Ticket prices: rant

[Thomas P 18,376]

Now I know a lot of people will disagree, and that’s fine, but I don’t get why people are so mad about artists charging extreme prices for tickets. 

I mean it’s the music industry, so it’s a business. An artist who has demand high enough to charge ridiculous prices for a tour are very smart imo if they do just that. I don’t get why people complain (especially if you’re not planning on going anyway). 

Do you think it’s unfair that Apple charges over a thousand for a phone? They know  demand for that product and they’re being business savvy by charging people a price that matches that demand. Same thing goes for Taylor Swift or Beyoncé, or any artist who’s ticket prices are high. If they know people will pay that much money to come see them perform, then why not make their coin.

I get it if you’re upset cause you can’t afford to pay ridiculous prices to go to a concert, that’s completely understandable, and I do feel that you have reason to complain, but at the end of the day, most artists care about how much money they’re gonna be making from show to show more than how many people they’re gonna please by doing, and that’s fine. They’re charging for their given demographic. Imo, if you’re paying that much money for the ticket, you can’t complain about the price, cause it’s a luxury item, and no one is forcing you to pay for it, it’s your choice to spend, not the artists. 

I know this may be a bit incoherent, but I think it makes my point. 

(I think gaga’s tickets are gonna continue to grow in price too, cause tbh i don’t think she realized how in demand her tickets were for the Joanne world tour, and now that she knows, she’s gonna continue charging more money) 

Spoiler

Tbh the reputation tour was worth all the money, WHAT A ****ING SHOW!!!

I haven’t gone to too many concerts, but this tops my list of the ones I’ve seen. Her voice was so much better than I’ve ever heard it, her dancing was actually pretty good (better than Katy honestly), her guitar, and piano playing made the stadium feel like an intimate tiny concert, and the production was gaga levels of extra, so well fricken done Taylor. She deserves all the success she’s having this tour!

 

[rumours 45,521]

 

4 minutes ago, Thomas P said:

Tbh the reputation tour was worth all the money, WHAT A ****ING SHOW!!!

I personally would never pay that kind of money to see Taylor. In fact, they’d have to be Witness World Tour level ticket prices for me to  even consider going to the Reputation Tour. 

 

That being said, if people are willing to purchase tickets for that price, I say go for it. The window for relevancy only lasts so long, so you might as well get every dollar from it while you can. Like you said, it is the music business after all. 

[ryanripley 86,575]

8 minutes ago, Thomas P said:

Do you think it’s unfair that Apple charges over a thousand for a phone?

yes considering the galaxy s8 can do just as much as an iphone x for almost half the price  

[Thomas P 18,376]

1 minute ago, ryanripley said:

yes considering the galaxy s8 can do just as much as an iphone x for almost half the price  

Shhhhhh, I’m trying to make a point  

[crisTEAne 21,059]

just two questions: (1) are you or your parents rich? (2) who paid for your ticket? 

[Thomas P 18,376]

Just now, T E Anne said:

just two questions: (1) are you or your parents rich? (2) who paid for your ticket? 

No. We’re a middle class, suburban family of four kids, with two parents who work extremely hard. 

And I did. I have a job, and I saved up for it myself 

[Ryusei 59,929]

I get what you mean. If you don't like the price, don't go. And even if you wanna go to taylor's concert. There are often tickets as cheap as 45 dollars. you're in the very back and way up high but you still get the same concert and have a great experience (from what I've read on reddit from fans who went) the stage is huuge and the bracelets make cool patterns throughout the stadium that are better visible if ur further towards the back. 

The moment people arent willing to pay the prices anymore is the moment the management or whoever is responsible will react and try to do something.  

[Glamourpuss 29,062]

I have alot to say and have a migraine so if I've made any mistakes be nice about it.

Our salaries aren't increasing but entertainment is getting more expensive. I do believe an artist should get paid so I'm not saying we should get things for free. 

But Gaga's Monster Ball was a high quality show and I got a standing ticket for £35. She said she wanted her show to be affordable for her fans. She didn't lose out on earning a fortune though did she? She was still at the top of the rich list. 

Nowadays you've got pop stars who aren't even artists, they are just pop performers. Katy Perry for example even referred to herself as just an entertainer (when she threw that shade at Gaga for acting like she's the second coming). Katy might put on a good show but she relies heavily on props, pyrotechnics, etc. Is that really fair that she can charge £50 or more per ticket? With someone like Gaga it's acceptable to expect a large price because of the talent that's involved. You know she's going to sing live and you know she's going to play the piano. Anybody else who isn't a true artist is taking the piss in my opinion when all they do is just stand there with no charisma, no stage presence, unable to sing live and it happens to be a song they didn't write.

