The cost of live music

The cost of live music

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Mojooo

Original Poster:

12,668 posts

179 months

Wednesday 7th December 2016
quotequote all
Some gigs announced recently with some top prices being (not VIP prices but large sections of the normal seating or standing)

Guns N Roses £165
ELO £121
Robbie Williams £108
Adele £105
Rainbow £67
Even Marillion who only just sold tickets for under £35 are playing at the Albert hall for nearly £70.

There were numerous bands this year also charging near on £80 to £90 - examples being Bruce Springsteen and AC/DC.

I know these are all quite popular bands but basically is £70+ soon going to be the norm see any well established band.

I understand bands have to make a profit but some of this is taking the piss. I don't believe the price is down to the venue because often the same venue will host much cheaper gigs. I also understand inflation but ticket prices seem to be rising way to much in the last few years.

Some might say go and see cheaper bands but I am noticing the same trend at the lower end also!

Tom_C76

1,923 posts

187 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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There's no money in selling recorded music for a start. Blame Spotify et al.

But £70 isn't out of the way for the Albert Hall.

gazza285

9,780 posts

207 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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Dragging a 60kw pa, a set, and the people to rig it around isn't cheap.

Tom_C76

1,923 posts

187 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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gazza285 said:
Dragging a 60kw pa, a set, and the people to rig it around isn't cheap.
Indeed, the rehearsal place we were in last night do PA hire and were talking about £1k just in trucking costs for a setup at Brixton Academy.

wal 45

654 posts

179 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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This link was posted up (I think) on here a while back when exactly this observation came up, made really interesting reading and might go some way to explaining the cost of gigs now.

http://fishheadsclub.com/2013/01/29/touring/

In a previous job I worked away during the week and lodged, the house owner was on the management team of some very famous household name bands and it really opened my eyes to the music business despite being a fan for the best part of 40 years.

It amazed me how much risk the key members in bands carry, it seemed to be they had to stump up their own money in the first instance for setting up tours. It was in effect gambling on your popularity vs. venue size and length of tour, getting the right balance to gain the greatest return.

I still do lots of gigs and being honest very rarely do I begrudge the musician the cost of a gig ticket. Obviously vinyl has helped over the last couple years with income although it seems digital sales have gone totally the other way. From what I gleaned although Spotify etc. are considered necessary evils they don't pay the artists particularly well to compensate the fall in physical "cash across the counter" sales.

The thing that really brings home the shift in artist income is although our children are all reasonably keen music fans, their physical music collection is more or less nil. That said I do try to compensate in still buying vinyl or CD's, wish my wife understood my rationale!


Amused2death

2,491 posts

195 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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It's all relative though, inflation and currency etc. I don't think it's excessive. Last time I was at Wembley arena, way back in 1992 I think, I paid £35 to see Roger Waters. To go see his Wall tour the other year you could have got a decent seat for less than £100. Considering the kit that goes with them I doubt the artist is creaming off more, just that there is more expense involved in staging it. Everyone wants their cut.

Lotus Elan +2

455 posts

264 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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Last time Maiden played Liverpool.


Next year £65 at the Echo Arena.

jmorgan

36,010 posts

283 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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It gets worse as the secondary thieving gits get involved. Avoiding anything I cannot get face value and reasonable but even the booking fees are extracting the urine. Now secondary sales sites are geared up to make a right killing and remove the average fan from the mix, time they were shown what will happen come the revolution.

I understand the US are to try to limit secondary sniping?

popeyewhite

19,622 posts

119 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
quotequote all
Lotus Elan +2 said:
Last time Maiden played Liverpool.
Last time I saw Maiden was at Reading '80. The cost for the entire weekend (Rory Gallagher, UFO, Whitesnake, Maiden, Budgie etc) was £12.50.

Tom_C76

1,923 posts

187 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
quotequote all
popeyewhite said:
Lotus Elan +2 said:
Last time Maiden played Liverpool.
Last time I saw Maiden was at Reading '80. The cost for the entire weekend (Rory Gallagher, UFO, Whitesnake, Maiden, Budgie etc) was £12.50.
Last time I saw Oasis the ticket was £4. In 1994, in a pub.

