For those complaining about ticket prices

pjsteelerfan

thunderDAN wrote:

plus, I kind of think it's a dick move to charge more for tickets than you ever have in your whole career when you know that the nation is struggling with job loss and fear of job loss. For example, the Cleveland Cavaliers (who have Lebron James) and have sold out most every game for the past 3 years, didn't raise their ticket prices because according to their owner "didn't want to kick their fans when they were down". Despite raising payroll to record levels, they kept their prices the same because they knew their fans were hurting.

Which is a surpise since he will be in New York in a year :shock:

thunderDAN

pjsteelerfan wrote:

thunderDAN wrote:

plus, I kind of think it's a dick move to charge more for tickets than you ever have in your whole career when you know that the nation is struggling with job loss and fear of job loss. For example, the Cleveland Cavaliers (who have Lebron James) and have sold out most every game for the past 3 years, didn't raise their ticket prices because according to their owner "didn't want to kick their fans when they were down". Despite raising payroll to record levels, they kept their prices the same because they knew their fans were hurting.

Which is a surpise since he will be in New York in a year :shock:

not if the salary cap does what they say it will. But that isn't the point. The point is that a team that could suck a few extra bucks out of the fans because they have one of the better teams in the NBA chose not to do that because of the economy. They pulled the opposite of the Yankees and it worked out for them.

pjsteelerfan

thunderDAN wrote:

pjsteelerfan wrote:

thunderDAN wrote:

plus, I kind of think it's a dick move to charge more for tickets than you ever have in your whole career when you know that the nation is struggling with job loss and fear of job loss. For example, the Cleveland Cavaliers (who have Lebron James) and have sold out most every game for the past 3 years, didn't raise their ticket prices because according to their owner "didn't want to kick their fans when they were down". Despite raising payroll to record levels, they kept their prices the same because they knew their fans were hurting.

Which is a surpise since he will be in New York in a year :shock:

not if the salary cap does what they say it will. But that isn't the point. The point is that a team that could suck a few extra bucks out of the fans because they have one of the better teams in the NBA chose not to do that because of the economy. They pulled the opposite of the Yankees and it worked out for them.

I know, I was kidding, just taking a swipe at Cleveland- I apologize, I'll get two more chances to do it this fall

anotherclone

Ryan_WFC wrote:

anotherclone wrote:

Maybe it's more of a volume thing then. They have more actual tour dates, so Green Day etc, they make more money that way. PJ has fewer tour dates and so if they didn't charge a certain amount, they wouldn't make jack squat and as a result it wouldn't be worth it to tour at all. Hell, I dunno. I'm just talking out of my ass anyway.

Yes, I think that's exactly it. Completely understandable from Pearl Jam's perspective, and I'm grateful they tour at all, but it sucks for the young/poor.

Totally. I'm older and employed, I'm coming at it from a whole different perspective. So who am I to say?

Hell Foo Fighters charged something like $45 for their show and I saw entire families there! So, I do see both sides of the whole thing. But they also played a show in just about every friggin state.

I'd really like to see some sort of cost analysis of what it costs to tour. But I'm a geek about stuff like that.

blueeyedevil

I posted this quote in another forum about famous Eddie Vedder quotes, but it seems to be made for this thread:

Spin Magazine Interview - 12/94

About keeping ticket prices affordable:

"Vedder of the band's fight to lower ticket prices. "The experience of a father taking his son to the concert even though he works at a gas station... or even being able to afford a T-shirt. What music can do to your life, what one night of live music, if all the elements are in place, how it can affect your life. It might make this kid pick up a guitar. Who knows what it will do."

Now, having read that, does anyone truly believe that a man working at a gas station could (within reason) afford to take his son to a Pearl Jam or Eddie Vedder solo show with the current pricing of tickets and t-shirts? The ticket prices are nearly 4 times what they were in 1994, and I'll be damned if minimum wage has increased 4 times what it was in that year.

Do I think that the prices are insane? No. Do I think the band still cares if someone with a limited income is able to attend their shows? Sadly, I think those days have passed. Pearl Jam, and Eddie as an induvidual, have changed over the years. They are still fan friendly, but let's not pretend that they have stuck to their early ideals. Big shows can happen at more reasonable prices, it's simply a matter of what the band sees as a fair profit margin.

