Please keep in mind that Gross means before expenses. It's not like the guys took home $4.8 million. I'm not apologizing for the higher ticket prices, but I believe CJMST3k has a point. And unfortunately the concert goer has to make up for the loss in sales due to piracy.
Merchandise is where bands make money. A $35 t-shirt might cost them $10 to make, especially with the crap suppliers they are using lately.
Now if they start using different levels of ticket prices, ala U2, then I will be pissed.... :x
Thanks... and BTW a $35 t-shirt might cost them $7 to make (or less I would guess) but the venue's merchandise percentage is VERY high. On a $35 sale I'd bet PJ is giving $6 to the venue (thru Merch staff costs, etc) plus the cost of the goods, plus paying their tour merch person (one of which used to work for the same company as me before she went on tour with them). That $6 number is just a guess, but when I worked for concert promoters in arenas I recall the merch being insanely high. I'd say the real money is the ticket, and some icing is merchandise.
If PJ was more savvy, they would do what I suggested many times. When you sell a TC ticket, give the option to buy a bootleg download for that show for only $5 more, at the time the ticket is purchased. People get a discount because they're buying before the show is even performed, and PJ would probably get more people to pay to download shows. Win/Win.
ADD 5,200 to the post count you see, thank you.
*NYC 9/28/96 *NYC 9/29/96 *NJ 9/8/98 (front row "may i play drums with you")
*MSG 9/10/98 (backstage) *MSG 9/11/98 (backstage)
*Jones Beach 8/23/00 *Jones Beach 8/24/00 *Jones Beach 8/25/00
*Mansfield 8/29/00 *Mansfield 8/30/00 *Nassau 4/30/03 *Nissan VA 7/1/03
*Borgata 10/1/05 *Camden 5/27/06 *Camden 5/28/06 *DC 5/30/06
*VA Beach 6/17/08 *DC 6/22/08 *MSG 6/24/08 (backstage) *MSG 6/25/08
*EV DC 8/17/08 *EV Baltimore 6/15/09 *Philly 10/31/09
*Bristow VA 5/13/10 *MSG 5/20/10 *MSG 5/21/10
First, this is "gross" which means that it does not include their expenses, which I'm sure are quite substantial. Minor stuff like, oh, paying their employees, cost of touring all over the world, etc!
Second, who among us doesn't want to earn what our labor/talent will allow? I'm fairly sure that most on this board who work want to make as much as they can in their chosen field. You may give much of it away to charities, etc, but you still want to maximize your income potential.
The ticket prices are well in line with what we should expect to pay for a PJ show, I'd personally pay alot more to see them.
Manchester, TN - 2008
Washington, D.C. - 2008
Philadelphia, PA I - 2009
Bristow, VA - 2010
Baltimore, MD - 2013
Milwaukee, WI - 2014
Hampton, VA - 2016
I'll tell ya, if Philly night 1, 2, 3 were selling Sport Team shirts, the number's would of been higher. I was shocked not seeing any for the first 3 nights. Every city on Ed's 09 & Pearl Jam '09 had one, accept Philly. Then Night 4, we get one out of the blew!
Wrong. SF Outside Lands Festival did not get a team sports shirt.
ACL festival they had one on offer (college football!), so one festival appearance did get one -- it was only us in SF that got neglected -- and it's not like we ain't got some of the most merch savvy logo-luvin teams in the biz: Sharks and Raiders esp, but not like the A's Giants Niners or Warriors are any slouches....
Sigh.
Meanwhile -- Yeah for PJ! I don't begrudge 'em a dime.
I went to 3 shows on the AUS tour. none were in my hometown. so thats 4 flights, 3 accomodation bills and 2 weeks spending money. The $300 i spent on the tickets, wasnt the thing that emptied my bank account.
Liam finn came on at 5pm. Pearl jam finished at 1030 to 11pm. Thats $20 an hour.Thats 4 hours of me working in a supermarket for me. NOTE: I'm not saying the bands arent being paid enough. I'm saying that EACH ticket holder gets there moneys worth. I dont feel ripped off, They played 30+ songs at my shows. So Im guessing the issue must be that PJ are greedy and taking more than they need?
