Are ticket prices too high?

[Rodin]

It's clear that like Premier League football in England gig ticket prices are far outstripping inflation. This means that only the relatively affluent can afford to go, and, like football, younger fans are excluded.

[Vicomte]

I had a look for tickets for two shows by "legends" which were just going on sale at the LG Arena in Birmingham but declined to buy on the basis of price. A ticket for Fleetwood Mac was going to cost me £137 with charges and a floor ticket for Eric Clapton (designated a "platinum ticket") would have cost me £152. By that standard, £88 for a good floor ticket for Leonard's show at the O2 seems pretty reasonable. I was also impressed that there was no price increase from when Leonard last played there in 2008.

Wendy

The best tickets at Bercy Paris for Fleetwood Mac are only €89,50 (so far cheaper than L.C) and literally only a few left now. And the greatest legendary rock band the world has ever known (ok that's just my take on them ) The Who are €139 for best seats at Bercy (and €95 for similar floor seats further back as LC at the O2) and to me are worth far more than Fleetwood Mac & Eric Clapton ticket costs in the UK.

[Mabeanie1]

And the greatest legendary rock band the world has ever known (ok that's just my take on them ) The Who are €139 for best seats at Bercy.

The relative pricing of tickets seems to be all over the shop. My ticket for The Who at Birmingham LG Arena (3rd row aisle) cost me a mere £81 all in .........

Wendy

[Rodin]

Talking about the Who what happened to that book Townsend was..err 'researching' when he got caught with child porn on his PC ?

[John Etherington]

I suspect it might be his recent autobiography "Who Am I"? To be fair to Pete, he did at least come forward to admit that he had done the downloads, and it was already known that he had been abused as a child.

[Vicomte]

And the greatest legendary rock band the world has ever known (ok that's just my take on them ) The Who are €139 for best seats at Bercy.

The relative pricing of tickets seems to be all over the shop. My ticket for The Who at Birmingham LG Arena (3rd row aisle) cost me a mere £81 all in .........

Wendy

There you go, if the greatest rock band ever can play for those ticket prices (several friends are going by mini bus and staying overnight, also with good seats near the front, be warned!!!), there is a relative price for good tickets that should be used for other artists.

[Vicomte]

Cheap shot Rodin!

John is right, buy the book it's all in there and read about it before coming up with something you obviously hadn't a clue about bar the red top headlines!

And if you can't afford the book, or don't want to buy it, perhaps this link might help you understand.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/oc ... d-who-i-am

[harald]

Thanks, dear Vicomte for your extensive response to my starting comment of this thread, especially as we do not agree.

“…they are high and at a level which is difficult for the budget of many people who would like to see Leonard”
I do not drive cars, but I´ve heard this is the same with Ferrari cars. And villas by the sea and exotic holidays and …

How do you know the correct price for a ticket? Because if you don´t, you can hardly say a price is too high.
“That is a bizarre thing to believe and worthy of a French philosophy class”
Ok, trying to be more precise: If you knew the correct ticket price is lower than a definite figure, say for example 200 €, you would know that 250 € are too high.
But then, how do you find out this upper limit?

“there have been tickets still available at many shows”
Yes, sometimes. And this is the problem of the seller, i.e. the organizers.
It is their good right, to choose wrong prices and lose money. Their biz.
Btw the empty or hidden seats are always in the cheapest price section (which I understand, I myself would not pay 60 or 70 € for being 100 m off the stage and watching screens.)
Then at least the premium tickets are not overpriced?

You don´t like this method of price-finding?
What would you suggest? A democratic committee? A council of wise men? Your belly? My belly?
“A roulette table, or a game of cribbage to decide................ well you started it”
You know my answer: Let the seller the freedom to offer at any price he likes and see what he gets.
But where is your alternative (aside of roulette and cribbage?)

“I am leaving buying … because I sincerely believe the prices are just too high these days”
… which is your good right.

“No, not all concerts have become expensive, I can see many good singers/groups/musicians for a lot less.”
You are right again, I haven´t been precise enough: concerts of Mr Cohen I meant.

“Personally I would like the majority of people who like Leonard's music to be able to see him, not just those with the most cash available but that would be impractical from a promoters/agents/managements, where sadly cash is King”
And I would want that everyone who wants to drive a Ferrari can have one (but I don´t drive cars).

“So you believe the tickets are priced correctly then”
Not exactly, I do not believe in a “correct” price. I see the price offered and then decide if I buy or not.

“What about €200 plus though? Cost of ferry,or air ticket, hotel and meals would easily topple €20-50”
I did not mean travel costs as a measure to find ticket prices.
Just wondered how people who are ready to spend hundreds of Euros for travelling then make such a fuss about 20 or 50 € more for the concert.

