Rockitt Rant – High Ticket Prices
For the first edition of Rockitt Rant, I have to bring up the high prices for concert tickets in 2009. It is getting WAY out of hand!
When the announcement came out that Cheap Trick, Def Leppard and Poison would be touring this summer, I knew there would be another fun summer show I would likely attend.
Last Thursday afternoon, I received the reminder about the show from Ticketmaster. I immediately went to the Ticketmaster site to check the ticket prices for this show.
Three Tickets 85.50 Each, Convenience charge per ticket 13.45, Building Facility Charge 3.50 per ticket.
Grand Total $279.45 for 3 tickets for Cheap Trick, Poison and Def Leppard.
I immediately clicked off of the Ticketmaster site, contacted my wife and informed her that we would NOT be going to see Poison this year. It is a shame, as we have enjoyed going the last couple of years. Enough is enough with the high ticket prices.
I am sure everyone is well aware of how crappy our economy is right now. It is affecting nearly everyone I know. It is either hitting them in their pocket book, or in their places of employment. Everyone is cutting back, as am I.
For three bands who haven’t had a hit in years, the cost of these tickets are absurd. Poison has managed to bring forth a couple of reasonably priced shows the last couple of years, both of which pretty good shows, and were well attended.
I can’t imagine that this year’s Poison show will have as many people.
I am sure having Def Leppard on the bill drove up the cost of the tickets, but I don’t think Mr. Elliott and company are worth another $40.00 to the ticket price. Too add fuel to the fire, Ticketmaster adds a whopping $49.85 to the cost of three tickets. This is highway robbery in my opinion. I am sure it will get even more costly with the Ticketmaster – Live Nation merger.
Def Leppard may be guilty of high ticket prices, but Motley Crue are no angels either. The recent tour with The Lost Vegas, Hinder, Theory of A Deadman and Motley Crue had an average ticket price of $95.00 each in the cities the played in.
Are hard rock fans stuck paying for the retirement funds of our favorite bands in 2009? I don’t know, but I won’t support a band in a live setting when their tickets are over priced like this. Vivian Campbell was recently quoted by Rolling Stone as saying “It’s more value for the people” when referring to the 2009 Def Leppard Tour Package with Cheap Trick and Poison. Sorry Viv, I fail to see the value when a single ticket sets a fan back $93.00.
Are you tired of paying the high prices for concert tickets? What is the most you have paid for a concert?
Danger Danger - Revolve
Lynch Mob - Smoke and Mirrors
Outloud! -S/T
Stryper - Murder By Pride
i feel sorry for you rockitt cuz last summer i saw poison and sebastian bach and the tickets were only 30 dollars a piece or something like that. I paid over 100 dollars a piece to go see acdc though and i thought that was worth it
Most of the problem is that bands don’t make $ from CDs anymore. So they have to find a way to offset album recording costs, hence the ticket prices & tours…
I wanted to see AC/DC @ MSG, but tickets were $110/ticket for the cheapest seats. I paid $75 for Metallica in January & that’s the most I’ve ever paid.
I AGREE 100% !!!!
Thanks to the ticket prices, I couldn’t see AC/DC on thier 1st night on tour in Wilkes Barre, PA in October. My 2 daughters were gonna go w/me..they LOVE AC/DC, because of me. Then I found out the prices were around $100 a ticket. That’s $300 to go to the show. AC/DC is worth it,..but I couldn’t afford it ): !!
I seen them in 2001 for $45 and I didn’t think prices would double in just 7 yrs.
The only affordable way to see a live show anymore is to hope that your favorite band goes on a club tour.
Small venues, small ticket prices.
Maybe Madoff would agree to underwrite some big name shows, to keep our costs down?
Concerts tickets are outrageous, but if you are a fan and want to see a band, what choice do you have. I paid $300 for two Van Halen tickets, and I figured I better pony up the cash now because the chance of Eddie and Dave getting along was slim. I also paid $200 for AC/DC tickets. If they wait another 8 years to tour, one of them may be dead by then. I just bought two lawn seats for the Leppard/Poison show. The “convienence” charge for each was $16 (and the tickets were $30 to start with). Thankfully, there are some reasonably priced shows still touring. Tesla tickets were $30 and Black Label Society seats are $40. I feel sorry for the younger generation. When I was in school, all the major shows were about $20. Kids today that like rock find a hard time trying to scrape together cash to go see a band live.