We dont know for sure how much money each band member makes. Its not really our buisness either. I'd be willing to bet that none of the guys blow insane amounts of money on things they dont need. Besides living how everyone would if they were a millionaire, Setting yourself up for life, living in your dreamhouse and having a bank account for your kids. How can you bitch about how much they are earning if you dont know what they are doing with it?
So in seeing that number, would the apologists defending the high ticket prices please check in and remind us how the band members have families, how high gas prices affect it, how much they have to pay the crew,low album sales etc. I'd love to re-read your justifications.
I'd say they made 6 figures on merch as well. God bless having a rabid fan base. I'd say this is much more profitable than having a top selling CD but only being able to sell out 1 show per town.
You god a good point, man!
I'm not an apologist for defending high ticket prices. I think PJ made a 180 degree turn from their low-ticket price stance.
However, I think the band believes that high ticket prices are justified because of rampant music piracy, and that the way to make up for the lost income from album sales is to raise the prices elsewhere to make up for it.
I see this equally on both sides.
Only thing I would say to the band then is the "fans" are the ones BUYING their music..
Ten Club # 433608, when I am 80 I will be in the front row!
Mmm, I agree on the fact that we don't know how much money, out of those 4.8 millions, actually goes in their pockets. So, we really don't have data to analyze...
... but I don't know if I'm alright with knowing that some people can make 5 times my annual income in 4 days (and I'm underestimating A LOT, being my salary well under 50K). And I'm not talking about PJ in particular...
That being said, PJ can charge whatever they want... I attended Philly 3, and was well worth the money
Makes me ache, makes me shake...
...is it so wrong to think that love can keep us safe?
I've been to about a dozen PJ shows since 1994.... they were awesome every time, and their tickets have always been UNDER-priced.
Anyone criticizing them after they pissed away most likely HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS by intentionally avoiding raping the willing masses in the mid nineties can kiss my ass.....
Here in New England I just blew off seeing the Pixies for christ sake.... their prices really were outrageous.... I could afford it but didn't want to feel stupid.
If you feel stupid paying face value for a PJ show... don't go.... no one will miss you.
And if you want to talk about wealth distribution, these are the type of guys you WANT to have money.... they'll do something good with it.
Who gives a crap what Pearl Jam and their crew earn. They damn well earn every cent they walk away with.
We most certainly get our dollar value and them some! But who from us puts a dollar value on what we get in return in relation to Pearl Jam, the community etc etc??
If the $5 mil roughly they earned in just ticket sales, not counting merch, I would ballpark that each member of PJ pulled in about $500,000 each. Not bad for 4 days pay. This is after all the roadies are taken care of, of course. Imagine if you add up the rest of the tour. These guys make some serious $$$$$. And well deserved if I might add.
another post of mine about quit bitching about your ticket prices!
go to a show in a market like australia, and try and get tickets to a big international band for under $100
it will not happen! $85 will get you a ticket to a 5000 venue, international act.
Step to the arena, and you are looking at $100 at the very least.
Remembering that i am talking australina $$, but at the moment, $1 australian = $0.93 US, our prices are steep.
The whole Brittney thing... In Australia, her cheapest tickets were more expensive than PJ's tickets. PJ had 2 tier pricing here (understandably being in a stadium) but Brittney cheapest were more than PJ's expensive, and more than the 10c tickets which were overpriced ($20-$30 more than regular)
Another point. PJ Grossed 4.8 million in Philly. GROSSED, that means ticket sales alone. Take away venue hire, staff, etc etc etc. There is a large cost involved in putting this stuff on! We will not find out those costs.
In my opinion, every $$$$ spent seeing Pearl Jam is a $$$ well spent
who cares ? so they made a few bucks. get over it. tell ya what, why dont you go to work tomorrow for half of what you make. better yet, take half of what you make and donate it to a good cause.
then talk to me.
