High Cost of Ticket Prices

[speedracer]

How many of you actually got tickets for the Elevation tour by standing in line, or calling TicketMaster, or logging in?

For small but extremely popular events like the shows on the Elevation tour, scalpers and ticket agencies scoop up large chunks of tickets before they are even available to the general public and sell them at market price.

It'd be better if U2 and other bands charged fair market price for tickets. That way they'd be making the profits instead of these ticket agency parasites who don't perform any real labor.

 

[Desire4Bono]

Originally posted by speedracer:
How many of you actually got tickets for the Elevation tour by standing in line, or calling TicketMaster, or logging in?

For small but extremely popular events like the shows on the Elevation tour, scalpers and ticket agencies scoop up large chunks of tickets before they are even available to the general public and sell them at market price.

It'd be better if U2 and other bands charged fair market price for tickets. That way they'd be making the profits instead of these ticket agency parasites who don't perform any real labor.

That's what I was trying to say. How do those crooks get all the tickets, someone on the inside must be in on it. You're right, the bands might as well hike prices to make it harder for the scalpers to get and sell them, but the fans will always be the ones to suffer. It makes me sick to think how much money those crooks made off U2. I bet it makes the bad angry too.

 

[Hewson]

Originally posted by Zoomerang96:
you can thank the monoply that is ticketmaster for this lovely conveniance of high ticket prices.

I don't think Ticketmaster has much to do with high ticket prices. They add ridiculously high service charges, but its promoters and bands who are responsible for the ticket's base price.
If you want to place blame, the monopoly that is Clear Channel/SFX is a better place to point the finger.

 

[david]

The most shocking thing I find in this thread is that the Stones are going to tour in 2002.

That's scary.

You know what's weird, a band like Fugazi can play clubs and colleges and only charge 7 dollars for a ticket. But would they get away with charging that much if they played arenas? I doubt it.

You know what's also weird, ring side tickets for a WWF pay per view event like Wrestlemania were running up to $1,000 dollars a few years ago because it was hugely popular.

That's insane, but a fine example of that supply and demand thing.

You think if our economy gets worse will we see a decline in concert attendance, kind of like what happened in the early 90's?

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The more of these I drink the more Bono makes sense.. - Bean from the KROQ Breakfast with U2.

 

[MissZooropa]

Originally posted by speedracer:
How many of you actually got tickets for the Elevation tour by standing in line, or calling TicketMaster, or logging in?

*raises hand*

I saw 13 shows and only paid overprice to two of them. One of them was Slane which I traded for two tickets I had been waiting in line to get but didn't need.

The rest I either bought myself after waiting in line in the freezing cold for hours or online when they released extras or from fans for face value. Once I bought from scalpers, messy Montreal May 27th show.

I also bought way more tickets then I needed to the shows here and helped fans around the world that couldn't buy online, so they didn't need to buy from scalpers. *saint*

I must say that we also have the problem of scalpers paying people to be in line to get the best tickets.

Ok, that was a sidenote in the discussion.

 

[Hewson]

Originally posted by speedracer:
How many of you actually got tickets for the Elevation tour by standing in line, or calling TicketMaster, or logging in?

Went to 5 shows...1 courtesy of Prop., 1 my friend got tix (online from TM), 1 I got at Fleetcenter box office night of show, 2 I got thru ticketmaster.

As for brokers getting tix before the public, that's not generally the case (except in a few instances where some back door deals have taken place, I believe Denver had a big scandal as did Jones Beach, NY). I've seen the brokers at work at onsales. They bring a crew to stand in line.(I even saw a guy years ago bus in a big group from the Pine Street Inn, and give them $20 apiece to stand in line for Bowie tix). They also tend to have automated dialers on their phones and top of the line computers and high speed internet access. In short most of them know all the ins & outs of acquiring tix, and use and abuse any way to get them in bulk. Some are reasonable, and others are outrageous. I avoid them, cause I always think I can get stuff on my own, and often (not always) can.

 

[amybatt]

Originally posted by speedracer:
How many of you actually got tickets for the Elevation tour by standing in line, or calling TicketMaster, or logging in?

All online for 10 out of 11, exception being Hartford, which I got through that U2tour place that had the packages with tix and party.

 

[Summer~Rain]

Originally posted by speedracer:

How many of you actually got tickets for the Elevation tour by standing in line, or calling TicketMaster, or logging in?

Only seats. NO GA.


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When you stop taking chances and stay where you sit you won't live any longer but it'll feel like it!

 

[scatteroflight]

Originally posted by zooropamanda:
Yes, I agree exactly about what you've said about popmart. Maybe they didnt make enough money because some shows didnt sell out. But Elevation is nothing in comparison cost wise, so it just makes no sense to me.

