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Concert/gig ticket prices

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago

Am I the only one who feels the prices of tickets for concerts or gigs is getting a bit over the top??

You see an artist you like announces a tour, fire up the laptop thinking I fancy that, then see the prices of the tickets and think how much!!???

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

you arent the only one, but as long as the tickets keep selling the prices will keep rising

thankfully you can still catch so amazing upcoming bands in wonderful venues across the country for little more than the price of a couple of pints

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I agree it's getting a bit much, but understand why it happens. Venue costs go sky high with additional security measures and running costs, someone has to foot the bill.

I'd rather see more robust measures taken against touting so more fans get to attend for face value.

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By *emini ManMan
over a year ago

There and to the left a bit


"I agree it's getting a bit much, but understand why it happens. Venue costs go sky high with additional security measures and running costs, someone has to foot the bill.

I'd rather see more robust measures taken against touting so more fans get to attend for face value."

This completely - especially the thing about anti-tout measures

To be honest gig prices are comparable to theatre/sporting event prices so don't necessarily think they're too far off the mark and whilst we'd all like things to be cheaper on the whole I don't think they're too bad. For instance I was looking at Kasabian tickets recently and they were under £50 for floor standing (before booking fees) which for a top act I don't think is too exorbitant.

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago

Couldn't agree more, though not an up and coming band was lucky enough to see Bellowhead twice in the last 14 months. Left both gigs thinking £18 ticket price was far too cheap!!

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By *ce WingerMan
over a year ago

P.O. Box DE1 0NQ


"you arent the only one, but as long as the tickets keep selling the prices will keep rising

thankfully you can still catch so amazing upcoming bands in wonderful venues across the country for little more than the price of a couple of pints "

^ This, I go to local pubs/clubs, you can actually see the band without the aid of binoculars, and you get a decent pint at a reasonable price that is served by a friendly barmaid in an actual glass, not some bendy plastic

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"you arent the only one, but as long as the tickets keep selling the prices will keep rising

thankfully you can still catch so amazing upcoming bands in wonderful venues across the country for little more than the price of a couple of pints

^ This, I go to local pubs/clubs, you can actually see the band without the aid of binoculars, and you get a decent pint at a reasonable price that is served by a friendly barmaid in an actual glass, not some bendy plastic "

Playing first gig with my new band just before Christmas Exciting

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By *ce WingerMan
over a year ago

P.O. Box DE1 0NQ


"you arent the only one, but as long as the tickets keep selling the prices will keep rising

thankfully you can still catch so amazing upcoming bands in wonderful venues across the country for little more than the price of a couple of pints

^ This, I go to local pubs/clubs, you can actually see the band without the aid of binoculars, and you get a decent pint at a reasonable price that is served by a friendly barmaid in an actual glass, not some bendy plastic

Playing first gig with my new band just before Christmas Exciting "

Oh aye, spill the beans then

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

That and the ridiculous ‘admin fee’ when you book. Seriously, if it costs them that much to administer a ticket, they need to have a long hard look at themselves.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"That and the ridiculous ‘admin fee’ when you book. Seriously, if it costs them that much to administer a ticket, they need to have a long hard look at themselves. "

Or the fact you get the tickets through and realise you actually didn’t pay face value and got ripped off. Thanks Viagogo. Meant to be an official ticket agent.

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By *emini ManMan
over a year ago

There and to the left a bit


"That and the ridiculous ‘admin fee’ when you book. Seriously, if it costs them that much to administer a ticket, they need to have a long hard look at themselves.

Or the fact you get the tickets through and realise you actually didn’t pay face value and got ripped off. Thanks Viagogo. Meant to be an official ticket agent. "

Would never use Viagogo, they've been pulled up a number of times for sharp practices

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"you arent the only one, but as long as the tickets keep selling the prices will keep rising

thankfully you can still catch so amazing upcoming bands in wonderful venues across the country for little more than the price of a couple of pints

^ This, I go to local pubs/clubs, you can actually see the band without the aid of binoculars, and you get a decent pint at a reasonable price that is served by a friendly barmaid in an actual glass, not some bendy plastic "

I prefer a HOT barman

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By *icky-discoMan
over a year ago

oxford


"Am I the only one who feels the prices of tickets for concerts or gigs is getting a bit over the top??

You see an artist you like announces a tour, fire up the laptop thinking I fancy that, then see the prices of the tickets and think how much!!??? "

Yes I had a look at Neil young tickets a few years back they were £94 my mate went to see Micky flannigan recently £180 for 2

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Sister looking at Billy Joel tickets for next summer and you're looking at £100 a pop. Pricey but I guess if he doesn't tour the UK much you're gonna be paying a premium.

Think our Foo Fighters tickets are £78 for next year but worth every penny... saw them in Chicago 2 years ago and BY FAR the best live gig I've ever been to.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Arena ticket prices are over the top. Luckily for me, I like underground metal, so I get away with it. I did see aswad charging twenty five quid a ticket for their gig a couple of years ago. they ended up dropping the prices, because nobody in Leeds wanted to pay that to see aswad.

