Fan Club woes - is there a point any more?

pianomack

For starters, I dont want to sound negative or unappreciative. I've been a fan club member for some time now and for many years, I absolutely loved it.  I got access to some great concert tickets for some of the best PJ shows I've ever seen.  I loved the fan club packages we used to get with Deep and the holiday singles, even the collectibles like the stickers and mini-posters and pins.  All of that being said, I'm still paying an annual membership fee and I dont feel any benefits any more.  Sure, I get a t-shirt every year and a digital download code, but the unique items are gone. I paid for tickets to a 2020 concert I will never see (obviously COVID-19 wasn't PJs fault). I don't think a holiday single or fan club gift has gone out since 2016 (?). So I ask, does anyone else see a reason to be a paying member of the fan club any more other than maintaining your fan club number and loyalty to the band?

mcdevittpb

They mentioned having production issues with the vinyl editions of the holiday singles but hard to fully appreciate that when they quickly got out the DoTC and Death Squad vinyl 7” for sale.   I think you are not alone in feeling that many are wondering what a membership really gets you anymore. 

JimFletcherPearlJam

Heck, just supporting the band and being able to participate in conversing with fellow PJ members is enough for me. An annual membership costs so little that it represents a mere pittance as far as I'm concerned. I spend more money picking up some food at Panda Express! 

pjl44

Even with the ticket privileges on pause, the access to exclusive merch, t-shirt, and bootleg are still worth $40/year to me. Everyone has their own decision to make as a consumer, though. 

PJNB

Straight up for tickets to concerts for me. As long as the benefits stay as they do with GA and early entry I will never let my membership expire. 

JimmyV

$20 a year for the ticket lottery, message board, any exclusive merch and whatever else gets thrown in. I'm fine with that price for what I get.

on2legs

I miss the single but otherwise very happy with the fan club.  

bootlegger10

JimmyV said:

$20 a year for the ticket lottery, message board, any exclusive merch and whatever else gets thrown in. I'm fine with that price for what I get.

Yep.  Pretty cheap. 

darthvedder

mcdevittpb said:

They mentioned having production issues with the vinyl editions of the holiday singles but hard to fully appreciate that when they quickly got out the DoTC and Death Squad vinyl 7” for sale.   I think you are not alone in feeling that many are wondering what a membership really gets you anymore. 

To be fair, they didn't specify if the production issues applied to the vinyl or to Deep or to the whole package (maybe they wanted to do something special for the last annual single). The DoTC vinyl came with the Gigaton pre-orders, so it was in production before the pandemic hit.

MickeyMouse

bootlegger10 said:

JimmyV said:

$20 a year for the ticket lottery, message board, any exclusive merch and whatever else gets thrown in. I'm fine with that price for what I get.

Yep.  Pretty cheap. 

Yea I really don't overthink it. Access to all that is worth whatever the current digital membership is. Hell I go months throughout the year without using Netflix and I pay what, $13/month for that?

Weston1283

Absolutely worth it to me.  I would pay $100 a year for access to the fan club only GA ticket sales, so being able to be a member for the cost of a couple Chipotle burritos a year is great.  I go analog mainly for band loyalty, not really concerned with singles / free shirts / etc.

Loujoe

Mmmm burritos

Weston1283

PJNB said:

Straight up for tickets to concerts for me. As long as the benefits stay as they do with GA and early entry I will never let my membership expire. 

^^ This.  They can get rid of everything except the 10c tickets and i'd stay on board.

SHZA

Access to the poster sales as well. If you buy even one poster, the savings compared to ebay prices easily pays for the membership. 

Zod

The way I feel about it now, is if you have a membership that goes back to maybe the Binaural/Riot Act Tours or older, you probably want to keep renewing, to have better seat location when the band does tour.   If you signed since that time, how much seniority do you really get?  I've been in the club since 98 and it never felt like I gained seniority before GA became a thing.   Old Timers are probably better off keeping their memberships so that if they don't score GA tickets they still get decent seat location.  If your a newer member you could probably get away with wading in and out of memberships.  Rumours usually start going strong before a tour gets officially announced.  All you need to do is sign up when the rumour dates are somewhere you want to go.  I've done that in other bands fan clubs.   Metallica, U2, AC/DC, etc.   Sign up to get fan tix, don't renew kind of thing.   You often get access to great tickets for not much of a premium price.

I would also say if you don't live in a big city that PJ frequents, and you loathe travelling, that maybe you don't need to keep a membership going.   PJ (prior to Covid19) seems to play similar places, so most people need to travel to see them.  If you don't like to travel, it might not be worth $20/yr waiting from them to play your hometown, that they never play.

I feel it's worth $20/yr to me.  I know I don't see them every year, but I usually manage to check out shows every 2 or 3 years.  10c has hooked me up with many tickets over the years.  It seems like a small price to pay for decent tickets when PJ plays.

