A Treatise on Ticket Prices

freealcibiades

It would seem as though the old adage rings true: you can't please everyone all the time.

As it pertains to Pearl Jam's ticket prices on this tour: the prices are fair and beneath "market" rates for this type of show. Check out the below info as posted by "merlin2600".

Rod Stewart and Eric Clapton are charging the same for their tours, as follows:

Base: $125.00
Convenience Fee: 16.15
Facility Charge: 7.00

Total: $148.15
That's for a single ticket, row W section 2 (front center section of the venue).

Tom Petty

Base: $75.00
Convenience Fee: 12.35
Facility Charge: 7.00

Total: $94.35
That's for a single ticket in the BACK of the pavillion, but still reserved seats.

For further reference, The Police are charging $225 base for their seats, I don't remember where exactly, but under the pavillion.

What can easily be extrapolated from this information is that Pearl Jam's ticket prices are still beneath the market rate for a premiere concert. Beyond the topical assessment, it's only sensible to assume that as prices in the environment rise (cost of producing a tour, increased crew salaries, inflation) so will the cost of tickets. Do you think the garden's rental price per hour was the same in '03 as it is now?

At the end of the day Pearl Jam would still like to turn a profit while balancing what can largely be considered "fair" prices for their shows. As their profit margin starts getting squeezed, prices will go up. After all, Pearl Jam is not a charity.

So while everyone is still "longing for the old days", the only smart thing to do is buck-up and recognize that the prices we're paying now for tickets are still a bargain.

elevation622

that's a lot to read, but do I think Pearl Jam deserve $70something a ticket? Yes! and i'll vote with my wallet!

||Release_Me||

As a person who uses common sense, all that makes sense and i'd be happy to pay it if i was able to this year.

But, we're not dealing with common sense on this forum. We're dealing with PJ fanatics that abandon all logic and common sense when a tour is announced. Anything and everything the band does will be criticised at some point. Nothing escapes judgment. The message pit is a strange little place.

pateljam

Treatise....
Is that what you give a dog for rolling over...

What a faggy word...

pieceofdust

You refer to the garden "rental" price. in my experience this is not how venues and bands work out their agreements. as far as i have ever know...say pearl jam wants to play the verizon center in dc...pearl jam gives the verizon center a price for how much they would expect to be paid for playing there...the ticket prices are then set accordingly so the venue still turns a profit after paying the band. i am not sure how this works with fan club seats but i think it all works under this system.

inmytree

pateljam wrote:

Treatise....
Is that what you give a dog for rolling over...

What a faggy word...

it's "faggy" to feed your dog...?

Urohawk

Although I think their prices are fair.....it's laughable to think they have the draw or appeal of Clapton, Stewart, Petty, or the Police. Really not comparable. PJ lack of album promotion has killed their relevance over the years. Some people don't even know they released an album since Vs. or Vitalogy.

inmytree

Urohawk wrote:

Although I think their prices are fair.....it's laughable to think they have the draw or appeal of Clapton, Stewart, Petty, or the Police. Really not comparable. PJ lack of album promotion has killed their relevance over the years. Some people don't even know they released an album since Vs. or Vitalogy.

um...

when was the last time any of the above released a new album....?

Urohawk

inmytree wrote:

um...

when was the last time any of the above released a new album....?

They don't have to. I would argue they have had way more commercially successful albums in the past and are now touring on their legendary status. People who own Claptons/Stewarts/Police/Petty greatest hits may want to see them without owning their original albums.

PJ hasn't been relevant for years and much by their own choosing. They sit in an intermediate rock status of history making Grunge rockers but certainly not rock legends.

freealcibiades

inmytree wrote:

it's "faggy" to feed your dog...?

"Treatise" only reads as a faggy word if you are, in fact, faggy. Well done.

As far as how "rental" prices work, you may very well be right "pieceofdust". The point behind my argument was that - to put it succinctly - prices always go up; and that as fans we should expect to see ticket prices gradually increase for as long as Pearl Jam plays live.

Gremmie95

Urohawk wrote:

PJ hasn't been relevant for years and much by their own choosing. They sit in an intermediate rock status of history making Grunge rockers but certainly not rock legends.

I think their refusal to play the game is part of what has made them rock legends.

hopethatuchoke

inmytree wrote:

um...

when was the last time any of the above released a new album....?

Stewart released a covers album last year that sold alot from what i've read

Petty released the 4 hour documentary last year and an album the previous year

Clapton released a book and a dvd late last year


Lets not forget Petty played the superbowl in front of how many million people?

hopethatuchoke

Gremmie95 wrote:

I think their refusal to play the game is part of what has made them rock legends.

Pearl jam are amazing to all of us here but very very few people will ever consider them to be "legends". Very few bands achieve that status and PJ is far from it.

slightofjeff

Urohawk wrote:

They don't have to. I would argue they have had way more commercially successful albums in the past and are now touring on their legendary status. People who own Claptons/Stewarts/Police/Petty greatest hits may want to see them without owning their original albums.

PJ hasn't been relevant for years and much by their own choosing. They sit in an intermediate rock status of history making Grunge rockers but certainly not rock legends.

Except they will sell out MSG on back-to-back nights ... weird huh?

Urohawk

Not weird if you consider a few things:

1.One of the largest cities in the world to draw a fan base from
2. A world famous venue that every one of your hardcore fans want to see them in
3. A history of energized shows in said venue.
4. A concert DVD promoting one of the said shows.

Sounds like a recipe for success. Now move that show to Cinncinatti, West Palm Beach, Detroit, etc and wonder why there are seats available.

Jeremy8564

I agree with ticket prices, they are fair if not better than fair...I'm not happy to shell out nearly $150 for a pair, but to get premium seats this is what is to be paid in these days...hell $75 including facility and convenience charges is great...I mean I paid $115 for one ticket, face value, to see Springsteen since his base ticket was $98+facility fees unless you wanted to sit in the upper deck behind the stage(65+fees). I'd pay it again mind you, but Pearl Jam is the better deal...plus PJ's fan club tickets are cheaper than DMB tickets or at least for camden...they want $75 before fees just to sit inside. And lets not even get into the argument of fan club fees since Ten Club's got the Warehouse ($40/yr) and U2's ($40/yr) beat at $25 a year...

And everyone lets not forget the new rules about rows 1-2 and 9-10...that alone makes it worth it especially since my number is 20---- and having a shot at front row, albeit a long shot, is worth the risk. Also my apologies to those with really low numbers...I know a few of you, you guys rock, but share the wealth a little...is it really gonna hurt that you're in row 3 instead of 1 or 2...

I hear the fans who can't afford tickets...I've had to make that choice too many times...what can i say...Economic Stimulus package anyone...