Concert Prices

[duane v]

On 5/14/2022 at 10:22 AM, Sgt. Pepper said:

Here is a guy who is not to happy with ticket prices for the recent Macca concert in his area. How do you feel about the matter? Its Paul's show and he can charge what he wants, or its highway robbery. I guess in England it would be the Motorway.

https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/an-open-letter-to-paul-mccartney-regarding-ticket-prices/

 

Why do people complain about things they can't afford????? Especially things like concert tickets or musical instruments. I just don't understand that thought process.

[Whitefang]

On 5/15/2022 at 9:21 AM, Larsongs said:

How do his prices compare with other top Acts?

Depends on the genre possibly.  ie;  Back in the '70's, when I more regularly went to  Detroit Symphony Orchestra concerts, the ticket prices were about(if memory serves) $10-$11.  Now, a "top act" in that realm would be somebody like ISAAC STERN, who I saw perform Tchaikovsky's violin concerto with the DSO at no extra cost for the ticket.  I'd say that Stern, in the classical music realm would be comparable to McCartney in the rock realm.   Same with Rudolph Serkin,  Lazar Berman,  Sir Clifford Curzon,  Itzhak Perlman,  Jorge Bolet...   All whom I've seen(and heard) perform with the DSO, and all at no extra cost per ticket.  And incidentally...

My first rock concert was Hendrix in Feb. '68 at $4.00 for the ticket!  And that show had three opening acts before him. (The Thyme, Soft Machine and The MC5).  

Whitefang

[MissouriPicker]

My coffeehouse gigs are free!  All you have to do is supply your own ear plugs.

[Sgt. Pepper]

1 hour ago, jaxson50 said:

I lived in La Quinta from 66 to 68, moved to the Coachella valley in 63 from San Diego,  I hated that sand box.

I love San Diego. It’s the only place in So. Cal. I can tolerate. LA is not for me. La Jolla is nice to but you need Bill Hates/Jovan Musk $ to be able to afford it.

[Sgt. Pepper]

1 hour ago, jaxson50 said:

I never saw the Stones in concert,  but I did attend the Led Zeplin's  3 hour long concert, I lasted 30 minutes.  It was the worst  show I ever witnessed, the Salt Palace was  emptying out quickly as we bolted.

It was almost as if the band didn't know one single Zeplin song!  They would start a song, and within 8 bars each player was doing an improvisational interpretation that was out of time and key of the other players. And Plant was dancing around barefoot, screaming  incoherently and quite loudly.  

Having been to a Zombies  concert, I feel like I'm a good judge of bad shows, LZ won the prize.

Of all the live Zep I’ve heard (never saw them as I was 11 when they came to Oakland touring Presence) I was never impressed with their live stuff. I think one think is Jimmy multi-tracks so much it just doesn’t sound right. And Page is the all time slop master.

Edited May 16, 2022 by Sgt. Pepper

[Larsongs]

1 hour ago, jaxson50 said:

I lived in La Quinta from 66 to 68, moved to the Coachella valley in 63 from San Diego,  I hated that sand box.

No way in my right mind would I ever thought I would move to La Quinta in 66.. There was nothing.. A Gas Station on the way to Indio.. Another Place no one sane would ever live I thouhgt..

Now La Quinta is Country Clubs & Golf Courses. Most everything here is New & Beautiful.. I love it... 9 months of the year.. Summers I retreat to the Beach as often as possible...

 

[duane v]

 

22 minutes ago, ghost_of_fl said:

In the article, the "complainer" says. "I can afford $700 and not worry about how I’m going to eat for the next three months. But I shouldn’t have to. I should be able to see you at a reasonable price, especially from a mile away."

Paul and his production crew are pushing past the "I used to be a Beatle tax" and into the territory of "I'll keep raising the prices until people don't show up".    For such a happy hippy vegan, that sounds kind of capitalist.  

Well Paul "shouldn't have to" lower his prices because of some whiner. He has a band to pay, roadies to pay and other overhead costs. The cry baby is acting like Paul pockets $699 of that $700. Screw that dood.

Everybody else raise their prices, so what's the big deal.... As an example, I'm sure his drummer cost more to take on tour than he did before Covid.... They deserver a bump in pay too..... People complain about capitalisms then in the next breath ***** about socialism.... It just a darn concert. There are worse things in the world than not being able to afford to take mommy and daddy to a Paul show. 

[Mr. Gibson]

I paid 2.00 to see Headeast which is the cheapest I’ve ever paid, except where I snuck in.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

11 minutes ago, Mr. Gibson said:

I paid 2.00 to see Headeast which is the cheapest I’ve ever paid, except where I snuck in.

 

We’re you Flat As A Panckake?