Taylor Swift may write her own songs but since her ego grew too big, all she thinks about is how she can get rich and elevate her status. Mark my words, in the future she will be charging Madonna prices. Now tell me is that worth it?

These artists, singers, entertainers, etc are milking their poor fans for every dollar. We go to these shows because these are little extravagances we treat ourselves to. Some of us save up to buy a ticket. They know that the majority of us are poor yet they climb higher up the rich lists. They increase their prices each time because they know they can. It's not about what they deserve. It's greed. Gaga even spoke about the greed that is running rife in the industry. It's why she didn't want to ever release a perfume. It's why she lost a manager. Because she was being used as a cash cow. 

I'd like to reiterate that I'm not against an artist getting paid for the work they've created. But they need to remember that they rely on fans to buy that work. So have a bit more respect for us as well. If they absolutely feel that they have to charge a high price per ticket then at least don't have the audacity to lip sync throughout. 

[Thomas P 18,376]

3 minutes ago, PussyGlam said:

I have alot to say and have a migraine so if I've made any mistakes be nice about it.

Our salaries aren't increasing but entertainment is getting more expensive. I do believe an artist should get paid so I'm not saying we should get things for free. 

But Gaga's Monster Ball was a high quality show and I got a standing ticket for £35. She said she wanted her show to be affordable for her fans. She didn't lose out on earning a fortune though did she? She was still at the top of the rich list. 

Nowadays you've got pop stars who aren't even artists, they are just pop performers. Katy Perry for example even referred to herself as just an entertainer (when she threw that shade at Gaga for acting like she's the second coming). Katy might put on a good show but she relies heavily on props, pyrotechnics, etc. Is that really fair that she can charge £50 or more per ticket? With someone like Gaga it's acceptable to expect a large price because of the talent that's involved. You know she's going to sing live and you know she's going to play the piano. Anybody else who isn't a true artist is taking the piss in my opinion when all they do is just stand there with no charisma, no stage presence, unable to sing live and it happens to be a song they didn't write.

Taylor Swift may write her own songs but since her ego grew too big, all she thinks about is how she can get rich and elevate her status. Mark my words, in the future she will be charging Madonna prices. Now tell me is that worth it?

These artists, singers, entertainers, etc are milking their poor fans for every dollar. We go to these shows because these are little extravagances we treat ourselves to. Some of us save up to buy a ticket. They know that the majority of us are poor yet they climb higher up the rich lists. They increase their prices each time because they know they can. It's not about what they deserve. It's greed. Gaga even spoke about the greed that is running rife in the industry. It's why she didn't want to ever release a perfume. It's why she lost a manager. Because she was being used as a cash cow. 

I'd like to reiterate that I'm not against an artist getting paid for the work they've created. But they need to remember that they rely on fans to buy that work. So have a bit more respect for us as well. If they absolutely feel that they have to charge a high price per ticket then at least don't have the audacity to lip sync throughout. 

I understand what you mean. They don’t need all that money, and most people aren’t able to just drop $150 on a ticket just cause. 

I would like to say though, Taylor didn’t lip sync, she sang live the entire time, she played a lot of guitar, she played piano a lot too, and she danced pretty well. Imo it was worth the money. But I do agree that an artist like Britney (who only lipsyncs, and half dances), or rihanna (who doesn’t write anything, and only sings when she feels like it), shouldn’t charge that kind of money. They’re not living up to the promise of the purchase. 

[Haroon 49,685]

It's people's money and they can do what they want for it  If you don't agree with paying over a set amount for a ticket then don't buy the ticket, someone who thinks it's worth it will  It comes down to personal opinion of what something is worth for you. I wouldn't pay thousands to travel and see an artist multiple times in different cities, however there are people who would and more power to them for spending on something that they enjoy  I would pay for a Madonna or a Taylor Swift ticket because for me I'm getting my money's worth and I like the artists and the music enough to do that and I can save up and get it myself. Others wouldn't do that, they may instead spend a lot on collecting merchandise and discographies and vinyls and so on, and that's completely up to them as well.

