I love this quote from Larry - End of Zoo TV era

[Lancemc]

man, we'd kill for that these days.

Yes, unfortunatly times change. I do however feel U2 are still putting on amazing shows, worth the money we pay, both musically and visually. It's also true that as a band they are more popular than ever before, so it's only the nature of the business that with increase demand for concerts, the prices go up. Not much anyone can do about it.

 

[MrBrau1]

Wait, all my tickets were $50?

 

[Chizip]

Yes, unfortunatly times change. I do however feel U2 are still putting on amazing shows, worth the money we pay, both musically and visually. It's also true that as a band they are more popular than ever before, so it's only the nature of the business that with increase demand for concerts, the prices go up. Not much anyone can do about it.

actually u2's popularity was probably at its highest during the joshua tree - ab days, and yet they still kept prices on the zootv tour down around 25-30 bucks. one of the specials ive watched said demand outweighed supply by 10 to 1. so they definitely could have charged more. considering they were spending so much money on production it was quite admirable to keep the prices so low.

it is nice these days that u2 keeps the GA tickets so cheap, its just a shame its almost impossible for the fans to get them at that price.

 

[Lancemc]

Hmm, I guess you're right. Oh well, I still think ATYCLB RAWKS!!!

 

[namkcuR]

60 bucks

I hope their next album fails miserably cos frankly with the demand I dunno how much less they could've charged anyway, sadly

btw-- zoo tv may not have made a lot of money, but they made a huge chunk on popmart, so the trend or sell out or whatever didn't start with elevation.

But the difference is that with Popmart they were still making a huge, mind-blowing artistic statement that really captured the imagaination and entertained while making you think at the same time.

 

[Lancemc]

...too bad the songs just weren't as enjoyable to listen to as on Elevation and Vertigo.

 

[VertigoGal]

it seems like in either situation fans get shut out...whether by demand that's just way above supply, or prices that knock out a large section of the demand. 97 bucks was way over my price range but it really meant enough to me that i saved it up, i doubt a lot of people would.

and yeah, if anyone can show me 10 people that got GAs for 50 bucks and used them (that means no presale too).....

 

[VertigoGal]

But the difference is that with Popmart they were still making a huge, mind-blowing artistic statement that really captured the imagaination and entertained while making you think at the same time.

yeah but that's completely subjective and you know it

 

[Lancemc]

yeah but that's completely subjective and you know it

Since when is art subjective!?

 

[MrBrau1]

it seems like in either situation fans get shut out...whether by demand that's just way above supply, or prices that knock out a large section of the demand. 97 bucks was way over my price range but it really meant enough to me that i saved it up, i doubt a lot of people would.

and yeah, if anyone can show me 10 people that got GAs for 50 bucks and used them (that means no presale too).....

You can thank your fellow "fans" for some of that one.

People going to 30 U2 shows on 1 tour are morons w/ a trust fund.

 

[CPTLCTYGOOFBALL]

But the difference is that with Popmart they were still making a huge, mind-blowing artistic statement that really captured the imagaination and entertained while making you think at the same time.

OK so it's alright for U2 to maximize their profits when you like the music-If you don't they're sellouts?

 

[namkcuR]

OK so it's alright for U2 to maximize their profits when you like the music-If you don't they're sellouts?

No.

You're putting words in my mouth.

Nothing I said even remotely suggested what you're tying to say.

 

[CPTLCTYGOOFBALL]

No.

You're putting words in my mouth.

Nothing I said even remotely suggested what you're tying to say.

Alright we both agree that U2 maximized their profit on PopMart and Elevation
Here's a quote from Rolling Stone from 1997

"Industry insiders suggest, however, that U2 ’s unusual deal with Cohl has contributed to PopMart’sproblems. Unlike with many tours, which employ local promoters who receive a percentage of eachshow’s profit, Cohl put up the money for the entire extravaganza, limiting local promoters’ profitmargin and guaranteeing the band a reported $115 million. "

http://www.u2world.com/news/article.php3?id_article=14720



U2 have always been great businessmen, and generally more ethical than most people would be in their shoes, and I think that continues to today. But they do expect to make a good living for themselves.

Why was it Ok for them to make money in the past, but not now?

 

[namkcuR]

Alright we both agree that U2 maximized their profit on PopMart and Elevation
Here's a quote from Rolling Stone from 1997

"Industry insiders suggest, however, that U2 ’s unusual deal with Cohl has contributed to PopMart’sproblems. Unlike with many tours, which employ local promoters who receive a percentage of eachshow’s profit, Cohl put up the money for the entire extravaganza, limiting local promoters’ profitmargin and guaranteeing the band a reported $115 million. "

http://www.u2world.com/news/article.php3?id_article=14720



U2 have always been great businessmen, and generally more ethical than most people would be in their shoes, and I think that continues to today. But they do expect to make a good living for themselves.

Why was it Ok for them to make money in the past, but not now?

I never said that it wasn't ok for them to make money at any point in time. I don't know how you got that impression. If they make a lot of money, that's great for them, but it's of no concern to me.

 

[VertigoGal]

I'd rather them do whatever they did for Popmart if the tickets were all 60 bucks each. But I doubt that's feasible no matter how they finance the tour at this point.

 

[BVS]

These threads crack me up. So much misinformation and crap speculation.

Some of you are living in glory days of tours you were too young to even be a part of...

and it's as if some of you have never even heard of inflation.

 

[CPTLCTYGOOFBALL]

These threads crack me up. So much misinformation and crap speculation.

Some of you are living in glory days of tours you were too young to even be a part of...

and it's as if some of you have never even heard of inflation.