As usual, the truth falls in the middle of everyone's extreme reactions. No, Pearl Jam are no longer the same band that raged against corporate America. It's time for the fans to face that. On the flipside, they aren't exactly being greedy with their ticket and merchandise pricing. They are simply looking out for the future of their respective families. Those who are crying "sell-out" need to look at themselves in the mirror, and ask if THEY haven't changed over the last 15 years.

Ryan_WFC

anotherclone wrote:

Ryan_WFC wrote:

anotherclone wrote:

Maybe it's more of a volume thing then. They have more actual tour dates, so Green Day etc, they make more money that way. PJ has fewer tour dates and so if they didn't charge a certain amount, they wouldn't make jack squat and as a result it wouldn't be worth it to tour at all. Hell, I dunno. I'm just talking out of my ass anyway.

Yes, I think that's exactly it. Completely understandable from Pearl Jam's perspective, and I'm grateful they tour at all, but it sucks for the young/poor.

Totally. I'm older and employed, I'm coming at it from a whole different perspective. So who am I to say?

Hell Foo Fighters charged something like $45 for their show and I saw entire families there! So, I do see both sides of the whole thing. But they also played a show in just about every friggin state.

I'd really like to see some sort of cost analysis of what it costs to tour. But I'm a geek about stuff like that.

Same here. There were a ton of kids and families at Green Day last night.

Ryan_WFC

blueeyedevil wrote:

Now, having read that, does anyone truly believe that a man working at a gas station could (within reason) afford to take his son to a Pearl Jam or Eddie Vedder solo show with the current pricing of tickets and t-shirts? The ticket prices are nearly 4 times what they were in 1994, and I'll be damned if minimum wage has increased 4 times what it was in that year.

Well...now you're kind of blaming Pearl Jam for the entire economy. If Pearl Jam had to charge, let's say $45 to break even, I'm not sure the gas station guy could afford that, given how much all the other costs have risen. But I hear your larger point.

thunderDAN

Ryan_WFC wrote:

blueeyedevil wrote:

Now, having read that, does anyone truly believe that a man working at a gas station could (within reason) afford to take his son to a Pearl Jam or Eddie Vedder solo show with the current pricing of tickets and t-shirts? The ticket prices are nearly 4 times what they were in 1994, and I'll be damned if minimum wage has increased 4 times what it was in that year.

Well...now you're kind of blaming Pearl Jam for the entire economy. If Pearl Jam had to charge, let's say $45 to break even, I'm not sure the gas station guy could afford that, given how much all the other costs have risen. But I hear your larger point.

My ticket last year to the Va Beach show was $66- and it cost me like $100 to get there because gas was $4 a gallon. Now they raised prices 20% when one of the biggest costs dropped nearly 50%. Not only that, concert venues are struggling so they are charging less for dates than they were a year ago because of the lack of touring this year. Pearl Jam sees 2009 as a year to cash in

Ledbetterman10

thunderDAN wrote:

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

The ticket prices have inceased so much over the last few years because the album sales have gone down. You can stand up to ticketmaster when Vitalogy is flying off the shelves. But since Binarual, Riot Act and Avocado all failed to sell 1 million copies in the US, you have to get paid somehow.

how does Radiohead manage to give their CD away, and still keep tickets around $50? NIN did it too. I'd even argue that as of right now, Radiohead is even more relevant than Pearl Jam so you could see if they were charging $83 a ticket- but they don't. I guess they don't need to be paid all that much, they make a ton of money as it is, and do it because they love it and not get paid. I loved when Pearl Jam was like that.

