“PJ Premium” on Ticketmaster?

Bentleyspop

static111 said:

cmalisze said:

smile6680 said:

pledgeagrievance said:

cmalisze said:

apirk72 said:

on2legs said:

 Pearl Jam is a business.  They’re uniquely talented and entitled to cash in on those talents.  They could soak us for a ton more per ticket.  But they don't.  They make a lot of money but they leave a lot on the table too.  

People can have integrity and also make a lot of money.  They’re not mutually exclusive things.  And they’re not hypocrites.  Ed told us long ago that file sharing ended album sales as a source of revenue and that touring would be the replacement.  

I get you can be unhappy with the change.  But that’s part of life. Holding them to stuff they said 30 years ago when no one even knew what Napster was or even what the internet was is an impossible standard.  

No one says we all have to agree.  But interjecting the same sourpuss comments page after page in every thread is bordering on obsessive.  

Pretty much agree with all of this.  Anything any band said about ticket prices before streaming is pretty much null and void since things have completely changed.  It is not really fair to hold someone to something they said 30 years ago and then take away a huge revenue stream for them at the same time.  Also, it is pretty unfair to expect a band to fight a losing fight for 30 years so now a bunch of 40-50 year olds can buy cheaper tickets, I doubt anyone bringing up their battle has actually helped the situation in anyway.  I am glad they are focusing their efforts to other causes because I doubt they'd still be together if they didn't.

Wait?!  I thought there was no money in touring and it was all in merchandise.......if anyone thinks I expect anyone to be held accountable to something said 30 years ago I'll be clear. I don't. Who PJ has become in fact, as I said, I've happily contributed and will continue to. But we all should wish they come by it honestly. Some may feel they still are. Some may feel they aren't. That's the beauty of America and a chat platform. Sorry if my chatting came across as obsessive. Let me ask you....if my chatting was gushing with admiration and appreciation for PJ/Ten Club while still blasting TM would you still carry the same opinion of me? Be honest. Goodnight I'll take my "obsession" elsewhere. 

I’m enjoying your discourse and believe there is a place for this “obsessive” questioning, not that I agree with all of it, but all of it has a right to be said on this board. It shouldn’t be all pJ/TC fluffing on here. 

This is why I think the vast majority of Pearl Jam fans I talk to at the concerts don't post on here. You can't even mildly question anything ten club and or band members say. 

I'll assure anyone this......I am a FAN...yes.....obsessed.....not in the least. If I was guilty of anything it was of being ignorant. My ignorance is because I thought this was a chat forum intended to have conversation....discussion....opinion sharing.....or an outlet to simply inform others.  I never repeated "sourpuss" messaging unless positioned completely different in attempt to express why I was  carrying a perspective in the manner I was. I fully believe that if I was gushing with love over the ticketing process, the Ten Club, or Pearl Jam that I would have had no mild accusations of being "obsessed" or a "sourpuss." Instead, I would have either been fully supported or simply ignored. I also trust that if I was solely blasting TM people would have piled on.  I struck a chord with some because I was coming by my assessment honestly on a platform I believed to be intended for just that. If this is a platform to simply discuss gratitude or admiration for all things PJ......then I ask....would members of the band be truly supportive? Being a fan began because, out of sincere admiration, PJ was blazing a trail to speak their minds either via their music or their opportunistic platform. Remember EV on Unplugged and pro-choice or the song "Bu$hleaguer".......or even "to find a place Trump hasn't fucked up yet" in Quick Escape but those messages were embraced or dismissed if someone didn't agree. I never once asked anyone to agree or to support my position nor do I care if anyone does. I will continue to be the fan I always was.....but more importantly many on these boards would attest to me not only being a fan but also a human who respects all opinions no matter if I agree or not. If anyone would review my activity on these boards they would also attest to this. Sadly, some here cannot say the same. Cheers to amazing shows in May 2022. I hope each and every one of you land the tickets you hope for. I will be in Oakland (still need tickets) if anyone wants to grab a beer for the shows. My treat. 

I'm on board with most of your arguments.  PJ premium is a scam.  It was nice to get lucky as a fan club member for many years and many tours.  If limited markets and manipulated ticket prices is the new norm, I will probably only see a show if it is within an hour or two of where I live assuming I can score a ticket around 200 or less. I applaud them on holding out as long as they did.