JimFletcherPearlJam

I agree with the guy above who said he'd pay $100 a year for a PJ fan club membership. I only pay a total of $130 per year for ESPN+, Ten Club, and Collegiate Baseball memberships, and I receive so much entertainment for that money! 

mookeywrench

Vault vinyl, posters,  reserve seating priority. 

deadendp

pianomack said:

For starters, I dont want to sound negative or unappreciative. I've been a fan club member for some time now and for many years, I absolutely loved it.  I got access to some great concert tickets for some of the best PJ shows I've ever seen.  I loved the fan club packages we used to get with Deep and the holiday singles, even the collectibles like the stickers and mini-posters and pins.  All of that being said, I'm still paying an annual membership fee and I dont feel any benefits any more.  Sure, I get a t-shirt every year and a digital download code, but the unique items are gone. I paid for tickets to a 2020 concert I will never see (obviously COVID-19 wasn't PJs fault). I don't think a holiday single or fan club gift has gone out since 2016 (?). So I ask, does anyone else see a reason to be a paying member of the fan club any more other than maintaining your fan club number and loyalty to the band?

First post, eh?  Welcome!  

RatherStarved

I support anyone with a lower number than me terminating their membership.  

SR91748

They do good things--glad to be near that.

lastexitlondon

Each to their  own

RK50065

Not this again.

pjl44

Zod said:

The way I feel about it now, is if you have a membership that goes back to maybe the Binaural/Riot Act Tours or older, you probably want to keep renewing, to have better seat location when the band does tour.   If you signed since that time, how much seniority do you really get?  I've been in the club since 98 and it never felt like I gained seniority before GA became a thing.   Old Timers are probably better off keeping their memberships so that if they don't score GA tickets they still get decent seat location.  If your a newer member you could probably get away with wading in and out of memberships.  Rumours usually start going strong before a tour gets officially announced.  All you need to do is sign up when the rumour dates are somewhere you want to go.  I've done that in other bands fan clubs.   Metallica, U2, AC/DC, etc.   Sign up to get fan tix, don't renew kind of thing.   You often get access to great tickets for not much of a premium price.

I would also say if you don't live in a big city that PJ frequents, and you loathe travelling, that maybe you don't need to keep a membership going.   PJ (prior to Covid19) seems to play similar places, so most people need to travel to see them.  If you don't like to travel, it might not be worth $20/yr waiting from them to play your hometown, that they never play.

I feel it's worth $20/yr to me.  I know I don't see them every year, but I usually manage to check out shows every 2 or 3 years.  10c has hooked me up with many tickets over the years.  It seems like a small price to pay for decent tickets when PJ plays.

I've done the same thing with Metallica (and REM way back when). Join a few days before the onsale and come away with incredible seats. It's one of the best arguments for seniority. It mitigates what people have to gain by the float-in/float-out strategy. Never mind the scalpers.

If there is a surge of noobs, it makes it harder to get drawn for any tickets. It wouldn't shock me if that is what happens with GA.

THEBIBLEISTEN

I just want what I paid for 3 years ago and still haven’t received. Send me my 45s and deep mags. 

Ledbetterman10

pianomack said:

For starters, I dont want to sound negative or unappreciative. I've been a fan club member for some time now and for many years, I absolutely loved it.  I got access to some great concert tickets for some of the best PJ shows I've ever seen.  I loved the fan club packages we used to get with Deep and the holiday singles, even the collectibles like the stickers and mini-posters and pins.  All of that being said, I'm still paying an annual membership fee and I dont feel any benefits any more.  Sure, I get a t-shirt every year and a digital download code, but the unique items are gone. I paid for tickets to a 2020 concert I will never see (obviously COVID-19 wasn't PJs fault). I don't think a holiday single or fan club gift has gone out since 2016 (?). So I ask, does anyone else see a reason to be a paying member of the fan club any more other than maintaining your fan club number and loyalty to the band?

Yeah, maintaining the fan club number is the only reason I renew. Definitely not band loyalty. Where’s their loyalty if ya don’t even get what they say you’ll get?  

I’m 36 and even really care about vinyls or deep mags anymore. But when I was 14 and signed up, I lived for that shit. I bet there’s still teenagers signing up to this day, and they probably get let down big time. 

pjl44

Won't someone think of the teenagers

Ledbetterman10

pjl44 said:

Won't someone think of the teenagers

Be snarky all ya want. I’m just saying the fanclub used to fun, and now it’s basically a ripoff. I can flush $40 down the toilet no problem. But someone younger, who isn’t wise to the fact that they’re not going to get what they paid for, are in for some disappointment. 

pjl44

If you're a teenager who recently joined the Ten Club, please share your tale of heartbreak here

NashvillePJfan

Wish they would do away with GA.If the point is to have newer fans get to be closer, lottery in a couple newer fans per row for the first 20 rows on the floor but don't have the whole pit be a lottery, give seniority to get in GA.

 I have been a member since 1998. The peak of value for me was 2008 to 2012, I got great seats all the time especially outdoor amphiteatures. Since then seat locations have been getting steadily worse and have generally had no luck getting GAs.  Not cool. I get locked out of GAs and then I'm pushed way back farther in the lower sections than I was 12 years ago. My Fenway tickets on the field were terrible.

Still, is it worth having a membership? Of course it is. Generally (other than Fenway type situations) 10C gets the best tickets, very difficult to get decent tickets through public sales or secondary market.

Tim Simmons

Imagine still doing something that you don't think is fun anymore.

Ledbetterman10

They’re probably on TikTok or something right now  and won’t see your post.