European Tour Sales = Desaster

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  • PJNB
    PJNB Posts: 13,890
    I remember that now. Thats rough especially with how ticket sales are having to compete with a poorly selling market. 

    I am ISO a great pair for Barcelona N1 if anyone is selling a great pair for face and wants to avoid the fees. What were the best 10C tickets that people got?


  • Zen23
    Zen23 Posts: 492
    edited April 2024
    There are now a few seats available in Level 1 for the price of 165 euros. It depends on what you consider to be a great pair. In terms of price. As well as in terms of position in the arena. 
    Post edited by Zen23 on
  • JimFletcherPearlJam
    JimFletcherPearlJam Posts: 381
    It's all Monopoly money. Just pay and go have fun! 
  • lastexitlondon
    lastexitlondon Posts: 14,896
    JimFletcherPearlJam said:
    It's all Monopoly money. Just pay and go have fun! 
    Do not pass GO


    this song is meant to be called i got shit,itshould be called i got shit tickets-hartford 06 -
  • Zen23
    Zen23 Posts: 492
    And don't end up in prison.
  • bicyclejoe
    bicyclejoe USA Posts: 1,203
    Zod said:
    marumaruko said:
    axeljohan said:
    Zen23 said:
    axeljohan said:
    GA-Tickets for Berlin (both nights) are available again for the regular price of 175 EUR at Ticketmaster.de

    Also good seats are now available in sections A2 and E1. While 10c-members are still stuck with 10c-seats in A1 und E2.
    While the fans who had to pay huge amounts of money for PJ Premium tickets for the lower tier at the start of the presale are now the ones who are screwed. While they are trying to recoup their money in the resale, Ticketmaster is happily offering better seats at a fraction of the price. Shitty world.
    Only solution for this: don't jump on Premium tickets at the start of the sale. Hard to do, when you really want to go to a concert, but there has to be a learning curve on the consumer side.
    This, or simply stop looking once you got your tickets and be content. 
    I got early Tool tickets for this spring in Europe and I am sure I overpaid, but I really wanted to see them, so I'm happy to have scored great seats. 

    (Although I also learned through this to wait a bit longer - Dynamic pricing is great for people who want to decide closer to a show)
    I do wonder what will happen as ticket buy psychology adapts over the next number of years.   Most of us grew up when it was get 'em right away, or you have to deal with a reseller.  It's now completely inverted, and the best thing you can do is wait until the last second.

    Peoples psychology and ticket buying routines will adapt to this right? :)
    Great observation.
    My Pearl Jam Road: 10/22/90 Seattle | 12/22/90 Seattle, Moore Theater | 9/29/92 Seattle, Magnusson Park, Drop in the Park | 9/5/93 The Gorge, with Neil Young and Blind Melon | 7/20/06 Portland, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall with Sleater-Kinney | 7/22/06 The Gorge, 10/21/06 Mountain View, Shoreline Ampitheatre, Bridge School Benefit | 9/21/09 Seattle | 9/22/09 Seattle | 9/26/09 Portland, OR | 7/14/2011 Eddie Vedder, Portland, OR | 11/29/13 Portland, OR
  • axeljohan
    axeljohan Posts: 477
    Ed gave an interview to Süddeutsche Zeitung, one of the most respected newspapers in Germany. Great interview, he was pressed about ticket prices (translated via google)

    Concerts by stars like Taylor Swift are increasingly becoming an exclusive treat. When you announced the upcoming Pearl Jam tour, there was an outcry about ticket prices. For their loyal fans, Pearl Jam have always been a slightly different band. People seem to feel betrayed, can you understand that?

    I really hate to say it, but we're talking about a limited resource here. Especially since the problems in the event sector have doubled since the corona pandemic. After the pandemic, everyone wanted to play concerts again as quickly as possible, which makes it an incredible challenge to even plan a tour like this.

    The problem is known. However, not everyone can afford admission prices well beyond the hundred euro mark.

    The production costs are really completely out of control. All trades, from the technical equipment to buses to the rents for the venues, cost prices well above the normal market value. People say, “Hey, if you don’t pay my price, no problem, someone else will.” That’s true even for service providers we’ve worked with for over 30 years. To answer your question: If we can save money, we pass it on to the fans. However, it is essential for us to at least cover our costs. If we had to pay extra and couldn't make any money at all, we wouldn't go on tour anymore.

    This debate is not just about the already high regular prices, but also about so-called dynamic pricing. At New York's Madison Square Garden, remaining tickets for a Pearl Jam show cost up to $2,000 at the time of this interview. Who should pay for that?

    The secondary market plays a large part in this development, and that is the real problem. In my opinion, this price development has very little to do with Ticketmaster or the artists; it is mainly due to the complete proliferation on these secondary markets.

    Because people have become accustomed to inflated prices through intermediaries like Viagogo, did dynamic pricing even become conceivable?