But the "premium" is not a "scam".
It is completely above board. It isn't  happening in a vacuum. PJ is part of the ticketing process and prices. Fans know there are "premium" tickets.
The prices are obvious
No one should be buying them if they cannot afford them.
What it is is an obvious choice by PJ Inc. To fully monetize their tickets. U2 did it years ago by charging $50 for g.a. and $300+ for the best lowers.

This isn't new and TM isn't out to get you.

bootlegger10

I think the scam part is that they aren’t listing all tickets at one time.  Maybe not a scam, but would be good to know the actual amount of available tickets.

the other issue is that you can’t sell premium for less than face value so you can get stuck if you can’t go to the show.

static111

Bentleyspop said:

static111 said:

cmalisze said:

smile6680 said:

pledgeagrievance said:

cmalisze said:

apirk72 said:

on2legs said:

 Pearl Jam is a business.  They’re uniquely talented and entitled to cash in on those talents.  They could soak us for a ton more per ticket.  But they don't.  They make a lot of money but they leave a lot on the table too.  

People can have integrity and also make a lot of money.  They’re not mutually exclusive things.  And they’re not hypocrites.  Ed told us long ago that file sharing ended album sales as a source of revenue and that touring would be the replacement.  

I get you can be unhappy with the change.  But that’s part of life. Holding them to stuff they said 30 years ago when no one even knew what Napster was or even what the internet was is an impossible standard.  

No one says we all have to agree.  But interjecting the same sourpuss comments page after page in every thread is bordering on obsessive.  

Pretty much agree with all of this.  Anything any band said about ticket prices before streaming is pretty much null and void since things have completely changed.  It is not really fair to hold someone to something they said 30 years ago and then take away a huge revenue stream for them at the same time.  Also, it is pretty unfair to expect a band to fight a losing fight for 30 years so now a bunch of 40-50 year olds can buy cheaper tickets, I doubt anyone bringing up their battle has actually helped the situation in anyway.  I am glad they are focusing their efforts to other causes because I doubt they'd still be together if they didn't.

Wait?!  I thought there was no money in touring and it was all in merchandise.......if anyone thinks I expect anyone to be held accountable to something said 30 years ago I'll be clear. I don't. Who PJ has become in fact, as I said, I've happily contributed and will continue to. But we all should wish they come by it honestly. Some may feel they still are. Some may feel they aren't. That's the beauty of America and a chat platform. Sorry if my chatting came across as obsessive. Let me ask you....if my chatting was gushing with admiration and appreciation for PJ/Ten Club while still blasting TM would you still carry the same opinion of me? Be honest. Goodnight I'll take my "obsession" elsewhere. 

I’m enjoying your discourse and believe there is a place for this “obsessive” questioning, not that I agree with all of it, but all of it has a right to be said on this board. It shouldn’t be all pJ/TC fluffing on here. 

This is why I think the vast majority of Pearl Jam fans I talk to at the concerts don't post on here. You can't even mildly question anything ten club and or band members say. 

I'll assure anyone this......I am a FAN...yes.....obsessed.....not in the least. If I was guilty of anything it was of being ignorant. My ignorance is because I thought this was a chat forum intended to have conversation....discussion....opinion sharing.....or an outlet to simply inform others.  I never repeated "sourpuss" messaging unless positioned completely different in attempt to express why I was  carrying a perspective in the manner I was. I fully believe that if I was gushing with love over the ticketing process, the Ten Club, or Pearl Jam that I would have had no mild accusations of being "obsessed" or a "sourpuss." Instead, I would have either been fully supported or simply ignored. I also trust that if I was solely blasting TM people would have piled on.  I struck a chord with some because I was coming by my assessment honestly on a platform I believed to be intended for just that. If this is a platform to simply discuss gratitude or admiration for all things PJ......then I ask....would members of the band be truly supportive? Being a fan began because, out of sincere admiration, PJ was blazing a trail to speak their minds either via their music or their opportunistic platform. Remember EV on Unplugged and pro-choice or the song "Bu$hleaguer".......or even "to find a place Trump hasn't fucked up yet" in Quick Escape but those messages were embraced or dismissed if someone didn't agree. I never once asked anyone to agree or to support my position nor do I care if anyone does. I will continue to be the fan I always was.....but more importantly many on these boards would attest to me not only being a fan but also a human who respects all opinions no matter if I agree or not. If anyone would review my activity on these boards they would also attest to this. Sadly, some here cannot say the same. Cheers to amazing shows in May 2022. I hope each and every one of you land the tickets you hope for. I will be in Oakland (still need tickets) if anyone wants to grab a beer for the shows. My treat. 

