I know one nationally-touring comedian who is doing very well. He lowered his ticket prices, against his management's wishes. Hey, people are losing jobs. It made me respect the guy even more.

Even in good economic times, I'd be hard pressed to pay $150.00 to see anybody. It's not that I don't have the money, it's just against my principles I guess...

Yeah, but the much more common smaller acts at local venues are still charging progressively more. Ticket prices around the Denver/Boulder area, for example, for all small venues was $8/$12 just a few years ago. Now everything is $15/$25.

/knows the bands have little say in that

torch: I know one nationally-touring comedian who is doing very well. He lowered his ticket prices, against his management's wishes. Hey, people are losing jobs. It made me respect the guy even more.

Who?

I paid $52.50 to see Lewis Black, which is about what I would expect, but certainly isn't what I would consider a "low" price.

There needs to be a War on Ticketmaster.

Well good, this should allow ticketmaster to raise it's "convenience" charge to make up the difference.

this type of war

Phil Moskowitz: There needs to be a War on Ticketmaster.

If/when the shiat hits the fan and America has another revolution: Ticketmaster needs to be right at the front of the queue with the finanacial sleezeballs.

Still have to suffer the House of Blues tax. $85 for standing room only Q-Tip? Bah.

Phil Moskowitz: There needs to be a War on Ticketmaster.

Or just a complete boycott. The shows I try to buy tickets for are completely sold out in under 1 minute, yet there are tons of seats available from resellers. Hmm.

Fark you Ticketmaster.

LOL I'm Farking: Even in good economic times, I'd be hard pressed to pay $150.00 to see anybody. It's not that I don't have the money, it's just against my principles I guess...

This.

Kornchex: Phil Moskowitz: There needs to be a War on Ticketmaster.

Or just a complete boycott. The shows I try to buy tickets for are completely sold out in under 1 minute, yet there are tons of seats available from resellers. Hmm.

Fark you Ticketmaster.

I came here for this. I farking hate Ticketmaster. Somehow the scalpers always manage to get 90% of the tickets, which then show up on stubhub and other 'legal' scalping websites within 10 minutes.

The most I ever paid for a single ticket was to see Rush on the opening night of the Snakes and Arrows tour. Before fees, it was $89. After fees, around $105.

I also saw AC/DC back on the Stiff Upper Lip tour for a similar amount.

In my opinion, if you're going to spend any more than $30 for a ticket you better be getting your money's worth. Most shows I see, though, tend to go between $15 and $25 though. Again, before fees.

scotto: I came here for this. I farking hate Ticketmaster. Somehow the scalpers always manage to get 90% of the tickets, which then show up on stubhub and other 'legal' scalping websites within 10 minutes.

Peaceable and legal resistance from the consumer and artistic ends would never have done anything to Ticketmaster. It is only now that their own greed has caused them to abandon their only defense: the law was on their side in contracts. Now they're extorting customers AND circumventing their contracts. This and only this can break up their monopoly.

Here's to that idea!

The only thing that will make Ticketmaster stop is if everyone stops going to concerts. I remember back in the late 80's/early 90's a ticket to see a show would cost me a maximum of $35/$40. These days, you're looking at $90 for cheap seats. I shelled out the over $300 for a pair of Neil Young tickets but I figured that's because he's not going to be around much longer - and I also consider him to be a legend. There are only about three artists on the planet I would pay that much to see. And at least Neil made it worth it. The show was about 5 hours long.

I am saying this from the comfort me lawn but to see concert tickets rise in price from $5 30 years ago to $150 now is just plain stupid.

What else has risen THREE THOUSAND PERCENT in 30 years?

Besides drugs.

And this:

guilt by association 2009-03-18 01:15:35 PM
LOL I'm Farking: Even in good economic times, I'd be hard pressed to pay $150.00 to see anybody. It's not that I don't have the money, it's just against my principles I guess...

This.

I've said this before but... a year ago Lyle Lovett, Guy Clark, Joe Ely and John Hiatt came to town for $75.
This year Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt came to town. For $75.

Now Im a big Lyle and John fan but to get half the entertainment for same price in the course of 1 year doesnt make any sense to me.

And just to be pissy about it: I'm not that interested in the 'fact' that they need to make a living from touring; when these guys (or ANY semi-to-major musician) is making $200k to a million bucks a year just how much money to they need? THOUSANDS of musicians - heck, millions of people - don't make this kind of money and they get by ok.

