I just can't do it. $$ Concert tickets

[Kitzka]

Just a small vent. What is up with artists these days? DD would like to see Lady Gaga in concert. She added a new show near us and tickets go on sale today. I had planned to geta pair for DD and I to go. It would be her big christmas gift.

Well, i went on, was able to get tickets. I was worried about there being too much traffic or that ticketmaster would be overwhelmed. Well, it came time to pay and the tickets were $198 EACH. yes this included the ticketmaster fees but the fees were only $20 of the ticket price. Is it just me or is $178 a HUGE amount of money to pay for a concert ticket?!

DD and I have gone to see PLENTY of concerts, justin beiber, glee concert, taylor swift, hannah montana/miley cyrus, spice girls, broadway shows, ice shows, every hot teeny booper act known to man, etc. NONE of these venues/artists were basiclly $200 per ticket! That's the regular price not even the scalper mark up! (well, unless you count ticket master as a scalper. i know some do). i'm okay paying $75 -100 for tickets in the lower level. but $200 is WAY too much. How can ANYONE afford that?

I am SURE the show will be incredible both in her performance, visually and the music will be great but really?

Luckily, Lady gaga is not a must see for her but is this where ticket prices are going? I hope not. I can phsiclly afford it but i'm not going to spend it. I just can't jusify a month or more worth of groceries for one night! Or even 4 date nights with my husband which includes dinner, movies and adult beverages!

Lara

 

[justbishop]

Ack! My DD isn't really old enough to want to see a certain artist in concert yet, but this is exactly why I personally prefer to go see more indie type bands at small venues, or go to something like Warped Tour every summer!

How old is your DD? Tell her to start a webzine...I've gone to LOADS of shows for free over the years as press, and had the opportunity to interview many a band simply by starting a website

 

[CobraBubbles]

That seems pretty high to me. Obviously concert tickets are ridiculous normally, but that is way over the top. I can't think of anyone I would pay that much $$ to see. Maybe if there were backstage passes or something, but yeah.

 

[StacyMarie]

I feel your pain. I just bought me and my 2 DDs Lady Gaga tickets to our show here in Grand Rapids and they were $188 a piece. The last concert we have been to was 4 years ago. I didn't mind paying the $188 for each ticket because the show is supposed to be FABULOUS, but if was an avid concert goer, I probably would not have paid that much. I just keep telling myself that we don't do concerts but once every couple of years so these tickets would essentially come to about the same price if we did a concert or 2 a year.

P.S. Dont tell my husband what I paid for them!

 

[Dax]

WoW...and I thought I payed a lot when I payed $65 a piece for nose bleed section to go see Roger Waters: The Wall being performed...

FWIW, Lady Gaga does put on a fantastic stage show from what I have read

 

[Swimalie]

Wow, that is outrageous! I thought paying $250 for 3 Star Wars in concert tickets was bad enough.

 

[mommy2princesses0309]

I think each artist can get what the public demand is/what they will pay.

DH and I paid $550 for 2 tickets (5 rows back from the stage) a few years ago to see George Michael on his final (oh I hope it's really not!) US tour. He was absolutely amazing - best concert we have ever been to and we would pay it again in a heartbeat.

I'm guessing the more popular the artist the higher the ticket prices and if that's what people will pay - that's what they'll charge. Just like $12 for popcorn at the movies

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

And I was ticked to find out the tickets to see Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan were $25.90 and $35.90. Guess that isn't so bad compared to Lady Gaga, but then again I don't get her appeal.

Suzanne

 

[wvjules]

I don't think concert tickets are ever going to be cheap again. The cost of the productions has to be astronoical. U2's 360 tour last year used over 100 18-wheelers to bring in their stage. I can't imagine what that cost. I think I even read somewhere that a lot of concerts barely break even because of all of the costs associated with putting them on. U2 360 tour:

"Daily costs of the production are approximately $750,000, not including the stage construction; the majority of this comes from truck rentals, transportation, and staff wages.[18] The tour is not expected to break even until the conclusion of the second leg.[18]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U2_360°_Tour

I spent almost $600 on 2 tickets to see Pau McCartney in Pittsburgh in August...worth every freakin' penny! And he didn't even have an extravagant stage.

