U2 has just signed a 12 year deal with Live Nation (tour production, promotion, branding, etc.) - in U2 speak that translates to (fingers crossed) three more tours… 2009, 2013, and 2017. The band is expected earn at least $100 million in the LN agreement before 2020 (completely believable considering their 05/06 Vertigo tour grossed over $400 million).
In order for U2 to earn their $100 million, what kind of ticket and merchandising prices can we expect?
15 years ago, I was to trying to scrape together $40.25 to attend U2's Zoo TV Tour (in the Fall of 92 it was nearly unheard of to charge $40+ for a concert ticket - even Springsteen, the Stones, Elton, Clapton, and Prince were still in the $25 - $35 range).
Then, in 1994 Hell Froze Over - the Eagles reunited and the rest is history. The Eagles were the first arena rockers to charge (and the audience abide willingly) $70+ for a show ticket, and $30+ for a tour t-shirt. The Eagles sold out three nights at Fiddler's Green in the summer of 94 (55,500 seats total for the Denver stop) - tickets for that particular tour were very hard to come by, they sold out arenas all over the U.S.
If you consider that CD sales and concert ticket sales have tanked for most contemporary musicians (only a few artists seem to be making real money touring... the Stones, Madonna, U2, etc.) - is perceived "price gouging" the next logical step (continued escalation of ticket and merchandise pricing) to counter illegal music downloading?
I've never bought into the "artist is greedy" argument - perhaps we're getting a bargain... I would suggest the U2 live performance is worth every penny of $175 or $275 or whatever they are going to charge per ticket next year. Before you ask me to step away from the Kool Aid, take a sip... Did you experience the Zoo TV, Popmart, Elevation, and Vertigo tours? If you skipped one or all of them, you missed out.
Please share your concert ticket price, concert merchandise price stories. What is the most/least you ever paid for a great concert? Have you recently caved and dropped $35 for a t-shirt inside the arena? What would you be willing to pay to see Gilmour and Waters together, or Page, Plant, JPJ, and Bonham Jr. on stage? Are you planning on paying $375-$500 per ticket to see Madonna's rumored Hard Candy tour? Does illegal downloading have anything to do with concert ticket pricing?
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17 comments:
First, I would say that how much is enough? Do these rock stars really need to make that much money? Is a couple million not enough for a year of decent living? Is entertainment worth that much money?
Your damn right it is! Humans are attracted to entertainment, especially Americans. I mean honestly who in there right mind isn't going to do something that is considered to be fun just for a bit of money, or sit and do nothing. How much is too much?
I would say this depends on who they are trying to attract. For a older band like U2, Van Halen and other monumental bands high prices can be charged. Older people will pay this money, because it will be a night that not only will they remember forever, but will let them re-live their youth. I do believe they would make more if they made it more quanity at lower price, and allowed everyone to see it (even if it took multiple shows).
Personally there isn't a band that i would pay over 150$ to see, and it would take the appearance of someone great, for me to shell that kind of money out. I would pay to see Van Halen or some of the older hit bands, but it would have to be a great show.... now for Madonna, get over yourself already, PLEASE... 375$-500$ is ridiculous to even imagine for a night watching Madonna on stage dancing around like she is still a younger sex symbol.... Blah I say to that. There will be some that pay though.
Lastly, is the price bumps because of piracy on the internet? I believe it is partly that, but it is also greed. I understand raising prices, but to raise 5X normal price, even 10X in some instance just shows that it is for the money, NOT FOR THE ART. I believe a good artist is humble and if his/her art is good enough they will be rewarded. Piracy has become an excuse for these artist to charge the honest horrendous amounts of money....TOTALLY UNFAIR!!
FRED CARLEY MCCNM 101
The most I have ever paid for a concert ticket was $49.50. I did not mind paying that amount of money. However, due to my limited amount of income, I cannot afford to pay $375 to $500 for a concert ticket (my rent is $500!!). However, if I had a higher economic income, I would spend up to $500 for a concert ticket. I understand that the musicians must raise prices in order to make up for reduced profits due to the decreasing number of albums sold in record stores. Since 1990, record sales have went down seventy percent in record stores (textbook). The other profits for musicians consist of online music purchases. However, since a great deal of music is illegally obtained online, the artists have to make up for it somewhere, and most people will pay extremely large amounts of money to see the actual musician perform live. Without a doubt, the musicians do not absolutely need to raise concert tickets prices, but they have the authority as well as the status to do so. It is their right, because it is their music.
