What the heck is going on with these shows!!!!????

[AM]

my trip to see U2 costed me about $500. So what are people complaining about???

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"The bass player's got it. The bass player's fucking got it." Bono, Boston 6-9-01

 

[U2morrow]

Why is everyone ignoring the fact that there are $45 seats in these venues? It's not just GA, $85, $130. Of course i am well aware that being on the floor is awesome but for those of you who can't afford (or don't want to) the expensive seats (like me) why not just buy the 45$ ones? Sure, some of them aren't the greatest seats but in my opinion there are very few that are actually bad. I had GA for Prov2 which was an awesome experience but, In fact, my worst seats were for Boston4 and that was the best concert I have ever been too. Of course I love to be close and see the band clearly but I don't necessarily think 'cheap' seats make the experience any less wonderful.

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"And when it's raining,
raining hard, that's when the rain will break my heart."

 

[Danospano]

When I tried to buy tickets for the Dallas show I was not going to accept anything besides GA Floor. This is because I've seen the show from crappy seats behind the stage and I've seen it from front row center. Once you get as close as I was, it's hard to go back...(I did make an exception for the Vegas show, but that's a different story).

I completely understand why the shows haven't sold out, but by showtime I think the arenas will be mostly full. The reason I think the show aren't selling well is because of the price. The first leg of the tour attracted hardcore fans, who paid ANYTHING to see the band. This third leg, however, finds people who aren't HUGE fans trying to buy tickets only to find $130 and $85 tickets availible. I know that if there was a band that I thought was cool (Aerosmith, Dave Matthews Band, Garbage, etc), but I wasn't a hardcore fan or, I would NEVER spend over $40 on their tickets. Maybe that's just me.

Also, the American economy is in a recession, which can't help any concert.

 

[melon]

Man...this thread seems like a mess.

First of all, for those who are willing to blow $130-$500 on U2 tickets, bravo! Market value...blah blah blah. The reality is that most non-U2 fanatics really don't wish to drop that much cash on these shows. TicketMaster did a royal fuck job on ticket sales, with GA's seemingly unavailable from the beginning. This, most certainly, has turned a lot of non-fanatics off. They don't want to spend $130 for fairly decent seats, particularly since probably a lot of these people might have travelled to see them the first time.

The other most obvious reality is that U2 will likely be hounded by ticket brokers for all the rest of their tours, which drives up the "market value" (blah, blah, blah), further turning people off. Sure, U2 made $45 GAs. Bravo again! But, apparently, unless you sell your soul or spend $300 dollars on them from the brokers, you don't get them.

And, as for the nosebleed seats, once again, only U2 fanatics will be happy with them. Fanatics seem to be happy with anything. $45, $85, $130, $1300--no difference it seems on this board. Put on that smile, and be eternally grateful, right? But, like it or not, this board is not a reflection of market realities. The market is considerably fucked up, with enough middlemen and monopolistic activities that it is unhealthy. Forget "market value." You don't even have a true competitive market to deal with! U2 could get away with this this time, mostly for novelty purposes, but I think the novelty has run thin finally.

I don't blame U2 as much as I blame the "market" they have to deal with, with obsessive critics that look favorably on sell-outs in small venues, rather than non-sell-outs in larger venues; a music industry that reads like an oligopoly (Vivendi Universal, anyone?); and a monopolistic ticket market that, with both the industry oligopoly and the ticket monopoly courting the ticket brokers, who gouge prices.

But smile, clap hands, be grateful! You're required to be.

Melon

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"He had lived through an age when men and women with energy and ruthlessness but without much ability or persistence excelled. And even though most of them had gone under, their ignorance had confused Roy, making him wonder whether the things he had striven to learn, and thought of as 'culture,' were irrelevant. Everything was supposed to be the same: commercials, Beethoven's late quartets, pop records, shopfronts, Freud, multi-coloured hair. Greatness, comparison, value, depth: gone, gone, gone. Anything could give some pleasure; he saw that. But not everything provided the sustenance of a deeper understanding." - Hanif Kureishi, Love in a Blue Time

 

[tkramer]

Ok, I see the reasons boiled down to these:

1. People are spoiled and don't want anything but GA

2. People don't want anything over 45.00 (I say this as all the 45 dollar tix in most markets including kansas city were sold out pretty much right after they went on sale. This includes the nosebleed seats in markets like KC. BTW I believe KC is a full 360 degree show as I have friends who swear they purchased 45 dollar tix behind the stage. They could be wrong, but the ticketmaster website has an option for 100 series 45 dollar tix which would be behind stage...)

3. The market is reaching saturation.

4. No advertising lead time.

5. No time to sell out the shows.

6. The shows happen during the Thanksgiving holiday period. Many people made travel plans months before these shows were announced.

7. Economy. Sprint just laid off thousands of local workers in KC, etc.

8. U2 isn't as popular as we hoped outside of East Coast, California, and Chicago...

9. DMB and Bon Jovi isn't touring with them.

Now, is there anything we fans can do about this?