My overall point is that it comes down to whether you think it's worth it enough to pay. For example, I wouldn't pay for a Joanne World Tour M&G because in my opinion what was included in the package wasn't worth the price. However, in hindsight I would've paid for an artRave M&G package because in my opinion what was included would've been worth it. Similar prices but different inclusions and different opinions on the same artist. There are other people who would pay for Joanne M&G but wouldn't pay for artRave M&G, and that's fine aswell because it's their money that they can spend as they like

I don't agree with high ticket prices being called scamming fans or whatever because nobody is being forced to buy anything. If you can afford it and you want to go then buy the ticket and have a whale of a time. If you can afford it but you don't want to go then spend the money on whatever makes you happy. If you can't afford it and you want to go then that's a bit more difficult, it comes down to saving up then  If you can't afford it and don't want to go then there's no problem

[doppelganger 3,740]

i agree with you, it's entirely their right to charge obscene ticket prices when demand is there.

But i respect an artist more who is all about giving access to all her young fans who may not be able to afford high ticket prices when they're like 18 or 22. Artists who offer a range of tickets for all.

These kids will grow up and make money, and these are the fans that will become loyal fans who will continue to support the artists when they're 50 (think Madonna). 

[Ryusei 59,929]

18 minutes ago, PussyGlam said:

I have alot to say and have a migraine so if I've made any mistakes be nice about it.

Our salaries aren't increasing but entertainment is getting more expensive. I do believe an artist should get paid so I'm not saying we should get things for free. 

But Gaga's Monster Ball was a high quality show and I got a standing ticket for £35. She said she wanted her show to be affordable for her fans. She didn't lose out on earning a fortune though did she? She was still at the top of the rich list. 

Nowadays you've got pop stars who aren't even artists, they are just pop performers. Katy Perry for example even referred to herself as just an entertainer (when she threw that shade at Gaga for acting like she's the second coming). Katy might put on a good show but she relies heavily on props, pyrotechnics, etc. Is that really fair that she can charge £50 or more per ticket? With someone like Gaga it's acceptable to expect a large price because of the talent that's involved. You know she's going to sing live and you know she's going to play the piano. Anybody else who isn't a true artist is taking the piss in my opinion when all they do is just stand there with no charisma, no stage presence, unable to sing live and it happens to be a song they didn't write.

Taylor Swift may write her own songs but since her ego grew too big, all she thinks about is how she can get rich and elevate her status. Mark my words, in the future she will be charging Madonna prices. Now tell me is that worth it?

These artists, singers, entertainers, etc are milking their poor fans for every dollar. We go to these shows because these are little extravagances we treat ourselves to. Some of us save up to buy a ticket. They know that the majority of us are poor yet they climb higher up the rich lists. They increase their prices each time because they know they can. It's not about what they deserve. It's greed. Gaga even spoke about the greed that is running rife in the industry. It's why she didn't want to ever release a perfume. It's why she lost a manager. Because she was being used as a cash cow. 

I'd like to reiterate that I'm not against an artist getting paid for the work they've created. But they need to remember that they rely on fans to buy that work. So have a bit more respect for us as well. If they absolutely feel that they have to charge a high price per ticket then at least don't have the audacity to lip sync throughout. 

I see what you mean but I have a few points: Concert tickets are getting more expensive because the income from the actual music is decreasing overall (it might rise again if more age classes start using streaming and generally more people legally stream music) 

Gaga's tickets were cheap back then because she was still very new. You can't charge an arm and a leg for a ticket if you're a newcomer. JWT tickets werent cheaper than any other tour by a big artist. 

Taylor's production for this tour is HUGE. I believe i read she has over 100 trucks for the stage alone. There are 2 more small stages on the other side of the stadium. There are pyrotechnics, fireworks, huge screens, 2 transportation thingies (dont even know what to call them but she flies around with them  basically) but she doesnt rely on all that cause she does multiple songs accoustic with piano/guitar every concert. She's been receiving criticism for her ticket prices but on theother hand also stellar reviews. People get their money's worth. It's not like she sits on the stage for 2 hours lip syncing with a guitar in her hand lol she's always so enthusiastic and grateful, you can tell she loves being on stage and appreciates the people showing up

And if that last paragraph is aimed at taylor: I have not seen a single performance of her where she lip synced. 

 

[Glamourpuss 29,062]

16 minutes ago, doppelganger said:

i agree with you, it's entirely their right to charge obscene ticket prices when demand is there.

But i respect an artist more who is all about giving access to all her young fans who may not be able to afford high ticket prices when they're like 18 or 22. Artists who offer a range of tickets for all.

These kids will grow up and make money, and these are the fans that will become loyal fans who will continue to support the artists when they're 50 (think Madonna). 

