Ticket Stress
Monday, March 31, 2008 at 12:01AM Scoring concert tickets can be very serious business - especially considering the outrageous prices, fees and usually (illegal) seating system.
This morning, I will attempt to buy presale seats for George Michael's first North American tour in 17 years. I predict hysteria when I log on to Ticketmaster. Sadly, my dear George isn't coming anywhere near Ohio - and when he does make his one Midwestern stop to Chicago I'll be en-route to Rocklahoma. This means planning an entire trip around a concert with tickets already priced in the hundreds of dollars.
Glam fans I am stressed. I think it sucks that seeing George is going to cost me an arm and a leg. It's bad enough paying for a plane ticket these days. The concert itself will break me. Still, I don't want to miss the opportunity to see George Michael perform "Freedom" live. You see, George has always been on my list of artists to see before I (they) die. I figure every die hard music fan has such a list. Other artists on my list include SIXX:AM and Eric Clapton. I recently crossed Van Halen with David Lee Roth off my list - and I'll be seeing them for the second time next month right here in Ohio.
So back to George and this trip planning. The fan club onsale is in a few hours. I still don't know which city I am going to, nor do I have a flight or hotel selected after I get the tickets. I'm appalled at how much everything costs these days. I mean, a can of soup is nearly two dollars! Milk and gas are nearly four dollars a gallon respectively. It's all becoming too much. I've complained about high ticket prices before - but something has to give. Festivals like Rocklahoma and South Texas are cheap compared to single act "big draw" shows. If you think about it - I'm getting four days of entertainment at Rocklahoma for the same price as spending two hours with George Michael!
I suppose I can preach all day long. Ticket prices won't drop and I'll still go to shows and buy merchandise because I support artists.
I apologize for the rant but I am plain exhausted and a little stressed on this Monday morning. Please, share with me your "must-see in concert" list.
Allyson B. Crawford
Here's an update: I got my tickets! I'll be seeing George Michael from the 5th row in Philadelphia. I may need to sell a kidney to pay for this once in a lifetime experience...but whatever. You only live once.
Oh yes: the fan club presale sold out in just minutes. I count myself very lucky.
Reader Comments (16)
My best comparison is $50 for a very close seat at The Fleet Center in Boston for the KISS Reunion Tour in 1996 bought through the box office.....$100 for the Rock The Nation Tour with Poison in 2004 and that was face value! Add the fees and it was around a $120.
I used to go to dozens of shows a year, especially in the summer, but things are way too pricey and I've cut way down. This year I've already skipped The Station Nightclub concert and I am planning on skipping Def Leppard (saw them last summer) and Van Halen. I did buy Billy Joel tickets at $100 a pop for his last show at Mohegan Sun for my wife and I and I just grabbed a pair of Iron Maiden tix for their summer show at the Tweeter for $68 (incl fees).
The last few years I've passed on tix to Rush, Bob Segar, and Jimmy Buffet (my wife went, I stayed home - $120 a ticket) but I have still gone to many shows and paid serious bucks. It's all about how much is too much.....and which show is more important. I grabbed two Hannah Montana tickets in the first 5 rows the day of her show in Providence and even those were $75 face value! It was an important show for my daughter.
Some things I have done to lessen the expense: print the tix at home, saves the shipping fees. Fill out any email survey from LiveNation or an arena, I saw Heaven & Hell for free at the Tweeter last summer. Buy when there is a radio station deal, I just had the opportunity to buy a 2 for 1 deal on the upcoming Def Leppard show thru the local Rock station. Last but not least, go to the arena the morning of the show and pick up tix, they always open up tix the day of the show and you can get good seats at face value.
Steve
Heavy Metal Addiction
http://hardrockheavymetal.wordpress.com/
Here's a tour question though...do you really think the Crue will tour this summer? I noticed that Vince Neil has a lot of solo dates this summer and it doesn't seem like there would be enough time to do a decent tour. Unless it goes into the fall or something.
As far as ticket prices and options go, I'm starting to think that it depends on where you live. When I lived in IN, no one hardly came around because of the locale. If they did, you had to go to a large venue, and the tickets cost too much. And then you have the rape fees. And the extensive travel time because said large venues are far away.
I moved to CA in y2k, and I now rarely pay over $30 for a concert ticket, and pretty much refuse to do so unless it's something I just can't miss (like...George!, which actually might be worth trying to score a ticket for). It probly helps that I live 15 mins away from San Francisco, and there are numerous clubs and venues at my disposal. This year, I've seen Information Society for $20, Tesla for $30, PUSA for $16, and Bob Mould for $22, Rush for $30, and there's an upcoming Maiden show for $25. Also in this area, a lot of the venues have stopped using Ticketmaster, seeing the evil for what it is. Lots of places have started using sites like In-ticketing, ticketweb, and tickets.com. I'll pay a $2 fee over a $20 fee any day!
As far as my dream shows go: Since moving to CA (and having seen a few gems before moving like Dio, Def Leppard, Poison, Van Hagar, and GnR, Metallica, and FNM in 92'), I've seen just about everyone I've ever wanted to see. I should probly put together a list at some point so I can read it and remember when I'm 80. I am very fortunate to live where I do. I ignore the cost of rent because of this :P. But, I'm a happy camper, and that's what counts!
I'll never get my dream one because Freddie Mercury's dead, but I've seen Guns N Roses, Motley Crue and Alice Cooper (with Motorhead and Joan Jett - very good night!) so that's my main ones covered. I'd like to see Poison but goodness knows if they'll ever make it back over to the UK, its been years since they were here.
I must say though, I'm not that keen on the big arena gigs anymore. Sure, for people like GNR and the Crue I'll go, but I far prefer club gigs and I've seen some heroes of mine up close and personal that way - Hanoi Rocks most recently but also the likes of LA Guns (with Tracii), Faster Pussycat (2007 Brent Muscat version), Tigertailz, WASP, etc. It's cheaper, more intimate, and I don't feel ripped off by the likes of Ticketmaster, which is how I always feel with areans.
slash (in any band)
iron maiden
whitesnake
the cult
jason & the scorchers
probably a few who will never reunite, then again the police did so go figure. a lot who i'd see if it was convenient but otherwise i'm not worried. i will always go see rush, alejandro escovedo and tesla if at all humanly possible. other than that i'll see bands locally and try not to spend a ridiculous amount of money on tickets.
As for seeing artist before I die? Perhaps before they die. Tony Bennett would be neat to see even if his voice is no where near his peak, (Of course, most of what I listen to is made by the now deceased). But I'm not sure who I'd really want to see in concert, but most everyone I'd go see probably has an AARP card.
I don't see paying such high ticket prices, but I suppose if there were not as big of a demand, then they would lower ticket prices. I would rather just go into work on a Saturday night, especially when the weather is nice and there's cold beer in the fridge and...
..ok, I cannot lie to you any longer..if Greg Page would do a reunion tour with the Wiggles...now, that would be a kick ass concert..at least for my friend's four year old. I'm not a closet Wiggles fan..at least not in the George Michael kind-of-way. "Not that there's anything wrong with that."