Concert Ticket Prices

[Goldtop]

How much is too much to pay for a live show? Everybody probably has a limit; what's yours?

Also, have you ever done the 'Diamond Package' thing where you pay through the nose to attend a meet and greet with a band? Would you ever buy one, and if so, for which act?

There is a limit to how much I would pay these days, for the simple fact that I'm on a fixed income and it only goes so far. But even if that wasn't the case, I'm only willing to spend so much to attend a show. And I've never bought my way into a meet and greet, and I never would. There's just something fundamentally wrong about that whole idea to me.

Lloyd/Goldtop/QoC

 

[andy474x]

Obviously it depends on a lot of factors - who's playing, budget, which seats, etc. I think for me the limit would be around $200 for an artist I REALLY like, decent seats at a good venue. Then again I'm a broke student, so take with a grain of salt. I was ready to pay a pretty good price if necessary to see Derek Trucks in Boston last month, but couldn't find anyone to go with me. Which really sucked. I guess the rest of the people my age were too busy listening to Coldplay and crying or whatever it is people do when they listen to Coldplay.
I'll tell you who I'd really like to be is the guy making all the profit from Ticketmaster. I bought 2 tickets to a show next month for $30 apiece, and the service fee was almost $10 per ticket, which is bogus IMO. I get that Ticketmaster has to make money somehow, but ripping me for $20 bucks when I ordered on their website and it took literally no effort on their part is tough to swallow. Maybe they have a good reason, if so I'd sure like to know what it is.

 

[Boogie]

My first arena concert cost $7.50 in 1979 and I spent $125 a piece to take my boys to see Van Halen's reunion tour a few years ago. Times are certainly different.

Oh, and when I hear Coldplay, I only hear someone ripping off Joe Satriani. Seriously, I'll never get that out of my head and instantly change the radio station.

 

[Albrecht Smuten]

Oh, and when I hear Coldplay, I only hear someone ripping off Joe Satriani. Seriously, I'll never get that out of my head and instantly change the radio station.

When I hear Coldplay, I feel like someone is trying to kill me with a plush hammer.

 

[themike]

Music is my life and with the lack of talent and creativity with my generation, I will do all I can to try and catch some of the true rockstars of yesteyear before they retire or leave us. My only real issue is the ticketing systems themselves - Ticketmaster/Live Nation sell their tickets to Stubhub, which they own, and allows them to sell them at unregulated prices. I also think a lot of convienience fees and venue fees are outrageous, too.

The most exensive tickets I ever bought were probably 2 tickets for Elton John a few years back. It was his 60th birthday and 60th show at MSG. The girlfriend at the time was a a huge fan and I think he rocks hard too so I did everything I could to make it happen and well a laptop sold, half a paycheck and 2 hour car ride to the buyer later - I had them! It was great - he was introduced by Bill Clinton and there was an intermission show that was a standup rounte from Billy Crystal, Robin Williams and Whoopie Goldberg.


The best concert experience of my life was following Nine Inch Nails on tour for 5 dates up the east coast in the summer of 2009. Got to hang out with the band twice and also watched the show from the stage. It was magic. Trent Reznor is the nicest person I think I've ever met in general, let alone a music icon of his stature but thats a thread oof its own.

 

[swede71]

Back in the day people actually bought records.Now most think music is free.That one reason tickets so expensive these days.Thats what artists make a living from.

 

[DRM_777]

I have a limit for basic concert tickets and it's around the £25 to £35 mark depending on who it is and what kind of show it is (Small clubs versus arenas/stadiums).

I've gone to great lengths to see some of my favourite artists over the years some of which has had fringe benefits of basically becoming friends with the band (Chimaira) and meaning I don't have to buy tickets any more and also get to hang out with the band when I go see them too.


I've seen Bon Jovi 5 or 6 times over the years. The first time was at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow back in 1996. The ticket was something like £17.50 and all you had to do get to the front was be there early enough (normally from around 7 or 8 am) in order to beat the queues.

Now they have this gold circle rubbish where they whore out getting into the front circle for a stadium gig for upwards of £150 a head. It's sickening and as much as I love Bon Jovi (despite their most recent releases being wishy washy rubbish more akin to Coldplay than anything else) I refuse to go and see them live ever again on the principal of it.


HOWEVER, just this past Friday my best friend Louise and I went and saw the amazing Devin Townsend Project (of whom Dave Young is a PRS player) in Glasgow and we paid around £80 for VIP tix, except not only did that get us a Meet & Greet with the band, but it got us a Limited edition VIP Goodie bag which also included a really nice DTP Work shirt like the band wear. You can't get them anywhere else and figured that the shirt would be worth £40 - £50 alone so the £80 was more than worth it in my opinion.

Oh and the show was amazing too!

So yeah, I'll happily pay extra for VIP stuff if it's actually worth it, but I'm never going to pay more than £35 odd for a basic ticket to see a band live.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I maxed out at $85 to see Earth, Wind, and Fire. Unless it's on my bucketlist $25 tops.

 

[alantig]

I believe I've topped out at about $115 to see the Who last month. The only meet & greet I paid extra for was Kevin Smith, but that included his latest book and a signing.

I don't have a hard dollar limit in mind, but each big show is definitely weighed between how much and how much I want to see the artist in question. I've become much more a club/small venue guy lately. Aside from it being cheaper, it cuts down on the moron factor significantly.

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

I wouldn't pay more than £100 a ticket. Even at that it has to be a special such as near the front or an act that rarely tours.

There's maybe a couple of acts out there that may prompt me to go over that. A reformed Floyd would be one of them.

 

[László]

For concerts, slogging through the crowd, the parking hassles, and the bad sound really limit the shows I'd be interested in to very few artists. As for the bucks involved, it'd depend on the artist. Or if was entertaining a client for my production company.

And I like Coldplay. A lot.

So there.

 

[andy474x]

And I like Coldplay. A lot.

So there.

Whoops, sorry Les!

 

[Artist]

Couldn't believe it when my boss was telling me how he just paid $190 for TAYLOR SWIFT tickets for his daughters and wife as Christmas present.

I think the most I have paid for a single ticket is 120 and was literally touching Aerosmith's feet at the catwalk.

Only Meet and Greet was recently to a Collective Soul show. It was $150 including tickets and "VIP" seating, which I thought was good compared to others I have seen. Hand signed posters. The full band spent time individually with each person privately, listened and got to a full conversation with you. At the end a photographer would take a picture at the center of the stage that you could download afterwards. Was really worth it for me.

 

[bluefade]

Back in the day,records cost the same as the concert tickets. this would be circa. 60's & 70's. 7-10 bucks. Groups like santana,hendrix,jefferson airplane,jethro tull,etc. Somtimes, it's good to be an old fart!!