Apparently the market bears the costs because shows are selling out left and right for these artists. When people stop paying these prices maybe the will come down.

BTW, I would have paid double for Paul's concert...it was that good.

 

[Disneychix]

That's why many people who bought GaGa tickets bought extras to scalp. I know at least 5 people who did this. They were able to re-coup some $$!!

 

[mhsjax]

That sounds really expensive, but then again, warning rant coming, these stars are spoiled rotten IMHO. No one is worth what they charge. I would never pay that much to sit in an over crowed venue, you can't se the stage usually, frankly most of these people can't sing without digital help.

Don't get me started on movies either, I refuse to see them also. I wait until they come out on DVD and rent them.

 

[StacyMarie]

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=htt...tFinder/ImageGallery.aspx?Section=122&h=48f1d

This is the view the $188 ticket got me. Needless to say I am just as excited as my girls, LOL!

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Concert tickets are my splurge item. Some people do Disney, some buy shoes or purses, I buy $$$$ seats.

I've dropped $375/ea to see NKOTB 3 times (meet and greet plus, VIP tickets). I managed to end up in the front row all 3 times

I dropped $750 (for 2) to see Jimmy Buffett 2nd row. Jimmy's seat face value pavillion are $150/ea.

IMHO there is NOTHING like seeing a show in the front 3 rows! NOTHING! And I will pay for it

 

[scrapquitler]

Concert tickets are just way too expensive. So we don't go. Well, we did go see the American Idols concert a few years ago, but even that was $$$ and the worst part was that the $40 tickets had $20 each of junk fees added by ticketmaster.

Part of the problem, I think is that back in the dark ages when I was a teen going to concerts, you went to a concert, and the band had a backdrop, and some smoke machines and a bunch of lights. These days, there's a slew of background dancers, huge elaborate sets with lasers, jumbotrons, outrageous costumes....its not just the band sitting on the stage singing, its a huge spectacle...and designing/building all that stuff, trucking all that stuff all over the country, setting it up every night and operating it during the show is just a LOT more expensive.

And the stars are probably more greedy.

 

[Pigeon]

That's insane. I wouldn't pay that for front row seats to see John Lennon come back from the dead.

 

[I*heart*MickeyMouse]

There are a few bands/ artists that I would pay that kind of money for, lady gaga is not one of them (I couldn't tell you one thing she sings)...

Dh and I paid $500 for Paul McCartney and he was worth every penny amd them so
e. Pearl jam tried to keep their prices as low as possible, but we will pay whatever we have to to go see them. Bon jovi for me andy bff's is priceless!

 

[CobraBubbles]

It sucks because some of my best concert experiences are in small clubs where you are in the first few rows..standing. Like I saw my favorite band, The Fratellis, over a year ago, and it was so awesome and intimate. I think we paid like $30 for the tickets. Usually the really expensive tickets are in huge venues where you can barely see the band.

 

[Kitzka]

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=htt...tFinder/ImageGallery.aspx?Section=122&h=48f1d

This is the view the $188 ticket got me. Needless to say I am just as excited as my girls, LOL!

WOW StacyMarie-those seats are just about worth the price in my book. The seats i was looking at are about 4 sections further away from the stage.

I have taken DD to plenty of 'hot' concerts but was really thrown with the $200 per ticket. We sat 7th row at Taylor Swift and it wasn't anywhere near this much.

At least i know i am not 100% crazy.

Lara

 

[DVCLiz]

Wow, that's a lot. I paid $246 for 4 Lady Gaga tickets for the show last Sunday night in Raleigh. They were super nosebleeds but that's $61.50 each, not $188 or $198!!

 

[Molliday]

I spent $150 recently to see Dave Matthews, and that was sitting on grass, in the blazing sun. The concert was worth it, but I think I lost 5lbs, just sweating.

Oh, and Ticketmaster is the devil.