Music is unquestionably getting more expensive, but then what isn't? I've got ticket stubs for the early V festivals at I think £50 for the weekend, that's now well over £100 and the music they put on now is ste... V96 was opened by the Stereophonics and headlined by Weller and Pulp.

Condi

17,088 posts

170 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
quotequote all
Lotus Elan +2 said:


Last time Maiden played Liverpool.


Next year £65 at the Echo Arena.
Take into account inflation and the £12 is now £27 in 2016 money.

But I agree, getting slightly more expensive but not overly. Pete Tong with the orchestra at the O2 was £45 a ticket, which considering the number of people involved, the awesome light and sound system, I thought was cheap.

Where there is a problem is the £45 ticket, PLUS the £7 'ticketing charge' and then a FURTHER £3 'delivery charge' when I print off the fking email!!

Z06George

2,519 posts

188 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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Whilst touring is expensive and there is no money in selling records, those ticket prices are silly. I saw Hans Zimmer in April for £70, complete with band, orchestra and choir. £100+ for me would be if it was final gig for a top tier artist/band IMHO.

smn159

12,448 posts

216 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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I bought a couple of tickets to see Aussie Pink Floyd recently - £46 each for a tribute band

popeyewhite

19,622 posts

119 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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smn159 said:
I bought a couple of tickets to see Aussie Pink Floyd recently - £46 each for a tribute band
Did you enjoy them? I thought BritFloyd was way better.

smn159

12,448 posts

216 months

Friday 9th December 2016
quotequote all
popeyewhite said:
smn159 said:
I bought a couple of tickets to see Aussie Pink Floyd recently - £46 each for a tribute band
Did you enjoy them? I thought BritFloyd was way better.
Well the tickets are for next year - I got them as they are playing fairly locally. I did see them a few years back in Oxford and I thought that they were OK.

Haven't seen BritFloyd - will investigate!

Tom_C76

1,923 posts

187 months

Friday 9th December 2016
quotequote all
smn159 said:
I bought a couple of tickets to see Aussie Pink Floyd recently - £46 each for a tribute band
That does seem pricey given we're off to see the Who for under £70 a ticket next year. Not that Daltrey and Townshend need the money I guess.

smn159

12,448 posts

216 months

Friday 9th December 2016
quotequote all
£39.50 for the tickets - rest is Ticketmaster taking their cut (no idea what a 'facility charge' is)

Ticket Price: £39.50 x 2 = £79.00
Service Charge: £4.08 x 2 = £8.16
Facility Charge: £1.25 x 2 = £2.50


Delivery Charge: £2.95
Total Charge: £92.61

eric twinge

1,614 posts

221 months

Friday 9th December 2016
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Just bought 3 tickets for Guns N Roses saturday 17th June:

Type: General Admission Ticket
Details: Price Level 2, Unreserved Standing
Ticket Price: £85.00 x 3 = £255.00
Service Charge: £9.95 x 3 = £29.85


£30 quid service charge!!!

droopsnoot

11,810 posts

241 months

Friday 9th December 2016
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Slightly O/T, but it annoys me that these ticket outlets have a cart system that seems to be way more primitive than anyone else's. For example, I want two tickets for a band, one at Liverpool, one at Manchester. I can't do anything other than two separate orders, with two separate booking fees and (most annoyingly when it seems to be relatively expensive) two separate P&P charges.

I read somewhere that the booking fee is the only profit the ticket agencies make, so I don't have a problem with it as such, but it does get a bit irritating when there is no way to make the best of them.

That said, I must be out of touch with gig prices in general as I hadn't realised stuff had got so dear. I figured that stadium bands brought in loads of money because they play in massive venues and sell loads of tickets, not because they also charge massive cover prices.

B17NNS

18,506 posts

246 months

Friday 9th December 2016
quotequote all
Just bought a couple of Gn'R tickets for the Saturday. Paid a little extra to be in the 'golden circle (presumably because that is where most of the piss bottles will get thrown about biggrin). £336.50 for the pair. When I saw them in Wembley in '91 the ticket was £18.50, sit or stand wherever you like. I guess bands don't make much money from selling records these days. The money comes from touring. Used to be the opposite. Cheapish gigs to encourage you to buy the music.