I totally agree with this too. I know that the Australian dollar is really weak right now, but Popmart was so unbelievably expensive to stage, like you say, Manda, Elevation was way cheaper. You would think it would sort of even out.

If we're all going to whine and moan a bit

I have to say that it was a little annoying for me to pay $85 for a seat that was a long way from the stage (though a great view, and at least it was GM Place instead of the cavernous BC Place) while my friends paid $45 for seats that were kind of to the side of the stage (not GA) and were really quite a bit closer. I wanted GA but they sold out instantly. We had a better view of the whole "show," the screens and everything, but still it seemed weird. It was almost like the $85 tickets were the worst. I can't really complain because it was just a marvelous show, but still. Also, the comments by the band about how the older people who wanted a seat to sit in were "subsidizing" the younger people and huge fans who wanted to stand, it annoyed me a bit because I would really have liked to be down on the floor and I'm sure there were people on the floor who were not as big U2 fans as I am.

My other bit of whining and moaning is the merchandise--so unbelievably expensive! At other concerts I'd been to, the standard for programs was $20 Canadian, for instance. At U2 it was $30. Ouch. I didn't even buy a t-shirt as I had planned to because on principle (silly principles!

) I didn't want to pay that much.

However, the Aussies may be interested to know that next week I'm going to see a band I love, in a small venue, at a price that seems cheap by today's standards ($50 Canadian)--Midnight Oil!! Woo hoo!



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See the bird with the leaf in her mouth
After the flood all the colours came out

 

[Fritzy]

Originally posted by scatteroflight:
It was almost like the $85 tickets were the worst.

You are so right. I had every type of seat for the Elevation tour at various venues and the $85 were consistently the worst (still I'm not complaining). The other thing that irked me about tickets/prices was that before the first leg shows went on sale, there was this big mystery about the different types of tickets, which seats were where, etc...I know personally for the first few shows I bought tix for, I got the $85 ones to play it safe and I wasn't sure what the deal would be with GA. Had I known what the setup was, I would have tried or traded for GA for every show. Luckily for other people, by the second and third legs it was common knowledge.

 

[MacPhisto066]

I've read an interesting article in a local newspaper over here...

ticket prices are fixed by the promoter and the arena, depending on how much downside guarantee the artist asks for. here is the scale I've been able to get from the Molson Centre: (in US dollars)

Paul McCartney 1 million $
Britney Spears 500 000 $
U2 150 000 $

so draw your own conclusions. U2 are 4. McCartney and britney are alone. McCartney is a billionnaire and asks for 1 million per show!! how do you like that for recognition after 35 years of fan support ?

money can't buy me love ?
talkin' bout freedom ?
yeah right...if Lennon were still here, Sir Paul, he'd be all over your *ss

 

[STING2]

It should be mentioned that many of Paul Mc's shows so far have failed to sellout and he is only doing one or two shows in big markets. No seats are being sold behind the stage either. His tickets are obviously on the high side and the market is responding in kind. Ahhhhh, the beauty of economics.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

Only the rich kids will go to the shows. It was pretty difficult to get GA tix, which were the cheapest. So U2's plan for appealing to the youth through their shows is somewhat a lost cause IMO. Teen boppers might spend money and but for some reason, I don't necessarily think those are primarily the young fans they were hpoing to appeal to.

I can understand how some music fans can be dismissive of U2 and associate them with "corporate rock." High ticket prices are a black eye. People mention sports tix costing a lot... it is a bunch of crap that those ticket prices are high too.

I want to mention that I saw Wilco and Elliott Smith for $15. Keeping up the good fight.

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~ "You can't resist her. She's in your bones. She is your marrow and your ride home. You can't avoid her. She's in the air; in between molecules of oxygen and carbon dioxide." ~ RC

 

[STING2]

Wilco charge $15 a ticket because that is what their market value is.

 

[mad1]

I tink it was ?33/?35 for the Popmart gig here in Belfast, although I cant be sure, Id need someone else from here who went to confirm that!!!!!!

Pop Musik

 

[Flying FuManchu]

Originally posted by STING2:
Wilco charge $15 a ticket because that is what their market value is.

You're actually wrong there. There market value isn't $15. I would estimate at the least $20-25 and thats without Elliott Smith opening. Wilco from I understand, sells out its shows to boot.

How much were tickets to ZOO TV arena shows? I know ZOO TV was much more expensive to produce than Elevation in terms of arenas. Just curious.


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~ "You can't resist her. She's in your bones. She is your marrow and your ride home. You can't avoid her. She's in the air; in between molecules of oxygen and carbon dioxide." ~ RC

[This message has been edited by Flying FuManchu (edited 05-03-2002).]

