MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Delighted to see Pixes playing in Glasgow, less than enthused at the £53.44 price. Am I being tight? It's been a while since we've went to a biggish band but I'm sure this is a fair hike. In my head I'd reckoned £30ish. Another personal factor is it's between 2 12hr early shifts which may colour my opinion but I think I'd still grumble even if I was off.
Torn, on one hand yes I think it’s pricey, considering a festival ticket is £250 ish and you are getting more than 5 times the amount of music at a festival compared to a gig.
On the other hand yes you are being tight! Band, label, venue, promotors all have to make something. Then add on transport logistics, planning and all the other surely endless little costs it probably doesn’t leave loads of change!
Can’t beat sitting on the fence!
I agree ticket prices seem to be in a whole different place now... mate of mine wanted to watch Eric Church (big country and western star apparently? ) tickets at Glasgow were £300
Did a bit of mental maths on ticket prices in the late 70s for the Clash etc and i paid £3.50 at Newcastle Mayfair beer was 50p a pint so a ricket was about 7 pints so 7 × 3.50 ( i am in the north) so £25 quid ish
Tickets for all points east, a 8hour/half day festival in Victoria park London, are £65.
Tickets for a gig at Kentish town forum later in the year, £32 face value, but nearly £40 by the time you've payed the shyster ticket selling monopoly company fees.
I think that is me sitting on the fence too 🙂
It's not the prices that pee me off. It's the booking fees. I'm doing all the work when buying online. Why should I pay?
I was looking at Alanis Morissette presales yesterday.
Manchester MEN block 209, upper tier as far as it is possible to be from the stage, £75. Block 109, lower tier but still at the back, £150. Front 3 blocks in front of the stage, £300.
Messiah on a pogostick, come back scalpers all is forgiven.
It’s not the prices that pee me off. It’s the booking fees. I’m doing all the work when buying online. Why should I pay?
Being charged to print at home is a £$%^ing pisstake too.
Some may know, this is one of my favourite topics!
No, you’re not being tight... don’t pay it. People should stop paying stupid prices to see hasbeens, then they’ll all **** off or start charging reasonable prices.
Here, I checked Ricky Gervais ticket prices... £185! one hundred and eighty five quid! Mental! For an evening of comedy!
Balls to em I say. Just paid £32 to see my fave band of the decade... for 2 tickets! ha!
It stings, and is definitely why I didn’t go to as many gigs as I used to.
But, artists need to make money (you can argue if this applies to Pixies) and they sure as hell don’t make it from selling albums anymore.
Ultimately, if it’s too much, don’t pay it.
Isn’t it because streaming and downloaded music took the profit out of selling recordings so they repositioned the music market to make the money out of gigs?
You don’t hear of bands touring to promote the new album any more really.
Edit - wot ee sez.
Ticket prices can be pretty heinous but paying the money ages in advance adds insult to injury. I tolerate a few months maybe but tickets have just gone on sale for Mogwai's 2021 tour - the Roundhouse are after £35-£37.50 a pop. That's spicy enough IMO but there's 12% fees per ticket on top and the gig's not until Feb 2021!
Anyway, I'm off to see Ben Watt in a couple of weeks for £16.80. Not my favourite artist of this or any other decade but I'm looking forward to it all the same.
I much prefer going to see upcoming bands, ticket prices around the 10-13 quid, seems like excellent value for money to me.
Paid £50 to see LCD Soundsystem at Ally Pally a couple of years ago, that was ok, there's 7 of them on stage with about a million quids worth of synthesisers, so didn't seem too bad, plus I was glad to see them after their hiatus.
Stereolab was £33 at Albert Hall in Manchester, expensive venue, great band, reasonable price.
I was looking at Alanis Morissette presales yesterday.
Isnt that ironic?
There's expensive gigs and cheap gigs, just depends if you think it's worth it.
I balked at paying £50 to see tame impala at the empress ballroom last year, but it turned out to be one of the best gigs I've ever been to, so was happy in the end, but other best gigs have only cost £10-£20 so it's all relative.
There was talk of going to see green Day later this year, reliving the first gig I ever went to. That cost me £7.50, they're now charging £90! That's way too much, was happy when it sold out!!