    Yes it is.

    Shouldn't culture still remain a space for everyone - and not an exclusive pleasure for the wealthy from which more and more people are excluded?

    I agree, you are right.


    https://www.sueddeutsche.de/projekte/artikel/kultur/pearl-jam-eddie-vedder-interview-e105743/ (Paywall and in German)

  • Benz
    Benz Posts: 120
    axeljohan said:
    Ed gave an interview to Süddeutsche Zeitung, one of the most respected newspapers in Germany. Great interview, he was pressed about ticket prices (translated via google)


    https://www.sueddeutsche.de/projekte/artikel/kultur/pearl-jam-eddie-vedder-interview-e105743/ (Paywall and in German)

    Do you know if that is in todays print version as well or tomorrows? Or only digital?
  • axeljohan
    axeljohan Posts: 477
    Benz said:
    axeljohan said:
    Ed gave an interview to Süddeutsche Zeitung, one of the most respected newspapers in Germany. Great interview, he was pressed about ticket prices (translated via google)


    https://www.sueddeutsche.de/projekte/artikel/kultur/pearl-jam-eddie-vedder-interview-e105743/ (Paywall and in German)

    Do you know if that is in todays print version as well or tomorrows? Or only digital?
    Will be in the print version on Wednesday. 
  • Benz
    Benz Posts: 120
    axeljohan said:
    Benz said:
    axeljohan said:
    Ed gave an interview to Süddeutsche Zeitung, one of the most respected newspapers in Germany. Great interview, he was pressed about ticket prices (translated via google)


    https://www.sueddeutsche.de/projekte/artikel/kultur/pearl-jam-eddie-vedder-interview-e105743/ (Paywall and in German)

    Do you know if that is in todays print version as well or tomorrows? Or only digital?
    Will be in the print version on Wednesday. 
    Awesome thank you!
  • pjl44
    pjl44 Posts: 10,528
    Great answers
  • kaw753
    kaw753 Posts: 941
    Zod said:
    marumaruko said:
    axeljohan said:
    Zen23 said:
    axeljohan said:
    GA-Tickets for Berlin (both nights) are available again for the regular price of 175 EUR at Ticketmaster.de

    Also good seats are now available in sections A2 and E1. While 10c-members are still stuck with 10c-seats in A1 und E2.
    While the fans who had to pay huge amounts of money for PJ Premium tickets for the lower tier at the start of the presale are now the ones who are screwed. While they are trying to recoup their money in the resale, Ticketmaster is happily offering better seats at a fraction of the price. Shitty world.
    Only solution for this: don't jump on Premium tickets at the start of the sale. Hard to do, when you really want to go to a concert, but there has to be a learning curve on the consumer side.
    This, or simply stop looking once you got your tickets and be content. 
    I got early Tool tickets for this spring in Europe and I am sure I overpaid, but I really wanted to see them, so I'm happy to have scored great seats. 

    (Although I also learned through this to wait a bit longer - Dynamic pricing is great for people who want to decide closer to a show)
    I do wonder what will happen as ticket buy psychology adapts over the next number of years.   Most of us grew up when it was get 'em right away, or you have to deal with a reseller.  It's now completely inverted, and the best thing you can do is wait until the last second.

    Peoples psychology and ticket buying routines will adapt to this right? :)
    I have adapted and buy same day. Saw QOTSA last week with a friend for 50% of face value. Stub Hub actually never delivered the tickets on the first buy, so just bought similar tickets and Stub Hub sent me a $35 coupon for the hassle. 

    I have noticed for sports it seems like the prices and amount of tickets for sale are best the evening before the game. 
  • axeljohan
    axeljohan Posts: 477
    edited April 2024
    pjl44 said:
    Great answers
    Well, according to Ed, they have to charge 170+ Euros and use dynamic pricing in order to not make losses from the tour. And viagogo is more responsible for the high ticket prices than the band or ticketmaster.

    i think Bruce‘s approach (we charge that much because people are paying it) is more honest.
    Post edited by axeljohan on
  • lastexitlondon
    lastexitlondon Posts: 14,896
    Agreed . I just wish it was all transparent. It's not the same pricing here in Europe that's clear by other bands . The price of everything is higher in the USA and they are very used to paying 20 dollars  beer at hockey or football or whatever it's not like that here for anything comparable 


    this song is meant to be called i got shit,itshould be called i got shit tickets-hartford 06 -
  • Zen23
    Zen23 Posts: 492
    You're not going to tell me that Green Day, the Foo Fighters, even Beyoncé or Coldplay make a loss on their tours because they sell good tickets for well under €150 and tickets in the upper tier for under €100. That doesn't explain at all why Pearl Jam came up with the idea of charging a standard ticket price of €175. A ticket price that had to be reduced by Eventim to €125 for the upper tier on the first day of pre-sales after less than 10 hours. Does that suddenly mean that Pearl Jam are making a loss with their Berlin concerts? What nonsense.
  • lastexitlondon
    lastexitlondon Posts: 14,896
    Agreed a lame answer that doesn't stack up


    this song is meant to be called i got shit,itshould be called i got shit tickets-hartford 06 -
  • Gravey1975
    Gravey1975 Posts: 342
    axeljohan said:
    Ed gave an interview to Süddeutsche Zeitung, one of the most respected newspapers in Germany. Great interview, he was pressed about ticket prices (translated via google)