Yeah, I'm being a jerk; I think atheletes are over-paid, too.

LOL I'm Farking: Even in good economic times, I'd be hard pressed to pay $150.00 to see anybody. It's not that I don't have the money, it's just against my principles I guess...



Is that you?

We can all tell by your fancy Total Fark subscription that you must be raking it in.

I wouldn't pay $150 to watch Jesus Christ himself raise the dead.

I wanted to buy some tickets to go watch a Bears game next season, but the only place I could find tickets was a "StubHub." I thought they were just a TicketMaster competitor, but it's more of a legal scalping organization from what I can tell. Quite obnoxious to spend $150 on corner nosebleed seats when I can just watch it on 52" of LCD high definition at home.

fritopendejo: LOL I'm Farking: Even in good economic times, I'd be hard pressed to pay $150.00 to see anybody. It's not that I don't have the money, it's just against my principles I guess...



Is that you?

We can all tell by your fancy Total Fark subscription that you must be raking it in.

Wow. You're a dick.

TimeWaste: fritopendejo: LOL I'm Farking: Even in good economic times, I'd be hard pressed to pay $150.00 to see anybody. It's not that I don't have the money, it's just against my principles I guess...



Is that you?

We can all tell by your fancy Total Fark subscription that you must be raking it in.

Wow. You're a dick.

No, he's not. He's a Farker.

yoohoo52: this type of war

Lowbacca!

Rent Party: I wouldn't pay $150 to watch Jesus Christ himself raise the dead.

I'd pay that much to see someone put Jesus Christ back into the ground...

Pengfish: Still have to suffer the House of Blues tax. $85 for standing room only Q-Tip? Bah.

Solo? Are you farking kidding me?

Fraggler: Yeah, but the much more common smaller acts at local venues are still charging progressively more. Ticket prices around the Denver/Boulder area, for example, for all small venues was $8/$12 just a few years ago. Now everything is $15/$25.

/knows the bands have little say in that

Dulcinea's 100th Monkey, Colfax, near the Fillmore ... Regularly $4-6 for good local and small-band talent.

/and with $1.50 PBRs next door at Sancho's, you can make it a sloppy night for $20 (as long as you don't factor in smoke)

$30 U2 tickets are being subsidized by the $250 ones.

Except Def Leopard...see the Live Nation article to be greenlit slightly after this one.

Abstruse
Except Def Leopard...

Def Leopard? Are the touring with Leonard Skeonard?

/snark

Kornchex:
The shows I try to buy tickets for are completely sold out in under 1 minute, yet there are tons of seats available from resellers.

Yesterday I was up in the grid installing a new sound system in a club and the owner and another guy were standing on the dance floor talking about concert ticket sales. The guy with the owner was bragging about his new "business"- buying blocks of concert tickets and reselling them on EBay at a substantial mark-up. I really had to struggle with myself not to drop a speaker on him. Owner wasn't exactly impressed either- he brings in touring bands for concerts and this guy has probably been scalping the club shows as well.I tend to put scalpers in the same category as someone who would steal a diaper bag from a car simply because the window was open.

factoryconnection: scotto: I came here for this. I farking hate Ticketmaster. Somehow the scalpers always manage to get 90% of the tickets, which then show up on stubhub and other 'legal' scalping websites within 10 minutes.

Peaceable and legal resistance from the consumer and artistic ends would never have done anything to Ticketmaster. It is only now that their own greed has caused them to abandon their only defense: the law was on their side in contracts. Now they're extorting customers AND circumventing their contracts. This and only this can break up their monopoly.

Here's to that idea!

Or you could make the broken system work for you. In the rare case that I actually want to go to an arena or amphitheater show here in Sacramento, I wait 'til a week or so before the show-sometimes a day or two before-and buy them for half price. Scalpers seem to have not caught on that big venue never sell out these days. Either that or they're not paying much for the buttload of tickets they're buying.

As I get older, I've noticed something---I'm not into concerts as much. After seeing so many, the whole 'live experience' has left me a little jaded, I guess. Even bargain-basement ticket prices wouldn't lure me.

I got $60 weekend passes for Lollapalooza, so I'm really getting a kick...

I'll pay hundreds of dollars for a concert if it's something special -- a giant festival with lots of acts or a great artist performing in a very small intimate venue.

Paying hundreds of dollars to see Coldplay crank out the same set in GM Place they did last night at the Key Arena? Not happening.