Indeed

 

[namkcuR]

These threads crack me up. So much misinformation and crap speculation.

Some of you are living in glory days of tours you were too young to even be a part of...

What gives you the right to call others' speculation 'crap'?

And why does it matter if some of us didn't know much about U2 yet when those tours were taking place? If anything it should show how impactful those tours were when people who never even saw them in person still hold them so close to their hearts.

 

[VertigoGal]

These threads crack me up. So much misinformation and crap speculation.

Some of you are living in glory days of tours you were too young to even be a part of...

and it's as if some of you have never even heard of inflation.

Umm, if that's directed at me, as much as I wish I could've seen the 90s tours I never said they should go back to that format or theme or whatever...I just wish the prices were easier to afford. And I think it's fair to say they've increased well above the rate of inflation.

But I suppose that's been complained about thousands of times so I won't post in this thread anymore.

 

[BVS]

Umm, if that's directed at me, as much as I wish I could've seen the 90s tours I never said they should go back to that format or theme or whatever...I just wish the prices were easier to afford. And I think it's fair to say they've increased well above the rate of inflation.

But I suppose that's been complained about thousands of times so I won't post in this thread anymore.

Wasn't aimed towards anyone in paticular...

 

[BVS]

What gives you the right to call others' speculation 'crap'?

And why does it matter if some of us didn't know much about U2 yet when those tours were taking place? If anything it should show how impactful those tours were when people who never even saw them in person still hold them so close to their hearts.

Speculation means you come up with a conclusion or theory, if you are completely misinformed then so is your speculation. I've seen a lot of misinformation in this thread.

You can still enjoy the tour, you can still enjoy the songs of that time etc. Of course, no one said otherwise, but when I see folks talk about how much easier it was to get tickets, and how cheap they were, and how scalpers weren't a problem when they were only 5 years old at the time is laughable. For they have no clue. That's what I'm talking about, nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Zoomerang96]

Songwriting is creative. It takes the cake.

Nothing else tops it. Everything else is icing.

And far to often on this board, it's dismissed.
It's in second or third place behind attitude and "progress."

almost every band you hear on the radio has done a great 7ob with "songwriting".

they're mostly catchy, well-constructed pop tunes.

but the "greatest" bands of all time don't 7ust write songs. they must possess something special that no other or almost no other band can capture with their own music.

and when i say that it's hard to tell the difference between a matchbox twenty and a u2 song these days, that 7ust means i don't find u2 to be at all inspiring anymore.

that comparison is actually down-right cruel, but in my eyes, fair.

i personally hope u2 quit, they have nowhere left to go. it was a good run, they came full-circle to the delight of many moderate fans, but it's time to call it a day.

 

[faithingrace]

Bono's got 4 kids to put through college.

 

[Axver]

and it's as if some of you have never even heard of inflation.

That's what I was thinking. I'd love to see the ZooTV and Popmart ticket prices adjusted to be in today's dollars. I imagine the $25 or $60 won't look so special then.

 

[BVS]

That's what I was thinking. I'd love to see the ZooTV and Popmart ticket prices adjusted to be in today's dollars. I imagine the $25 or $60 won't look so special then.

Problem is you can't use just a regular inflation calculator, because there's a pop culture inflation factor, ticketmaster inflation etc...

 

[Lila64]

gee, back in the early 80s when I used to go to alot of shows, ticket prices were obviously a lot less money. For $75-100, I was guaranteed front row (or first 5 rows) at any arena show thru my friends "connection". Now, we're lucky if that is the face value we are fortunate enough to pay... So I did see my share of shows up front, unfortunately though, not U2

But now-a-days, U2 is the ONLY band I will PAY to see (scalper, ebay,...). I mean, we have bought tickets for other bands on ebay, etc., but only deals or as close to face as possible if we couldn't get them thru the normal channels (Ticketmaster)

 

[Chizip]

That's what I was thinking. I'd love to see the ZooTV and Popmart ticket prices adjusted to be in today's dollars. I imagine the $25 or $60 won't look so special then.

the "inflation" argument is so ridiculous i cant believe people try to make it.

i went to an inflation calculator ( http://www.westegg.com/inflation ) and found this:

What cost $30 in 1992 would cost $40.63 in 2005.

What cost $60 in 1998 would cost $69.53 in 2005.

so yes, even with inflation, $40.63 or $69.53 still looks pretty special


and yes, i understand there has been much greater inflation in the concert industry as a whole. but does that mean U2 has to go along with that trend? i think that is where we see the difference in attitude in that quote from Larry of ZooTv and today.

i read an article about u2 ticket prices during the elevation tour where Paul McGuinness talked about needing to charge a certain price to have a certain "status." they were looking at what bruce springsteen, madonna, and other big names were charging, and felt they needed to charge similiar prices so they could be in the same premium concert type status as these other artists.

so for U2 to inflate prices so much over the standard inflation rate is for 2 reasons.

1. To make more money
2. To have an elite band status

now i really dont have a problem with either of those, it is smart of them to charge as much as the market allows. but, you have to admit, it is a different attitude than the one we saw in Larry's 1992 quote.

 

[U2Man]

First of all...

"The Inflation Argument" ->


And I thought I killed that hopeless point months ago


U2 are charging exactly what people are willing to pay.

 

[Chizip]

U2 are charging exactly what people are willing to pay.

right, and it seems like during the ZooTV tour they made an effort to charge less than what people were willing to pay. and that can have both good and bad consequences.

 

[U2Man]

If you don't charge what you're worth, somebody else will.