Concert prices, tickets and all that malarkey

[SiHart]

Is it just me, or have the price of seeing a gig risen hugely over the last few years? In some ways I think the increased awareness of when tours are going to be happeneing and the more agressive marketing of tours via ticket websites and the like has had a knock on effect on the market- because there's more awareness, there's more demand and so the tickets can rise in price. You just have to look at the staggering responses to certain diserable events that sell out in minutes now, there seems to be more of that kind of thing around than there used to be.

So how much would be your maximum price on a ticket, and what kind of artists would you expect for that price? What are the best sites for ordering tickets? What do you think of the vendors adding a ticket booking fee onto the prices? What's the maximum you have you paid for a concert?

Lets talk about the issues!

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

As I said in the other thread, they have gone up but it's because there's a big demand and people are willing to pay. It's a wealthy persons hobby. If you have something to sell, you don't price it cheaper than people will pay out the goodness of your heart, whether you are a grocer or a pop star; and I see no reason why those who are richer should somehow have less right to the money they have.

Furthermore, it's probably essential for there to be a reasonable fairness to it that they are priced high enough. Imagine if Madonna did a gig for £5 a ticket. There would be such an incredible rush for tickets that it would be a total lottery whether anyone got them or not. I suppose what I'm heading towards here is, if I'm going to a concert I might actually prefer the chance to pay more to buy a ticket and know that I'd get one. Would I rather only have the choice of paying £5 and having a 1/1000 chance of going, or would I pay £100 in exchange for KNOWING that I'll get a ticket. So in many ways, the price of concerts, because they are limited time events with a limited capacity, have to be such that people have the ability to 'buy' their way into the gig if they are willing to pay for it, which suits the customer and the artist.

I don't actually think they are that much anyway. It depends on what your priorities are, but a meal for two at a decent restaurant might clock in at £60 or more. So would you consider that a meal out a month is spending too much? No? Well you could could buy the cheapest Spice tickets for that. Plus concerts for an act only come round once every 2-3 years; these days it's not uncommon to put £30 petrol in the car a week. So is even £100 on a once-every-two-years concert ticket a lot in comparison? No, I don't think that it is.

Si.

[SiHart]

I suppose why I've brought this up is that there are many bands I'd like to go and see, but the prices tend to put me off. I don't think there's anyone I would pay £150 to see, because I don't think I could personally justify paying that for a couple of hours entertainment, when the money could be put to better use, though I can see your point Si about the relative prices.

The most we've paid so far has been around £60-70, but those have been for events at Hyde park where there have been several bands playing through the day, thus making it pretty good value for a days worth of entertainment.

Si xx

[Pip Madeley]

I tend to not mind as much if the concert is long - ie. Genesis was £75 per ticket, but they played for two hours and 45 minutes, whereas some acts would barely do two. You can't ask for more than that.

[SiHart]

Oh, I'd forgotten about the price of the Genesis tickets. That's blown my argument!

Si xx

[Pip Madeley]

Well it was the best gig I've ever been to, so at the end of the day, if you're happy with what you've paid for, then that's okay

[Si Hunt]

I think it depends on what proportion of your months "leisure money" it uses up. If it takes 3 months 'treats' money for one concert, then you'd maybe go once a year. If you can afford to go to a show such that it only uses up, say, half your budget for that kind of thing in a month, then you'd maybe go every month, or every other month.

I'm not rich, but by my standards of living, and the money I have to spend, I can afford to go once every few months without being skint.

I don't think ticket prices are expensive because I think at £30 - £60 a ticket, anyone who is reasonably well off could afford to go every so often without having to spend too long saving up.

Si.

[Captain Tancredi]

This is an interesting question for me, although it's never really arisen for a number of reasons. Leeds doesn't have a big indoor concert venue, so unless you want to see Elton John at Harewood House or there's a stadium gig at Elland Road, it's Manchester or Sheffield- which means travel and possibly an overnight stay. Those factors alone can easily overtake the price of a ticket.

It's not just music either- a colleague went to see Patrick McGuinness do stand-up and said he couldn't have been on stage for more than 45 minutes.

[Fatso the wombat]

I wouldn't pay any more than £25-30 for a ticket to a gig; unless the gig was something exceptionally special. And I can't think of anything off the top of my head that would fall in to that category.

Things like Festivals at circa £130 for a weekend ticket are different, as you can get in such huge numbers of bands.