“The only thing I yearn for is more sensible thoughts of the man and his "art" and not so much fawning”
Totally agree!!!

“Well yes, so that's begs the question then, where was everybody then, not that it matters, if one finds LC tonight, or even 45 years ago”
I discovered Mr Cohen for me around 1975 – and I do envy you (and others) for having discovered him much earlier.
But as you suggest, there is no ranking. Somebody just liking him since last night is not less worthy.

“but sadly it comes back to prices again and who is financially fortunate to be able to afford to go.”
What about finding some extra job, cleaning staircases or whatever? Making an effort instead of whining.

Again: no offence, I wish everyone a good chance to see Mr Cohen live, best,
Harald

PS @ John:
To me liberalism means among many other aspects, if I have something to offer I should be free in stating the price for it. If you call this capitalistic or conservative that´s your thing, for me it´s liberal.

PS @ TipperaryAnn:
Answering your silly question I measured a string: a piece of string is exactly 28,3 cm long.

[LisaLCFan]

Vicomte said: “…they [Cohen tickets] are high and at a level which is difficult for the budget of many people who would like to see Leonard”
I do not drive cars, but I´ve heard this is the same with Ferrari cars. And villas by the sea and exotic holidays and ...

Harald, I believe that by equating Leonard Cohen concert tickets to Ferraris, etc, you are just making Vicomte's point.

[cohenadmirer]

I suspect it might be his recent autobiography "Who Am I"? To be fair to Pete, he did at least come forward to admit that he had done the downloads, and it was already known that he had been abused as a child.

Rather strange how this made its way into a thread about ticket prices but to be even fairer to Pete my understanding is the motivation for using his credit card to buy access wasn't to download anything.The complex motivations are in the book.

Ticket prices for the who are also high but looking forward to seeing Richard Thompson very soon for a very reasonable price with minimal transport and no accommodation costs !

[Vicomte]

Lisa,

Quite correct, comparing apples with pears never works.

How I arrive at what is too expensive is too judge against previous concerts pre the "return" and against the gigs I attend now, none have been so expensive. You delve too much in to what is quite honestly an obvious problem. If you think the ticket prices are right just because they sell, fair enough your choice but I see what it does for people who really would like to see LC but have been priced out of it.

“Personally I would like the majority of people who like Leonard's music to be able to see him, not just those with the most cash available but that would be impractical from a promoters/agents/managements, where sadly cash is King”
And I would want that everyone who wants to drive a Ferrari can have one (but I don´t drive cars).

Totally ridiculous comparison, Harald and has been summed up nicely by Lisa, sorry.



“What about €200 plus though? Cost of ferry,or air ticket, hotel and meals would easily topple €20-50”
Harald

I did not mean travel costs as a measure to find ticket prices.
Just wondered how people who are ready to spend hundreds of Euros for travelling then make such a fuss about 20 or 50 € more for the concert.

No idea what you are talking about with that, think you have got it about face perhaps?

“but sadly it comes back to prices again and who is financially fortunate to be able to afford to go.”
Harald

What about finding some extra job, cleaning staircases or whatever? Making an effort instead of whining.

What World do you live in? Where I live there is a recession and people are at full stretch to try and keep a roof over their heads. In France trying to earn a little more is almost impossible. I am sorry Harald but I don't believe you have any idea about the employment laws here. Earning a little more is more than difficult, even in the big cities it is nigh on impossible and if you live out of town, you would have no chance at all.
This is sad, so please don't open the link if you think it might upset you but this from many is the reality of the hope for employment here in France and where under 25's in France, many will have little chance of work for the foreseeable future.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21442879

[LisaLCFan]

What about finding some extra job, cleaning staircases or whatever? Making an effort instead of whining.

Again: no offence...

"No offence"? I echo Vicomte, and wonder what world you live in! A lot of people work damn hard and don't make very much money. It is not because they are lazy or that they are not "making an effort," it's just that most people (and I mean most people) don't earn particularly high wages, no matter how many hours they work, or how much effort they put into it. Why is is that some people just don't get that? Look around you, at all the people who make society function, and find out how little most of them are paid before you make truly offensive statements like "stop whining and get an extra job!"

[cohenadmirer]

Everybody knows the deal is fixed
The poor stay poor
The rich get rich
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

[Vicomte]

Nice of Leonard to acknowledge both sets of fans

[tomsakic]

Depends on country, in 2010 Croatia and Slovenia were really cheap, Serbia in 2009 was cheapest show ever...