The price of concert tickets today.... What's your take?

[Bratwurst7s]

Bonnamassa has an impressive robust inventory of live video performances on DVD & Blu Ray. Not just recorded events but great sounding discs. (IMHO & based on others I own .. it sets the standard). So I can understand your point of view on that.

It's a damn shame that more artists don't have a similar inventory for sale .. which I don't really understand. Some fans are lucky to have one well recorded video concert of their favorite Artist. Bonamassa fans have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to that.

As for me .. looking forward to the Concert. Seeing a live show at the historic Ryman (small venue/Old Grand Ole Opry) and Joe Bonamassa "live" (at least once) is a double bucket list item for me .. two birds w/ one stone.

Enjoy the show! Joe always puts on a good show, gotta say that for sure. And concerning his DVD's, the Albert Hall show video is simply fantastic, both in SQ and MQ. I saw him a few weeks after that show and he was obviously still on a high about it. He talked about what a great time that it was and you could tell that he was in a good mood, the concert was the best that I've ever seen him, and he played an extra long set, usually it's just about exactly 2 hours but he went a good bit longer that night.

Cheers,
James

 

[bigaltx24]

Back in the day scalping was illegal, now they call scalpers resellers, makes it legal that way I guess. I don't mind paying $100 a ticket for a band I want to see, but when they tack on another $30 or so for fees, that chaps my ass. I get that in our new paradigm of streaming and downloading music the artists are getting screwed. The only way for them to make money is from selling tickets. I would be willing to bet the ticket services and resellers are making more from a concert than the artist. Nowadays I only go to small clubs, tickets reasonable and so is the alcohol.

 

[Chrisxo55441]

i saw the rolling stones and paul mccartney concerts when they were in town a few years ago i paid around $500 to both for my wife and i. mccartney had no warm up band and did a 41 song 3 hour set so at least he tries to give you your moneys worth. stones put on a great show too so i have no complaints

 

[BOUXY]

"paul mccartney"
Ridiculous prices! For all the money he has made from fans you would think he would give back in the form of cheap tickets for these fans who have given him a life he couldn't have imagined ever.As long as he covered all his expenses for his shows he doesn't need any profits now with all the money he as made and has in the bank now period

 

[DaveVoorhis]

I listen to live music in bars and open mike nights and from street musicians and in my home. If it's organised enough to have tickets, I'm generally not interested.

 

[Andyman]

I don't go to many shows anymore as the prices are too high. One of my last shows was BB King 80th Birthday Tour w/ Joe Bonamassa, and Kenny Wayne Shepard at DTE here in 2005. Went with Grumpy and Ernie on those $12 or so discount lawn seats.

$300+ these days? I might pop that to take my wife to see Paul McCartney as she's a big fan and I never saw any of The Beatles, but I can't think of anyone else I'd drop $100 on, especially in a stadium.

 

[Brett a]

Seems the price of a show is inversely proportional to the intimacy of the experience. If you pay $300 for one ticket, it's not likely you're going to actually "see" the performer -at least not from any closer than 1k feet away. You just get to stand with 30k other fans and watch a giant screen. I don't go to shows like that no matter who it is. IMO, it's no better than not going.

Most of the live music I go to, I have the opposite issue. I see someone I absolutely love such as Sam Baker, Aldous Harding, Men I Trust, or Bodega, I think why are they only charging $12? If it's a 300 person room, they're only grossing $3,600. And how much of that can the performers be getting? And after they pay their own travel expenses, how are they paying their rent or mortgages?

 

[Steve.]

I would love to see a concert this summer but tickets are ridiculous. I live about 20 min from Great Woods in Mansfield MA... thats what i knew it as. It officially comcast or xfinity center now. The last few shows I saw were tickets I won on the radio. How can the average person afford $500 or $600 for a pair of tickets? My first concert was the Kinks in 82 or 83, it was $12.50.... l get inflation, but come on....

 

[Mamrak1]

The last concert I went to was for Rush. When the band came onstage everyone stood for the remainder of the evening. These sixty year old knees can’t take that punishment anymore. My wife and I left shortly after intermission. Life’s lessons learned.

 

[Andyman]

Part of the issue with prices is supply and demand. A lot of fans of these bands are older now and with kids grown, mortgages paid and a shorter time line, they are willing and able to spend to see acts that bring back the memories. That would be my deal with McCartney for my wife, as I'd like his Beatle stuff myself.

I saw a LOT of bands back in our primes (late '60s to early '80s), and am happy with those memories. That being said, I may cough up $35 for lawn tickets to see a couple local shows this year, Willie Nelson, ZZ Top w/Cheap Trick, and Santana w/ the Doobies, who have done the same basic show for 30 years, but I like the Michael McDonald free band.

 

[sqlsavior]

Saw Elton John at the height of his popularity for maybe $12 in '76. Saw Bob Dylan about 3 days after he was named for the Nobel prize for Literature, with my wife, for about $200. I enjoyed both, and thought they were good values.

Awhile ago I noticed a store in a photograph named Profit Center Hypermarket. Not kidding. Maybe they handle the expensive concerts..

 

[alteclipsch]

We went to see Ringo Starr and his "all star band" a couple of years ago, and we spent way too much for it. We got old has-been guitarists from toto and santana; and todd rundgren in tights with his gut hanging out and yellow-streaked hair, all stupidly jumping around stage with painful looks when they did their obligatory solos. It was embarrassing to watch. These guys should hang it up. They were great in the 60s and 70s, but in THEIR 60s and 70s, not so much. My opinion.