I'm on board with most of your arguments.  PJ premium is a scam.  It was nice to get lucky as a fan club member for many years and many tours.  If limited markets and manipulated ticket prices is the new norm, I will probably only see a show if it is within an hour or two of where I live assuming I can score a ticket around 200 or less. I applaud them on holding out as long as they did.

But the "premium" is not a "scam".
It is completely above board. It isn't  happening in a vacuum. PJ is part of the ticketing process and prices. Fans know there are "premium" tickets.
The prices are obvious
No one should be buying them if they cannot afford them.
What it is is an obvious choice by PJ Inc. To fully monetize their tickets. U2 did it years ago by charging $50 for g.a. and $300+ for the best lowers.

This isn't new and TM isn't out to get you.

bootlegger10 said:

I think the scam part is that they aren’t listing all tickets at one time.  Maybe not a scam, but would be good to know the actual amount of available tickets.

the other issue is that you can’t sell premium for less than face value so you can get stuck if you can’t go to the show.

What Bootlegger said.  In addition this isnt a $, $$, $$$, $$$$ tier system this is blatant manipulation. No ticketmaster isnt out to get me just the money from the wallets of morons that think 5 months mortgage is an acceptable price to see a rock band.

dmbolp

The game has changed.  Waiting to purchase is now the better strategy; take advantage of it.

danofun

bootlegger10 said:

I think the scam part is that they aren’t listing all tickets at one time.  Maybe not a scam, but would be good to know the actual amount of available tickets.

the other issue is that you can’t sell premium for less than face value so you can get stuck if you can’t go to the show.

Excerpt from Pearl Jam's 2020 letter to the Committee on Energy and Commerce opposing the Better Oversight of Secondary Sales and Accountability in Concert Ticketing (BOSS Act):

We are sympathetic to fans who haven't seen their favorite acts and who mistakenly believe that artists and promoters who are driving prices up through manufactured scarcity.

We haven't forgotten what it is like to hunger and work so hard to see our favorite bands and as a result, we have worked continuously to ensure our fans can see our shows at a reasonable cost.

Pearl Jam has a product we all desire and has the right to sell their product at whatever cost they choose. But ethically, it's a major faux pas to lobby for rules to "protect" a segment of the population only to turn around and exploit those same rules. Make no mistake, what we are seeing out of our beloved band and TM is nothing other than what they claim we "mistakenly believe," it's "manufactured scarcity."

cmalisze

danofun said:

bootlegger10 said:

I think the scam part is that they aren’t listing all tickets at one time.  Maybe not a scam, but would be good to know the actual amount of available tickets.

the other issue is that you can’t sell premium for less than face value so you can get stuck if you can’t go to the show.

Excerpt from Pearl Jam's 2020 letter to the Committee on Energy and Commerce opposing the Better Oversight of Secondary Sales and Accountability in Concert Ticketing (BOSS Act):

We are sympathetic to fans who haven't seen their favorite acts and who mistakenly believe that artists and promoters who are driving prices up through manufactured scarcity.

We haven't forgotten what it is like to hunger and work so hard to see our favorite bands and as a result, we have worked continuously to ensure our fans can see our shows at a reasonable cost.

Pearl Jam has a product we all desire and has the right to sell their product at whatever cost they choose. But ethically, it's a major faux pas to lobby for rules to "protect" a segment of the population only to turn around and exploit those same rules. Make no mistake, what we are seeing out of our beloved band and TM is nothing other than what they claim we "mistakenly believe," it's "manufactured scarcity."

Be careful.....you may be called "obsessed" or a "sourpuss" 

static111

dmbolp said:

The game has changed.  Waiting to purchase is now the better strategy; take advantage of it.

Agreed.  My buddy just scored 6th row seats for bob dylan for about $40 less than I paid for 28th row by waiting until the day of.

on2legs

dmbolp said:

The game has changed.  Waiting to purchase is now the better strategy; take advantage of it.

This.  Someone has a chance to score some great seats if prices fall like the Earthlings tour.  

Zod

dmbolp said:

The game has changed.  Waiting to purchase is now the better strategy; take advantage of it.

yah, that's hard part.  Platinum isn't about the old school, we drop all tickets at once, first come first serve.  It's about maximizing revenue and making tickets available all the time, so people don't buy from scalpers.  PJ ticket's aren't scalpable, but that's what that platform was designed to do.

