VIP packages - comments

[John Etherington]

Ilion - If you're prepared to pay $200 for a couple of lithographs, I rest my case! Meanwhile, perhaps Leonard could sing "Diamond Packages in the Mine" for those who aren't rattling their jewellery at the front?

[Mabeanie1]

Ilion - If you're prepared to pay $200 for a couple of lithographs, I rest my case!

On the other hand, if you do want a piece of Leonard's art work to hang on your wall, the VIP lithographs are a pretty cheap way to do it ($200 vs $1,400 and upwards) if you're not to fussed about whether the signature is "real".

wendy

[John Etherington]

Wendy - the £10 posters of Leonard's art work which he was happy to sign personally at his art exhibition in 2007 were an even better deal! However, one of the key issues here is that selling art should have nothing to do with buying concert tickets. If people have an extra $200 to blow, then maybe they could buy lithographs from a merchandise stand or spend the money on something they might prefer (like more concert tickets).

[Mabeanie1]

Now lithos at the merch stand IS a good idea!

BTW the exhibition posters, nice as they are, are not the same quality as the lithos.

W

[ilion]

I'm hardly some wealthy elite so don't bother trying to paint me like that. I do, however, have an idea of the price of art.

My point still stands, you can get regular tickets outside of the VIP packages and still be very close to the front.

Personally I think if they want to offer VIP packages that are all merchandise they should make them upgrades for any seat.

[tcashin07]

It's my understanding from what I've read that some US shows have top price levels around $500+, but that other shows such as some Canadian ones have top price levels of around $260+. Would there be any difference in the VIP merchandise for these packages? Or do they both contain similar lithographs and merch packages, with the only main difference being that it's a different theatre/location?

[MarieM]

It's my understanding from what I've read that some US shows have top price levels around $500+, but that other shows such as some Canadian ones have top price levels of around $260+.

There has never been such an extreme price differential between venues in North America in the past. We would expect NY to be one of the higher price venues and the best regular seat is $250 ($282.90 with fees) and the VIP package $575. In the past, all best regular seats are around $250 and the Diamond VIP package between $500 and $575.

[Vicomte]

I am totally and utterly with John E on this. FGS, to me a concert is a concert and one surely should just have to pay for a seat at a gig. So now it appears to me, that to get good seats at a gig in the USA, you may well have to buy some lithographs or whatever and pay some $500 plus or so for the privilege.

What in hells name has art, or anything got to do with going to a music gig? I'll tell you what, it is no more than another ruse to get as much money out of fools who are willing to pay such crazy money for the items offered with a ticket. I might be able to understand this with a Barry Manilow, Madonna even the late Michael Jackson and more or less anyone whose gigs are based around Las Vegas and the like, where it is plainly obvious that the whole being of these people and their promoters/agents/management is to take as much money as they can from every angle and every gig.

Sorry but I am starting to fear that some songs that have been written might really be rather shallow because if they weren't and came from the heart, which I have always believed to be so, then what in heavens name is going on now when ticket prices as John E has said are starting to go out of the reach of many "fans/admirers of LC, well unless you sit with the less well off/late buyers and right at the back or up in the Gods, which many folks on here are not too au fait with and to be honest, we do not like to be too far away as looking at screen to see a gig is not our idea of a good night out. I do often wonder what LC would have to say on the subject about the high costs these days of a good seat at one of his gigs, just to measure his thoughts on the subject, after all, the way he spoke about this & that at Wembley after the fiasco of a change of venue, he seemed none to pleased about certain people but......................

[John Etherington]

Hi Vicomte,

Thanks for your support. While I am highly critical of the recent world of corporate Cohen consumerism, I have no reason to doubt the sincerity of Leonard himself. He has been quoted as saying that he only went through with the legal matter due to necessity, and that he has no great need of money at his age. He is also known to live in a modest home. These things have been corroborated by people I know who have met Leonard. I have only met him twice myself (and 31 years apart) but each time I was amazed at his apparent sincerity, and also his focus and attention. When he was on Mount Baldy, he even wrote to me to thank me for a birthday card that I sent him!