I totally agree with you. I was that kid who paid £35 for a Gaga ticket when I was piss poor. She made me a fan for life and I've spent thousands on her ever since. 

17 minutes ago, Haroon said:

It's people's money and they can do what they want for it  If you don't agree with paying over a set amount for a ticket then don't buy the ticket, someone who thinks it's worth it will  It comes down to personal opinion of what something is worth for you. I wouldn't pay thousands to travel and see an artist multiple times in different cities, however there are people who would and more power to them for spending on something that they enjoy  I would pay for a Madonna or a Taylor Swift ticket because for me I'm getting my money's worth and I like the artists and the music enough to do that and I can save up and get it myself. Others wouldn't do that, they may instead spend a lot on collecting merchandise and discographies and vinyls and so on, and that's completely up to them as well.

My overall point is that it comes down to whether you think it's worth it enough to pay. For example, I wouldn't pay for a Joanne World Tour M&G because in my opinion what was included in the package wasn't worth the price. However, in hindsight I would've paid for an artRave M&G package because in my opinion what was included would've been worth it. Similar prices but different inclusions and different opinions on the same artist. There are other people who would pay for Joanne M&G but wouldn't pay for artRave M&G, and that's fine aswell because it's their money that they can spend as they like

I don't agree with high ticket prices being called scamming fans or whatever because nobody is being forced to buy anything. If you can afford it and you want to go then buy the ticket and have a whale of a time. If you can afford it but you don't want to go then spend the money on whatever makes you happy. If you can't afford it and you want to go then that's a bit more difficult, it comes down to saving up then  If you can't afford it and don't want to go then there's no problem

But just because an idiot and his money are easily parted doesn't mean that's the way it should be. That's not a dig at you or anybody else specifically. Hell even I would spend a silly amount on Gaga because to me it's worth it. But it's the principle. It's like movies for example. They complain about people illegally downloading movies and how they miss out on money but movies are still making millions and breaking box office records all the time. I do agree that people shouldn't take something for free, but prices are going up and up and up everywhere and it's getting to the point where if we don't take a stand and do something about it now it will just continue and it's just ridiculous to me. I am older than the average little monster so perhaps I have a different attitude to money. 

[RAMROD 96,175]

Who does complains about tickets prices?? I feel like most of those who did won't attend concerts anyway. They are just doing the thing just to make themselves feel better. (But it never really does, it only make it feels worse most of the time )

It is obvious that concerts are still luxury stuff, especially in this kind of economy. But big shows with great stuffs in it needed big production and thise cost a lot of money. And so Performers and tour promoter need to make sure they can make profit with that. 

[Haroon 49,685]

14 minutes ago, PussyGlam said:

But just because an idiot and his money are easily parted doesn't mean that's the way it should be. That's not a dig at you or anybody else specifically. Hell even I would spend a silly amount on Gaga because to me it's worth it. But it's the principle. It's like movies for example. They complain about people illegally downloading movies and how they miss out on money but movies are still making millions and breaking box office records all the time. I do agree that people shouldn't take something for free, but prices are going up and up and up everywhere and it's getting to the point where if we don't take a stand and do something about it now it will just continue and it's just ridiculous to me. I am older than the average little monster so perhaps I have a different attitude to money. 

Is it a sin to want to earn more from aspects of your job though?  Rich people have higher expenditures so it's natural that they'll need larger amounts of money to continue living how they are. By all means take a stand and don't purchase the ticket, if enough people disagree with the ticket prices then the shows won't be selling out and earning as much as they are, but clearly there are enough people who are okay with parting with their money for shows that have high ticket prices

Movies may still be making millions and breaking box office records but that doesn't mean illegal downloads should be okay or ignored (I download illegally sometimes and I'm aware of the risks and negatives of my behaviour ), that is money that should've gone towards people involved with the movie. Just because a movie has earned a lot and actors/producers/etc have recieved a hefty amount from it that doesn't mean they don't deserve the full amount. I disagree with the mentality that's like "meh they're rich anyway, what's not having a bit more going to change?", it's not your earnings so it's not your place to determine whether someone needs it or not (general "you", not you specifically).

I saw that you used Gaga during TMB as an example before but I think that's apples and oranges because that was quite a few years ago and she doesn't charge those same prices now. Same with Madonna when she was newer and same with Taylor Swift when she was newer and so on so forth  At the end of the day, what's "worth it" depends on the consumer and shouldn't be for others to dictate