They'll never just sell out.. there will always be tickets... and if people aren't buying them the prices will keep going down.

It's super tough though.  Lots of PJ fans travel, so making travel plans and ocd'ing over the tickets every day, it's tough

gobr0309

on2legs said:

dmbolp said:

The game has changed.  Waiting to purchase is now the better strategy; take advantage of it.

This.  Someone has a chance to score some great seats if prices fall like the Earthlings tour.  

At this point I don't even buy tickets if I can't get good seats right when they go on sale. I just wait until day of and they always release extra seats that were held back for friends, family, sponsors, etc. and the unsold premium tickets for face value. Got 1st row floor for PJ in LA in 2013 a few hours before show, 2nd row radiohead tickets at the shrine auditorium in LA hours before it started, tickets to see the chili peppers play at the fonda theatre (fits ~1,200) for the KROQ halloween show in 2016 day of. I can't think of a single show i've checked on the day of that didn't release extra tickets for sold out shows. Even big shows like Wrigley released good tickets the day of. They aren't always amazing seats or a lot available but usually floor/lower level in the first couple rows. For the 2013 PJ LA show I had to go to a ticketmaster box office location (no online option) but everything else has been available to buy online.

Lerxst1992

I’ve checked Fenway and msg a zillion times over the years day of. Occasionally maybe an average seat, nothing close. Most of the time nothing available.

dmbolp

John Mayer just dropped front row face tickets for tonight in ATL

huntersthompson

dmbolp said:

The game has changed.  Waiting to purchase is now the better strategy; take advantage of it.

Yep

droptheleash9

Lerxst1992 said:

I’ve checked Fenway and msg a zillion times over the years day of. Occasionally maybe an average seat, nothing close. Most of the time nothing available.

I actually scored field seats in the first row of the section immediately behind the section in front of Ed's mic at Fenway N1 2016 on the day of for face value. Best part is my buddy and I met some other fans who we've since travelled to other shows with.

foriginalsin

100 Pacer said:

mpedone said:

cmalisze said:

mpedone said:

cmalisze said:

mpedone said:

I keep literally asking you what we can do to affect change, and all you keep telling me I'm being "blindly loyal".

1. Speak truth to power. Call out the situation as you see it. If you see it as "no harm" then please state the case why. I see it as fans being taken advantage of, significantly, which is why I continually state my position. 
2. . Provide specific examples of hypocrisy. There are plenty in this circumstance. I would assume the Ten Club and/or the band would take it to heart and make necessary adjustments to not be considered hypocrites or greedy elite individuals by a large contingency of their fan base. 
3. Do not buy PJ Premium or any seat, for that matter, UNTIL F2F is released to better understand all options. Then proceed as you feel fit. 
4. Demand the ability to transfer tickets. This is imperative. This is the #1 culprit to how fans are being manipulated. Our inability to transfer tickets makes for their ability to have "PJ Premium" seats set at an astronomical above "market" price. The market for seats is manipulated. 
5. Demand for transparency. When will F2F sales be enabled? "Spring" is not an acceptable answer any longer because our trust is broken. Some shows are less than a month away and our beloved Ten Club members are sweating over the chance of being stuck with $300 worth of seats that cannot be used. 
6. Demand the Ten Club forum allow for trades (not cash sales) of tickets on the forum for whatever both parties are agreeable to. I had a post taken down offering 2 seats for 1 because that is apparently scalping and against the rules of this forum. This is now another control mechanism. We can't suggest deals be made to benefit two willing parties but PJ/TM are comfortable with market manipulation and price gauging. Seems fair. 


I recognize "demands" are just that "demands." However there is strength in numbers and for all the apologists out there I assure you that you will, at some point, be disappointed in this process and to dismiss what many are saying because you personally are taken care of or happy with this tour's outcome is selfish.  It is easy not to care when your needs are met. I will also say this.... I was taken care of. I was chosen by the Ten Club for Vegas but now cannot go. I would love to sell these seats on F2F......donate them....or trade them to a fan dying to go to Vegas but what's good for one isn't good for the other in this "relationship." Not that hard to see... sadly. 

Thank you, this was very well stated. Have you tried to send this directly to the Ten Club? I don't have faith that much of what is posted on the forum gets to the people who matter, but perhaps direct communication?