I for one am glad the boys are making some bank, that means the can continue whatever lifestyle they are leading and in turn continue to make kick ass music that fucking blows me away.
good job PJ keep up the great work, and GET PAID !!
fucking people drive me crazy !
Well fucking said. It's the greatest rock show on the planet today. I'd gladly pay twice the price and still feel I got my money's worth. If you don't like the price charged don't go - I'm sure the person who ends up with the ticket you would have taken will thank you for ever.
Well fucking said. It's the greatest rock show on the planet today. I'd gladly pay twice the price and still feel I got my money's worth. If you don't like the price charged don't go - I'm sure the person who ends up with the ticket you would have taken will thank you for ever.
Wow, that's a great point! :roll:
You know that there are people around who don't have that much money, but still love the band?
So it's OK to exclude them for concerts, as long a you have the money to go?
So much about PJ Fans taking care of each other, and not only thinking about themselves...
It is so sad that there are so many fans who don't question one thing about the band (fanboys). If they would charge $300 for a ticket, it would still be OK I guess?!
I love the band for both their music and their history. That's why I can't just be OK with everything they do.
They taught us to be critical about things, and still do so. And guess what, you are not a bad fan if you question decisions made by the band, or their management.
And they fought a fight for good ticket prices. Now they should be reminded of this, since they left this way a couple of years ago.
Well fucking said. It's the greatest rock show on the planet today. I'd gladly pay twice the price and still feel I got my money's worth. If you don't like the price charged don't go - I'm sure the person who ends up with the ticket you would have taken will thank you for ever.
Wow, that's a great point! :roll:
You know that there are people around who don't have that much money, but still love the band?
So it's OK to exclude them for concerts, as long a you have the money to go?
So much about PJ Fans taking care of each other, and not only thinking about themselves...
It is so sad that there are so many fans who don't question one thing about the band (fanboys). If they would charge $300 for a ticket, it would still be OK I guess?!
I love the band for both their music and their history. That's why I can't just be OK with everything they do.
They taught us to be critical about things, and still do so. And guess what, you are not a bad fan if you question decisions made by the band, or their management.
And they fought a fight for good ticket prices. Now they should be reminded of this, since they left this way a couple of years ago.
I never said anyone should be excluded from a show for financial reasons. They're still miles cheaper than U2, the Stones, KISS, Fleetwood Mac, The Police, The Who, The Eagles, Brittney et al - all who have toured Australia recently or are about to. People need to face the facts that putting a rock show on the road costs the band a shit load of cash - usually up front.
I believe PJ do their best to keep ticket prices as low as they can, but in this new world of digital music piracy, increased transport costs, finance costs and the increased scale and cost of the show, prices must rise. For crying out loud, today the Perth and Adelaide bootlegs were available on torrents within an hour of going online in the downloads area and they are only $10!! This is a living for more than just the band - they do have a crew they must pay and an organisation behind them who must also be paid. Making the show carbon neutral also costs.
Like it or not, Pearl Jam is a business and commercial realities must be faced or there would be little point in them continuing. I believe PJ are an ethical business who do not take advantage of their fans and who have done their best to give good value for money on all their ventures. It is no longer 1995, 2009 is a far differnet landscape and to my mind, they're doing their best to protect their personjal and organisational futures without ripping us off.
If you cant afford a ticket - don't go, or save up, or make sacrafices. It's sad that finances can exclude people but I assure you, I prioritise my spending so luxuries like concert tickets and holidays fit in my budget. I'd rather see pearl Jam than smoke, I'd rather see Pearl jam than eat expensive shit food, I'd rather see Pearl Jam than run an expensive car. We got without so we can afford the things that are important to us.
I never said questioning make anyone less of a fan, in fact the whole argument of who is more or less of a fan than someone else is really like two jocks arguing over who has the biggest dick - it's totally irrelevant and punile. Yes the band (and others) have taught us to be critical and to ask questions but coming to their website and ripping them on a ticket price is a bit rich and shows pretty piss poor form. Someimtes the winge crew on this forum need to take a good hard look at themselves and ask those same critical questions of themselves.