Joann Babbitt MCCNM 101
There are good reasons for ticket prices to go up. Musicians who sign record deals are not interested in practicing all their lives to make an average living. Rock stars and divas make music to make money. If record sales dropped 26% and are still dropping then the record industry has to revamp itself. Raising ticket prices for concerts is a good way to make up the difference lost in CD sales. T-shirts at concerts are already $40 and were $35 when I started going to concerts. There is a little money to be maid in merchandise and maybe that’s the area that will be hit hardest by price increases. I think that if merchandise prices mimic ticket prices the industry should be able to pick itself up simply because people going to concerts have already set aside the money.
This summer the Mayhem Festival is coming to Colorado and my tickets are in the mail. After taxes and charges each ticket will be around $55. I will bring enough money to buy two t-shirts, which should bring my concert expenses up to around $150 with gas and food. My ticket prices are down because I subscribe and get early access to tickets. Once the show sells out ticket prices will jump at least 300%. One question I have is how many people buy their tickets from scalpers and Ebayers? The best way to pay for a concert experience is to sell your excess tickets. Again, maybe I’m too capitalist for my own good, but since I started selling concert tickets I think all my concerts have been paid for, 100% from my ticket sales.
Concerts are the ultimate. CD’s are great and I’m really glad I don’t have to wait for a concert to come around to listen to my favorite artists, but one concert is more memorable than 1000 CD’s. The sound, the atmosphere and the feeling of being a few feet from the stars on music CD’s and videos are worth most any price. I started going to concerts my sophomore year of high school. The concert date was September 22, 2001 and The Pledge of Allegiance Tour cost about $40 a ticket. Since then there’s been the Pop Sux Tour for about $40, the Summer Sanitarium in Columbus Ohio for $160 a ticket, the Jagermeister Tour twice for around $40 a ticket.
Slipknot – 3 times (another this summer)
Disturbed – 2 times (another this summer)
Mudvayne – 2 times
Metallica – 2 times
Godsmack – 1 time
System of a Down – 1 time
No One – 1 time
Rammstein – 1 time (would pay thousands to see again)
Korn – 1 time
Linkin Park – 1 time
Deftones – 1 time
Limp Bizkit – 1 time
Lacuna Coil – 1 time
Chimaira – 1 time
Rob Zombie – 1 time
Lamb of God – 1 time
Shadows Fall – 1 time
The music industry is one that I like to involve myself with. I have already written song lyrics of my own, but the only problem is that I cannot write my own music. As far as concerts go, I have only been to one and that was the Spring concert that CSU-Pueblo held. I was going to pay about $70 to go see My Chemical Romance in Denver, but was glad that I didn't because the plans fell through. I would like to go see Three Days Grace, 3 Doors Down, Greenday, or Good Charlotte, but I don't know if I would have enough money to do so. At least I got to see Army of Me perform at the school's Spring concert and that I got to meet the lead singer. I don't think that I would pay any more than $300 to see a concert.
Posted By
Jessica Brown
As long a people keep handing over the money for concert tickets, t-shirts and all other forms of merchandise an artist sells then the price will keep going up. It is very similar to gas prices in the fact that if we stopped using fuel then the price would have to decrease. However the major difference is, people are dependent on petro to make a living, and getting from place to place. With concerts it is a little bit easier to just say no. This concept is hard to grasp for most Americans because we are afraid to miss out on a "Happening Event". No one likes a fun sucker even if it means not paying the heating bill. So until ticket prices are reasonable again I will continue to download......Legally that is for all of the federal agents looking at the mass comm blog.
I’m not a concert guy, I’ve been to very few. The last “concert” I went to was to hear Joel Osteen do a ministry at the Pepsi Center. He said on his website to not pay over $10 for a ticket. I’m guessing he didn’t want ticket brokers scalping them for more than enough.
I have gotten a little crazy before as far as tickets go though. Last October, when my Colorado Rockies made the World Series, I was ready to pay whatever I had to in order to attend the monumental event. I was lucky enough to survive the ticket debacle and buy four club level tickets to Game 3. It cost me $250 apiece, but the experience was tremendous, and I will never forget it! I can also say I was at the first ever World Series game played at Coors Field. A small price to pay.
Would I be willing to pay $375-$500 to see Madonna’s rumored Hard Candy tour? I wouldn’t pay $50 to see Madonna.
I think that ticket brokers/scalping has more to do with concert prices than illegal downloading. I’m not saying I did this, but if I wanted to I could’ve easily listed my extra two tickets on Ebay, StubHub or one of the other websites, and sold them for a grand apiece. It happened with the World Series, it happened with Hannah Montana, and it happens with almost every other sold out concert/sporting event. What it really does is make the industry realize, “we could charge triple what we’re charging right now, and we’re still going to sell out the place!”
