Got Tickets to a Must-See Concert? Here's Why You Paid So Much
By: Madison Gray


With the economy being the way it is, it's difficult to justify the purchase of tickets at $200 a pop for good seats at a concert that doesn't even take place until next year. But because NewsFeed loves R&B songstress Sade to a point somewhere beyond fandom, and possibly to obsession, it makes it more than worth it to jump on the bandwagon to get tickets for her 2011 "Soldier of Love" tour.

Come on, the lady wrote the lyric: "If you were mine, I wouldn't want to go to heaven." Gasp and swoon.

Anyway, such an exorbitant ticket price leaves the curiosity over what exactly you're paying for when you buy concert tickets, which can make more money for artists than album sales in some cases. According to Gary Bongiovanni, editor-in-chief of concert industry trade publication Pollstar, it depends on the artist and the cost can vary significantly from one show to another.

"In general, most of that money goes to the artist," he explained. But assuming that 60% is taken in by the performer, the artist has to pay their own crew and staff. "Then there's transportation expenses, housing, then depending on the size of the tour there are buses, trucks, equipment, then there are agent and manager commissions."

From there, Bongiovanni said, the 30 or 40% left goes to staging the shows locally and that means renting venues like the Izod Center in East Rutherford N.J.; O2 Arena in London or the Staples Center in Los Angeles, then paying for advertising, security, catering, the actual cost of producing the show, and paying the promoter -- who actually gets a relatively small percent of the gross. "From the artists' standpoint, the more shows they work, the more shows they can amortize that cost over."

And this doesn't even include the booking, shipping, printing and other fees that are tacked on to the original price of the ticket, which can run as much as $70.

This means artists have to sell tickets to put people in arena seats. Bongiovanni said rockers AC/DC has the record for selling the most concert tickets. But the Rolling Stones, who have been giving retirement tours for nearly 20 years have the all time gross at $162 million for their 2005 "A Bigger Bang" tour.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/10/19/got-tickets-to-a-must-see-concert-heres-why-...

" ... plain and simple the increases in ticket prices dramatically increased in the late 1990's, and didn't reflect inflation or the costs associated with the costs of touring.   "

Correct Poi dog ..... !!!!!!


...and it was Don Henley and the Eagles who started all these exorbitant ticky prices with their " Hell Freezes Over Tour  " in the mid - 1990's .

Joey " Don " Henley ! ™

" because people pay  ...... "

My ' Nizzle !!!!!!


J'Lo'kins !

I stopped paying high TM prices this year due to the fact that my income is down! I've been lucky playing a game of chance and buying at the gate at showtime. Just about when the show is supposed to begin, 7 or 8 PM I end up paying a fraction of the cost. Yeah theres no guarantee but I paid
$20 for James Taylor-Carole King ($95 face)
$30 for Tom Petty ($65 face),
$25 Black Eyed Peas ($135 face)
$40 for Shakira ($200 face)
$20 for Blondie ($50 face)
$0 free ~ Ladies & Gents in NYC ~ 2 tickets, generous gift from a friend,
$0 free ~ Steve Winwood & Carlos Santana ~ generous gift from a complete stranger,
$30 ($100 face) YES and I snuck into the meet & greet, piece of cake!

They're so expensive for two reasons :

Once 'revolutionary' artists have got older, fatter, richer and greedier and turned into the people they once despised. To charge that amount of money in the current economic climate is taking the piss.

And there are enough people out there who will blindly stump up and not realise or care that they're being ripped off. If we dont pay it, they wont charge it. Its a matter of self discipline (and yep, I can speak from experience that I havent always practiced what I've preached - I've been as weak as anyone else!)

However, in the last couple of years I've set a limit that I'm not going to pay over £100 for a ticket to see anyone again - regardless of the size of venue. With very few exceptions, I'm even baulking at half that amount. There are probably about half a dozen acts in the world that I'd pay £50 to see anymore.

Supply and demand being what it is, theres no reason anymore to rush out and buy expensive tickets for shows at large venues when they go on sale. There'll always either be tickets held back despite the initial 'sold out' blurb, or else you'll get something on the day.

Most acts who charge a lot of dough I've already seen and don't need to see again. If I want to see them again, I'll find a way of doing so at a price I consider reasonable. Most acts that I havent seen yet but would like to won't be charging much anyway. Social Distortion, for example. Theyve a new record out in January, and hopefully they'll play over here - and I havent seen them yet, plus their gigs seem to be pretty cheap.

I've had a great year of concert going so far taking in shows that were mostly on a smaller scale and I think Dylan in Prague and the upcoming Arcade Fire show in Dublin are the only gigs where I've paid more than £35 for a ticket. Including fees. And a couple of the shows I've seen this year (most notably the Dave Rawlings/Gillian Welch and Old Crow Medicine Show double-header at the Belfast Open House Festival last month) have been amongst the most enjoyable gigs I've ever been at by anyone, even though I didnt know much of the material before I went.

Britney Spears charged mega-bux & never sung a note live!

Honky Tonk Man wrote on Oct 20^th, 2010 at 12:37pm:



I have. Frequently.

Hot pic of Shakira....whoever that is....anyway...I'd tarp it!

Joey likes that Sir Paul smokes a lot of

My dog is still 

"  Joey likes that Sir Paul smokes a lot of


<    ---- This is certainly true !!!!!



" My dog is still  .... ** "

Bingo ..........  your avatar looks like it just spent three weeks inside the Sensi Smile Coffee Shop in Amsterdam  .



O'kins

I caught STONE TEMPLE PILOTS w/ BRMC last nite for 10 bucks!!!

Anyway...I think all this stuff started w/ MADONNA...I remember  the headlines when she charged a WHOPPING 80 bucks for her show (in NYC) ...can't recall the tour

"  Ringo, McCartney, Clapton & Winward, Dylan, Further. For those I paid between $65 - $150. "


I would like to nuzzle you  ...... Bitch !!!!!!!!!!

What .. ?!!! .. !!!! . !   :    .... Oh , sure ! :


http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s209/leepullen/ATT00011-1.jpgt=1287263693

Gazza wrote on Oct 21^st, 2010 at 6:02pm:


Perhaps for that price she does some sserious arse-shaking in your direction?