It's merch prices that get me. Shirts and hoodies are way overpriced

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By *eavenNhellCouple
over a year ago

carrbrook stalybridge

gigs touring and merchandise are the big money earners for bands now album/single sales & download generate little proffit due to the amount of piracy so they are going to milk gig ticket sales for all they can whilst they can

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Precisely, artists took a real hit from everyone illegal downloading and then streaming came along which whilst it's now slowing starting to be fruitful for years artists earned relatively little from it. In order to survive all artists now need to be on the road. It's their bread and butter. Tours are expensive... It's fair game (Felmingham am artist business management team)

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Precisely, artists took a real hit from everyone illegal downloading and then streaming came along which whilst it's now slowing starting to be fruitful for years artists earned relatively little from it. In order to survive all artists now need to be on the road. It's their bread and butter. Tours are expensive... It's fair game (From an artist business management team)

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Back in 97 I paid £35 to see U2 at Roundhay Park in Leeds, fast forward to 2000, I paid £500 to see them at Slane Castle, that did include two nights bed and breakfast in Dublin but that was the only way I could get the tickets, and I had to ring Canada for that deal!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

The other main issue is third party ticket agencies. Until the promoters are banned from selling to them the issue remains. The artists dont get their share of these exorbitant prices (Though a couple of big artists have successfully managed to force promoters to hand over 150 percent of the face value to average it out). In addition, the song writers don't get there share of these too.

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By *emini ManMan
over a year ago

There and to the left a bit

It IS still possible to see big name bands for a reasonable price (as I said up thread recently saw Kasabian tickets for around £40 before fees, and just last night Royal Blood ones for under £40) - the problem is the sharp practices of artists/promoters/ticket agencies that all add to that price with extortionate booking fees, onward sales to secondary ticket agencies (many of whom are owned by the primary ones - GetMeIn for example is owned by Ticketmaster I think).

Then there is the greed of some gig goers who will buy four tickets when they only want two and sell the others at an inflated price to effectively go to a gig cheaper themselves.

Until those practices are stopped prices will remain higher.

The other thing of course is us the public continuing to be willing to pay those prices - if we took a stance and refused to pay inflated prices then they'd soon drop, but that's never going to happen as the desire to see bands will always win out for some.

There are some bands though who either keep their prices reasonable or take measures to stop secondary sales - just wish more would follow suit.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Artists do not sell to secondary ticket agencies. Period. They do not benefit from the higher prices those guys charge. One day the law in the UK will change and this will stop.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I'd love to know what measures you'd recommend that a band could make to stop secondary ticket sales?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

As long as someone is willing to pay over the odds, double even triple the face value price.

There’s always going to be someone selling.

Supply & demand.

It does need sorting out though.

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By *emini ManMan
over a year ago

There and to the left a bit

Actually there are a number of cases where it's been shown that artists (or at least their management) have been involved in sharp practices in collusion with the secondary ticketing market including allocation of tickets to that market or agreeing to take a percentage of sales from that market.

As for how you stop it, there are any number of ways to limit it (as unfortunately I don't think it can be wiped out completely), including limiting the number of sales to an individual, requiring the credit card the ticket was bought with to be shown for entry along with the ticket, the ticket having the name of the purchaser on (which then has to match ID required for entry) and various other actions of a similar nature.

Sure those are still leaving it open to some secondary sales, but they restrict the ability to do so - and yes they may require extra measures that may add a couple of quid to the face value and longer queues to get into a venue - but I'm sure most genuine gig goers would accept that in exchange for being able to get face value tickets rather than being forced to get secondary market ones.

Some artists (Iron Maiden, Foo Fighters, Kate Bush to name a few) have used some of the above which have virtually wiped out the secondary sales of their tickets.

Ultimately though, the practice is allowed to continue because it's not illegal, so perhaps a change in legislation would be the answer - however a government study recently made "recommendations" for self-regulation by the ticketing industry only and stopped short of taking direct action.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Just laid £109 for peter kay tickets

Took almost 2 hours of constant refreshing but second hand sales were already nearly £300 per ticket!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Ticket prices are pretty much irrelevant. They all sell out in seconds and then it's tout prices.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It's getting over the top. Ticketmaster and actually getting the tickets is becoming a problem too. I understand they have to try and block robots and touts but by the time you've gone through the security measures you've almost lost the bloody things!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

People not buying music doesn't help ... artists get a lot from a live gig.

The recently announced weekender in Warrington is a bargain !!

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By *arnsleycouple7683Couple
over a year ago

Barnsley

Yes it's expensive.

I went to see Depeche Mode on Friday in Manchester and paid nearly £80 for my ticket.

I had to go on my own because we couldn't justify buying a second ticket for hubby as he's not much of a DM fan.

So I was Billy-No-Mates all night.

Amazing gig mind you, but yeah very expensive.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Bands make nothing from recorded music these days it's all about live music and merch, So I get that gigs are getting more and more expensive but i still don;t understand why gigs and festivals are significantly cheaper in Europe

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By *eavenNhellCouple
over a year ago

carrbrook stalybridge


"Bands make nothing from recorded music these days it's all about live music and merch, So I get that gigs are getting more and more expensive but i still don;t understand why gigs and festivals are significantly cheaper in Europe"
because the promoters know that we are stupid enough to pay the stupid prices look at sports events on the continent also sigifickly cheaper

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