Coming to their website and ripping them on a ticket price is a bit rich and shows pretty piss poor form.
I got your points, although i disagree with most of them.
I think they could do much better if they wanted. And I think it's their management that is pretty greedy.
But obviously, it's OK to have different opinions there.
Eddie once said that by keeping their ticket prices down, they want to asure that a guy workinh at a gas station can afford to see their show with his son without a problem. I think this point is not given any more.
But what I don't understand is your quote above.
This forum has space for different opinion. And people who complain about ticket prices don't come here to bitch, they express their opinion.
I don't like the way they let the prices run. But I love many other things about the band. So why can't I talk and discuss about both sides?
Coming to their website and ripping them on a ticket price is a bit rich and shows pretty piss poor form.
I got your points, although i disagree with most of them.
I think they could do much better if they wanted. And I think it's their management that is pretty greedy.
But obviously, it's OK to have different opinions there.
Eddie once said that by keeping their ticket prices down, they want to asure that a guy workinh at a gas station can afford to see their show with his son without a problem. I think this point is not given any more.
But what I don't understand is your quote above.
This forum has space for different opinion. And people who complain about ticket prices don't come here to bitch, they express their opinion.
I don't like the way they let the prices run. But I love many other things about the band. So why can't I talk and discuss about both sides?
Coming to their website and ripping them on a ticket price is a bit rich and shows pretty piss poor form.
But what I don't understand is your quote above.
This forum has space for different opinion. And people who complain about ticket prices don't come here to bitch, they express their opinion.
I don't like the way they let the prices run. But I love many other things about the band. So why can't I talk and discuss about both sides?
If this issue is such an important one it should be sent via email directly to the band's management - surely this would be a more appropriate way to express these views.
But as I said, I've seen other far poorer (or past it) acts charge way more for tickets, The Police wanted mega bucks for a seat in the first half a dozen rows and a general ticket was almost double the cost of a Pearl jam ticket. Too rich for me. Pearl Jam have never bowed to these pressures and protected their true fans by givibng 10c priority seating.
Maybe my opinions are biased by the fact we Australian always pay through the nose for international touing acts, but for me Pearl Jam have always been cheaper and better value than any other act. They always have a quality support who would cost extra - the last three tours have been Ben Harper & R7 plus Liam Finn; in 2006 it was Kings Of Leon; in 2003 it was Johnny Marr and the Healers.
At this stage in their career with record sales dropping (due to piracy and older fan base) I can understnad that they must look to other revenue streams and unfortunately ticket prices is one of those areas.
Like it or not, once a band gets as big as Pearl Jam (or U2, Bruce, etc), it's the bands responsibility to get market value for their product so the profits go to the people they employ. Can you imagine if Pearl Jam sold tickets for $35-$40? Every person with a computer, myself included, would try to buy as many as possible knowing that the demand would still be there at $80-$100. It would be irresponsible for the band to allow this to happen. Sure, some lucky fans would get the cheaper tickets, but you'd see a lot more on ebay & ticket broker sites. If they can sell out 4 nights at the Spectrum for $75 a ticket, then that's probably the right price for the ticket. It's just the reality of the business today.
i'm just happy the band doesn't play into the tiered pricing of tickets, like u2 does
at worst pj have 2 ticket prices...sometimes even 1. that is a KEY issue for me
i'm happy the band is making some much deserved cash but i also hope they don't earn sooo much that they start to look at retiring sooner because of their wealth
who cares ? so they made a few bucks. get over it. tell ya what, why dont you go to work tomorrow for half of what you make. better yet, take half of what you make and donate it to a good cause.
then talk to me.
I for one am glad the boys are making some bank, that means the can continue whatever lifestyle they are leading and in turn continue to make kick ass music that fucking blows me away.
good job PJ keep up the great work, and GET PAID !!
fucking people drive me crazy !
Well fucking said. It's the greatest rock show on the planet today. I'd gladly pay twice the price and still feel I got my money's worth. If you don't like the price charged don't go - I'm sure the person who ends up with the ticket you would have taken will thank you for ever.