 

[Condorsat]

Least expensive concerts I ever attended was down South at a Buy Low (Grocery chain) Food fair in the late 1980's in Ashville NC. Not sure what the average concert ticket prices were back then but it was way higher than what I paid at the time .. remember that.

One of the acts featured was Conway Twitty. If memory serves me well .. cost $5 per ticket .. I was expecting a quick 30 minute show but he did a solid hour and a half set .. and for all intents & purposes was like a regular concert you pay full price for. Conway passed away young (59) several years latter and this concert was an event me & my wife will always fondly remember.

 

[Djcoolray]

Me too, I’m glad I went to all those concerts month after month at “The Day On The Green” at the Oakland Coliseum. I know that I spent thousands of dollars doing it.....but, it was the best of all times...in a place and time that was the best to be. I just believe that concerts are best done when your young with a hot young thing and a cool hot rod as part of the experience. Being with a total group of young people acting the fool and getting high at a concert making your girl friend laugh while listening to the music and paying less than a hundred bucks for box seats. Then the tailgate party in the parking lot with the band....

It’s just not the same thing.....then, I’m not even the same and neither is the band !! Then you have to pay more ???



For those that never got the chance why not.....

 

[Will S.]

We went to see Ringo Starr and his "all star band" a couple of years ago, and we spent way too much for it. We got old has-been guitarists from toto and santana; and todd rundgren in tights with his gut hanging out and yellow-streaked hair, all stupidly jumping around stage with painful looks when they did their obligatory solos. It was embarrassing to watch. These guys should hang it up. They were great in the 60s and 70s, but in THEIR 60s and 70s, not so much. My opinion.

There are very few artists of the rock era who have been able to continue to produce vital, relevant music beyond their prime. I'm not moved by nostalgia so I mostly avoid that kind of thing. I did end up going to see the current version of ARS because my wife picked up tickets, though.

 

[hjames]

I think we saw the beginning of the 2016 All Starr Band Tour and tho the seats weren't great, every one of the artists on stage nailed it.
I'm not a huge Rundgren fan (I saw Utopia in the mid-70s), but he did well, as did Greg Rolle, Steve Lukather - and ...
My God, Ringo was excellent - in late 70s and - the energy that guy has on stage!
Anyway, we had a blast! Same thing with Crosby Stills and nash the same year - early stop on the tour and they were magical.

But - Moody Blues 50th anniversary of Days of Future past - waste of money - they phoned it in! Drummer Graham Edge had a regular drummer doing most of his bits, poor Roy Thomas had recently died, and Lodge and Hayward were good - but - same old same old ... "50 years on ..."

We went to see Ringo Starr and his "all star band" a couple of years ago, and we spent way too much for it. We got old has-been guitarists from toto and santana; and todd rundgren in tights with his gut hanging out and yellow-streaked hair, all stupidly jumping around stage with painful looks when they did their obligatory solos. It was embarrassing to watch. These guys should hang it up. They were great in the 60s and 70s, but in THEIR 60s and 70s, not so much. My opinion.

 

[Quadman2]

I guess to a large degree, after reading several posts re. the "high priced live events vs the pre-recorded", it boils down to what the individual is gonna spend, whether they can afford it or not. Age too comes into the buying equation.

Outdoor/large venues have their place, but in many cases it depends upon the showmanship of the band/performer. Some do a great job, with all the special effects that go along with it, while others just go through the ritual from city to city...prob half way in the circuit to just wanting to get it over with. Mind you some artists still live for the adulation/appreciation of the crowd, but when money's not the reason to get up there and do it right, night after night...it must really end up being more of a chore. Maybe the divorces come into this music equation, eh?

If faced today with a chance to see say, The Doors, Grateful Dead, Jimmie H., etc., not sure how high I would go on the ticket prices. There's some that I wished I had been able to attend to hear/see them in person.

Q

 

[GYMusic]

These days, the only way an artist is going to make a good living in the music business is touring. Touring is very expensive. Crews to pay, gear cartage, insurance. Audiences piss and moan about high ticket prices and they're the ones drunk on their *ss **cking with their device all night.

 

[Mamrak1]

I think we saw the beginning of the 2016 All Starr Band Tour and tho the seats weren't great, every one of the artists on stage nailed it.
I'm not a huge Rundgren fan (I saw Utopia in the mid-70s), but he did well, as did Greg Rolle, Steve Lukather - and ...
My God, Ringo was excellent - in late 70s and - the energy that guy has on stage!
Anyway, we had a blast! Same thing with Crosby Stills and nash the same year - early stop on the tour and they were magical.

But - Moody Blues 50th anniversary of Days of Future past - waste of money - they phoned it in! Drummer Graham Edge had a regular drummer doing most of his bits, poor Roy Thomas had recently died, and Lodge and Hayward were good - but - same old same old ... "50 years on ..."

I stopped paying attention to the Moody Blues once keyboard player Mike Pinder left the band.

 

[hjames]

I stopped paying attention to the Moody Blues once keyboard player Mike Pinder left the band.

Pinder was a loss, no more big concept albums after he left, but they did have some good songs like Driftwood, The Voice, and Your Wildest Dreams after he left.
But now that Roy Thomas is gone ...