Brandon Hopper
Ive never been to a concert in my life, because i think they charge to much just to see someone sing or rap some lyrics i can listen to on the radio or a cd. i feel that people are stupid for paying that much for a ticket to see another human being just like you. but these days people are so star struck and will pay to see a star. personally any tickets over 50 bucks is a lot, $50 is a lot to me. but paying 375-500$ is crazy anybody who will pay that much for a ticket is out of their mind.
Ive never been to a concert in my life, because i think they charge to much just to see someone sing or rap some lyrics i can listen to on the radio or a cd. i feel that people are stupid for paying that much for a ticket to see another human being just like you. but these days people are so star struck and will pay to see a star. personally any tickets over 50 bucks is a lot, $50 is a lot to me. but paying 375-500$ is crazy anybody who will pay that much for a ticket is out of their mind.
In my opinion I think that concert tickets have gone up ridiculously, for no apparent reason. Yes, in my past I was one of those who to paid to attend concerts but when I was twelve or plus years of age, tickets weren't as nearly as much as they are now. I've only attended two concerts in my entire life. My first concert that I had ever attended was a Christina Aguliera and TLC concert. Tickets back then were not as expensive as they are today. I think my ticket was maybe a total of thirty five to forty dollars.which wasn't too bad I suppose. My second concert was the Destiny's Child reunion, that ticket was eighty dollars. considering that there were three people in the group, I guess it was that bad either, but you could already see a thirty to forty dollar jump. that was back in 2004 ( I think) so I can only imagine how much tickets are now in 2008. certain people will drop any amount of dollar to see artist which I don't understand. In my opinion it has to be within a reasonable price for me to be spending my hard earned money on.
Illegal downloading has nothing to do with it first of all. I paid about 50$ to go see 311,pepper and the whalers and if was worth every penny. Would i drop 35$ on a t-shirt why bother i have plenty at home, just because it says 311 on it wont change my mind and im not that hardcore like some people. As far as these expensive ticket prices for these high profiled artists i think its fine. Some of these bands single handily changed the way music was made and sounded, i mean come on U2 be in the game for awhile, and Madonna is like the queen of pop. These bands are amazing and SOME deserve the ticket pricing. People will buy these tickets regardless, i mean if you were in the position wouldn't you?
Brad L
I think ticket pricing will at least stay the same for U2 tickets as it was before for the Vertigo tour. They already know they can get a full stadium at that price. They might try to raise the price, but I think it'll probably stay within 30 dollars of the ticket prices from the Vertigo tour. Personally, i've only paid up to 40 dollars for a concert ticket because I don't really have much extra money. If I had a better paying job, yes, I would pay more for a ticket to see a good band. There's a whole different sound when songs are live and, if the band is good, a whole different feel as you watch them play that radio and CDs just can't compare to. Now if the band is bad, obviously that concert could lead to ditching the CDs and hating the band for using computer filtering to make the songs sound good on CD. I would have to say that a 35 dollar shirt would be a fairly reasonable price at some concerts. Merchandise such as shirts, even when ordered in bulk are not as cheap as you might think and the better the design, the more expensive it was for the artists. Even if they were cheap, if the crowd will pay it, they should be able to charge 35-40 since the selling market for most bands CD and concerts aren't doing so well. I think illegal downloading has had something to do with this, but I think the main reason is that artists and record companies refuse to change. Obviously illegal downloading is not profitable for the artist, but the greatest amount of people do not download their songs illegally. The people want singles that they've heard on the radio, not full albums. They can use iTunes and purchase just that song. Record companies and artists need to wise up and come up with strategies that attract the listener to other songs, not just the single they heard on the radio. Radiohead's "In Rainbows" is a good example. They offered it for whatever you wanted to pay for a limited time. Another idea would be to go back to the musical roots of records. Record had one song on each side, one side was the song you wanted and the other would be a song from another artist. Give away free content with purchases of every song to entice customers to buy other artist songs or even just the full CD. Obviously, those bands that can will price gouge their tickets. I think if they can still fill the stadium, then they should get that money. I do agree with the earlier comment though that they should just do more shows at each location for a lesser cost. 3 shows at 60 dollars instead of one at 130 dollars would get them more money, but of course more expenses for each location. -Luke
I definitly think that illegal downloading is driving these ticket and merchandise sales through the ceiling. I personally wouldn't pay more than $100 to see someone in concert, well maybe for a few people i would. And that's why these artists make so much money. I remember paying $80 for a Backstreet Boys ticket (well my parents paid for it) And now that I look back on that...why? I could have seen them better on tv than I could have at the concert. But because these artists aren't making what they used to due to illegal downloading, they're going to increase charges to keep up their income. And if you like an artist well enough, you'll pay it.