LOL I'm Farking: Even in good economic times, I'd be hard pressed to pay $150.00 to see anybody. It's not that I don't have the money, it's just against my principles I guess...

I get cheap when it comes to concert tickets; If I paid that much money I'd be paranoid that they'd come out and play for an hour. I saw Our Lady Peace at medium-size theater in 2000 for $25 and they played for 45 minutes. That's it.

I don't think I could handle the disappointment of playing 6x that amount.

I was out of town on business and I walked past a bar that had a Led Zeppelin tribute band playing. I thought of going in, but they had a $20 cover charge - 20 bucks!? Back in the day, tickes to a Zep concert were like twelve bucks.

My rule, never pay more to see a tribute band than the original band charged for a ticket.

Get off my lawn

mfaby: I've said this before but... a year ago Lyle Lovett, Guy Clark, Joe Ely and John Hiatt came to town for $75.
This year Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt came to town. For $75.

When they came to Philadelphia a month ago, we called up the box office the day of the concert and asked if they were doing 'rush' tickets. They said no, but that they still had a good number of seats available in the mid and higher price range. We said, "Thanks, but no thanks."

Love them, but not that much.

Of course, we then turned around a few weeks later and willingly plunked down $70 to go see Unwigged & Unplugged...

The strange thing was, if you started the purchasing process via the venue's website, the TicketAssRapist Ticketmaster fees were cut in half. Pretty cool.

I bought Rise Against tickets off of Ticket Master today.


/sorry

Call me a cheapskate, but I really have a tough time paying more than $30 for a single show. Festivals, I understand, but to pay more than that for 3 hours or less of entertainment seems excessive.

/To each his own, though.

$80 (including a stupid convenience charge) for a ticket to see Depeche Mode in Montreal this July. Floor seat, 11th row.

I was shocked; I was afraid all the good tickets would go to ticket brokers.

All the bands I really like and want to see live are still small and usually charge under $20. Once they get more expensive than that they have sold out and I don't like them anymore anyway, so it is not really an issue. Festivals are a different story, as has been stated.

/half true music snobbery

kevinfra: I was out of town on business and I walked past a bar that had a Led Zeppelin tribute band playing. I thought of going in, but they had a $20 cover charge - 20 bucks!? Back in the day, tickes to a Zep concert were like twelve bucks.

My rule, never pay more to see a tribute band than the original band charged for a ticket.

Get off my lawn

Saw Heart and The Outlaws summer '77 for 8 bucks.

Saw a fantastic show (Bad Religion) the other night for $26, no Ticketmaster involved. Definitely not impossible to go to a cheap show without getting raped with extra charges.

I paid $100 for a pair of Cheech & Chong tickets back in September. I was happy to do so because it was most likely the only chance I'd get to see them in person in my lifetime.

Other than that, my concert going days are pretty much done. $9 for a 20 oz cup of warm flat beer was the last straw.

Abstruse: Except Def Leopard...see the Live Nation article to be greenlit slightly after this one.

No chit. The Wife^TM is mighty pissed.

Most I've ever paid (or ever will pay) is about $65 to see Iron Maiden last summer. Given the size of the production I thought it was more than fair. I'm always amazed that people pay these huge prices.

I remember paying 4 pounds - about $7(I was living in Scotland at the time) to see Metallica and Anthrax in a theatre. Now get off my lawn!

Wow, you could have fooled me. The last few venues that were pretty good (The Eagles, Motley Crue) were $180 and $95 for a cheap ticket. I understand the Eagles, but Motley Crue?

I have never paid more than 30 bucks to see a concert. I'm there are some great acts that I'm missing out by that, but there are a lot of (smallish) talent who are killer and cost little to see.

I paid something like $80 American to see the Pixies play in Paris on their reunion tour. It was one of their first shows after getting back together. The headliners were the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I left after one song of them...

another example of ticketmaster's farkery: for the upcoming sasquatch festival, there were 3-day packs available during the on-sale weekend with a total convenience charge of about $15. after that weekend was over they went to only selling single day passes, with about $15 in convenience fees for EACH DAY, not to mention the ticket prices went up $10 per day. boy am i glad i bought my tickets early.

i've already skipped several shows this year due to the fees coming close to doubling the total cost. i can't believe how retarded those artists are that have been trying to support the TM/LN merger. if they merge, fees will for sure go up, and less people will be going to concerts. what is equally retarded is people calling for a boycott. that would be about as effective as those chain emails that went around telling you to not buy gas on a certain day when it was $4.50/gal.

Try $600