Radiohead wants everybody at their shows. From the pretentious British album buyer to the college kid who sells back all his books just so he can buy tickets. I'm convinced that Pearl Jam doesn't care who's at their shows anymore. They don't care if it's a hardcore Tenclubber or just some business man looking for something to do on a Friday night. As long as the ticket is SOLD.

haffajappa

daryl jam wrote:

Tragically Hip @ The Orpheum Theater
55 CDN
2 1/2 hrs of music

$55 dollars and got 'ta strum Gord's guitar, I can't complain!
I saw radiohead at tbird stadium I don't recall it being that much... great show too..


on another note, what is the stage set up for ACDC? I'd have to think that for bands like that, KISS, Stones, U2, etc. don't they have elaborate stages? that's gotta equal higher ticket prices doesn't it? Although i have U2 tickets for the fall and they were really cheap...shitty seats but the price reflects it.

haffajappa

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

Radiohead wants everybody at their shows. From the pretentious British album buyer to the college kid who sells back all his books just so he can buy tickets. I'm convinced that Pearl Jam doesn't care who's at their shows anymore. They don't care if it's a hardcore Tenclubber or just some business man looking for something to do on a Friday night. As long as the ticket is SOLD.

if this is the case, i find that very discouraging... stamp sell out on eddie's forehead type discouraging.

Ledbetterman10

haffajappa wrote:

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

Radiohead wants everybody at their shows. From the pretentious British album buyer to the college kid who sells back all his books just so he can buy tickets. I'm convinced that Pearl Jam doesn't care who's at their shows anymore. They don't care if it's a hardcore Tenclubber or just some business man looking for something to do on a Friday night. As long as the ticket is SOLD.

if this is the case, i find that very discouraging... stamp sell out on eddie's forehead type discouraging.

then be discouraged, dude. I know I am.

thunderDAN

haffajappa wrote:

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

Radiohead wants everybody at their shows. From the pretentious British album buyer to the college kid who sells back all his books just so he can buy tickets. I'm convinced that Pearl Jam doesn't care who's at their shows anymore. They don't care if it's a hardcore Tenclubber or just some business man looking for something to do on a Friday night. As long as the ticket is SOLD.

if this is the case, i find that very discouraging... stamp sell out on eddie's forehead type discouraging.

the writing has been on the wall for the past 2-3 years, now it's just a matter of accepting it or not.

Zoso

like people have said... PJ used to be a band that cared about ticket prices.. surely there is a way to reduce prices even know.

If PJ always charged 85 for a ticket than it's no problem just a steep jump in the last years.

Wolf At Bay

The big question is: Is there anything we can do? Or should do?
Should we all send emails to the tenclub saying ticket prices are too high?
Who knows, even if they don't lower prices on future shows, maybe it would at least draw out an official response.

Ledbetterman10

Wolf At Bay wrote:

The big question is: Is there anything we can do? Or should do?
Should we all send emails to the tenclub saying ticket prices are too high?
Who knows, even if they don't lower prices on future shows, maybe it would at least draw out an official response.

I think all we can do (and should do) is air our grievances on the message board. It's not like they're not aware that many of their devoted fans think they've got the Green Disease.

Wolf At Bay

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

Wolf At Bay wrote:

The big question is: Is there anything we can do? Or should do?
Should we all send emails to the tenclub saying ticket prices are too high?
Who knows, even if they don't lower prices on future shows, maybe it would at least draw out an official response.

I think all we can do (and should do) is air our grievances on the message board. It's not like they're not aware that many of their devoted fans think they've got the Green Disease.

Well, we may know some people in the organization read the forum, but does the info ever get back to the band?

thunderDAN

Wolf At Bay wrote:

The big question is: Is there anything we can do? Or should do?
Should we all send emails to the tenclub saying ticket prices are too high?
Who knows, even if they don't lower prices on future shows, maybe it would at least draw out an official response.

I don't know at this point. Half the shows didn't sell out last year when tickets were $67 bucks, now they raise them as if they aren't even aware that the shows aren't sold out

EquallyWorthless

vedder_soup wrote:

any one complaining should take a look at ticket prices in Australia
we will be looking at over $200 us a pair for the next tour

Yeah they were 110$ AUS EACH last tour.

Wolf At Bay

thunderDAN wrote:

Wolf At Bay wrote:

The big question is: Is there anything we can do? Or should do?
Should we all send emails to the tenclub saying ticket prices are too high?
Who knows, even if they don't lower prices on future shows, maybe it would at least draw out an official response.

I don't know at this point. Half the shows didn't sell out last year when tickets were $67 bucks, now they raise them as if they aren't even aware that the shows aren't sold out

See what I mean? Someone needs to tell them