Does the Demand for AC/DC Tickets Prove Live Music Isn't Dead After All?

Does the demand for tickets to AC/DC's upcoming Black Ice tour prove the demand for live music isn't dead - or does it just say that people really love the Aussie rockers?

I keep going back and forth on my position about the ticket prices for the Black Ice shows. I know exactly how much money I've spent on music this year - and when I think of it that way, prices for AC/DC are on the lower end of the spectrum. I spent $200 and $300 a ticket to see Van Halen and George Michael respectively. Those prices are for one ticket - not a pair! So, even with the fanclub membership tacked on, I spent $250 for my two AC/DC seats. That's a lot of money when the economy sucks but I guess you have to pay if you want to see a certain band.

People are paying indeed.

I thought the days were gone where a single band could continually sell out venue after venue. I have to admit I'm intrigued watching this "AC/DC phenomenon."  It is exciting to me to think that people are still into live music enough to get online, get on the phone, get in the car and get ready to all buy seats at the exact same time for one particular band. I can imagine this was the case often in the 80s. I guess it all comes down to the thrill of the chase.

I can only imagine how much better this experience would be if people could actually wait all night at venues for tickets. The advent of the Internet sort of killed that vibe altogether. Sure, time is money and progress moves society forward - but you also lose a very special bonding experience through convenience.

So, is AC/DC just a rare band everyone wants to see? Is the economy not as bad as we are all led to believe? Is live music really not dead after all?

Comments

[Christian]

AC/DC is in a class of it's own, I don't think it proves anything about live music in general.

[r0ck0n]

yea...I think you're thinking too hard about this one. All we can logically derive from this is that people want to see AC/DC.

PS-Who said live music is dead? At least where I am, it seems to be thriving...

[Rob Rockitt, Hard Rock Hideout]

When it comes to hard rock, the only band bigger than AC/DC would be Led Zeppelin. I don't think another hard rock act could sell tickets as quick as either one of these bands.

As for AC/DC, I think a lot of people think this may be their last tour. They aren't calling it that (yet) but you never know.

I am glad I am going!

[Gary]

I've witnessed AC/DC live twice,on the Back In Black and For Those About To Rock tours.My guess is about 50% of these tickets are being sold to folks just like myself, repeat customers so to speak.THAT"S how freaking good these guys are live!They kick mondo ass live, as your all about to find out...

[Mike]

Lining up for tickets in the 80's definitely was not all that. I remember in 1986 getting up at 4am to get in line for Bon Jovi tickets to find when I got there about a hundred people already in front of me! Then when the ticket office finally opened at 9 or 10am they gave everybody random wristbands! So it didn't matter where you were in line anyway!!!

[MotleyCrue666]

Even though AC/DC are well AC/DC (possibly the biggest band on earth ever yes bigger than zeppelin) live music is still going good.

It's harder for new bands to go on like ratt and poison did just after 2 albums selling out arenas like 3 doors down after 4 big albums only at ampitheathers.

But Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Poison, AC/DC, Motley Crue are still doing great!

WE NEED A NEW ROCK BAND TO BE BIGGER THAN EVER TO LIGHT THE FIRE FOR MUSIC LIVE AND ON RECORD!

[Matty]

I think it comes down to AC/DC being a good band with a devoted following. Also, the fact that they havent toured in almost a decade. So the demand is there for them when they are on tour. If they had been touring year after year, I dont think the sales would be as surprising.

[Billykiss]

There is no strange behaviour to sold out concerts when talking AC/DC. The last time they played in Australia they sold out the Sydney Entertainment Centre for 7 straight days. I went to 5 of those shows and each performance was as good as the one prior or after. With ACCA DACCA it's just solid classic rock from begining to end and you must remember that the scope of the audience is so wide spread at their shows I've seen fathers taking kids that are still not even in high school to these shows. This just goes to prove how important these guys are in the history of rock and every father and mother would love to pass this lesson onto their children no matter how young they might be.

[Enda Mullen]

I don't even have many of their records anymore but without doubt AC/DC are one band I really would go out of my way to see and as such I queued for an hour and a half outside the LG Arena in Birmingham to get tickets last Friday, with no guarantee that everyone in the queue would get tickets. I succeeded thankfully. I saw them 12 years ago and have to say they were awesome. Good live rock is all about being live, the music transcending mere recordings to go into another dimension. For all their stripped down 12 bar boogie and relatively simple song constructs, that is exactly what AC/DC manage to do. I can't wait.

[organic moby wrap]

The last time they played in Australia they sold out the Sydney Entertainment Centre for 7 straight days. I went to 5 of those shows and each performance was as good as the one prior or after.

[devin]

it depends on the band, you see shit bands of pop and techno today can sell out. or even new good hard rock like a7x can, and people are lined up to see acdc iron maiden metallica motley and so on