If they doubled the price I believe they would have a hard time selling out venues in the states. I think that would pass the casual fans price point. It would more then likely reduce the amount of shows the traveling fans go to as well. Which might improve some fan club members seats. It would definitely cut down the amount of shows I would go to, not that I go to many in a normal year.
I would have a hard time justifying a staggered price system as well. They would not reduce the less desirable seats without raising the more desirable ticket prices. And who pays for the more desirable tickets? The hard core fan. And that kind of bothers me that some bands will take advantage of the rabid fan base that they know will pay higher ticket prices because they have a captured audience. Keep things the way they are and if a show is not selling well closer to the date of the show, then drop the prices and fill the seats. Live Nation has started doing this. And if you notice the acts that are dropping prices are asking too much to begin with and the promoter wants to fill the venue up so they can make money on the food/beverage/merchandise sales.
I have no problem with the prices they currently charge, I find it very reasonable for the show they put on.
are people seriously misunderstanding this, i know a few have said it, but it is gross. pearl jam would see very little of that gross, you think about the logistic of playing one show in philly. you got travel to the show, which includes getting the band there, truck loads of equipment, buses of crew to put together a stage etc. then you got rent on the venue, paying for venue staff, security, police and all the other shit that goes with that. city taxes other permits needed everything costs money.
i don't even think pearl jam would see a third of that 4.8 million. then take out booking agents fees, management fee, there accounts fee to count the dollars. end of the day if the band, i'm talking the 5 main members, got much more then a mill to split between the 5 of them for the 4 days i would be very surprised.
but i guess the people having a cry about the ticket prices think that the band are getting a million each cause they grossed almost 5mil.
what i'll never understand about America is some guy can make 50 million a year to play basketball or football but that's ok. if you added all the money elite athletes over all sports made in america and used that money for something else, there would be no cancer, aids, 3rd world poverty and many other things. but what would you guys watch on a sunday?
but that's a whole other issue.
back to my point: PEARL JAM DID NOT WALK AWAY FROM 4 NIGHTS IN PHILLY WITH 4 MILLION IN THEIR BACK POCKETS.
They are worth every god damm pennie and they earn every god damm pennie take that to the bank !!!! and i would gladly pay $100 a ticket ...
Agree Jose! But if they go any higher then $100 a ticket I would have a hard time justifying to my friends that it is worth going to. And as much as I like seeing them with friends I am not that generous to buy their tickets!
It would probably lead to more ten club members teaming up for pairs. Which wouldn't be a bad thing necessarily, because then we would get to meet a lot more fellow fans then!
are people seriously misunderstanding this, i know a few have said it, but it is gross. pearl jam would see very little of that gross, you think about the logistic of playing one show in philly. you got travel to the show, which includes getting the band there, truck loads of equipment, buses of crew to put together a stage etc. then you got rent on the venue, paying for venue staff, security, police and all the other shit that goes with that. city taxes other permits needed everything costs money.
i don't even think pearl jam would see a third of that 4.8 million. then take out booking agents fees, management fee, there accounts fee to count the dollars. end of the day if the band, i'm talking the 5 main members, got much more then a mill to split between the 5 of them for the 4 days i would be very surprised.
but i guess the people having a cry about the ticket prices think that the band are getting a million each cause they grossed almost 5mil.
what i'll never understand about America is some guy can make 50 million a year to play basketball or football but that's ok. if you added all the money elite athletes over all sports made in america and used that money for something else, there would be no cancer, aids, 3rd world poverty and many other things. but what would you guys watch on a sunday?
but that's a whole other issue.
back to my point: PEARL JAM DID NOT WALK AWAY FROM 4 NIGHTS IN PHILLY WITH 4 MILLION IN THEIR BACK POCKETS.
Exactly. And for the price of admission to all four shows I feel I got my moneys worth! One of the best weeks of the year for me!
