July 12, 2007
Worst Concert Season In Years
We’re witnessing one of the slowest concert seasons on record this year, and the music industry is busy pointing fingers. So who’s to blame? No one knows for sure, but a change is needed quickly. The easiest solution?
Cut Concert Ticket Prices! Since bands may have to rely on touring for even more of their income (since CD sales are continuing to drop), it’s vital that people be able to afford to see them. The Rolling Stones, U2, and Barbra Streisand commanded top-dollar last year (and got it), but others have followed suit with mixed results.
- Madonna tickets continue to get more and more expensive, and last year’s ticket sales were sluggish as a result of this..
- Genesis tickets have been a REALLY slow seller this year, having only sold out one or two shows on their entire tour thus far. Could it have something to do with the $275 face value on the top seats?!
- Kelly Clarkson should have listened to her experienced management - Instead, she launched an overly-ambitious tour in venues that were entirely too large for her, and the ticket prices tipped the scales at almost $90. With a 14-year old demographic, you just charge that much for the tickets! The shows were slow sellers, and Clarkson’s camp eventually cancelled the ENTIRE TOUR!
- Even The Police have seen ticket sales slow down after the initial rush. Perhaps it’s because their own band mates are criticizing their performances? Or maybe it’s because Sting has continued to tour for the past decade, so it’s not a big deal as the media has made it out to be? Regardless, at almost $300/ticket for the best seats in the house, it’s still a lot to ask from a Police fan.
- The American Idols Live tour is usually money in the bank, but they got a little greedy this year, launching a MASSIVE tour that’s hitting almost 60 cities in 3 months (with an inflated price tag to boot). So what happened? They oversaturated the market, and things got downright ugly. If you wanted to go to the Nashville show last night, you could have bought 8th row floor tickets for 6 DOLLARS. That’s quite a steal, considering those tickets originally sold for $85! Many people bought extra tickets, hoping to make a quick buck when the shows sold out - But when the market took a turn for the worse, people got stuck with those extra tickets.
The summer wasn’t all bad though - Perennial summer tourers Dave Matthews Band, Jimmy Buffett, and Kenny Chesney all have sold-out shows all across the country, and they’ve managed to keep ticket prices within reach for the common person.
Speak with your wallet, and demand lower ticket prices!
Comments(1)