And I thank you for dealing with me! But to be 100% transparent.....I would absolutely be supportive of the "old" way where "PJ Premium" didn't exist and the tickets weren't transferable etc. Or as a compromise.....GA $$$ Lower Level $$ Upper Level $ as an acceptable structure. 

Still need Oakland!!!

Yeah, I thought the 2020 system was pretty excellent. Not the best for everyone, but I think the best for the most fans.

Any system where the vast majority of tickets are allocated to the fan club is a good system. The rest is just me before we.

Yup. 

JeBurkhardt

The premium Denver tickets that were $650 are now $495. They must not be selling too well. 

BF25394

gobr0309 said:

At this point I don't even buy tickets if I can't get good seats right when they go on sale. I just wait until day of and they always release extra seats that were held back for friends, family, sponsors, etc. and the unsold premium tickets for face value. Got 1st row floor for PJ in LA in 2013 a few hours before show, 2nd row radiohead tickets at the shrine auditorium in LA hours before it started, tickets to see the chili peppers play at the fonda theatre (fits ~1,200) for the KROQ halloween show in 2016 day of. I can't think of a single show i've checked on the day of that didn't release extra tickets for sold out shows. Even big shows like Wrigley released good tickets the day of. They aren't always amazing seats or a lot available but usually floor/lower level in the first couple rows. For the 2013 PJ LA show I had to go to a ticketmaster box office location (no online option) but everything else has been available to buy online.

I got front-row tickets for two consecutive nights for Radiohead at the Hollywood Bowl in 2003 for face-value of $49 each night, with no fees because I bought them at the box office.  That's right: two nights in the front row for Radiohead for less than $100 combined.  I just walked up to the window at about 4:30 p.m. the day of the first show and said, "Are there tickets available for tonight?"  The guy said, "I have seats in the front row.  Does that work?"  I replied, "Um, yeah."  Then I asked about the next night.  He said, "Same thing."  I couldn't believe it.  The shows were incredible.

Now I tried this at subsequent Radiohead shows at that venue and there were absolutely no tickets whatsoever available the day of the show, but I did it for a Wilco show about five years ago and got a front-row seat for 75 bucks.  In that instance, I was supposed to be meeting a friend at seats further up in the venue, and I had given him his ticket ahead of time.  After I bought the front-row ticket, I sold my existing ticket to someone else who needed one (for face value).  He was a little dubious that it might be bogus.  I told him not to worry because he could enter the venue at the same time as me and see that the ticket was legit before I went my separate way.  I actually did not have the friend I was supposed to be meeting's phone number, so it ended up falling on this other guy to explain why he would now be sitting in my seat.  I figured my friend would understand under the circumstances.  (He did.)

tdawe

on2legs said:

I’ll never pay for Premium PJ tickets.  But I respect their right to offer it if the result is we get substantially more fan club seats. There were very few people missing out on the Camden lottery despite it being the only new show offered in the North East - Pearl Jam’s toughest area to pull a ticket.  

I haven’t read through this whole insane thread but I think this is right. Premium pricing sucks, and by no means am I here to say that the current approach is perfect, but if you’re going to roast the band for offering expensive tickets you at least have to acknowledge that they really did get more tickets in the hands of club members than ever before. 

My recollection is that final MSG odds back in January 2020 were in the 40’s or thereabouts. The odds for the two 2016 Garden shows were single digits. That’s fucking wild. 

PJNB

tdawe said:

on2legs said:

I’ll never pay for Premium PJ tickets.  But I respect their right to offer it if the result is we get substantially more fan club seats. There were very few people missing out on the Camden lottery despite it being the only new show offered in the North East - Pearl Jam’s toughest area to pull a ticket.  

I haven’t read through this whole insane thread but I think this is right. Premium pricing sucks, and by no means am I here to say that the current approach is perfect, but if you’re going to roast the band for offering expensive tickets you at least have to acknowledge that they really did get more tickets in the hands of club members than ever before. 

My recollection is that final MSG odds back in January 2020 were in the 40’s or thereabouts. The odds for the two 2016 Garden shows were single digits. That’s fucking wild. 

You are comparing GA 2016 odds to reserved 2020 odds. Also 2016 had a full east coast run to dampen competition for New York. I am sure 10C got more tickets in 2020 compared to 2016 though as they said. 

JimmyV

Was getting more fanclub seats ever put forth by 10c as a reason for PJ Premium? I know they mentioned keeping fanclub prices down - which is appreciated - but did they ever anywhere connect it to ticket quantities?