Comments
Thanks... and BTW a $35 t-shirt might cost them $7 to make (or less I would guess) but the venue's merchandise percentage is VERY high. On a $35 sale I'd bet PJ is giving $6 to the venue (thru Merch staff costs, etc) plus the cost of the goods, plus paying their tour merch person (one of which used to work for the same company as me before she went on tour with them). That $6 number is just a guess, but when I worked for concert promoters in arenas I recall the merch being insanely high. I'd say the real money is the ticket, and some icing is merchandise.
If PJ was more savvy, they would do what I suggested many times. When you sell a TC ticket, give the option to buy a bootleg download for that show for only $5 more, at the time the ticket is purchased. People get a discount because they're buying before the show is even performed, and PJ would probably get more people to pay to download shows. Win/Win.
*NYC 9/28/96 *NYC 9/29/96 *NJ 9/8/98 (front row "may i play drums with you")
*MSG 9/10/98 (backstage) *MSG 9/11/98 (backstage)
*Jones Beach 8/23/00 *Jones Beach 8/24/00 *Jones Beach 8/25/00
*Mansfield 8/29/00 *Mansfield 8/30/00 *Nassau 4/30/03 *Nissan VA 7/1/03
*Borgata 10/1/05 *Camden 5/27/06 *Camden 5/28/06 *DC 5/30/06
*VA Beach 6/17/08 *DC 6/22/08 *MSG 6/24/08 (backstage) *MSG 6/25/08
*EV DC 8/17/08 *EV Baltimore 6/15/09 *Philly 10/31/09
*Bristow VA 5/13/10 *MSG 5/20/10 *MSG 5/21/10
Second, who among us doesn't want to earn what our labor/talent will allow? I'm fairly sure that most on this board who work want to make as much as they can in their chosen field. You may give much of it away to charities, etc, but you still want to maximize your income potential.
The ticket prices are well in line with what we should expect to pay for a PJ show, I'd personally pay alot more to see them.
Washington, D.C. - 2008
Philadelphia, PA I - 2009
Bristow, VA - 2010
Baltimore, MD - 2013
Milwaukee, WI - 2014
Hampton, VA - 2016
Wrong. SF Outside Lands Festival did not get a team sports shirt.
ACL festival they had one on offer (college football!), so one festival appearance did get one -- it was only us in SF that got neglected -- and it's not like we ain't got some of the most merch savvy logo-luvin teams in the biz: Sharks and Raiders esp, but not like the A's Giants Niners or Warriors are any slouches....
Sigh.
Meanwhile -- Yeah for PJ! I don't begrudge 'em a dime.
Liam finn came on at 5pm. Pearl jam finished at 1030 to 11pm. Thats $20 an hour.Thats 4 hours of me working in a supermarket for me. NOTE: I'm not saying the bands arent being paid enough. I'm saying that EACH ticket holder gets there moneys worth. I dont feel ripped off, They played 30+ songs at my shows. So Im guessing the issue must be that PJ are greedy and taking more than they need?
We dont know for sure how much money each band member makes. Its not really our buisness either. I'd be willing to bet that none of the guys blow insane amounts of money on things they dont need. Besides living how everyone would if they were a millionaire, Setting yourself up for life, living in your dreamhouse and having a bank account for your kids. How can you bitch about how much they are earning if you dont know what they are doing with it?
Only thing I would say to the band then is the "fans" are the ones BUYING their music..
... but I don't know if I'm alright with knowing that some people can make 5 times my annual income in 4 days (and I'm underestimating A LOT, being my salary well under 50K). And I'm not talking about PJ in particular...
That being said, PJ can charge whatever they want... I attended Philly 3, and was well worth the money
...is it so wrong to think that love can keep us safe?
Anyone criticizing them after they pissed away most likely HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS by intentionally avoiding raping the willing masses in the mid nineties can kiss my ass.....
Here in New England I just blew off seeing the Pixies for christ sake.... their prices really were outrageous.... I could afford it but didn't want to feel stupid.
If you feel stupid paying face value for a PJ show... don't go.... no one will miss you.
And if you want to talk about wealth distribution, these are the type of guys you WANT to have money.... they'll do something good with it.
Same here my friend!
