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2010 Was the Worst Decline EVER for the Concert Industry...
Topic Started: Jul 23 2011, 05:09 PM (245 Views)
Magical Mystery Girl
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Your thoughts? Personally, I think it's mainly due to the fact that ticket prices are so high. I had to decline 5 concerts this summer because I couldn't afford it. We basically work to eat these days. The economy is terribly backwards.

2010 Was The Worst Decline EVER for the Concert Industry
"What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly." - Lao Tzu
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invisible jones
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Either this man is dead or my watch has stopped.
I would tend to agree with you. However, I just saw a headline (didn't read the article) that said 2011 concerts are picking up despite the prices. Now I wish I had read the article.
I took my brains out and stretched 'em on a rack
Now I'm not so sure I'm ever gonna get 'em back
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JeffLynnesBeard
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Ticket prices and the horrible rise of scalpers/secondary "sell-on" sites must be partly to blame, along with the general slump in the economy hitting disposable income. I have to admit, most of my gigs have been low-key, lower-price events and, to be honest, I've enjoyed them all the more because of their lack of frills. Watching an act like U2 with their amazing set and massive screens for a huge amount of cash - well, that's brilliant, but, pound for pound, you can't beat watching someone like Teddy Thompson, David Ford, Neil Finn, Ron Sexsmith or Chris Difford giving their heart and soul for a couple of hours for a fraction of the price.
...and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.
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Bill
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I completely agree with Andy, but I think it's a mix of things. Acts like Paul are pitched at a fairly well-to-do audience, as are U2. Most of the time, they're charging what people are willing to pay. It seems like a bit of an own goal when fans who keep themselves poor buying the McCartney Archive Collection are going to miss out to some cashed-up baby boomers who decide it would be cool to see The Beatle. But who cares? Bums on seats is bums on seats, right?

I think another factor is YouTube. With big, highly choreographed shows like U2 and Roger Waters, it's impossible to make each show unique - and if you know the show is the same every night, why spend a couple of hundred dollars to see the show when you can see almost the whole thing via a thousand various YouTube clips. Yes, I know the experience isn't the same but when half the audience are content to watch hi-budget cinema on a mobile phone, I think the quality argument is a losing battle.

Speaking of Roger Waters, that brings me to my third point: the way tickets are sold.
About a month ago, it was announced that Roger will be touring The Wall in Australia - a show I would do just about anything to see. First there was the Visa Preferred pre-sale (a complete con, by the way). Then, a few days later, came the website members pre-sale. A week after the first pre-sale came the general presale and then four or five days after that, tickets went on sale to the "general public" - whatever that means! And all of these pre-sales came with the disclaimer that they were not a guarantee of better seats. Stop trying to con everyone that they're better than the next person and just sell the damn tickets!
Put a puppet on it.
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Magical Mystery Girl
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Yep!

And of course, they make it impossible not to use a credit card to pay.
"What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly." - Lao Tzu
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BlueMolly2009
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I was lucky to see Roger Waters in concert last year because I belong to a local radio station's e-club and they were offering really good seats for a low amount pre-sale. My Mom got them for both of us for my birthday. Actually, the seats we originally got were in the "nose bleed section" and at the time I was suffering from vertigo and ear issues so she got us center row seats which were even better.
I'd love to see Paul again, but the tickets are way too expensive.
I had a chance to see Elvis Costello, because his tickets were $20, because it was part of a music series, but I totally forgot about it. I will only go see bands/artrists that are free or cost under $50. I'm hoping to see Great Big Sea later this summer (if I remember the date :P )
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