[Sgt. Pepper]

1 hour ago, duane v said:

 

Well Paul "shouldn't have to" lower his prices because of some whiner. He has a band to pay, roadies to pay and other overhead costs. The cry baby is acting like Paul pockets $699 of that $700. Screw that dood.

Everybody else raise their prices, so what's the big deal.... As an example, I'm sure his drummer cost more to take on tour than he did before Covid.... They deserver a bump in pay too..... People complain about capitalisms then in the next breath ***** about socialism.... It just a darn concert. There are worse things in the world than not being able to afford to take mommy and daddy to a Paul show. 

I can barely see you way up there in your castle peering down on your peasant’s. Yeah F that guy wanting an affordable night of entertainment. The nerve of some people.

[jaxson50]

2 hours ago, Larsongs said:

No way in my right mind would I ever thought I would move to La Quinta in 66.. There was nothing.. A Gas Station on the way to Indio.. Another Place no one sane would ever live I thouhgt..

Now La Quinta is Country Clubs & Golf Courses. Most everything here is New & Beautiful.. I love it... 9 months of the year.. Summers I retreat to the Beach as often as possible...

 

I'm correcting myself,  we moved to La Quinta in 65, late 65 from Coachella,  I worked at the La Quinta Contry Club and Hotel as a busboy when I was in HS.  

Your right, There was very little  there at the time, it was where movie directors and Hollywood types had little winter cottages and few lived there year around.  My parents house was on Rubio,  our nearest neighbor was Shirley Booth,  Frank Capra lived up near the end of the cove, real nice guy.  The Hotel and county club closed after memorial day weekend and wouldn't reopen until after labor day because it was so hot. 

North Shore at the Salton Sea was a resort then where The Beach Boys and a bunch of LA musicians would hang out,  there were powerboat races all kinds of stuff going on down there. 

It's changed so much, 

[jaxson50]

3 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

I love San Diego. It’s the only place in So. Cal. I can tolerate. LA is not for me. La Jolla is nice to but you need Bill Hates/Jovan Musk $ to be able to afford it.

Growing up there in the 50s spoiled me, San Diego is ruined for me now. Too many people,  when i was a kid Mission Bay was still a landfill! 

Do you live there now? 

[duane v]

5 minutes ago, ghost_of_fl said:

Sofi Stadium has a 70,000 seat capacity.  

70,000 × $700 = 49 Million Dollars 

For one show.   🤔

I'm sure you didn't forget about promoters and the cost of the arena itself???? It's really no different then when I went on tour. Plus not every ticket is $700. In Paul's case the lowest was $120 the high was $5000. So your numbers are way off.

The artist make about 70% off the ticket prices. Of that 70% about 20% pays for the musicians and road crew. The other 10% is for food, gas and other items to keep the roadies and musicians fed. The manager gets 15% of the 70%. So Paul now alone gets 25%. Now Paul has to pay the venu (Sofi) which is typically 10-15% of all tickets sold. So now Paul goes home with about 10-15% to put in his bank account. Paul doesn't get any concession stand money as this also is part of the deal to pay for the venu.

Now there is merchandising: Paul will see about 60% of that at each show. The remaining goes to the city for taxes and overhead.

[rct]

1 hour ago, duane v said:

I'm sure you didn't forget about promoters and the cost of the arena itself???? It's really no different then when I went on tour. Plus not every ticket is $700. In Paul's case the lowest was $120 the high was $5000. So your numbers are way off.

The artist make about 70% off the ticket prices. Of that 70% about 20% pays for the musicians and road crew. The other 10% is for food, gas and other items to keep the roadies and musicians fed. The manager gets 15% of the 70%. So Paul now alone gets 25%. Now Paul has to pay the venu (Sofi) which is typically 10-15% of all tickets sold. So now Paul goes home with about 10-15% to put in his bank account. Paul doesn't get any concession stand money as this also is part of the deal to pay for the venu.

Now there is merchandising: Paul will see about 60% of that at each show. The remaining goes to the city for taxes and overhead.

Dollars, percentages, costs, overhead, numbers in general, they don't seem to exist in the world of guitar players.  I don't get it, but it is how it is.  I applaud your attempt, but I fear it is for naught

And another thing.  Somewhere in the vicinity of Most to All tickets are re-sold.  The venue and ticket brokers agree on the percentages they will take, the artist/venue/unions etc.  are paid well up front for each appearance at the agreed upon numbers, and then the tickets are re-sold.  Your 700 dollar ticket had an actual concert value of probably less than 250 dollars on the day they agreed upon the venue and the date. 