Well, when Rage Against the Machine announced their surprise world tour I had the brilliant idea of trying to get tickets for Madison Square Garden and making a proper holiday of it.
I won't bore you with the full rollercoaster of emotions induced by the Ticketmaster website but I did discover that there was no set prices for tickets. The algorithms make up the prices according to how many people are desperate to buy them. After waiting for 2 hours to get to the front of the queue the cheapest tickets were $480 each up to $900 for anything where you can actually see the stage.
A practice which I find strangely at odds with the apparent agenda of the band. I know it's all an act but the music is still banging.
The most expensive ticket I've bought to date was £60 for Black Sabbath in Manchester. I felt exploited but soon stopped caring when the music kicked in.
I just paid £64 quid for two tickets which I thought was just a bit steep but then again I’m the wrong side of half a century and an inflation calculator tells me that had the oh sees been playing in 1990I’d be paying £26.87 for the same tickets.
Sooooo...
BARGAIN!
Isn’t it because streaming and downloaded music took the profit out of selling recordings so they repositioned the music market to make the money out of gigs?
Thats certainly a factor - live shows and touring used to be a loss leader - a way of promoting new releases when record sales were how bands made their money. Now music 'sales' (or fractions of a penny per listen) are a sort of promo for live touring.
But this is what also allows/motivates Debz's has-beens to tour - you don't need new material (or the anticipation that your new material will be a big earner) to tour.
Supply and pushes the prices up. Younger music fans have a much more catholic taste than we did so many bands now have several generations of fans and probably more demand for tickets than they had in their heyday.
Can't remember how much exactly the tickets were but a few years back I saw Joe Satriani at the Grand Rex in Buenos Aries, I do remember the tickets were cheaper than the European dates, bit extreme I know but my daughter was living there at the time so not as daft as it might seem!
Paid about £35 each for Shed Seven and Ocean Colour Scene in the last year or so. Think Coldplay with the Mrs was more like £60/70?
Seems about the same ballpark in real terms. Maybe slightly lower back in the 80s. But then in the 80s as well as similar gig tickets,(or a touch lower) record/CD prices were a rip off.
Saw the Rolling Stones at the Apollo in 1982. Not a huge fan but was sitting in my flat a mile from the theatre when they announced a surprise Stones gig at the Apollo in a couple of days. So As I thought back then "these guys are ancient and won't be touring much longer, might as well go." So got to the box office an hour after the announcement. Huge queue. Stalls already sold out when I got my front balcony tickets.
What a list of bands for the Apollo that year!
http://www.glasgowapollo.com/index.asp?s_id=1&m_id=14&yr=1982
List of bands that someone has seen for 50p "back in the day"...check
Complaints about streaming...check
Dezb missing the point utterly (like he does on all these threads)...check
All is right with the world.
Do I? I'm such a thick ****
Report them to the ASA if they are adding on extra fees, that are not clearly stated up front.
Bands make naff all from album sales nowadays so they claw it back via live shows. Add in a whole load of middle men and the fact that most of the bands mentioned above are terrible and lots of people like them, it makes for an eye-watering ticket price.
I'm off to see Blanck Mass next week for a somewhat healthier £13.20 inc booking fee. Good tunes, good people, sensible price.
I once paid over 500 quid to an eBay tout for a pair of tickets to see Pearl Jam at the Astoria (well, my wife did, but joint account and all that). No regrets. Fantastic gig.
Memories innit.
Why should a big act sellout a huge venue for £30 a ticket and then see them all resold the next day for £100+.
We might not like it but demand seems to be strong.
Just looking at the Stranglers, we paid £25+ delivery 2 years ago.
This year, £40.25 which is made of £37.50 + £2.75 Handling fee.
But going deeper, this appears - The ticket is £32.50, plus service charge at £4.10, plus Facility charge of £0.75 plus Handling fee of £2.75. Then also, a reasonable 70p for postage.
That is right taking the p, so much so that I probably wont bother.
It’s not the prices that pee me off. It’s the booking fees. I’m doing all the work when buying online. Why should I pay?
Being charged to print at home is a £$%^ing pisstake too.