Let's remember that for forty years we had an idyllic situation with Leonard, while he remained a cult figure with no hit song. During most of that time, Leonard seemed to have almost total control over his career. Concerts were moderately priced, intimate venues were chosen, and everything was presented with the utmost taste - right down to the merchandise. Leonard certainly never appeared to be running for the money; taking up to five or six years off at a time, and never flooding the market with his material. Thus, the Leonard world was a sanctuary one could retreat to that was a world apart from most of what went down in the "rock" music business.

However, fifteen years out of the limelight is a long time, and much has changed in the post-internet world. The main interests of his audience seem to have shifted from the work and its meaning, to the image of the man and all of the peripherals. Leonard has been sucked into the mainstream and all of the exploitative tactics of the modern music industry. Thus, we have the unfortunate situation that we have been discussing here, and as long as people are prepared to accept it, then the worse it will get. With prices already pushing the outer limits, we may just have to cherish what we once had, and (as the song says) "let it all go by".

[Vicomte]

John, like you I have had the opportunity to talk with LC, the last time was in a nice relaxed manner in Caen, both in the evening and again at breakfast and I agree, he comes across as pretty genuine but having said that a few meetings probably give neither of us much insight in to the "real" LC but I have to be honest, going back to those early days, it came across that he was genuine, he didn't aim at the masses but wrote like he had something to say, he was among the "new" voices who songs hit home, à la Dylan, Young and Taylor to name but a few.

I have to wonder how much he knows or doesn't know about these VIP packages, he has to know, it can't be done without his permission and it is that that gives me the fears I spoke of. Perhaps his contract has all the add ons, probably no doubt it has, so we can surmise that LC is happy enough for the VIP packages to happen.

Oh how right you are, my OH said how nice it was to go to a venue and buy tickets there and then but to be fair to jarkko we are pretty lucky he has arranged all the pre-sales but sadly, we have already let a few gigs go by due to prices. Neither of us see the point any longer in paying OTT prices for seats. We have paid high prices as we did not want to lose the chance of seeing him for the last time but on the face of it, it is now starting to get akin to a" Farewell Cream" type affair and we got on the roundabout in 2008 in fear it really was to be the last time.

So like you say, John, we may well have to cherish what we once had and dream about those far off days when Brighton and the like were the best venues but let's wait and see what the UK in 2013 brings but although we hope for the best, it would need a bit of a change in ticket prices to entice us to another gig and that would be sad.

[ilion]

I just bought tickets for Victoria, non VIP and got second row. So honestly I think this is a lot of belly aching and hogwash.

[John Etherington]

...or maybe someone is listening? Meanwhile (Vicomte) glad you too got a chance to meet Leonard properly and are able to have a personal perspective. That said, reasonable doubt can never be a bad thing!

[maroo]

Someone in this tread says that is called "music business", and that is the reality.
I have spent lot of money in my life for concerts, but I’m becoming sic of this situation, price, better thickets that go on sales the week before the concert, for the “insecure” person, that at that point are happy to spend money to have good sits, V.I.P. packages, that I also personally bought for some gigs (not Leonard)…
The only way we have to raise our voice is not buy them if we don’t think it worth.
With this in my mind, I’m skipping a lot of concert in Dublin, or, at least, I don’t buy them if there are not good sit or good venue…
The only exception of the venue was a September concert outdoor for a 80 hears hold poet (of course I’m speaking of Cohen).

[lizzytysh]

Ilion ~

You were fortunate in getting those tickets at that price. It's become the norm that this is not the case, so the 'belly aching' is legitimate, and your good fortune doesn't change the complexion of things.


~ Lizzy

[cohenadmirer]

Ilion ~

You were fortunate in getting those tickets at that price. It's become the norm that this is not the case, so the 'belly aching' is legitimate, and your good fortune doesn't change the complexion of things.


~ Lizzy

It seemed that the presale offered some central (ish ) first row non VIP seats too but not many . We should always try for best available non vip seats before considering the vip packages - unless there is a genuine wish for the ' extra 'merchandise that comes with that

It seems that people who can afford it ( and maybe some who can't ) go for VIP packages because they think that's the only way of getting the sort of seat they want . They aren't too interested in the ' extra goodies but just pay the extra 200 dollars or so as a forced choice (imagined or real).

That surely is basically a money making scam - pure and simple.
I don't know whether Leonard is bothered by this or could change it if he was .
I have no doubt he is an extraordinary and good man whose work has touched many of us deeply . I have never met him , but would love to