    Concerts by stars like Taylor Swift are increasingly becoming an exclusive treat. When you announced the upcoming Pearl Jam tour, there was an outcry about ticket prices. For their loyal fans, Pearl Jam have always been a slightly different band. People seem to feel betrayed, can you understand that?

    I really hate to say it, but we're talking about a limited resource here. Especially since the problems in the event sector have doubled since the corona pandemic. After the pandemic, everyone wanted to play concerts again as quickly as possible, which makes it an incredible challenge to even plan a tour like this.

    The problem is known. However, not everyone can afford admission prices well beyond the hundred euro mark.

    The production costs are really completely out of control. All trades, from the technical equipment to buses to the rents for the venues, cost prices well above the normal market value. People say, “Hey, if you don’t pay my price, no problem, someone else will.” That’s true even for service providers we’ve worked with for over 30 years. To answer your question: If we can save money, we pass it on to the fans. However, it is essential for us to at least cover our costs. If we had to pay extra and couldn't make any money at all, we wouldn't go on tour anymore.

    This debate is not just about the already high regular prices, but also about so-called dynamic pricing. At New York's Madison Square Garden, remaining tickets for a Pearl Jam show cost up to $2,000 at the time of this interview. Who should pay for that?

    The secondary market plays a large part in this development, and that is the real problem. In my opinion, this price development has very little to do with Ticketmaster or the artists; it is mainly due to the complete proliferation on these secondary markets.

    Because people have become accustomed to inflated prices through intermediaries like Viagogo, did dynamic pricing even become conceivable?

    Yes it is.

    Shouldn't culture still remain a space for everyone - and not an exclusive pleasure for the wealthy from which more and more people are excluded?

    I agree, you are right.


    https://www.sueddeutsche.de/projekte/artikel/kultur/pearl-jam-eddie-vedder-interview-e105743/ (Paywall and in German)

    Kudos to the reporter for asking the tough questions. Taken on their own, the answers hold water and reflect the comments of the likes of Roger Daltrey recently. But as has been pointed out elsewhere, why are other artists able to price tickets at a tier below this tour? Foo Fighters is a fair comparison. It definitely stinks. But at the same time I'm grateful that they're still touring so...
  • drfox
    drfox Posts: 1,481
    Zen23 said:
    You're not going to tell me that Green Day, the Foo Fighters, even Beyoncé or Coldplay make a loss on their tours because they sell good tickets for well under €150 and tickets in the upper tier for under €100. That doesn't explain at all why Pearl Jam came up with the idea of charging a standard ticket price of €175. A ticket price that had to be reduced by Eventim to €125 for the upper tier on the first day of pre-sales after less than 10 hours. Does that suddenly mean that Pearl Jam are making a loss with their Berlin concerts? What nonsense.
    The only logic I can think of is that tours have a combination of fixed and variable costs. Fixed costs will be things like transportation of equipment and merch from the US etc. Variable costs depend on the number of shows. They have fewer concerts to spread the fixed costs over with only playing 9 Euro dates v’s 30-40 dates for the vast majority of similar bands. If they had say 17-18 Euro concerts as normal, the fixed costs per concert would be half of this year. I do think their relative lack of touring contributed to the cost issue 
  • JackD.
    JackD. Posts: 523
    edited April 2024
    They are definitely lacking some scale effects due to their limited touring per region but Ed arguments are still questionable. 175€ are not necessary to break even. Their own high paycheck and the greed of Live Nation and Ticketmaster are the reason. Not the pandemic or inflated costs.

    On the other hand, Ed probably thinks his arguments are true because that‘s what his management told him. I doubt he has a look at the tour‘s business case. The band is not to blame. Only maybe for not looking deeper into it.
  • Zen23
    Zen23 Posts: 492
    I have now read through the entire interview. Mr. Vedder answers the two basic questions as follows. Feel free to correct me if I have misunderstood something.

    Why such extremely high ticket prices?

    In order to cover costs.

    Why do remaining tickets for a Pearl Jam show cost up to 2000 dollars on official sale?

    The secondary market is to blame. Ticketmaster and Pearl Jam have little to do with it.

    Done. It's that simple. And we spend pages here thinking about the reasons. Case solved.

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