This really does piss me off! If I’m booking online, then there’s no human interface, ie a bod sat holding a telephone, taking details, then posting the tickets out, and if I opt for printing or electronic ticket, then there should be a minimal booking fee; I’m not saying zero, because the agency still has the whole computer setup to maintain and keep running, which costs money, as Mark and Cougar will attest.
Things like licensing, business rates and a whole raft of other costs that venues have to pay in order to keep afloat , as well as things like fuel costs for artists all conspire to make ticket prices higher than they used to be.
Back in 1974, things were certainly cheaper...
I think ticket prices for 'big' bands have been high for ages. I think tickets for the Cream reunion gigs back in 2005 were something like £90 but I'm glad I went. I don't go to many gigs, (spare money is thin on the ground) but the last 2 I went to were ~£30 each (Johnny Marr, Richard Thompson) and well worth it.
The ticket for the next gig I'm going to cost me £8.50 and I'm pretty sure it'll be ace too (Mr Ben & the bens)
Not sure what my point is really. Music is ace 🙂
I guess I could offset it against how much I don't spend on records/tapes/cd's nowadays. Streaming has certainly saved me a bucket. £50 a month would have been in the ballpark for music bitd. And I do (vaguely) remember most of the gigs I've been to, moreso than a pile of albums I've bought.
Loving the 5p discount for NUS.
There are local bands playing non-pub rock you can see for less than a tenner. #support yr scene.
Touring bands are subject to a variety of surprising costs in the UK, one of the guys from Mastodon recently had a good rant about it (not UK specific) explaining how venues expect a cut of the merch and enforce a curfew so they can schedule a second event after the live music - and yeah, there are financial difficulties for most venues. But paying for the privilege of printing your own ticket is a con, as is ticket agents' practice of not refunding booking fees on cancelled dates - because they did their "work", even if the ticket they supplied is worthless to the buyer.
2 tickets for The Who next month cost me £152 for my eldest and the other for my mother as it’s her 70th birthday. Wish I’d bought 3 now as I’m very jealous. 1970s are over things aren’t cheap anymore and yes you can go and see a club singer for £5 if you want.
Around £80 for two tickets to see the Stereophonics in Leeds last month.
Here, I checked Ricky Gervais ticket prices… £185! one hundred and eighty five quid! Mental! For an evening of comedy!
Which comedian was on?
Which comedian was on?
Roger Daltry
No, you're not being tight. The fact that you've asked the question here shows that you know it's far too expensive...
Spend it on something more worthwhile, which may include other gigs...
Amen....
This is an interesting read...
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/41887390-rockonomics
As alluded to above, since digital streaming and sharing, very few artists make money from recorded music sales and rely on income from touring.
Years ago people toured to promote records, now people release records to encourage fans to pay to see them live.
This thread seems to sum up why I usually tend to stick to smaller venues and bands.
That said I saw Sabaton at Wembley this month for a very reasonable £42 (inc fees) and they blew my little socks off, the stage show was immense as well, I could feel the heat of the fireworks.
Seems the divider is whether a band are growing their fan base or looking to cash in on an existing (older, richer) one.
I just spent £90 for 2 tickets to see Paul Weller in November. £9 booking fee plus postage. Feel pretty ripped off and I'm not the biggest modfather fan but it's one of the only gigs I could take my wife to and it's a date night . So **** it. By Nov I ll have paid off the fees. I would have much preferred to have seen Michael kiwanuka in Blackpool but missus don't want to go.
since digital streaming and sharing, very few artists make money from recorded music sales and rely on income from touring.
It’s bollox, and i'm not repeating why.
Do you get a quid off if you bring the flyer?
It used to be that bands toured to get themselves known so they could sell records
Now that streaming has shafted the musicians it's the other way round & they get their income from touring
I've just forked out £33 for two tickets for robin Hitchcock at my local venue. I'll be going to see nick cave at Leeds arena in a couple of months, I think that was £65 a pop? I hope I'll enjoy each equally. The cave gig is the exception, it breaches my ticket price threshold/hassle of getting there and back/shite venue, but we're going cause we think, this time it's worth it. The "booking fee", "handling charge" stuff was always there, it's the fact that they still lead you in with a net price that is irritating.