 

[kobayashi]

i sat behind the stage and at the top level for montreal 1 + 2 on the first leg and it was great. the 1st show we were right behind the stage up top, so the lighting blocked half the heart-kinda sucked. 2nd show i was at the very top row to the side and it was incredible.


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Kobayashi's bizarre use of colour, superfast editing and extreme camera angles, coupled with a hilariously deadpan performance by Toshiro Takemitsu as the inspector who discovers a whole family of ghosts travelling without valid tickets, remains without peer.

 

[joyfulgirl]

Maybe my financial senses are just warped from having lived in NYC for 15 years where I paid over $1,000/month for one room, but I honestly don't think $130 for a U2 ticket is unreasonable. Broadway and opera ticket prices average $85 and I never hear people complain about that and surely it must cost WAY more to take a U2 show on the road than it does to run a Broadway show or an opera. I realize it's a lot of money for some people to be able to fork over, and maybe the pricing for entertainment in this country is just high anyway, but compared to what is charged for other kinds of entertainment, I think $130 is fair especially given that floor tickets are only $45 (albeit hard to come by). I don't know, I don't think there will ever be much agreement on this. It's all relative.

 

[Sadie Surrender]

Um...I have tickets behind the stage for the KC show...so I'm pretty sure they're using the whole arena.

 

[Blue Room]

Sadie, what section is your ticket in, I'am just curious?

Wanderer, why is it you have to try to antagonize people and U2 in most of your posts? Why dont you try to make a point instead of trying negate what you are saying by pissing people off.

[This message has been edited by Blue Room (edited 11-14-2001).]

 

[u2utah]

Just a question. Why do people care if this or that show "sells out"? It's one thing if it's your home town where it could make a difference whether they ever return, but it's quite perplexing to me that people who don't live in those particular cities are worried that that a show hasn't sold out yet. That seems to be U2's problem, not ours. This tour has been a huge success so it's not like anyone would notice if a couple of last minute shows toward the end don't sell out. There were seats available online to almost all the "sold out" shows anyway.

If the subject interests you, fine, I don't mean to put anyone down. I'm just very curious why this is such a big concern.

 

[tkramer]

I'm from Kansas City, thus making it a concern.

 

[TheU2]

Originally posted by senrab:

Originally posted by TheU2:

How can you say that? And you call yourself a U2 Fan!?!?!?!

Why don't you take your stuff and leave mister!!

CK

I think he was being sarcastic. ;-)

Hahahaha....how ironic is this?!?!

CK

 

[MysteryGirl]

Originally posted by ~LadyLemon~:
Who gives a shit about them--I'm still waiting for a WHAM! reunion...

ROLFMAO!!!!!!!



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"You're dangerous...'cause you're honest"

 

[The Wanderer]

why do I do that Blue Room? it's good advertising, and in this day and age, you have to get market value for the time you spend on your posts -- I generate a reaction because I espouse my opinion, however annoying that might be to you

I agree completely with what melon said in his earlier post, he said what I didn't feel like writing out, and he said it with splendid sarcasm and conviction, it's good to be on melon's side!

 

[STING2]

I know people don't want to hear it, but U2 is simply charging what they are worth on the market. U2s ticket prices go up 50% on every new tour. This process has been happening since Boy. I new back in 1997 the ticket prices for the next tour would probably be like this.
Wonderer, lots of sporting events and concerts do come close to selling out. I don't exactly how many sell out, but I do no that most make a profit or there would not be any sporting events or concerts. Its a Business! Businesses that don't profit are not heard from again!
If these ticket prices are "unfair" then the buying public would stop going to these concerts. Just think of the hundreds of bands out there that never made it past the 80s or 70s. People stop purchasing the product for what ever the reason and now the bands are no more.
U2 goes for the largest concert gross they can get just like they did on their first tour for BOY! Its a marketing determination to find the right price that will produce the max profit. If the price is to High, many people will not go to the show, and the band will end up with a much smaller profit. If it is to low, the concert will of course sellout, but the band might not be able to pay for the cost of the show.
This is not new, U2 has done this for every tour they have ever done! I know a lot of people would like them to play for free, but that has never happened except for a few special cases, in U2s history.
The Rolling Stones Arena tour two years ago had two ticket prices, $300 and $100 and yes they sold out.
Its not the fanatics they sell these shows out, its casual fans and the general public. This tour has played to over 2 million people worldwide even though its an arena show! In terms of GROSS its about to become the most popular Concert tour in the History of the United States. Fanatics alone
would not be able to accomplish that. To have the top tour in the country, you have to be able to appeal to the general public or the least loyal or casual part of the band fanbase.
Based on what happened with POPMART in Kansas, and St. Louis, the current sales for those cities seem normal. Once more people find out about the show, I think they will sell out. If they don't, it will only be because there were only two weeks to sell the tickets.
An instant sell out would be cool, but these slow sales are in weak markets, and this really does not come as a surprise. These cities metro areas are only a fraction of say Washington DC, Philadelphia, Chicago, New York, Boston, San Fransisco, LA and many others.
The best U2 ever did in Kansas City was 37,000 tickets sold on ZOO TV. On Joshua Tree, the show was in the Arena. While U2 has had a comanding year in the USA, their popularity in this country is still not back to where it was on ZOO TV. But its getting closer to that which is why U2 has spent 80 of 113 shows in the USA! This tour has been a massive success! Record breaking! But most important, these U2 shows have been the greatest U2 shows I have ever seen! All 5 shows that I have been are in my top 10 of all time including the best two!

