Can we talk about ticket prices?

[adamsapple]

Going all the way back to ticket prices of the 20th century would be unfair, so I'll just list the last three shows I attended (not counting Axl/DC, just GNR) in this century. I'm in Europe, so prices are in euros.

2006 was 45 euros, they played for about 2+ hours, cool venues and festivals, tight band like a clockwork, Axl just a little late but in top form, almost all of AFD plus at the time yet unreleased material was performed, great opening acts, sometimes Izzy would join them and if you came early enough you could be sure to be in front of the stage at no extra charge

2010 was 70 euros, show was 3+ hours, decent venues and festivals, amazing live sound, Axl was arguably at his peak as a vocalist, half of CD was performed, mediocre opening acts and DJ Ashba couldn't take away from the fact that all things considered (sorry, couldn't resist) you got some serious bang for your buck and could find a decent seat at a reasonable price

2017 was roundabout 120 euros for decent seats (= being able to follow the entire show with your own eyes and not on the screens), show was 3+ hours, Axl was on time and sang alright, shitty opening acts but you got some deep cuts and a semi-reunion including Slash and Duff, so yeah, still a fair deal imo

Now fast foward to 2023, same lineup, basically the same show as 2017, Axl is probably gonna sound like a grumpy ole grandpa, band will likely keep going through the motions and if you want to actually see them in real life and not just on a big screen it's up to 250 euros or even more for just one single ticket anywhere near the stage, which even considering inflation is where I draw the line for a rock concert and pass, regardless of what's being offered or whether I can afford it or not

Thoughts?

[cineater]

Got to remember these businesses lost a lot of revenue during covid.  It's now time to recoup some of that.  We wanted them to support their employees during that time with nothing coming in.  They've included that loss in their prices going forward.

Having said that, shit!  Looking like the cheap seats and no merch.  I'm still having a hot dog.  Can't go to the stadium and not get one of those. 

[EvanG]

Red Hot Chili Peppers’ show in Nijmegen last summer was about 100 euros more and they play half as long. Inflation is a bitch.

[Cosmo]

No fuckin way I’m paying more than 150 euros on a concert ticket of a band I’ve already seen live. And I wouldn’t go to a concert to see a band from far away.

[BangoSkank]

I so fucking agree - sad what the industry has come to. I remember when GNR played MSG in 2017 (?). They were doing four or five nights. I live in NJ and could have easily made it there. But I went to zero because anything decent was $300-$400. Now, I've reserved myself to a shitty nosebleed day of for my one of my favorite bands. And honestly, I could afford some of this, but it's really just principle. That is just so goddamn much.

And I get there are costs to cover and that's hard with inflation, gas prices, and covid insurance. But still, it's deflating. 

[AppetiteForDestruction]

I've paid 49.50 plus fees for nosebleeds. So in all two nosebleeds after all the fees were 165.00

 

But in 2016 i paid 150 for ok seats 

 

And in 2017 I paid 99.00 for great floor seats. 

 

Now those same seats from 2017 are almost 200. 

Edited February 23, 2023 by AppetiteForDestruction

[WAR41]

I'm skipping this tour.  The price of GA for Metlife is insulting.  $453 after the TM fees.  No thanks. Funny part is I can afford these tickets, but I can't continue to encourage this nonsense of the same setlist, subpar vocals and half the set being cover songs. I've only willingly skipped GNR once in my life.  The Brooklyn Bowl show and it turned out Axl was sick anyways and ended the show early.  But for me not to buy a GA seat at face value when it was available is saying something.  I'm sure I'm not the only hardcore fan looking at these prices and passing.  Until they promise an updated setlist, bring Izzy and/or Steven on tour or get an insane opening act I'm staying on the sidelines for this one.  

[The Black]

One of my best friends really wanted to go. If that was not the case, I would have skipped.

[Axl_morris]

Americans paying $450 for standing. Madness.

 

We are the problem why there is no new music. They don't need to when people pay whatever they ask for.

[WAR41]

8 minutes ago, Axl_morris said:

Americans paying $450 for standing. Madness.