 

[UV2001]

Thing is you can't really complain about ticket prices when if you can't manage to get tickets ordered to see U2 you buy them for over double the price from someone selling their ticket.

Yeah I think it would be good if they were cheaper and I was at a Bob Geldof concert less than a month ago that cost ?12 and it was a great concert but larger venues do cost more and at the end of the day if people are willing to pay great, if you think it's too much you don't have to.

 

[Desire4Bono]

Originally posted by UV2001:
Thing is you can't really complain about ticket prices when if you can't manage to get tickets ordered to see U2 you buy them for over double the price from someone selling their ticket.

Yeah I think it would be good if they were cheaper and I was at a Bob Geldof concert less than a month ago that cost ?12 and it was a great concert but larger venues do cost more and at the end of the day if people are willing to pay great, if you think it's too much you don't have to.

Right on!

 

[Flying FuManchu]

Originally posted by UV2001:
Thing is you can't really complain about ticket prices when if you can't manage to get tickets ordered to see U2 you buy them for over double the price from someone selling their ticket.

Yeah I think it would be good if they were cheaper and I was at a Bob Geldof concert less than a month ago that cost ?12 and it was a great concert but larger venues do cost more and at the end of the day if people are willing to pay great, if you think it's too much you don't have to.

Just being a grouch. I'm aware that if its too much, then don't buy... but its still an issue. Haves and the have nots. I used to scoff/ mock the Stones for charging their absorbitant prices and well U2 is in the same boat now.




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~ "You can't resist her. She's in your bones. She is your marrow and your ride home. You can't avoid her. She's in the air; in between molecules of oxygen and carbon dioxide." ~ RC

 

[Corsair]

Scenario : "Got a U2 tix here...overpriced I think...who wants it?"

*Sees all the hands up in this room*

 

[STING2]

Was that Wilco show sold out? If it was then maybe that could go up to $20. Some bands may underprice their shows because a quick sellout brings more media coverage.

The Stadium part of ZOO TV was more expensive than Elevation, while the Arena part, adjusting for Inflation, was probably more expensive as well, but not by that much since stage, and number of trucks and personal, for both Arena tours was about the same. Only the video screens put Arena ZOO over Elevation.

But the band back in ZOO TV days was charging what they thought their market price was. Again, this is economics. This is a business. If the band does not make what they are worth, then someone else is going to. That is why all bands charge what their market value is. Otherwise, someone else is going to make the extra money you forgoe by having an underpriced ticket.

 

[ericb]

I thought U2's tickets were a bit too much this tour. I know on previous tours, they refused to raise ticket prices too much, and then didn't make much after the tour was over because of how many expenses the ZooTV and Popmart tours required. Then they do a stripped down tour, at least in comparison to the 90's tours, and ticket prices go up. I realise majority of really popular arena acts are going to charge a lot, sometimes more than U2, like Madonna or Paul McCartney, but on Bruce Springsteen's last tour, he only charged $37 and $67 for tix, and Bon Jovi charged $40-$75. If they can charge that than other performers can.

[This message has been edited by ericb (edited 05-05-2002).]

 

[L_Brown]

Remember ZooTV though? They were saved financially by clothing sales.

Also, I would hate to see what would happen if the ticket prices were lowered. It seems that quite a few would have been snapped up and resold for exhorbitant prices, even worse than Elevation's costs.

 

[STING2]

Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen both charged market price for their tickets. Few of Bon Jovi's shows actually sold out, so you could argue that Bon Jovi over charged. Scalpers did not make any serious money on Bon Jovi Bruce Springsteen sold out most of his shows but in the south and west, there were a few that failed to sell out which shows that he was charging near the market value. U2 sold out all its shows, but some sold slowly. That show they hit the nail on the head when it came to charging the right price. Remember, if you don't make what your worth, scalpers or others will. Its economics, supply and demand. If U2s next tour is in Arena's, I expect it to be even more expensive than Elevation.

 

[HolyJoe914]

If U2 dramatically lowered ticket prices - say, to $40 across the board - what that would do, would be to massively increase the potential profits for scalpers while cutting the profits for those actually involved in the music process.

As a result, with higher profits to be made, scalpers would put even more effort into snapping up tickets at the lower prices, then re-sell them to fans at whatever the market will bear.

The solution to this, eventually, is that tickets will be sold on a 'bid' basis: they will start at a certain level, and prices will rise or fall based on volume.

It'll be the same thing as scalping, except it will be the arenas and bands making the profit. Or more of it, anyway.

If I'm going to pay $50 or $100 or whatever for a U2 ticket, I'd just as soon see U2 get the money, instead of Joe Scalper.