside the venue at Tokyo 3. Same deal in Glendale, AZ, I heard. A friend of mine bought a GA for the great Glendale 2 show for $10 out front.

U2 2009 will be similar, I suspect. The economy will still be bad, so I don't think they'll be able to raise ticket prices to Madonna/Stones levels. I've signed up with U2.com this time, because I plan to see U2 in Boston and New York, which are tougher tickets. I'm thinking about a trek to Germany/Italy/Holland/Ireland/East Europe to seem them, but stadium show tickets are usually pretty easy to get, though maybe not in Dublin.

I'm not worried about Live Nation managing U2's ticket sales. They're already selling tickets for big tours without any issues:

http://www.livenation.com/artist/getArtist/artistId/14934/

The best thing to do is make friends with U2 fans all over the world, and work out a reliable ticket-trading system with them, if you can. For example, I've already arranged to take care of U2 fans from Japan, Australia, Mexico, Los Angeles and San Diego when they come over for the Bay Area shows, with the promise that they'll take care of my ticket needs if I fly out to their neck of the woods. I need to work on my European and East Coast contacts next, I guess!

(Hey pepokiss, promise to get me into U2 Santiago GA next time, and I'll handle your Oakland/San Jose, CA tickets if you decide to come up here)

 

[Liesje]

There are people here who would have defended Hitler saying "Hey, he's filling a need in the political arena. People are willing to support his beliefs, and will continue to do so etc." I've said this a million times--just because someone IS willing to pay astronomical prices doesn't legitimize the decision to sell them for that, or to play ball with the system that continues to help inflate the value.

Sorry, I find the attempted comparison absurd and insulting..... buying a concert ticket vs. ordered execution of millions of people?!?!?!

 

[drumkeeran]

Well, I received an email from Live Nation this past week. I had responded to an invitation for information on VIP Nation, a service that charges a membership fee for the opportunity to purchase premium seats at a certain location on a presale basis. $995 for the annual membership (a lot more than the U2.com membership fee).

Wait a minute, I thought that was the privilege I had with my U2.com membership?? I emailed back with that same question. I have yet to hear an answer. I guess I may have seen my last U2 concert, at least in the US. I really have no interest in spending more than $400 for two nosebleed seats in the arena rafters via U2.com presale. Do I finally have to take off my U2.com rosecolored glasses?

I guess I'll count my blessings. I got two GA tix for TO last time around (got into the ellipse) and two front side seats in Buffalo through my presales.

 

[Carek1230]

$995? Who's kidding who? What a ripoff!!!!! If you play your cards right you'll get GA tix to the show you want. At the least keep in touch here, with any and all U2 contacts and friends and your U2.com membership.VIP Nation Membership

 

[DanielIsaac]

Boy, I remember I was a member of Propaganda, and I scored 4th row seats at the Boston Garden on the Zoo Station tour. And I had 7th row seats at Hartford CT. And here's the best part...the tickets were $30 each!!! No internet nonsense either. Propaganda sent me out a letter with all the tour dates listed, I indicated my top three choices, sent them a money order, and they sent me back tickets for two dates. All via good old fashioned US Postal Service.
Fast forward to 2005, and I paid $75 for seats on Vertigo tour at Anaheim CA, and I was one row below the roof of the stadium, and U2 were the size of ants crawling around on a stage the size of a matchbook.
I have such great memories of that Boston Garden show- it was St. Patrick's Day, after all...complete with bagpipers and Pixies (the band, not the little people)...did I mention it was 4th row? I don't care if I never even see U2 live again.
On a different note...I thought that the U2 3D movie did a brilliant job of creating a real feeling of being at a concert...it was great...looked and sounded amazing...and cost about $10!
I'm way past worrying about going to live concerts...I guess I got it out of my system....as far as I can imagine there's no possible way to top 4th row St. Paddy's with U2.
Whoo hoo!!!
By the way, nice to be here on the forum...seems like a cool place. Just scored the re-master box set from Amazon and it rocks!

 

[corianderstem]

Welcome!

 

[drumkeeran]

I would agree that I enjoyed my Propaganda membership and actually have gotten good results for the U2.com membership. I'll continue to trust that, but I just couldn't believe that LiveNation has actually built a business model on this VIP-thing.

Welcome DanielIsaac ! I saw U2 InsideZoo in Hartford, but got tickets through a friend of mine who worked at the ticket office. We got first section seats immediately in front of the midfloor stage.

I took my kids (13,10,9) to see U23D. All three fell asleep at some point during the movie, listening to "Mom's music". I think it was a little cold in the theatre and we were the only people there, not exactly exciting concert conditions. But they all enjoyed the price!