Yes generally they do seem a bit ridiculous. However, this is self levelling.
If you want to see the Pixies enough you will happily pay the money. You're clearly caught in that opportunity costs zone of not being totally convinced.
Tickets are one thing that are definitely market led.
since digital streaming and sharing, very few artists make money from recorded music sales and rely on income from touring.
DezB sed> It’s bollox, and i’m not repeating why.
It differs from musician to musician, a lot of people aren't making much money any more, particularly those with less to invest in promotion. It's affecting those playing less conventional (or to my mind, more interesting) music greatly. Technology is accelerating us toward a boring future.
Bit of a turn in that my wife has said it'd be wasted on her so I'm considering going on my tod. Never been to a gig solo before and I don't think it bothers us, but feels strange nonetheless.
I paid £16 to see Dub Pistols last night and it was money well spent. However by the time I'd got the train and bought beers in the venue it was still nearly £70 for a night out.
74€ to see Paul Brady in Ireland plus £200 for hotels and £180 for the ferry ya pays your money and takes your choice or not.
Most I've paid was £50 a ticket to see Brian Wilson doing Smile at the RFH years ago.
That felt like a lot but living legend and all that, I thought.
It was a bit dull TBH.
There are just a few acts I'd pay that much to see now, but still probably wouldn't bother.
One of my favourite bands are touring this year.
I’m not going, not many people have heard of them and it’s over £35 a ticket.
Sorry, it’s just too much, that said, my band supported InMe (remember them!) in January and that was £15 a ticket so that was too expensive too.
It’s A Day To Remember if anyone is interested.
Over the years I guess I’ve been to gigs which have cost less than £10 and as much as £200, plus travelling hotels etc, but I can’t think of 1 that I regarded as a waste of money, I’ve enjoyed them all in 1 way or another.
Imho live music is very hard to beat and the 3 tickets on my shelf are all toward the lower end of that ( ish) incl fees =
Let’s Zep = £16.50
Dub Pistols = £17.50
Flaming Lips = £35.00
They’ll all be good/ great in different ways and I’ll have a great night out on each occasion
BUT
I still get folks who piss £100 up against a wall every weekend telling me I’m wasting money cos I could stream the music for free 🤔
Each to their own I guess, but I know which I prefer 🤗
johnners
Member
Ticket prices can be pretty heinous but paying the money ages in advance adds insult to injury. I tolerate a few months maybe but tickets have just gone on sale for Mogwai’s 2021 tour – the Roundhouse are after £35-£37.50 a pop. That’s spicy enough IMO but there’s 12% fees per ticket on top and the gig’s not until Feb 2021!
They did this once before, I think it's specifically because the tour takes in some pretty big venues (SECC in Glasgow frinstance) which they're not at all confident of selling out, so they're giving it a long run in
My g/f has just booked two tickets for her and her mum to see Les Mis at Bristol Hippodrome for £65 a ticket. This isn’t unusual for theatre tickets, as far as I’m aware, I’m not interested in the slightest, but Jo likes musicals, and her mum is involved with a theatre in Salisbury and was heavily involved with doing the costumes for a production of Les Mis so they’re really keen to go, which is fair enough.
I did pay somewhere around £55-60 for tickets to see King Crimson at the Royal Albert Hall last year, but it was their 50th Anniversary tour, I’d never seen them before, and I’d liked them for fifty years, so it was worth it.
I missed seeing Tom Waits in London ten, fifteen years ago, because tickets were £75, and I’ve regretted it ever since, it was a lot of money, but who knows when or if he’s ever going to perform here again?
Eric Burdon is still touring ... aged 78. Voice not what it was though.
richardkennerley
Subscriber
There’s expensive gigs and cheap gigs, just depends if you think it’s worth it.
This is basically it, you want to go and see established acts, that's the price. There's a multitude of gigs you can go to in the 15-30 quid range.
My ears are still ringing from seeing Tool last night. Tickets were £100, they sold out in a few hours and absolutely nobody left disappointed. Live music shows are some of my best and most vivid memories. A good gig is worth every penny.