 

We are the problem why there is no new music. They don't need to when people pay whatever they ask for.

to be clear I'm not doing it this go around.  I never thought I'd draw the line for GNR involving Axl, Slash and Duff, but here we are.

 

[ChristmasFnatic]

If Steel Panther opens for them, the price would be easier to swallow. Oh well.

[WhazUp]

3 minutes ago, ChristmasFnatic said:

If Steel Panther opens for them, the price would be easier to swallow. Oh well.

They kicked ass as openers when I saw GNR at the Forum in 2011

[WillBailey]

US prices are insane. In Europe its expensive for sure, but you still can make it for 100-150 euros in Golden Circle (which is expensive imho for the same old show). Talking about 300-400$ is another galaxy.

What surprised me the most about Paris tickets and the Nightrain presale is that available seats where all really far from the stage (back of the arena). This morning the Ticketmaster presale offered great seats  close to the stage if you got in line early. I checked almost all Euro dates and Paris was the exception for the crappy Nightrain seats.

Anyways, 100-200 euros is the new standard for big shows and its definitely too much I think. I may be in the minority here but I dont really care if they play 3hrs30 if half the show is covers and jam. Give me a rock show of 2hrs with no jams (ok for a Slash solo), a shorter KOHD, a couple of covers (AC/DC or VR), a couple of real new songs (Perhaps or Hard School accepted), a few deeps cuts and we're good. One thing I always wondered: they play Dont Cry quite often, why not play the alt. version for a change?

Anyways, see you guys on tour ! I have great memories of the 2006 European tour...lets see what we'll have this year !

Edited February 23, 2023 by WillBailey

[WAR41]

Nightrain doesn't guarantee access to the best tickets, only first shot at tickets.  I raised hell about this years ago when I paid for Nightrain. It's not good enough to have first dibs on subpar tickets, it only means something if you have the opportunity at the best tickets. I feel bad for people who pay for the membership expecting to have access to any seat in the house. Unless you legit want the merch paying for Nightrain is a waste of money.

[WillBailey]

4 minutes ago, WAR41 said:

Nightrain doesn't guarantee access to the best tickets, only first shot at tickets.  I raised hell about this years ago when I paid for Nightrain. It's not good enough to have first dibs on subpar tickets, it only means something if you have the opportunity at the best tickets. I feel bad for people who pay for the membership expecting to have access to any seat in the house. Unless you legit want the merch paying for Nightrain is a waste of money.

Another Paris exception : the site actually said "Thanks to your fan club, you have access to the best seats in the house". Hahaha, thanks a lot ! Agreed it doesnt make sense especially with the demand getting lower, its getting easier to get tickets. In Europe, getting ones for U2, Coldplay or Muse for instance is a lot more difficult.

[Old_school_gnr_fan]

Each of the three tickets I bought today were $99.50 before fees. In 2020, I paid $175 each for tickets that were  in an area not too far from the locations of the seats I secured today.

The well established artists like GN'R, Metallica, Taylor Swift, etc, put up video screens large enough so you can buy a "cheap" seat and still get a good experience. Even if you're not that close to the stage, you're still in the arena/ballpark/stadium with a screen that makes you feel like you got your money's worth.

[PatrickS77]

56 minutes ago, WillBailey said:

One thing I always wondered: they play Dont Cry quite often, why not play the alt. version for a change?

Oh, because 90 % of the audience would go "Ooh, he's singing the wrong lyrics.". And make that 100 to 200 for GC.

[Locke]

For the first time in my fandom since the '80s, I was not disappointed when I read that the tour isn't making a stop in my city. I'd love to see the band again. It's just getting tougher to justify the expense with the ridiculous ticket fees. But I hope everyone who does cough up the cash has a wonderful time.

[Original]

You all do realize that “we” the consumer set the price right?   Bands charge what people are willing to pay…the old supply vs demand.  I almost always play the dynamic pricing game and wait it out.  