I dont but I bet you'd be surprised how many actually do buy
Hell yeah D
We most certainly get our dollar value and them some! But who from us puts a dollar value on what we get in return in relation to Pearl Jam, the community etc etc??
Waste of ink!
Got some if you need it!!!
9/29/04 Boston, 6/28/08 Mansfield, 8/23/09 Chicago, 5/15/10 Hartford
5/17/10 Boston, 10/15/13 Worcester, 10/16/13 Worcester, 10/25/13 Hartford
8/5/16 Fenway, 8/7/16 Fenway
EV Solo: 6/16/11 Boston, 6/18/11 Hartford,
go to a show in a market like australia, and try and get tickets to a big international band for under $100
it will not happen! $85 will get you a ticket to a 5000 venue, international act.
Step to the arena, and you are looking at $100 at the very least.
Remembering that i am talking australina $$, but at the moment, $1 australian = $0.93 US, our prices are steep.
The whole Brittney thing... In Australia, her cheapest tickets were more expensive than PJ's tickets. PJ had 2 tier pricing here (understandably being in a stadium) but Brittney cheapest were more than PJ's expensive, and more than the 10c tickets which were overpriced ($20-$30 more than regular)
Another point. PJ Grossed 4.8 million in Philly. GROSSED, that means ticket sales alone. Take away venue hire, staff, etc etc etc. There is a large cost involved in putting this stuff on! We will not find out those costs.
In my opinion, every $$$$ spent seeing Pearl Jam is a $$$ well spent
I wave to all my Friends... Yeah!
Well fucking said. It's the greatest rock show on the planet today. I'd gladly pay twice the price and still feel I got my money's worth. If you don't like the price charged don't go - I'm sure the person who ends up with the ticket you would have taken will thank you for ever.
Wow, that's a great point! :roll:
You know that there are people around who don't have that much money, but still love the band?
So it's OK to exclude them for concerts, as long a you have the money to go?
So much about PJ Fans taking care of each other, and not only thinking about themselves...
It is so sad that there are so many fans who don't question one thing about the band (fanboys). If they would charge $300 for a ticket, it would still be OK I guess?!
I love the band for both their music and their history. That's why I can't just be OK with everything they do.
They taught us to be critical about things, and still do so. And guess what, you are not a bad fan if you question decisions made by the band, or their management.
And they fought a fight for good ticket prices. Now they should be reminded of this, since they left this way a couple of years ago.
I never said anyone should be excluded from a show for financial reasons. They're still miles cheaper than U2, the Stones, KISS, Fleetwood Mac, The Police, The Who, The Eagles, Brittney et al - all who have toured Australia recently or are about to. People need to face the facts that putting a rock show on the road costs the band a shit load of cash - usually up front.
I believe PJ do their best to keep ticket prices as low as they can, but in this new world of digital music piracy, increased transport costs, finance costs and the increased scale and cost of the show, prices must rise. For crying out loud, today the Perth and Adelaide bootlegs were available on torrents within an hour of going online in the downloads area and they are only $10!! This is a living for more than just the band - they do have a crew they must pay and an organisation behind them who must also be paid. Making the show carbon neutral also costs.
Like it or not, Pearl Jam is a business and commercial realities must be faced or there would be little point in them continuing. I believe PJ are an ethical business who do not take advantage of their fans and who have done their best to give good value for money on all their ventures. It is no longer 1995, 2009 is a far differnet landscape and to my mind, they're doing their best to protect their personjal and organisational futures without ripping us off.
If you cant afford a ticket - don't go, or save up, or make sacrafices. It's sad that finances can exclude people but I assure you, I prioritise my spending so luxuries like concert tickets and holidays fit in my budget. I'd rather see pearl Jam than smoke, I'd rather see Pearl jam than eat expensive shit food, I'd rather see Pearl Jam than run an expensive car. We got without so we can afford the things that are important to us.
I never said questioning make anyone less of a fan, in fact the whole argument of who is more or less of a fan than someone else is really like two jocks arguing over who has the biggest dick - it's totally irrelevant and punile. Yes the band (and others) have taught us to be critical and to ask questions but coming to their website and ripping them on a ticket price is a bit rich and shows pretty piss poor form. Someimtes the winge crew on this forum need to take a good hard look at themselves and ask those same critical questions of themselves.