BY: MARIO BALINTON
I have only been to three concerts, and two concerts I actually paid for and both tickets were around 40$ dollars. I feel that it was a reasonable price and the music performances were worth it. In matter of fact I feel that I got away with a deal for 40 dollars to see De la soul, Common, Floetry, John Legend, and The Roots. I never bought any merchandise though, all of is way over priced and not worth the money. 35$ dollars for a plain white t-shirt with a picture of the artist on it is doing way too much. It is almost the same price of the damn ticket I paid to see the artist.
I honestly believe that I would never by more that 50$ to go to a concert unless it was Jay-Z, Lupe Fiasco, Fabolous, or line up with 100% off artists that I like. Also I feel that illegal downloading does not affect concerts. If that was the case everyone that bought the CD wouldn’t show up to the concert either. Concerts are all about the performance and actually seeing your favorite artist in person, and being around several thousand others that enjoy the same music as you do. So I feel that illegal downloading does not affect ticket pricing.
-MARIO BALINTON
First of all I have to agree with Professor Lovato’s statement that if you have not been to many, if any, concerts that you are missing out. I consider myself a bona fide music junkie and have been to so many concerts that I lost count a long time ago. The three that stick out as the most expensive were the Rolling Stones in 2005 at a price of around $80 for a nosebleed seat, Tom Petty with Pearl Jam in 2006 for about $120, and Roger Waters in 2008 for around $100. This does not include t-shirts, transportation, refreshments or sleeping accommodations. I realize that this sounds a bit extreme, and it may be, but to fans as dedicated as I am it is absolutely worth it. However, these types of shows are not all that’s out there. I’ve also attended countless shows featuring some of my favorite bands for a ticket price of between $15 and $30. The biggest bargains that come to mind were the Meat Puppets (double header, New Years Eve 2007,) the Melvins (twice,) Fu Manchu (twice,) Clutch (three times,) and GWAR (five times.) Perhaps it is possible for these types of acts, all of which have been around since at least the early nineties, to still be able to afford to tour for such a low ticket price because of the dedication of loyal fans and low overhead costs such as minimal transportation and crew. I do believe that illegal downloading has affected the music industry, but the lost revenue can be made up in different ways. Ozzfest for instance uses extensive merchandise, advertising, and sponsorships to be able to afford to pay the bands and keep the show on the road. I guess it comes down to simple economics: if the demand is out there, people will pay. If people are not willing to pay, costs must be cut to accommodate them.
NATE BAPTIST MCCNM 101
I think a part of the increase in tickets can be blamed on internet piracy. Celebrities though, are becoming worth more and more, and people are becoming more and more greedy. I mean, is 7 dollars really reasonable for a 32oz fountain drink at a broncos game??? or 50 dollars for a nosebleed ticket?
Number one, its not the athlete or musician that is getting all of the money. In fact, they get a very small fraction of the revenue brought in by these concerts and sporting events.
Later today i'm seeing a great band for 10 dollars. I've seen them before, and they are one of the best performing bands i've ever seen. "Barcelona" a very mellow rock/balld band that still needs to get off the ground has played in denver at least 5 or 6 times in the last 6 months. I saw them play with the band meese about 6 months ago, and this is where i first saw them. I found out about Meese when they opened for the Fray even longer ago. In order to get up to the big times, and big bucks, bands have to start low, and work their way up. I had front row standing room seats at a Dashboard Confessional concert with a ticket price of 27.50 (the ticket is on my wall right now) and that is easily the best show i've ever been to. They played for 2 hours and i was right there. I would have payed 80.
When it comes down to seeing Zeppelin, i dont know if one can put a price on that.... they nearly started it all, Arguably, and in my opinion the greatest band ever, a Led Zeppelin concert ticket could be priced so outrageous, but would still sell out every arena they toured.
Its not that the artists are greedy, its the business. Its hard to say what i would actually pay if it came down to it. But i do know that people will dish out alot.
Kraig Brownlow
MCNNM 101 9:30
I hate to think about all of the people who download music illegaly. Its because of this that prices are as high as they are for some shows. Fortunately U2 is somewhat overrated in my opinion. They're at the point in their career where they could perform free for the rest of their life and still retire multi millionares. I wish I lived back in the day so I could have seen some of the real performers such as clapton. That would be money well spent.
It is in the best interest of the artist to charge as much as they can for their products. They put countless hours into their work. I don’t think raising the prices is the best way to counter illegal downloading because the people downloading probably wouldn’t purchase the artists work anyway.
Kelly Hughes
MCCNM 101
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