[Powderfinger]

2 hours ago, WAR41 said:

Nightrain doesn't guarantee access to the best tickets, only first shot at tickets.  I raised hell about this years ago when I paid for Nightrain. It's not good enough to have first dibs on subpar tickets, it only means something if you have the opportunity at the best tickets. I feel bad for people who pay for the membership expecting to have access to any seat in the house. Unless you legit want the merch paying for Nightrain is a waste of money.

Yup! This is pretty ridiculous. I learned this the hard way in 2016. 

Edited February 24, 2023 by Powderfinger

[mikeman5150]

What do you guys think about the demand for these tickets? This will be the 3rd time they played Hershey since the reunion. 1st show was awesome, but the last one was one of the weakest shows on the tour. It was also less packed last time. I really want to go, get good floor seats, but I’m debating playing the waiting game, or just pulling the trigger tomorrow morning. Any thoughts? 

[WAR41]

2 minutes ago, mikeman5150 said:

What do you guys think about the demand for these tickets? This will be the 3rd time they played Hershey since the reunion. 1st show was awesome, but the last one was one of the weakest shows on the tour. It was also less packed last time. I really want to go, get good floor seats, but I’m debating playing the waiting game, or just pulling the trigger tomorrow morning. Any thoughts? 

I'll tell you what I'm doing.  I'm going to see if dynamic pricing works in my favor.  I will only do GA, but at $375+$77 TM fees face value today during the presale there's no way I will pull the trigger on these.  IF Ticketmaster really has dynamic pricing then those ticket prices should decline. The reason why is I'm personally expecting poor ticket sales for all these shows as I believe they're overpriced and frankly unless this band has something new to add to this show that they openly promote we should see these tickets dip. The problem is TM doesn't have a price ceiling, only a price floor.  So we'll see how low they go.  I wouldn't buy unless I see a notable decline, like at least 15% off the $375 base price.  That'll also bring the TM fees down. 

[WAR41]

26 minutes ago, Powderfinger said:

Yup! This is pretty ridiculous. I learned this the hard way in 2016. 

Same my friend. I got tix for the Philly show.  Luckily it was during that weird period where TM let you exchange tickets for different seats if you wanted. I was able to move up like 14 rows plus the face value of those same tix I had fallen, so I was able to get those AND purchase 4 seats in the upper deck that I scalped on StubHub to make some money back.  

[mikeman5150]

19 minutes ago, WAR41 said:

I'll tell you what I'm doing.  I'm going to see if dynamic pricing works in my favor.  I will only do GA, but at $375+$77 TM fees face value today during the presale there's no way I will pull the trigger on these.  IF Ticketmaster really has dynamic pricing then those ticket prices should decline. The reason why is I'm personally expecting poor ticket sales for all these shows as I believe they're overpriced and frankly unless this band has something new to add to this show that they openly promote we should see these tickets dip. The problem is TM doesn't have a price ceiling, only a price floor.  So we'll see how low they go.  I wouldn't buy unless I see a notable decline, like at least 15% off the $375 base price.  That'll also bring the TM fees down. 

Yeah I’m leaning towards doing the same thing. I say this everytime and then end up panic buying as soon as the general public sale starts. I remember doing every presale for the first show of the reunion only to find nosebleeds on each sale. When the general public sale went on, it’s still all that was available so I bought them. Then about a week later I paid $2200 for a pair of pit tickets. Sucker for GNR is a phrase often used to describe me, but I’m getting sick of it!  I think I’m going to hold off on this one. 

[WAR41]

5 minutes ago, mikeman5150 said:

Yeah I’m leaning towards doing the same thing. I say this everytime and then end up panic buying as soon as the general public sale starts. I remember doing every presale for the first show of the reunion only to find nosebleeds on each sale. When the general public sale went on, it’s still all that was available so I bought them. Then about a week later I paid $2200 for a pair of pit tickets. Sucker for GNR is a phrase often used to describe me, but I’m getting sick of it!  I think I’m going to hold off on this one. 

Trust me.  You'll be fine if you wait.  I held out for Pit tix at MSG in 2017.  I ended up getting them face value for the two shows I could attend. Same thing for Metlife show #2 in 2016 (I had a wedding the night of Metlife #1). Good luck to you!