 

[Blue Room]

Ok Wanderer, that answers it. To each his own I guess. Whatever it takes to make you happy or get your kicks.

To answer the question why do people care if it sells out. Because some people want U2 to succeed as much as possible. It just sounds cool and would be quite an accomplishment for U2 to be able to say the entire tour soldout. Also, for those of you in those poor selling market it does not bode well for a return on the next tour. As I said previously, I care because I'am rooting for U2. Thats all.

 

[ramblin rose]

Originally posted by Blue Room:

To answer the question why do people care if it sells out. Because some people want U2 to succeed as much as possible.

That's exactly it. Glad you said it.

 

[U2@NYC]

They should come back to NYC and have 5 more shows.

All of them would sell out in like 5 minutes.

 

[u2utah]

Originally posted by Blue Room:

To answer the question why do people care if it sells out. Because some people want U2 to succeed as much as possible. It just sounds cool and would be quite an accomplishment for U2 to be able to say the entire tour soldout. Also, for those of you in those poor selling market it does not bode well for a return on the next tour. As I said previously, I care because I'am rooting for U2. Thats all.

Maybe I shouldn't have used the word "care". I can understand that it would be cool to have sellouts, and that fans want their favorite band to succeed. That means more records and more tours in the future.

I was more wondering about those, on this and another list I read, who appear to be fretting about it and expending a lot of energy over it. It seems like an over identification with the band. It's not like they can do anything about it past buying a ticket. (Unless they know someone REALLY rich who will buy up all the extra tickets

)

Maybe it's a guy thing

Like those sports fans who know all the stats and stuff. I know it's all very entertaining to them, and completely incomprehensible to me. To each his own, I guess

 

[U2Byrd]

Come back to DC, Baltimore, Philly and U2 will have sell outs. DC only had two shows and one in Baltimore. Philly three shows. The market could handle 2 shows in DC and one in Baltimore and Philly easy. I say the hell with the slow markets. This not selling tickets are the reason they are called slow markets in the first place. Oh well I have seen them 6 times and just got back from Ireland. I still might go to Miami and Tampa.

 

[tkramer]

I just checked for best available with 4 tix in Kansas City and section 236 row S came up. That's nosebleed at the back of the arena! This show is finally selling briskly! Yeah! It's amazing it's selling at all. Case in point: a radio DJ last night said that no doubt was opening (no, it's garbage) and that the show sold out the day it went on sale! It's this kind of misinformation that screws up shows!

 

[Sassafras]

I'm pretty sure they're selling behind the stage for St. Louis, as well; I did some checking for seats at the $45 level the other day and they were all coming up as behind the stage.

I, for one, am glad U2 does shows in smaller markets, because if they didn't add the St. Louis show this time around, I wouldn't have been able to see them at all, at any price level, since I wasn't able to get tix for any of the Chicago shows. The travel costs (and time!) to go anywhere else would have been impossible. I have to drive 3 hours for this show as it is. And my seats are basically nosebleed ones, as that's all I could get--the show may not be entirely sold out yet, but I wouldn't call the place empty by any means. Just because a show didn't sell out in minutes doesn't mean it's a disaster.

So it irks me a bit when folks say U2 should just skip the smaller markets in favor of doing even more shows in larger ones. Sure, those larger market shows may sell out faster, and more folks would probably get to see the boys more than once, but it would also exclude a significant part of U2's audience who already, if they aren't willing or able to travel long distance, have few opportunities.

[This message has been edited by Sassafras (edited 11-17-2001).]

 

[Blue Room]

Sassafras, I think you are confusing shows. Most people on this thread (myself included) indicated that St Louis would probebly sellout. KC and Sacramento are the shows which looked like they were in trouble. I havent checked yet to see how well Tampa sold but that one concerned me ahead of time also.

I think U2 should definately play secondary markets. But if a show for example in KC at an 18,000 seat arena for the hottest tour of the by one of the biggest acts couldnt sellout you have to ask why even go to that market when other markets are selling out in an hour. It wouldn't be a good business decision for future tours if that happens. I hope KC does sellout, I think it is going to be close.

 

[Sassafras]

Blue Room, I wasn't speaking specifically of the STL show as one that wouldn't sell out; I know that many here are particularly concerned with the show in KC.

I was responding generally to those who seemed to imply that U2 should skip smaller markets (like KC *and* STL) altogether in favor of adding even more shows in larger places like NY, Chicago, etc., and those who seem to feel that if a show doesn't sell out within an hour, the market is crappy and should be skipped next time around. That's all. (Note that I didn't say "sell out at all," because I do understand that if a show doesn't sell out, or at least make a respectable showing, then that will likely affect future tour decisions--for this reason I do hope KC sells well in the end.)