I got your points, although i disagree with most of them.
I think they could do much better if they wanted. And I think it's their management that is pretty greedy.
But obviously, it's OK to have different opinions there.
Eddie once said that by keeping their ticket prices down, they want to asure that a guy workinh at a gas station can afford to see their show with his son without a problem. I think this point is not given any more.
But what I don't understand is your quote above.
This forum has space for different opinion. And people who complain about ticket prices don't come here to bitch, they express their opinion.
I don't like the way they let the prices run. But I love many other things about the band. So why can't I talk and discuss about both sides?
All said with due respect Mr.igby
If this issue is such an important one it should be sent via email directly to the band's management - surely this would be a more appropriate way to express these views.
But as I said, I've seen other far poorer (or past it) acts charge way more for tickets, The Police wanted mega bucks for a seat in the first half a dozen rows and a general ticket was almost double the cost of a Pearl jam ticket. Too rich for me. Pearl Jam have never bowed to these pressures and protected their true fans by givibng 10c priority seating.
Maybe my opinions are biased by the fact we Australian always pay through the nose for international touing acts, but for me Pearl Jam have always been cheaper and better value than any other act. They always have a quality support who would cost extra - the last three tours have been Ben Harper & R7 plus Liam Finn; in 2006 it was Kings Of Leon; in 2003 it was Johnny Marr and the Healers.
At this stage in their career with record sales dropping (due to piracy and older fan base) I can understnad that they must look to other revenue streams and unfortunately ticket prices is one of those areas.
at worst pj have 2 ticket prices...sometimes even 1. that is a KEY issue for me
i'm happy the band is making some much deserved cash but i also hope they don't earn sooo much that they start to look at retiring sooner because of their wealth
If they doubled the price I believe they would have a hard time selling out venues in the states. I think that would pass the casual fans price point. It would more then likely reduce the amount of shows the traveling fans go to as well. Which might improve some fan club members seats. It would definitely cut down the amount of shows I would go to, not that I go to many in a normal year.
I would have a hard time justifying a staggered price system as well. They would not reduce the less desirable seats without raising the more desirable ticket prices. And who pays for the more desirable tickets? The hard core fan. And that kind of bothers me that some bands will take advantage of the rabid fan base that they know will pay higher ticket prices because they have a captured audience. Keep things the way they are and if a show is not selling well closer to the date of the show, then drop the prices and fill the seats. Live Nation has started doing this. And if you notice the acts that are dropping prices are asking too much to begin with and the promoter wants to fill the venue up so they can make money on the food/beverage/merchandise sales.
I have no problem with the prices they currently charge, I find it very reasonable for the show they put on.
i don't even think pearl jam would see a third of that 4.8 million. then take out booking agents fees, management fee, there accounts fee to count the dollars. end of the day if the band, i'm talking the 5 main members, got much more then a mill to split between the 5 of them for the 4 days i would be very surprised.
but i guess the people having a cry about the ticket prices think that the band are getting a million each cause they grossed almost 5mil.
what i'll never understand about America is some guy can make 50 million a year to play basketball or football but that's ok. if you added all the money elite athletes over all sports made in america and used that money for something else, there would be no cancer, aids, 3rd world poverty and many other things. but what would you guys watch on a sunday?
but that's a whole other issue.
back to my point: PEARL JAM DID NOT WALK AWAY FROM 4 NIGHTS IN PHILLY WITH 4 MILLION IN THEIR BACK POCKETS.
Agree Jose! But if they go any higher then $100 a ticket I would have a hard time justifying to my friends that it is worth going to. And as much as I like seeing them with friends I am not that generous to buy their tickets!
It would probably lead to more ten club members teaming up for pairs. Which wouldn't be a bad thing necessarily, because then we would get to meet a lot more fellow fans then!
Exactly. And for the price of admission to all four shows I feel I got my moneys worth! One of the best weeks of the year for me!