So yeah, Paul can call up the Ticketmaster and whoever you kids are buying tickets from today and tell them to stop.  Scalping isn't illegal, it isn't legal, it is all there is.

rct

[duane v]

35 minutes ago, ghost_of_fl said:

 

Idk maybe a $5000 concert ticket just sounds reasonable here on the Gibson forum where people will pay more than that for a Les Paul.  

lol....... 

$5000 today could be on the low-end for a les paul today.

 

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

8 hours ago, ghost_of_fl said:

Sofi Stadium has a 70,000 seat capacity.  

70,000 × $700 = 49 Million Dollars 

For one show.   🤔

I think $700 was going to be for 3 tix. Still stupid, Paul your not Don Henley and The Eagles.

Edited May 17, 2022 by Sgt. Pepper

[Sgt. Pepper]

8 hours ago, jaxson50 said:

Growing up there in the 50s spoiled me, San Diego is ruined for me now. Too many people,  when i was a kid Mission Bay was still a landfill! 

Do you live there now? 

I live in SC now, land of nut jobs. Think Californians are weird, live here. I lived in the the Bay Area for a total of 25 years. 19 in SJ. The Navy took  me to SD, to do push-ups and for one Electronics School. Where I dug it. I sold my house in Santa Rosa when I got stationed in Puerto Rico, then as l estate price went stupid high, and I could no way in hell afford to go back. Serves me right for serving my country for 23 years.

Edited May 17, 2022 by Sgt. Pepper

[Sgt. Pepper]

This may all be BS but here are a few answers. One said he worked at a mid size venue.

https://www.quora.com/When-an-artist-has-a-show-at-a-stadium-does-the-stadium-pay-the-artist-to-be-there-or-does-the-artist-pay-them-to-rent-it

[Sgt. Pepper]

7 hours ago, duane v said:

lol....... 

$5000 today could be on the low-end for a les paul today.

 

 

Yep, and the Doctors and Lawyers and well to do snatch them up for the privilege of the G word on the headstock. 

Edited May 17, 2022 by Sgt. Pepper

[duane v]

Going to a concert is a choice not a right.... same as going to college........ I don't understand todays "gimme gang" and why they feel either everything should be free or pricing should meet their financial situation. 

Totally lame. 

[Whitefang]

19 hours ago, Mr. Gibson said:

I paid 2.00 to see Headeast which is the cheapest I’ve ever paid, except where I snuck in.

 

Yeah.  Back in the summer of '68 we used to pay a $2.00 admission price to see Bob Seger  every other week at the St. Aquinas high school dances held every weekend in Southgate, MI.   Less than 10 years later we paid $25.00 a ticket for his "Live Bullet" gigs at Cobo Arena.  Listen hard and you can hear me screaming in the background somewhere....  

Whitefang

[NighthawkChris]

46 minutes ago, ghost_of_fl said:

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man

Imagine $5000 concert tickets
To see an 80 year old billionaire
You-hooo!  You may say that's reasonable pricing
But I'm not the only one

Who thinks Paul has lost his vegan mind
A hippie with a 10 figure bank sum

 

Funny stuff 😆 but in all fairness, wasn’t it John who wrote those lyrics? Forgive me Beatles are before my time. I’m Gen X and not a huge Beatles guy. 

[jaxson50]

13 minutes ago, ghost_of_fl said:

Yes on a solo album no less.   

“Somebody said to me, 'But the Beatles were anti-materialistic.' That's a huge myth. John and I literally used to sit down and say, 'Now, let's write a swimming pool.”

~Paul McCartney

That was one of the reasons I liked the Fab Four, they didn't jump on any political band wagons. The two songs they did that came close to being protest or political in nature was Taxman,  a song  George wrote after loading nearly a years earnings to the extreme high taxes GB placed on top earners, and Revolution , a song that scolded those who waved banners of Mao, and by deduction Che, they were making a political statement saying they are on board with equality and  the anti-war movement but oppossed to destructive activism.

[duane v]

34 minutes ago, jaxson50 said:

That was one of the reasons I liked the Fab Four, they didn't jump on any political band wagons. The two songs they did that came close to being protest or political in nature was Taxman,  a song  George wrote after loading nearly a years earnings to the extreme high taxes GB placed on top earners, and Revolution , a song that scolded those who waved banners of Mao, and by deduction Che, they were making a political statement saying they are on board with equality and  the anti-war movement but oppossed to destructive activism.

Sure they did.

The Beatles refused publicly to play to a racially segregated audience.

[merciful-evans]

Before I got older, blues in despair,  after yesterday

Linda’s vegan recipes in Morrisons aisles

Blackbird fuelling thousands of miles

Doors were ajar, and a jar was a door, when I was adored

Since you still feed me, will you still heed me, like when I was 64