Two Articles on ticket prices/Itunes
 

OK, I'll admit, I'll do a little bit of self plugging but I've written an article on the whole ticket price fiasco. Most here probably don't care but if you do, here is the link.
http://the-screen-door.blogspot.com/...-too-much.html

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The second is from an indutry insider, Bob leftsetz. He rants and raves about the industry, good stuff here. I am on his email list and his blog will be updated shortly.

Subject: TicketMaster/Bon Jovi
http://www.lefsetz.com/wordpress/index.php
How much do we hate TicketMaster? Or, as it's commonly called,
TICKETBASTARD?

Actually, I know the guys over there, so I can't say they're idiots,
but how can they continually be so STUPID!

What people hate about TicketMaster is the extra CHARGES! The only way
to get some love is to eliminate them. FROM THE CUSTOMER'S PERCEPTION!

Oh, we know, TicketMaster and the promoter are afraid that then the act
will want to commission the revenue.

So let me get this straight. In a business that depends on the
customer, FOR EVERYTHING, the old wave arrogant players continue to act to the
customer's DETRIMENT? They think what happened to the labels can't
happen to them. Well, you can't steal concert seats, but unless an act is
promoted and marketed heavily, NO ONE WANTS TO SEE THEM, not in VOLUME!

Oh, there are some burgeoning scenes, some acts developing via word of
mouth on the Net. But the day when one of these acts can sell out an
arena, never mind a stadium, are not just around the corner. But the
inevitable ongoing decline in mass/high revenue gigs, we don't hear about
it from the concert industry players. Ever think that the only way out
is to gain the customer's trust, and try to build something OUTSIDE the
label system?

But NO! The usual suspects are just gonna continue to argue over the
dollars that are left, they'd rather destroy than build.

I was positively SHOCKED when I read the details of this TM/Bon Jovi
deal. It seemed clear on the surface, buy a Bon Jovi ticket and then get
the new ALBUM! FREE!

But NO! IF you've got an Amex Card, you've got the privilege of
participating in the presale, and paying $9.99 EXTRA for the album! How is
this good for the customer? Is this the convenience a fan is looking
for? Wow, I'm in front of the computer, buying tickets, but you know
it's just too much of a pain in the ass to load iTunes and buy the band's
new album, I'd better have TicketMaster do it. Shit, I'm stunned they
don't charge a CONVENIENCE FEE! What's next, a FACILITY FEE?

Ticketmaster.com and the iTunes Store are right next to each other on
the Net. And, you get to decide IF you want the new album! Maybe you
want to wait for it to come out first, so you can hear it. Maybe you
want to experience the songs live before you make a decision. But no, if
you want in on the presale, a prerequisite is BUYING THE ALBUM!

Oh, TicketMaster says that there will be good seats left for those not
participating in the Amex presale and then the general presale
including the album thereafter. Yeah, right. And bots don't own
ticketmaster.com and venues don't hold back the best seats. Yup, WAIT TO BUY THE
BEST SEATS! That goes against EVERY lesson of concert attendance EVER!
It goes against INSTINCT! First come, first served, isn't that what
they say? Yup, if I want to see Bon Jovi at the ticket price (plus TM
extras, of course), why don't I wait until the night of the show! I'll
probably get tickets in the FIRST ROW!

But the album sales will count in SoundScan. THANK GOD! Let's make
sure Bon Jovi debuts high on the chart. Like the dyed-in-the-wool
oldsters going to this show are even AWARE of the chart!

How many ways can TicketBastard screw us. Yup, let's play the game.
What's next, you've got to buy parking with your concert ticket? And
food? And albums of OTHER acts?

We want to go to the show. We're willing to pay a fair price. A HIGH
price in the case of a superstar. Just quote us a final price, sans
extras.

I thought buying tickets was like shopping at the 7-11, one simple
established price. But NO, it's more like buying a car. A daunting
experience everyone loathes.

But isn't it funny that so many people buy cars on the Net today, to
avoid salesmen/the dealership experience. They just want a final price.

What's the final price of a concert ticket? WHO THE **** KNOWS!

And that's TicketMaster's problem.

And what's TicketMaster's problem is the concert industry's problem.

And what's the concert industry's problem is the ACT'S problem.

Yup, it's the acts that suffer.

God, when I go to the movies do I have to buy a DVD to get a good seat?

Utterly ****ing ridiculous.


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I agree 100% with everything you said, except for Bon Jovi not being in the same league as U2. I think that's BS and completely subjective. U2 is very overrated and has done nothing out of the ordinary since Achtung Baby, with the exception of a decent song here and there.

Just because critics think the sun rises and sets on Bono's command doesn't make it so.

Back to your article, there were 3 paragraphs that really stuck out:

"For a bunch of guys who pride themselves on coming from blue-collar background and claim to be “in touch” with the common man, how can they justify these prices? Do they care about their fans or the almighty dollar more? My vote is for the almighty dollar. Jon Bon Jovi constantly talks about how important the fans are in numerous interviews, but all he’s doing here is slapping them in the face…multiple times."

&

"As a fan, all I can do is voice my opinion with my wallet. Not only will I choose to not attend any further Bon Jovi concerts but even if I wanted to, I won’t be able to afford them. I’ve never seen a group of individuals so out of touch with reality. Once you begin severing ties with the core group of fans, most of whom kept the band afloat in the 1990’s, the beginning of the end is near. Pretty soon these fans will move onto other acts who treat their fans with respect (like Pearl Jam and Tom Petty) while the band will be left with nothing but a bunch of fair weathered soccer mom’s who may or may not buy the latest Bon Jovi album. In truth, whether they buy it or not will probably depend on how good Jon Bon Jovi’s ass looks on The View."

"Jon Bon Jovi needs to understand that his core group of fans is not millionaires with expendable income. A wise man once told me, “To understand a fan, you have to be one”. What would Jon Bon Jovi have done if Southside Johnny, J Giles Band and Bruce Springsteen had charged a week’s salary to see one of their shows? Would Jon have been inspired to make music and change lives? What if he couldn’t afford to be inspired and became a full time shoe salesman? The band could play all the stadiums they want if only they kept their ticket prices low. By keeping a fair and cheap ticket price, you will win over m ore die-hard fans than any performance on the Today Show or The View could ever hope to."

I'll definitely read this and comment properly at some point, but for now can I just say that the Ticketbastard "gag" is really getting old and cliched

You have a good point. Regardless of if you like the material or not, U2 tends to come out on top, usually, credibility wise simply because the songs are less fun.

Its true about U2, weather we like it or not. Theyr the biggest band on the planet, and the critics darlings. Theyr one of the few bands that I respect, as I know theyr that damn good.

But as for the artivles there, very well written.

I particulary liked the part;
I'd like to see Jon answer that one on GMTV tomorrow morning!


andi